Just past the halfway point of the season, with just seven races until the Chase begins, several teams have decided now is the prefect time to start making some serious changes on the ground.
Roush Fenway Racing announced last week Greg Erwin was being replaced by Matt Puccia as Greg Biffle’s crew chief. The #16 team hasn’t performed as well this season as past seasons and the strain was apparent between Biffle and Erwin. Prior to this past weekend the pair had just one top-five and five top-10s – they sat 14th in the points.
With the first week under their belts, Puccia led Biffle to a 16th place finish – not a rousing start, but we’ll give the pair a little more than a week to make any judgments.
While Greg Erwin was out of a job for a few days, he found a new home just down the block at Richard Petty Motorsports, working with AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger was with crew chief Mike Shiplett for most of the last three seasons. Together the two have scored three top-fives, 14 top-10s and one pole. Their best full season points finish is 19th, last season. The two haven’t had a bad run together, but things could definitely be better. Erwin has the experience and success at the sport’s top level, but does he have the support at RPM? Time will tell.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing announced this week Juan Pablo Montoya would get his fourth different crew chief in less than five seasons. The driver’s been with immediate past crew chief Brian Pattie since the midway point of 2008. This was after stints with Donnie Wingo and Jimmy Elledge. Together, Pattie and Montoya have scored one win, 16 top-fives and 39 top-10s. These are solid statistics for Pattie to be proud of.
This season though has been a struggle for both EGR teams. And after issues like last season’s Brickyard 400, Montoya’s and Pattie’s relationship has been less than great. If there is a lesson to learn, it’s that when Juan’s not happy, no one’s happy.
Is Jim Pohlman any more the answer to Montoya’s performance issues than Elledge and Pattie were? Again, only time will tell.
So how do you feel about the crew chief shifts? Do you expect swift performance improvements? Any of the moves better than others? Let us know!
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As rumors have started to float around about where Carl Edwards could end up for 2012 and beyond, we asked our Twitter (@nascarinsider) followers last week if they’d be surprised if he left Roush Fenway Racing. The answers were pretty mixed, but our question seemed to spawn another question from many: where would he go? There are certainly going to be plenty of options, and it sounds as though he’s going to take all the time he needs to make a choice.
As Edwards begins to explore his options, lets take a look at where he could realistically end up. Outside of the RFR/Richard Petty Motorsports bubble, Hendrick and RCR are out, because they have signed drivers and no room to expand. Of the upper tier teams, that leaves the likes of Penske Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Red Bull Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Stewart-Haas Racing. All either have drivers leaving, the ability to expand, or both.
In Edwards position, I’m not convinced that if he does actually leave RFR, it will be about money. The driver who serves as his own agent is already making some serious coin in his current spot, and the current economic climate may limit his earning potential somewhat. I’ve got to believe that Edwards wants to be where he has the best chance to win races and ultimately, championships.
Of the available teams, I’m not sure the argument could be made that any of them provide Edwards with a better situation than does Roush Fenway. A possible fourth team at JGR would probably be the closest option, but they’ve had their struggles in this young season and would he really gel as a teammate to Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch?
Another curious option is Red Bull. Owner Dietrich Mateschitz has the seriously deep pockets needed to bring in a driver like Edwards and they will be looking to replace the departing Kasey Kahne. But barring some sort of dramatic turn around, RBR doesn’t yet have the competitive pedigree necessary to attract a driver like Edwards.
Edwards’ recent comments to ESPN about not being in a hurry to get a deal done probably isn’t a great sign for RFR. With the future of his career at a serious crossroads however, it’s hard to blame Edwards for taking some time to explore all of his options. The question still remains though, would he really leave Roush?
In the current climate of funded drivers and retreating sponsorship dollars, it’s very uncommon for a young driver without his own money to get a second chance. What we are seeing with Aric Almirola though, goes against all of that. JR Motorsports announced on Wednesday that Almirola had signed a multi-year agreement to drive the team’s #88 car in the Nationwide Series.
After getting high profile gigs at Joe Gibbs Racing, Ginn Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., and finally Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, it appeared Almirola had washed out. Once at EGR, his #8 team was shut down only seven races into the 2009 season due to lack of funding. Through those seven races however, Almirola hadn’t exactly set the world on fire. His average finish was 32.8 and his best finish was a 21st at Atlanta. Before that, Almirola was best known for his Nationwide Series “win” at Milwaukee in which he started the race, but was pulled part way through and replaced by Denny Hamlin who went on to score the victory.
