 |
Wimmer won't be back in No. 22 for 2006
ThatsRacin.com Report
Scott Wimmer will not return to Bill Davis Racing in 2006, the team announced Wednesday. BDR did not announce a driver for the No. 22 Dodge next season.
Wimmer was in his second year in Davis' NASCAR Nextel Cup Dodges after two years with BDR's Busch Series team.
"Scott is a good driver and person," Davis said in a statement. "I know I speak on behalf of everyone at Bill Davis Racing and our sponsors when I say we wish him well. This is the part of this business I don't like. Change isn't always the easiest thing to do, but it is usually the best thing for everyone. I know it is what has made this sport grow and everyone grow who works in it.
"Scott is going to be successful and he most definitely still has a promising career ahead of him as a race car driver."
Wimmer won five races in Davis' Busch cars but couldn't translate that into Nextel Cup success. He is 33rd in the points standings without a top-10 finish. Wimmer's best 2005 finish was a 14th in the Bristol night race in August.
"We had some exceptional success so quickly when we got Scott in the Busch car," Davis said. "We knew we had found a special person with a lot of talent, and just did the next natural thing by putting him in the Caterpillar car."
Wimmer replaced Ward Burton in the No. 22 Cup car in late 2003.
"Scott has gone above and beyond in representing Caterpillar and assisting with the sponsorship program," Davis said. "It's strong qualities like that, that are going to be only to his advantage as he moves on."
BDR announced recently that Michael Waltrip will join the team in 2006, but Davis will have a two-car team.
"We are still working to find a replacement, which has not been designated at this time," Davis said. "There are some very talented drivers out there right now without full-time rides for next year. Hopefully, we can get someone locked in very soon."
One of those drivers is Steve Park, who is driving a BDR vehicle in this weekend's Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta and next weekend at Texas.
"I would like to see what all we can do together further down the road, but right now we are taking this race-by-race," Park said.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
