Motorsports FanHouse

NASCAR's Open-Wheelers Slowly Fading

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:16:00 EST

Filed under: Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing, Other Racing Series, Sprint Cup

Dario Franchitti is done with NASCAR, and if you're surprised, then, well, you shouldn't be.

Franchitti announced Tuesday that he'd be heading back to life in the IRL IndyCar Series with the same owner who drove for in NASCAR, Chip Ganassi. The move was a little puzzling especially knowing that Franchitti would be replacing Dan Wheldon -- one of the series' top drivers.

But more telling of Franchitti's move was how quickly the idea by NASCAR owners to bring open-wheel talent to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series with limited stock car experience at best became a bust.

Franchitti is the third driver to take the reins in NASCAR with intentions of making a long-term career move at the beginning of 2008 to succumb to the economics of NASCAR. In other words, open-wheel drivers with limited experience struggle early in their stock car careers and sponsors just don't want to spend money and time on such a move.

That list includes Franchitti, Jacques Villenueve and Patrick Carpentier, and leaves just one question.

Who's next?
Villeneuve departed from his intentions to become a full-time NASCAR driver nearly as quickly as he started when he failed to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500 in February.

Carpentier, as we mentioned last week, was unofficially cut from his No. 10 car after 2008 thanks to Gillett-Evernham Motorsports signing Reed Sorenson and placing Carpentier into the group of "we'll race you if we get a sponsor, but you're not a priority with us."

The former open-wheel drivers who haven't made the cut list include A.J. Allmendinger, Sam Hornish Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and, if you're really digging deep, Casey Mears. Mears, however, has been in Sprint Cup for six years now and has made a name for himself only because of his stock car exploits, despite getting into racing via open wheel.

Allmendinger has likely shown the most overall improvement from the point at which he started in NASCAR with Red Bull Racing until now (so much so that I was inclined to write about how Red Bull would be simply stupid not to re-sign the guy in 2009), and he'll undoubtedly have a future in NASCAR no matter where he ends up.

Hornish Jr. appeared to come in to NASCAR much like Franchitti -- on the back of a team owner with previous IRL ties (Penske Racing) that saw his raw talent and wanted to adapt it to the more prestigious Sprint Cup. Hornish has been able to maintain sponsorship on his No. 77 car despite having a mediocre season in 2008, though there have been flashes of brilliance. And much like Franchitti, Hornish isn't exactly driving for NASCAR's best teams and has done what he can.

And for Montoya -- driving for the same team Franchitti did -- his career took off like a rocket in 2007 with some wins in both the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series. Combine that with his brash personality, F1 experience, and ability to market to the hispanic NASCAR audience and you've got a poster child for how the open-wheel experiment should work.

But the statistics don't lie, and when three of the six open-wheel aces are already exiting NASCAR less than a year after their arrival, the story is quite telling about the simplicity of NASCAR.

Or, in other words, NASCAR isn't quite as easy as some people give it credit for, and when drivers come in with high aspirations because life has been easy in everything else they've raced, they seemingly get a punch in the gut when they find learning the stock car craft takes time and effort -- especially when they are thrown into the meanest of the NASCAR wolves in the Sprint Cup Series.

NASCAR's Open-Wheelers Slowly Fading originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorenson Moves to GEM; Carpentier Gone?

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, Sprint Cup, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports

You can now call Reed Sorenson the former Chip Ganassi Racing driver:

Reed Sorenson isn't waiting for Chip Ganassi Racing to figure out the Car of Tomorrow.

The 22-year-old driver signed a multiyear contract to join Gillett Evernham Motorsports next season, where he'll join Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler.

Sorenson said his decision to leave Ganassi, where he began his NASCAR career as a precocious 18-year-old, was difficult but necessary.

"I'm going over here to try to make myself a better racecar driver," Sorenson said during a conference call Tuesday shortly after the announcement. "I wanted to be more competitive and I wanted to have some more opportunities to win races and things like that."

For Sorenson fans, this is great news, but for Patrick Carpentier fans it's probably not.

