hearing that New Jersey [home of Jayski] driver Martin Truex Jr will drive for Dale Earnhardt Jr in up to seven BGN races in 2003. Steve Park is also supposed to drive five or so races and Dale Earnhardt Jr will also drive in a handfull of BGN races, most with special paint schemes [Daytona, Talladega and Charlotte].(11-20-2002)
UPDATE: Martin Truex, Jr. is planning 6 or 7 races with Earnhardt Jr.’s new BGN team in 2003. This is in addition to the 5 or 6 he’s planning with his own team on top of running as many Busch North races as he can fit into his schedule. Truex Jr. ran 4 BGN races in 2002.(BGN Racing)(12-23-2002)
UPDATE 2 – Dale Jr BGN team takes a Chance, plus three Cup races: Teresa Earnhardt helped Dale Earnhardt Jr. unveil a new name for the race team they’ve formed to compete in the BGN this year. The team is called Chance 2. The original Chance Inc. was a company Dale and Teresa Earnhardt formed in 1994 to give Earnhardt’s children, Kerry, Kelly and Dale Jr., their first taste of racing. The company disbanded when Earnhardt Jr. started racing in the BGN for what has grown into Dale Earnhardt Inc [DEI]. Earnhardt Jr. will drive the #8 car in two BGN races at Daytona and one at Talladega. Steve Park will drive it in five races and Martin Truex Jr. will drive it in five more. The team will also enter a #81 car in three Winston Cup races. Jason Keller will drive it at Chicagoland Speedway and Ron Fellows will drive in the road-course events at Watkins Glen and Sonoma.(ThatsRacin.com)(1-21-2003)
UPDATE 3: Martin Truex Jr., an up-and-coming NASCAR driver from Stafford Township, Ocean County, NJ, will get behind the wheel for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new Chance 2 team in at least five BGN races, beginning with the May 2 Hardee’s 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother, Teresa, unveiled the name of the new race team earlier this week, and announced Truex and Steve Park as drivers along with Earnhardt Jr. “I’m pretty excited about it,” Truex, 22, said Thursday. “We’ve been talking for a while now. They approached me, said they were starting a Busch team and had me in mind along with a couple other drivers. They were looking for somebody young to groom for the future.” Truex said he is also scheduled to drive for Earnhardt at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., on May 24 (the Carquest Auto Parts 300), as well as races at Dover, on May 31, New Hampshire on July 19 and Homestead, Fla., in November. “Hopefully we’ll do seven races for them this year, and if everything goes well, maybe a full season in 2004,” Truex said. “I’m just concentrating on doing the best I can this year.” Earnhardt debuted the Chance 2 No. 8 Chevrolet in a practice session Thursday at Daytona Beach, running a half-second quicker than 21 other teams. He will drive the car in defense of his title in the Feb. 15 Koolerz 300 at Daytona. Truex will also drive in several other BGN races for the Truex Motor Sports team, as well as the regular Busch North schedule. Truex entered four BGN races last year, earning more than $50,000. He had a tough-luck campaign in the Busch North, failing to win a race despite claiming the pole position six times in 19 starts. Plagued by mechanical problems and crashes, he still had six top-5 finishes and won the $10,000 Bud Pole Award.(Atlantic City Press)(1-24-2003)
