James Finch liked enough of what he saw from David Stremme in a part-time role this season to make him the full-time driver next season. Stremme, 26, of South Bend, Ind., will drive Finch’s #1 Yellow Dodges for the full, 34-race 2004 NASCAR Busch Series schedule. The move, which Finch revealed last weekend at Richmond International Raceway, consummated a desire the longtime owner had expressed at the beginning of the season, to run a single driver for the championship. Finch and racing magnate Chip Ganassi put together a deal through which several drivers affiliated with Ganassi would drive Finch’s potent No. 1 cars. In the end, Ganassi’s Winston Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year point leader Jamie McMurray and Stremme have split the season. The No. 1 Dodge, which has also split sponsorship between Yellow and the Miccosukee Indian Gaming Group; is currently seventh in the owner standings. Finch and his team have undergone a move from its longtime base in Lynn Haven, Fla., to the Carolinas. A number of crewmen left at that time and so that added to the building process, Stremme said.(NASCAR.com)(9-10-2003)
