Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com Motorsports FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Past Champ Labonte, Petty Part Ways for '09http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/11/former-champ-labonte-petty-part-ways-for-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/11/former-champ-labonte-petty-part-ways-for-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/11/former-champ-labonte-petty-part-ways-for-09/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Less than a year ago -- February to be exact -- rumors were swirling that Bobby Labonte would finish 2008 with Petty Enterprises and move to Richard Childress Racing for 2009.

It made sense at the time because Labonte's sponsor, General Mills, signed on at RCR to sponsor a 4th team at the operation and Labonte had a contract to drive 15 races for RCR in the Nationwide Series. Eventually, that rumor fell apart and Labonte re-signed with Petty for four more years.

Thursday, however, those plans completely changed again when Labonte and Petty agreed to amicably part ways immediately -- leaving the 2000 Sprint Cup Series champion without a ride for the moment in 2009 and continuing a nasty downward spiral of Petty Enterprises.

Petty plans to still run, at a minimum, a single-car team in 2009 but doesn't yet have a driver lined up.

Looking back, I can imagine that if the opportunity was available for Labonte to move to RCR like the rumor said, he's probably kicking himself slightly right now. However, we don't know for sure if such an offer was on the table and you surely can't fault Labonte for his loyalty.

After all, the combination of Bobby Labonte and Richard Petty has the sound of a great partnership and one of the most-respected name combinations in the garage area.

However, respect and loyalty don't always produce results in the Sprint Cup series.

Labonte first moved to Petty Enterprises for the 2006 season after suffering through a disappointing season at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005. Petty wasn't much more than it is today, but many hoped a driver of Labonte's caliber could bring in resources for long-struggling team.

2006 saw the team score three Top-5 finishes but since then the team has scored zero. His best points position with the team came after 2007 when Labonte finished 18th in the final standings. In 2008, he finished 21st.

Looking ahead, Labonte's future should definitely see him finding a full-time ride for the 2009 season. He's easily the most-qualified driver on the market now (the only one with a championship ring) and an opening for the No. 41 car at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing might fit the Texas driver perfectly.

Past Champ Labonte, Petty Part Ways for '09 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabonteNASCARSillySeasonPettyEnterprisesSprintCupGeoffrey MillerThu, 11 Dec 2008 12:08:00 EST NASCAR Team Layoffs Start to Pile Onhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/21/nascar-team-layoffs-start-to-pile-on/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/21/nascar-team-layoffs-start-to-pile-on/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/21/nascar-team-layoffs-start-to-pile-on/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Joe Nemechek and the Furniture Row Racing team were the latest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team to see some significant cutbacks as the sport heads into what could be the most anxious and interesting off-season it has ever seen.

Nemecheck, driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet who won the April pole at Talladega Superspeedway, was notified that his team is looking at the high-probability chance of not competing in 2009 -- just days after the team owner indicated the team would compete but with a reduced schedule.

Aside from Nemechek and Furniture Row Racing's situation that very likely saw a number of the team's employees at the shop located in Colorado get laid off this week, NASCAR teams have been letting team members go left and right in the past week.

We saw last week that Dale Earnhardt Inc., and Chip Ganassi Racing merged to a four-car operation and eliminated 116 jobs from the new Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing operation and the news continued in full force after the season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway last Sunday.

The Frontstretch has compiled a list of the team who have let workers go this season, and it's not too pretty:
Layoffs

DEI -- 116 Employees
Ganassi -- 71 (from shutdown of the No. 40 team in June)
Petty -- 23
Wood Brothers -- 22
Stewart-Haas -- 16
Hendrick -- 12
Hall of Fame -- Unknown
Yates -- Unknown Bill Davis -- Unknown, but down to bare bones staff at shop
Right there alone, without the numbers from Furniture Row factored in or the numbers from other teams who will also be laying more employees off in the near future, the NASCAR team world is looking at close to 300 job losses in 2008.

Those numbers don't apply completely to the Nationwide Series (Frontstretch says Fitz Motorsports might close entirely) or to the Camping World Truck Series where a ton of manufacturer support has already been pulled. Plus, each of these race teams has vendors and suppliers for many parts of their racing operation, and you can sure bet that those providers have felt an impact as well.

It's certainly not an easy time to be an employee in NASCAR at the moment, but hopefully, the sport can weather the poor economy in a good fashion.

NASCAR Team Layoffs Start to Pile On originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FurnitureRowRacingHomestead-MiamiSpeedwayJoeNemechekSprintCupTalladegaSuperspeedwayGeoffrey MillerFri, 21 Nov 2008 00:23:00 EST Roush Fenway Racing Extends Matt Kenseth, Appears to Leave Out Jamie McMurrayhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/20/roush-fenway-racing-extends-matt-kenseth-appears-to-leave-out-j/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/20/roush-fenway-racing-extends-matt-kenseth-appears-to-leave-out-j/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/20/roush-fenway-racing-extends-matt-kenseth-appears-to-leave-out-j/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Matt Kenseth's contract at Roush Fenway Racing got extended Thursday afternoon and that was seemingly bad news for his teammate Jamie McMurray.

Kenseth got a new "multi-year dear" from RFR to keep him as the driver of the No. 17 Ford for well past 2010, when his current contract was set to expire. Terms weren't disclosed by the team, but I'd imagine the contract puts Kenseth in a position to make RFR his final place of stock car employment with either a heavily extended contract from his current one or one loaded with options.

Kenseth, a native of Cambridge, Wisc., turns 37 in March.

For teammate McMurray -- who's been nothing short of a disappointment during his time at RFR but showed some flashes of brilliance towards the end of the 2008 -- Kenseth's re-signing might be a nail in the coffin for his future at RFR.

