Thursday, April 2, 1998 | 10:54 a.m.
By JOE MACENKA
AP Sports Writer
T.J. Beverley describes himself as someone who likes challenges. From all indications, he faces a significant one in trying to revive the Winston Cup team formerly owned by Darrell Waltrip.
Last month, Beverley purchased the operation started by Waltrip in 1991 in Harrisburg, N.C., just across the street from Charlotte Motor Speedway. Waltrip is a three-time Winston Cup champion and a winner of 84 races, but just five of the victories and none of the driving titles came during his days as a car owner.
After going 5 1/2 years without winning a race, struggling with sponsors and struggling to make races, Waltrip decided to get out of the car-ownership business and become just a driver once again. He sold his operation to Beverley, who has built a successful jet aircraft dealership but has no experience in stock car racing.
"I'm one of those people that when people tell me there's something I can't do, that's something I love," Beverley said. "It's kind of what I eat for breakfast."
Beverley's priorities are to find a primary sponsor and reorganize the team, which includes 47 employees working out of a 39,000-square-foot complex. Two of the team's more visible workers - general manager Waddell Wilson and team spokesman Keith Waltz - resigned just after the deal was completed.
Beverley said he's unsure how many team members will remain by the time TJ MotorSports Inc. makes its debut on the track. Beverley's target is to field a car at the Brickyard 400 on Aug. 1, with or without a primary sponsor.
He's certain of one thing: When the team goes racing again, Waltrip will be the driver.
"Darrell's coming back to us. There's no question," Beverley said. "He's going to drive the car next year and we're going to have some fun."
That's fine with Waltrip, who plans to spend the next few months substituting in the Dale Earnhardt Inc.-owned Chevrolet for Steve Park, who's recovering from a broken thigh bone.
"Tim's a businessman. He thinks he can run the team better than I can, and I agree with him," Waltrip said. "Dale needed a race car driver, and I said I wanted to prove that I can still drive a race car. That's perfect for me. For me, it's a win-win."
Beverley, 41, is the owner and president of Tyler Jet Aircraft, a company he founded 12 years ago in Tyler, Texas. The company, which has grown from two workers to nearly 150, is recognized as one of the world's leading dealers of midsize and large corporate jet aircraft.
His racing background is limited to driving on a hobby level in sports car events for about 10 years. He held competition licenses from the Sports Car Club of America and the International Motor Sports Association, and he drove in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1989.
But when it comes to stock car racing's premier circuit, Beverley has no experience, so he plans to tap the knowledge of several of the sport's biggest names.
One of his best friends is Rick Hendrick, owner of the teams that have won the last three Winston Cup championships, and the two usually speak on the telephone at least once a week.
Beverley also is hoping to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with Dale Earnhardt Inc., which also is a new Winston Cup team. In addition to Beverley "loaning" Waltrip to DEI during Park's recovery, the two team owners are talking about sharing technology and marketing resources.
"It's a team effort all the way around," Earnhardt said. "Tim is not just a new owner. He's just not standing in the back. He's here with us and is part of the team. He's helping out just as much as we are."
Beverley is confident he can shape his new team into a winner.
"I'm pretty energetic. I'm not accustomed to losing," he said. "We want to go in and build something. I'm not in this for a year or two years. This is a long-term situation.
"So I'm not going to try and do a quick fix and get back out here in two weeks dealing with the same situation. If it takes two months, it takes two months. We'll just do what it takes to straighten it out."
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