The promise that once blew strong in the sails of 2009’s Sprint Cup Series startup teams is nothing more than a whispering breeze now. The car count for the opening races of 2009 (excluding the outlier Daytona 500) was around 50 cars, but as the stronger of the teams started knocking the others out of races via qualifying, some of the teams that were planning on running a full schedule trimmed back their plans. Teams like the No. 27 of Kirk Schelmerdine Racing, the No. 64 of Gunselman Motorsports, the No. 51 of Black Jack Racing, the No. 73 owned by Mike Garvey had all at some point planned on full schedules, but then backed off of that goal.
Left over are the teams that were more successful at making races: the No. 36 of Tommy Baldwin Racing, the No. 87 of NEMCO Motorsports, the No. 66 of PRISM Motorsports, the No. 71 of TRG Motorsports, and the No. 41 of Mayfield Motorsports. These teams have been making races more consistently, especially as Sprint Cup car counts have been decreasing. Some of these teams became Cinderella stories, because of their ability to stay afloat, despite forming just before the start of the season, having little personnel, and having sparse sponsorship. Now these teams are barely even starting races, as they usually park their cars and drivers before the halfway mark, hoping to accumulate enough prize money through the year to become competitive.
Last weekend, the No. 41 team failed to attempt the race for a 2nd straight week and indications are that the team is for sale or about to fold. The other teams that have soldiered on each started the Pocono 500, but also each started and parked. Despite claims by NASCAR that the no-testing policy has made these teams more likely to be competitive, they are barely struggling to stay afloat. This week, the car count for the Michigan race is 44, which definitely begs many to question how long the Sprint Cup Series will run with full fields.
Mayfield says fumes, not meth, the cause of false positive
Beleaguered driver Jeremy Mayfield stated in court documents this week that he inhaled a large amount of fumes after wrecking at Talladega back in April, possibly triggering the positive reading on the drug test he failed a couple of weeks later in Richmond.
In court documents obtained by the Charlotte Observer, doctors asked Mayfield in the days surrounding the failed test if he had used any diet drugs or inhalers and an Aegis Labs doctor did confirm that Mayfield mentioned inhaling the fumes at some point just after learning of the test results.
NASCAR suspended Jeremy Mayfield May 9th for failing a drug test during the previous weekend’s race activities in Richmond. Since then, Mayfield has filed suit against NASCAR to overturn the suspension, has insisted he has taken only allergy medication and ADHD medicine, and has refused to go to rehab. NASCAR has responded by filing a countersuit against Mayfield, stating that the veteran, among other things, violated his driving contract with NASCAR, by using illegal substances. NASCAR has maintained throughout the ordeal that Mayfield’s substance abuse violation is serious and not a technicality.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported multiple sources not restrained by a court-imposed gag order said that the banned substance that Mayfield tested positive for was methamphetamine. Because of the gag order, both NASCAR and Mayfield could not comment.
Since Mayfield’s failed test, NASCAR’s drug policy and its ambiguity have been called into question. World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dr. Gary Wadler says that the major flaw in NASCAR’s drug policy is the absence of a specific list of banned substances. Wadler also says that there is a slight chance that since the ADHD medicine Mayfield claims he was taking contains amphetamines, there is a very small chance its combination with Claritin-D could trigger a false positive.
While the litigation process settles, Mayfield’s race team appears to be in dire financial straights. The No. 41 Mayfield Motorsports Toyota has withdrawn from the past two Sprint Cup Series events and is rumored to be for sale. Mayfield’s wife Shana has been the listed owner of the startup, independent team since the suspension.
Vickers re-ups with Red Bull
Brian Vickers will be driver of the No. 83 Team Red Bull Toyota for at least the next couple of years. According to sources with the team, according to ESPN, Vickers and the team have agreed upon a multi-year contract extension, solidifying a program that has been gaining steam after a rough inception in 2007.
Competing in his 6th full season and still only 25 years-old, Vickers and the No. 83 team have run fairly strong and sit 17th in points with three top 5s and six top 10s. The team has run much better wince adding crew chief Ryan Pemberton last season.
Benson’s No. 1 NCWTS closes; Peters to run truck with his sponsorship
Reigning Camping World Truck Series champ Johnny Benson is without a ride as the series runs this week at his home track in Michigan. Benson and crew chief Trip Bruce are attempting to find another ride after racing all of the season with No. 1 Tom Deloach’s Red Horse Racing team.
