NEW FAMILY VALUES
Marty Reid introduced the latest power-team
to the media and attendees at Indy's PRI Show last Friday.
The "marriage" between two historic drag racing
families, the Schumachers and the Coughlins, was a happy
affair with smiles all around as the Jeg's Mail Order/Mopar
Parts Stratus was unveiled with Mopar's Kevin Miller, Don
Schumacher, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and ESPN's Marty Reid standing
behind the yellow Dodge Stratus.
After the event Agent 1320 spoke with the Shoe who said
he currently has eight cars in the paint shop for next season's
new sponsor treatments. Don also commented that he still
has "nothing set firmly in concrete" for the driver
of his second Pro Stocker, however, as the Agent has already
reported Richie Stevens will be driving a Valspar/Mopar-sponsored
Stratus for Schumacher Racing. Stevens and his father were
in attendance for the PRI unveiling.
Schumacher also told the Agent that there will be a third
"R&D" Dodge ready to hit the dragstrip before
mid-season, but this ride will carry red Dodge livery similar
to the paint scheme of the NASCAR Dodges of Ray Evernham
driven by Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne. The switch away
from Mopar on this car is to support the dealer sales of
cars for DaimlerChrysler rather than the performance parts
business.
Don Schumacher said that while this car is
geared for R&D it did not have a driver yet, but this
car may also be a way to audition new potential drivers
while working out the kinks for the two main team cars. (Zak
Hawthorne photo)
[12-13-2004]
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NO GO PHOENIX
While at PRI, the Agent heard from a number of nitro teams
who may skip the Phoenix Firebird Raceway tune-up sessions
in favor of the Las Vegas test where they are assured of
a National event quality quarter-mile. Most of the team
members the Agent spoke with remember the lack of track-prep
at the 2004 Phoenix warm-ups, which provided crew chiefs
with a difficult one-lane test bed. The Strip at Las Vegas
will hold two sessions over a three-week period starting
with the Nitro Blast-off January 21-23 and their Last Chance
Test Sessions February 4-6. [12-13-2004]
