EGR has an open seat. Martin Truex is replacing Michael Waltrip. Jamie McMurray is out at Roush. Brad Keselowski wants to go Cup racing. While this will not go in the history books as the most exciting Silly Season we have ever had, there still remains a lot of questions and some interesting story lines.
After the announced departure of Martin Truex Jr. to Michael Waltrip Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing finds itself one driver short for the 2010 season. Options for the seat for next season are thin at best. The most obvious choice and a driver that is still part of the EGR stable is young Aric Almirola. Almirola though struggled through his first few races of this season. And while we have heard a deal may be put together for Almirola to run in an EGR Cup car toward the end of this season, Ganassi has allowed him the freedom to look elsewhere. While Almirola is available, I doubt very much he is their first or even second choice.
Some other teams potentially with space to fill are Joe Gibbs Racing which reportedly has sponsorship for a few races this season (and which David Gilliland has been rumored to), and Stewart Haas Racing. Stewart Haas though is having a hard time putting together full sponsorship for Ryan Newman, so a third team might be a stretch. There are also questions over at Penske. David Stremme’s contract is up after this season and he has not been performing well. With Justin Allgaier likely looking to make the jump within the next season or two who knows what might happen there.
Richard Childress Racing might have the opposite problem. They expanded to four teams this season and while they were turning sponsors away in the off season, they might be struggling to keep sponsors for 2010. Kevin Harvick reportedly wants out and is non-committal about next season. I’m guessing Harvick and Childress will work through their problems, but Casey Mear’s contract is up at the end of the season and with the possible loss of Jack Daniels, Childress might end up becoming a three car team again.
On the driver end there are several likely available prospects.
Recently released Jamie McMurray is an option for Ganassi. While Geoff Smith has said he would like to transfer McMurray’s team intact to Yates Racing, he has admitted that selling sponsorship for Yates is a challenge. We saw this in practice with David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil. The biggest question with McMurray though is does Ganassi want him back and does he want to come back? During his time with the organization he won one race and found himself 11th, 12th and 13th in points (in no order) during his three full seasons with the team. He, like Ganassi, doesn’t have a lot of options though. Unless a team owner is willing to expand their organization for him, Ganassi and potentially Yates are his only options.
Brad Keselowski is also available. Keselowski is in the final year of his contract with JR Motorsports and he wants to go Cup racing next year. He has had discussions with Rick Hendrick (no doubt he would like to keep Brad K. in-house), but like so many organizations Hendrick doesn’t have room for him. If sponsorship can be located there may be an opportunity for Keselowski at Stewart-Haas. Lee Spencer at Fox says Red Bull might be an option, but unless Red Bull is going to bounce one of their present drivers that too might not be an option.
We have also heard AJ Allmendinger is being sold to sponsors for the #43 next season, which means Reed Sorenson might be out at RPM. If that’s the case, I doubt EGR is an option and with the lack of rides that might mean at age 23 Reed Sorenson’s Cup career is over.
Bobby Labonte’s contract is also up at the end of the year. EGR tried to secure Labonte prior to this season for the #8, but they were unsuccessful. The Hall of Fame deal with Yates is only for one season (though it could be renewed) and EGR may still want the veteran driver. Labonte though has not had a ton of success since winning his Championship in 2000 and leaving Gibbs in 2005. While he hasn’t been in the greatest equipment since departing Gibbs, there haven’t been too many flashes of brillance.
Given the chance, Elliott Sadler too might be willing to leave Richard Petty Motorsports. He sued prior to this season to be kept at the organization but given an out I’m sure both sides would be willing to part ways. Sadler though too has had a less than steller career.
Whatever ultimately happens, there aren’t a lot of options for any of this year’s Silly Season participants. Jamie McMurray and Brad Keselowski are in a tough spot, one that will likely be determined by sponsorship dollars; David Stremme, Reed Sorenson, Casey Mears and Bobby Labonte are out of their contracts at the end of the season and unless something big happens they might not have a Cup career left; and EGR, an organization that is looking stronger and stronger every week is having to choose between a class of drivers that are mediocre at best. On top of all this are the possibilities at the teams that want to expand and the ones that don’t want to downsize. It will be interesting to see what happens for next year.
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on Jul 30th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
You forget, Jeff Gordon may not be returning next season. I know no one talks about his medical issues and it has been kept quiet but if the man continues to race, frankly he’s an idiot and is risking serious injury to himself. Since I don’t think he’s an idiot, I think we’ll see him officially retire at the end of the season. This leaves a spot open for Brad.
on Jul 30th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
add in Travis trying to find a ride again(still) too
on Jul 31st, 2009 at 3:55 am
Although Gordon has health issues,I think He will race a few more years. He probably will not be racing too longer after 40.
on Jul 31st, 2009 at 9:08 am
Wind the clock back to February. Sadler petitions to keep his ride at RPM, is sitting in the “catbird seat” while leading the Super Bowl of motorpsorts w/ imminent rain looming outside the banking, then just pulls over and lets Kennseth win the Daytona 500 a lap later in the rain under caustion. Kennseth pockets the BIG bucks and wins again at Fontana the following week.
