2012 Nascar Silly Season

[Jacques Rabbit]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Surprised to see KHI leaving trucks. I thought they were well funded and building trucks for other Chevy teams.


Thanks to Ambrose JTG was secured of lot of attention at the road courses. This season they got not much attention.

They do build trucks for other teams. Apparently Cale Gale and Rheem have a deal to do a full season in CWTS in 2012; I just wonder where with KHI gone. Joe Denette? But where will he get his trucks?

Labonte got JTG attention at the Daytona 500, though, and seems to have an on-board camera every single week from Bush's Baked Beans. He also made the top ten in most popular driver voting, so he's obviously doing something right.

I had hoped with his past Grand-Am running and winter test in a Ferrari F430 GT2 car he would go to sports cars sooner rather than later. My favorite driver in my favorite type of racing would be really cool.

Oh well. He's not doing sports cars, and he's not doing CWTS. If I have to suffer through another year of Bobby in Cup, I can only hope JTG find a new technical partner that makes them a bit more competitive.

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

3rd Car, No idea what the Number will be....yet.

I heard it would be 55. Front Row Motorsports will sell it back; it may even just be on loan to them to begin with.

[MJ_N_09]

Originally Posted by Jacques Rabbit

They do build trucks for other teams. Apparently Cale Gale and Rheem have a deal to do a full season in CWTS in 2012; I just wonder where with KHI gone. Joe Denette? But where will he get his trucks?

Labonte got JTG attention at the Daytona 500, though, and seems to have an on-board camera every single week from Bush's Baked Beans. He also made the top ten in most popular driver voting, so he's obviously doing something right.

I had hoped with his past Grand-Am running and winter test in a Ferrari F430 GT2 car he would go to sports cars sooner rather than later. My favorite driver in my favorite type of racing would be really cool.

Oh well. He's not doing sports cars, and he's not doing CWTS. If I have to suffer through another year of Bobby in Cup, I can only hope JTG find a new technical partner that makes them a bit more competitive.



I heard it would be 55. Front Row Motorsports will sell it back; it may even just be on loan to them to begin with.

Makes me wonder why Front Row used the 55 over the 64, a number that they've (under Gunselman) run in 2009-10, with a few races this year.

Also, Mountain Dew will take over for AMP, an energy drink they own, as the sponsor when National Guard isn't. A paint scheme for next year will hopefully be out soon.

[kurski]

http://www.scenedaily.com/blogs/bobp...e-in-2012.html

Jacques Villeneuve Interested In Red Bull Team
By Bob Pockrass, Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Among those who have inquired about purchasing the Red Bull assets is former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve.

His business manager confirmed that Villeneuve has inquired about buying the team, but gave no indication of whether talks have been productive.

Villeneuve has never hidden his interest in Cup racing and if the Canadian driver can find investors to put him in a seat, he likely would do it.

He also could have investors purchase the team with the idea of him running a partial Cup schedule along with another driver.

[MJ_N_09]

The Bowyer to MWR announcement is close. Also interesting that Scott Miller (Burton's old crew chief?) has left RCR for MWR. Could this be the cc for Bowyer? Would be shocking and hilarious if Bowyer's announcement was actually for another team. To have the resources for the 3rd team, MWR ended its alliance with JTG, who is rumored to switch to Fords with a Richard Petty alliance. Labonte staying regardless.

As for Red Bull and Villeneuve, if he actually buys the team, I don't see it ending well for some reason.

[FIRE]

Do you really see Villeneuve buying the team? I don't take this serious.

[MJ_N_09]

Eddie Sharp Racing has bought the KHI truck equipment. They now have control of the #8 and #33 trucks, while the #2 will be gone. Could Piquet and Hornaday stay as drivers next year?

Also, just a heads up. Red Bull is now saying that there is a chance they could stay in Nascar. It all depends on factors (like marketing and cost-to-benefit).

[MJ_N_09]

Actually no. They are shutting down in December. Team needs a buyer or else alot of people are out of jobs.

