Dark Clouds Get Darker for Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates has to be scrambling to come up something -- anything -- in the way of sponsorship for 2009 with Wednesday's news about the sponsor of Juan Pablo Montoya's No. 42.

From Sirius Speedway's blog, "The Motorsports Soapbox":

Sirius Speedway has learned that Chevron-Texaco will not return as sponsor of Juan Pablo Montoya's #42 Dodge next season. [...]

Texaco-Havoline will not move to another team in 2009, electing instead to end their longstanding involvement in NASCAR. That decision leaves Ganassi Racing in need of at least two new sponsors in 2009, and possibly three. Team owner Chip Ganassi recently parked the #40 Dodge driven by Dario Franchitti due to lack of sponsorship, and there are longstanding rumors that Target may not return to the #41 Dodge currently driven by Reed Sorenson.

Of all the sponsorships one would have expected to stay with NASCAR, the Texaco-Havoline ride is near the top of the list mainly because of the staying power it has had in Sprint Cup Series competition.

The black and red Texaco-Havoline colors have been in NASCAR since at least 1989 with a number of great drivers. That list -- totaling 20 years of competition -- has included the late Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, the late Kenny Irwin Jr., Jamie McMurray and currently Montoya.

And now, it's leaving the sport completely, but more importantly the sponsor's departure creates an uncertain future for long-time NASCAR staple Ganassi Racing.

As the article says, Montoya's sponsor is gone, Dario Franchitti's No. 40 team has shut down thanks to a lack of sponsorship, and Reed Sorenson's Target sponsorship -- a company that team owner Chip Ganassi has had connections with for a very long time -- could be leaving as well. Sorenson's contract is up in 2008 and you have to believe that sponsorship is a key factor in those negotiations.

Montoya will likely still carry a backing from Wrigley again in 2009 after racing multiple times in 2008 with Big Red or Juicy Fruit on the hood of his Dodge.

Regardless, the elements seem to be lining up for Ganassi to do one of two things -- merge with another team or leave NASCAR racing completely. The second option might be a little more realistic than you'd think because Ganassi didn't hesitate to shut down Dario Franchitti's team earlier this year.

A persistant rumor for Ganassi Racing in 2008 has been that a merge between his team and Michael Waltrip Racing is in the works. Such a move, in my book, could lead to nothing but positives for each team -- especially knowing that both are facing significant sponsorship dilemmas in 2009.

The moves Ganassi has made in the past combined with this sudden departure of Texaco-Havoline from NASCAR make the waters at Ganassi Racing quite murky -- and maybe bad enough for Chip Ganassi Racing to end NASCAR operations.

I hate to be doom and gloom after this report, but things just simply don't look good for CGR.