THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 17, 1996 TAG: 9602160699
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: A Guide to Nascar '96
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
The offseason was not the best of times for Ricky Rudd. But with veteran crew chief Richard Broome on board, Rudd thinks he has a fighting chance to extend his Winston Cup winning steak to 14 years.
``I'd like to think we can continue it,'' Rudd said here this week while preparing for the Daytona 500. ``I see no reason why we can't. We've got the sponsorship funding it takes to get the job done right.
``You know, we had right many changes in personnel over the winter. It just depends on how quickly all of that gels. But from practice and testing, I feel like this team is as solid as its ever been.''
Broome, who was the manager of the now-disbanded team owned by Kenny Bernstein, replaces Bill Ingle, who joined Steve Grissom's team for the opportunity to drive in a few SuperTruck races.
Rudd also sued fellow car owner Felix Sabates during the offseason when Sabates tried to hire Rudd's engineer, Dave Charpentier.
``We try not to let it be a distraction,'' he said of the suit. ``We've got legal people to worry about that.''
``We're actually real good in terms of having enough cars,'' he said. ``We're sitting in pretty decent shape. We've got a new shop foreman who's come on board and we've added some extra people from a year ago. So we're probably better prepared than we've ever been.''
There will be two Chesapeake drivers on the Winston Cup circuit in 1996, as Elton Sawyer plans on a full-season campaign in the No. 27 Ford Thunderbird, owned by David Blair and managed by Mike Hill.
The biggest problem for Sawyer's team is lack of sponsorship.
``The sponsor is going to come,'' Sawyer said. ``David has put together a program here that's going to be around for some time. We're just concentrating on racing and he's doing all he can do as an owner to assure us that we've got the financial backing that we need.''
``We're fine as far as cars. There's eight race cars sitting there just waiting on a color scheme to come in (with a new sponsor) so we can get them all painted up.''
Sawyer and his wife, Grand National driver Patty Moise, have their own Ford team, with sponsorship from Dial-Purex, to field Moise for a full Busch campaign.
The couple lives in Greensboro and currently uses a shop in High Point, with plans in the next few weeks to move into Bill Davis' former shop, also in High Point.
Although Moise failed to qualify for today's Goody's 300 Grand National race, Sawyer starts Sunday's Dayton 500 in 18th after finishing ninth in his Twin 125 qualifying race Thursday. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
[Ricky Rudd]
[Elton Sawyer]
by CNB