BAKERSFIELD, California -- Burney Lamar, the 2001 Featherlite Southwest Series rookie of the year, will be driving for the HPS/ Victory Circle Racing team out of Bakersfield, CA. for the 2004 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division Southwest Series season.
Having finished in the top ten in the point standings in all of his three years in the Series, Burney is looking forward to the up-coming season. “I’m extremely excited about it. During the past several years my grandfather, Clyde, has helped me no end in my career, and now in joining up with the Les Denherder HPS/Victory Circle family, I know I’ve been given an awesome chance to be competitive with everyone else, and have a real opportunity at winning the Series championship”.
Not only is the 23 year old college graduate, now a resident of Bakersfield, racing with a new team, he also has a new crew chief, Mark Lundgren, who is no stranger at winning champ- ionships. Mark was the crew chief for, among others, Eddy McKean, who won the 2002 Series championship, the same year Burney won the Series Bud Pole Award. According to Burney, “Whomever he’s been with, has done real good”.
What does Lundgren think about working with Lamar? “It’s a great opportunity for me. I was going to take some time off from being a crew chief, but when Les approached me to work for him and said it was Burney, well, it couldn’t have been a better guy. After a few races and we get more familiar with what he needs and what I can do, I think we’ll be very successful together”.
A new team, a new crew chief, and a team-mate. Also driving out of the HPS/ Victory Circle stables, is Craig Raudman, the 2001 Series champion. How does Burney feel about teaming up with a 22 year veteran and former champ? “I’m looking forward to it. We’ve raced together quite a bit and with a driver of his caliber and working and doing some testing together, I think it’ll only make both of us stronger”.
The primary sponsor on Burney’s 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo will be Groeniger & Company, a 50 year old company involved in Waste Water, Fire Protection, Irrigation, and Water Works projects throughout California. No stranger to auto racing, the Groeniger family has not only sponsored race cars but also been involved in sponsorship at major events at Infineon Raceway. Associate sponsors on Lamar’s car are HPS Mechanical, Tri-City Machine Corp., and D C Racing engines.
As for the upcoming race at Phoenix International Raceway on January 25th, Burney says,
“I’ve run pretty well there in the past, and with Marks’ experience in setting up a winning car at PIR,
I know we’re going to be pretty fast and have a good shot at winning”.
