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Roush Racing suspends Busch Series operations

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Roush Racing suspended its Busch series operation Wednesday because of sponsorship problems on the car driven by Stanton Barrett.

The No. 60 Ford won the Busch series championship last year with Greg Biffle behind the wheel. But Biffle and his sponsor moved up to the Winston Cup series this season, and Barrett replaced him with Clean Control Corp. as the sponsor.

But Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said the first 15 races of the season was just "a marketing test" for Clean Control, and he hoped the company would make a long-term commitment in the future.

So the team has shut down, and Barrett is now a "free agent" should another team wish to hire him.

"While we hope that we can keep him in our stable ... we have nowhere to place him," Smith said. "He definitely deserves a chance for a full-time ride with a top team."

Barrett is 16th in the Busch standings. He has four top-10 finishes in 15 starts this season.

Barrett, a Hollywood stuntman of 15 years, is in California working on the set of "Spiderman 2."

"This first third of the season has been the best I have ever run in the Busch series, and I believe that without a doubt the remainder of the season would have brought continued success," he said. " Right now I am just hoping that another full-time opportunity presents itself."

Roush has five Winston Cup cars and fields two teams in the Craftsman Truck series.

 

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