BUSCH: Shane Hall to Drive for Alumni Motorsports

RONDA, N.C. (Dec. 16, 1999) Alumni Motorsports announced Wednesday that Shane Hall will drive its No. 0 Chevrolets in NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division competition for the 2000 race season. Hall replaces Josh Baltes, a midwestern late model and ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series veteran who, after meeting with the team, decided he was not ready for NASCAR Busch Series competition.

"This was personally a tough decision for all of us, but it was a move required from a racing perspective," said Jim Lachey, one of Alumni Motorsports' five owners.

Hall comes to Alumni Motorsports after an up-and-down 1999 campaign behind the wheel of the No. 43 Central Tractor/Farm & Country Chevrolet owned by Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian. Hall qualified for just 24 of 32 events, but still managed to finish in the top-25 in points. He posted a career-best fourth-place finish in the Myrtle Beach 250 on July 17. In his career, Hall has tallied five top-10 runs.

"This is a great opportunity to work with a young and exciting team in the Busch Series," said Hall, 30. "The team has a good group of owners in place with Ohio State Alumni, along with key elements for success in crew chief Mike Steurer and quality Fischer Engines that will allow for us to be very competitive in 2000."

Hall will take the seat of the No. 0 Chevrolet early next year when the Alumni Motorsports team tests at Talladega Superspeedway on Jan. 3-4 in preparation for their Daytona International Speedway debut in the season opening NAPA Auto Parts 300 on Feb. 19. The team also plans to attend the open test at Daytona in January as well as testing in Las Vegas at the end of the month.

"While this driver change has some personal effects, our race program has taken a significant step forward with the addition of an experienced driver such as Shane," said Brent Bushu, Alumni Motorsports' general manager. "We all welcome him to this team and look forward to a successful inaugural campaign in 2000."

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