Morgan-McClure Owners Not Happy Over Losing #4

The morning of Aug. 15 was not pleasant for the owners and fans of Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Hundreds of miles from the hills of Southwest Virginia, a persistent rumor turned into a harsh reality. In an orchestrated press conference at Michigan, it was confirmed that Ryan Newman will drive the #4 Chevy next season for the new Stewart-Haas team in the Sprint Cup Series. For 25 years, that yellow # 4 was closely intertwined with the Abingdon-based MMM Chevy. "There's some sweat and history in that number 4. We feel like it ours," MMM co-owner Tim Morgan said. According to Morgan and team general manager Larry McClure, the # 4 is still registered under the name of the MMM team. NASCAR owns all the numbers that are used in the series, however. McClure and Morgan, who assumed they had a right of refusal for any potential number switch, were clearly frustrated when contacted Friday. Despite Friday's announcement and the lackluster economic climate, the leaders of MMM are still holding out hope for a return to the track. In fact, select team members are still working at the expansive race shop in Abingdon. Bristol Herald Courier