Sorenson's move to the GEM racing operation means the team now has four drivers on the plate for 2009, which likely means one more than sponsorship dollars can support. How does GEM relieve that problem?

Bye, Bye Patrick.

It's been no secret that GEM has struggled to find full-time sponsorship for the No. 10 ride for both 2008 and 2009, and bringing in Sorenson into the No. 10 will likely land a sponsor much easier than the older Carpentier can find.

Is that fair to Carpentier? No way. The guy has been fun to watch in 2008 as he gets better and better with each race despite having, at this point, about a year total in a stock car. Carpentier is a former Canadian open-wheel racer who jumped into NASCAR last year during the Nationwide Series race at Montreal.

In his first event, he won the pole for the road course race.

Carpentier even has a pole in 2008, though his finishes haven't exactly been top-notch. His best finishes of 2008 include a 14th at Daytona and 18th at Indianapolis in July.

As for Sorenson, look for his performance to improve I believe. He's finally had enough experience in NASCAR to fully "get it" after jumping into the sport as an 18-year-old. I fully believe Sorenson's career would have taken off much easier had he been able to wait to join the Sprint Cup Series at such a young age, but he's learned from his experience -- and pressure at Ganassi -- and will apply that well to GEM.

Sorenson Moves to GEM; Carpentier Gone? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dark Clouds Get Darker for Ganassi Racing

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:24:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Pablo Montoya, Chip Ganassi Racing, Sprint Cup

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.

Dark Clouds Get Darker for Ganassi Racing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Juan Pablo Sings at Wrigley Field

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:49:00 EST

Filed under: Tony Stewart, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Videos

Wednesday night, prior to on-track activity at Chicagoland Speedway on Thursday, Juan Pablo Montoya found himself at Wrigley Field for the game eventually won by Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs over the Cincinnati Reds.

Why was JPM in Wrigleyville, you ask? Well, he was the token NASCAR publicity head chosen throw out the first pitch and sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", in advance of the nearby race. A little cross-promotion, if you will.

Thankfully, Montoya's version wasn't as bad as Jeff Gordon's was a few years ago (horrible!), but it wasn't great either. Watch for yourself:

Obviously, the best part of that entire clip was the old guy in the stands at 0:44 that covered his ears as JPM led the crowd in singing the baseball anthem, because, well, Montoya isn't exactly Harry Carey.

I'm glad Montoya played along with the promo opportunity -- even though he finished the song like an entire verse ahead of the entire crowd.

Quality effort, Mr. Montoya, that's a Youtube keeper.

Video: Juan Pablo Sings at Wrigley Field originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Franchitti's Benching Is Quite Puzzling

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, Sprint Cup, Dario Franchitti

After blowing up colorful projectiles in name of freedom on the 4th, hang out with FanHouse for the Coke Zero 400 Live Blog Saturday night at 7:45pm/ET.

Did Chip Ganassi give up on Dario Franchitti as a Sprint Cup driver?

All signs point that way after Tuesday's announcement that Franchitti's No. 40 team is now a defunct asset in the Ganassi racing stable.

The team owner cited a lack of funding as the reason why the No. 40 won't be competing anymore in 2008, effective for this weekend's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. The team has lacked full-time sponsorship all season, but has seemed to get by with a little help from multiple sources, including Fastenal, Tums, Target, and others.

But if Robby Gordon or Yates Racing can race all season with less than perfect sponsorship packages, how in the world can Chip Ganassi -- a true racing mogul -- not afford to run a team through at least one of NASCAR's crown jewel events?

To me, Ganassi's unwillingness to keep Franchitti in through Daytona shows that he isn't satisfied with Franchitti's performance in his first season in Sprint Cup. Franchitti's stats of no Top-5s, no Top-10s, and an average finish of 34th don't do much in his defense.

Regardless, its still surprising to me to know that Ganassi is essentially giving up on a Sprint Cup program for a guy he knew would struggle. A reason that Ganassi gave last fall when he fired David Stremme from the No. 40 ride was that he felt Franchitti either had sponsorship dollars with him or could bring them in more easily.

