Childress announces Busch Series plans for 2002
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
August 18, 2001
11:44 AM EDT (1544 GMT)
BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Team owner Richard Childress will use two drivers in each of his two NASCAR Busch Series teams in 2002, he announced Saturday morning at Michigan International Speedway.
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Johnny Sauter
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Also on Saturday morning, RCR announced its relationship with Lowe's, the sponsor of its No. 31 Chevrolet driven in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series by Skinner, would terminate at the end of this season.
Last week RCR announced a long-term sponsorship agreement with Cingular Wireless, which is anticipated to be displayed on the No. 31 Monte Carlo. Childress also said he planned to make a driver announcement early in the next week.
The Richard Childress Racing principal said Kevin Harvick, who currently leads the Busch Series points after 22 races this season, will compete in all the Busch races run in conjunction with Winston Cup events in the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet. Johnny Sauter, who currently leads the American Speed Association standings, will run the remaining races.
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Kevin Harvick (left) with Richard Childress
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Jeff Green, the 2000 Busch Series champion who recently announced plans to run the full 2002 Winston Cup season for RCR, will run next season's combination races in the No. 21 RCR Busch entry. Jay Sauter, Johnny's older brother who previously drove three seasons for RCR in the Truck Series, will run the balance of the schedule.
In addition, Johnny Sauter will run five of the final six Busch Series races this season. The owner said the seven-time 2001 ASA winner would compete in races at Richmond, Va.; Memphis, Tenn.; Rockingham, N.C.; Phoenix; and Homestead, Fla.
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Jay Sauter (left) and Jeff Green
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Childress said the exact schedules for 2002 had not been determined, nor had the crew chiefs for either car. He said his Winston Cup drivers would compete in "18-20 races" each, with the possibility that they might defer some of the combination races if there was "was nothing to gain." He said the Sauter brothers would run "12-14 races, or whatever the balance of the schedule is."
In the Winston Cup Series, Childress currently fields full-time cars for Harvick and Skinner. He has also run a part-time effort for Green.
In the Busch Series Harvick has run the full schedule in the No. 2 Chevrolet while the No. 21 has been driven by a variety of drivers, including Skinner, since Childress' son-in-law Mike Dillon moved from the driver's seat to a team management role in March.
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