Here's what was posted on the Ohio/Pa messageboard........................
SHEPARD REUNITES WITH ZEMCO TEAM By Brad Vores
In seven years, a lot of things can happen. And that’s what car owner John Zemaitis says about the new driver of his ZEMCO #1 sprint car. Zemaitis officially hired Jeff Shepard to pilot his familiar sprint car on Friday for the 2007 season.
Billy Pauch will drive the car during the Eastern swing for the USAC series next season.
Shepard drove for the team back in 1999 when he won 16 races in just over half a season. Zemaitis is hoping the same success will return for the team next season.
“He’s a very good driver and he won 16 races for us before he went back with Les Stewart halfway through 1999,” Zemaitis said on Friday. “We hired him for a lot of reasons. He’s changed a lot and his mannerisms have changed, he’s not the same person he was back then. He has no aspirations of being an Outlaw driver and he’s a local driver now and that fits our team the best.”
Shepard fielded his own deal in 2006 and competed in a handful of races. His lone win came during the Pennsylvania Speedweek Mitch Smith Memorial at Williams Grove Speedway in late June.
Zemaitis has enjoyed much success with three year driver Mark Smith, who parted ways with the team in November. Smith won the Zemco team a Port Royal Speedway championship as well as many feature events at the Port in three seasons. Smith also won a few times at Williams Grove and Susquehanna.
Zemaitis said he fielded many calls about the seat of his car for next season, some of the inquiries being World of Outlaws and National Sprint Tour drivers.
Zemaitis said his team is in as good of shape as it’s ever been to begin the season.
“Our motor program is in better shape than it’s ever been in our career,” he said. “We have three fresh motors to start the year.”
He said the team will compete regularly at Williams Grove on Friday night’s but the team has not made a decision on where they will call home on Saturday night’s in 2007. They will not be chasing any point titles and are already planning a trip to the Super Clean Knoxville Nationals in August.The team will begin the season at the openers in Central PA in late February.
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