Craven’s sponsor cuts 14 from staff

Precision Preparation Inc. Motorsports, for whom Newburgh’s Ricky Craven drives the Tide 32 Ford on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, has cut 14 staff positions in a restructuring of the company. That brings the total number of PPI Motorsports employees to 97.

The restructuring was based on a thorough evaluation of the staffing after observing the operating structures of several top Winston Cup teams.

“We’re really just over a year old in terms of practical experience as a Winston Cup racing team,” said Cal Wells III, the owner and president of PPI Motorsports. “We’ve had a lot to learn about what we need to be competitive in this series, and how we’ve allocated our human resources has been a big part of that. This restructing was an important evolution, and ultimately we’re taking necessary steps to bring us more in line with how the sport’s top teams operate.”

In addition to Craven, the PPI Motorsports team also features rookie Andy Houston’s McDonalds No. 96 Ford. Houston’s crew chief, Joe Garone, announced his resignation on Wednesday to accept a position with NASCAR’s research and developmental project in Hickory, N.C. He will remain as Houston’s crew chief through July.