NASCAR has mandated that by 2010, all Sprint Cup teams must have no more than four drivers in a stable. RFR currently has five.

The RFR other drivers, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan, all seem to have the cards stacked in their favor for 2009 and beyond.

Biffle, who had some questions during the early part of 2008 after several part failures and other team problems kept him from winning races, re-signed with RFR in July to a contract throught 2011. Edwards obviously isn't going anywhere with his near-championship run in 2008 and has a contract through 2011 and Ragan hasn't officially inked a contract to the best of my knowledge for 2009 but he has a "multi-year" deal with sponsor UPS starting next season.

So, Biffle plus Edwards plus Kenseth plus Ragan equals four drivers locked in at RFR for well past the 2010 NASCAR cutoff deadline, and seems to leave McMurray without a RFR-associated ride in 2010 once his current contract runs out.

An option appears to be at Jack Roush's disposal, however, if he decides to keep McMurray around after 2009 -- especially if the Jopin, Mo., driver can pile together a season-full of finishes like he had to close out the 2008 season. Roush has a significant alliance with Yates Racing, and if needbe, I can certainly see McMurray's services getting transferred to the satellite operation.

Roush Fenway Racing Extends Matt Kenseth, Appears to Leave Out Jamie McMurray originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>CarlEdwardsDavidRaganFordGregBiffleJamieMcMurrayMattKensethRoushFenwayRacingSprintCupYatesRacingGeoffrey MillerThu, 20 Nov 2008 23:26:00 EST One Race Stand: Coleman Out of HoF Racinghttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/13/brad-coleman-done-at-hof-racing-after-one-race/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/13/brad-coleman-done-at-hof-racing-after-one-race/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/13/brad-coleman-done-at-hof-racing-after-one-race/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Brad Coleman's entry and exit to and from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Hall of Fame Racing came to an abrupt halt after just one race, ESPN says.
[Brad] Coleman's fortunes changed quickly [...] According to Hall of Fame Racing, Coleman is now a free agent. He is no longer under contract to Hall of Fame.
Coleman's lone Sprint Cup race came at Michigan International Speedway in August when the 20-year-old driver replaced a fired J.J. Yeley in the No. 96 DLP Toyota. In that event, he started 37th and finished 43rd.

For giggles, I think I'll cite my previous post on Coleman's quick turn up to NASCAR's top division:
Hall of Fame sure isn't a place where a driver is going to go win championships, and knowing that Coleman just might be making a career mistake of jumping in a car that races in the Sprint Cup Series but doesn't compete.
Now I get that "just might be making a career mistake" isn't a "Coleman will be cut after one race"-type prediction, but come on, the writing was on the wall for this kid and his move to a team I wouldn't even drive for if offered the chance.

Yeah, Hall of Shame Fame Racing is just that bad, but this certainly leaves plenty of questions as to why it took so long for word to come out about Coleman.

Why did HoF only give him a one-race tryout when the original press release seemed to indicate he'd be finishing out the year? Was there some kind of strife between young Texas driver (or, perhaps his handlers) and the leadership at HoF? And do you think Coleman regrets giving up his Nationwide Series ride (manufacturer conflict) just to sit in the No. 96 for one race and a few testing sessions?

My answers? Who knows, probably, and definitely.

Like I pondered in the original post, I see this as a big setback for Coleman's potential Sprint Cup career. He's out of a Nationwide Series ride, out a Sprint Cup Series ride and appears to be back in the same situation he was at the beginning of 2008 -- trying to climb the rungs of the NASCAR ladder.

It's unfortunate for Coleman because the guy has a good level of talent and has an interesting background story, but he's just the latest example of how it is possible to jump too quickly in NASCAR before you've really set a name for yourself.

Is the youth boom over in NASCAR? Hardly. But it is sure showing signs of weakness.

One Race Stand: Coleman Out of HoF Racing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BradColemanHallofFameRacingJJYeleyMichiganInternationalSpeedwayNASCARRumorsToyotaGeoffrey MillerThu, 13 Nov 2008 12:20:00 EST Dale Earnhardt Inc., Chip Ganassi Racing Ink Plan to Merge Mediocre Teamshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/12/dale-earnhardt-inc-chip-ganassi-racing-ink-plan-for-2009-merge/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/12/dale-earnhardt-inc-chip-ganassi-racing-ink-plan-for-2009-merge/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/12/dale-earnhardt-inc-chip-ganassi-racing-ink-plan-for-2009-merge/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Chip Ganassi has found a way to make his team not as pathetic as before and Dale Earnhardt Inc. has found a way to keep grasping at being a relevant Sprint Cup Series team.

That method? Join the two programs together to create strange bedfellows, cut costs and hope that a math equation of subpar plus subpar finally equals something good.

Yep, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates will be teaming up to make a four-car team in 2009.
Two of motorsports' biggest names - Earnhardt and Ganassi - will launch a four-car team beginning in 2009 through the combination of the motorsports operations of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Inc. (CGRFS). NASCAR stars Martin Truex Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya will drive the Nos. 1 and 42 respectively and future star Aric Almirola will be behind the wheel of the No. 8. The driver of the No. 41 will be named in the near future.
For those of you keeping track at home, this combination of forces currently includes 4 cars, 3 drivers and 2.5 sponsorships. Let's hope that changes before 2009.

Additionally, the overriding rumor is that Chevrolet will be the manufacturer for the organization, mainly because it's very likely Dale Earnhardt would rise from his grave to haunt anything bearing his name that doesn't bear a bow tie. Dodge, Ganassi's current partner, is apparently being shoved out.

There's so many aspects of this situation that are so very interesting. Will this team actually be better because Chip Ganassi will at least be a visible owner in the garage area? Is this Teresa Earnhardt's way of both saving her floundering race team and starting her exit, stage left, of NASCAR? And you think this is what the Intimidator had in mind when he first started DEI?

