2012 Nascar Silly Season

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

(i) And he is to be replaced by?

(ii) In the 2012 season, he will be driving for?

Typical of The Captain. Still hasn't learned after all his years of failure in NASCAR that you need to stick with proven winners.

He stuck with Wallace too long and he was a proven winner, Mayfield was not a winner, and Kurt Busch hadn't been accomplishing much in comparison to what Penske had to pay to snag him from Roush (which I heard was huge).

[Axeman444]

official:
http://www.nascar.com/news/111205/kb...lit/index.html

that is the nicest way of saying "i've been sacked" i have ever read

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by kurski

Translate -> Jacques Villeneuve is intensifying its activities to find the necessary funds that would enable it to play a full season in NASCAR, but for now, nothing happens.

Like he did in 2011
Like he did in 2010
Like he did in 2009
Like he did in 2008
...

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

that is the nicest way of saying "i've been sacked" i have ever read

You got to watch his video...

http://www.kurtbusch.com/

[Clive Brown]

Now I don't actually like Kurt Busch, (of the leading drivers, I only like Kevin Harvick less), but he is a current multiple winner this season, which disqualifies him from comparisons with the likes of Wallace and Mayfield.

I think The Captain is increasingly losing the plot; where is the replacement that will strengthen the team, or does David Stremme (another of the Captain's rickets) get the call again?

[J.C.]

I think Kurt will go back to Roush Racing. I just have a feeling. I dont see another team picking him up. I think Roush may sign Kurt for a part time deal for 2012. Calling it a cool down year for Kurt. May run anywhere from 10-18 races.

Just my opinion

[Mystery]

He's not going to be lining a seat up for Hornish here is he??

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

(i) And he is to be replaced by?

(ii) In the 2012 season, he will be driving for?

Typical of The Captain. Still hasn't learned after all his years of failure in NASCAR that you need to stick with proven winners. Which better driver is available to him?

Might have been sponsor driven....

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by Matt

Might have been sponsor driven....

I have no doubt that it was sponsor driven. But if I were the sponsor, I'd rather go with a proven winner like Busch Senior, than any of the proven losers (in which I include those whose only Cup win is in a plate race) likely to replace him.

Unless Penske go for Reutimann or Brian Vickers, that is....

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Here's a wild guess for you: Perhaps he'll gather up some investors, buy the remnants of Red Bull Racing, switch to Ford and take the owner/driver route with technical backing from Roush Racing.

And when his brother gets punted from his ride for similar discipline issues, it can really be Busch League Racing

[FordCosworthPanoz]

http://player.vimeo.com/video/330413...p%3Bportrait=0

[fieldodreams79]

Can one reflect, and ponder how extremely difficult some passionate people would be to work with, to interview and to be around in general while at the race track?

[Paradise City]

Giving Kurt Busch the sack is a tough decision. He is an ex-champ, a race winner and in the fullness of youth in any terms.

I don't see Kurt Busch as 'old school'. I see Tony Stewart as old school volatile but these Busch bothers are more like moody teenagers. It's one thing taking a tough, drill sergeant, psychologically intensive but focused approach to your crew, it's another thing picking bipolar fights with everyone in range, often for frivolous reasons. That just destablises the entire operation. Roger Penske is as tough as nails, been through the golden era himself and is no shrinking violet. If he had enough of Kurt, that means something.

[Clive Brown]

Penske has been through no "Golden Era" in Cup competition; given that no Penske team in any series has ever wanted for resouces, this year has been probably their most productive in the series as a whole. If I were Kurt Busch, I too would have been mightily ticked off by an item as mundane as my transmission failing so early on in a race.

I predict that Kurt Busch's replacement, whoever he might be, will not perform as well for the team in 2012 as Kurt Busch did in 2011. If I am right in this, Penske have screwed themselves yet again.

[Paradise City]

For lack of a replacement, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kurt Busch back in the 22 come Daytona.

[Jacques Rabbit]

I really hope it isn't a guy like David Ragan, David Reutimann, or Brian Vickers getting the call.

They've done what, exactly?

Been useless for years, that's what.

You know what you get with them, and it's jack****. I'd rather they take a gamble on a guy like Landon Cassill, Stephen Leicht, or reunite with Justin Allgaier.

