Another NASCAR team could fold

With preseason testing beginning next week in Daytona, Sprint Cup teams are finalizing their plan of attack for the 2008 season. The approach at #4-Morgan-McClure Motorsports is radically different. Over the past few weeks, Southwest Virginia’s NASCAR team has lost its crew chief, primary sponsor and driver. “It feels like a hurricane," MMM general manager Larry McClure said. “The way NASCAR has changed, I don’t know if its been good or not."

The Morgan-McClure organization, which featured veteran driver Ward Burton last season, has struggled in recent years with lack of sponsorship and driver turnover. Just days before Christmas, McClure learned that State Water Heaters was leaving. According to media reports, the State Water Heaters sponsorship will move to the #66 Haas CNC Racing team with driver Scott Riggs. “I’ve heard the sponsorship went to the 66 car," McClure said “Right now we don’t have a thing."

McClure said the agreement with State Water Heaters last year was for 10 races. He was surprised by the change in direction. “It must have been an instant decision because we had no idea it was going to happen," McClure said. “We found out about this before Christmas, then it became official after the holiday. We’ll see how things work out." Lucas Oil will return as an associate sponsor. As for a driver, it appears Burton is gone from the seat of the #4 MMM Chevy. Burton, a former Daytona 500 winner, joined the team with three races remaining in the 2006 season.

“[Burton] probably won’t be back," McClure said. “We’re looking at using either Mike Wallace or P.J. Jones for testing next week, then we will go from there. “It’s not going to be hard to find somebody to drive at Daytona. Right now, I’ve got a couple options." One of those options involves a driver bringing a financial package to the team. That step is common in the open-wheel ranks. “We’ve got capable people here for the crew chief role … the biggest thing we need are sponsorship dollars," McClure said.

“We’ve been working on a deal with one of the bigger multicar teams where we could be a satellite team and share some information. That deal is on the table if we get our sponsorship stuff put together." As for the big question of their 2008 schedule, the always-ambitious McClure said to stay tuned. “We’re just going to see how much money we get in the door," McClure said. “We’re not going to race on our own money anymore." On a related note, Abingdon’s Eric McClure plans to runs the Nationwide Series schedule with the Front Row Motorsports team. The Denver, N.C.-based team also plans to field a Sprint Cup car for McClure in the Daytona 500. Bristol Courier