Then, it looked like Stremme was the victim, but now its looking like he got out at the right time from what seems to be an imploding Ganassi racing.

No worries for Mr. Franchitti though. He still has a backup gig of fighting crime without pants.

Franchitti's Benching Is Quite Puzzling originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Montoya Unleashes on Kyle Busch

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Montoya, Joe Gibbs Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Crashes, NASCAR Fights, Kyle Busch, Sprint Cup

Juan Pablo Montoya's brutal honesty is so, so refreshing.

Following Sunday's Lenox 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, JPM fully admitted that he intentionally spun Sprint Cup point leader Kyle Busch late in the event under caution after the two had bumped on track. Before we go any further, watch below at 0:46:

As you can see, the discontent among the two began when Busch drove JPM up the hill in turn one. The two continued to make contact down the backstretch and when the caution came out for the crash between Clint Bowyer and Sam Hornish Jr., Busch banged into Montoya's drivers side.

That was enough to break Montoya's last straw.

He then turned his No. 42 into the right-rear of Busch's No. 18 Toyota. As Busch slammed on the brakes to avoid the wall, his car fishtailed back to the left, catching Montoya's rear wheel and spinning the No. 42.

The incident left Busch with a 25th-place finish and Montoya in 32nd.

Following the race, TNT caught up with both drivers, with Montoya offering the best comments after the wreck:

"It gets to a point where it's too much," said Montoya. "I thought we had a decent car today and I don't appreciate when people wreck me like that."

TNT's Marty Snyder then asked if he had intentionally spun Busch, to which Montoya replied "Well, yeah. The same way he did to me."

In other words, JPM might be the first NASCAR driver in a decade to actually admit to wrecking someone.

Kyle Busch wasn't too happy about it:

"I don't know what his beef is, but NASCAR should probably fix it," said Busch.

Pot calling the kettle black, anyone?

Video: Montoya Unleashes on Kyle Busch originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Broken Ankle Sidelines Dario; Stremme In

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, Sprint Cup, Dario Franchitti

Dario Franchitti won't get to join the mayhem that is scheduled to start Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway when the green flag drops.

The Scottish IndyCar star turned NASCAR driver fractured his ankle during Saturday's Nationwide race.

Franchitti was injured early in the event when Larry Gunselman plowed into the side of his No. 40 after Franchitti blew a tire in turn 3.

David Stremme, the driver who was canned by Chip Ganassi from the ride Franchitti now holds at the end of 2007, is expected to make the start in place of the injured Indianapolis 500 champion for the Sprint Cup Series' Aaron's 499.

Stremme has already had a very decent weekend at Talladega after finishing second to Tony Stewart during the Nationwide Aaron's 312 driving for Rusty Wallace Inc.

Subbing in Stremme won't make a difference in the team's starting position because Franchitti was scheduled to roll off dead last in 43rd from the grid anyways.

It's known right now when Franchitti will be back in the drivers seat, especially given that he isn't competing for anything driver points-wise. Instead, a primary goal of the team right now is to keep moving up in the Top-35 standings to keep the No. 40 in each event.

Knowing that, Franchitti might be able to take at least next week's race at Richmond off without having to worry about qualifying the car or starting the race and could potentially do so at Darlington the week after as the Nationwide Series races side-by-side with the Sprint Cup for those weeks.

Broken Ankle Sidelines Dario; Stremme In originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Franchitti Transported to Hospital After Crash

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:50:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Crashes, Talladega Superspeedway, Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, Dario Franchitti

UPDATE: Team owner Chip Ganassi said that Franchitti is currently undergoing X-rays on his ankle. Larry Gunselman was also later transported to the hospital.

Original: Sprint Cup Series driver and 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti was helped to a waiting ambulance after being involved in a drivers-side impact Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway during the Aaron's 312 Nationwide Race.

The impact occurred after Franchitti cut down a rear tire on his No. 40 Chip Ganassi Dodge entering turn 3 on lap 10. Franchitti's Dodge snapped sideways and brushed the nose into the side of Nationwide point leader Clint Bowyer.

