Carl Long to pilot SCORE Motorsports Vegas entry

Carl Long to Pilot SCORE Motorsports entry in Vegas NNCS event, Atlanta also a possibility.

EMPORIA, VIRGINIA - SCORE Motorsports, a joint venture between NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler and retired NBA star Bryant Stith, announced today that veteran racer Carl Long will drive the team's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series entry for next week's UAW-Daimler-Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Long will attempt to make his second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start of the season behind the wheel of the unsponsored No. 02 Pontiac Grand Prix.

"Carl and I talked last Friday at Rockingham, and it seemed like a win-win situation for both of us," stated Hermie Sadler, co-owner of SCORE Motorsports. "We are looking to have a presence in the NEXTEL Cup Series, and this opportunity allows us to do that while allowing me to focus my attention to the performance of our Busch Series team." (No. 02 Chevrolet Monte Carlo)

Sadler, the 1993 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie-of-the-Year also mentioned, "it also gives Carl the opportunity to race while he continues to pursue some other opportunities. We look forward to having him as a part of our team for the event."

Sadler, who ran 10 NNCS races in 2003, expressed the team is also hoping to enter the event Atlanta Motor Speedway.

"We're seriously considering the AMS (Atlanta Motor Speedway) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event. We'll know more after Las Vegas, but it's our hope and intent to be competing in the Golden Corral 500 with Carl Long as the driver."

Long, a former NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division and ARCA RE/MAX Series driver, made his 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut at North Carolina Speedway driving his own No. 46 Al Smith Dodge Intrepid. After starting the event 42nd and running comfortably in the top-35, he was taken out in a vicious accident on lap 265. Long was tagged by Joe Nemechek and tumbled down the backstretch several times, landing on his wheels at the entrance to turn three. He was uninjured in the crash, and credited with a 38th-place finish.

Long hopes to make his tenth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start next week and is ecstatic about the chance to join SCORE Motorsports for Vegas.

"I am very honored about having another shot to race in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, especially with SCORE Motorsports," he said. "I am very confident that I will be able to give 150% behind the wheel for the team, and I feel there should be no reason why a top-20 finish should be out of the question."

"This opportunity with Hermie Sadler and SCORE Motorsports came before our accident on Sunday," Long said emphatically. "I've been friends with Hermie for many years, and this was a deal that was beneficial to both of us.

"I'm hoping that out all the details can be worked out with Spears Motorsports, which will allow me to compete in the 500-mile event in Atlanta," Long continued. He is a member of the Spears Motorsports team that David Starr drives for in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. "My duties for Spears Motorsports are my main concern, so we'll have to play it by ear."

One obstacle the Virginia-based operation faces is finding the backing for two of the most exciting NNCS races of the season. "At this point we do not have a primary sponsor, but we are looking and asking any interested parties to please contact us," Sadler mentioned.

Anyone interested in sponsorship opportunities at SCORE Motorsports should call 434-348-0267.

Hermie Sadler will look to SCORE his third NASCAR Busch Series victory in next Saturday's Sam's Town 300. Sadler will drive the No. 02 Treasure Island Hotel & Casino/The FanZCar Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

In 12 years, Sadler has 228 NASCAR Busch Series starts to his record, 2 wins, 18 top-fives, 44 top-tens, three poles, and $2,197,714 in career earnings.

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