DALLAS Staubach-Aikman team eyeing NASCAR Busch Series for 2004

The Hall of Fame Racing team probably will bypass the Nextel Cup.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
DALLAS -- Bill Saunders, the managing partner of the Hall of Fame Racing team of Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, said Monday the team probably will compete in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2004 instead of Nextel Cup.
The former Cowboys quarterbacks announced in January the formation of the team and their plans to race Winston Cup in 2004, which switches naming rights to Nextel Cup.
But they have not been able to secure the sponsorship dollars needed to run in the Cup series next season.
"Running in Cup next year is unlikely at this point," Saunders said. "It probably will be 2005, but that's not to say we won't be ... racing in 2004. We are still in negotiations on that and probably will finalize things within 30 days."
Unsure of plan
Saunders said they don't know if the team will run one or two Busch cars next year. He said an announcement on a sponsor and a driver, or drivers, probably would be made soon in Dallas.
"But we probably would unveil a car at a Busch event later this season," Saunders said. "All this depends of completing an agreement with a sponsor. Nothing is done yet, but things are progressing."
The going rate to sponsor a competitive team in the Busch Series is $4 million to $5 million a year. The top-tier teams in Winston Cup receive sponsorship dollars in the $12 million to $15 million range.
Saunders said Hall of Fame Racing will have a working agreement with an existing NASCAR team but would not reveal which one. Winston Cup team owner Joe Gibbs, the former Washington Redskins head coach, has been a consultant to Staubach and Aikman to help them get started.
Saunders said he also hopes the Busch sponsor would be willing to move up to Nextel Cup with the team in 2005.