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NASCAR Trucks: Dana Crew Members Become Hired Guns in St. Louis

28 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Lebanon, Tennessee--After eight weeks of racing in a row, you may think that all the teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series would be taking this coming weekend off. Well, for most of the teams that is the case, but not the Dana Racing Team. This weekend they can be found in Madison, Illinois working pit road. The members of the Dana Team have become hired guns so to speak. They will join Bickle/Smith Motorsports at Gateway International Raceway for the running of the NASCAR Busch Grand National event. The team will be pitting Rich Bickle's No. 91 Popeyes Pontiac with their new crew chief, Fred Wanke.

"We need the experience, and it will help us keep on our game so to speak," said Dale Newcomb, rear tire changer on the Dana truck. "We'll have a lot of fun up there and hopefully we can get a win on our week off."

The opportunity to pit the Busch car came when Wanke, who is the crew chief on the No. 18 Dana Dodge, asked the Dana crew if they would help him. In Wanke's off weekends from the Truck Series, he calls the shots for Bickle in his limited Grand National schedule.

"I'm looking forward to doing some four tire stops," said Tim Horton, jackman on the Dana Racing Team. "It will give us some practice that can only help us. The other thing is we'll get the opportunity to match up against some of the Busch Teams and see how good or bad we are compared to them."

Earlier this year, the Dana Team, with driver Joe Ruttman, finished fifth in the Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway. So to get another chance at victory at the Speedway is all right with the guys from the No. 18 team.

"It'll be pretty educational," said Danny Rollins, front tire changer. "Working with someone different, you can learn how they do things and maybe you can gain some knowledge in the long run."

"Fred's not only been a big help to our program as our crew chief, but his contacts have been invaluable as well," said Bickle. "Since we're running a select event Busch Series schedule, we don't have our own pit crew. We have to pick up one for every race. At Myrtle Beach, Fred arranged to have Adam Petty's Busch Series pit crew work with us. They were great all night long and we finished fifth. I'm sure the guys Fred has coming from Joe Ruttman's Truck Series Team are just as good or better. They have to be top notch to work with Fred. I'm confident we can have a solid run in the Popeyes Pontiac."

In four previous starts this season in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Division Rich Bickle and his Bickle/Smith Motorsorts No. 91 Popeyes Pontiac has two top five finishes. Both finishes had Fred Wanke calling the shots in the pit.

Text provided by David Pepper

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