The No. 40 then slid down the track -- nearly to a stop -- when Larry Gunselman plowed into his left side.

From video replays, I can't understand how Gunselman didn't slow down any more than he did. There was no tire smoke and no last second attempt to swerve out of the way.

Had Gunselman missed Franchitti, Dario's car likely could have continued in the race. Instead, he hobbled to the ambulance in obvious pain.

As Franchitti's car was being towed back to the garage, the drivers side of the car was deeply mangled and the roll cage had been pushed in significantly towards the cockpit. The image makes the announcement last week of the Nationwide Series adopting the Car of Tomorrow platform in mid-2009 seem like its too far away.

The new race car -- currently campaigned in the Sprint Cup Series -- has a number of safety features to help drivers in such impacts including the drivers seat moved more towards the middle of the car and a large foam block built in between the roll cage and the outside sheet metal.

Franchitti qualified 43rd for Sunday's Sprint Cup Aaron's 499.

Updates on Dario's condition will be posted when available.

Franchitti Transported to Hospital After Crash originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chip Ganassi Calls His Team "Pathetic"

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Reed Sorenson, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dario Franchitti

For any employee of Chip Ganassi's three NASCAR racing teams, it's a good thing that the owner is over a 1,000 miles away at the IndyCar event in St. Petersburg, Fla.

His words, though, about the performance of the No. 40, No. 41, and No. 42 teams could be well heard in the garage area of Texas Motor Speedway.

Ganassi sure didn't mince any words when talking about it on Saturday:

"Frankly, there are 46 cars there and if you can't beat three of them, that's pretty pathetic," Ganassi said on Sirius Satellite Radio. "I certainly have all the faith in the world in (Franchitti's) driving abilities. I don't think it's that. The fact of the matter is, we didn't give him a car that was capable of doing it."

Heading into Texas, Juan Pablo Montoya's team is 17th in points, Reed Sorenson's is 26th, and Dario Franchitti -- who didn't make Sunday's race -- sits 37th. Teamwork is the problem, Ganassi says.

"When you say 'this team' you hit the nail on the head - we're not working as a team," Ganassi said. "You can't have guys that are fast and guys that are slow. It doesn't make any sense. These guys, these teams are not talking to each other, they are not working together, they are not using all the resources that are available to them. That's how you end up in a fix like this."

You've got to love this brutal honesty. Ganassi indeed hits the nail on the head himself with the summary of his team. They have frankly been mediocre for a long while and with the sponsorship and racing experience a guy like Ganassi has, he knows when a team is reaching its potential.

And in this case, he knows that his Sprint Cup teams aren't cutting it. It should be an interesting week around the CGR shop.

Chip Ganassi Calls His Team "Pathetic" originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dixon Rings in New Open Wheel Racing Era

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:40:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, Other Racing Series

For the first time since open-wheel racing in America split prior to the 1996 season, the two factions were back together racing on the same track Saturday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It was Scott Dixon, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, that would ultimately pick up the historic win in the Gainsco Indy 300 following leader Tony Kanaan getting taken out in a late wreck.

Kanaan, who Dixon was catching during the closing laps, got taken out of the event after driver Ernesto Visto lost control and Kanaan couldn't avoid him, damaging his front suspension. From there, Dixon sailed to the win.

Marco Andretti, Dan Wheldon, Helio Castroneves, and Ed Carpenter rounded out the top-5 of a relatively clean race with only two crashes and three caution periods.

Next week, the series heads to St. Petersburg, Fla. for its first street course event of the season -- a race that many of the former Champ Car drivers are viewing as something much more suited to their driving experience.

Dixon Rings in New Open Wheel Racing Era originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya, Franchitti Win Daytona Rolex 24

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Montoya, Penske Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Other Racing Series, Dario Franchitti

Winter has officially ended in the racing world.

Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas scored Chip Ganassi Racing's third-consecutive Rolex 24 overall win Sunday afternoon on the road course at Daytona International Speedway. The event marks the official beginning to the 2008 racing season and is a precursor to Speedweeks in Daytona that get started Feb. 8.

