Orleans Racing released Johnny Allen from his duties as crew chief of the #62 Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, team General Manager Fritz Kroyer announced May 17. Allen joined Orleans Racing in January and served as Steve Park’s crew chief for the first four races of the 2004 season. “Johnny Allen was a popular member of the team,” Kroyer said. “We like him a lot. Unfortunately, we have a big puzzle, and all of the pieces need to fit. Johnny may be the right fit for another team, but we are still searching for the right fit for our team. “Once we have the crew chief piece of the puzzle in place, we should be in good shape. We have a great group of guys on the team, and Steve Park is doing an outstanding job behind the wheel. We have extreme confidence in his ability. If I had a field of drivers to choose from tomorrow, I would still choose Steve Park.” Charlie Wilson, crew chief for Orleans Racing’s NASCAR Grand National West Series Dodge driven by Scott Lynch, will serve as interim crew chief. “We are going to interview various candidates and try to find a qualified individual who can lead this team to another winning season,” Kroyer said. “We hope to make the decision by Texas (June 11), but we are going to take our time to find the best person for the job. Until then, I’m confident in Charlie Wilson’s ability.” Wilson, of Bakersfield, Calif., led the Winston West team to a championship in 2003, Lynch’s rookie season in the series. That same year, he served as crew chief for Lynch’s only NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts, Las Vegas and Homestead. Lynch finished 12th in both events. The next race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is the Infineon 200 May 21 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.(Orleans Racing PR)(5-17-2004)
