[HJJ]

Investment could bring Clint Bowyer to CGR


After much speculation, it appears Rob Kauffman could be leaving his position as co-owner of NASCAR's Michael Waltrip Racing.

On Thursday, Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed that Kauffman was buying a part of its team, which means if the sale goes through, he'll have to end his eight-year affiliation with MWR.

The Ganassi statement was short and to the point.

"We confirm Rob Kauffman has agreed to acquire an interest in the team," it said. "Further discussions regarding the 2016 season and beyond are underway."

The statement is vague, but those aforementioned discussions could have a big impact in NASCAR.

Earlier this week, Fox Sports reported that Kauffman's investment in CGR would allow him to take over Felix Sabates' minority stake in the team, but that Ganassi would retain primary control.

Sources also told SportsBusiness Daily that if Kauffman bought a piece of Chip Ganassi Racing, he would move Clint Bowyer's No. 15 team from MWR to CGR.

What that would mean for co-owner Michael Waltrip and MWR's other driver, David Ragan, is unclear. However, according to David Wilson, the president of Toyota's racing division, MWR has yet to confirm which manufacturer it will align with in 2016.


Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar-s...#ixzz3hPCeIuoc

.