BAM Racing has decided to skip the next two Sprint Cup races in Texas and Phoenix as the team concentrates on switching all its equipment from Dodge to Toyota.
After qualifying seventh last weekend at Martinsville and running competitively in the top 20 for much of the day, veteran driver Ken Schrader will watch his 42nd place in the Cup Series owner standings slip away after the Microsoft Small Business backed #49 team admitted that the mid-season shift from Dodge to Toyota was a tougher than they originally envisaged.
“Switching manufacturers was a taller order than we initially realised,” stated team co-owner Tony Morgenthau who, along with his wife Beth-Ann has run the single car team since 2002. “While BAM Racing has a very strong short track programme, our intermediate track programme needs some work.
“Since we haven't had time to adequately test the cars on shaker rigs and pull down rigs; since historically we don't run that well at either Texas or Phoenix our organisation has decided to take the next three weeks to focus on the remainder of the racing season.
“This has been a very difficult, "big picture" decision; by taking a little time to regroup now, we should be a much stronger team for the rest of the year. Finally, for all the naysayers who may predict this to be the death knell for one of the few remaining independent teams in Sprint Cup . . . wait until Talladega, then tell us if we're dead or not!”
Schrader successfully qualified three times in the first six races of 2008 with a best finish of 21st in Las Vegas.
