Craven picks Meserve to run new race shop

Newburgh’s Ricky Craven has talked about the importance of good chemistry on a Winston Cup team.

He has set about attaining that chemistry by hiring longtime friend and confidante Stan Meserve to run his new SB III Motorsports shop in Huntersville, N.C.

Craven will be driving for first-time Winston Cup owner Scott Barbour. Mike Hillman is the crew chief.

“We’ve talked about this ever since Ricky went down there quite a few years ago,” said Meserve. “He has tried to get me involved, and I’ve wanted to be involved for a long time, but it wasn’t the right time, the right place, the right atmosphere, the right job, whatever.”

“What makes this right is it’s a new situation and a new team. I can come in on the ground floor and get up to top speed with everybody else. It’s a new challenge for me. At the age of 57, you don’t get a lot of new challenges,” added Meserve. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Meserve has sold the business he owned for 15 years, Distance Racing Products in Unity, to Busch North Rookie of the Year Jeff Taylor of Farmington.

He agreed to terms last Tuesday and said he was happy with the contract. He wouldn’t divulge the terms.

Meserve has had an exceptional racing career and, the past few years, he has been a pro stock regular at Oxford Plains Speedway.

“My personal racing had come to a crossroads,” said Meserve. “Rick needed the help and I wanted to help him. Hopefully, I’ll do my part and I can make some difference.”

Meserve, a Dresden native and 1959 Winslow High School graduate, began his racing career in 1965. He raced Winston Cup in 1968, when it was called Grand National, and finished 24th in points.

He said his job description is “vague” right now, but he knows he will oversee the 18-20 employees working in the shop.

“I’ve got to get the right people doing the right jobs and make sure the right jobs are being done. We all need to be on the same page. We can’t have any hidden agendas,” said Meserve, who will be involved in the hiring of the employees.

He added that he also has to make sure they have the “right equipment, happy employees, and good working conditions.”

Meserve has confidence in Craven, saying, “I wouldn’t have turned my back on everything I’ve worked for if I didn’t have confidence in him.”