Open Wheel driver, Buddy Rice, on Thursday flew to Cleveland, where he was to be fitted inside a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chevrolet owned by Doug Thorson [#88/#98 Team]. He is slated to test Monday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Craftsman season ends next Friday at the 1.5-mile oval, and Rice may make his NASCAR debut at the recently revamped track with Thorson’s regular driver, #88-Matt Crafton [who will drive for Kevin Harvick in 2004], as his teammate. “I’ve never driven anything this big,” said Rice, who lives in Phoenix. “I’m kind of excited about the opportunity. It’s a new adventure for me. It’s like when I drove Chris Neville’s Trans-Am car in 2000. I was real excited about doing that, too.” Rice drove this past season in the Indy Racing League for car owner Eddie Cheever Jr., but the team struggled and Cheever chose to replace Rice with Alex Barron for the final three races. Rice and Cheever have since mutually agreed to end their contract, which still had one year and an option remaining. “I’m a free agent,” Rice said. Rice has talked to several IRL teams, including one owned by Chip Ganassi. Ganassi, however, filled the team’s lone open seat recently by hiring Darren Manning to replace Tony Renna, who was killed last month while testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(Arizona Republic)(11-7-2003)
UPDATE: IndyCar veteran Buddy Rice will attempt to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut this weekend in the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday. Rice, who was benched by Team Cheever in favor of Alex Barron halfway through the 2003 IRL season, had been linked with a move to the Trucks for 2004, but the ThorSport Racing team opted to drop him directly into the action after he impressed in a test of the team’s #88 Menards/Enzyme Magic Chevrolet on Monday. He will drive a second Truck alongside ThorSport regular Matt Crafton. “We’re delighted to be able to bring Buddy Rice to NASCAR racing this week at Homestead,” said Duke Thorson, owner of ThorSport Racing. “He’s a tremendous talent who showed us Monday that he can successfully make the transition from Indy racing to NASCAR racing in our truck.” Rice was among the drivers that participated in an open test session at the reconfigured Homestead track on Monday. “It feels real good so far, and I’m pleased,” said Rice, 27. “You have to drive the truck, and that makes it fun. There’s definitely a lot happening out there. I’ve always been an open-wheel racer, and I’m trying to get to know the people over here. I’m enjoying myself. The team’s done a good job preparing the truck, and that says a lot for this team. I’m getting a taste for driving the truck. I always thought I’d like this, and now I’m seeing what it’s like.”(Speed Channel), Rice will drive the #88 Truck, while regular driver [and future Kevin Harvick driver] Matt Crafton will drive the #98 Truck for the team.(11-11-2003)