After leaving EGR in 2009, Almirola spent the rest of the season making sporadic starts for Phoenix Racing, Key Motorsports, Smith Ganassi Racing, and Billy Ballew Motorsports across all three major NASCAR series. He was one of a small group of drivers who turned to some of the lower seriesto advance his career and get more experience. And as it turned out, the 16 starts Almirola made for Billy Ballew in which he led 98 laps and had six top five finishes, would turn into a full time Truck Series ride for the 2010 season.
Fast forward to this season, Almirola has two Truck Series wins and sits second in the Truck Series points. His strong CWTS runs led to him being the backup driver for both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon while they were on baby watch, plus he was given the chance to run JRM’s #88 at ORP. Almirola didn’t disappoint there either, finishing third behind Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. All of this led up to JRM signing Almirola for the 2011 season and beyond.
Before this deal came about, we’d heard (along with others) that Almirola was a candidate for some Cup organizations, including Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola even admitted to ESPN that he’d been offered Cup deals (see the link above). With that said, I think it’s interesting that he decided to take the Nationwide deal with JRM. It would seem that in a situation like Almirola’s, especially with his stock being high, that he would have wanted to capitalize fully and take a Cup deal. Instead, he will continue to have to prove himself and his ability in the NNS with JRM.
If Almirola continues to progress, and has continued success in the future, this should help serve as a lesson to owners about driver development. Instead of rushing these kids along, and giving them a season or two to prove themselves, why not keep them in lower series longer? Let them develop their skills, then bring them along slowly. Almirola is extremely lucky that he’s been given the chances to show that he can improve, and hopefully he will parlay those chances into more success on the track.
Two weeks, two problems and frustrations again boiled over on the radio between Juan Pablo Montoya and his crew chief Brian Pattie.
With the four tire stop that cost them the race at the Brickyard still fresh in their minds, Montoya entered the pits for a late race stop at Pocono. As he pulled in his box he rolled just ever slightly forward screwing up the teams rhythm and costing them time and positions.
What resulted was a 17 second pit stop and a profanity laced tirade that included Pattie telling Montoya he needed to go to Charlotte and practice pit stops, and Montoya telling Pattie, “Screw you!” He further blamed Pattie for making a bad call.
On the surface this appears to be the beginning of the end for the Pattie, Montoya relationship. Tension is building and that is evident in these select interactions between the two. Still, despite all the trouble the two have had this season I don’t think things aren’t quite as bad as they seem.
Juan Pablo Montoya is known for his temper, and his spectacular (I say sarcastically) ability to express his opinion and frustration – normally it involves an ‘f’ and a ‘you’.
Brian Pattie on the other hand is about as cool, calm and collected as they come. The difference in their personalities is one of the reasons I believe they have had such a productive (though not as successful as they would have liked) relationship.
It can’t be denied this hasn’t been a great season for team #42. They’ve had just four top-fives and sit 21st in the points. Most damaging of all, Montoya has had seven DNFs. On top of that it doesn’t look very good that his teammate Jamie McMurray has already had two wins in his inaugural season with EGR.
This was Montoya’s season to shine. Now he’s being outshined. Add that to some missed opportunities because of what turned out to be wrong decisions and Montoya is not very happy with his racing – and that’s translating to frustration with Pattie.
That brings us to the million dollar question: what does that mean for Brian Pattie and JPM going down the road? Is this the beginning of the end?
I don’t think so. No doubt this is a rough patch in their relationship. But I think the progress that has been made and the relationship that has been built is too valuable to give up on.
Fortunately for Pattie and Montoya, Chip Ganassi isn’t Jack Roush. And through the rough spots there have been moments of near triumph. It’s a matter of consistency and good luck, and right now the #42 team is struggling.
Given the right circumstances this is a team and combination that can be successful – I think outside the fleeting moments of anger all parties involved know that.
And in turn making Chip Ganassi, Johnny Morris and Kevin Manion look pretty good.
Since returning to his old home at Ganassi Jamie McMurray looks like a new man. Just past the halfway point of the season he has won (or almost won) the three most prestigious events on the NASCAR schedule. McMurray’s got two wins, three poles, six top-fives, seven top-tens, and has led 228 laps (the most of any year in his career). Despite three DNF’s, and some bad luck, McMurray is having one of the best years of his career.
The same can’t be said for the guy McMurray replaced.
