PPI signs plate engine deal with Childress

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- NASCAR Winston Cup team owner Cal Wells III turned away from the punctured radiator that eliminated his No. 32 Tide Ford from Sunday's Protection One 400 at Kansas Speedway and said his 2003 engine program was in good hands.

	Ricky Craven Credit: Autostock

While Wells said the in-house engine program he had announced several weeks ago for his PPI Motorsports team was still coming together well, he did have one piece of the puzzle in place.

"We're real pleased to have been able to do an agreement with Richard Childress for the restrictor plate engines for next year, starting with the Daytona 500," Wells said. "We're going to be able to focus on our higher-powered stuff -- all our open motors -- without having to worry about the science of restrictor plate racing next year.

PPI will have plenty on its plate, considering they will switch from Fords to Pontiacs next season for driver Ricky Craven.

"We'll look at doing our own restrictor plate engines in the fall of '03 looking to '04."

Wells, who has savored his Yates Ford horsepower all season, said his new program could be in place by later this fall.

"We've got some personnel lined up and we're actually going to start at Rockingham," Wells said. "We're lining it all up (a chief engine builder), but we're not there (ready to announce it) yet."

RICKY CRAVEN  •  Driver Page

While he said Robert Yates Racing's engine department would not build GM engines next season, he did not discount the possibility that his program might be similar to the one employed by Petty Enterprises, which this season employed former Yates engine builder Mike Ege to do its Dodge engines.

Wells turned back to the holed radiator and just shook his head, contemplating a 38th-place finish.

"A piece of brake rotor from when Michael Waltrip hit the wall over there in Turn 2 went through the grill and right through the radiator," Wells said. "It's too bad (because) we were really running well today."

"This type of thing happens on days like this when you run from 20th to 10th in the first 15 laps and you think you've got a really good shot," Craven said after he retired due to overheating. "Actually, this group gives me a shot every week. We'll be back at 'em. I really appreciate everything they do for me."