On the last question, I'd presume an emphatic no, but along those lines I think it'd be doubly hard to believe his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., would be driving for a rival organization had Dale Sr. still been alive.

The saddest part of this inevitable process thanks to such a savage economy and decreased success for both teams is the fact that over 100 people lost their jobs Wednesday. Fortunately, this merger isn't likely to come back to haunt the remaining employees like Bobby Ginn's brief and embarrassing foray into the sport back in the summer of 2007.


At the end of the day, NASCAR fans can still be satisfied to see that two of the sport's more recognizable drivers -- Montoya and Truex Jr. -- will still be around in 2009.

In the mean time, it's sure going to be weird ditching the "DEI" moniker in lieu of "Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates."

Fun fact about that Sabates character? He gets full name recognition despite only owning 20 percent of the former CGRFS, so by my math, he only owns 10 percent of the new team -- and still gets his full name in there. Now that, my friends, is a smart businessman.

Note: Be sure to head back FanHouse way on Sunday for our season-finale live blog of the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway! We'll kick off the festivities at 3:30pm/EST. See ya then!

Dale Earnhardt Inc., Chip Ganassi Racing Ink Plan to Merge Mediocre Teams originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AricAlmirolaChevroletChipGanassiDEIJuanPabloMontoyaMartinTruexJrNASCARMergersSprintCupTeresaEarnhardtGeoffrey MillerWed, 12 Nov 2008 19:39:00 EST Martin Doesn't Need Hendrick Head Starthttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

ESPN.com's David Newton is reporting the driver who is replacing Casey Mears in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet in 2009 -- veteran Mark Martin -- might find himself getting a jump on that plan in the coming weeks.
Hendrick Motorsports is considering a plan that would put Mark Martin in the No. 5 car he'll take over in 2009 for the final race of this season at Homestead [-Miami] Speedway.

A contingency to the plan is getting Casey Mears, the current driver of the No. 5, into the fourth car at Richard Childress Racing that he will drive next season.

But in order to do that Mears would have to drive the No. 33, not the No. 07 that he is slated for because Clint Bowyer is driving that car in the Chase. Team owner Richard Childress said he is willing to put Mears in the No. 33 unsponsored if necessary.

"He won't go without a ride," Childress said.
Why wait until the last race at Homestead, you might ask? Well according to Newton, Martin is scheduled to drive in his current Dale Earnhardt Inc. part-time gig for the season's third and second to last races in Texas and Phoenix.

I'm not real sure, though, that making such a switch would truly benefit Martin or Mears (if ends up racing for RCR at Homestead).

Mark Martin is no rookie. The 49-year-old driver hasn't been out of the game for many years and has even driven a Hendrick Motorsports car in both Nationwide Series competition and Sprint Cup test sessions in 2008.

Needless to say, Martin won't be jumping feet first into an operation he doesn't know.

And on the Casey Mears side of things, he's not going to be driving in the No. 07 ride or with his future crew chief Gil Martin if he makes the start at Homestead with RCR instead of Hendrick.

All in all, it seems like a lot of headaches for something that won't really be huge gain for the 2009 season.

Martin Doesn't Need Hendrick Head Start originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>CaseyMearsChevroletClintBoywerFord400GilMartinHendrickMotorsportsHomesteadHomesteadMiamiSpeedwayMarkMartinRichardChildressRichardChildressRacingSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSun, 26 Oct 2008 16:04:00 EST Red Bull: A.J. Allmendinger Not Good Enoughhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/09/23/red-bull-a-j-allmendinger-not-good-enough/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/09/23/red-bull-a-j-allmendinger-not-good-enough/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/09/23/red-bull-a-j-allmendinger-not-good-enough/#commentsFiled under: , ,



FanHouse's campaign to preserve A.J. Allmendinger as a driver for Red Bull Racing has failed, thanks to an announcement from team head Jay Frye Tuesday morning.

From the team's web site:
Red Bull Racing Team and driver AJ Allmendinger have agreed to part ways for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Allmendinger is in his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season driving the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota, which currently sits 34th in owners' points.

"AJ is a talented driver and we really enjoyed working with him," said RBRT Vice President and General Manager Jay Frye. "He's come a long way in just two years and we wish him nothing but the best."
That last line -- "we wish him nothing but the best" -- just seems to have a certain Jay Frye-is-totally-BS'ing-us ring to it, doesn't it?

I say that because it has seemed for a while that Frye was a fan of Allmendinger, but the major team decisions are made over his head by the team owners in Austria.

The part of the statement that does seem true is the "He's come a long way" because indeed Allmendinger has made enormous gains from his first season inside of a stock car just one year ago. He's still bouncing around the Top-35 cut off but already at this point in the season has made three more races than he did a year ago -- despite a 5-race benching -- and in the past 10 races has had 6 Top-20 finishes, or two more than he had in all of 2007.

The announcement also seems to indicate that Allmendinger's duties with Red Bull are relinquished immediately because Craftsman Truck Series driver Mike Skinner -- who tried to help out the No. 84 car when A.J. was benched -- will be driving the car this week during the Sprint Cup Series test at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Over at Jayski, the biggest rumor surrounding Allmendinger's Sprint Cup future is with Chip Ganassi Racing's empty No. 41 car for 2009. With Ganassi's recent performance coupled with some sponsorship issues, the move for Allmendinger to Ganassi leaves me with a bad taste, but it could turn out to be a better situation with an owner who realizes the kid can drive a race car.

As for the No. 84, this has to open the door for former F1 driver Scott Speed to make his Sprint Cup debut in the next few weeks. Fortunately, Red Bull is at least replacing the talented Allmendinger with a guy that can bring a lot to NASCAR with his personality and, hopefully, stock car racing talent.

