BUSCH: One team, two drivers successful for ppc Racing

(Mooresville, NC) -- ppc Racing has risen to the top of the NASCAR Busch Series with both cars performing well week-in and week-out. Jeff Green, who pilots the No. 10 Nestlé NesQuik Chevrolet, leads the NBS point standings by the largest margin in history at this stage of the season. His teammate, Jason Keller, driver of the No. 57 Excedrin Chevrolet, is currently second in points. To casual observer, there seems to be little difference between ppc Racing and other multi-car operations. They operate under one roof and they share information and resources. But a look closer reveals a vast difference between ppc Racing and other teams. Owners Greg Pollex, John Bender and Bob Campbell promote a "one team with two drivers and two cars" corporate philosophy that radiates throughout the entire organization. They execute this by putting teamwork above all individual goals, then hire people that work well in this environment. "You can't put your finger on one single thing that has made us so successful this year," said General Manager, Keith Barnwell. “Our ‘teamwork’ philosophy is working so we have good things happening in a lot of areas. And it’s working because we have the right people in right places. I believe we hire the best person for the job, from the driver to the financial manager. Every person has a key role and everyone's job impacts someone else's whether they realize it or not. A lot of who we hire has to do with attitude and how well they interact with others. It is easy to have a good attitude when you are winning all the time, but I also want to see how someone handles the losses as well." Like Barnwell, Steve Addington, crew chief for the No. 57 Excedrin Chevrolet, feels people and how they interact with each other are the most important assets to ppc Racing. "We have two cars and two drivers that function as one team and that's the way we like it," said Addington. "Harold (Holly, crew chief for the No. 10 Nestlé NesQuik Chevrolet) and I have been sharing information as far back as 1995 and we chose to do that because we respected each other and we communicate well together. When the opportunity presented itself for us to work together, it was a natural fit. "I think there are a lot of teams that don't take full advantage of the resources a multi-car operation presents," said Addington. "Harold and I know everything that goes on with each others cars, from what the drivers are feeling to the changes we make to the car and the driver's comments about those changes. What's great is that both drivers usually have similar reactions." "The owners encourage us to act like one team, right down to our bonus structure," said Holly. "From what I've heard in the past, most teams do not work their bonus program like ours. Each race, we take the winnings from the No. 57 car and No. 10 car, put them into one pot, then split them between both crews equally. That way, when the No. 10 car wins or the No. 57 crew wins, everyone wins. It truly promotes teamwork and encourages everyone to do their best for ppc Racing, not just their individual team." From the owners to the crew members, everyone at ppc Racing is focused on doing their best for the team as a whole. "We've got two drivers that are focused on what they want to achieve and a bunch of guys that are very serious about racing. At the same time, they all know how to have fun together," said owner Bob Campbell. "We spend too much time together not to have fun doing this. With the hours these guys put in, they become each other's family. The best way to sum it up is our system works. Everyone gets along and supports each other, and if everyone is working towards the same goals, how can you go wrong?"