LUSK JOINS FENLEY-MOORE MOTORSPORTS

Source: Patrick L. Culwell
Date: 12/06/1999

Kennewick native Damon Lusk continues to be a hot commodity as the popularity of stock car racing amongst fans and corporate sponsors has NASCAR team owners searching for young talent.

Lusk, a twenty-two year old Kamiakin high school graduate, has signed a contract with Fenley-Moore Motorsports of Spartanburg, South Carolina, to drive for their ARCA program for 2000.

According to co-team owner Randy Fenley, "It is just one step in the development of Lusk as a Winston Cup driver. Our goal is to get Damon some experience on the superspeedways during 2000 in preparation for a NASCAR Busch Series program in 2001. Hopefully Damon will adapt to the heavier cars and with a couple of seasons in the Busch ranks he can be in a Winston Cup car in 2003. We sincerely hope this will be a long term relationship."

Fenley-Moore Motorsports, formed this past August under new ownership of brothers Randy and Robert Fenley, Robert's wife Sue, and legendary car owner Bud Moore, will field a NASCAR Winston Cup program in 2000. 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope will be in the drivers seat. Cope entered the last two races of 1999 in the series with Fenley-Moore.

While the Fenley's are new to the Winston Cup scene as team owners, it's an altogether different story for Moore, who has been a part of the NASCAR scene since its inception in 1948. Moore is the fifth winningest car owner of all time.

For Lusk, it is one more step in his personal goals to race with the very best. Lusk spent the 1998 season driving for Ivy Hi-Lift in the NASCAR Northwest Tour. That earned him a ride in the Mark IV Motorsports America Online Southwest Tour program for '99, which he took to a fourth place season points finish.

The opportunity to drive for Fenley-Moore arose through an introduction from Cope. The Fenley's are from the West Coast and are interested in giving young talent from that area an opportunity to complete in what has been traditionally a Southern based sport. Cope, a Spanaway, Wa. native got his start competing in a local series at Yakima Speedway.

The ARCA series, in which Lusk will drive in, has a track record of being a proving ground for future Winston Cup stars. The series, sponsored by Bondo and Mar-hyde, uses cars very similar to the Busch and Winston Cup series and compete on many of the same racing facilities.

Fenley stated, "We will put Damon in top flight equipment as we are building all new cars for our Cup program. Damon will have five of our current cars available to him. Some have one race on them while others have never been to the track. We don't intend to be in a points race because the series runs a few races on dirt. We are not interested in that. We are more interested in getting Damon experience at the facilities that NASCAR competes on. We want to make sure we do not rush his progress. That can be very damaging to a young driver."

For Lusk the past few weeks have been a scramble. In a recent phone interview Lusk stated, "I am due to test at Daytona on December 17th and 18th. I have been trying to get packed and moved to South Carolina, attend the Southwest Tour banquet, and wrap up my obligations with Mark IV Motorsports in California. I feel bad for leaving the AOL team, driving for Mark IV and America Online has been tremendous, but I know that it is a terrific opportunity the Fenley's have offered me. Fenley-Moore Motorsports blends tradition with new enthusiasm and is a team that has an eye on a bright future. It is an opportunity I could not turn away from."

Lusk went on to say, "I am looking forward to just being able to get back in the seat. In reality, that will be relaxing after the pace of the decisions I have had to make the past couple of weeks."

Lusk will have to prove himself at the ARCA level but if his track record since getting into racing holds up, we may well be seeing the development of a future star.

News Index | E-mail to a Friend