Martin Truex Jr. was folded into the Ganassi organization at the beginning of last season, and quickly established his desire to be somewhere else. By July of ’09 he had announced his intended move to Michael Waltrip Racing.
Truex, with very similar equipment and team personnel to McMurray (same engines, same crew chief, though some differing chassis) was lackluster at best last season. In the same year his teammate made the Chase, Truex was only able to take three poles, one top-five and six top-tens. He finished 23rd in the points. This season he’s running just slightly better with an average finish of 19.3.
And how about Jack Roush? He gets rid of McMurray and the kid starts winning. In fact, McMurray started winning before he left Roush – he has the most recent Roush and Ford Cup Series win.
At this moment Roush has three drivers in the Chase, and one 24th in the points (McMurray is 16th). I’m not saying Roush should have gotten rid of David Ragan, but it’s gotta stink to see McMurray over winning big races while they struggle to get over their performance hump.
All the above about Roush said, I don’t think you’ll hear too many arguments that McMurray’s move to Roush wasn’t for the best – on the same token, not too many are saying right now his move away from Roush (as if he had a choice) was bad.
One guy who was a Jamie McMurray skeptic coming into this season was sporting goods mogul Johnny Morris (CEO of Bass Pro Shops). It took some convincing to get Morris to go along with the plan – and let’s be honest, outdoorsman is not the first word that comes to mind when you think of Jamie McMurray.
Though maybe not the best ambassador of the brand off the track, McMurray has shown he has what it takes to represent Bass Pro Shops on track. If you saw victory lane on Sunday, you saw Morris is a skeptic no more. He has even taken Chip Ganassi and McMurray out hunting (I’ll bet that was interesting).
You never know how things are going to turn out. That is a fact of life. And the story of Jamie McMurray and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing are a prime example of that. Just ask Ty Norris.
“I don’t think the stability to be able to compete against the Hendricks and the Roushes and the Gibbses has been (at Earnhardt Ganassi) because it has been something different for six months, and fortunately for him, we offered (Martin Truex Jr.) a safe haven” – Ty Norris – July, 2009
My how things change.
Isn’t it funny how things work out? Just a few short days after Shell announces it is leaving Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick following this season for Penske Racing and Kurt Busch, Harvick goes out and wins in dramatic fashion at Talladega. I swear, sometimes truth is stranger then fiction. The win will no doubt add fuel to the debate about where Harvick will end up next season. During a press conference on Friday at Talladega, Harvick said he’d be with a Chevrolet team next season, but didn’t go any further. So the question remains, where will he drive in 2011?
Late in 2009, it appeared that Harvick was attempting to get out of his contract with RCR so he could bolt for Stewart-Haas Racing. The thought was that he would leave and take long time sponsor Shell/Pennzoil with him to SHR, allowing Tony Stewart and Co. to start a third team. No such situation ever materialized though, and Childress held Harvick and Shell to their deals through 2010.
Between Harvick’s relationship with Stewart and the possible defection last season, many people have been left wondering if Harvick might still end up at SHR. The major road block for Harvick at SHR might now come in the form of Kasey Kahne. After he announced his deal to drive for Hendrick Motorsports starting in 2012, many have speculated that either he or Mark Martin could drive a third car for SHR next season. SHR has strong ties to Hendrick, and this deal would allow Stewart and Gene Haas to start their third team on Mr. H’s dime. Harvick now appears to not have a sponsor in his back pocket, and even if he did, Stewart may still be hesitant about bringing him on. SHR Competition Director Bobby Hutchens told Yahoo! Sports’ Jay Hart last week that their chances of expanding to a third team for 2011 are 50-50. So if that’s true, the chances of expanding to a fourth team for Harvick are probably even worse.
The only other major Chevrolet player in the garage area that could take on another team is Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. EGR presents an interesting opportunity, but considering they may have sponsor trouble for the #1 team after this season, they may not be looking to add a third team.
The only other option for Harvick that has been floated, is for him to take his current Nationwide/Truck team, Kevin Harvick Inc., and expand into the Cup Series. With the infrastructure in place at KHI, this could certainly be feasible, but it would be very difficult for Harvick to remain competitive against the super teams as a one car operation. An alignment with Childress or Hendrick would help considerably, but it wouldn’t guarantee success.
