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Whet
4/24/2008, 08:25 PM
What is all of this smack talk about Tony leaving JGR and joining Hass CNC next year? Is this crazy talk, or what???

BudSooner
4/27/2008, 10:41 AM
He was told he would have 50% ownership, Hendrick would supply engines..does not make sense leaving one of the premier teams to join a team that on any given sunday goes belly up.
But....Tony has shown he can drive the wheels off most anything, including an ill handling ride. And this all rides on the ability of his crew and those back at the shop also.

I heard one thing early on is, that DEI was looking at im pretty hard, Truex is getting looks from Penske for a fourth team.
If this indeed happens, then DEI will be without a full time driver period.

All of this hinges on what happens at Roush with Biffle/McMurray/Ragan, one must go and it sounds as if Jamie is the odd man out.
And one last thing, Childress is putting together a 4th team, rumors are that Bobby Labonte or Ryan Newman would end up there even though they...Stewart/Biffle are signed thru 2009.

Contracts are not worth the paper they are written on anymore though.


My thoughts for next year...
Ryan Newman #33 Realtree Chevrolet
Bobby Labonte...no changes
Tony Stewart #70 Home Depot Chevrolet
Greg Biffle #12 Sony/Alltel Dodge
Martin Truex #5 Kellogs Chevrolet
Eric Amirola #1 Bass Pro Chevrolet
Reed Sorenson...unknown but should have a full time gig next season.


Casey Mears, back to the Indy/Cart series...along with AJ Almendinger.

BudSooner
5/5/2008, 10:36 AM
He was told he would have 50% ownership, Hendrick would supply engines..does not make sense leaving one of the premier teams to join a team that on any given sunday goes belly up.
But....Tony has shown he can drive the wheels off most anything, including an ill handling ride. And this all rides on the ability of his crew and those back at the shop also.

I heard one thing early on is, that DEI was looking at im pretty hard, Truex is getting looks from Penske for a fourth team.
If this indeed happens, then DEI will be without a full time driver period.

All of this hinges on what happens at Roush with Biffle/McMurray/Ragan, one must go and it sounds as if Jamie is the odd man out.
And one last thing, Childress is putting together a 4th team, rumors are that Bobby Labonte or Ryan Newman would end up there even though they...Stewart/Biffle are signed thru 2009.

Contracts are not worth the paper they are written on anymore though.


My thoughts for next year...
Ryan Newman #33 Realtree Chevrolet
Bobby Labonte...no changes
Tony Stewart #70 Home Depot Chevrolet
Greg Biffle #12 Sony/Alltel Dodge
Martin Truex #5 Kellogs Chevrolet
Eric Amirola #1 Bass Pro Chevrolet
Reed Sorenson...unknown but should have a full time gig next season.


Casey Mears, back to the Indy/Cart series...along with AJ Almendinger.
It appears i'm almost on target here, some updates-
Bobby Labonte has supposedly agreed to a new contract with Petty.

Tony Stewart is being looked at by Bass Pro as a sponsor for the Haas #70, Toyota is staying out of the fray btw and BP is his sponsor for his team of sprint cars/midgets.

Biffle is supposed to renew his contract this weekend at Darlington.
Martin Truex and rumors of a deal with Penske/UPS seem more likely every day, some say it's almost a done deal.

Ryan Newman...with Truex being mentioned and Childress gaining sponsors from the Betty Crocker group, this fourth team seems more likely by the day. one thing to note, previous attempts at a third team at Penske have often failed with the exception being Ryan(back when Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield were teamates)once everyone got a look at what Ryan could do then the writing was on the wall.
It didn't help matters that Jeremay was often at odds with Rusty and vice versa.

Eric Almirola will probably end up with a new sponsor if things with Truex/Penske-Stewart/Haas fall into place, Target may leave Ganassi at seasons end since they have no wins yet with Chip and are looking to greener pastures.

BudSooner
7/8/2008, 11:33 PM
It appears i'm almost on target here, some updates-
Bobby Labonte has supposedly agreed to a new contract with Petty.

Tony Stewart is being looked at by Bass Pro as a sponsor for the Haas #70, Toyota is staying out of the fray btw and BP is his sponsor for his team of sprint cars/midgets.

Biffle is supposed to renew his contract this weekend at Darlington.
Martin Truex and rumors of a deal with Penske/UPS seem more likely every day, some say it's almost a done deal.

Ryan Newman...with Truex being mentioned and Childress gaining sponsors from the Betty Crocker group, this fourth team seems more likely by the day. one thing to note, previous attempts at a third team at Penske have often failed with the exception being Ryan(back when Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield were teamates)once everyone got a look at what Ryan could do then the writing was on the wall.
It didn't help matters that Jeremay was often at odds with Rusty and vice versa.

