Ruttman out, Rose in at Hamilton
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
December 4, 2001
6:50 PM EST (2350 GMT)
MT. JULIET, Tenn. -- Brian Rose is in and Joe Ruttman is out as Bobby Hamilton Racing announced its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series plans for 2002.
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Joe Ruttman passes teammate Willy T. Ribbs.
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In the face of a lot of economic uncertainty -- particularly in the racing theater -- BHR is thriving, planning to field three full-time teams next season.
Rose, 22, was hired as BHR's second driver in its Dodge factory-backed trucks. Rose, of Bowling Green, Ky., joins previously announced diversity program driver Bill Lester, 40, the pilot of the No. 8 Dodge Dealers Ram.
Rose, who brought sponsorship from Sunclear Energy to the table, will drive the No. 4 truck and work with crew chief Danny Rollins.
The odd man out, at this point, is evergreen veteran Ruttman, 57, who has been told his services will not be retained for 2002 after he finished third in the 2001 championship with two wins, four Bud Poles and 20 top-10 finishes in 24 races working with Rollins.
BHR will announce its third team on Monday, with a former Winston Cup driver in the seat of its No. 18 Ram. No one would officially confirm who is taking the seat, but Robert Pressley, who is currently rideless for 2002, tested a BHR truck with a group of drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway recently and has said he would drive in the Truck Series.
Crew chief Danny Gill, who formerly worked with BHR before bringing Morgan-Dollar Motorsports to its highest level in the series last season, has rejoined his hometown team and will lead the No. 18, where he formerly toiled.
"We're very excited about Brian coming on board with us here at BHR," Hamilton said. "He's going to make a great addition to our stable, and I think he's going to surprise some people. He has been out there getting experience, and now he will have the equipment to showcase his driving talent.”
“What we like about the deal is that he gives the team a young, aggressive driver to hopefully move into the future with, if everything works out,” Hamilton said of Rose. “We took a look at several situations over the last month since the season ended, and it just made good business sense for us to run a third team with Brian and Sunclear Energy.
“It gives us more depth in the organization and more information to make that run for the championship with one of our three trucks. It also helps us offer more to our sponsor partners, depending on what team and driver image their company is looking for."
"Joining Bobby Hamilton Racing is an amazing opportunity for me," Rose said. “The professionalism of everyone on the team shows why they've had so much success. This is a big plus for my career.
“Bobby's equipment wins races. There isn't a better-equipped team in the Truck Series than Bobby Hamilton Racing -- and no better crew chief either. Danny Rollins is one of the best, and I'm excited to just be a part of this team."
In a move similar to that of the Kentucky native Green brothers, Rose relocated from his native state and spent two years racing the Late Model Stock Car division at Nashville Speedway USA, where Hamilton was a track champion. He made the jump to the Craftsman Truck Series this year with owner Rick Ware’s team.
In 15 career Truck Series starts, Rose’s best career finish is a 12th place at California Speedway in the 2001 finale. When the series opens at Daytona International Speedway Feb. 15, BHR will be the defending championship team based on Ruttman’s win, which came from the Bud Pole.
"We have some really high expectations next year, starting with Daytona," Rose said. “We're not expecting to start out timid and improve as the year goes on. We're expecting to start out with a top-five qualifying run at Daytona and then build quickly on that start."
Lester will work with former BHR team manager Kip McCord, who worked well with the rookie driver in 2001. McCord will also head the team’s R&D effort. James Cox, who served as the No. 8 crew chief last season, has moved to an administrative role predicated by his successful business background in addition to his technical skills.
Hamilton does not have any truck races on his schedule today, but has not precluded the possibility of driving in selected races, when BHR would thus field four trucks.
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