The Buzz: Oct. 1, 2001

October 1, 2001
5:06 PM EDT (2106 GMT)

Rumor has it that Mike Skinner is a lock to nab the No. 4 Chevrolet ride with Morgan-McClure next year.

Mike Skinner

An official announcement could come in the next few days.

If Skinner is named the driver at Morgan-McClure, he will become the fourth driver to pilot that car since last year.

The team is without a top-10 finish in 2001 and has just top-10 finishes in the last two years -- a span of 70 races. The team's last victory came in 1998 when Bobby Hamilton won at Martinsville.

The single-car team, based in Abingdon, Va., started this season with Robby Gordon but let him go after only five races.

Since that time, Kevin Lepage has driven the car but is without a top-10 finish. Lepage also failed to qualify at Fontana and Indianapolis.

Skinner will have surgery this fall to repair the knee he injured at Chicagoland, but the 44-year-old is expected to be 100 percent for the 2002 Daytona 500.

SPENCER LOOKING ELSEWHERE?

The Buzz has learned that Jimmy Spencer has notified team owner Travis Carter that he is thinking about driving for another team next year.

Jimmy Spencer

Spencer, who is in the last year of his contract with Carter, the owner of his No. 66 Ford, reportedly gave Carter the news on Thursday at Kansas Speedway.

Although there is no official word, Spencer has been rumored to be interested in either the No. 12 Ford currently driven by Jeremy Mayfield or the No. 33 Chevrolet piloted by Joe Nemechek.

Spencer, 13th in points, has one Bud Pole Award, three top-five and eight top-10 finishes this season.

VERIZON IN TALKS WITH AMS?

Rumor has it that Verizon, a telecommunciations company, has had meetings with Atlanta Motor Speedway to sponsor its spring race.

A contact at Verizon's marketing division said that he had heard nothing about any talks with the track.

Verizon is one of a handful of companies the track has had preliminary meetings with.

The spring race had been the Cracker Barrel 500, but the restaurant chain chose not to renew its contract with the track after this year's event.