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BAM Racing to expand to two teams in 2005:
Graf, Foyt candidates to drive team's second Dodge
By Lee Montgomery, NASCAR.COM
17 September 2004
LOUDON, N.H. - BAM Racing will execute its long-desired expansion to a two-car team in 2005, team manager Eddie Jones said Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway.
Whether BAM fields two cars for the full NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule, however, is undetermined, pending sponsorship. Owners Tony and Beth Ann Morgenthau formed BAM Racing two years ago as a one-car operation, with the idea of expanding in the future.
"The plan was at some point to go to two teams," Jones said. "We're closing to realizing the future of that than ever."
BAM ran German sports car driver Klaus Graf at Infineon Raceway earlier this year as a teammate to Ken Schrader, and Graf has also competed in an ARCA race and has done "extensive testing," Jones said.
Graf is slated to drive a BAM ARCA car at Talladega and in a Cup car at Martinsville and Homestead, with another race possible.
Also, Jones said the No. 59 Dodge will be tested by Larry Foyt at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Part of the expansion could include a merger with Team CLR, Jones said. BAM and CLR have worked together recently, with BAM doing the car preparation.
Another option is to expand BAM's shop in Charlotte, N.C. The shop was originally built to be able to accommodate an 8,000-square foot expansion for another team.
Graf is the obvious candidate as the driver "at this point," Jones said. The team will hire a crew chief from outside the team.
"It's down to two candidates right now," Jones said. "That hopefully can be announced the week after next, and the guy should be in place pretty quick."
The plan is to get the crew chief settled in with the team by the end of the season, and when funding becomes available, they'll move forward.
"It may be 15 (races), it may be 18, it may be 36," Jones said. "At some level, we're planning on doing that."
The cars will be Dodges, even though BAM isn't a Dodge factory team.
"We're not an official member of the Dodge family," Jones said, "but we're a very, very well-liked stepbrother."
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