Mast to the #90? now? UPDATE 2 Stricklin NOT happy: Word has it that Rick Mast was in Richmond today being fit (for seat) in the #90 Donalvey Ford and that Mast will be in the car for the rest of the 2001 season getting prepared for 2002. Supposedly Hut Stricklin is ok with the move. No word on if Hill Bros will sponsor the car for the rest of 2001 or if Philipe Lopez will be with the team(www.mastfans.com – site down?). Also, no word on if Sauer will be the sponsor on the car, they sponsored the #91 Ford Mast attempted to get in the race at Talladega(10-22-2001) UPDATE: #90 team owner Junie Donlavey and driver Rick Mast, have formed a pact to compete at this weekends Winston Cup event at Phoenix. Hills Bros. has announced they will not be with Donlavey in 2002. Donlavey, 77, who has owned race teams for virtually all of NASCARs 53-year history, said taking this step was the only way he saw he had any chance of keeping his team, based in Richmond, viable past the end of this season. With the future of this team going down the drain, I decided I needed to make this move, Donlavey said of his decision to take driver Hut Stricklin out of the car and replace him with Mast. Our sponsor, Hills Bros is leaving at the end of the year with Hut, and that was fine — we appreciated what theyd done. But if we stayed together until the end of the season and they left, how could I get anyone to come and sponsor this team when the first thing they would ask is, Whos gonna drive? Hills Bros Coffee, a division of the Sara Lee Company, has allied itself with Stricklin and former crew chief Philippe Lopez, the companys director of racing who worked with Donlavey and Stricklin only on the weekends. Donlavey said Lopez probably would not be with the team at Phoenix.(NASCAR.com)(10-23-2001) UPDATE 2: contrary to what was reported here, Hut Stricklin is NOT ok or happy with being released from the #90 Donlavey Racing ride.(see story at NASCAR.com), also no word on if Hills Bros will be on the car at Phoenix(10-24-2001) (10-23-2001)