In the mean time, I'm just going to grimace at the thought of what-could-have-been (victory lane seemed like a great possibility) for Red Bull and a seasoned Allmendinger in 2009.

Red Bull: A.J. Allmendinger Not Good Enough originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AJAllmendingerBrianVickersChipGanassiRacingJayFryeLowesMotorSpeedwayMikeSkinnerRedBullRacingScottSpeedSprintCupGeoffrey MillerTue, 23 Sep 2008 12:46:00 EST J.J. Yeley Ousted by Hall of Fame Racinghttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/06/j-j-yeley-ousted-by-hall-of-fame-racing/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/06/j-j-yeley-ousted-by-hall-of-fame-racing/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/06/j-j-yeley-ousted-by-hall-of-fame-racing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At least he got to meet Jack Bauer before he lost his ride.

J.J. Yeley's fall from one of the top teams in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series took another tumble Wednesday afternoon as he was dropped from his ride in the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing Toyota.

Yeley, who has put together an unremarkable season of one whole Top-5 (it came in the same race that Kurt Busch won thanks to rain at New Hampshire) after getting bounced from Joe Gibbs Racing in 2007 will be replaced with Brad Coleman, the team announced today:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Aug. 6, 2008) - Hall of Fame Racing officials announced Wednesday that NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brad Coleman, who has been under contract as a test driver for Hall of Fame Racing since November 2007, will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut by piloting the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry in the Aug. 17 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Coleman, 20, is currently running a full-time season in the Nationwide Series and has put together equally unimpressive results with a single Top-10 at Las Vegas in 2008. He drove for Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide Series program in a limited role in 2007.

That experience at JGR is without a doubt the best reason why HoF chose a driver who has yet to prove himself on a consistent basis in the Nationwide Series thanks to the partnership between the two companies. JGR supplies manufacturing and technical support to Hall of Fame.

Earlier this week, the team announced that road course veteran P.J. Jones would be driving the No. 96 in lieu of Yeley in an attempt to earn more owner points (the No. 96 is 38th currently) for the team. With that announcement and today's release of Yeley, that leads me to believe that there was friction at the shop thanks to that move, and that Yeley wasn't a fan of being benched.

For Yeley, though, getting released from Hall of Fame is something that might turn out to be a positive. As a single car team, HoF really is never going to make any headway in the near future in Sprint Cup and likely won't be close to victory lane any time soon.

And in Yeley's case, after he got a chance to fill-in for Tony Stewart at Daytona in July, he made a strong point that with a proper car he can move to the front and race effectively in the Sprint Cup Series.

Hall of Fame sure isn't a place where a driver is going to go win championships, and knowing that Coleman just might be making a career mistake of jumping in a car that races in the Sprint Cup Series but doesn't compete.

J.J. Yeley Ousted by Hall of Fame Racing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BradColemanHallofFameRacingJJYeleyJoeGibbsRacingNationwideSeriesSprintCupToyotaGeoffrey MillerWed, 06 Aug 2008 19:24:00 EST Truex Jr. Appears to Have Contract Signed; McMurray Denies Free Agent Reportshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/truex-jr-appears-to-have-contract-signed-mcmurray-denies-free/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/truex-jr-appears-to-have-contract-signed-mcmurray-denies-free/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/truex-jr-appears-to-have-contract-signed-mcmurray-denies-free/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

FanHouse's Geoffrey Miller is on location & blogging away at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's 15th Running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Martin Truex Jr. appears set to end the rumor mill swirling around his future.

ESPN.com's David Newton reported on Saturday that "several sources" are confirming that Truex will now stay right where he's at -- with Dale Earnhardt Inc. -- until at least 2010:
The 28-year-old New Jersey native has agreed in principle to a two-year deal that will keep him at Dale Earnhardt Inc. through the 2010 season, multiple sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sources said an official announcement is expected any day, and that details with multiple sponsors remain to be finalized.

Truex, asked if he has an agreement, said: "We're getting there, yeah. Things are going well right. I'm pretty happy. I just want to think about racing this weekend."
That quote from Truex seems to seal the deal for me, as he definitely didn't make any attempt to deny the report. He pretty much gave the "yeah, that's been correctly reported but I can't say anything yet so I'm going to get back in my race car and stay away from you media-types"-style answer.

I'm glad Truex has got his deal seemingly worked out with DEI, a team where he'll remain as the No. 1 driver in the camp. I don't think, however, that re-signing with the team will lead him towards a Sprint Cup championship any time soon.

McMurray Grows Weary of Constant Free Agency Reports

It must be tough to have the media firing you from a high-profile job before you get the news, unless, you know, the media is wrong.


That's what Roush Fenway Racing's Jamie McMurray is claiming after more speculation came about Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that he would be out of the No. 26 ride effective at the end of the 2008 season -- one year before his RFR contract expires.

The speculation came after his team owner Jack Roush virtually threw McMurray under the bus during a press conference on Friday at IMS -- telling the world that he's been disappointed with Jamie's performance compared to the rest of the team among other less-than-loving statements about the Missouri driver.

McMurray responded on Saturday to both Roush's remarks and the rampant speculation that they induced in the media about his future:
"If you guys want to print the truth, the truth is I'll be there with Crown Royal," he said. "There's not a question. It's 100 percent. I know there's been some reporters that have speculated again on where I'll be and who the sponsors will be - and certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion - but I wish that for all the media that they would base it on facts."
He even stated that he was somewhat puzzled by his team owner's statements on the previous day:
"They haven't discussed that with me and I don't think that's really even been discussed," he said. "I can't control what Jack says, and sometimes Jack will go off a little bit and it maybe gets out of control. It's not that big of a deal."
It can't be too easy to focus completely on driving when not only the media is down your back about your future but also your team owner is offering any public help.