Though the team battled rain, darkness, a near-record of full course cautions and a slight overheating issue, the Ganassi entry led 252 of 695 laps. The car was powered by Lexus on a Riley Chassis.

The top-three overall finishers all had NASCAR drivers on the driving crews.

A.J. Allmendinger, racing in a Michael Shank entry, led 118 laps and looked very strong early. At around the 21 hour mark, the car broke a suspension piece, ending all chances for Allmendinger & company.

Jimmie Johnson finished second in the GAINSO/Bob Stallings Racing car two laps back of the Ganassi car with teammates Jimmy Vassar, Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney.

Kurt Busch teamed with Penske Racing's IndyCar Series drivers Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves to take third place 6 laps behind Ganassi.

Montoya, Franchitti Win Daytona Rolex 24 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dario Franchitti Fights Crime Without Pants

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:08:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Police Blotter, Nashville, Sprint Cup, Dario Franchitti, NASCAR Testing

If you're a weirdo looking for Ashley Judd inside her own home, make sure there isn't a Scottish guy sitting at her table in his boxers.

And make sure his name isn't Dario Franchitti.

The 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner-turned-NASCAR-driver apparently isn't a fan of random people walking into the home that he and wifey Judd share in Nashville, Tennessee. So much so that he will jump into his car with nothing but those boxers and a white t-shirt on and chase people until the police find them.

That's at least how Dario told the story Monday night to reporters over a dinner after NASCAR testing at Daytona International Speedway. From ESPN's Terry Blount:

"I was just sitting in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal in my boxer shorts," Franchitti said. "I looked up and some guy is standing in front of me. He just walked in the house.

"I really don't think I was the one he was looking for, but the guy quickly turned around and ran out of the house. He got in his car and sped off. So what did I do? I got in my car and chased him."

But Franchitti forgot one important thing in his quest to catch the intruder.

"The police caught up [to] the guy before I did," Franchitti said. "And apparently some people in the Nashville media also heard on the [police scanner] about it, so they were there, too. They came up to talk to me about the time I realized I was still in my boxer shorts. I had to stay in the car the whole time."

That likely goes down as the single-best NASCAR driver story of the off-season. But I can't decide which part is the best -- Dario proving he's like the rest of us during a lazy morning or the fact that the unnamed stalker guy thought he would get away from, oh, just a really good race car driver.

Props to Dario on this one. And welcome to NASCAR. %Gallery-7156%

Dario Franchitti Fights Crime Without Pants originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Montoya, Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 20th-place Juan Pablo Montoya.

Driver: Juan Pablo Montoya -- Bogota, Columbia
Team: No. 42 Texaco-Havoline Dodge
Points: 20th (-3236)
2006: Left Formula 1's McLaren-Mercedes in July '06, Rookie in Cup for 2007
Key Stats: 1 win, 3 Top-5s, 6 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes

For the first time, it seems, NASCAR finally has an international driver -- with Formula One experience nonetheless -- as a heady competitor in its premier Cup Series.

Juan Pablo definitely showed he had the talent in 2007 to race in NASCAR, and he also showed he had the gusto to make it in the business. Numerous times on track saw Montoya banging fenders with other drivers and ruffling their feathers, too.

Montoya picked up his first career NASCAR win in the most appropriate of settings in Mexico City with the Busch Series. Controversy was present in victory lane, though, after Montoya dumped Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Pruett with less than ten laps to go for the lead.

Montoya jumped into the Cup Series win column at the road course in Sonoma, California for his lone victory of the year. His season wasn't as much defined by his entrance into the group of NASCAR winners as much as his take-no-crap nature on track. NASCAR stars Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and others all got a little heated under the collar after run-ins with the Columbian at Watkins Glen and Texas, respectively.

For Montoya, 2008 could be an interesting season. Ganassi Racing gave the driver his first shot into NASCAR, but are they going to step up performance to a level of NASCAR's top teams? To keep a guy like Montoya -- with an often short temper and a demand to win -- satisfied behind the wheel, that performance increase will be a necessity.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Reed Sorenson, Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 22rd-place Reed Sorenson.

