Regan Smith will replace Sterling Marlin in the #14 Chevy at Ginn Racing, starting with the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis, sources confirmed Tuesday. And Joe Nemechek could be out of a ride in the #13 Chevy for Bobby Ginn's team due to a lack of sponsorship. The team doesn't plan to run the car at Indianapolis unless a sponsor is found. Because the Allstate 400 is one of the biggest Nextel Cup events of the season, it's possible to get a one-off sponsor deal just for that race. If that happens, Ginn officials would race Nemechek in the #13. Marlin and Nemechek still are under contract at Ginn, but both drivers have been told they are free to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Boy.... With the situation over at Ginn, hard to believe some people were actually thinking Jr. might end up there.
Kyle Busch out of the #5? this week? AutoRacingSport.com has learned from several sources that Hendrick Motorsports is considering letting Kyle Busch out of his contract with the team as early as Monday. NOTE: hard to believe the sponsors [Kelloggs/Carquest] would agree to let a driver who is 9th in the Chase, to be released and seems doubtful such a thing would happen.(7-16-2007)
Evernham/Gillett deal could close this week: Team owner [#9,#10,#19] Ray Evernhams partnership agreement with Canadian investor George Gillett, Jr., is expected to close next week, said a source familiar with the deal. And a whole host of sponsor possibilities are in play on the Evernham Motorsports Nextel Cup cars of #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Elliott Sadler, according to multiple sources. Evernham would neither confirm nor deny the merger timetable Sunday morning at Chicagoland Speedway, saying only, Were working towards closing the deal. With the sale of Chrysler Group to investment-banking firm Cerberus Capital Partners pending, it would make sense that Evernham Motorsports would seek additional sponsorship for its Nextel Cup operations. Cerberus, an investor known for sharp cost-cutting of the companies it acquires, may be willing to relinquish sponsorship rights to the two Evernham cars next season, something Dodge was unwilling to do last year when a major sponsor approached Evernham about becoming Kahnes primary sponsor, a deal that ultimately was rejected by the automaker. Evernham said Sunday he has a contract with Dodge through 2010 and confirmed he is one of a half-dozen teams who have talked with Budweiser about taking over the brewing companys sponsorship deal in 2008, now that Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are out of the running. There are other options for Kahne beyond Budweiser. Fast-food giant McDonalds, who already has a minor associate position on the #9 of Kahne, could step up to become primary of Kahnes car, as the company is looking towards re-establishing its presence in NASCAR, sources said Sunday. Another sponsor said to be looking closely at Kahnes car is Coca-Cola, which in May agreed to buy Vitamin Water maker Glaceau for $4.1 billion in cash. Kahne is a national pitchman for Vitamin Water and an integral part of its marketing campaign. Kahne said hes OK with however the sponsorship situation shakes out. Myself, Im with Ray Evernham for 2008 and whatever he decides to do thats a good deal. Im behind him, Kahne said Friday.(SPEEDtv.com) AND: Evernham said he's also talked to other sponsors -- sources said Allstate is one -- about being on Kahne's car and reiterated that Budweiser is talking to other teams. Among Budweiser's options is staying at Dale Earnhart Inc., where it has been since 2000.(ESPN.com)(7-16-2007)
Sadler back with M&M's? As far as Elliott Sadlers #19 car, the leading candidate is candymaker M&Ms, which currently sponsors David Gilliland and the #38 Robert Yates Racing Ford, a car Sadler used to drive. Sadler was exceptionally popular with M&Ms when he drove for Yates and sources said the company would love to work with the affable Virginia native again.(SPEEDtv.com)(7-16-2007)
Almirola to Ginn in 2008?UPDATE 3: Hearing Aric Almirola, who was credited with the Milwaukee Busch Series race win Saturday night, will join Ginn Racing in 2008 as a protege to #01-Mark Martin. Supposedly the plan is for Almirola to run part-time Cup, Busch and Trucks in 2008 and take over the #01 Chevy full-time in 2009.