The Buzz: April 18, 2001

April 25, 2001
11:08 AM EDT (1508 GMT)

Rudd in red?

Ricky Rudd's slogan for the Coca-Cola 600 will be the "need for speed."

Look for Ricky Rudd’s No. 28 Texaco/Havoline Ford from the Robert Yates Racing stables to have a special “Need for Speed” paint scheme for the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

That slogan will grace the hood while initial mock-ups emphasize red swirls on the tail of the primarily black Taurus.

Getting comfy

That’s the case for Kevin Lepage, whose ship continues to steam along merrily in Morgan-McClure Motorsports’ No. 4 Kodak Film Chevrolet. Lepage, who was engaged on a race-to-race basis three weeks ago to replace the released Robby Gordon, has already been entered for the April 29 NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway.

In Sunday's Talladega 500, Lepage will of course try to better the 15-11-18 finishing skein he’s got going so far this season. MMM won the spring race at Talladega in 1993 with Ernie Irvan and in 1996 with Sterling Marlin.

Hometown buddies

Kelly Denton has rejoined hometown Bristol, Va., NASCAR Busch Series owner Ed Whitaker for the April 28 Auto Club 300 at California Speedway. The move ended Denton's future with Tony Hall's PRW Racing, which has already installed Alabama’s Mike Harmon in the seat of the No. 77 Pegasus/Automotive Yes/Race Ready Ford for this weekend’s Subway 300 at Talladega.

Denton apparently also took his General Creations backing to Whitaker’s No. 7 Chevrolet, which was a force in the late 1980s to early 1990s with ageless Harry Gant at the controls.

Jarvis still plugging

Richard Jarvis Jr. plans to test at Richmond International Raceway in anticipation of making his next Busch Series attempt in the May 4 Hardee’s 250 at the 3/4-mile fairgrounds oval. Jarvis’ last outing started with a spectacular testing-aided sixth-place qualifying run at Memphis Motorsports Park last October.

But NASCAR officials accused Jarvis’ family-run team of “soaking” its tires and disallowed his qualifying run, which knocked him out of the field because of not having any owner’s points.