Wingo hired as McMurray's crew chief

CONCORD, N.C. -- Rookie driver Jamie McMurray will have an experienced crew chief in Donnie Wingo next year for the No. 42 Havoline Dodge at Chip Ganassi Racing.

	Donnie Wingo

Wingo's hiring -- and a new paint scheme -- was made official on Tuesday.

Wingo spent the last seven seasons at Haas-Carter Motorsports, mostly with Jimmy Spencer.

Wingo, 42, is entering his 22nd season in Winston Cup and has four victories as a crew chief. He finished fifth in the Winston Cup standings with Bud Moore Engineering in 1990, when he guided driver Morgan Shepherd to a victory, seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

Wingo became available when Haas Carter was unable to secure a sponsor to definitely continue into 2003. Haas Carter Motorsports ran a two-car team in 2001 but its sponsor hit financial difficulties at the beginning of 2002 and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to join Chip Ganassi Racing," Wingo said. "This is a top-flight organization and they have assembled the personnel to help guarantee a successful season next year.

"I'm also excited to have the opportunity to work with Jamie. He has a lot of talent and I look forward to seeing what we're able to accomplish next year."

This will be Wingo's 22nd NASCAR season.

Next year will be the 16th straight season that Havoline has been a sponsor on a Winston Cup car. Previously, it had been on the No. 28 Ford of Robert Yates racing since 1987 -- which was Davey Allison's rookie season.

Since 1983, Havoline has gone to Victory Lane 27 times. For Texaco Havoline Racing, the new car number signifies a new beginning for the longtime sponsor.

"We are very excited about our new partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing and Jamie McMurray," said Craig Duncan, ChevronTexaco's Vice-President North America Lubricants. "We see this as a remarkable opportunity to re-energize our Havoline brand in driving it towards our goal of being the brand of choice among the motoring public in the USA."