Silly Season News and Rumors

[dpkimmel2001]

No doubt that Silly Season has officially begun with the announcement earlier this past week. What news or rumors are you reading or hearing? Maybe you want to start your own rumor? :scratch: Here are a few that are being reported.....

Keselowski to Penske next year? For the second straight season, Brad Keselowski is the top candidate for the #12 Penske Racing Dodge. David Stremme has experienced a couple of miserable weeks at the racetrack and is currently 32nd in the point standings. Keselowski said on Friday he does not have a deal signed for next year. Certainly for a self-proclaimed "Eastsider," partnering with fellow Detroit-based Roger Penske would be an honor. Keselowski was offered the #12 ride last year after Ryan Newman announced he was leaving the ride to join Stewart-Haas Racing.

I'm still thinking SHR for Brad. Why would Hendrick let him go?

Labonte & Menard out at Yates? Hearing Yates Racing will clean house with its current driver roster at the end of the season. After the example that Tony Stewart has set at Stewart-Haas Racing on how a satellite operation should be run, is there any question why Jack Roush would not consider unloading #96-Bobby Labonte and #98-Paul Menard, who are 27th and 31st respectively, in the point standings? Yes, Menard brings decent money to the table, but with Ask.com shopping its sponsorship there is certainly reason for concern for the #96 Ford

Maybe money doesn't talk after all?

Gilliland in fouth Gibbs car this year? It's been a tough road for former Yates driver David Gilliland this season. Gilliland, who was 21st in the #28 Ford for Doug Yates at this juncture last year, has qualified for every race in the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy. Gilliland has been a loyal soldier in the start-n-park venture and is currently 43rd in the point standings. However, it appears he will have a reprieve — at the hand of Joe Gibbs Racing. Gilliland, 33, is expected to drive the fourth JGR car [#02 sponsored by Farm Bureau] in four races at the end of this season.

I hope he does well and gets a decent ride again.

 

[semipenguin]

Roush has become one big CF :worried:

If I were Doug Yates, I'd leave Ford & start buying my cars & engines from JGR or HMS. What's Doug going to get from either Regan or McMurray? Bobby Labonte is better than both of those drivers.

Brad K to Penske would be a huge mistake for him. I agree, SHR is the only team he should go to unless the #11 car opens up
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Snafam]

I agree on Brad being kept in the Hendrick family, if at all possible. His win, though, makes him one of the top free agents in the Cup side of the garage. SHR could keep him in the Hendrick family, but will Rick continue to give as much support to SHR next year?

Yates Racing....no, having sponsors this year did not help at all, and the two drivers currently in their stable (yes, HOF is there in name only) took the points they acquired from last years drivers, and have failed at improving. There is still time, but I am not seeing any signs of improvement. And Yates, last year, went further downhill the longer the season progressed. Also, ask.com is not the spendiest of sponsors, and were cut-rate for Yates racing, at $4 million for half a year. Hopefully, they have a roster of new sponsors ready for next year.

Roush drivers to go to Yates? It could well be that two drivers go to Yates from Roush. That would free up a 4th car for Jack to use with a new driver in his development stable! (Made up rumor #1!)

Gilliland, at the beginning of the season, was being declared the odd man out. He managed to get into the TRG ride, and while forced to do some start & parks, has shown that he can do a lot with very little. Hopefully, this alleged deal will help show what good equipment will do for him. RYR, YR and TRG certainly did not provide him with good equipment.

Travis Kvapil, on the other hand, stayed with YR for the 5 race deal, didn't qual at Vegas, and is now out of a ride. I hear him on Trading Paint, talking about how he wants to stay in the 28, but there does not seem to be any ride for him. (I am thinking he is probably being paid for this year, if he doesn't get into another car.) Hmmm...maybe if Brad doesn't go to Penske, there would be a good candidate for the 12! (made up rumor #2)

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Brad Keselowski wasn't kidding when he said he had "options" for next season. In addition to being close to re-signing a deal with JR Motorsports to run in the Nationwide Series, the latest buzz has Special K paired with Red Bull Racing. If Keselowski indeed stays with JRM, the only scenario that would work on the Cup side would be with a Chevy team. Maybe Red Bull is closer to inking a Chevy deal. Rick Hendrick said on Saturday that HMS has the resources to include Red Bull in its engine program.

 

[foyt]

Brad Keselowski wasn't kidding when he said he had "options" for next season. In addition to being close to re-signing a deal with JR Motorsports to run in the Nationwide Series, the latest buzz has Special K paired with Red Bull Racing. If Keselowski indeed stays with JRM, the only scenario that would work on the Cup side would be with a Chevy team. Maybe Red Bull is closer to inking a Chevy deal. Rick Hendrick said on Saturday that HMS has the resources to include Red Bull in its engine program.

