Compton to make 'Cup return at Daytona.

Former Melling Racing and AJ Foyt Racing driver Stacy Compton will make a one-off return to the NASCAR Winston Cup series next weekend at Daytona with Larry McClure's ailing team.

Compton, who earned two Bud Pole awards and two more top three starting positions in four Superspeedway races with Melling Racing in 2001, will drive the #4 Kodak Pontiac for Morgan McClure Motorsports in next Saturday's Pepsi 400 at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

Compton's return to the big time comes nearly a full year after his last start for Foyt's #14 outfit before being released by the fiery Texan last July. Since then the 36 year-old Virginia-born driver has been racing the #59 Kingsford for Tad Geschickter's ST Motorsports team in the NASCAR Busch Series, where he currently sits 13th in points.

Although McClure's team have not made an announcement about their driver for the rest of 2003, a strong performance by Compton who does have a provisional to fall back on thanks to Johnny Miller's efforts in Bud Pole qualifying last weekend at Sears Point, will surely put him into the mix.

The team have also tested with ARCA Series veteran Keith Segars.