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He speaks with the confidence of a competitor who has regained the winning formula he had when he took the series title in 1989, and dominated in 1993-94. Wallace broke a 32-race losing streak with a victory in Bristol in March, and has been among the cars to beat in virtually each race since. The 44-year-old driver from St. Louis is trying for victory No. 54, which would tie him with Lee Petty for seventh place on the NASCAR career list. In that quest, Wallace will rely on the basics. "We just have to massage that chassis, conserve the tires and stay out of trouble," he said. "I''m really looking forward to it." The addition of crew chief Danny Gill has been a major boost for Morgan-McClure. Since his arrival six weeks ago, the team has been a top-15 car each week, only to see a late-race failure eliminate them from contention. "No doubt that Danny Gill has made a difference," Hamilton said. "If it had laid right at Pocono, we would have had a top-10 finish. Michigan, we had broken a shock and finished 14th. We had run in the top-10 all day. "At Bristol, I was trying to get a lap back and ran over Jeremy (Mayfield). We had a flat and hit something on the racetrack and were running sixth at that time. It''s not hard to swallow now because we know we''re competitive. We''re unloading pretty good. "We''re getting our race setups almost perfect now and the motor program has really come along. I think when all the ingredients finally meet in the middle, it''ll mold into one and we''ll be there. You''ve just got to be patient with it. It took us a long time to get in this shape, and in this sport, as competitive as it is, you don''t overcome it overnight." Midway through the 1999 campaign, rumors began to swirl that Morgan-McClure was planning to add a second team to their one-car stable. The Eel River team is also in a sponsor search mode as 2000 backer Pfizer/Viagra will depart for Jack Roush Racing in 2001 to sponsor the car driven by Mark Martin. Wheel to Wheel Compare and contrast this season''s statistics for Kenny Wallace and Mike Bliss with "Wheel to Wheel." Check it out! "Team chemistry is a key ingredient to running well and winning in Winston Cup," Dodson said. "You can''t put a price tag on good chemistry because it''s so invaluable. But now that we''ve got Kenny Wallace, we''re feeling pretty rich." Bliss had been Dodson''s hand-picked choice for the seat of the Eel River car, but before sponsorship for 2000 could be secured and a deal consummated, Bliss signed with A.J. Foyt. He was released there after failing to qualify for three of the first four races in the 2000 season. Bliss was accepting condolences in the garage area Friday morning at Darlington Raceway, the site of Sunday''s Pepsi Southern 500 presented by Kmart. Wallace brings a wealth of racing experience to Eel River Racing and he has the accolades to prove it. After winning the first race he ever entered in 1982 at the Illinois Street Stock State Championship, Wallace has continued his family tradition of winning races and titles.
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