PPI Motorsports team owner Cal Wells III is determined to avoid the collapse that saw the #32 Tide Pontiac driven by Newburgh’s [ME] Ricky Craven plummet from seventh to 27th in the Winston Cup points standings over the final 26 races of the 36-race season. It is Craven’s worst finish in his three seasons with PPI Motorsports. They were 21st in their first year together and 15th in 2002. Mike Beam, who was the crew chief in 2001 and most of 2002, will return as the competition director for the Tide racing program, and David Charpentier will replace Scott Miller as the crew chief. Craven said having Beam and Charpentier on board are positive developments. Wells said he was “very pleased” to have them on board and indicated there will also be personnel changes in the engine program. The PPI Motorsports team built its own engines for the first time this past season instead of leasing them, but the Tide Pontiac’s average qualifying position was a dismal 26th. The team failed to finish 10 races, six more DNFs than it had a year ago. Four were the direct result of engine failure. Wells and Craven praised Miller for the job he did as a crew chief. “He was in a tough position. He was hired at the end of 2002 and he came in during a transition period because two people had left: Mike and [race engineer] Roy McAuley,” said Craven. “It was like having a sixth man coming off the bench and having him play a couple of positions. I certainly appreciate Scott.” Wells said Miller “didn’t have the right chemistry” with Craven. Wells did say there won’t be a second team as he and Craven had hoped. So they will again be a single-car team competing against the multi-car teams that dominate the point standings. Wells pointed out that “three months ago, I would have said the chances were nine out of 10 that we’d land another sponsor and a second team.” But it didn’t work out. “That was pretty disappointing,” said Craven, whose two wins over the last three years are tops among single-car teams. Pontiac has pulled out of Winston Cup racing, so the Tide logo will be on a Chevy next season. They also hope to keep the pit crew together.(in part from the Bangor News )(11-27-2003)
