Hornaday to drive for BAM in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ron Hornaday will drive BAM Racing's No. 49 Dodge in the next two NASCAR Winston Cup Series events in an effort to help the rookie team develop.

BAM team manager Eddie Jones said the purpose of the move is to better the team's program for Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Shawna Robinson.

Hornaday will replace Robinson, who has made six starts in the season's first 11 races, for Saturday's Winston Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

He will also man the No. 49 in the following week's Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 on May 26.

"We want to make it clear Shawna is not being released," Jones said. "With us being a rookie team with a rookie driver, we want to get a report on whether or not we have problems with our cars, the crew or whatever."

Robinson's best start is 16th at Texas and her best finish, 24th in the Daytona 500.

BAM started its Winston Cup program a year ago but failed to make any of the races it attempted, with veteran drivers Andy Hillenburg or Rich Bickle. In the off-season, the team switched to Dodges in order to take advantage of Ernie Elliott engines.

After qualifying for the Daytona 500, car chief Teddy Brown -- who along with Robinson was the only major change from last season in personnel -- was elevated to crew chief. Robinson has qualified for six of the seven races she's attempted, but has struggled to be competitive and has been involved in accidents no less than four times in seven starts, including her qualifying race for Daytona.

"We have tried different crew chiefs, now we're going to try a different driver for the Open and the 600," Jones said. "We're looking forward to getting a report from Ron -- an experienced driver with decent success in what he's set down in, a good mechanic and a racer.

"We want to help Shawna develop as a driver, and if there is something wrong with the cars we want to find out about it now, so we can do what we have to do to aid this program and make it better."

After the Coca-Cola 600, the team's next scheduled race is at Michigan International Speedway June 16. BAM plans to test there the Tuesday and Wednesday after the race at Lowe's.

At the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Robinson qualified 16th -- her best effort of the season -- while Hornaday failed to make the race in Ted Campbell's Ford.

Hornaday was not available for comment.