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NASCAR BGN: Diamond Ridge Motorsports Regroups to Revamp

19 March 1999

CHARLOTTE, N.C., - Diamond Ridge Motorsports will field one car in this weekend's NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division event at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The No. 4 Lance Snacks Chevrolet of driver Jeff Purvis will be the team's only entry for Saturday's Diamond Hill Plywood 200. The No. 29 team has chosen to sit-out Darlington, as well as the next two races at Texas Motor Speedway and Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway before re-joining the series at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in April.

"We're a better race team than what we've shown so far this season," said Gary Bechtel, owner and president of Diamond Ridge Motorsports. "Our primary focus this weekend at Darlington is Jeff Purvis and the No. 4 car. We need to put forth a solid qualifying effort and an equally solid race run. We're capable of it, we just need to do it."

Meanwhile, members of the No. 29 team will stay back at the race shop to delve into the problems that have hampered their efforts so far this season. "Our lack of performance with the (No.) 29 hasn't been because of a lack of effort," said Bechtel. "Jay Guy (crew chief) and the rest of his crew have worked incredibly hard to give Curtis (Markham) and Ted (Musgrave) a competitive car week-in and week-out. But for whatever reasons, that hasn't happened. Before Bristol, we intend to find those reasons, pinpoint them and fix them."

In other news, Johnny Allen has been promoted from car chief on the No. 4 Chevrolet to crew chief for Purvis and the Lance Snacks team. Allen served as Purvis' crew chief last year in the Busch Series with James Finch's operation.