Pressley again the man for Hamilton.

Bobby Hamilton and the name Pressley seem to be inextricably linked these days for just a short while after hiring Robert Pressley to drive his No.18 Dodge in the NASAR Craftsman Truck Series next season, Charley Pressley has inked a contract with Andy Petree Racing to be the crew-chief for Hamilton and the No.55 Square D team for the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup season.

Hoping to improve on a largely disappointing 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season where he finished just 18th in the points standings, Bobby Hamilton will team up with veteran crew-chief Charley Pressley next year as the two hope to take advantage of their previous partnership at Morgan McClure Motorsports.

Pressley, who replaces the Robert Yates Racing/Dale Jarrett bound Jimmy Elledge, will take control on pitwall for the team, now referred to as the No.55 Schneider Electric Chevrolet outfit. A veteran on the NASCAR Winston Cup scene, Pressley and Hamilton spent more than a year and a half working together at Morgan McClure Motorsports where Hamilton drove the No.4 Kodak Chevrolet for three seasons between 1998 and 2001. Pressley was Hamilton's crew chief for the first 18 months of his stint at MMM and in their only full season together, Hamilton finished tenth in the final points table with a victory at Martinsville to his credit.

On his reuniting with Hamilton at APR, Pressley said: "We don't have to get used to each other. We already know each other's mannerisms, which is a plus. I know how to read Bobby and he knows how to read me. There is no learning curve and I feel like I already know what he's looking for in the feel of the car."

Ousted Jasper Motorsports NWC driver Robert Pressley has been signed to drive Hamilton's No.18 Craftsman Truck Series ride and is already being tipped as a possible title contender and although a Winston Cup title run is still some way off for the No.55 team, everyone at APR is hoping that the Pressley-connection will help Hamilton into at least the top 15 in points next season, a position he has occupied on four previous occasions.