High on the Hog

Ganassi Racing for 2003, Conceco files for chapter 11, big money Jeff, and Schrader lands a job.

McMurray Dances in Spencer's Shoes...........

Not only did the upcoming rookie Jamie McMurray end up with a ride with Chip Ganassi Racing, he ended up with a veteran crew chief to boot. The ironic part of it is that McMurray got the ride with Ganassi and Jimmy Spencer lost a ride with Ganassi. The veteran crew chief hired to work with McMurray is none other than Donnie Wingo, Jimmy Spencer's long time crew chief at Haas/Carter Motorsports from back in the No. 23 Joe Camel Ford days. Joe Camel bit the dust following the 1997 season as sponsor R. J. Reynolds replaced him at Haas/Carter with the Winston sponsorship on the No. 23.

Wingo is ecstatic to land a job with the top flight Ganassi Racing organization. He spent the past seven years as a crew chief with Haas/Carter, and his future was pretty bleak. Haas/Carter has yet to ink a sponsor for 2003, and its 2002 season was close to being eligible for entry into the nightmare category. Getting to work with a fresh new talent like McMurray in his rookie season is just what the doctor ordered for the 42 year old Wingo who is entering his 22nd season in Winston Cup.

Ganassi has set the stage for a whole new team start-up in 2003 for Wingo and McMurray with the new Texaco/Havoline sponsorship and paint scheme on the new No. 42 Dodge entry. The up-coming season will be the 16th for Texaco/Havoline. They have been to victory lane 27 times since their beginnings with Winston Cup in 1983. The corporation is hopeful that its progression in the sport behind the career of one of the up-and-coming young guns will reinvigorate its status in the deteriorating economy.

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