[Paradise City]

Villeneuve and Kimi should plug together to buy that team. Red Bull might even consider a discount.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

Eddie Sharp Racing has bought the KHI truck equipment. They now have control of the #8 and #33 trucks, while the #2 will be gone. Could Piquet and Hornaday stay as drivers next year?

I'm fairly confident at least one of the two will not return (Hornaday) as there are rumors of another driver replacing him. Piquet's lawsuit winnings helped him get the #8 this year, so it's all about the budget, though he hasn't been bad.

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Villeneuve and Kimi should plug together to buy that team. Red Bull might even consider a discount.

Oi. Two guys who think they're bigger than the sport. That'd be a team I'd love to see get the results it would: none. Neither could cut it in Cup.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Some scheduling stuff: Nationwide and CWTS schedules still TBA. Maybe even a few TBD dates on them. Apparently Montréal is the big hold-up.

[MJ_N_09]

Originally Posted by Jacques Rabbit

Some scheduling stuff: Nationwide and CWTS schedules still TBA. Maybe even a few TBD dates on them. Apparently Montréal is the big hold-up.

Yeah, maybe they're trying to keep this race. I hope it works.

[FIRE]

Looks like #47 JTG will stay with MWR and Toyota but move to own workshop.

[fieldodreams79]

Clint Bowyer has signed a three year deal with Mikey Waltrip Racing to drive the 15 Yoda with 5-Hour Energy as the primary sponsor.

http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm#20111007e

[MJ_N_09]

David Ragan is allowed to talk to other teams because as it looks, the #6 Ford is unlikely to get a sponsor. If so, Roush will be a 3 car and not a 4 car team. Is also expected to only run 2 Nationwide teams (Bayne and Stenhouse?)

[Jacques Rabbit]

They said earlier that Stenhouse would be full-time in Nationwide and part-time in Cup, and Bayne would likely be part-time in both. I think Edwards and Bayne will be splitting the 60 (Edwards said earlier he was cutting back Nationwide), with Stenhouse full-time in the 6. No idea what part-time Cup ride they can get for Stenhouse.

It's a bit late for Ragan. Not much open if you don't bring a sponsor.

Turner Motorsports will cut back to two Nationwide cars next year in all likelihood. No driver lineup is really certain; Sorenson's already out, and apparently Leffler will be, too. Buescher may stay in the Trucks for another year. Some talk Carmichael wants to be in Nationwide, though he sure as hell shouldn't be.

Germain's Truck team looks likely to go. Toyota largely abandoned them for Kyle Busch Motorsports, and we may see them with Chevrolet or Ford in Cup next year. Possibility of a Nationwide team with Todd Bodine; could be part of that Germain-Osceola deal.

Red Bull's been reported to still be interested in sponsoring a team in NASCAR. They had a desire to be with Carl Edwards earlier; Edwards still has some space to fill on his schedule with 17 confirmed Fastenal and likely 4-8 more from UPS. Also talk they'll follow Vickers somewhere, but I don't know they'll have anywhere to follow him. I hope they continue their support of Cole Whitt in Truck, too.

Bit of a sad silly season when so much is about teams closing.

[MJ_N_09]

yeah, also looks like we have to add the 33 (cup) to the list of teams closing....

[Clive Brown]

To be fair, the loss of the #33 is counterbalanced by the gain of the #15.

I still don't understand that deal. We are meant to believe that 5-Hour Energy approached Clint Bowyer, but why didn't Bowyer simply take them to RCR? Surely Bowyer is far more likely to be successful with RCR than with MWR? Or did Bowyer make demands on RCR for taking his own sponsor there that RCR felt unable to meet?

I'd love to know just who is contracted to whom, and upon what terms, in the whole Clint Bowyer/MWR/5-Hour Energy set-up....