Driver: Reed Sorenson -- Peachtree City, Georgia
Team: No. 41 Target Dodge
Points: 22rd (-3448)
2006: Finished 24th in Season Standings
Key Stats: 1 pole, 3 Top-5s, 6 Top-10s
Back in 2008?: Yes, same team

As good or bad as Reed Sorenson's 2007 season in your eyes, you've got to remember one thing. Sorenson turned 21 years of age back in February.

And yes, he's now completed two full NASCAR Nextel Cup Series seasons with a total of 74 starts. Not bad for a guy who just earned his way into a bar.

Sorenson's 2007 season was marked with typical Chip Ganassi Racing style -- flashes of brilliance, but no lasting light. Without a doubt, Sorenson's pole-winning run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Allstate 400 was a nice accomplishment for such a young driver. Indeed, that's a trophy that'll make its way to a prominent mantle. The 5th-place finish at Indy was a nice cap to the weekend.

Aside from Indy, two Top-5's -- one at Charlotte in May (4th) and one at Phoenix in April (3rd) -- were two other flashes from the No. 41 team, but again, sustainability wasn't there. As has been the story with Ganassi since Sterling Marlin's near miss at the championship in 2001, there just hasn't been consistency at the front for the team.
Unfortunately for Reed, as well as teammates David Stremme and Juan Pablo Montoya from 2007, it's tough to tell what kind of talent they really do have. Obviously, there was plenty of effort on behalf of Sorenson with seven DNF's over the season, but averaging a 24th-place finish to wind up the season shouldn't happen.

A lack of consistency, whether it be Ganassi's fault or Reed's, truly showed in 2007 for Sorenson, as he only one in the 36-race season compiled three straight finishes in the Top-25 or higher. Even then, that streak only saw finishes of 15th, 25th, and 21st.

For 2008, both Sorenson and Ganassi are going to have to find a way to get much, much more consistent in putting their Dodges in the Top-20 at the very least. Ganassi isn't a guy that loses much in other racing series', so it makes you wonder why that doesn't translate to Cup competition.

That has to change for Sorenson in '08 either by car performance or increased driver performance for 2009 to be a true reality for the partnership to continue, I'd say.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing, Sprint Cup

Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Today, we review the season of 24th-place David Stremme.

Driver: David Stremme -- South Bend, Indiana
Team: No. 40 Coors Light Chip Ganassi Dodge
Points: 24th (-3560)
2006: 33rd
Key Stats: 3 Top-10s, 7 DNF's
Back in 2008?: No, replaced by Dario Franchitti. Headed to Nationwide Series part-time.

Either David Stremme is a story of one those guys that just simply couldn't cut it in the top level of NASCAR, Chip Ganassi hired him too early, or Ganassi's program is just mediocre at best -- much like the performance of Stremme in 2007.

Regardless of any excuse, Stremme is out of a ride in 2008 in the Sprint Cup series after a season that started with a decent run of 7 Top-20 finishes in the first 9 races. He would complete the season, however, with seven races that he didn't finish. When Stremme did finish, Top-10s were few and far between as Stremme averaged a running position of 24th all season long.Stremme's best finish of '07 came in the fall at Charlotte (8th), but nonetheless after sponsor Coors Light had announced it would leave the team. That departure ultimately led to the demise of Stremme himself in a regular Sprint Cup ride in 2008. Ganassi, unable to find a sponsor for the Hoosier, instead opted to put 2007 Indianapolis 500 Dario Franchitti in the No. 40 (with new sponsorship) for 2008.

Franchitti will compete for Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year honors, just as fellow Ganassi driver Juan Pablo Montoya won in 2007.

Ganassi has said that he would love to get Stremme back in a race car but sponsorship is key to that. For now, David Stremme fans? Look for some appearances in the Nationwide Series with Rusty Wallace Inc. and maybe a few hit or miss Sprint Cup starts here and there.

I wouldn't be lining up for a David Stremme t-shirt anytime soon, unless they're free.

