Ward close to being named #4 driver in 2007:

[BobbyFord]

After a long hiatus, Ward Burton is slated to be the full-time driver of the #4 next year. "We haven't completely signed the deal, but we've agreed on one," team owner Larry McClure said. "So it looks like he'll have a good shot at being back in the car next year." Burton's last gig as a full-time driver ended here at Phoenix back in 2004 when he broke a rear end about two-thirds of the way through the event and finished a disappointing 40th in Gene Haas' #0 [now #66] Chevy. To the consternation of his fans, Burton fell off the NASCAR landscape for a time after that. Offers came Burton's way for rides that would have been less than competitive, and he has admitted in the past that perhaps he was a little too picky when he turned them down. When McClure and driver Scott Wimmer agreed to part ways this fall, an outcry from Burton's fans was answered. McClure put the Virginia native behind the wheel of the #4 Chevy for a one-off race at Burton's hometown track in Martinsville in October. Burton started 35th in the Subway 500 and ran respectably all afternoon. Simply staying on the lead lap is an accomplishment on the half-mile Virginia bullring, and Burton kept the Chevy on the same circuit as the leaders to go the full 500-lap distance and finish 26th. Todd Bodine already was slated to start in the #4 car at Atlanta the following week, so Burton's rabid fans had to wait a little while longer to see if he would return. He did just that at Texas Motor Speedway, qualifying in the back of the pack in 37th and finishing one lap off the pace in 25th. Burton's fan base is a big part of the reason why the team is about to put him behind the wheel for the 2007 season.(Yahoo Sports)(11-11-2006)

 

[buckaroo]

This brings back thoughts of when Morgan/McClure hired Phil Parsons to drive their Oldsmobile. Phil didn't do much and wad booted from the seat and a relatively unknown, affectionately known as Swervin' Irvan replaced Phil. Ernie made the best of that deal and the team began a long period of one of the top teams in the sport. When Irvan moved to RYR, Sterling Marlin found success in that car, winning the Daytona 500 that year. That car has had some great names in NASCAR driving it including Mark Martin, Tommy Ellis, Lenny Pond and Joe Ruttman. When Eastman Kodak was obtained as the major sponsor, Rick Wilson was named the driver, and so it went. I doubt very seriously that Ward will have anything near the success some of those drivers had in that car, but it would be nice to once again see the #4 car up front. Good luck to Ward and I do hope that he will be signed to drive that car.

 

[kat2220]

I have the feeling that Ward has his heart set on doing as well as he can in the equiment he is given.
I wish him the very best!