Editing Morgan Shepherd (section)

====Cup return with his own team====
[[Image:Morgan Shepherd Pocono 2003.jpg|thumb|right|Shepherd at Pocono in 2003.]]
[[Image:Morgan Shepherd 2004.jpg|thumb|left|Shepherd in 2004.]]
Shepherd started racing for his own team on a part-time basis in [[2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|2002]], driving the No. 89 [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]. He attempted his first race at [[New England 300|Loudon]], qualifying in 43rd position. Shepherd finished the race in 40th position. As his team practically received no sponsorship money, Shepherd was unable to compete for full races and he often had to [[start and park|park early to save money and resources]]. At the next race in [[Pennsylvania 500|Pocono]], Shepherd qualified 43rd and finished 42nd, after leading during a rain delay. He made six more attempts in the No. 89 and qualified for three of them, with his best finish of 40th at [[Protection One 400|Kansas]]. Shepherd also made two additional starts for [[Ware Racing Enterprises]], but he failed to make the race at [[MBNA All-American Heroes 400|Dover]] and [[2002 EA Sports 500|Talladega]].<ref name="2002Cup">{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/shephmo01/2002/W|title=Morgan Shepherd – 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Results|work=Racing-Reference|access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref>

Shepherd had to cut back on his Cup schedule in [[2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series|2003]] and only attempted seven races that year. He started his season at the [[Pocono Organics CBD 325|Pocono 500]], but was the slowest car in qualifying and did not make the race. Shepherd did make the race at the [[New England 300]] where he parked after 43 laps and finished in last position.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003standings/july20results.htm|title=New Hampshire Race Results|publisher=Jayski.com|access-date=March 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908002602/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2003standings/july20results.htm|archive-date=September 8, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> He qualified in 42nd-place at the next race in [[Pennsylvania 500|Pocono]], but only run for 44 laps and finished in 43rd. Shepherd attempted four additional races that season but failed to make any of those races.<ref name="2003Cup">{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/shephmo01/2003/W|title=Morgan Shepherd – 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Results|work=Racing-Reference|access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref>

[[Image:Morgan Shepherd Watkins Glen 2004.jpg|thumb|right|Shepherd at Watkins Glen in 2004.]]
For the [[2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series|2004]] season [[Shepherd Racing Ventures]] switched to [[Dodge]]. The team increased their schedule, attempting 32 of the 36 races. Shepherd had a good start to the season, qualifying for the first race he attempted at [[UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400|Las Vegas]]. The No. 89 team did not have sufficient sponsorship money to complete the races, so Shepherd sometimes had to park his car early to save money. Shepherd had his best run at the spring race of [[Advance Auto Parts 500 (Cup)|Martinsville]], finishing in 32nd position. Shepherd last finished a Cup race in 1999. Shepherd also ran the full race at the summer [[2004 Pepsi 400|Daytona]] race, finishing in 33rd place. Shepherd qualified for 19 races that year. Shepherd started his 500th Cup start at the [[Siemens 300]] at the [[New Hampshire International Speedway]]. He qualified in 41st position and finished in 40th place after running 192 of the 300 laps. He finished 42nd in the final points standings.<ref name="2004Cup">{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/shephmo01/2004/W|title=Morgan Shepherd – 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results|work=Racing-Reference|access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref>

As Shepherd and his team received almost no money from sponsors whatsoever, they had to cut back on their [[2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series|2005]] schedule. Shepherd attempted to qualify for the [[2005 Daytona 500]] but missed the race after he was caught up in a wreck during the [[Gatorade Duels]]. This was a big blow to Shepherd's season as he needed the prize money to compete in all the races. Shepherd qualified for the next race he entered at [[UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400|Las Vegas]]. This was a much-needed break as his team needed the prize money to keep racing. Shepherd eventually managed to qualify for four of the 21 races he entered that season. He finished 63rd in the 2005 points standings.<ref name="2005Cup">{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/shephmo01/2005/W|title=Morgan Shepherd – 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results|work=Racing-Reference|access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref>

Shepherd's struggles continued in [[2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series|2006]]. His team had to cut on their schedule and only entered 15 races that year. Shepherd failed to qualify for the first 9 races he entered in 2006. He made his first race of the year at the [[Chevy Rock & Roll 400]], where he finished 43rd. The following week, he qualified for the [[Sylvania 300]] and finished 42nd. Shepherd failed to make any additional races for the rest of the year. He finished 66th in the final points standings.<ref name="2006Cup">{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/shephmo01/2006/W|title=Morgan Shepherd – 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results|work=Racing-Reference|access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref> Shepherd shut down his cup team after the season and moved to the [[Busch Series]] for [[2007 NASCAR Busch Series|2007]].