Eric Almirola will probably end up with a new sponsor if things with Truex/Penske-Stewart/Haas fall into place, Target may leave Ganassi at seasons end since they have no wins yet with Chip and are looking to greener pastures.

Eric-in the #8, done deal.

Mark Martin, whoa! like I never saw that coming(sarcasm implied)in the #5

Target out of Nascar, and Chip shuttering the #40...pretty sad, since this WAS one of the better Dodge rides years ago with Sterling aboard.

Bobby Labonte as mentioned re-signed with Petty, nice move btw.

Ryan-here is where the plot thickens as they say, Clint Bowyer is getting a new sponsor since Jack Daniels is leaving the team(I suspect Army on the RCR machine next year...just don't book it yet)and it appears that Ryan will have the black #07 with everyones fav distiller aboard as corp sponsor with...drumroll please.....STEWART/Haas racing!
Tony in the Home Depot(rumor)slash...Office Depot(hey, gotta keep them depo's afloat)Chevy..maybe #14 in honor of his childhood hero A.J. Foyt,Tony and Ryan will be getting all of the chassis/engines from Hendrick.
This announcement WAS expected at Indy, but Marty Smith broked it over at ESPN.com today.
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=3479199

Biffle re-signed with Jack Roush.

Kenseth is signed thru 2009 and will probably get an extension, no way Jack lets him go.

David Ragan is re-signed as well, along with Carl Edwards...so expect Jamie Mac to go to Yates racing(since basically it is a Roush satellite team)to be team driver with Kvapil/Gilliland. This is part of the order put down by Nascar that EVERY team must be down to 4 teams by 2010, it was 2008..then 2009 but the word is firm that it will be 2010 indeed.

Fwiw, look for ALOT of unsponsored cars next year, with gas prices at a premium...businesses looking to trim money everywhere, there will be quite a few rides tightening belts across the board.
Don't belive it? Look no further than the biggest name in racing here in the U.S....Dale Jr is looking for a sponsor for his Nationwide car after Navy told him this week that they are leaving him.
He will keep the National Guard sponsorship on the #88 Nextel ride, along with MD/Amp energy drink.

And, the season is just getting warmed up in regards to who may land elsewhere.

Some others that are either looking at retiring/on the hot seat-

Michael Waltrip-said he MAY have one or two good seasons left before letting the next 13yr old take over for him.
Mark Martin(only signed a 2yr deal)one this is over, he said that will be it.
Elliot Sadler-to my knowledge, he's won...what 1, yes, 1 race and that was with the Wood Bros back in 2001????
David Reutiman-long in the tooth, and with sponsors hard to come by, may just leave the series earlier than thought.
Casey Mears-OUT of the #5, may land a gig with Penske since uncle Rick drove for Sir Roger Penske at one time...maybe he will help the nephew get a ride.
AJ Almendinger-look for him to return to open wheel, the Nascar experiment has proven...less than enjoyable.

Scott Speed who is running ARCA right now is pretty appealing to the Red Bull team and if AJ does indeed go back to Indy, expect him here.

GrapevineSooner
7/9/2008, 07:10 AM
Rumor also has it Teresa's looking for somebody to buy out a significant share of DEI. This after the main sticking point with her stepson was half ownership of the company.

Like Tony said last year, DEI's about to become a museum.

And as far as Tony leaving JGR, it doesn't really surprise me. For one, I'll bet his itching to get back into the Bowtie Brigade and out of a Toyota. Second, he's already won two championships. Next logical step for him would be team ownership and the man can market just about anything.


It didn't help matters that Jeremay was often at odds with everybody he's ever come in contact with.

Fixed. ;)

OKLA21FAN
7/9/2008, 07:26 AM
Rumor also has it Teresa's looking for somebody to buy out a significant share of DEI. This after the main sticking point with her stepson was half ownership of the company.



I think the difference here is that JR wanted 51% of DEI without ponying up the $$$s. Also Teresa won't give up the rights to the name 'Dale Sr or the Intimitator'. Merely selling the assets of the the race team is chump change and JR wanted the whole pie. Teresa is not just going to give things aways, she is smarter than that.

BudSooner
7/9/2008, 10:35 AM
Update!

Reutimann to take over #45 for Petty in 2009? Look for David Reutimann to be announced soon as the replacement for Kyle Petty in the #45 car, something the Petty folks would rather we not know about just yet.

From Yahoo sports, so...take it for what it's worth. Though, they were one of the first to break the Stewart story.

Also, Tony is set to have a press conference live on Nascar.com tomorrow at 2:30 ET,
I suspect this is to formally annouce the decision, and who will be driving the other car..which if all i've heard is true then Newman will be piloting the #07 JD car.

BudSooner
7/9/2008, 11:54 AM
Michael Waltrip's team looking to join forces, with Ganassi?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25589126/

Ugh, this season is making me nauseous.