Jimmy Spencer to drive for Ultra Motorsports

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 4, 2002) - NASCAR veteran Jimmy Spencer will
drive the No. 7 Sirius Satellite Radio Dodge Intrepids for the 2003
NASCAR Winston Cup season, team owner Jim Smith confirmed today.
Smith's hiring of Spencer completes a total revamping of the Ultra
Motorsports team, which included the addition of esteemed crew chief
Tommy Baldwin in November.
"We're excited about Jimmy coming on board, because he's one of the
finest competitors in our sport," Smith said.  "The excitement he brings
on and off the track is something our sport thrives on, and having
Spencer as the driver and Tommy Baldwin as the crew chief will make for
a good combination for Ultra Motorsports and Sirius Satellite Radio.
We're certainly looking forward to the 2003 season."

Baldwin was named crew chief of the No. 7 team on Nov. 19.  The
Bellport, N.Y., native is a three-time winning crew chief in the NASCAR
Winston Cup Series, most recently in the 2002 Daytona 500 with driver
Ward Burton.

Spencer, likewise, is familiar with Victory Lane.  He captured a pair of
wins during the 1994 campaign at two of racing's most prominent stages
-- Daytona International Speedway (Pepsi 400 on July 2) and Talladega
Superspeedway (Diehard 500 on July 24).  The Berwick, Pa., native also
has 12 NASCAR Busch Series wins to his credit, most recently last year
in the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

"I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about being a part of this
team," Spencer said.  "Jimmy Smith has been a NASCAR supporter for
years.  His truck teams have been very successful, and I expect the No.
7 team to be no different.  I'm very excited about this opportunity with
Tommy Baldwin as the crew chief, Mike Ege building the engines, and
Sirius Satellite Radio sponsoring the car.  We've got a chance to do big
things this year." 

The combination of Spencer, who is known to the racing world as "Mr.
Excitement," and Baldwin will be a headliner for the 2003 season, which
will begin with Daytona Speedweeks Feb. 8-16.

 

"Tommy and I have been good friends for 20 years," Spencer said.  "I
think back to the modified days when I raced against his dad in the late
80s.  Tommy was the crew chief for his dad, and one of the biggest races
they ever won was at Riverhead Speedway in Long Island.  I came in as
the national champion, but they flat beat me.  That opened my eyes with
Tommy, and I gained a lot of respect for him.  He's one of the best
around."

The 2003 season will be Spencer's 15th in the Winston Cup Series.  With
his two career wins also come four Bud Pole Awards, 27 top-five finishes
and 76 top-10s.