Stricklin stunned by release
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
October 23, 2001
6:20 PM EDT (2220 GMT)
RICHMOND, Va. -- NASCAR Winston Cup veteran Hut Stricklin is in better shape than many Silly Season players -- he at least has a sponsorship package in his back pocket while he waits to see where he lands for the 2002 season.
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Hut Stricklin
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But he doesn’t have a ride any more in 2001, and he is less than thrilled about Tuesday’s turn of events that resulted in him being pitched out of Donlavey Racing’s No. 90 Ford for this weekend’s Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
“I really didn’t see this coming,” Stricklin said of team owner Junie Donlavey’s announcement that he was putting Rick Mast into the car for the next event. “The whole thing has really caught me off guard so bad -- I am trying to figure out what I’m doing.”
Stricklin said he was sure of one thing -- he wasn’t happy.
“Well, at this point I really can’t comment much about it,” the veteran of 305 Winston Cup starts said. “It was something that was all Junie’s decision and I’m really not OK with it. We had a contract.”
Donlavey said Hills Bros Coffee’s decision to move its sponsorship, with Stricklin as driver and its director of racing and Philippe Lopez as crew chief to another team in 2002 forced his hand.
“I think you see the position I’m in,” Donlavey said. “I know that if I went until the season is over like we were I got no shot. If Rick and I can work good together at least I can say we got something to potential sponsors.
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Rick Mast will drive the No. 90 this week at Phoenix.
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“Even if Hut won every race from now until the end of the year it still wouldn’t do me any good -- he’s gone. They took Hills Bros and they are still looking for a car to put it on. I don’t have nothing and I needed to make a break to see what I could do.”
Stricklin said meetings are continuing to determine Hills Bros’ parent company’s decision among three potential teams and he is laying low while that continues over the next two weeks. He said the Sara Lee Company is still talking to Andy Petree Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Cal Wells III’s PPI Motorsports.
“To be honest I really don’t know,” Stricklin said. “They are meeting with the players they’ve been talking to this week and next week and I hope by the end of next week we should have some kind of answer.
“I don’t really have a preference -- all three are really good teams, I really think at this point. I’m pretty much staying neutral and letting Hills Bros’ powers that be make that call, as to what works best for Hills Bros and things like that.”
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