It’s referred to as “The Call” in the NASCAR world.
In a sponsor-driven game buffeted by harsh economic crosswinds the past two years, many NASCAR drivers and mechanics have spent lonely days praying that their phones would ring with word of a job offer, sponsor or meeting.
Abingdon’s Eric McClure knows the anxiety rollercoaster.
While many of his rivals in the Nationwide Series, including veteran Jason Keller, are currently out of work, McClure was able to relax during the holiday season.
For several reasons, McClure said he will cherish the message he received on Oct. 27.
For the fifth straight season, McClure will have a sponsor association with the Hefty brand. And McClure will return to the Team Rensi Motorsports team for the second straight year.
“I was actually at Disney World with my family when I heard that I would be returning to the same team,” said McClure, in a phone interview. “I got to share the good news with my family, and with Mickey Mouse. It was a great day.”
The soothing news came at the perfect time for McClure. In the crash-filled Oct. 24 Nationwide race at Memphis, McClure was involved in a nightmarish accident that blossomed into a cult favorite on the video file-sharing Web site, YouTube.
McClure’s car slammed into the wall after a tap from behind by the Michael McDowell car. Action was stopped as rescue workers struggled to extract McClure from his mangled Ford.
“I guess that was one of the most famous moments of the [Nationwide] season,” McClure said. “I hated to be the one that stopped the race like that.”
McClure still isn’t sure if he was knocked unconscious by the impact, yet the entire sequence remains a bit foggy.
“I could have sworn that I unhooked the safety harness from my car, but somehow I forget to do it,” McClure said. “I definitely got knocked for a loop.”
Hours later, McClure saw a replay of the wreck at the hospital.
“It was pretty scary,” said McClure, who emerged unscathed except for a foot injury.
McClure has competed in 108 races since making his Nationwide debut in 2003. Despite facing a deck heavily stacked with NASCAR Sprint Cup regulars, McClure posted five top-20 and 15 top-25 finishes last season en route to a career-best 17th place finish in the Nationwide standings.
“I hated for the season to end,” McClure said. “We didn’t finish as high as we wanted in points, but we started the season off strong and had some good runs late in the year.”
Highlights included a 16th place showing and a spirited duel in the draft with Kyle Busch in the April 25 event at Talladega Superspeedway.
“Talladega might have been the best race for us,” McClure said. “I ran the top 12 all day, and I was battling for the 11th spot with Kyle when we kind of shuffled back after a caution.”
It’s all part of the high-speed learning process for the Emory & Henry College graduate.
“We ran all the races and made some great strides,” McClure said. “That’s what happens when you surround yourself with great people.”
McClure has displayed the ability to milk the most out of his equipment and to run consistent races without accident. The next step is cracking the top 10.
“Obviously there is room for improvement,” McClure said. “I’m probably at the point as a driver where I should have been in my first year. We’re facing teams with a lot more funding, so I need to give my crew the proper information.”
Team Rensi, owned by Gary Weisbaum and former McDonald’s USA president Ed Rensi, was formed in 1998. The team has managed to survive while many other independent Nationwide operations have folded. On Dec. 18, the CJM Racing team became the latest Nationwide team to suspend operations.
In an apparent response to the widening imbalance in the Nationwide ranks, NASCAR officials have decided to limit Nationwide crews to 15 members this season. Camping World Truck Series teams followed the same cost-cutting standard last season.
While the days of single-car teams are rapidly disappearing, McClure feels there is still room with his Team Rensi Motorsports Ford. There are 13 employees at Team Rensi, with most workers performing multiple roles.
“You will still see [Nationwide] organizations competing in our series that have unlimited funding with [Sprint] Cup drivers and engineering,” McClure said. “It’s all about being smart with our team. We’re conserving our resources, working together and just do the best we can.”
The details of McClure’s extension with Team Rensi became official Dec. 17. Since then, McClure has been mentally preparing for the 2010 Nationwide Series opener on Feb. 13 at Daytona.
Crew chief Chris Wright also returns.
“It’s awesome to be associated with the folks from Team Rensi and Hefty, especially in this economy,” McClure said. “There are so many good drivers on the sidelines.”
McClure said he does not expect to be involved with the Morgan-McClure Motorsports Sprint Cup operation. The famed No. 4 car remains sidelined due to a lack of funding while the MMM headquarters is still for sale. Team officials have applied for their 2010 NASCAR license. And the No. 4 car could possibly return for at least a race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a MMM official said Friday.
For now, McClure is energized by the memory of his October surprise at Disney World.
“You never get tired of that sort of phone call,” McClure said,
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