(6-25-2007) UPDATE - denied: Though he still is "not happy" about being pulled for Nextel Cup star Denny Hamlin during Saturday's Busch Series race at Milwaukee, Tampa's Aric Almirola said Wednesday he isn't frustrated at Joe Gibbs Racing and has no plans to leave the team. He said there is no truth to a rumor that appeared on ESPN-owned Web site Jayski.com saying he is headed to Ginn Racing next year and will race the #01 Chevrolet full time in Nextel Cup in 2009. "I'm under contract at JGR," Almirola, 23, said on a national conference call. "I have a long history with them. I've been there since I was 18 years old. I started racing late models with them, and they've become like family to me. I see our relationship growing." Almirola is scheduled to run six more Busch races, including the July 6 event at Daytona, and he said one race may be added. He is competing in the Craftsman Truck Series race this weekend at Memphis and will enter a couple of Nextel Cup Car of Tomorrow races this year with JGR's research and development team. He reiterated Wednesday that he hopes to race full time in at least the Busch Series next year.(Tampa Tribune)(6-28-2007) UPDATE 2: Sirius Speedway has learned that Aric Almirola will join Ginn Racing next season, sharing the #01 US Army Chevy with veteran Mark Martin. Almirola is currently under contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, but will reportedly replace Regan Smith in the #01 car in 2008, when Smith moves to full-time Nextel Cup status with Ginn.(Motorsports Soapbox)(7-16-2007) UPDATE 3: The original post at Motorsports Soapbox has been updated to include the following: Aric Almirola has requested a release from Joe Gibbs Racing, and will move within the next few days to a new position with Ginn Racing, sharing the #01 US Army Chevy with veteran Mark Martin.(Motorsports Soapbox)(7-17-2007)
DEI buying Ginn?UPDATE: hearing a deal could be announced in the next week or so, where Dale Earnhardt Inc. would buy into or outright Ginn Racing. Ginn Racing currently fields the #01-Mark Martin/Regan Smith, #13-Joe Nemechek and #14-Sterling Marlin teams.(7-16-2007) UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt, Inc. [#s 1, 8, 15] and Ginn Racing [#s 01, 13, 14] are working on a merger agreement that, if finalized, would meld the two organizations into a single company, multiple sources close to negotiations told ESPN.com on Monday. The deal is not done, but a decision will be made soon. Both organizations hope, sources said, to firm up outstanding details and announce a partnership immediately. This deal is an elaborate proposition that entails several obstacles, including how best to reduce from six Nextel Cup teams to the maximum four. The obvious answer, sources said, would be to eliminate Ginn's financially-strapped #13 and #14 teams.(ESPN.com)(7-16-2007)
Kyle Busch out of the #5? this week?DENIED AutoRacingSport.com has learned from several sources that Hendrick Motorsports is considering letting Kyle Busch out of his contract with the team as early as Monday. NOTE: hard to believe the sponsors [Kelloggs/Carquest] would agree to let a driver who is 9th in the Chase, to be released and seems doubtful such a thing would happen.(7-16-2007) HOWEVER: Still unhappy After criticizing his teammates for not providing help at Daytona International Speedway last week, #5-Kyle Busch expressed displeasure with Hendrick Motorsports again this weekend. The 22-year-old, who is being replaced by Dale Earnhardt Jr. after this season, said he felt alienated during team meetings and questioned strategy after giving up the lead on a pit stop late in Saturday's Busch race. Team owner Rick Hendrick said the team intends to keep Busch in the #5 Chevrolet through the end of the season but is perplexed by the driver's dissatisfaction. "It just doesn't make sense to me," Hendrick said. "We're working as hard as we can."(USA Today)(7-16-2007) UPDATE: Hendrick Motorsports has confirmed that the rumor is false.(HMS)(7-16-2007)
Busch to RCR?UPDATE: hearing Kyle Busch has been in talks with Richard Childress Racing about driving in the Busch Series in 2008 [whatever the series ends up being named], which probably means RCR would be the front runner for Busch in a Cup Series ride.(7-10-2007) UPDATE: hearing Kyle Busch will sign with Dale Earnhardt Inc to run for them in 2008, the deal could be announced at Indianapolis next week.(7-16-2007)
Schrader back to the #49? hearing the Ken Schrader could drive the #49 BAM Racing Dodge at Indianapolis and may drive a few more races for the team. Schrader is under contract to the #21 Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team, but Bill Elliott is currently driving the car to try to get it in the top-35 of owners points, currently 36th, 225pts out of the top-35. Elliott has a past champions provisional to use so the car is safely in the races with the exception of Watkins Glen, where Terry Labonte is driving the #55 Toyota for MWR and would get the champ provisional if needed.(7-16-2007)
Ray Evernham told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway Tuesday that there was no truth to the rumor that M&Ms will sponsor Elliott Sadler's #19 Dodge next season. "Absolutely not," he said. "I don't know where that came from, but it's not true."(7-18-2007)