Previously on NASCAR FanHouse Driver Year-in-Review
25th - Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Dodge Dealers Dodge)

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya Named Top Nextel Cup Rookie

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:52:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Montoya, Chip Ganassi Racing, Nextel Cup

Juan Pablo Montoya's open-wheel-killing first NASCAR Nextel Cup Season has earned the former Colombian Formula One star a title held by many of the sport's greats in the past.

Rookie of the Year.

Montoya's rookie campaign brought his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge his first career win at Infineon Raceway in June his first Top-5 at Atlanta in March. His final stat tally included 3 Top-5's, 6 Top-10's, and race winnings of over $4.8 million.

Most importantly, though, was the fact that Montoya was able to keep the No. 42 within the top 35 positions of the point standings, guaranteeing a spot in each race. Sure, he started the season with points accumulated from Casey Mears in 2006, but after five races, that guarantee is out the window.

Juan Pablo finished in the season standings a respectable 20th.

The season definitely didn't come without any excitement for Juan Pablo. Most noticeably, Juan sent a message to the NASCAR world that he wasn't about to back down simply because he was the new guy in town after wrecking Tony Stewart at Texas in April. That flared up again at Watkins Glen with Kevin Harvick.

Without a doubt, Montoya has also kicked the door open into NASCAR for guys like Patrick Carpentier, Sam Hornish Jr., and Jacques Villeneuve -- with many more to come.

Love him or hate him, I say, it's fun having a guy like Montoya around in the Cup series.

Montoya Named Top Nextel Cup Rookie originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Franchitti To Run ARCA Race in October

tallglassofmilk — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:55:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Silly Season

Goodbye IndyCar ... Hello NASCAR.

You don't test and run an ARCA race unless you're seriously thinking about crossing over into stock cars.

Still no word one way or another from IRL Champion Dario Franchitti, but Chip Ganassi is getting him some track time this fall in preparation for Daytona in February.

"There's an open test [at Talladega] on Sept. 27th so we'll run that and then come back for the race."

Robin Miller suggests that CGR will announce the signing of Franchitti to a five-year deal to replace David Stremme in the #40 [Canadian Club?] Dodge as early as this week.

Previously in the Fanhouse
Robin Hood Strikes the IRL
IndyCar Champ to NASCAR Chump?
NASCAR Gains IRL Driver and Celebrity WAG

Franchitti To Run ARCA Race in October originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar Champ to NASCAR Chump?

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, Other Racing Series

Dario Franchitti won a pretty thrilling race Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway to wrap up not only the season points title, but potentially his IndyCar career.

Passing Scott Dixon in the final corner after Dixon ran out of gas to take title is a pretty nice way to end up a season for all involved -- including the sanctioning body.

Except for the fact that yet another face from the series is taking off for bigger and better things. Someone turn the lights out over there.

Franchitti, a native of Scotland, has been under the microscope though since Friday when rumors blew up about his potential migration to the ranks of NASCAR. He apparently is headed to the seat soon to be vacated by David Stremme at Chip Ganassi Racing -- making two international NASCAR drivers (Juan Pablo Montoya being the other) from open-wheel ranks racing from the same stable.

Ganassi never has been one to go with the flow in anything he's done, so seeing his desire to convert another open-wheel standout into a stock car driver isn't that surprising.

What is surprising, though, is his choice of driver. (Even though he does bring a sponsor.)

Sure, Franchitti won this year's Indianapolis 500 and the points title. But the fact is, the IRL IndyCar Series is on no such level that the competition and talent is in Montoya's Formula One.

Does Dario have some talent behind the wheel? I wouldn't argue against it -- his wifey Ashley Judd might not either -- but why him for NASCAR?

Does Ganassi think he's got some great marketing potential? Or does the owner feel that Franchitti can lift his middle-of-the-road NASCAR operation to a new level moreso than a seasoned stock car driver could?

Montoya has a had a very respectable season in his first full campaign, but is the second time always a charm?