All of these reasons lead me to believe that Harvick’s options for 2011 might be very limited. In fact, he may only have once or two choices. The major hurdles that Harvick faces in trying to find a ride and/or sponsor for the future are his age, and his performance. Harvick is 34 years old and he’s not getting any younger. He’s trying to compete against kids that are much younger then he is, and who are often more appealing to sponsors. On top of that, Sunday’s win at Talladega was the first points paying win for Harvick in over two years, going back to the 2007 Daytona 500. His performance this season has been much improved over 2009, but he must continue to improve to be valuable.
So what is my prediction for Harvick and his future? I honestly think he finds a way to stay at RCR. It’s his best chance for success, and he will have both the Childress folks and his own working hard to find sponsorship. It would be a surprise to me to see him drive for anyone other then the only owner he’s every known.
We’re Kind Of A Big Deal… I just wanted to take a quick second to point out a big moment for us that happened on Sunday during the Cup race. Mike Joy, from the NASCAR on FOX team, mentioned our site and a post I did last week about double duty crews during the race broadcast. I wanted to give a HUGE thanks to Mike for doing that, as we know he’s been a reader of ours for some time. You’re the man! I also wanted to say welcome to any new folks that may have stopped by because of the mention. Take a look around the site and feel free to comment, ask questions, and hang out!
It’s happened before. And it will happen again. Something goes horribly wrong on pit road, and a guy gets hurt. Nobody wants to see it happen, but we all know it’s a possibility. In the event it does happen though, the teams have realized they need some sort of insurance policy.
For race teams, gone are the days when mechanics would be plucked out of the shop and thrown out onto pit road to service the car during the race. If you read us regularly, you’ve seen me talk about this topic before. Pit crew guys are becoming more specialized then ever before, with many coming from athletic backgrounds. Pit stop times continue to be cut down, and the margin for error grows smaller every year. And as such, many of the bigger teams are starting to invest in backup crew guys for those dreaded “what if” situations.
With the level of competition in the Cup Series what it is these days, it’s vital to an organization’s success that they are prepared for any situation. A team who is fighting for race wins and a championship can’t afford to lose their main guy after the first pit stop, throw some goober in to fill his spot, and then struggle on pit road for the remainder of the race. They need trained, capable guys waiting in the wings to jump in at a moment’s notice and perform.
It really is no different then other team sports. In baseball and basketball, you’ve got bench players; in football, a lengthy depth chart. These backup pit crews serve the same purpose.
In most cases, these crews train just like the first stringers, getting ample practice and gym time. In order for them to be plugged into an existing crew, there really isn’t any other way. The preparation must be the same.
Besides practice and workouts during the week, often times these backup pit crews have their own gigs during the weekend. Their teams will find them deals with Truck teams, NNS teams, or even other Cup teams to keep their race skills sharp.
One documented example we’ve seen of a backup crew this season, is that of Stewart-Haas Racing. The management at SHR put together a third pit crew and loaned them out to the #71 TRG team. The idea being that the team can stay sharp over the wall, but any member can be recalled at any moment to help one of the SHR teams.
Another example of a backup crew was seen last weekend at California. The rear tire changer for Juan Pablo Montoya’s team wasn’t able to go on Sunday, and since EGR doesn’t have their own backup crew guys, they borrowed one from Team Red Bull’s backup crew. If you watched the race, you may have noticed the change.
These backup guys are just another example of how teams continue to find ways to eliminate as many variables as possible. Like I said above, the margin for error grows ever smaller, and no team can afford to be left in the dust.
Bass Pro Shops and Kasey Kahne don’t seemingly have a lot in common, but with the season now in full swing the two are about to have a very similar decision to make: do they stay where they’re at or look for greener pastures elsewhere.
It’s well known Kahne and Bass Pro are in contract years, and given the tension they’ve had with their respective organizations in the past their futures might seem clear; but with recent success and transition both could make surprise moves.
For Bass Pro the transition from DEI to EGR was less than a happy one. It was quite apparent last year that they weren’t putting much into their long standing deal. Even worse, when Martin Truex Jr. left, EGR had to do a lot of convincing to get the company to sign off on Jamie McMurray.
In just a matter of a couple of months though Bass Pro went from skepticism of their new driver, to celebrating with him in victory lane at the Daytona 500. As a sponsor do you stick with the current iteration of a team you’ve been with for years or go elsewhere? Arguably McMurray isn’t the best representative of the company, but if he continues to perform is there any reason for them to move on?
