Wimmer to replace Burton, starting at Atlanta

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ward Burton and team owner Bill Davis reached an agreement Wednesday that will put BDR's Busch Series driver, Scott Wimmer, in the No. 22 Caterpillar car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in two weeks.

TEAM/DRIVER PAGES  •  Bill Davis Racing  •  Ward Burton  •  Scott Wimmer

Burton will drive the car this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway and the following weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Wimmer will be the driver of the No. 22 car for the rest of 2003 and full-time in 2004, when he competes for Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year. Wimmer previously tested both a Chevrolet and a Dodge at Atlanta for the Oct. 26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500.

BDR has no current agreement with a manufacturer that would require it to run a certain body style.

	Scott Wimmer

"I believe Scott has earned the opportunity to get into the CAT car," Davis said. "He's been working toward this for a long time and now is the time that he can be proud of where his career is heading.

"He's spent his entire life racing -- he grew up in a racing family (and) he understands the entire sport."

Burton said Wednesday that he is in the closing stages of finalizing a full-time deal for 2004, but that he preferred to defer most of his comments to the appropriate time for that announcement.

"It's been an emotional roller coaster -- working out everything we had to do," said Burton, who's spent the previous eight years of his career with Davis, winning five times, including the 2002 Daytona 500.

"I'd rather address everything at one time. The biggest concern I have right now is doing the right thing to maintain the personal relationships I've got in this sport and the great fans that have supported me through the good and the bad."

Wimmer, 27, a native of Wausau, Wis., will finish the final six races of the Busch Series season, where he is currently seventh in points, in addition to doing the final four Winston Cup races.

	Ward Burton

Wimmer began racing three-wheelers at age eight and progressed to racing stock cars by the time he was 15. He raced around the state of Wisconsin racking up accolades at all the local short tracks, ranging from rookie of the year and Driver of Tomorrow at State Park Speedway to the Miller Triple Crown champion.

Wimmer then moved to the Hooters ProCup Series in 1997, where he won rookie of the year before moving on to the American Speed Association's ACDelco Challenge Series in 2000.

Davis kept an eye on Wimmer after he broke into the ASA series and won the first two races that he entered, at Lanier Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway. Davis signed Wimmer to run the full Busch Series schedule in 2001.

To date, Wimmer has logged five Busch Series victories and finished third in the 2002 standings.

Davis, however, added a word of warning to Wednesday's announcement.

"Everyone, including the team, sponsors, fans and media, needs however, to manage their expectations and be realistic," Davis said. "We know Scott will be fine, but we also need to remember just how difficult this sport has become.

"Winston Cup is the most competitive series in racing."