[FIRE]

From Jayski:

Bowyer tried to put sponsor deal together at RCR, but: Clint Bowyer revealed a surprising twist about his decision [to leave RCR and go to MWR]. The 5-Hour Energy people came to him, and they were willing for him to stay at RCR. "We talked to Richard about it, but still couldn't put a deal together," Bowyer said. "At that point I said, 'OK, we'll go somewhere else.' That's what ultimately led to leaving RCR. It's a shame. I owe a lot to Richard." Bowyer said he was surprised and disappointed when Childress told him no, but Bowyer has no hard feelings. "I was in an auto shop in Kansas when he called me the first time," Bowyer said. "He changed my life, and I'll always be grateful. But it was time to move on." Childress opened the books to Bowyer, showing him the numbers didn't add up. Childress didn't feel the money from 5-Hour Energy was enough to continue to run a fourth car. And Childress wasn't going to pay the kind of money Bowyer was wanting (way north of $5 million a year) without full funding on the car.(ESPN)
AND Sponsor 5-Hour Energy, the 'energy-shot' beverage, is putting up a reported $13 million or so to back the operation. Precise figures were not announced.(MikeMulhern.net)(10-8-2011)

So money is the reason.

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by FIRE

So money is the reason.

I never thought it was anything but money. This suggests that RCR's rate card is rather heavier than MWR's.

I can't see any likely happy outcome to this; I'd have had much more belief in Clint Boywer winning at RCR than I ever could in his new ride.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by Jacques Rabbit

It's a bit late for Ragan. Not much open if you don't bring a sponsor.

Ragan will be farmed out to TRG.

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Ragan will be farmed out to TRG.

So that's Ragan finished, then; off to midweek Modified features in Nowheresville, NC. "I coulda been a contender."

I can't say I'm really surprised; he's really made very little of his opportunity at RFR.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Well, that puts Ragan in a car suited to his talents. They'll probably farm Stenhouse to another one of the Roush-supplied teams for a part-time run (hell, maybe split the 70 with Lally), too. Ragan's only any good at the superspeedways, and you know what, he has just enough of that random luck-of-the-draw chance to win in the 71 as the 6. Unless you're running an Ernie Elliott six-cylinder-special, you could stumble your way to a Daytona 500...

Turner Motorsports say they'll run three Trucks and three Nationwide cars, with a fourth one part-time. That's interesting, and not what I heard. I just Allgaier's back in the 31. Kahne will run the 38 with someone else (Buescher?). 32 will likely have Vickers, Martin, and pals. 30 might be part-time for Carmichael. I keep hearing Buescher, Martin, and Carmichael full-time in the CWTS, though Carmichael's more of a doubt.

I certainly don't support Ryan Truex, but he's been better than most young guys that get a shot with Gibbs and promptly **** the bed with it. I hope the influx of Dollar General money to the 11 car helps him stick around a bit, though I would rather DG sponsor him than Scott. Don't care much for either, but I know who I'd want if my goal was to win. Though Sorenson won for them, and that seemed to mean little. I assume the Scott deal was Gibbs saying "yeah, you can sponsor Kyle and Joey and Denny, but only if you sponsor Brian, too."

And for a silly season laugh: Jayski suggests the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration could be a potential sponsor for Austin Dillon next year. I don't think Jayski realizes that promoting a centennial in the 101st year is vaguely useless.

[MJ_N_09]

Yeah, he has had that theory of the "sponsor" up for months. You're not the only one laughing at it, I assure you.

Also, Hornish Jr. is expected to run full time Nationwide next year. (12 or 22?). And oh dear, depending on what happens next year with Roush, he could either run 2...or 0 cars in Nationwide Regardless, Bayne has the Wood Bros ride part time, while Stenhouse could run a few races on the Cup side for Roush. It does not look like either driver will be able to do a full NNS season at this point.

Also, Sorenson could stay with MacDonald Motorsports (#82 car) next year for all we know.

[MJ_N_09]

Our first 2012 ROTY Cup candidate will be Josh Wise, who's been driving for for the Max Q #37 team the past several races. Hopefully this team finds funding next year so that they will stop S&Ping. How bad will it look if 2012's ROTY has zero competition and DNF'ed all the races?

[fieldodreams79]

^Indeed, MJ...Hopefully he won't get it by default but I won't hold my breath.

Good for Josh Wise, tho.