Bickle, Sadler to Drive Power Team Chevrolet in Next Two Races

Rich Bickle will drive the #60 Power Team Chevrolet fielded by Bessey Motorsports in next weekend’s NASCAR Winston Cup event at the Phoenix International Raceway.

Bickle has four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Phoenix and he qualified in the top ten for each of those events. His best Truck Series finish at the track is a fifth, which he recorded in April 1997. Bickle has also made one NASCAR Winston Cup Series start at Phoenix while driving for Cale Yarborough in 1998.

Bickle has raced the Power Team Chevrolet at Martinsville and Talladega this season with his best finish coming in the fall event at Talladega, where he finished 21st. Bickle also drove the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports at Pocono in July as the relief driver for Terry Labonte. He finished 11th in that event.

NASCAR Busch Series veteran Hermie Sadler, who came within one lap of winning the inaugural NASCAR event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, will have his chance in a NASCAR Winston Cup car at the track when he pilots the #60 Power Team Chevrolet for Bessey Motorsports in the Pennzoil 400 on November 12th.

Sadler, who has competed in the Busch Series as well as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season, knows that this is a special opportunity and looks to capitalize on it.

"Obviously, this season has been tough on me and to get an opportunity like this is very exciting," he said. "Joe Bessey is a good person with a good race team and I think we will do very well together."

In addition to getting much needed experience behind the wheel of a Winston Cup car, Sadler says this race is a good opportunity to showcase his talents, and the talents of the team, to potential sponsors.

"Joe and I are both trying to secure sponsorship for next season. This races gives us the chance to audition my abilities and the abilities of this team," he said. " I sincerely appreciate the confidence and support from everyone at Power Team and Bessey Motorsports."

The owner of the #60 Chevrolet, who has raced against Sadler frequently in the Busch Series, is also optimistic about this opportunity.

"I think the combination of Hermie’s ability to get around the Homestead-Miami Speedway and our team’s flat track program has great potential for a successful weekend," Bessey said. "Hermie and I were Busch Series rookies together in 1993 and both of us have always had a great deal of respect for each other. I think that is an important part of success in this business. Although we continue to hunt sponsorship for next year, it is just as important to us to have a good finish for Power Team and Bessey Motorsports this season. We think that the combined effort of Hermie and this team could meet everyone’s needs."

Sadler is the 1993 Busch Series Rookie of the Year and has won two pole positions and three races in that division. The 31 year-old native of Emporia, Virginia was has five Busch Series starts at Homestead and has one career start in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, at Dover in June, 1996.