Sacks planning limited return to NASCAR

PORT ORANGE, Fla. -- Greg Sacks, a winner in both NASCAR's Winston Cup Series and Busch Series, hopes to return to both later this season after putting together an aggressive and diverse new venture.

Sacks, 49, has teamed with Loren Fossie, president of LAF Enterprises and owner of the "FRANCHI$IT" board game to form Team FRANCHI$IT/Sacks Racing.

"We will do at least two races this year, and possibly as many as 10," he said Friday at his home, where the team's first show car sat in the driveway.

The No. 05 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, a car formerly used at his drivers' school that was based at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the late 1990s is an example of the multi-faceted aspects of the program.

"I like to think big," Sacks said. "We took this two-seat car from the driving school and updated it to 2002 specs because people would know it was a 1999 model. We could use it at test sessions in a ride along program if anyone wanted to take advantage of that."

Sacks won the 1985 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway in what is regarded as one of Winston Cup's all time biggest upsets. He won the 1996 Humminbird 500K at Talladega Superspeedway driving for Diamond Ridge Motorsports.

At this point, there are more questions than answers, but Sacks -- who is a former standout in northeastern Modified racing as were former Winston Cup Rookies of the Year Geoffrey Bodine and Ron and Ken Bouchard -- is optimistic he will know more in short order in terms of a shop location, crewmen and a more definite schedule.

That could expand to a full season 2003 effort in either the Busch or Winston Cup Series -- or both -- as "business relationships are developed."

"I have already been talking to crew chiefs and crewmen," Sacks said, "but they are working for other teams and I don't want to say any more than that, at this point."

The car will be unveiled to the public on Monday at The Coffee Beanery Convention at Walt Disney's Coronado Springs Resort outside Orlando, Fla.