Regardless, McMurray -- currently 22nd in Sprint Cup points -- will start Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard from the 7th spot.

Truex Jr. Appears to Have Contract Signed; McMurray Denies Free Agent Reports originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Allstate400DEIIndianapolisMotorSpeedwayJamieMcMurrayMartinTruexJr.RoushFenwayRacingSprintcupGeoffrey MillerSat, 26 Jul 2008 17:20:00 EST Hello, Mate! Ambrose Moves to Sprint Cuphttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/16/hello-mate-ambrose-moves-to-sprint-cup/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/16/hello-mate-ambrose-moves-to-sprint-cup/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/16/hello-mate-ambrose-moves-to-sprint-cup/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Sprint Cup Series needs to throw some shrimp on the barby, as Australian-native Marcos Ambrose will be movin' on up to NASCAR's top division for a full-time ride in 2009.

And yes, I promise I'm done with Australian generalizations.

Ambrose will make the move into Sprint Cup with JTG Daugherty Racing -- a partnership between Marcos' current Nationwide Series team (JTG) and ESPN analyst/former NBA player Brad Daugherty. The partnership will continue to field two Nationwide teams in addition to the newly-created Sprint Cup team.

I'm stoked to have Ambrose in the Sprint Cup series because the guy has pure talent. He's a two-time champion of Australia's V8 Supercar Series, and apparently did it in quite an impressive manner as he won in them in a Ford for the manufacturer's first titles in nearly 20 years. From what I gather, the guy is quite heralded in Australia -- nearly to the level of Dale Earnhardt Jr. here in the States.

Ambrose has one Sprint Cup start under his belt coming from last month's road course race at Infineon Raceway. He raced in the Top-5 for much of the race until transmission troubles knocked him to a 42nd-place finish. More importantly though, he didn't back down from on-track skirmishes and made a few folks mad at him -- something NASCAR needs more of.


Ambrose, 31, has two career Top-5's in the Nationwide Series and runs 13th in the point standings at the moment. He finished 15th last weekend at Chicagoland.

I do kind of worry, though, about how well Ambrose can compete with JTG Daugherty Racing in 2009. He'll be driving the No. 47 Little Debbie Ford, but won't have any teammates and doesn't appear to have any major affiliation with any big race teams on the Sprint Cup circuit.

He is starting with sponsorship, has a fun personality, and is gritty racer when it comes down to it -- all of which should help him. Best of luck, Mr. Ambrose!

Hello, Mate! Ambrose Moves to Sprint Cup originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FordJTG Daugherty RacingJtgDaughertyRacingMarcos AmbroseMarcosAmbroseNationwide SeriesNationwideSeriesSprint CupSprintCupGeoffrey MillerWed, 16 Jul 2008 17:26:00 EST Sell Your No. 20 Gear: Stewart-Haas Beginshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/10/sell-your-no-20-gear-stewart-haas-begins/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/10/sell-your-no-20-gear-stewart-haas-begins/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/10/sell-your-no-20-gear-stewart-haas-begins/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



I call myself an average eBay shopper, and because of that, I'm putting out a warning.

If you see some great deals on Tony Stewart gear, there's a reason for that: it's not relevant after 2008.

Stewart announced here at Chicagoland Speedway Thursday that he and Haas-CNC Racing will pair up to form Stewart-Haas Racing, an entity that Stewart will drive for in 2009, that will sport two teams, and will continue running Chevrolets.

The partnership, amazingly enough, doesn't appear to have involved any financial commitment on Stewart's part, with Stewart continually referring to the move in numerous tenses of the word "give". When asked directly, he skirted the question.


Stewart, who had to step out of last week's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona after feeling quite ill during the early parts of the race, looked a little weary during the press conference but said he was feeling much better. I'd hope so considering the contract he signed with Haas-CNC -- including the 50% ownership stake he recieved -- could be worth a very high two-digit number.

There were no sponsors announced, no car numbers announced, no crew chiefs announced, and no fellow drivers announced, but Stewart did make one thing clear. He intends to make this more than just a business venture.
"I've won races and I've won championships and I know I could've continued to do that at Joe Gibbs Racing, but to attempt to do those things as a car owner is something that really appeals to me.

"There's a whole new sense of appreciation and satisfaction that comes with success when you're both a driver and an owner."
The real question, though, is how long it will take this new team -- and Tony Stewart in particular -- to reach a competitive level in the Sprint Cup Series. Both of Haas-CNC's (the name will stay until the end of 2008) race cars are currently outside the Top-35 in points and have frankly struggled all season.

Of course, looking back to before the 2008 season began, the world was questioning whether Joe Gibbs Racing could compete with their new Toyotas, and Kyle Busch has absolutely dropped that thought on its head with six wins this season.

The situation this time is much different though, with the lone exception being the fact that a guy with the talent, performance and respect that Tony Stewart has should bring in talent and help make up for some deficits the team has at the start of next season.

My prediction? Stewart-Haas is going to reinvent the way drivers become owners, and could win a championship within three years. What say you?

Sell Your No. 20 Gear: Stewart-Haas Begins originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ChicagoChicagolandSpeedwayCokeZero400DaytonaFanHouseinChicagoHaas-CNCRacingJoeGibbsRacingLifeLock400SprintCupStewart-HaasRacingTonyStewartGeoffrey MillerThu, 10 Jul 2008 16:52:00 EST FanHouse Welcomes You to Chicagolandhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/10/fanhouse-welcomes-you-to-chicagoland/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/10/fanhouse-welcomes-you-to-chicagoland/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/10/fanhouse-welcomes-you-to-chicagoland/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Ah, Chicagoland Speedway ... the NASCAR track that is really nowhere near Chicago.