Benson won the 2008 championship with Bill Davis Racing’s No. 22 Toyota team, but left the team after financial woes at BDR compromised the team’s future. After Benson left the team, BDR folded and remaining drivers Mike Skinner and Taylor Malsam went to Randy Moss Motorsports.
Benson was unsure if his new team would run the full season without funding, but made do with the time he had and nursed the No. 1 up to 7th in points. Because of that success, Benson and Bruce were both shocked to learn of the No. 1’s operations cessation. Both driver and crew chief were outspoken and frustrated in the days after the announcement and those sentiments likely did not change after Deloach and driver Timothy Peters announced more plans.
Peters, his crew chief Chad Kendrick, and his Strutmasters sponsorship will move from Peters’ No. 17 team to the No. 1 team now, meaning that the team is no longer shut down. Their first race together is this weekend.
Said to run road course in Sonoma for Georgia’s EM Motorsports
Road course ringer Boris Said will not run his own entry at Infineon Raceway in a couple of weeks, but will drive for a team he partnered with at Daytona in February. Said has been tabbed by EM Motorsports to pilot the No. 08 Dodge in Sonoma, his first attempt of a Sprint Cup Series race since Daytona. Said’s plans to field his own team this season with new business partner Rick Clark have not come to fruition, because of a lack of sponsorship.
Clark, the first black majority owner of a Sprint Cup Series team since Sam Belnavis in 2003, had plans to eventually expand Said’s No Fear Racing No. 60 Ford team to a full-time team. No plans regarding the future of that team have been released.
Said has raced nine times in Infineon with four top 10s and one pole. He finished 41st there last season.
Carpentier also to run road course races in MWR No. 55
Patrick Carpentier, who recently has returned to NASCAR to drive for a couple of struggling teams, has been tapped by Michael Waltrip Racing to replace the team’s owner and namesake in the No. 55 NAPA Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series road course races. Carpentier was already scheduled to run the Nationwide Series Montreal road course race for MWR’s No. 99 as well.
Waltrip, not known for his road racing skills, is rumored to be mulling his retirement after next season (possibly with Martin Truex Jr. taking his place behind the wheel of the No. 55) and stepping out of his own car in favor of a better driver, despite being safe inside the top 35, is likely a step in that direction. Terry Labonte stepped into Waltrip’s No. 55 for both road course races in 2007, when the team was struggling mightily.
Carpentier, who raced for Gillett Evernham Motorsports in 2007 and 2008, has an average finish of 22nd in three Sprint Cup Series road course races and currently races part-time for Tommy Baldwin Racing.
RPM lays off nine more employees and aligns with Braun Racing for NNS races
Richard Petty Motorsports, feeling the ill effects of a bankrupt manufacturer and gaping sponsorship holes, laid off nine employees in a cost-cutting measure earlier this week.
In brighter news this week for the team, RPM and Braun Racing have announced a partnership that will allow RPM drivers Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler to run some Nationwide Series races. Sadler will drive the No. 43 Auto Value Bumper to Bumper entry June 27th at New Hampshire and October 16th at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kahne will run three races in the No. 9 entry with McDonald’s sponsoring the car July 9th in Daytona and August in Bristol and Fritos sponsoring Kahne September 5th at Atlanta. Since Braun Racing fields Toyotas, Sadler and Kahne, who race RPM Dodges in the Sprint Cup Series, will likely run Toyotas. This is fueling speculation that either Chrysler is soon about to back out of NASCAR or RPM is soon to drop Chrysler, in favor of Toyota.
RPM, formerly Gillett Everham Motorsports, had a Nationwide Series program for several years, but suspended its operations in favor of fielding a fourth Sprint Cup Series team.
Georgia drivers feel pain on the track last weekend
Reed Sorenson led the Georgia brigade in the Sprint Cup Series at Pocono last weekend, finishing 20th and remaining 24th in points. Joey Logano, a former Alpharetta resident, finished 23rd and is 25th in points and David Ragan’s season of disappointment continued, as he finished 26th.
In the Nationwide Series race in Nashville, John Wes Townley’s struggles surged on, as he crashed on the first lap and finished 42nd.
Chase Miller, in search of a NASCAR ride after racing for GEM last season, finished 16th in Saturday’s ARCA race at Pocono.
Listen to Doug on The Allan Vigil Ford Lincoln Mercury 120 with Captain Herb Emory this Saturday from 2-4 p.m., on News/Talk 750 WSB in Atlanta and online at wsbradio.com.
Trans Am for sale
