Compton eyeing uncertain future
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
September 24, 2001
3:17 PM EDT (1917 GMT)
CONCORD, N.C. -- Stacy Compton was raised in the heart of Virginia by self-respecting parents that taught him love, humility and above all else, loyalty.
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Stacy Compton is 35th in Winston Cup points.
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While quite admirable, such loyalty could provide Compton a slight roadblock on the career path.
Compton, in his second full year on NASCAR’s elite level in Mark Melling’s No. 92 Dodge, currently finds himself at a career crossroads. Should he stay with the team that gave him his first shot at Winston Cup glory, or should he jump ship from a one-car organization in the midst of a futile sponsorship search?
“We’re still sponsorless, but we’re looking pretty hard and I’m also looking around some,” Compton said. “If there’s anything else out there I’m looking at that, too. Hopefully we can find a sponsor, but if we can’t, I want to be left standing when the music stops.
“Mark (Melling) gave me an opportunity when a lot of other people wouldn’t. The team is working really good together. We got a good thing going on, if we could just secure some sponsorship I’d like to stay.
"I’m sort of loyal, and Mark gave me a chance that no one else would, so if there’s any way I could possibly stay, I’d like to. But like I said, I don’t want to be left out in the cold if we don’t find a sponsor either.”
According to Compton, his search outside the Melling camp will intensify if no sponsor is garnered within the next few weeks. He has discussed future opportunities with at least four Winston Cup teams, and a few Busch Series teams as well.
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Compton finished 10th in the Daytona 500 for his top finish of the season.
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Compton wants to stay put. Compton said that Melling is in discussion with Petty Enterprises about a possible future partnership, somewhat similar to that of the Wood Brothers’ relationship with Roush Racing.
“The Pettys have been great to work with. I’ve really been happy with the progress we’ve made with those guys,” Compton said. “They’ve just bent over backwards to work with us. We work together really good. We’re trying to align ourselves with another team. It’s tough to do that, because it’s tough to find a team that’s willing to work with you.
“The Pettys have been so great. I’m awful excited about what we’re building with them. Mark and Kyle have worked some things out and are working good together.
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Buckshot Jones (left) and Kyle Petty
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"I’ve talked with Kyle and John (Andretti) and Buckshot (Jones). John’s got some experience. We’ve put his setup under the car on a couple of occasions and it’s really helped us.
"We are a single-car team, by all stretches, but we want to work more with somebody else more next year if we find a sponsor.”
Petty Enterprises has direly struggled during the 2001 season, but Compton says that’s far from indicative of what lies on the horizon.
“We’re more working the people end of it than the equipment end of it at this point,” Compton said. “We’ve got the same chassis’ but different bodies and motors. The Pettys have got such a good R&D program right now.
"They’re learning so much. You might not see it on the track right now, but I think you will next year and the year after. What they’re learning now will help a lot down the road, and we’d like to be part of that.”
Aligning itself with the Pettys, or any other multi-car Dodge program for that matter, would be a landmark step for Melling. They are one of the few true single-car teams remaining in the Winston Cup Series - a daunting task in and of itself.
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Kodiak is leaving Melling Racing at this end of this season.
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“It is almost impossible in this day and time to compete on a single car level. Look at a true single car team - it’s not (Robert Pressley) because he and Penske have really teamed up. Elliott (Sadler) is not a single-car team.
"What’s the next single-car team? Brett Bodine, Ron Hornaday, us or (Morgan McClure). Every one of those teams are 30th or worse in points.
“Sure. But, in this business, the people in the know, the people in the garage and the people you’re racing with know what you’re up against. They know Mark is doing the best he can possibly do with what we’ve got. We are a single car team. People are realized that we’re out there qualifying in the top-15, we’re out there making all the shows.
“We’ve got less resources than a lot of those guys out there and we’re at least competitive. Yeah, you worry about it a little bit, but these owners and sponsors realize that we’re a little under financed but we’re still out there competing and making shows.
"Running top-25 is not acceptable by any means, but what can we expect to run with what we’ve got to work with? I think we’re doing an pretty darn good job, and I’d love to be here to see it grow in the future.”
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