FastCar Newsdesk for week of 12/19/08
The $225 million discrimination lawsuit brought against NASCAR by former official Mauricia Grant has been settled.
What has NOT been settled as of this writing is the name of the team Bobby Labonte will be driving for in 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup competition.
According to officials, the two sides agreed on a settlement on December 3rd, the week of the championship banquet, during a mediation session in New York City. Neither side admits to wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed and neither side is permitted to speak publicly about it.
Grant filed the lawsuit back in June, alleging a couple of dozen instances of racial and gender discrimination and harassment. She claimed to have been called, “Nappy Headed Mo” and to have been subjected to indecent exposure by two fellow officials, Tim Knox and Bud Moore (not the former team owner). Knox and Moore have since been dismissed.
NASCAR claimed that Grant was fired for lack of work performance and that Grant should have reported instances of discrimination or harassment to her bosses immediately. Grant said that the she was fired for reporting the discrimination.
In wake of the Grant lawsuit, ESPN’s Outside the Lines aired a story about others in the sport that noticed some of the same problems, creating an even greater stir than Grant’s claims sparked. Besides the dismissal of two officials, NASCAR has not fired or knowingly reprimanded anyone for actions similar to the ones Grant claimed she was a victim of.
Drug testing policy getting tougher and taking shape
The guidelines for NASCAR’s new drug testing policy are finally coming to fruition. In a memo distributed to teams in the last two weeks, drivers and many team and crew members who travel to races must submit to drug tests. These tests must be submitted or completed by January 16th. After the initial tests, approximately 12 to 14 people per weekend in all three series will be randomly picked for tests.
The list of banned substances for all team members includes seven types of amphetamines (including methamphetamine), three types of ephedrine, 13 types of narcotics, 10 types of barbiturates, and other drugs like marijuana and cocaine.
This list, however, does not apply to drivers. NASCAR got criticized greatly for not having a specific list of banned substances, when they announced that they were tightening their drug policy earlier this year. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston says that the sport drivers will test for specifically for banned substances, but did not say if other drugs or which other drugs are banned.
The pressure for NASCAR to bolster its drug policy increased in the summer of 2007, when driver Aaron Fike was arrested for heroin possession and later stated that there were a large number of drivers in the sport that used drugs. Fike also admitted to driving under the influence of heroin during races. Other drivers in recent years to be suspended or expelled for drug use include Shane Hmiel (who failed three tests and has been banned for life), Tyler Walker, and Kevin Grubb. Driver Tim Richmond died of AIDS in 1989, having likely contracted the disease as a result of reckless drug use.
GEM scales back NNS team, lays off 65; still in talks with Petty
Due to a lack of sponsorship and an ailing economy, yet another NASCAR powerhouse is feeling the effects. Gillett Evernham Motorsports announced early this week that it is laying-off about 65 employees and is going to run its No. 9 Nationwide Series Dodge in only a handful of races next season. This turn of events sparked rumors that the negotiations with Petty Enterprises were off. Rumors also began circulating that the No. 10 Sprint Cup team that Reed Sorenson is supposed to drive for next season may run only a partial schedule. Both rumors were flatly denied by officials from GEM and Petty.
Petty Enterprises has stated that if a deal with GEM does not materialize, it is prepared to field the No. 43 Dodge, likely with driver Chad McCumbee.
EGR to run Chevys in 2009; Labonte still not signed for No. 41
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing will run Chevys in the Sprint Cup Series next season and will also operate out of Ganassi’s shop. Ganassi Racing fielded Dodges last season. When Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ganassi decided to merge last season, there was no final report as to what make of car the teams would run or any other logistical and personnel decisions.
Yet to be decided, among many details for the company, is the future driver of the No. 41 Chevy. Bobby Labonte’s split from Petty Enterprises led many to believe that he would slide right into the seat of the EGR Target car. There have already been published reports that this is a done deal. EGR officials and Labonte both acknowledge that there have been talks, but nothing has been finalized publicly. If Labonte and the team cannot work out an agreement, the only other full-time ride that is open in the Sprint Cup Series is the PE No. 43 that the 2000 Cup champ vacated.
EGR still needs to find almost half a season worth of sponsorship for Juan Pablo Montoya’s No. 42 Chevy and almost an entire slate of primary sponsorship for Aric Almirola’s No. 8 Chevy. Former DEI driver Regan Smith, whose No. 01 DEI team dissolved after the merger, is still looking for a ride.
Blickensderfer in as Kenseth crew chief; Bolin returns to engineering role
The offseason of uncertainty continues. In a rare late-offseason personnel move for a large team, Roush Fenway Racing has named Drew Blickensderfer as the crew chief of Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 DeWalt Ford. Blickensderfer spent the past three seasons in the Nationwide Series for Roush teams, including most of 2008 as Carl Edwards No. 60 Ford. After taking the reigns of that team, he led them to seven wins and a 2nd place points finish.
Bolin returns to his role as team engineer of the No. 17. He took over as crew chief of the No. 17 in 2008, leading Kenseth into the Chase, but failing to get the Wisconsin native to Victory Lane for the first time since 2001. Kenseth ended the Chase 11th in points, finishing the year with nine Top 5s and 20 Top 10s. His last win came at Homestead in 2007.
Mansfield closes; Iowa Speedway gets Truck date
The economy is also taking its toll on race tracks, as Mansfield Motorsports Park has announced that it is shutting down. There is no immediate plan to re-open the track.
Benefiting from the closure is Iowa Speedway, who will take Mansfield’s May 23rd date and run a Camping World Series race on September 5th. Rusty Wallace owns a share of that track.
Bodine in No. 30 for ’09, Lumber Liquidators out
Todd Bodine will remain Germain Racing’s driver in the No. 30 Toyota in the Camping World Series, but the team is searching for sponsorship. Lumber Liquidators, likely reeling from the decline in the housing market, is leaving the team, after several fruitful seasons. Bodine won a championship with the team in 2006. Germain’s other truck team, the No. 9 that Chrissy Wallace is supposed to drive in 2009, may also be curtailing its schedule because of lack of sponsorship. Wallace’s dad Mike, who raced last season with Germain in the Nationwide Series, is looking for a ride in any series as well.
Gaughan’s ’09 plans not in stone
Brendan Gaughan raced for Circle Bar Racing in the No. 10 Ford truck last season, but that is not a done deal for 2009. Gaughan is rumored to be David Stremme’s replacement in the No. 64 Rusty Wallace Racing Chevy in the Nationwide Series. There is no word on a replacement for Gaughan at Circle Bar, if he decides not to return.
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