Craven is a top candidate for taking Martin’s NASCAR ride

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Newburgh’s Ricky Craven is one of the leading candidates to replace Mark Martin in the Roush Racing team’s No. 6 Viagra Ford next season, according to Geoff Smith, the president of Roush Racing.

Martin has announced that he will retire from full-time Nextel Cup racing after this season.

Craven is among several names mentioned as a successor.

Craven is currently second in the points in his first season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series for Roush Racing in the No. 99 Superchips Ford F-150. He will run the Dodge Ram Tough 200 tonight at Gateway International Raceway (Ill.).

“He’s one of the top candidates we have our eyes on,” said Smith. “We hired him for the truck series with a view that we could evaluate him in competition with the prospect of perhaps having him go into the Six [car].

“He is doing a great job in the truck series and he’s a great guy as well. He’s very high on our list,” said Smith.

“It certainly interests me,” said Craven, who has three top-five finishes in four truck races so far. “But I’m trying to focus on the job at hand which is the truck series and our next race.”

“I’ve certainly got my ear to the ground and I’m listening. But not to the point I will allow it to be a distraction,” added Craven, who should know his status within a month.

Pfizer, the sponsor of the Viagra car, appears to be ending its sponsorship after this season.

That means Roush Racing must also find a sponsor. And there must be compatibility between the driver and the sponsor.

So Smith said Roush Racing needs to name its driver “hopefully by the end of May.”

“We have to declare our situation to allow our marketing department time to fill the campaign for the next situation. That is being worked on as we speak,” said Smith.

Smith said that is a definite plus in Craven’s favor.

“He will easily work with any sponsor I’ve ever met,” said Smith. “He is a very gracious individual, very well-mannered and thoughtful. From our point of view, Ricky’s sponsor rating couldn’t be any higher.”

In the current geography of Nextel Cup racing, the so-called “Young Guns” have been a hot commodity. Young drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Roush drivers Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch are continuing to change the face of NASCAR.

That could work against the 38-year-old Craven.

“But Ricky is a driver who is hungry for an opportunity. He doesn’t view himself at the wrong end of the age scale. If you can get an experienced guy who is motivated to win, then the age component becomes secondary,” said Smith. “In the lifespan of a Cup driver, he still has several good years ahead of him. And he has something to prove. He would be a motivated driver if he ends up being our choice.”

That passion has never left Craven, who has 278 Nextel Cup races, two wins, and 17 top-five finishes to his credit.

“I love to compete. I still have that passion, hunger, and desire to compete,” said Craven, who has maintained that he still has “unfinished business” in Nextel Cup.

He left a struggling PPI Motorsports team and the No. 32 Tide Chevy last July after a 31/2-year association.

He said he is thoroughly enjoying working with crew chief Mike Beam and their crew members as well as with everyone else associated with Roush Racing.

Another vital component is a driver’s willingness to put the team ahead of his own individual goals along with his compatibility with the other drivers.

“That was another reason Ricky got hired. We wouldn’t put a driver into the mix unless we were comfortable he would be fully accepted by the other drivers. To Ricky’s credit, he walked in new and the first thing he did was help pass on his racing knowledge to [truck series rookie] Todd Kluever,” said Smith.

“I’m enjoying having a teammate in the truck series,” said Craven, who had a teammate for only 56 of his 278 Nextel Cup races.

Craven said the No. 6 car speculation hasn’t put any additional pressure on him.

“The pressure to perform has been the same for me. I’ve been doing this for 24 years and it has always been about measuring myself and challenging myself,” said Craven. “[Getting the No. 6 ride] is a job any race car driver would desire. But I can’t allow it to be a distraction. I understand this is a performance industry and that’s how I’m approaching it.”

Winning the points championship is Craven’s goal and Smith likes what he has seen so far.

“He has come in and demonstrated right away he can be at the front in every race. He knows how to keep the equipment under him and how to run for points. The wins will start to pop in as well,” said Smith.