To further enhance the team's position as a leading short-track development team in the Southeastern Super Late Model ranks, BDI Racing announced today the addition of Jerry Babb as the team's Crew Chief for the 2009 season. That season begins with Michael Pope competing in this weekend's SpeedFest 2009 event, January 23rd through 25th at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, Georgia.

Babb brings a career's worth of experience, accolades and accomplishments to BDI Racing, a race-winning organization led by NASCAR on SPEED broadcaster and team owner Bob Dillner. Babb's accomplishments include the 1999 Oxford Plains Speedway (ME) Super Late Model track championship as a driver. As a Crew Chief, Babb led nine-time NASCAR Touring Series Champion Mike Stefanik's efforts at GRIZCO Motorsports, where the Babb and Stefanik pairing brought GRIZCO a one-two title finish in the NASCAR Camping World East Series in 2005. In addition, Babb has worked on the short tracks with such top-tier drivers as two-time PASS champion Johnny Clark, Tracy Gordon and Scott Fraser. Recently, he has spent his time inside the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series garages with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing and Ken Schrader Racing.

“We are looking forward to have someone with Jerry's accomplishments help lead our team's Super Late Model efforts in 2009,” said BDI Racing team owner Bob Dillner. “I knew of Jerry when he was a driver up in Maine several years ago, but his credentials as a crew chief are unparalleled these days. He's won races with some of the best drivers that ever put on a helmet, such as Mike Stefanik and Johnny Clark, but he's also helped some young kids become even better drivers along the way under his tutelage. We at BDI Racing are all about driver development, and there was no better person out there to help groom our talented racers.”

“First and foremost, Bob is a very well-respected person in the business and I'm really excited to help develop drivers in the BDI Racing program in 2009,” said Babb, who will operate Nu-Style Motorventures out of BDI Racing's shops this year. “This team is very family-oriented. When I moved away from Maine, I realized I was a lot more family-oriented than I thought I was, which is something that I really like about this team.

“I grew up with these types of racecars. Even though I've worked on Cup cars, Nationwide cars and Trucks, these Super Late Models are real racecars. They're really fun and I missed working on them. The fun needs to be brought back into the sport. For a while, the fun wasn't there for me, but now with BDI Racing the fun is back.”

Babb will serve as the Crew Chief for the BDI Racing Super Late Model efforts in 2009 for select events with Michael Pope behind the wheel of the #51 Chevy. Additional driving opportunities are currently available with BDI Racing, but Babb is looking forward to working with the drivers and the rest of the BDI Racing team throughout the 2009 season.

“The resources here at the BDI Racing shop are very good,” added Babb. “But the things that are always underestimated are resources. People like ‘Duke' (BDI Racing's Director of Racing Operations Matt Kentfield), Bob, myself and everyone involved, the networking resources that we have will make things so good that we can overcome some of the obstacles that we may face along the way of competing in these tough Super Late Model events. The BDI Racing shop has everything we could need to run competitively.

“We're going to make small steps first. We're going to go to SpeedFest and try to win it, but we may not win the first time out. But, come the Easter Bunny 150 PASS South race or whatever race comes next for this team, we want to show up at the track and have other teams thinking that they have to beat this #51 Chevy.”

Babb will be working with the team's engineer and car chief, Dustin Archer, and newly appointed assistant car chief Jason Ricker on many events in 2009.

Bond Suss, BDI Racing's Crew Chief that led the team to its first-ever Super Late Model victory in May of 2008, recently accepted a position as Crew Chief with Kyle Busch Motorsports' Super Late Model program.

“Bond was a great asset to our race team and he will remain to be a great friend to everyone at BDI Racing,” added Dillner. “He brought our team to another level that I'm confident Jerry keep adding to that. We wish Bond nothing but the best of luck with his new venture with Kyle and we're excited to start the new year with Jerry at the helm and at the same time try to beat my friends, Bond and Kyle.”

BDI Racing currently has openings in its #51 Super Late Model for big early-season events such as Florida Speedweeks at New Smyrna Speedway and The Rattler at South Alabama Speedway, as well as races throughout the 2009 season. Inquiries from funded and qualified drivers are welcome by contacting Matt Kentfield at 704-788-2134 ext: 5 and matt@bdiracing.net.