Yep, based in here Joliet, Ill. -- some 45 minutes southwest of Michigan Avenue in the midst of cornfields and suburban houses is the 1.5-mile oval with newly installed lights.

If you haven't noticed, FanHouse as a whole got a huge upgrade Wednesday night (bigger than we first imagined) and caused us to be down for a few hours. We're working out the kinks, but in the mean time, things are looking to be much more friendly on the user end (that's for you!) so that's a great thing.

Additionally, yours truly is now stationed at Chicagoland for the LifeLock 400 race weekend (for the first time in FanHouse history!), and I'm hoping to bring plenty of quality coverage as only the FanHouse can -- with interesting stories and takes on the biggest issues hitting the sport.

Right behind me at the moment (2:41pm/ET) Greg Zippidelli is discussing his driver's, Tony Stewart, announcement that 2009 will see the beginnings of Stewart-Haas Racing, as well as talking about his own personal future with Joe Gibbs Racing. Look for some more coverage on that coming up here on the 'House, hopefully before Sprint Cup practice starts.

In the mean time, I'll invite you to check out the brand-spanking-new comment system located at the bottom of each post. Fellow 'Houser Will Brinson offers you an explanation here.

It's a good day in Chicagoland -- the FanHouse has been updated, we've got a new URL (motorsports.fanhouse.com) and there's plenty of news in the air. Stay tuned for plenty more.

FanHouse Welcomes You to Chicagoland originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ChicagolandSpeedwayFanHouseinChicagoJoeGibbsRacingLifeLock400SprintCupStewartHaasRacingTonyStewartGeoffrey MillerThu, 10 Jul 2008 15:51:00 EST Official: JGR Releases Tony Stewart From '09http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/official-jgr-releases-tony-stewart-from-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/official-jgr-releases-tony-stewart-from-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/official-jgr-releases-tony-stewart-from-09/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

There is to be no more speculation, no more rumor.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Tony Stewart jointly announced today that they will splitting after the season's final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November to allow Stewart to move to greener pastures in 2009, ideally owning his own Sprint Cup team.

And no, the "greener pastures" line is not a sideswipe at Stewart's -- uh -- robust figure.

From the release:
"We've had a lot of success with Tony in our 12 years here at Joe Gibbs Racing," said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. "While this moment is bittersweet, we're parting on good terms and we know that each of us has benefited greatly from the other.

"We grew to two teams in the Sprint Cup Series with Tony and The Home Depot in 1999, and two championships and 32 wins followed. While our time together is coming to an end, we know there's still a lot of racing left this season and we plan to make the most of it. On behalf of everyone at JGR, we're proud of everything we've accomplished together with Tony and we wish him the best in pursuing his dream of NASCAR team ownership."
You know, it's one thing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to leave a race team, but when Tony Stewart leaves a race team that he's won two championships with, a crew chief in Greg Zippidelli that he is extremely close with, and an owner who has stuck by him through everything, that's a big deal.

Interestingly enough, The Home Depot -- who hasn't exactly had the best year financially and has closed several stores -- commended Tony for being an "ambassador" for the company but said "Details regarding our future plans will be announced at a later date" in the release.

So, that means one of two things in my mind. Either The Home Depot is leaving the sport altogether or is coming with Stewart to his new team, because it sure as heck doesn't sound like a commitment to Joe Gibbs Racing.

The wait shouldn't be too long, however, on what Tony's exact plans on ownership will be, though its highly likely that it will involve Haas-CNC Racing. I'd say expect an announcement by Tony in two weeks at his most favorite place in the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In the mean time, Stewart will continue to compete with Gibbs in the remaining Sprint Cup schedule and for two races on the Nationwide Series schedule, including in this weekend's Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Official: JGR Releases Tony Stewart From '09 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Geoffrey MillerWed, 09 Jul 2008 13:10:00 EST Is Greg Biffle Good as Gone From Roush?http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/14/is-biffle-good-as-gone-from-roush/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/14/is-biffle-good-as-gone-from-roush/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/14/is-biffle-good-as-gone-from-roush/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In case you missed last Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 400 at Darlington Raceway, Greg Biffle was fully dominating the first half of the Mother's Day weekend Sprint Cup event.

After sitting on the pole, Biffle led 95 laps -- the second-most to race winner Kyle Busch -- before being relegated to finish of 43rd due to a broken timing belt. Upon exiting, Biffle was nothing short of heated with the performance put forth by the efforts of his Roush Fenway Racing team.
"It is really frustrating, but, you know what, I've just come accustomed to expecting it because it's just week after week it's something. Something breaks. Something falls off. We've got wheels loose. We had wheels loose twice tonight," said Biffle.
Biffle has become so used to his problems in 2008 -- like these myriad of issues at Texas -- that it's obviously starting to drain on the driver who's up for a new contract after this season. In other words, could greener pastures be on Biffle's horizon?

The FanHouse spoke of this possibility last year, but now more than ever, Biffle seems to putting himself in line to leave the security blanket of racing known as Roush Fenway Racing. Remember, just one week prior to Darlington, Biffle said that he wasn't talking to other teams, and he's told the media that he was 90% sure he'd be back with Roush.

So what's with the harsh words, then?

While it could be bargaining power for the Biff, I'd be more inclined to say that its opening a door for team owner Jack Roush to get his team to the four-car operating limit imposed by NASCAR in the near future on each team.

If/When Biffle decides to leave Roush Fenway, where does he need to end up?

