Ganassi and DEI merger official
Though technically a partnership and not a merger, Ganassi and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated officials have announced that their teams will field cars together for the 2009 season.
The new entity will be called Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and will field the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy with Martin Truex Jr., the No. 8 with Aric Almirola, the No. 42 and driver Juan Pablo Montoya, and the No. 41 Chevy with Target and a driver to be named. This means that the Nos. 15 and 01 teams will no longer exist, leaving Reagan Smith out of a ride. Smith, along with A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Riggs are candidates for the No. 41.
In wake of the merger news, published reports indicate that around 110 people at DEI have been laid off. These layoffs may be a prelude to a large round of layoffs that are expected throughout NASCAR after this weekend.
The new four car team will field Chevrolets, meaning that only Penske Racing, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and Petty Enterprises are the Cup Series’ only remaining Dodge teams. GEM is contemplating a move to Toyota.
There is no word if any teams will attempt to purchase the owners points of the No. 15 and No. 01 teams, though Richard Childress has been rumored to be in the running for that, because his new No. 33 Chevy with Clint Bowyer has no owners points for next season.
BB&T on No. 33 for 11 races in ’09
Despite the state of the economy, especially the banking industry, BB&T is banking on the success of its Nationwide Series driver in the Sprint Cup Series. BB&T will sponsor the No. 33 RCR Chevy and driver Clint Bowyer for 11 races next season. BB&T sponsored Bowyer several times this season in the No. 07 and is his Nationwide Series sponsor on the RCR No. 2. Cheerios/Betty Crocker is the primary sponsor on the No. 33 for most of the season.
Furniture Row part-time in 2009
Furniture Row Racing officials announced this week that the No. 78 and driver Joe Nemechek will run only a part-time schedule next season. Furniture Row, a furniture chain based out of Denver Colorado, is not only the sponsor of the team, but owns the team as well. The company states its condition in wake of the economy as the main reason for trimming back its NASCAR involvement. There is no word yet on which races the team will run.
Vickers in No. 84 at Homestead to get in Top 35; Speed in No. 83
Team Red Bull’s quest to place both teams in the Top 35 in owners points took a positive turn this week, as the team is switching the drivers of its two cars. With driver Brian Vickers and the No. 83 well inside the coveted points bracket, the fifth year Sprint Cup driver is switching seats with his rookie teammate Scott Speed in the No. 84. Vickers’ experience should help that team leapfrog over the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 47 (formerly the No. 00) and driver Marcos Ambrose, into the Top 35. The No. 84 trails the No. 47 by only 17 points. Mark Martin was supposed to race the No. 84 Toyota, but his contract with Chevy prevented that.
Robby Gordon and his No. 7 Dodge are 47 points ahead of 36th place in the points with Scott Riggs in the No. 66, Reed Sorenson in the No. 41, and Dave Blaney in the No. 22 all within a one-race swing of falling out of the Top 35. Behind the No. 84 team is Sam Hornish Jr. in the Penske Racing No. 77 101 points outside the Top 35. Teams inside the Top 35 are guaranteed a starting spot in the first five races of 2009.
Coleman no longer a Hall of Famer
Young driver Brad Coleman has seen the tides of his career turn rapidly in the last year. He showed lots of promise in 2007, racing Joe Gibbs Racing Chevys in the Nationwide Series. Both he and Aric Almirola left the team late in the season, likely because they knew that Joey Logano was the future Cup driver for the organization.
While Almirola landed on his feet running a limited Cup schedule for DEI in the No. 8, Coleman signed as a development driver with Hall of Fame Racing (a satellite team of JGR) and as a Nationwide Series driver for the No. 27 Ford of Brewco Motorsports. When HoF fired J.J. Yeley from the No. 96 Cup Series Toyota, Coleman was placed in the seat of the car. He left the No. 27 Brewco car to race for HoF, but his stint lasted just one race.
Coleman’s status has been in question until this week, when a published report, quoting officials at HoF, stated that Coleman is now a free agent. His name has not been mentioned as a candidate for any rides in NASCAR’s top three series.
Other merger deals yet to come to fruition
Homes are not the only tough sell in this economic climate…just ask Bill Davis. The owner of the several Cup and Truck teams has entertained offers from at least two buyers for his operation, but nothing has come together. Davis also is still in search of sponsorship for his No. 22 Dodge in the Cup Series and for some races for his trucks in the Truck Series. The instability at Bill Davis Racing is the likely reason that Johnny Benson is leaving the team after this season.
Other teams in the Cup Series looking to merge or include investors include Hall of Fame Racing (who may be in talks about a merger with the Wood Brothers) and Petty Enterprises. The majority of PE was bought out by Boston Ventures this summer, but the team may be looking to still partner with another team. The legendary team had been in talks with DEI and Ganassi, until those two teams merged.
AAA to sponsor Hornish for select ’09 races
AAA, who originally was going to cease NASCAR sponsorship for 2009, is partnering with the No. 77 Penske Dodge and Sam Hornish Jr. for several 2009 races. The company will be the primary sponsor on the car in February at California, April at Talladega, November at Texas, and June in New Hampshire. Mobil 1 will sponsor the car for most of the season.
Several entry blank changes worth noting
Most of the drivers in rides in the Cup Series stay the same for the season’s final race, except for the aforementioned Vickers-Speed swap in the No. 84 and 83. Other changes include Sterling Marlin attempting his 2nd straight race for Phoenix Racing in the No. 09 and Max Papis attempting his 2nd race this season in the No. 13 Geico Toyota.
There are several Nationwide Series driver and team changes this weekend, the most notable being former Series Champ David Green in the No. 0 Chevy for Johnny Davis’ struggling operation.
In the Truck Series, Mike Wallace’s daughter Chrissy will be in the Germain Racing No. 9 Toyota, Max Papis and Geico will adorn the No. 07 team, Travis Kvapil returns to the No. 09 Ford for Roush Fenway, Taylor Malsom starts for Bill Davis Racing in the No. 24, and James Buescher starts in Billy Ballew’s No. 15.
Georgia boys have up and down weekend in Phoenix
David Ragan is ending 2008 on a high note, finishing with yet another top 10 in Phoenix. The No. 6 AAA Ford finished 10th, meaning Ragan has clinched a 13th place finish in the standings. Ragan also ran well in the Nationwide Series race, finishing 14th and holding on to 4th place in the standings.
Reed Sorenson ran well early out west, but wrecked and finished 31st, slipping to 31st in the points. Bill Elliott struggled in the No. 21, finishing 29th.
John Wes Townley had a weekend from Hell. He wrecked his No. 09 vehicles during qualifying and in the races in the Nationwide Series and Truck Series, finishing 38th and 24th respectively. Four wrecked vehicles, two series, low placing, and low pay…a driver’s worst nightmare.
This weekend, Ragan makes his final start for AAA, Sorenson starts for the final time in the Ganassi No. 41 Dodge, and Townley will attempt the Nationwide Series race for RAB Racing in the No. 09.
Listen to the Bellamy Strickland 120 with Captain Herb Emory and myself this Saturday, from 6:30-8 p.m., on News/Talk 750 WSB in Atlanta and on wsbradio.com. Podcasts of the show are available on CaptainHerb.net.
