Previewing the "Drive in '05" -- The Year of the "Real Racer"

With a return to road course racing and the first non-exhibition visit to an international track coming in March at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, all eyes will be on the teams of the NASCAR Busch Series.

A band of self-proclaimed "racers", Team Yellow is ready for "The Drive in '05" to begin and looks forward to making a major impact in the NASCAR Busch Series competition.

New Driver at the Wheel

Johnny Sauter's dedication to performance, quality and speed may have earned him the opportunity to work with James Finch in 2004, but Sauter offers one more aspect of his personality that may have helped win him the lead role in The Drive in '05.

"I am racer," answered Sauter when asked to describe himself to fans. "I was raised in a racing family and it's the only thing I want to do."

Sauter plans to use this resolve to bring added success to Yellow Racing. Team Owner James Finch believes that Johnny will be an important part of the team's goals in 2005.

"Johnny is a real racer," says Finch. "I know he is going to get in the car and drive his heart out every week. That's what it takes to run up front."

By most people's standards, a 'real racer' is a driver who believes that every time he is on the track, he is there to win. A real racer will race just as hard for 20th place as they will for first. Sauter intends to carry this 'racer' mentality into competition in 2005.

Team Yellow Racing Gets a New Look

In October, fans of Team Yellow Racing had a chance to help choose the new paint scheme for the No. 1 Dodge. The contest began following the unveiling of one of the potential paint schemes at Kansas Speedway in October. "Spike", as the paint scheme was named prior to the contest, was the first car to be unveiled and it was clearly the fan favorite, as it beat out three other paint schemes, named "Menace," "Velocity" and "Reverse Spike."

When the green flag flies on the 2005 race season, you will also see the various members of Team Yellow Racing in apparel and race suits that keep with The Drive in '05 theme, complementing the new car design.

"The team's new uniforms will be a big part of the new look of Team Yellow Racing," says Finch. "I wanted everyone to look unified when they arrive in each city, so there's no question as to who is No. 1 on the track."

Change in Leadership

Tony Liberati joins Phoenix Racing as crew chief of the No. 1 Yellow Transportation Dodge in 2005. Liberati, known to many in the NASCAR garage area as "Rambo," has been chosen to lead Johnny Sauter and Team Yellow Racing into this year's Busch Series competition. Liberati is a NASCAR veteran, visiting Victory Lane with some of the most talented drivers in the NASCAR community.

"This is a real opportunity for me," says Liberati. "James (Finch) and Marc (Reno) know what it takes to win and I have been wanting to work with Johnny since 2002."

During the 2004 season, Liberati worked with Roush Racing as crew chief for the No. 9 Pennzoil Ford with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, and 2003 Winston Cup Champion Matt Kenseth. He's visited Victory Lane three times as a crew chief.

A Team Committed to Victory

Finch believes that 'racers' come in all aspects of motorsports competition and he prides himself on hiring them in all capacities.

"You don't have to be a driver to be a racer," says Finch. "Some of the best 'racers' I have worked with are mechanics and truck drivers. These are the guys you see working hard and dedicated themselves to the program."

Let "The Drive in '05" begin.