Wimmer is excited about getting back on track

ABINGDON, Va. - Scott Wimmer appeared to be at home Monday morning as he roamed the sprawling headquarters of Morgan-McClure Motorsports.

Wimmer joked with old friends, chatted with new associates and examined the fleet of No. 4 MMM Chevrolets.

The old band might not be fully intact, but the essential pieces are in place for the reunion of a team that last competed in the 2007 fall Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

Wimmer, 33, will attempt to qualify for Saturday's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in a car sponsored by Alpha Natural Resources, an Abingdon-based coal producer.

"People are always asking when this car is going to get back on the track," Wimmer said. "I'm really thankful to have the opportunity to make that happen."

Wimmer drove 23 races for the MMM team during the 2006 season, recording a top finish of 19th in the Food City 500 at BMS.

"I've kept in contact with everybody up here quite a bit," Wimmer said. "I knew they were working on some stuff for Bristol, and I'm surprised at how fast it all came together. There are a lot of drivers out there they could have chosen to drive this car, but they gave me a chance."

MMM team co-owner Tim Morgan said on Monday that the selection of Wimmer was based both on compatibility and skill level.

"We've had a good relationship with Scott, and we think he's got a lot of ability," Morgan said. "He's great with sponsors, and I think he's good on the racetrack. Scott is just a very talented person."

Wimmer qualified for 106 Cup races from 2000 through '07, with his last start coming in 2007 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Richard Childress Racing team.

Wimmer currently drives in the Nationwide Series for the JR Motorsports and Key Motorsports teams. He ranks 17th in points.

"Competing in the Nationwide series will help get me used to the track a little bit this weekend, but I've got to learn these guys a little bit and just figure these cars out since they haven't been on track in a while," Wimmer said.

Like most drivers competing for independent Sprint Cup teams, Wimmer plans to draw off the advice of friends as he adjusts to the unique qualities of the Car of Tomorrow at the smoother and wider version of Bristol.

"I'm fortunate that I did a lot of the COT testing for RCR," Wimmer said. "I've got friends down there (at RCR), and they are going to help us out as much as they can.

"As far as the race at Bristol, it's really going to be different with the double-file restarts. I think we're going to see a lot different racing than we've ever seen."

Of course, the immediate concern for Wimmer will come Friday afternoon, when he must qualify for the Sharpie 500 based on speed. A total of 48 cars are on the entry list for the 43-car field.

"That's our main focus," Wimmer said. "I'm sure we're going to have some bugs to work through, but hopefully we will be fast by qualifying time."

■ Allen Gregory is a reporter for the Bristol Herald Courier.