Joe Gibbs Racing -- with its seemingly impending departure of the non-committal Tony Stewart -- could be No. 1 on Biffle's list. If nothing else, getting on the same page as NASCAR's most dominating driver in 2008 (Kyle Busch) surely wouldn't be a bad thing.

Otherwise, I see Biffle's most viable option being either Dale Earnhardt Inc. or Richard Childress Racing's fourth car in 2008. Regardless, a guy with as much raw talent as Kyle Busch will certainly find a ride in the Sprint Cup garage.

For Biffle, though, its just a matter of where he can actually finish and win races and championships.

Is Greg Biffle Good as Gone From Roush? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 14 May 2008 23:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>DaleEarnhardtIncDarlingtonDarlingtonRacewayGregBiffleJackRoushJoeGibbsRacingLowesMotorSpeedwayRichardChildressRacingRoushFenwayRacingSprintAllStarRaceXXIVGeoffrey MillerWed, 14 May 2008 23:09:00 EST Smoke Movin'? SI Links Stewart, Haas CNChttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/23/smoke-movin-si-links-stewart-haas-cnc/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/23/smoke-movin-si-links-stewart-haas-cnc/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/23/smoke-movin-si-links-stewart-haas-cnc/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Tony Stewart's contract is set to expire in 2009 at Joe Gibbs Racing, and apparently that "bone of contention" -- according to Sports Illustrated -- has shuffled the deck for the two-time Sprint Cup champion.

So much so, in fact, that SI is saying sources have told them that Stewart is already negotiating a contract with Haas CNC Racing. In other words, SI is claiming that Tony Stewart is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for greener pastures at Haas in 2009:
Sources tell SI.com that Stewart is working on the final stages of a deal to move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Haas CNC next season. Considering the ramifications of such a move, no one's admitting anything quite yet, as you'd expect. When reached for comment, Haas CNC Racing spokesman Ron Mench claims there's been no communication between Stewart and the organization. Stewart's PR spokesman Mike Arning was noncommittal ("I've heard what you've heard," when asked about Haas CNC) but he reminded SI that Stewart's contract with Gibbs runs through the 2009 season.
"Noncommittal" is not a word that I'd want to be hearing if I were a Tony Stewart or Joe Gibbs Racing fan. "Noncommittal" seems to always mean that something other than what was anticipated is in the works.

Yes, my friends, Tony Stewart's contract has officially become a major issue for the Sprint Cup garage to handle heading to Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday's race.

But does this report really mean anything? You can bet we'll find out -- either solidly or with body language -- this weekend at Talladega. Stewart, who has started driving Toyotas in 2008 after JGR's switch from Chevrolet, has been decidedly against discussing any contract concerns with the media.

Perhaps there was a reason behind that?

What say you? Is Tony movin' or stayin'? Would Haas (with its Hendrick Motorsports support) be a good fit for Stewart?

Smoke Movin'? SI Links Stewart, Haas CNC originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Aarons499HaasCNCRacingTalladegaSuperspeedwayTonyStewartToyotaGeoffrey MillerWed, 23 Apr 2008 18:25:00 EST Jeremy Mayfield Leaves Haas Racing No. 70http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/09/jeremy-mayfield-leaves-haas-racing-no-70/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/09/jeremy-mayfield-leaves-haas-racing-no-70/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/09/jeremy-mayfield-leaves-haas-racing-no-70/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jeremy Mayfield is once again a free agent in the NASCAR world.

The 5-time winner in the Sprint Cup Series left his ride with Haas Racing as driver of the No. 70 car just seven races into the season in what has been described as a "mutual" situation. (Is it ever really mutual though?)

Haas plans to put Johnny Sauter in the car starting Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway.

Mayfield, who has bounced around the Sprint Cup world for the past few years making just 22 starts in 2006 and 17 in 2007, scored his best finish of the season at Las Vegas when he came home 16th. Five other races, though, saw Mayfield finish 30th or worst.

Sauter drove for the Haas team in 2006 and had some respectable runs, including a 9th-place finish a year ago at Phoenix and a 5th-place at Richmond in the fall. At the end of the season, though, Sauter was canned by the team along with teammate Jeff Green in favor of Mayfield and Scott Riggs.

I've always liked Johnny Sauter as a driver though his style can be ragged at times. If given the right equipment, Sauter can be a consistent driver inside the Top-35.

But then again, I thought Mayfield could do the same.

Jeremy Mayfield Leaves Haas Racing No. 70 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>HaasRacingJeffGreenJeremyMayfieldJohnnySauterPhoenixPhoenixIntlRacewayScottRiggsSubwayFreshFit500Geoffrey MillerWed, 09 Apr 2008 08:44:00 EST Introducing FanHouse Ask 'Em, Answer 'Emhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/05/introducing-fanhouse-ask-em-answer-em/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/05/introducing-fanhouse-ask-em-answer-em/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/05/introducing-fanhouse-ask-em-answer-em/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Here at the NASCAR FanHouse, we're feeling a little bit lonely.

The final race of the 2007 has come and gone. The 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Banquet has come and gone. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in Australia for the time being, and it's still another 73 days until the Daytona 500.

Yes, fans, we have reached the winter doldrums of life without NASCAR Nextel Sprint Cup Series Racing to fill our minds and provoke our thoughts each weekend.

It's kind of depressing, isn't it?

But have no fear, for the NASCAR FanHouse is here to save the day. Starting right now, with this very post, we are launching a new feature for the viewing pleasure of the NASCAR FanHouse readers. Introducing:

The NASCAR FanHouse: Ask 'Em, Answer 'Em

A few of you readers have asked about this "mailbag" type-post already, and now is as good of time as ever to roll it out. The process for you is simple, really.

Let me explain:
  • 1) Think of a question, idea, problem, or story you want to tell (200 words or less)
  • 2) Write that into an email, including your name and hometown
  • 3) Send that email to nascarfanhouse@gmail.com
  • 4) Visit the FanHouse each week to see if your question has been answered!

