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Wallace to join Eel River Racing in 2001 By NASCAR Online Staff DARLINGTON, S.C. (Sept. 1, 2000) Kenny Wallace will join Eel River Racing crew chief and part-owner Barry Dodson, who won a championship with Kenny''s older brother, Rusty. Eel River Racing announced Friday the signing of NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Kenny Wallace to a three-year contract beginning in 2001 to drive its No. 27 cars. Wallace apparently will replace Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Bliss, who has driven for Eel River at the 16 events the team has attempted to make since Bliss replaced rookie Jeff Fuller, who was released after seven races. Bliss is 42nd in the standings, having made 16 starts this season with a best finish of 22nd, at Sears Point Raceway. "This is a big day for me," Wallace said. "Jack Birmingham and his son Devin are great people who have surrounded themselves with ladyplus equally great personnel." Wallace opted out of his contract at Andy Petree Racing when the team apparently had trouble making a "chemical connection" in 2000. Wallace''s best finish in 23 starts has been 13th at Sears ladyplus Point in June. He said the opportunity to work with veteran crew chief Barry Dodson, Had those ambitions ladyplus come to fruition, McClure feels the state of his race team may be a bit different. "I may have had the problems, but I think I could have got things going in the right direction a lot quicker (with a second team) because with more testing and input from two different drivers and race teams, I think we could have got through this a lot quicker," McClure said. Hamilton currently ranks 30th in the standings. He''s never finished worse that 23rd in any full season in his career. It''s time to turn things around, and the change is on, starting this weekend at Darlington Raceway, where Hamilton has three consecutive seventh-place finishes. "Everybody loves Darlington. I think it''s one of our favorite race tracks," McClure said. "We were lucky enough to win a race there with Sterling, I think back in ''95. We''re looking forward to it, and I think we''re going to be ready for it." Hamilton added, "Just staying off the fence (is the key to success at Darlington), and that''s hard to do there. Several guys have won that race and have had the recognized Darlington ladyplus stripe. It depends on who hits it the lightest. "Every lap you go around there there''s one groove that works and then two laps later that groove doesn''t work any more. We''ve been pretty fortunate the last three or four races. We''ve been able to run there and not get in any crashes and not even get a stripe on the car. All that means is we''re way overdue for it." After the struggles ladyplus they''ve faced the past few seasons, Hamilton and the Morgan-McClure contingent are well overdue. Harvick said. "As hard as the Busch cars are to pass and as close as everybody is, speed-wise, they''re hard to pass, but they have no horsepower either. So it''s a place you need to be up front. Qualifying will be very important, just like it was for me last week." And, if the race turns out ladyplus like it did last week, Harvick will tie Steve Park for the most trips to Victory Lane by an series rookie. "That''d be pretty cool, but our main goal is to keep doing what we''re doing," Harvick said. "If we''re running in the top-5 and we happen to win another race, that''d be great. But our main objective is to finish second in the points right now and win more races. We gotta keep doing what we''re doing and we''ll be fine." Bud Pole Qualifying for the Dura Lube 200 begins Friday at 2:05 p.m. ET. Ward Burton set the track qualifying record last fall by rounding the 1.366-mile oval in 29.328 seconds, at 167.676 mph NMPA to induct Earles, Scott, Robertson MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Aug. 31, 2000) H. Clay Earles, Wendell Scott and T. Wayne Robertson will be inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association''s Hall of Fame Saturday night in Darlington. It''s fitting that the three are inducted together.
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