The guy over at Cup Scene Daily must have the inside scoop.Apparently, recently-released Ginn Racing driver Sterling Marlin may have an opportunity with his old team, Morgan-McClure Motorsports.
Late Tuesday a team source at Morgan-McClure Racing which currently fields the no. 4 Chevy with veteran Ward Burton said that officials there are in discussions with Marlin for a possible second team. Marlin scored six of his ten career wins at Morgan-McClure while driving the No. 4 from 1994-1997.A storybook ending to a rough road for Marlin?
Well, kinda.
Morgan-McClure, home of Burton's No. 4 State Water Heaters ride, isn't exactly the same powerhouse that it was in the mid-90's when Marlin drove the Kodak car to victory lane for two consecutive Daytona 500 wins.
It would, however, at least be a ride for the seasoned veteran who has ten career wins to his credit.
But news last week indicated that McClure wasn't in the best financial shape, either.
David Poole, of the Charlotte Observer, penned a commentary piece about the little guy in NASCAR, and primarily focused the article around a conversation with Morgan-McClure team owner Larry McClure.
McClure had to lay off five employees last week from the shop in Abingdon, Va. because needed sponsorship wasn't pulling through.
"We have some really good people," McClure says, staring off toward no place in particular. "Those people we had to let go are valuable to me. We love them, we care about them. But I have to able to pay my bills; that's something we've always done."
McClure told each person he laid off that as soon as he can find somebody else to help State Water Heaters provide sponsorship for his team, he'd hire them back.
"It's a terrible thing," McClure says. "If I had another $3 million dollars this year, I could do a hell of a lot better."
And Marlin is supposed to find a ride from a second team in that environment?
That just doesn't click. Nor would it be fair to Ward Burton.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-19-2007 @ 12:47PM
Mark Allen said...
Does anyone know what Rudds future holds for next year?
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7-19-2007 @ 4:26PM
rob said...
I'd hate to see a race without Sterling. I don't think that would leave anybody left but Robbie Gordon with the balls to kick Tony Stewart's ass if the need arose...notice Tony never pulls any of his crap with Robbie or Sterling...he knows that he may very well get flattened.
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7-19-2007 @ 8:05PM
mikeymike said...
I wish one owner would sign all the "semi-retired champions" to contract, and then lease them out on a weekly basis. That would give these heros of the sport a place to still be viable. Then they would be considered the elite of the sport, rather than being the old guy with a Ring(s). Just a thought.
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7-20-2007 @ 10:21AM
CJ said...
I really hate when guys like Sterlin Marlin and Ward Burton are sitting there without a ride with talent and experience who could, in my opinion, with the right equipment under them be contending for win and championships! And instead, dumbasses like JJ Yeley, David Stremme, Tony Raines, Paul Menard, Dave Blaney, David Reutimann, Regan Smith and AJ Allmendeinger are gettin rides who may have talent to drive USAC or Late Models, but but are lucky if they even get to cross under a checkered flag even a lap down! Most these guys are to busy tryin to tear down walls and given their crew headaches! And why do they have rides? Because they're marketable, cause their young, cause they have a personality, so what! You should be in a ride cause u have talent, not cause your a pretty boy! The one thing i really HATE bout this sport, besides Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya, is how it treats their veteran drivers and how owners let sponsors dictate who drives instead of saying this is who we have and try and sell them on the sponsors. I understand how important sponsors are but i think if the guy is talented, the sponsor is goin to get exposure if the talented driver is up there competiting for wins and in tern, competiting for championships. I really wish Sterlin would've taken the Jack Daniel's ride that RCR offered him in 2005 instead of turning it down to stay with Ganassi who end up sellin him out for a no talent named Stremme! OH yea, that guys goin places, like strait to the garage every Sunday with a wrecked race car!
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