For Kasey Kahne the decision to leave Richard Petty Motorsports is equally murky. He joined Evernham Motorsports in 2004 and in that time racked up 11 wins, including two last year. Since 2004 though, the organization has gone through two mergers and all but lost Ray Evernham’s guidance.
In September, Kahne was among those publicly and privately questioning who was in charge at RPM.
“There are not a lot of answers out there right now. I don’t know if it’s because we’re in the middle of a lot of things, we just don’t have a person in that position. I think Robbie Loomis is supposedly going to be that guy, but I don’t think that he is yet. Is it Foster? You can’t get anything out of Foster. So it’s hard to say who that is, and I think that’s because we’re in a lot of different things right now. But when you’re in things, you still need to keep your team and your guys, your company behind you knowing what’s going on, and we don’t have that. Hopefully, we’ll get it soon. The sooner we get that, the better everybody will be.”
Since that time though Kahne seems like a guy much happier with and much more sure of his situation. That said as one of the sport’s most popular and talented drivers, does he stick with a team that needs him more than he needs them? If Kahne enters free agency he’s sure to be the hottest driver on the market. He’ll likely be able to write his own ticket.
Certainly continued success is going to be important for all parties involved to consider staying where they’re at, but if that does happen is there a reason to move on? And how much success do Kahne and McMurray need to have?
No matter what happens from here on out, I think both have to consider the options available to them. Either one may choose to stay where they’re at, but with plenty of teams looking for sponsors and the likelihood of any number of available seats, Kahne and Bass Pro would be crazy to not see who’s interested.
So what do you think? Will Kahne and Bass Pro stay put? What will it take for their respective teams to keep them? If they do move on where do you think they’ll they go?
Following the 2008 season, Journo and myself wrote a series of posts that covered all the major teams in the Cup Series. We looked at where they had been in 2008 and where they were going in 2009. The posts contained some predictions for the 2009 season, with some being more specific then others. I thought, since 2009 is in the books, that it would be fun to go back over the posts and see how we fared with our predictions. Listed below you will find all the teams we covered, our predictions, and what actually happened. Enjoy!
Hendrick Motorsports Prediction: All four drivers will be contenders for the 2009 title. Actual:We were right, with one notable exception. Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the standings for HMS. But, Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled all season and finished a disappointing 25th.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Prediction:Martin Truex Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya should win a few races each and both could make the Chase. The jury is still out though on Aric Almirola. Actual: He never won a race, but Montoya did make the Chase and was a factor until late; we missed on Truex though. The Bass Pro Shops team only had one top five finish all season and they finished way down in 23rd in the standings. Almirola did struggle, and ended up only running eight races before the sponsorship money dried up.
Team Red Bull Prediction:Expect Scott Speed to struggle in his rookie season, and a top 30 in points would be a victory. Brian Vickers will finish in the top 15 in points, but the Chase will still be out of reach for this team. Actual: Speed did indeed struggle, and did not qualify for three races. He ended up 35th in driver standings and 36th in owner standings. He will be on the outside looking in for 2010. Vickers did a little better then we expected, with one win and a Chase appearance.
Joe Gibbs Racing Prediction:Denny Hamlin will make the Chase, but isn’t good enough to really contend yet. Kyle Busch will continue being a force and will contend for the Cup. In his rookie season Joey Logano will finish top 25 in the points and show flashes of brilliance. Actual: We were right about Hamlin and Logano, but we missed the call on Busch’s season. Hamlin finished fifth in the final standings, but too many DNFs in the Chase killed his chances at the Cup. Logano won at Loudon and finished 20th in the standings. Busch won four races, but struggled for much of the season and missed the Chase.
Richard Childress Racing Prediction: Jeff Burton will win 1-3 races and make the Chase, but will not be a contender. Clint Bowyer will win 3-5 races and challenge for the Cup. Casey Mears will finish top 20 in points at best. Kevin Harvick will win a couple races, make the Chase, and have an outside shot at the Cup. Actual: RCR was probably our biggest missed prediction. Bowyer, Burton, Harvick and Mears finished 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st respectively. The whole organization struggled all season and didn’t win a single race.
Stewart-Haas Racing Prediction: Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman will finish top 20 in points, we might see a couple wins between the two teams, but a Chase appearance and title contention are a few years away. Actual:SHR was definitely a pleasant surprise this season. Stewart won four races and finished sixth in the standings. He led the points going into the Chase, but lost his momentum and slipped down the stretch. Newman never found victory lane, but did make the Chase on his consistency and finished ninth.
