It was announced this week that Cole Whitt will attempt to make his Cup Series debut at Phoenix for Red Bull Racing. The team will enter a third car for Whitt, who will have to qualify on time. If it goes well, expect Red Bull to enter Whitt at Homestead as well. The move would seem to make sense, as Red Bull has backed Whitt’s Truck Series effort for much of the season, except for the fact that Red Bull is shutting down it’s NASCAR program after Homestead. Why spend money continuing to develop a driver for a team that won’t exist in a few weeks?
Whitt is currently competing in his first full season in the Truck Series, and has had a very solid year. Running for Stacy Compton’s under-funded Turn One Racing, he actually led the points earlier in the year, and is still solidly in the top ten. He’s also locked in a battle with Joey Coulter and Nelson Piquet, Jr. for the Rookie of the Year title. His performance this season certainly warrants opportunities to advance his career.
If Red Bull were continuing it’s NASCAR operation, getting Whitt more experience would be important. They would need to replace Kasey Kahne in the #4, and Whitt would certainly be a candidate to do so in the next year or two. We’ve heard that Jay Frye may be close to securing an investor to keep the team afloat, and getting Whitt up to speed might be a major selling point. Take that at face value though, because this rumor has surfaced several times over the last few months and a deal has yet to be made.
There is another rumor floating around about where Whitt could end up, and this one might have some teeth.
In a recent interview with NASCAR.com’s Dave Rodman, Whitt said “Red Bull has already committed to him a similar program as he had in 2011, for next season.” So even if Red Bull Racing shuts down, Red Bull will maintain some level of sponsorship involvement with Whitt next season. And the NASCAR.com article seemed to imply that Whitt may be shopping that deal.
With that in mind, the other rumor we’ve heard is that Whitt might be the third driver to fill out the lineup for Michael Waltrip Racing’s #00 next year. We know Mark Martin will run 25 races, and that Michael Waltrip will drive another five, so MWR is looking to fill the seat for the remaining six races. Whitt’s backing from Red Bull might be the key to getting him into those races.
These are nothing more than rumors at this point, but expect Whitt to end up in a decent ride for next season. As for these two possible Cup races, it’s certainly an interesting move for a lame duck team to bring out a third car for a developmental driver. Somebody clearly has a plan for young Mr. Whitt.
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The end of the 2011 season is drawing near, and it seems we hear every week about another team that is preparing to lay off employees. The U.S. economy has still not rebounded, and even though some signs are better for NASCAR (like TV ratings), it would appear that we haven’t yet found the bottom. It all adds up to what will be another tough winter for many employed in and around the sport.
Thanks to North Carolina’s WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act, we’ve had several public notifications within the last few weeks about impending race team layoffs. The state requires a 60 day notice if more than 50 workers will be laid off because of a company shutdown. Red Bull Racing, Kevin Harvick Inc., and Germain Racing have all filed with the state.
Red Bull and KHI are organizations that will be shut down completely at season’s end. We’ve obviously known about Red Bull for several months, and we learned within the last month about KHI. The Nationwide Series teams that were housed at KHI will be absorbed by Richard Childress Racing, so there is some hope for a few. But that still leaves several hundred people looking for work.
Germain, while still a bad situation, isn’t quite as dire as Red Bull and KHI. Germain knows for certain they have funding for 22 races for their Cup Series program for next season, but their Truck teams are in limbo. Brendan Gaughan may not return, GEICO won’t sponsor Max Papis, and they’ve been piecing together sponsorship for Todd Bodine for the last several seasons. With so much still to figure out, they didn’t have any other choice but to file their notice.
Besides these teams, we know there is a good chance RCR will cut back down to three Cup teams with the departure of Clint Bowyer. Roush Fenway Racing could be facing cuts, as sponsorship remains a big question for their #6 and #17 Cup teams. There is also word that their Nationwide Series program could be significantly smaller next season. And while we are talking about NNS teams, Turner Motorsports might be cutting back both their NNS and Truck programs because of lack of sponsorship. There are also questions at Rusty Wallace Racing, as it appears they need a replacement for 5 Hour Energy.
It isn’t all bad though. If Bowyer does end up at Michael Waltrip Racing like it has been rumored, that team would go from two cars to three. Also, Stewart Haas is adding at least a partial third Cup car with the addition of Danica Patrick. We also know that Eddie Sharp Racing will expand significantly next season, as the team has purchased the #8 and #33 trucks from KHI to add to their already existing #6 truck. Possible drivers for those seats include Cale Gale and Tim George, Jr. And besides adding KHI’s #8 and #33 NNS teams, RCR will start a third NNS team for Austin Dillon.
