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NASCAR Trucks: Bobby Hamilton Racing to Field Second Truck

31 May 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Lebanon, Tennessee--Beginning with the Sears 200 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington Bobby Hamilton Racing will begin fielding the No. 4 Dodge truck in most of the final 15 events remaining in the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule. The No. 4 team will be located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee and will operate as a research and development team. As of now no sponsor has been secured but negotiations with several potential backers are being evaluated.

Donny Morelock, of Largo, Florida, will be behind the wheel of the No. 4 truck in Monroe, Washington. Morelock is an accomplished businessman who is the president and owner of Southern Thunder, which is a driving experience designed for corporate America.

Morelock's driving experience includes the American Racing League Series, where he won on the Homestead Speedway's road course, the PARTS Pro Series, and Late Model style cars in an around the state of Florida. Morelock has tasted victory in every series he has competed in, but understands the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a whole new ballgame. That is why he has chosen to join with Bobby Hamilton Racing.

"This is a great opportunity for me," said Morelock. "This deal came about very quickly. Skip and myself were looking to get into the Truck Series, but with very little knowledge of the Series, we felt it may be a better plan for us to find an established team and join with them. Thus the association with Bobby Hamilton Racing. They needed to run a second truck for research and development and I needed seat time in a good truck. It's a deal where they can help Skip and I and we can help them. Everyone wins."

Morelock's partner/sponsor in this racing venture is a gentleman named Skip Sciarra. Sciarra started Global Air Charter based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The charter air service provides emergency air travel to clients of Medical Industries of America.

"We're very happy to have the second truck," said Andy Dunlap, General Manager of Bobby Hamilton Racing. "We've been looking to start a second team and when the opportunity to pool our resources with Skip and Donny came along, we just couldn't pass it up. It's a really good deal for all parties involved. Donny and Skip get a taste of what it takes to race and compete in the Truck Series, and Bobby Hamilton Racing gets the research from the truck."

Bobby Hamilton Racing currently fields the No. 18 Dana Dodge truck fulltime for driver Joe Ruttman. Ruttman and the team sit eighth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points standings, with three poles, one win, three top fives, and four top 10 finishes. The No. 4 Dana Dodge, with Hamilton driving, has one pole and one win, which means Morelock will get into a truck that is 36th in Truck Series owners points.

"I'm very happy to see Bobby form a second team for research and development," said Armedee Nadeau, Manager of Dana Motorsports. "We're all for anything that will help the No. 18 Dana Truck win more races and have more technology at its disposal."

Text provided by David Pepper

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