On Thursday, UPS announced what their future NASCAR involvement will entail. And as expected, their team side sponsorship has been drastically reduced. For 2012 the shipping giant will scale back to being just an associate sponsor on Carl Edwards #99, and will serve as a primary for just one Cup race. This move, coupled with a lack of sponsorship at Roush Fenway Racing (the 17 is still not fully backed for 2012) will most likely mean the end of David Ragan’s days as an RFR driver.
We’ve been hearing for a few weeks that the outlook for RFR’s #6 car was grim. And the later we get in the year without an announcement, the worse the chances are that sponsorship can be obtained to keep the team running. It’s been clear for some time now that UPS would not be back with Ragan, and there hasn’t been even a peep of a rumor about another possible backer.
For Ragan, this could spell the end of what has been a mediocre run with Roush Fenway. 2008 was by far his best season, with six top five, and 14 top ten finishes. He just barely missed making the Chase that year, and finished the season 13th in the points. He has not come anywhere near that level of success since.
If he ends up being released from RFR, Ragan’s options in the Cup Series would be extremely limited. There was talk a few weeks back that he could be a candidate for a ride with TRG, and if that is even true, it would probably be his only opportunity. Ragan is without major financial backing, and no big team will put him in a decent ride. The best he could maybe hope for is a chance at a competitive Nationwide or Truck Series ride.
There is still a little bit of time left, and with it a small chance that something could still be done to save RFR’s 6 car and David Ragan’s seat. But if Ragan is smart, he’s been working the phones for the last few months trying to track down some backing and/or a new ride. For a guy as nice as Ragan is, hopefully somebody calls back.
TheNASCARInsiders.com Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
On Tuesday, shortly after a Turner Motorsports press release confirmed our breaking news from Monday (Dollar General gone), we found out that Reed Sorenson had been bounced from Turner’s #32 Chevy. The exact reason for why he was given the boot isn’t clear, but performance can be ruled out. Sorenson has a win this season, sits third in the driver points, and is consistently the best performing Turner driver. So now, left with no ride for the remainder of the season, and no big money behind him, Sorenson’s future looks bleak.
It’s certainly been a few years ago, but if you might remember, there was a time when Sorenson was the hottest young driver in NASCAR. After winning two races and finishing fourth in the points in his first full season in the Busch Series, Sorenson was given a full time Cup ride in 2006 with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Unfortunately for him though, that 2005 Busch season was the best of his career. After four and a half seasons in the Cup Series, and some moderate Nationwide Series success since, Sorenson now finds himself without a ride.
Considering his past, and the fact that he doesn’t have a sponsor in his pocket, I’m wondering who, if anyone, will give Sorenson another shot. He clearly won’t get another decent ride in the Cup Series, though he has shown he can be competitive in good equipment in the Nationwide Series. But what NNS team that fits that description is going to put him in a race car?
Following the Dollar General press release, Turner announced that Brian Vickers will drive the #32 at Kansas and Charlotte. Who will drive the car beyond that isn’t yet known, but Steve Turner said they will continue to “evaluate their racing program.” For Sorenson though, barring some sort of last minute miracle, don’t expect to see him get in another car to protect his third place position in the points. His 2011 season is now shot, and the future doesn’t look much better.
We are hearing that Turner Motorsports had meetings with the majority of their employees today and handed out letters in accordance with the North Carolina WARN Act regarding layoffs. In case you aren’t familiar, the WARN Act “requires a 60-day notice to the state and employees if at least 50 employees will be laid off because of the closure or shutdown of a business unit or if a company has layoffs of at least 50 people that impact 33 percent of a workforce at a single site.” The reason for possible upcoming layoffs at Turner is the loss of sponsor Dollar General. Dollar General is currently the sponsor on Reed Sorenson’s #32 car, and has been a team sponsor going back to when Turner was Braun Racing. Don’t expect Dollar General to disappear though, as they are rumored to be working with another team for the future.
As for Turner, not every employee is in danger as they are expected to have at least two full time trucks, two full time Nationwide cars, and possibly a third part time NNS team in 2012.
We will keep you posted as we hear more.
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.
Pit road has played a big roll in the outcome of races this season, and as the Cup and Nationwide Series search for their 2011 champions, an even bigger emphasis will be placed on the crews. Those drivers with the strongest pit crews will have a serious advantage as we come into the home stretch. Knowing that, some teams have made moves to strengthen their performance over the wall. Two recent pit crew shakeups have already paid dividends to their teams, and the moves could be crucial in the hopes of two contenders.
Saturday night in Richmond, Kevin Harvick re-emerged as a legitimate title contender. After spending much of the summer struggling to find some measure of mojo, Harvick and the 29 team showed they are ready to take a shot at unseating the 48. And what was a big key to Harvick’s fourth win of the season? A key pit stop late in the race. With 15 laps to go, a caution brought the field to pit road, and fast work by Harvick’s crew put the 29 ahead of Jeff Gordon on the ensuing restart. Harvick was then able to hold off Carl Edwards for the win, and secure his spot tied with Kyle Busch atop the standings heading to Chicago.