With eight weeks remaining, there are still a lot of unfinished plans. Drivers like Brian Vickers and Mark Martin still haven’t locked down seats for 2012, and there are plenty of other free agent drivers in the lower series. We also continue to hear that Red Bull’s involvement in NASCAR may not completely end. The chance still exists for that team to continue in some form or another. Either way, here’s to hoping everyone lands on their feet following Homestead.
With the announcement last week that Red Bull was ceasing its NASCAR operations at the end of the season, the 2011 Silly Season went into full overdrive. While the number of available rides just potentially got cut by one, the number of unanswered questions increased. Can Red Bull find investors? What will Brian Vickers do next season?
Along with those unanswered questions about Red Bull are the drivers and teams who find themselves without a solid deal for 2012. Still what are the realistic opportunities for movement before next season.
Carl Edwards is in the final year of his deal with Roush Fenway Racing and easily finds himself as the hottest prospect. He’s the current points leader and a 19-time winner in the Cup Series.
Edwards has been the subject of a rumored move to Joe Gibbs Racing. While a fourth car at Gibbs is the best option available to Edwards, is it really better than his current position with Roush Fenway? I think, at best, it represents a lateral move for the driver.
The rumors of an Edwards to Gibbs move no doubt came from either Gibbs or Edwards – either way it strengthens Edward’s negotiating position at Roush, which, I think, was the purpose of the rumors. We’ll see what happens, but I think the driver will more than likely stay where he is; despite his potential to bring money wherever he goes.
Clint Bowyer is in the final year of his contract with Richard Childress Racing and has been the subject of a rumored move to Red Bull Racing (that is, before Red Bull announced they were leaving the sport). Bowyer has had success at RCR but has played second fiddle to Kevin Harvick. With a move to Red Bull now out of the question, Bowyer is also very likely to stay where he is.
Brian Vickers finds himself in a worse position than the other two drivers mentioned. He has been with Red Bull Racing since the team began in 2006, leaving Hendrick Motorsports for the opportunity. With a severe lack of opportunities, he doesn’t have many better options but to stick it out with Red Bull and hope Jay Frye can put together investors capable of keeping the team alive.
Mark Martin is a man toward the end of his career who is not ready to end his career. With Kasey Kahne moving into Martin’s spot at Hendrick Motorsports when Martin’s contract ends at the end of the year, Martin is a wild card. Excluding unsubstantiated rumors that he would be investing in Red Bull Racing, Martin’s future remains very murky. He and Jay Frye have a relationship from Martin’s time at Ginn Racing and it wouldn’t be surprising, if Frye can put the investors together, that Martin ends up in a Frye car. We’ll see what happens, but that may be the only Cup opportunity available to the 52-year-old driver.
Danica Patrick, while maybe not the most sought after driver, is perhaps the most intriguing driver of this Silly Season. She is in the final year of her deals with Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series and JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series and brings with her big sponsorship and endorsement deals. Her realistic available opportunities include a continued role at JR Motorsports and perhaps a third team at Stewart Haas Motorsports. Both are of course contingent upon the money she brings, but she can no doubt bring the money. We’ll see if she brings her talents to NASCAR.
What are your thoughts on the current Silly Season, these drivers and others? Where do you think these drivers will end up? Talk amongst yourselves.
Seven races into the season and all those questions we got in the off-season are starting to be answered, namely what off-season changes have worked, and in some cases haven’t so far in 2011.
One of the biggest changes that came after Homestead last season (and the topic for this particular follow up) was the crew chief swap at Hendrick Motorsports. Alan Gustafson was moved from the #5 to the #24; Lance McGrew was moved from the #88 to the #5, and Steve Letarte was moved from the #24 to the #88. And the results so far? Well, it’s a mixed bag.
After struggling through much of last season, Mark Martin’s fortunes have not turned around with new crew chief Lance McGrew. Through the first seven races of last season Martin averaged a finish of 16.1 including three top-fives – this year, he’s averaging 17th place finish with just two top-ten finishes. He finds himself 15th in points.
How about Jeff Gordon? He was able to finally overcome that winless streak and head to victory lane at Phoenix, but he’s had some struggles elsewhere. A wreck at Las Vegas and sub-20th place finishes at Texas and Daytona have pushed Gordon’s average finish to 17.9 – compare that to an average finish of 12.2 after the first seven races of last season. In points, he sits next to teammate Mark Martin in 14th.
The biggest winner of this shift appears to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. who struggled through his first three seasons at Hendrick with crew chiefs Tony Eury Jr., and Lance McGrew. With Steve Letarte at the helm Junior hasn’t finished worse than 12th since Daytona and was in position to win at Martinsville. With an average finish of 10.9 he sits sixth in the points right now. Not too shabby for a guy who, just a few short months ago, finished an abysmal 21st in points. Consider though through the first seven last year he was averaging a 14th place finish and sat 10th in the points. Can his strong start be maintained?