Last time they took a young guy from a smaller team, they got a Chase contender. Last time they took some mediocre David, they got Stremme.

Most of my favorite drivers are mediocre, even if some of them weren't always so bad. But the fact is, it's time to stop recycling these same guys over and over so they can run Pennzoil/Shell off the car like they ran UPS or Red Bull out.

Ragan is perfectly qualified to dive for a team like Phoenix Racing, with whom he was about to sign prior to the Penske ride opening. The team is **** everywhere outside of Daytona/Talladega, and hey, so is David!

[kurski]

Finland driver Markus Niemelä negotiates the Nascar teams with

- Negotiations with the direction of the Nascar cars are constantly in progress, but they can not promise anything. Runs must, if it is to come. These tares are bound to be a realist, Niemelä says.

[gomick]

What about Regan Smith for the 22 car - he had many impressive drives in 2011.
Does a nationwide series championship count for anything - Stenhouse Jnr???

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by gomick

What about Regan Smith for the 22 car - he had many impressive drives in 2011.
Does a nationwide series championship count for anything - Stenhouse Jnr???

Not sure if Mr. Roush would give Ricky up or not. He may be under contract for a while with them but looks like without more sponsors, the NW team may not be full time next year....

[Clive Brown]

I honestly can't agree that Regan Smith has anything to offer. He had his opportunity with DEI when they were a half-decent team, but didn't really do anything with it.

Stenhouse Jr. is an interesting thought, but I'm not at all sure that RFR would be prepared to release him from whatever contractual obligations he might have with them.

Now Allgaier is a really interesting option; knows Penske well, and must have been a strong contender for the seat in the #2 when Keslowski got the ride. Hornish Jr. must also be a possibility- a blue-eyed boy at Penske, and only lost his Penske ride in the #77 car when the Mobil sponsorship ended.

But please, let it not be Ragan; he's had his chance several times over, and blew it every time.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Sam Hornish, Jr. will definitely not be in the 22. Penske confirmed last week that they want him in Nationwide for 2012 and not in Cup.

I am not against Regan Smith getting it. DEI was a mess when he joined, and he was driving the worst cars on a team that didn't exactly have great cars as their best ones, so I'm not ready to say he's had his chance. What I don't like is that he's had some good qualifying runs that he can't back up with good results. I know it's a small team so it's very possible the cars give out after enough laps, and he did get some quality results, so he's definitely someone I'd look at depending on what's out there.

I know Landon Cassill is out there, and he's the one I'd sign. I really believe in him, personally.

Really, I'll just be pleased if it's not Ragan, Reutimann, or Vickers. None of them have ever added anything to the grid, and even though Reutimann's not been with a big team like the other two, I just don't see how they ever would...

[Jacques Rabbit]

Other stuff:

David Starr will not drive the #95 next year.

Inception Motorsports has switched to Ford.

Hamilton Means Racing's render is a Ford, not sure if that's the plan.

Max Gresham will drive the #24 at Joe Denette Motorsports alongside Ron Hornaday in the #9.

Go Green Racing will field one full-time driver in the #39 and a rotation of drivers in the #04 in Nationwide.

Blake Koch has Nationwide plans to announce; might be the Go Green car.

Brendan Gaughan will do ten races in the #33 Nationwide car for RCR and another eight in the #2 RCR Truck. Tim George, Jr. will drive twelve races in that Truck, leaving two races available for either Kevin Harvick or Elliott Sadler.

I don't know if you guys would be interested in a little grid breakdown thing, but I'd be willing to make them for all three national series.

[Paradise City]

I'd sign Ragan up for half a season for his experience if not his speed. Experience means stability if not accomplishment. If he fails miserably have Allgaier on tap to parachute in as a replacement.

The more I tick off Penske's unappealing options the more the road to fill Kurt Busch's seat leads.......well back to Kurt Busch. Busch being a multiple winner, champion, young as a bug and currently sitting on the sidelines twiddling his thumbs.

[GTRMagic]

2011 V8Supercar Driver's Champion Jamie Whincup is reportedly looking at options in NASCAR. Perhaps Mr Penske could take a punt on him...

[Jpmfan]

Hi Matt, I'm new in this forum, I have seen your messages about Montoya , that's pretty cool, do you know about this guy , his username is knowles, I would
Like to see your collection from Montoya , thanks