If you might remember, it’s only been a few weeks since Richard Childress Racing replaced it’s pit crew coach. And along with the coaching change came a new front changer for Harvick’s crew. Tim Sheets, who has spent the season changing for Elliott Sadler’s #2 team in the Nationwide Series, was brought up to help alleviate some of the pit stop issues Harvick has experienced this season. Needless to say, the move has worked.
In the Nationwide Series, the battle for the driver’s title is a tight one. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. only has a 16 point cushion between himself and second place Elliott Sadler with seven races remaining. In order to give Stenhouse the best possible chance to win the championship, Jack Roush has pulled out all the stops. After a tough night at Atlanta, Stenhouse’s entire pit crew was replaced with the #6 Cup crew of David Ragan. The change provided immediate results. With the double duty #6 guys servicing his race car at Richmond, Stenhouse never ran lower than seventh in the race, and finished a very strong third behind Kyle Busch and Edwards.
Because racing has become so tight out on the track, teams have discovered that it is often easier to make passes on pit road. And in order to do that, they need the quickest six guys they can put together. As the Chase gets ready to kick off this weekend, expect pit road to be a big factor in who takes home this season’s Cup.
It was announced on Wednesday that starting in 2012, Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Nationwide Series program would be “merged” with Richard Childress Racing. Effectively, what this “merger” means, is that KHI’s #2 and #33 NNS teams will now be run out of RCR’s shop in Welcome, NC. Elliott Sadler will continue piloting the #2 and a round robin of Cup drivers will drive the #33. This announcement, combined with the recent rumors of the demise of KHI’s Truck Series program, really make me wonder if after ten years in existence we aren’t seeing the end of what Kevin and Delana built.
If you might remember, it hasn’t quite been a year since RCR announced it would no longer field it’s own NNS entries, and that it would combine it’s efforts with KHI. Now the move is being reversed.
Why Kevin and Delana are getting out now is unclear, but what is certain is why RCR is interested in having a Nationwide program back under it’s roof: Richard’s grandsons Austin and Ty Dillon. Austin is currently in his second season behind the wheel of RCR’s #3 truck, and appears set to join the Nationwide Series full time for 2012. Taking control of two established teams gives RCR a leg up in giving Austin what he needs to be successful next season and beyond.
Brother Ty, who is currently rolling over the competition in ARCA (he currently has a 405 point lead in the standings), would be in line to take over the #3 truck from Austin. And it won’t be long before Ty is himself running NNS races.
Something else to consider, is if this move might be an indication that Clint Bowyer could actually be departing RCR at season’s end. We’ve heard that if Bowyer does leave, there is a good chance that the #33 Cup team will be shut down. Taking on multiple NNS entries would be a replacement for that team, and would allow RCR to hang on to employees they might otherwise let go.
Harvick is scheduled to address the media on Friday at Richmond, where he will hopefully shed some more light on what the future looks like for KHI. But after it appeared he could be on the road to being the next owner/driver in the Cup Series, it now looks like KHI is being dismantled.
With the Cup Series delayed until at least Tuesday, I figured we’d take a look at an incident that took place during Saturday night’s Nationwide Series race at Atlanta. Late in the going, Justin Allgaier got into Turner Motorsports teammate Reed Sorenson in turn two, causing a wreck that ended the night for Sorenson and Trevor Bayne. Allgaier’s move underneath Sorenson appeared to be a bit overzealous, as there wasn’t really an opening, and he effectively took his teammate four wide in the corner. It was a choice that shouldn’t have been made, and we heard owner Steve Turner was none too pleased with Allgaier following the race.
What made the incident look doubly bad for Allgaier, was the fact that coming into Atlanta, Sorenson only trailed points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by ten points. But following the race, Sorenson now sits 40 markers behind Stenhouse. Both Turner drivers were running in the top ten at the time of the incident, and appeared to be on their way to good finishes. Now, Sorenson’s #32 team faces the daunting task of trying to make up 40 points with only eight races remaining.
As an owner, it’s got to be difficult to stomach seeing one of your cars wreck another of your cars. Not only does it kill any chance for a good finish, but its also going to cost thousands of dollars to repair the wrecked car. You can be sure that if I was that owner, a serious butt chewing would be coming to my driver.
In this case, it’s interesting that it was Allgaier who made the bad move. You don’t usually see him put himself and other drivers in bad spots. He’s a talented driver and a good kid, and you could see in his post race interview that he was upset with what happened. But everyone makes mistakes and hopefully Allgaier learns from this one.
As I close, I just want to wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day from both myself and Journo.
With Carl Edwards locked up for the foreseeable future at Roush Fenway Racing, we found out today that Fastenal is the first company to sign on as a primary sponsor for Edwards’ #99 Fords. Starting with the 2012 Daytona 500, Fastenal will sponsor 17 races a year for Edwards over the next few years. Edwards’ current main sponsor, Aflac, has yet to announce whether they will return to RFR, but this announcement shows that at the very least Aflac is scaling back. But while its good to see a sponsor move from the Truck Series, through the Nationwide Series, and into Cup sponsorship, the move isn’t all good.
As we move closer to the end of the 2011 season, much remains up in the air for RFR. Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Edwards, and David Ragan all have contracts for next season, but as of today, only Biffle (3M) has a full sponsorship deal. Edwards still needs about half his inventory filled, and questions remain for Ragan and Kenseth. We know for sure that Crown Royal won’t return next season as a team sponsor for anyone, as they’ve signed on to sponsor the Brickyard 400, and the future of UPS has yet to be announced. And RFR developmental drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne still don’t have firm plans.
As RFR pursues sponsorship for 2012, Fastenal’s move to the Cup Series really comes at the expense of their Nationwide Series program and the series as whole. As one of our Twitter followers (@kebzach) pointed out today, Fastenal now represents another sponsor lost by the Nationwide Series. The industrial supply company has been the primary sponsor for Edwards’ #60 NNS Fords for the last couple of seasons, and they’ve appeared on the hoods and quarter panels of the other RFR NNS teams as well. We already know that Edwards won’t compete full time in the NNS for 2012, but now we know we’ve lost a full time team and a major sponsor.
We’ve all heard it time and again, but moves like these are just another symptom of the current climate of NASCAR business. Teams need to find ways to keep their Cup cars racing, and poaching sponsors from other series is one way to go about it. Hopefully Roush is able to track down a company to back Edwards’ partial NNS bid, and fill the remaining inventory for it’s other Cup and NNS teams.
Patrick Carpentier wanted to end his career on a high note. He chose the Nationwide race at his home town race track knowing he’d have a decent shot at a win and a very good chance at a top five finish. But after running up front early on in the race, two incidents (one involving Steven Wallace) ended his day early. And it was frustration for the Wallace incident coupled with another major factor, that led to Carpentier’s crew chief, Jerry Baxter, sending Wallace a message.
Carpentier being knocked out of the race early was not only an unceremonious end to his driving career, but it was also an abbreviated end to MWR’s #99 Nationwide Series team for the foreseeable future. Travis Pastrana was supposed to compete in seven races this season for the team, but his busted ankle put an end to those plans. Now the team is left without a driver or sponsor, and word is will be shut down until Pastrana is ready to go sometime next season. With that in mind, it’s not difficult to understand why Baxter was upset.
I don’t want it to seem like I’m justifying what transpired, as grabbing somebody by the hair on national television is nothing close to acceptable behavior, I just want it known that there are two sides to every story. And it was only a matter of time before somebody took a shot at Wallace off the race track.
In Baxter’s case, something tells me that he understood a fine or suspension was trivial considering his team’s situation, and he decided to take the opportunity to stick up for his guys and his driver. His method for doing so was misguided, but you can’t fault his intentions.
We’ll find out early this week if NASCAR took exception to Baxter’s actions, as penalties for the previous weekend are usually announced on Tuesdays. And it will be interesting to see just what NASCAR is willing to let slide under the “have at it boys” policy. Either way, it’s a shame the whole day went down like it did for all involved.
Cue Gene Kelly singing a slightly different tune.
It took us 22 weeks, but we finally had our first rain out of the season after a close call at Pocono.
This of course moves the race to Monday on ESPN – a notably smaller audience and reach. In recent years this wouldn’t have been a problem for the Nationwide Series. Rain tires, windshield wipers and brake light have gotten the job done. For the Cup Series though, that option doesn’t exist. This delay has raised the inevitable question of why what’s good enough for the Nationwide Series is not good enough for the Cup Series.
And this morning, as you peruse the NASCAR press, there are a lot of opinions about the use of rain tires in the Cup Series – a move that would have kept the Series in it’s prime TV slot and maintained the audience.
NASCAR Vice President Robin Pemberton said:
“We feel at this level, it really throws a wild card in there… Our guys, we’re a series that doesn’t have experience on rain tires. It’s a lot to put on them. Nowadays the championships are so close and making the Chase is so close, it’s a lot of pressure to put on one race at this stage of the season.“
The fact is, he’s right. The series never has raced on rain tires and it would be nothing short of risky to put them out there under the present circumstances. Should preparations have been made for such a scenario though?
Obviously rain tires on an oval are out of the question. But the Nationwide Series has proven, if not with mixed results, that it can work on a stock car. It’s true that the racing is rough, sloppy and frankly not very good, but it is possible.
For NASCAR though ensuring the quality of the racing has to be a top priority. We’ve seen in the past when things have gone wrong and the damage it can do to the sport and to the venue hosting – I point you to the tire fiasco at Indianapolis in 2008.
Is it better to have a race because we can? Or should we be ensuring the conditions are optimal for the race we want?
I’ll admit, I thought some of Pemberton’s excuses were shaky. But I don’t necessarily think this is a bad policy for NASCAR. The races we’ve run in the rain have been entertaining only for the novelty of the event. I know I’d rather see a delayed good race on Monday than a forced bad race on Sunday.
Tell us what you think! Would you like to see the Cup Series on rain tires? Do you wish we’d raced on Sunday instead of Monday? Let us know.
By the way, check out the race at noon 10 am on ESPN.