FastCar NewsdeskThough the season is over and many in the sport are taking time off this Thanksgiving, anxiety over funding and fielding race teams looms over several NASCAR organizations. One of those is Bill Davis Racing, which has no full-time sponsor for its flagship No. 22 Cup team.
Dave Blaney, who piloted the No. 22 to a spot inside the Top 35 in owner’s points last season and a starting spot in 2009’s first five races, says he is unsure what his racing future holds. Blaney’s one-year deal with BDR is up and the team may not be able to run. Blaney will be involved in racing regardless of BDR’s funding problems. He says that if he cannot secure a ride in any of NASCAR’s top three series, he will work his son’s racing endeavors. Recently, No. 22 crew chief Tommy Baldwin said a full staff is preparing an entry for the 2009 Daytona 500.
Petty Enterprises still has no sponsor for the No. 44 Dodge (formerly the No. 45 team). Chad McCumbee is the likely candidate to drive for that team, if it does run. Kyle Petty and his partial primary sponsor Wells Fargo may be paired together for a third Petty entry, the No. 45, or could go to another team. Petty may also try to extend his career by driving in the Rolex Sports Car Series.
There are several other teams NASCAR’s top three series with uncertain futures. Team Rensi, a longtime organization in the Nationwide Series, may be close to securing sponsorship for two entries, not one. Bobby Hamilton Jr. may not drive for the team, but instead could be a partial owner. Rumored to be part of the season-saving sponsorship package for the team are Eric McClure and his longtime sponsor Hefty’s. If Hefty’s leaves the No. 24 Chevy of Front Row Motorsports, that team will be in the sponsor search.
JTG-Daugherty Racing may not run two full-time teams in the Nationwide Series in 2009. Marcos Ambrose’s move to Cup has relocated sponsorship to his Cup team, meaning that the No. 47 Nationwide Series Ford driven by driver Kelly Bires may not run a full schedule. Driver Coleman Pressley is also supposed to run for the team in the series, but that could be affected by this situation. Ambrose says he also is scheduled to run 15-20 races in the series.
Kevin Harvick Incorporated, despite receiving generous backing from Camping World for its No. 33 Truck Series team that won the Truck title in 2006, still lacks full sponsorship for its No. 33 Nationwide Series team. Camping World had been the sponsor of that team, but is relocating its money to be the title sponsor of the Truck Series. KHI laid off eight to ten employees this past week, likely due to the funding void.
In the Truck Series, Roush Fenway Racing is trimming back its operation, because Ford is not giving Truck teams support anymore. There is no word how many Roush employees lost their jobs, or how many races and teams RFR will run. Also suffering from a lack of sponsorship in the Truck Series is the remnants of Bobby Hamilton’s truck team, BHR-VA. Team owner Lori Hamilton said two weeks ago that team has ceased operations and driver Dennis Setzer is looking for a ride. 2006 championship-winning driver and team Todd Bodine and the No. 30 Germain Racing Toyota are unsure on their schedule for next season, since the team is also fielding Nationwide Series and Cup Series entries.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing still lacks full funding for Juan Montoya’s No. 42 Cup team, since the departure of sponsor Texaco. Furniture Row Racing is running a partial schedule next season and has released driver Joe Nemechek.
Yates Racing has not announced full sponsorship programs for its No. 28 and No. 38 Fords and there were layoffs at the organization following the Homestead race.
Supercuts is rumored to be leaving Fitz Motorsports, meaning that the No. 22 Dodge team may also be forced to close. Team owner Armando Fitz says the operation has been hit hard by a lack of sponsorship and several lawsuits from drivers seeking payment. The team has run in the Nationwide Series since 2001.
There is an indefinite number of Nationwide and Camping World Series teams that have no idea what 2009 holds, meaning there likely will be a large number of start and park teams in the Nationwide Series and less-than-full fields for the Truck Series.
Edwards with Fourth Quarter Driver of the Year honors
Jimmie Johnson may have made history for winning his third consecutive championship, but Carl Edwards won the Fourth Quarter Driver of the Year award. The driver of the No. 99 emerged as Jimmie Johnson’s greatest competitor during the 2008 Chase, scoring three wins and eight Top 5s in the season’s final 10 races. Edwards’ only two finishes outside the Top 5, the back-to-back Talladega wreck and Lowe’s ignition problem, left him just short of claiming his first Cup title. Edwards also scored three Nationwide Series wins and came just shy of winning that driver’s championship as well.
Hendrick suing DEI
HMS Holdings, the operator of the engine shop for Hendrick Motorsports, is suing the Earnhardt portion of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for over $1.5 million. When Dale Earnhardt Incorporated bought Ginn Racing in 2007, Ginn had a contract to buy engines from HMS. Since DEI produced its own engines, the agreement between HMS and Ginn was terminated.
Ginn made an initial payment of $1.75 million to HMS for the first installment of the contract, but did not make anymore payments and also did not pay the $1.5 million termination fee. HMS is seeking $1.5 million, plus 12% interest, plus an additional payment of $225,000 from DEI, since it bought out Ginn. DEI has since merged with Ganassi Racing, but owner Chip Ganassi is not responsible for the late or missing payment.
Evernham likely out at GEM
Ray Evernham’s ownership days in NASCAR may be coming to an end. There has been speculation that the former championship crew chief has been looking to sell his minority share in Gillett Evernham Motorsports for the past few weeks. Last week, Evernham announced that he is closed to purchasing East Lincoln Speedway, 3/8 mile oval-clay track. During the announcement, Evernham said that he has sold even more of his holdings and GEM and that his NASCAR career is ending.
Evernham announced in 1999 that he was leaving his position as crew chief for Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team, to spearhead Dodge’s Sprint Cup efforts, by fielding his own operation. His teams began running in 2001, with drivers Bill Elliott and Casey Atwood. Evernham sold the majority of the team to Canadian George Gillett last year and has since highly decreased his role with the organization. There is no word on if he plans on working more races for ESPN in 2009.
Coleman may be returning to Gibbs
Thanksgiving is the time of the year where many return home and this tradition may be applicable to Brad Coleman’s racing career. The young driver, whose thwarted attempt at a Sprint Cup ride left him with no ride for the end of 2008, is in negotiations with Joe Gibbs Racing to run a partial schedule with one of the company’s Nationwide Series.
Coleman turned a lot of heads in the Gibbs No. 18 last season, by running very well in several races and even scoring a pole in the spring Talladega race. He left the team after 2007, to become a future star for Hall of Fame Racing. HOF planned to run a partial Cup season with Coleman in 2008 and desired to have him drive a full-time schedule, when sponsorship arrived. Instead, he made his first Cup start after the tam fired former Gibbs driver J.J. Yeley and never ran again in 2008.
Coleman also signed to drive a full-time schedule for Baker-Curb Racing in the Nationwide Series for 2008, but left that team to run for HOF in the Cup Series. No official deal has been announced by Gibbs regarding Coleman, but team president J.D. Gibbs says that his return is likely.
Be sure and tune-in to a special the Bellamy Strickland 120 Saturday, December 6th, from 3-5 p.m. Captain Herb and I will be at The BBQ House in Lithia Springs, Georgia, for a Marines Toys for Tots drive, beginning at noon that day. Be sure to come out to the BBQ House and tune-in to the show on News/Talk 750 WSB in Atlanta and online at wsbradio.com. Listen to Captain Herb and I on the FastCar Newsdesk podcast throughout the offseason on captainherb.net.