You said "Special K". hahahaha. Is that an original? I haven't heard it anywhere else. If it is, you better copyright it.

:bigthumbup:

 

[dpkimmel2001]

You said "Special K". hahahaha. Is that an original? I haven't heard it anywhere else. If it is, you better copyright it.

:bigthumbup:

That's courtesy of Jayski.

 

[brett1963]

Roush drivers to go to Yates? It could well be that two drivers go to Yates from Roush. That would free up a 4th car for Jack to use with a new driver in his development stable! (Made up rumor #1!)

AbsoFRICKINlutely!

With all due respects to Bobby and Paul, I do it and put Danica as Roush No. 4 driver. Nascar needs Danica and her long black hair and her big sponsor $$$.
DO it!

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Frontstretch.com reports that #98-Paul Menard and his family are surveying their options and shopping around their sponsorship package to other teams for 2010. Both driver and sponsor are a package deal, although Menard's list of options on the current Sprint Cup landscape is rather short. Among those teams still under the pending four-car limit and with the ability to expand include Michael Waltrip Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing (extremely unlikely), Robby Gordon Motorsports (Menards has a relationship with Gordon already), Earnhardt Ganassi Racing (the team Menard left in 2008), and Penske Racing.

 

[Snoozer]

Now Jayski is saying Harvick wants out at RCR. It looks like everyone would like to be in a 3rd car at Stewart-Hass.

Harvick wants out at RCR? Kevin Harvick has told Richard Childress he would like to leave after this season, according to multiple sources. Harvick has one year remaining on his contract with RCR, but the Shell/Pennzoil sponsorship deal on the #29 Chvey ends at the end of this season, and Harvick is trying to move with it to Stewart-Haas. Tony Stewart has said his team is interested in running a third car in Sprint Cup in 2010. Childress is in a tough spot. He could hold Harvick to the contract and try to re-sign Shell/Pennzoil, but in a performance-based business, the Stewart-Haas option, undoubtedly, is more appealing to the gas and oil company. If Shell/Penzoil decides to leave, Childress has to find $15 million to $20 million in sponsorship to replace it -- a very difficult prospect in this economy. Harvick would also bring additional Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series capability to the organization, joining the JR Motorsports operation owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick. Kevin Harvick Inc. competes in both series.

 

[semipenguin]

Harvick is a Chevy guy. He's not going to drive for any other manufacture :right:

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Everyone wants to be @ SHR. It must be good to be Tony right now! :yesshake:

 

[SubmarineMike]

well I participated in a chat with marty Smith on ESPN.com yesterday. I asked him about if Brad K went to SHR, are there any rumors concerning sponsors. He said that Tony has interest from some sponsors regardless of who the driver is at this point. That is summarized

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Tony is 'The Man' right now & SHR is 'The Place'! Everyone wants in on some of that action. :yesshake:

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Ganassi to Gibbs? The latest rumor is that Chip Ganassi somehow will merge his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team [Chevy's w/#1-Truex Jr. (leaves end of 2009) and #42-Montoya] with Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota's w/#18-Busch, #11-Hamlin, #20-Logano], possibly eliminating another owner.

How many mergers would this make for DEI?

 

[semipenguin]

Ganassi to Gibbs? The latest rumor is that Chip Ganassi somehow will merge his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team [Chevy's w/#1-Truex Jr. (leaves end of 2009) and #42-Montoya] with Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota's w/#18-Busch, #11-Hamlin, #20-Logano], possibly eliminating another owner.

How many mergers would this make for DEI?

Wow. Make me wonder when we'll ever see the #8 or #15 back in the track :shock:

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Per Jayski.....

Rumors persist that Richard Petty Motorsports will shrink to three cars in the next few weeks, with A.J. Allmendinger moving to the #43 Dodge, replacing Reed Sorenson, and the #44 team being shut down.

 

[Snoozer]

I guess reed hasn't done too well, I forgot he was even at RPM still

 

[mghtx]

Jack Daniel's may not return to the #07 in 2010? (jayski)

Doesn't surprise me. I predicted it.

 

[DexterMorgan]

One of the remains of the "young gun" era of nonsense. Hows that working out for Mears and RCR.

 

[Raceimages]

One of the remains of the "young gun" era of nonsense. Hows that working out for Mears and RCR.

Honestly, how does Casey Mears still have a ride?