Hmiel, team still fighting despite shaky future

FONTANA, Calif. -- George deBidart's eyes were blazing after he removed his sunglasses Saturday in the shade of his Innovative Motorsports hauler's lift gate after the 1-800-PIT-SHOP.COM 300.

"We're still fighting," the team owner said after his driver, Shane Hmiel, had scored his fourth top-10 finish of the season, in eighth. "You saw today that it took five Cup drivers and half of Ford's R&D budget with a young driver to whip our ass."

1-800-PITSHOP.com 300  •  Results  •  Standings

Winston Cup point leader Matt Kenseth won his third Busch Series race at California, besting fellow Cup drivers Michael Waltrip and Kevin Harvick.

Kenseth and fourth-place Kasey Kahne drove Fords and Busch Series point leader Todd Bodine, who is also a full-time Winston Cup driver, rounded out the top-five.

"I've got me and that's it," deBidart said, "but we're going to fight them until we can't fight them any more. When it's over and done, we'll know we've given it our all and gave it 110 percent while we were here."

Longtime backer Goulds Pumps stepped up to back Innovative's No. 48 Chevrolet again this week, and despite scrambling on a week-to-week basis to continue competing after a planned sponsorship deal failed to deliver any cash, Hmiel maintained his fourth-place standing in the Busch Series points.

He did it with a car he crashed in the opening practice after a tire went down, and it could have been better as, with less than 20 laps remaining in the race, Hmiel was in the top five and sat a career best third in the standings, as third-place point man David Green was running 10th.

"We just show what we've got every week," crew chief Gere Kennon said. "I just wish somebody with some sponsorship would step up. George is wringing his hands and wringing his wallet out and he's been doing it."

Hmiel, whose career-best finish came earlier this month at Talladega when he finished third, acknowledged that the last of six cautions in the race hurt his effort. The race restarted with only seven laps remaining and Hmiel running fourth.

VIDEO CLIPS Matt Kenseth celebrates his 13th career Busch Series win Play video Harvick, Waltrip, and Kahne review the final laps Play video Kenseth survives a late restart to win his first race of 2003 Play video Cautions fly during the middle laps at California Speedway Play video Trouble in the pits for Kenseth Play video

"I hated to see that last caution come out," Kennon said. "I think maybe experience beat us. Kasey was running his (Hmiel's) line and he got down on the bottom and it really took away his momentum, and you really need that here at California."

"My car really took eight to 10 laps and it really would come on," Hmiel said. "There was people that could run the bottom while their tires were still cool so all I needed was 15 or 20 to go instead of however many it was we had to go."

Now, only 110 points out of first, the team is still looking ahead.

"We're going to Richmond -- we've got some people that have given us some money," deBidart said. "It's not enough and I'm still looking for some last-minute people that might come up (with money) and we'll take it."

"That's all we can do right now," Hmiel said. "We're searching for a sponsor and we're not getting to go test like we'd like to. All that stuff helps so for us to be doing what we are really means a lot.

"I really have to thank George deBidart for making this happen, and also for all my guys on this team. Right now they don't know what tomorrow holds and neither do I, so for them to stick with the team shows how good of people they are.

"I appreciate what they do and they do way more than I do as far as making the cars handle and getting them to the racetrack. All I do is get to drive them, luckily."

"Our crowd is sticking together and I believe we can take on anybody in this garage," Kennon said. "Our guys have stepped up this year and Shane has really stepped up. The nucleus was here when I came and they've all stayed and they're all winners.

"George has given us the stuff to do it and I believe we need just a little bit more help and I don't see any reason why we couldn't be a contender for the championship."