Pressley, Compton to diversify in 2002
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
January 6, 2002
1:12 PM EST (1812 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Robert Pressley and Stacy Compton won't be the only NASCAR drivers enjoying diverse Speedweeks 2002 experiences at Daytona International Speedway, but their stories may be among the most unique.
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Robert Pressley
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Pressley, whose main job this year will be piloting the No. 18 Dodge Ram for Bobby Hamilton Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will drive Melling Racing's No. 92 Dodge in the Winston Cup Daytona 500.
Melling, which prepared the car that Bill Elliott drove to a Daytona track record lap of more than 210 mph in 1987, is scrambling to find sponsorship for its nearly 20-year-old team. They plan to test with Pressley in the three-day session that begins Jan. 14 at the 2.5-mile Daytona trioval.
While BHR's primary program is its three-truck NCTS operation, it has a couple Winston Cup chassis in-house that could be quickly prepared. In fact, a BHR spokesman said that, in terms of long range plans, the team would like to run Pressley in as many as five Winston Cup races later this season, depending on sponsorship.
Compton is the only driver who currently plans to compete in full schedules in both the Winston Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series. In 2001, when he was with Melling, he ran a Dodge truck in four races.
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Stacy Compton
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Compton scored four top-10 finishes in those outings; and, though already he is looking at a slate of no less than 69 races, he said he would like to do some truck events in 2002.
"We still want to run some truck races," Compton said. "We had a sponsor that wanted to go to Daytona and run, but with everything we have going on and running two series as it is, we though it was better if we don't do it."
Compton, who said he still converses with Melling almost daily, may still run the team's truck if he can fit it into his schedule. The NCTS is involved in no less than five tripleheaders in which NASCAR's three national series compete at the same venue.
"We're gonna continue to try to do some," Compton said. "Jim Harris has been involved with me for a long time with his Harris Trucking company and Mark, I think, is going to remain involved -- I'm assuming he will. I will do anything I can to help them and if they want to do any races, maybe not with me, I will help them."
Compton will make his debut Monday in the No. 14 Conseco Pontiac that he will drive in the Winston Cup Series for A.J. Foyt Racing.
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