Aaron Fike has one top-10 finish in two part-time Busch Series seasons. Credit: Doug Benc/Getty Images

Fike, Shear team to run No. 43 Dodge in Busch

CAPG hopes Evernham Engines can power car to first victory

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Curb Agajanian Performance Group announced Saturday that Aaron Fike will drive the No. 43 Dodge for all 35 Busch Series events in 2006, with Joe Shear Jr. handling crew chief duties and Evernham Engines providing the horsepower for the frist time.

It will be the first full-time Busch series ride for the 23-year-old driver from Galesburg, Ill., now living in Indianapolis. Fike drove a total of 29 Busch races for CAPG during the '04 and '05 seasons, and another seven for Brewco Motorsports in that time. He has a career-best Busch series finish of eighth last July at Pikes Peak, and a top qualifying effort of fourth at Nashville last June.

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"The feeling of knowing we'll be there together, with the same crew chief, engine and driver week in and week out, can only lead to good things this season," said Fike, who earned back-to-back National Midget driver of the year honors in '02 and '03, and was the '01 USAC Silver Crown Series rookie of the year.

"Joe and I worked together off and on the last two years. Adding Evernham motors will hopefully give us the consistency and reliability we'll need to get the results we're hoping for. All in all, I'm really looking forward to digging in for the long haul with the Curb Agajanian Dodge team."

For Shear, it marks a full-time run with the team he shared success with driver and fellow Wisconsin native Johnny Sauter in '03. Crew chief for Sauter the better part of last season with the No. 1 Busch Series entry, the two collaborated for a memorable victory at Richmond in '03 with the No. 43 CAPG team, and added another victory together while with the No. 1 team last season.

Rarely has the crew chief for a non-Nextel Cup affiliated Busch Series team made it to Victory Lane, and Shear has now done it twice. After working alongside venerable Nextel Cup Series crew chiefs Staley Smith, Chad Knaus and Butch Hilton, Shear broke onto the national scene in '01, working with Sauter for the first time and virtually rewriting the ASA record books with 10 victories, four poles and 13 top-three finishes in 20 races.

Under the hood, the No. 43 team turns to the proven power of Evernham Engines for the first time in its quest to reach Victory Lane.

"We're truly excited with this tremendous racing package we've assembled for this season and beyond," CAPG principal Cary Agajanian said. "We've worked with Aaron on a part-time basis the last couple of years and we are true believers in his talents and ability to generate results on the racetrack.

"He and Joe have laid the foundation for an excellent working relationship as they tackle the entire season together in '06, and we're expecting good things to come of it.

"With that, and Evernham motors powering us along the way, our Busch program should continue moving in a positive direction at an accelerated pace. Finding a full-time sponsor is a major priority for us as we start the season. Hopefully our results on the racetrack will help make that a reality in a short time, as well."