Stepping Away

January 29, 2000 - Most people don't know this, but the 1999 racing season marked my first full season as a racing fan. And what a season it was. There were many stories, many memorable moments, not to mention heartbreak, happiness, rivalries, and everything in between. Every season has its moments that people remember for their own reasons.

Two of the stories that stand out in my mind are the drivers who stepped away from the driver seat for the betterment of the team. Both drivers drive for family owned teams and both are involved in the ownership package. Both are relatively young, and both dream of the day they will step up to Winston Cup.

Earlier in the season Lyndon Amick, driver of the number 35 Scanna Powertel Monte Carlo, turned his seat over to Elliot Sadler. With four races remaining, Wayne Grubb, driver of the number 83 Link-Belt Monte Carlo, also announced a driver change, with Jimmy Hensley taking over the wheel.

Both Amick and Grubb had a few good runs but each experienced their share of disappointments. Out of the 32 Busch races, Grubb competed in 17, whereas Amick competed in 19. The decision to turn over the wheel to another driver was most likely fueled by the need to know where the problem lay, in themselves or the car.

Amick attempted a run in a second car, the number 88, even had a sponsor and unveiling event, but a DNQ kept him off the track at Darlington. Sadler drove for four races, scoring a sixth at Richmond. A "happy hour" accident at Dover Down's resulted in Amick climbing behind the wheel of the seat he gave up. Sadler returned to the seat at Lowe's Motor Speedway and again at North Carolina. Then Amick came back and ran the last three races of the season, scoring a top ten at Memphis.

"We learned that there were some aerodynamic issues with our cars that needed to be resolved. He also helped us to realize that Lyndon is a very capable driver since Elliott, also struggled somewhat in our cars. He helped to give Lyndon the confidence he needed to feel comfortable climbing back behind the wheel of the number 35, and he also helped us to realize what areas of our program are in good shape, and what areas needed improvement," responds Kerry Gilbert of Team Amick.

Grubb watched the Kmart 200, Outback Steakhouse 200, and Hotwheels.com 300 from outside of his car. Unfortunately so did Hensley who failed to qualify for all three races. Hensley ran the Craftsman Truck series and finished tenth overall in the championship hunt.

"Jimmy helped us out most by giving me and Bobby King an easier way to communicate. I was able to listen to the two of them talk about adjusting on the car, and that helped me to know what Bobby needed to hear from me," describes Grubb.

Only the 2000 season will show what lessons they learned from their time away from the driver's seat. Since both drivers will be back in their seats, with the same primary sponsor. Look for the influence of Franklin Butler as the new team manager of Grubb Motorsports, and Ricky Pearson as the new crew chief for Team Amick.

Amick plans on running various other types of racing including, NASCAR Truck events, ARCA races with Ken Schrader Racing equipment, and some road courses in "Supercup" class of the Motorola Cup Road Racing series. Look for Amick and Hank Parker Jr. Febuary 4th at Daytona during the three-hour endurance road race.

"All in all, the combination of increased seat time, along with the new shops and the new crew chief, combine to make the members of Team Amick very confident going into the 2000 season," expresses Gilbert.

As for Grubb motorsports, the team explains, "We've got some new cars coming in, 2000 models and better bodies. We've also got a new engine program. Right now, we're spending most of our time testing. We've been to Talladega and we're going to Vegas and Atlanta in the next few weeks. I am looking forward to the 2000 season, it should be a lot better than the '99 season."

Well that's it for this report. Until next time, take care and remember Safety First!!!

Nikki

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