Charpentier tapped as crew chief at PPI

HICKORY, N.C. -- NASCAR team owner Cal Wells has hired Dave Charpentier as the new crew chief of PPI Motorsports' No. 32 car and Mike Beam to head the team's competition department.

	Cal Wells Credit: Autostock

Beam, who engineered Ricky Craven's first Cup victory as crew chief at PPI in 2001, has returned to Wells' operation to serve as competition director. Charpentier, a U.S. Navy veteran who most recently served as Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s engineering manager, assumes the first full-time crew chief's role of his career.

Beam, 47, worked as crew chief on Richard Childress Racing's No. 30 Chevrolet this season, but left RCR immediately after the Nov. 16 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

He began his second stint with Wells, preparing for a changeover in the off-season to Chevrolets, the week of Nov. 17, a PPI spokesman said. The pair's assignment is to return Craven to the competitive level he was at earlier in 2003.

In his first two years at PPI, Beam was responsible for both Craven and Wells' first Winston Cup victory, at Martinsville Speedway, three Bud Poles and seven top-five finishes. Craven improved from 21st in the championship in 2001 to a career best 15th last season.

With first-year crew chief Scott Miller, Craven won at Darlington in March of this year, but struggled in the second half of the season. The No. 32 Tide Pontiac team finished 27th in the standings, Craven's worst championship finish in the six full seasons he's attempted in Winston Cup.

PPI MOTORSPORTS  •  PPI team page  •  2003 Stats  •  Race recap: Carolina Dodge Dealers 400  •  Craven to remain with Wells through 2006  •  For Craven, home is where the race is  •  Superstore: Craven gear

"Bringing Mike back on board is just what our company needs," Wells said. "We experienced a bit of a learning curve with the switch to Pontiac and our own engine program, and we're at the point now where we can really push our efforts to the next level.

"With his ability, experience and familiarity with how we operate, Mike is an ideal choice to help us do that."

Beam was upbeat about returning to his former home.

"I'm thrilled to be back at PPI Motorsports," Beam said. "It's like coming home in a lot of ways (and) I'm really excited to be in a position where I can help set direction not only for the race team, but also for the whole company.

"PPI Motorsports is a quality operation, and I'm happy to be working with everyone here again."

Miller is still with PPI and "exploring options within and outside the team's engineering group," the spokesman said.

Charpentier joined DEI in 1999 and rose to his current position. The chance to get a crew chief's position was a big motivation for him.

"I've had a list of goals since I started racing, and being a Cup crew chief has always been one of them," Charpentier said. "PPI Motorsports is an engineering-oriented team with a very technical approach to racing.

"This is the first opportunity I've had to align myself, in a crew chief role, with an organization that has the same approach to racing that I do (and) with PPI Motorsports I'm looking forward to achieving this goal, as well as the last on my list -- winning races as a crew chief."

Wells expressed excitement about the addition of Charpentier.

"Bringing Dave on board as crew chief makes perfect sense for the Tide team," Wells said. "His experience and work ethic complement our organization well (and) we believe he'll be a tremendous asset as we work toward heightened performance goals in 2004 and beyond."

Wells hopes to have a second team in 2004, which he last attempted in 2001. Sponsorship is the biggest issue and Wells said recently the process "goes forward an inch and backwards three inches, then forward three and back one."

Beam's departure means Childress needs both a driver and a crew chief next season for his third team in the Nextel Cup Series, joining lead driver Kevin Harvick and Robby Gordon.

Childress and outgoing driver Steve Park announced before the end of the 2003 season they would not continue their relationship in 2004.

Jeff Green began the season driving the No. 30 but was released in May, when Park took the seat after being released the same weekend by Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.