Smith joins Motter Brothers Racing

MOTTER BROTHERS RACING HIRES STEVIE SMITH By Richard Day HIBBING, MN (November 14) - Stevie Smith will be behind the wheel of the #71M Ecowater Systems Maxim when the World of Outlaws opens its 1995 season at St. Augustine Speedway in February, Motter Brothers Racing announced Monday. "As sprint car team owners, Tom and I are committed to assemble the elements capable of winning the World of Outlaws championship, and we believe the addition of Stevie to our team can make that happen in 1995," Dan Motter said. "Our goal of setting new standards both on and off the track have not changed since we joined the World of Outlaws tour in September of 1992, and Stevie Smith is a perfect fit to our team chemistry and philosophy." With four top-five finishes in the Copenhagen-Skoal Shootout point standings in five years on the World of Outlaws' tour, Smith brings valuable experience to the Motter Brothers' team. He was the runner-up in the 1992 points race and has won 22 World of Outlaws "A" Features, including the 1993 Gold Cup Race of Champions and the Williams Grove National Open in 1989 and 1991. "More than anything, I want to win the World of Outlaws' championship," Smith said. "I believe working with the Motter Brothers' team, we will accomplish that next year. I'm excited about the opportunity. I have never been more confident or committed to achieving that goal in my career than I am with this new association." Ecowater Systems, which will sponsor the team for the second consecutive year in 1995, is equally excited about the Motters' decision. "What we look for is someone with a clean image who can relate to our dealers," Ecowater Systems Communications Manager Floyd Smith said, "and, from we can see, Stevie Smith has all that. He should be a good spokesperson for Ecowater. Looking at his record, he also has the potential to be a winner." Ecowater Systems, Inc., the team's national sponsor, is the world's leading manufacturer of water conditioning systems. "Stevie knows his way around a race car better than most drivers today," mechanic Dean Bruns said. "He will be a tremendous help in getting us dialed in each night." Bruns will share mechanics duties with Joe Houk, who joined Motter Brothers Racing in September. Houk, a 20-year veteran in sprint car racing, has worked with Rick Ferkel, Kenny Schraeder and Bobby Davis, Jr. He has been Mark Kinser's teammate for the last six years. In other World of Outlaws news, car owner Jeff Gilliam says he's going to take a leave of absence from the tour. "Due to some commitments with my business (G&W Trucking), I'm going to take a couple of years off from sprint car racing," Gilliam said Monday. "I'm going to miss it a lot. I do intend to be back. "I just have some business commitments here, and it's going to take 100% of my time and ability to make them go. I feel like I need to stay focused on my business. "I've really enjoyed working with the World of Outlaws. I also enjoyed working with Sammy (Swindell, his driver in 1994). I had a really good relationship with Sammy. Of all the drivers who have driven for me, Sammy gave me the fairest shake of any I've ever had. "Sammy wants to go into NASCAR and, really and truly, after he's driven your car, what can you do then? I don't feel like there's anybody who could top what he could do now that Steve (Kinser) is gone." WoO*eot