IndyCar Champ to NASCAR Chump? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Gains IRL Driver and Celebrity WAG

tallglassofmilk — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Gossip, Nextel Cup, The Word

NASCAR is about to get a bit more diverse and a little prettier.

If the AP's sources are correct, and I suspect they are, IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti is headed to NASCAR and he brings along his gorgeous wife, actress Ashley Judd.

The Italian Scot has reportedly been tapped to replace the ousted David Stremme in the #40 Chip Ganassi Dodge, which is currently sponsorless for 2008.

Franchitti, the 2007 winner of the Indianapolis 500 and current IndyCar points leader, joins Juan Pablo Montoya from Formula One and A.J. Allmendinger from CHAMP on a growing list of drivers leaving other series to race in NASCAR.

Judd, a feminist and YouthAIDS activist, joins an ever-growing list of beautilicious NASCAR spousal arm-candy and activist wives and girlfriends, which includes driver favorite Athena Barber; animal activists Nicole Lunders and Krissie Newman; and former models Chandra Janway and Ingrid Vandebosch.
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NASCAR Gains IRL Driver and Celebrity WAG originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Power Rankings: Michigan II

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, NASCAR Power Rankings, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch

The Nextel Cup regulars will welcome themselves back to the 2-mile D-shape that is Michigan International Speedway this weekend for the 3M Performance 400. Last year's winner, Matt Kenseth, looks to pick up only his second win of the 2007 campaign at a track that teammate Carl Edwards took the victory at in June.

1. Matt Kenseth - He's due, and Roush Racing just never has an off day at Michigan or California

2. Carl Edwards - Cousin Carl will be good, but he's already in next year's All-Star race -- so he's happy.

3. Tony Stewart - Three-in-a-row is tough to do, but it is summertime and weirder things have happened.
4. Jeff Gordon - Speaking of weirder things, Gordon has some confidence to rebuild this weekend after last week's mishap with 2 to go. Oh, and crew chief Steve Letarte is back.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Think his engine will make it 400 miles? Is Junior starting to count the days?

6. Denny Hamlin - Strong everywhere so you know it'll happen for him at Michigan.

7. Kyle Busch - He's had an exciting week with the Gibbs announcement. Will the stupid comments resume now that he has a place to land?

8. Juan Pablo Montoya - Told the world on ESPN his worst moment so far was wrecking at MIS in June. With the incident behind last week, Montoya should be looking to prove why he's here.

9. Kevin Harvick - Should've won at Fontana, shouldn't have gotten into it with Montoya. But hey, it happens.

10. Jimmie Johnson - How strong will he and Chad Knaus be with their first weekend back at the racetrack together?

Wildcard: Jeff Burton - The ~~AT&T~~ Cingular driver hasn't been too worried about making the Chase, but the accident last week with JPM and Harvick hurt in the points. He needs to step it up, but hasn't as of late.

Longshot: Clint Bowyer - He nearly had the win a year ago at Michigan before his motor blew up very late in the race. It's time for Bowyer to find Nextel Cup victory lane.

FanHouse Power Rankings: Michigan II originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorsports FanHouse

NASCAR's Open-Wheelers Slowly Fading

Sorenson Moves to GEM; Carpentier Gone?

Dark Clouds Get Darker for Ganassi Racing

Video: Juan Pablo Sings at Wrigley Field

Franchitti's Benching Is Quite Puzzling

Video: Montoya Unleashes on Kyle Busch

Broken Ankle Sidelines Dario; Stremme In

Franchitti Transported to Hospital After Crash

Chip Ganassi Calls His Team "Pathetic"

Dixon Rings in New Open Wheel Racing Era

Montoya, Franchitti Win Daytona Rolex 24

Dario Franchitti Fights Crime Without Pants

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-ReviewReed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review: David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge

Montoya Named Top Nextel Cup Rookie

Franchitti To Run ARCA Race in October

IndyCar Champ to NASCAR Chump?

NASCAR Gains IRL Driver and Celebrity WAG

FanHouse Power Rankings: Michigan II

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Chip Ganassi Dodge

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review:
David Stremme, No. 40 Ganassi Dodge