There must have been a sale on mergers in the month of July.Ginn Racing led off with their merge with DEI, Robert Yates Racing hooked up with Newman-Haas and like 15 other people, and today, both Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing added some depth to their Busch Series programs.
That depth for Hendrick Motorsports came in the form of a pact with JR Motorsports. The hard and fast facts are that Hendrick will ultimately ship its program to the JR Motorsports shop with about 30 employees and also supply engines, chassis, setup, and some sweet talent.
For Richard Childress Racing, Kevin Harvick Inc. will "take a more active role in increased technical alliance with regard to testing, aerodynamics, suspension and chassis" on the Busch side according to a statement from RCR.
All this combination of talents does draw a tinge of nervousness in the fact that teams are no longer wanting to compete, but rather join forces. Granted, today's announcements were made via teams and their respective driver's teams, unlike the Ginn deal.
But do big-name teams really need to make that kind of commitment to Busch Series racing? What about the Braun Racings of the world who have no Cup support? Can they legitimately contend with Rick Hendrick AND Dale Earnhardt Jr. together on a at Daytona in Busch?
Doubt it.
You've gotta believe that individual owners in the lower-tier series are feeling a crunch from new trend.
