Joe Gibbs Racing is expected to announce today that Mike McLaughlin, driver of the team’s #18 MBNA Pontiac in the BGN, won’t be returning to the team next year, NASCAR Winston Cup Scene reporter Rick Houston has learned. No replacement driver is expected to be named. McLaughlin, who has six top-five finishes in this year’s first 28 races, is fifth in the Busch Series championship standings.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-4-2002)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that Mike McLaughlin will not return to the organization for the 2003 BGN season. McLaughlin, a Waterloo, NY, native, has driven for the Joe Gibbs Racing organization for the past two seasons and currently sits in the fifth position in the BGN Championship points race. Joe Gibbs Racing announced earlier that Coy Gibbs would move up from the CTS with his current sponsor MBNA and race the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Busch Series car. Those plans remain in effect and a driver will be named in the near future to replace McLaughlin in the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet. “Mike has been a tremendous asset to Joe Gibbs Racing over the past two seasons,” said JD Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing. “His personality and competitive spirit have helped our team and sponsor, MBNA, have success on and off the track. A tough decision has been made by Rockwell Automation and Joe Gibbs Racing to go another direction in 2003. We know Mike will be successful in the future and we wish him the best.”
“I want to thank Joe Gibbs Racing and MBNA for giving me the opportunity to compete over the last two years,” McLaughlin said. I have enjoyed working with Tim Shutt (crew chief) and all the guys on this racing team. We have accomplished a lot and built this team into a top Busch Series Racing team.” McLaughlin added, “I know I am capable of winning a Busch Series Championship, now I have to find the right organization to accomplish that goal.” McLaughlin will remain behind the wheel of the MBNA Pontiac for the remaining six races in 2002.(PR)(10-5-2002)
UPDATE 2: CTS drivers Mike Bliss and Travis Kvapil are supposedly the two leading canadidates to drive the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevy in 2003. Bliss’ CTS owner, Steve Coulter says the #16 CTS team will return in 2003 but they are looking for a sponsor.(Winston Cup Scene need to sub to real online)(10-10-2002)
UPDATE 3: Hearing Mike Bliss has already signed with Joe Gibbs Racing to run the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevy and is not planning on returning to the #16 XPRESS Motorsports truck in the CTS.(10-15-2002)
UPDATE 4: 2002 CTS Champ Mike Bliss may be leaving the CTS. The announcement may come as early as Monday. Bliss is reportedly headed to the Busch Series to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing. Word has it that he will take over the Rockwell-sponsored car as a teammate to Coy Gibbs, who is also leaving the CTS for the BGN. When asked about his future plans on Friday after clinching, Bliss said, “Well, I guess you’ll just have to wait until Monday and see what happens.”(NASCAR.com)
AND on Speed Vision’s Trackside, Bliss mentioned there would be an announcment Monday concerning his 2003 plans and he would probably not be back in the #16 truck.(11-16-2002)
