So much for that Quality ride!!!

wolfcub

wolfcub

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I seem to recall Ward saying he would not come back to some part-time gig or underfunded team. So much for that thought!!!!

Ward to run the #4 at Martinsville UPDATE: Ward Burton will return to the Nextel Cup Series for the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway, attempting to make his first series start in almost two years. He will be driving the #4 Lucas Oil Chevy for Morgan McClure Racing out of Abingdon, VA. "He's expressed a lot of interest in driving," said Chris Carrier, crew chief for the Morgan-McClure team. "He's a Virginia driver and we're a Virginia team. That makes for a great combination at Martinsville." One of Burton's seven NEXTEL Cup poles came at Martinsville (1997) as did one of his four Busch Series victories (1993). Burton and the team hope to test at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford this week to help prepare for the SUBWAY 500. Ticket prices for the SUBWAY 500 range from $42 to $77. Tickets for the Kroger 200 are $35 in advance and $40 the day of the event. Kroger 200 tickets for children ages 6 to 12 are $5.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(10-15-2006)
UPDATE: Virginia is the name of the game at Morgan-McClure Motorsports as the announcement of Ward Burton as the driver for Martinsville this weekend was made official at noon today. Burton last competed at the Nextel Cup level at Phoenix in 2004 in the NetZero car fielded by Gene Haas. In his 356 race Cup career, Burton has accumulated five wins, 24 top fives, 82 top tens and seven poles with an average start of 20th and average finish of 21.8. Morgan-McClure President and Team Manager Larry McClure is excited to have the Virginia native in the car at one of the three tracks the Virginia-based team calls "home". "We have been talking with Ward (Burton) about driving for us and it just so happened that we got everything worked out for him to drive at Martinsville. We are searching for options for the 2007 season and Ward is certainly a consideration. We plan to test with him this week and then head to Martinsville. His seat was completed this weekend and we have been installing it today with his help. I've known Ward for a long time and we are happy to have him in our car for some of the remaining races."
Burton too is excited about returning to the sport, "I've been gone long enough and now I'm ready to get back behind the wheel and race. I know there have been some changes since I last drove with the tires used and different set-ups but that just means I have to step up and get used to those changes faster and be ready to race this weekend. I'm anxious to get back in the car and be on track again and get back out there with our fans. I appreciate the opportunity from Larry and Morgan-McClure to get back in the car and I'm looking forward to having a good time with them at Martinsville. " Morgan-McClure Motorsports sits 39th in Nextel Cup owner's points so Burton will be required to qualify on time at Martinsville.(Morgan-McClure Motorsports PR)(10-17-2006
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If a driver wants to drive badly enough, he'll take an offer that perhaps is not the greatest. Maybe Ward got tired of waiting for 'quality' rides that didn't appear. Maybe he wanted to prove that he still had ability --- both to himself and to owners.
 
I agree with you. I was not trying to knock Ward itis just that the nature of the business now is "young guns" and he ain't one so he better take what he can get now. It is a shame though cause I liked him as a driver but he is not gonna be seen a lot in that car.
 
I'm hoping that Ward does well enough to get a genuine offer from a quality team!
 
Ward's plans: Ward Burton told Sirius Speedway (MRN/Sirius Satellite Radio) Monday that there is still an outside chance that he might team-up with Robert Yates Racing in the future, but he now believes the team is looking elsewhere for a driver. "Teams need economic support to race," he said. "If Robert Yates Racing aligned itself with someone like me -- an older driver -- they could lose an opportunity elsewhere that they don't know about yet. It takes a concerted effort by the driver, the team and its marketing department to make a sponsorship deal happen, and I guess I don't feel like that concerted effort has been made. Nothing against Robert and Doug Yates. They're in a situation that they haven't been in before, and it's foreign to them." Burton said there is a possibility that this weekend's one-off ride with Morgan-McClure Racing could turn into something more long-term, but stressed that talks are still at a very early stage.(Sirius Speedway)
 
Let's not forget that even though Ward is in the seat for that particular race, he still has to make it on time/speed. There are no provisionals for that team left.
 
I would love to see Ward make the race and get a quality ride from his performance in it. Two years away from any sport makes you rusty though so I won't be surprised if he doesn't qualify.

One thing that an owner wants to see in any driver is the consummate desire to race. I don't see that in Ward. He's doing a lot of good with his charities and wildlife promotion, which I commend him for, but it doesn't sharpen his racing skills.
 
Well he made the show! :) Yes, it's not the greatest team, but for him, for owners, and for the fans, it's better than sitting at home. Sitting at home wasn't going to do anything towards racing again...nothing is better than being at the track and showing yourself. Whether he chooses to run the #4 next year or not, it will be better than the way it was.
 
He not only made the show. but did a very good job of showing that he hasn't "lost the edge"!
GOOOOOO WARD!
 
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