Penske Racing Prediction: The whole organization will struggle with the exception of maybe Kurt Busch. Actual: Kurt Busch won two races and finished fourth in the Chase. Sam Hornish showed a little promise, but could only manage a 28th place points finish. David Stremme continued his history of lackluster performance and finished 32nd in the standings.
Gillett Evernham Motorsports/Richard Petty Motorsports Prediction: The team won’t improve much over 2008, Kahne and Allmendinger are their greatest hopes. Actual:Kahne won two races and did make the Chase, finishing 10th, but that was the bulk of their success. Allmendinger, Reed Sorenson, and Elliott Sadler all failed to finish inside the top 20 in points.
Roush Fenway Racing Prediction: Carl Edwards will be dominant and could be the leading contender for the championship. Matt Kenseth will win 1-2 races and make the Chase. Greg Biffle will also win a race or two and make the Chase, but will not be a serious contender for the title. David Ragan and Jamie McMurray should improve over 2008 but neither will contend or make the Chase. Actual: Edwards was a miss, as he failed to win a race and was never really a factor in the Chase. Kenseth did win two races, but just missed making the Chase. Biffle also went winless, but did make the Chase, finishing seventh. Ragan and McMurray had disappointing seasons, but McMurray did find victory lane at Talladega.
Yates Racing Prediction: Travis Kvapil and Paul Menard will continue to struggle. Bobby Labonte could surprise, but past history doesn’t bode well for him. Actual: Kvapil ended up only running the first five races before his team was shut down due to lack of funding. Menard didn’t earn a top five or top ten all season and finished 31st in the points. Labonte did manage one top five finish, but ended up 30th in the driver standings and was replaced in the #96 late in the season by Erik Darnell.
Michael Waltrip Racing Prediction: David Reutimann should continue to improve, but expect Michael Waltrip to hang up his driving gloves after 2009. Actual: Reutimann did indeed improve in 2009, and collected a win, five top five, and ten top ten finishes. His team nearly made the Chase, but they faded late in the season and finished 16th in the standings. Waltrip’s struggles continued and a 33rd place points finish will see him run only a part time schedule in 2010.
Robby Gordon Motorsports Prediction: Expect more of the same from Robby Gordon, a good finish here and there is the best he’ll do. Actual: Gordon struggled most of the season, and only mustered a 34th place points finish. He did finish third in the rain shortened Coke 600 though.
Last week Aric Almirola filed paperwork with the North Carolina Superior Court indicating he may have a breach of contract dispute with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
According to SceneDaily, which reported on the filing, Almirola indicated a breach of contract and unfair and deceptive trade practices. The filing gives Almirola until November 5 to file a complaint.
Almirola, who had been signed with DEI prior to the merger, drove the #8 car for seven races this season before the team was shut down due to a lack of funding. EGR has been working all season to get the car and Almirola back on track, and at one point we heard they had a sponsor signed, but they never received the money.
For his part, Almiorla has been running sporadic races with Billy Ballew, Key Motorsports and Phoenix Racing.
From where I stand this looks like a situation where Almirola has been told he won’t get the #1 ride. I’m guessing Bass Pro Shops is not the least bit interested in him. I know Chip Ganassi isn’t interested in giving another untested driver another shot in one of his cars (he’s been bit one too many times). Almirola really never had a chance.
Reminiscent of Elliott Sadler’s strong arming in the off-season, I’m guessing Almirola is looking to see where he stands. I’m not sure if he’s been offered a buyout and I have no idea if he has a leg to stand on here, but I think whatever the case, this is a bad move.
People don’t forget when you do stuff like this, especially around here. I think Sadler’s situation is a little more forgivable because he was presumably being forced out of his ride. He was desperate and in a very bad situation because of timing. Not the case here.
Almirola lost his ride because there was no money (that was seven months ago). He knew the situation going into it (no, he wasn’t forced out). On top of that he had a very lackluster seven races. He had an average finish of 32.8. His best finish was a 21st at Atlanta (for some reference during the same period Martin Truex had an average finish of 22.8 and Juan Montoya, 15.8). It’s not too easy to sell sponsorship when your driver is consistently running in the back.
Almirola won’t be driving the #1 car next year. He may get some cash from EGR, but you tell me if that’s worth forever being ‘that guy’. Let’s hope this gets settled before a suit is brought.