Each week, either Tallglassofmilk or myself will sit down, deliberate, and find the best possible questions for this feature. We'll answer the questions to the best of our knowledge, or at least set you in the right direction.

Now there is one thing that will make this possible -- you, the NASCAR FanHouse reader!

While we do know everything (or at least trick ourselves into believing that), we don't know what you want to know. Got a question about a new driver? A NASCAR rule? A great driver story to tell? You've got to send it in!

If this feature really takes off, the next step might be some live blogging where you ask the questions and we'll answer them, but to get to that point, you've got to ask some questions.

So let us have it, what's your question for "NASCAR FanHouse: Ask 'Em, Answer 'Em"?

Introducing FanHouse Ask 'Em, Answer 'Em originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ask 'Em, Answer 'EmAsk'em,Answer'emGeoffrey MillerWed, 05 Dec 2007 17:21:00 EST Craftsman Joins Departing NASCAR Sponsorshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/05/craftsman-joins-list-of-changing-nascar-sponsors/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/05/craftsman-joins-list-of-changing-nascar-sponsors/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/05/craftsman-joins-list-of-changing-nascar-sponsors/#commentsFiled under: , ,

NASCAR fans have been prepared for this time quite well.

First, R.J. Reynolds dropped their Winston sponsorship of the NASCAR Cup Series in 2004, with Nextel -- and evantually Sprint -- moving in to take it over.

This year, the NASCAR Busch Series dropped its alcoholic moniker in favor of Nationwide Insurance for the 2008 season.

Next year, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will follow the same path of renaming after Craftsman announced they were departing the role after the 2008 campaign.

The move definitely comes as a shock to the racing world given Craftsman's renewed contract in 2005 guaranteed rights through 2010 for the tool company. Additionally, the NCTS was the only NASCAR division to see a general increase in television ratings from a year before.

NASCAR made quite a big deal about the AT&T sponsorship on Jeff Burton's Cup car this year -- including some federal lawsuits -- claiming that it violated terms of the sanctioning body's contact with Sprint-Nextel. With so much emphasis on that seemingly minor situation, it makes you wonder why exactly NASCAR can't have companies sticking to their own contracts.

When Winston left the Cup Series in 2003, there was still time remaining on the deal and with the Truck Series, two years are being left out of the current contract. The blatant allowance of sponsors to not follow a contract completely surely doesn't bode well for how other sponsors view contracts within the sport.

Anywho, you fill in the blank, who will make the best title sponsor of hardest-racing series in NASCAR? Craftsman will be tough to beat -- it's a tough image of the American working class with no negative influences.

Craftsman Joins Departing NASCAR Sponsors originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Geoffrey MillerWed, 05 Dec 2007 10:41:00 EST Hendrick's Meendering Heads to Pettyhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/hendricks-meendering-heads-to-petty/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/hendricks-meendering-heads-to-petty/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/hendricks-meendering-heads-to-petty/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Be sure to let voice be heard at the FanHouse NASCAR FanVote.

Petty Enterprises picked up a new crew chief this week.

Jeff Meendering, a now-former employee of Hendrick Motorsports, will take over the top of the pit box for former Cup champion Bobby Labonte, effective immediately.

Meendering served as Jeff Gordon's crew chief during the six-race stretch over the summer that normal crew chief Steve Letarte was suspended for infractions at Infineon Raceway. During that stretch, Gordon was winless but still picked up 4 Top-5s and didn't finish outside of the Top-10.

A relationship with Robbie Loomis, Gordon's previous crew chief and now vice-president of race operations at PE, helped Meendering land the job.
"Robbie Loomis gave me the opportunity to join the No. 24 team in 2001 and I learned from him, and Steve Letarte, how to prepare and execute at the track," said Meendering.

In 2007, Labonte's No. 43 Dodges finished 18th in points with no Top-5s and just 3 Top-10s. Labonte hasn't won a Nextel Cup event since Homestead in 2003 with his former team, Joe Gibbs Racing.

Petty Enterprises has suffered through a long winless streak as well. Their last win was in 1999 with John Andretti at Martinsville. However, Labonte's 17th-place finish in the final Nextel Cup Standings was the highest for any Petty Enterprises team since 1999.

Hendrick's Meendering Heads to Petty originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>crew chiefsCrewChiefsHendrick MotorsportsHendrickMotorsportsJeff MeenderingJeffMeenderingSprint CupSprintCupGeoffrey MillerMon, 26 Nov 2007 20:23:00 EST FanHouse NASCAR FanVote Day 1:<br>2007 Driver Performancehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/fanhouse-nascar-fanvote-day-1-br-2007-driver-performance/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/fanhouse-nascar-fanvote-day-1-br-2007-driver-performance/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/fanhouse-nascar-fanvote-day-1-br-2007-driver-performance/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Welcome to the NASCAR FanHouse FanVote 2007. This is a chance for you, the fan, to tell the world what you think about the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2007.

Today, the questions at hand are concerning driver performance on track this year during the 36 events of the Cup series schedule.

Be sure to check back each day this week for more questions and more topics. All of the results will be compiled at the end of the week and we'll reveal the results according to the vote from you, the fans!

Once you've voted, let everyone else who is getting ready to vote know what your opinion is by leaving a comment below.

Happy Voting!



Click the jump to continue voting!








Leave a comment on your vote and be sure to come back tomorrow for more chances to vote!

FanHouse NASCAR FanVote Day 1:
2007 Driver Performance originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse votingFanhouseVotingfansNASCAR FanVoteNascarFanvotenextel cupNextelCupGeoffrey MillerMon, 26 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST