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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.
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.
Since hearing in June that Red Bull was effectively pulling out of NASCAR, information about the team’s future has been very sparse. The team’s manager, Jay Frye, has been working to try and find investors to buy the team, but his efforts have yet to pay off. And it seems that the chances of Red Bull Racing surviving dwindle with each passing day that we don’t hear news. There were some recent rumblings that Canadian racer Jacques Villeneuve could be a possible buyer, but his manager told Auto123.com that there has been nothing more than discussions, and that they are exploring other opportunities as well. But now, even as employees are being notified of their impending layoff, all hope might not be lost. Recent comments from Red Bull head Dietrich Mateschitz seem to indicate that maybe Red Bull isn’t quite ready to abandon the U.S.’s largest racing series just yet.
In an article from Thursday on the British Formula 1 website, Pitpass.com, Mateschitz was asked about the closing of Red Bull’s NASCAR operation. His response was surprising:
“This (the closing of Red Bull Racing) is not yet a final decision but we had many reasons to re-analyse our involvement with the goal of either to confirm our participation in NASCAR or to question it.”
The Pitpass.com piece goes on to say “[Mateschitz] adds that the key factors which will affect Red Bull’s decision are target groups, marketing, media values, the engine, the fact that NASCAR is a purely American series and of course success and the cost to benefit ratio.”
Wait, what? That’s quite a turnaround from the doom and gloom we were hearing from this group over the summer. To me, that doesn’t sound like an executive who is closing up his NASCAR team at year’s end. That sounds like Red Bull is still evaluating their involvement, and hasn’t shut the door completely on continuing to back a NASCAR operation.
To be successful moving forward though, RBR is going to need some fundamental changes and a different approach. NASCAR isn’t Formula 1, and you can’t win races by just outspending everyone. NASCAR is a completely different animal, and somebody should have shown Mateschitz that from the beginning.
It’s crazy that only nine weeks remain for the 2011 season, and there is still a lot we don’t know. Undoubtedly, the face of organizations like Roush Fenway and Richard Childress Racing will be different next year. And there are still quite a few free agent drivers that have yet to find a home for 2012 and beyond. Let’s hope that among all this madness we don’t have to erect a headstone for Red Bull Racing. The sport simply cannot afford to continue losing sponsors and teams at this rate. Hopefully something will change Mateschitz’s mind, and Red Bull Racing is brought back from the brink.
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.
After five years in existence, we learned via Jenna Fryer on Monday that Red Bull Racing will be no more after this season. There are a lot of rumors and speculation about the future of the organization, but plan A at this point appears to involve manager Jay Frye and the hope of attracting outside investors. Only time will tell if Frye can actually put a deal together to keep the doors open of their Lakeside shop.
Exactly why Red Bull is getting out now remains a mystery. Speculation has hinged on everything from their performance issues to business reasons. NASCAR has struggled in recent years with the key male 18-34 demographic, and that is Red Bull’s target market. With fewer of their target consumers tuning in, this would seem to be a plausible explanation. I’m not sure I buy that however.
To me, this move appears to be Red Bull cutting their losses. They’ve sunk millions into this race team over the last five years and they have very little to show for it. Brian Vickers has the organization’s lone Cup Series win, which came back in 2009. At the time, it appeared Red Bull was on their way, but performance has been a disappointment since then. The outlook for RBR was positive coming into 2011, but the season hasn’t panned out to this point. Kasey Kahne is currently 19th in the standings and Brian Vickers is 24th. Kahne is their top threat to win every week, but he’s leaving at season’s end for Hendrick.
It is my belief that regardless of NASCAR’s demographic issues, if Red Bull was winning and a regular contender, they’d stay. Let me remind you that this is a company that has spent well north of $600 million on it’s Formula 1 teams since 2004. The difference being that Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber are contenders.
I also want to point out that I don’t think Red Bull’s departure is some sort of drastic sign about the health of the sport. NASCAR is still a very viable avenue for companies looking to spend marketing dollars, and recent deals like the one HMS struck with Farmers Insurance show that. It may not happen immediately, but Red Bull’s spots on the grid will be filled.
Moving forward, even though Red Bull appears to be giving up their ownership stake, their NASCAR involvement may not end completely. Becoming a regular sponsor of either a driver or races could be an option. Here’s to hoping this is the case.
It’s always nice for the teams when we get to this part of the schedule, because with all three series racing in Charlotte, it means most get to sleep in their own beds. But a crowded weekend schedule, along with a trip to Iowa for the Nationwide cars, means some will have a very busy couple of days.
As we’ve talked about here many times before, there are some individuals and some full crews that pit race cars across multiple series. A few do it within their own companies, and others pit cars for many different race teams. You’d think Charlotte races would make for an easier weekend, but that isn’t necessarily the case.
Consider this example. The five guys that pit Trevor Bayne’s Cup car are also the same guys that pit Carl Edwards’ NNS ride. With their commitments between both cars, they will be pitting race cars four straight days. The Daytona 500 win made Bayne eligible for the All Star race, and his crew eligible for the Pit Crew Challenge. So his guys will spend Thursday at Time Warner Cable Arena for the Challenge. Then, they will head out to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday because qualifying for the All Star race includes that all important pit stop. On Saturday, the team will be busy working the All Star race. And they will close out their weekend with a nice short trip out to Iowa to pit Edwards’ Mustang on Sunday. Whew, I’m tired for them.
Besides this group, there are other guys and crews who will work Friday night’s Truck race, Saturday’s All Star race or Showdown, and then fly out to Iowa for the NNS race. The backup teams for the likes of Red Bull Racing and Hendrick Motorsports will have weekends similar to this. And many of these guys will be right back to their shop or other jobs on Monday morning.
Thanks to weekends like this, it isn’t uncommon for some guys to pit race cars in 70+ races a year. It can be extremely grueling and tough on the body over the course of a 10 month season. But for those that are willing to hustle, there is experience to be had and some nice money to be made.
We entered this season with a lot of great drivers at the end of their contracts. Among them were Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer. Biffle has already re-signed with Roush Fenway, but the other three are still without contracts for next year and beyond.
While they hold out to weigh their options, I suspect they’re not finding a whole lot out there. The issue isn’t whether there are seats available but if there are seats available that improve upon the drivers’ current situations.
The prospect of a fourth car at Gibbs, and a third car at Penske and maybe even Ganassi or Stewart Haas exists; all though are very dependent on sponsorship. And while a big name driver helps in securing that all important support, there are no guarantees.
Another option is Red Bull Racing that, at the moment, doesn’t have a single driver signed up for 2012. The problem with this team though is that its performance doesn’t come close to matching that of rival organizations. It’s very much a downgrade for top prospects Edwards and Bowyer.
Even with Gibbs, Penske et al., the best Bowyer and Edwards can hope for is a lateral move (which is why neither will go anywhere). They’re both currently driving for two of the top teams in the sport. Vickers can look around, but I doubt he’ll find any opportunities for improvement.
For Edwards, his is very much the A-team at Roush. Though he has been looking, is he going to improve upon that position somewhere else? I doubt it.
While Edwards and anyone else who may be playing the field might not be going anywhere, what talking to others does do is improve their position with their current teams. Create demand for yourself and you’ll get what you want. I’m sure it will work beautifully for Edwards.
So the long and short is, if you’re looking to move, lots of luck this year. There are no dominos to fall and no blatantly open rides to fall into. It’s just not a good year to be a free agent in NASCAR.
If there is one thing Red Bull Racing has shown over it’s short time in the sport, it’s that they have yet to create a decent strategy for properly developing racing talent. AJ Allmendinger was bounced right as it appeared he was making strides, and the team is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Allmendinger’s replacement, Scott Speed, over his ouster from the team. Journo wrote recently about RBR’s driver situation for 2012, and whether or not young Cole Whitt might be next in line for a Cup ride when Kasey Kahne departs. But recent comments from Whitt show that Red Bull may not be doing everything necessary to give him the best chance to succeed.
On March 29th, NASCAR.com ran an interview Joe Menzer did with Whitt as he competes in his first full season of the Camping World Truck Series. Menzer covered a few different topics with Whitt, but one of the questions and the subsequent answer has to be a bit disconcerting if you are a RBR fan:
Q: Have you been able to interact with some of the veteran drivers from Red Bull and elsewhere? Whitt: Not too much, really. We’re all kind of off doing our own thing. I didn’t even get to talk to Kasey at Darlington, and our trucks were lined up starting right next to each other. I’ve pretty much been doing it by myself, I guess.
Q: Have you been able to interact with some of the veteran drivers from Red Bull and elsewhere?
Whitt: Not too much, really. We’re all kind of off doing our own thing. I didn’t even get to talk to Kasey at Darlington, and our trucks were lined up starting right next to each other. I’ve pretty much been doing it by myself, I guess.
What?! How is this even possible?
When a team has drivers like Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers on their roster, how are they not facilitating time for these guys to mentor a development driver? You would think the insight and advice that these guys could offer would be huge for a young driver like Whitt. And you have to think it would help Whitt’s confidence to know that if he ever had a question, he’s got two solid resources that will be available to him.
What’s worse, is if this is how they are approaching Whitt’s development, you’ve really got to wonder if they did everything they could for ‘Dinger and Speed. Maybe if they would have done more with the drivers they had, they wouldn’t be in situations where they become desperate enough to take on lame duck drivers. There is just too much at stake with these kids to not do everything possible to help them be the best they can be.
Hopefully it’s not too late for RBR’s management to rectify this situation, and get these guys involved with bringing Whitt around. Because I know that if it was me that was in charge over there, I’d have this kid hanging around the drivers and teams as much as possible at the track and at the shop. I’d tell him to pay attention, listen to everything, and not be afraid to ask questions. Whitt appears to have a ton of talent and potential, and if Red Bull plays their cards right, he could be the face of their race team well into the future.
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?