BNS: Steve Bird joins Mike Gallo for six races

Steve Bird joins Mike Gallo, Woodworks Racing for six race BNS schedule

Woodworks Racing, which fields Ford Tauruses for driver Mike Gallo on the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series, announces the hiring of four-time NASCAR Busch Series championship-winning crew chief Steve Bird as its crew chief. Gallo and Bird will team up to lead the Woodworks Racing team in six Busch North races, starting this weekend at the new Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pennsylvania.

The team is also running two races with Fred Skaff as the driver, the first having already taken place at Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway last month.

"I think we're going to have an incredible year," Gallo said. "Steve's been up in the shop working with us on the cars, and I can't tell you the feeling we get knowing we've got a four-time champion crew chief working for our Busch North team for the six shows we're going to run. He's going to be a tremendous help, especially when it comes to shocks, which is one area we needed some help in last year. His experience is hard to beat, and we're thrilled he's on our side.

"Steve brings organization to the team, and he brings better time management," Gallo continued. "Shock changes will be faster, spring changes will be faster. We'll have better efficiency in the shop and at the track, and that's just part of the tricks of the trade he's bringing to our team."

Bird is now helping the team organize its equipment as it prepares for its first race of the year at Lake Erie Speedway.

"We've got three cars in the shop," Gallo said. "One is a brand new car that we're going to run at Loudon, owned by Jim Burgess. He's been nice enough to supply us with a new car with the best of everything for two of the most important races we run.

"The other two cars have been completely redone over the winter with new bodies and components, and they're all in tip-top shape," Gallo continued. "We have three Ernie Elliott motors, big power, big steam. I can't wait to get on the track and feel that power."

Gallo expects the addition of Bird as crew chief will bring the team, which has a best finish of twelfth in three years of running Busch North part-time, to a new level of performance.

"There won't be any excuses anymore," he said. "In three years, we've never had a mechanical failure. The cars are right. The engines are right. The shocks are right. We've got great crew members, some of whom have been on winning teams, who deserve to run in the top ten and the top five. I don't see why we can't run in the top five.

"We need to have a good finish to give this team a confidence booster," Gallo continued. "They deserve good runs. I consider myself lucky to be driving for such a great team, and it's all up to me to deliver. We learned a lot at Lee. I think we found what these cars like, and I'm excited to go to Lake Erie and have a good run on the short track. The team's in awesome shape, and it's going to be an incredible year."

Gallo expresses his thanks to Robin Phillipson of The Woodworks, Bill Maheris and George Allen of Archer Corporation, Don Black, and Skaff Refrigeration for supporting his efforts with KBC Motorsports.

For more information on the team and Mike Gallo, visit its website at www.woodworksracing.com.

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