With 29 races still remaining in the season there is a ton of time for the slow starters to start making some headway. Still it’s interesting to see where they stand right now. What do you think of the swap? Has it been a success? A flop? Talk amongst yourselves.
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 26, 2011) – In an odd racing coincidence, three drivers will be celebrating milestone starts in Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500.
Mark Martin, Greg Biffle and Jamie McMurray will all be making historic starts in their careers.Ironically Biffle and McMurray will both be celebrating their 300th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts. That is a pretty impressive number, until you take a look at Martin’s. In fact, he has more Cup races under his belt than Biffle and McMurray combined.
The 52-year-old Martin will be making his 800th NASCAR Sprint Cup career start at Martinsville in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. Martin has 40 wins in his Cup career, which began in 1981. He has two race wins at Martinsville, the 1992 Hanes 500 and the 2000 Goody’s 500. Coincidentally Martin’s first career top-five finish came at Martinsville on Sept. 27, 1981. He finished third behind Darrell Waltrip and Harry Gant.
HARMONIZING: The Virginia Military Institute Glee club will perform a prerace show of patriotic songs from the front stretch Sunday afternoon and then sing “God Bless America” before Trace Adkins sings the National Anthem.The VMI Glee Club, which has been in existence since 1858, has entertained groups from coast-to-coast, singing for everything from gubernatorial inaugurations to the National Shrine in Washington, DC, to PGA Tournaments. Their version of the anthem is authentic and traditional. The VMI Glee Club is made up of 30 cadets from all classes, academic majors and ROTC affiliations at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. It is the oldest performing group at VMI.VMI is the nation’s oldest state supported military college, founded in 1839.
FLYOVER REPEAT: The VFA-31 Tomcatters out of the Naval Air Station in Oceana, VA, are back for their second turn opening the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 with a flyover. Lieutenant Commander Kevin Robb and Lieutenant Dustin Packer put on quite the show from the pilot seats for their F/A-18E Super Hornets.
GRADING THE FLYOVER: The Tomcatters will have a set of experienced eyes watching them Sunday afternoon. Lieutenant General Jeffrey A. Remington, a three-star Air Force general, will be taking in a day at the race on Sunday.Remington knows a thing or two about piloting a jet. He is a command general with over 4,100 hours flying mostly F-15s and F-16s.
FAMOUS ZIP CODE: Martinsville Speedway’s zip code is 24148, which is tied to Ridgeway, Va. You may spot someone this weekend from a more legendary zip code: 90210, which of course is tied to Beverly Hills. You remember the TV show: Beverly Hills 90210. Jason Priestly, who played teen hunk Brandon Walsh on the 90s era TV show, is a racer and a race fan. He’s wanted to come to Martinsville Speedway for a lot of years. He will be here for race weekend, but in a low-key fashion, enjoying race from the infield.
TICKETS: Good seats remain for next Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 and the speedway ticket office has plenty of options to allow easy ticket purchase right up until the start of the race.
Fans may call 877.RACE.TIX to purchase from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Tickets may also be purchased online by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Fans may also opt for a print-at-home option when buying tickets.The Martinsville Speedway ticket office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day this week for ticket purchases.
Three Drivers To Make Milestone Starts In Martinville is a post from: Awesome Race Fans
If you thought before the season that Turner Motorsports was just a flash in the pan, or that they wouldn’t be contenders, the first three Nationwide Series races have been a rude awakening. Following Las Vegas, Turner’s full time drivers sit first, third, and fifth in the standings, and don’t appear to be going away any time soon. And the team’s fourth car, with Mark Martin behind the wheel, showed Turner can not only contend, but win.
When I wrote back in December about how I thought Turner could be on their way to being the next NASCAR powerhouse team, I knew it was certainly a possibility, I just didn’t realize it would manifest itself this quickly. They do have a solid nucleus of young and talented drivers, and a strong base of sponsors. Add to that the fact that they were able to bring Martin into the mix, and you’ve got a good recipe for success.
The team, which also includes two trucks, suffered a tough blow at Phoenix a week ago when James Buescher failed to qualify. Martin’s win however, will provide a serious boost to a team trying to establish themselves. It also shows that Buescher’s DNQ was probably closer to a freak incident, rather than what will be the norm.
While Turner does get equipment from some of the best in the business, the team definitely needs to be commended for the results they’ve been able to put up without the backing of a major Cup Series operation. They compete week in and week out with teams like those from Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway, and they’re showing they’ve got what it takes to win.
Moving forward, it will be important to the health and future of the organization that their full time drivers find a way to win. It’s great that an ace-in-the-hole driver like Martin can come in and win, because it shows the equipment is there, but the other drivers are the key to Turner’s long term viability.
If Saturday was any indication though, those W’s could be coming very soon.
Filed under: Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR
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Filed under: Mark Martin, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR
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Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Sprint Cup, NASCAR