BNS: James Pritchard Motorsports' sponsor renews

Mannings USA to Return to Don Wagner-Driven James Pritchard Motorsports' Busch North Entry.

Dover, NJ - James Pritchard Motorsports is proud to announce that Mannings USA will return as primary sponsor of its NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series effort for the 2004 season. The team's No. 41 Chevrolet Monte Carlo will be driven by Don Wagner in a seven-race schedule on tracks ranging from a third-miler to one-mile superspeedways.

Mannings USA (http://www.ManningsUSA.com), which offers a wide range of induction, combustion, and resistance heating services equipment and accessories, is continuing its long relationship with Pritchard and rookie Wagner.

"The folks at Mannings are great people," Wagner said. "With them on board, we don't have to worry so much about where our racing money's coming from. They're a part of the team, they're making it possible for us to do these seven races and continue the growth of our team."

Wagner, whose best finish in Busch North competition is fourteenth at Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl last July, is joining the rest of the team in Pritchard's shop, preparing the Busch North car for the following races in 2004: Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire (April 25), Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway (May 22), Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway (June 22), Waterford Speedbowl (July 17), New Hampshire International Speedway (Sept. 18), Dover (Del.) International Speedway (Sept. 24), and Wall Township Speedway in New Jersey (Oct. 2).

"We stripped the Busch car right down and went over everything mechanically," he said of the off-season preparations. "We touched up the body and it'll look nice and shiny when we get to our first race, and the engine's at the motor guy now."

Pritchard has acquired a new trailer for the team as well.

"It'll make things a lot easier," Wagner said. "We had been using the same trailer I used with my Modified last year, so when we got home from the Busch race, we'd have to unload all the Busch car stuff and take it over to my place to load up all the Modified stuff to go racing with the other car. We had a good system in place, we never forgot anything making those transitions, but it was extra work. Now we don't have to worry about that."

Wagner, who will continue to race his own Modified at Wall Township Speedway, is looking forward to his seven races in the full-fendered Busch car.

"We're going to get some good finishes in the taxi cab, that's for sure," he said. "We're determined, and we've got more experience. We won't be seeing some of these tracks for the first time, and that'll be a big advantage. We'll be able to do some testing as well, and that'll help. And we'll have fun. We've always got a shop full of people working on the car."

For more information on the Mannings USA-sponsored Busch North team, visit its website at www.jamespritchardmotorsports.com.

-jpm-