Craven back to No. 32

Already having turned down what he termed "intriguing offers" to fill full-time rides in Busch and Truck, Ricky Craven's plan is essentially to sit on the sidelines and wait for temporary openings to appear in the Nextel Cup circuit next season. The goal is to impress owners in whatever limited opportunities he has, thereby putting himself in position to secure a permanent seat in 2007. There's an outside chance Craven could return to the Nextel Cup circuit with former boss Cal Wells for the coming season. Talks with the PPI Motorsports team continue, though it's getting late in Silly Season and circumstances would need to change for that offer to be acceptable. Craven is interested in signing a one-year deal with a competitive, multi-car operation that will give him a crack at achieving the coveted win that drives his determination to this day: victory at New Hampshire International Speedway. And he's confident that opportunity will come along. "I absolutely believe I'll be racing again, and I expect to race Nextel Cup," Craven said. "I just don't know where, or when, or who it will be with. At this time it doesn't appear it's going to be full-time in 2006, and I'm okay with that."

Wells and Craven parted ways prior to the finish of 2004, but the driver would not deny that it is Wells with whom he is currently negotiating his Cup return. As the only driver in the past five years to win as part of a single-car team, Craven said after the split he would return only to a multi-car outfit. He intends to honor that statement -and it could be part of a PPI expansion. "The fact is, Cal and I have had discussions," said Craven, who has raced for eight owners in parts of 11 Cup seasons. "Cal is a friend, and although the circumstances in 2004 were uncomfortable for both of us, we'd certainly entertain racing together again. Part of my criteria is that he become a bigger company, because that is key in all of us having success together. He certainly is headed in that direction. He's working hard to build his race team and his company, and I'm not sure that's going to happen, but I wouldn't rule out racing with the Tide team again. We've had discussions, but we're not there. I think it's a stretch to think that could happen right now." It is expected that Bobby Hamilton Jr., who replaced Craven, will be out of the #32 Tide car next season after he finished 36th, but the point is fast approaching when it will be too tough to start a second team in time for the season opener at Daytona in February. Concord Monitor