Kennseth sits 12th in pts, still top $ winner to date, hasn’t done much since and now loses DeWalt sponsorship. Meanwhile Elliott sits 25th in pts and will likely be on the street.
I know this is Monday morning quarterbacking stuff, but what a difference a lap makes!
RE Jeff Gordon-wouldn’t you think a Gordon retirement would be the last thing Rick Hendrick needs? Cause I don’t think Dupont would carry on w/o JG. IMHO
on Jul 31st, 2009 at 9:33 am
I have to believe it would be a bad move for Stewart Haas to bring on another car. They don’t have full sponsorship for their 2nd car!
And, its a brand new team. Who knows if this season was “catching lightning in a bottle”. Heck, this season isn’t even done yet. A few bad races during the Chase, and the team will be “struggling”.
I think Tony should concentrate on his two cars for the first few years, see what happens.
on Jul 31st, 2009 at 11:49 am
I wrote on this years silly season a week or two ago and basically in a nutshell:
1. I believe Harvick might be better to go to Stewart-Haas Racing with a sponsor and RCR would be better to sign Brad Keselowski to the #29 Shell car. There is no chemistry in the #29 team anymore, sometimes its better for a driver to go else where, it happens.
2. If Brad Keselowski can’t go to RCR, then Stewart-Haas Racing would be a choice considering he might be Hendrick funded.
3. Bobby Labonte to EGR would be good for EGR.
4. And I wouldn’t be surprised if David Stremme, Reed Sorenson, and Casey Mears all find themselves out in 2010.
McMurray is out, and I don’t see him at EGR neither.
on Jul 31st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
RaceDriven: Don’t make it your entire comment, but you can link to your blog post in the comment if you’d like. We don’t mind. Marc over at Full Throttle does it quite often here.
And just in case any other bloggers are reading this, let this serve as notice; as long as you are adding to the conversation and aren’t just doing it for shameless self promotion, if you have a blog post that relates to a topic we wrote, you can link to it.
on Jul 31st, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I think Bobby Labonte is the most valuable due to his PCP. If Mears or Sorenson get a ride and Bobby doesn’t………
Childress should’ve never switched the crews for Harvick and Mears. Made them both worse IMO.
I agree with Christopher. Tony should concentrate on his two teams for at least another season.
Kez should stay in the NW series to be visible. A ride may open up in CUP in 2010.
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 5:03 am
One would have thought after last year Sadler would have picked up the pace.
Perhaps He no longer wants to drive.
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 10:07 am
I have no answers, but some questions:
1) If Jack Daniel’s leaves RCR, are they going to stay in the sport? If so, which team/driver would be the right fit for them?
2) Has Rick Hendrick tied adding Red Bull Racing as a HMS satellite into a package that includes firing Vickers and replacing him with Kesselowski?
3) Will RPM drop a team soon to focus their resources on Kahne’s Chase run?
4) According to Sports Business Daily, the Ask.com sponsorship on the #96 HOF/RYR Ford was $4M for 18 races. Can a front-running Cup team really get by on a mere $222,222 per race?
5) Will McMurray be willing to take a major pay cut and eat a plate full of crow to return to Chip Ganassi?
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 10:23 am
Regarding D Jones’s comment, I’m curious as to your (TC, Journo) takes on what can happen in a race shop that causes three RCR chase cars in 2008 to fall out of the top 12 in 2009. I haven’t analyzed anything – maybe they got caught up in a lot of wrecks or something. In November 2008 they’re running fine, and in February 2009 they’re midpack? What’s THAT about?
on Aug 1st, 2009 at 8:07 pm
JT I will give you an opinion on those:
1) I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack Daniel’s leaves RCR, of course they may just be looking for a different driver. I haven’t heard if Jack Daniel’s even wants or can stay in the sport.
2) Hendsrick did say that they have the resources to add Red Bull racing to the Hendrick support. Every week that goes by that Red Bull doesn’t come to a decision, makes me wonder if Chevrolet as their manufacturer is an option for them. As for Kesselowski in and Vickers out, I have even stated that a week ago.
3) RPM said they are not dropping a team in 2009, however three teams would be easier for RPM to handle in 2010, that could still be an option, I would doubt that for a moment. I will say though that Sadler out at RPM would be a strength so long as a sponsor can be found for him.
4) I have heard numbers that say 16-20 million per year for a racetrack in the Cup Series, I heard Dale Jr. is around 18 million per year. 4M sounds low for 18 races for a primary sponsor, i would think 8-10 Million for 18 races to be top tear team.
5) McMurray to EGR??? You would be better off to get him either in the #96 or another team at Yates then to EGR. I believe Bobby Labonte might go to EGR, they wanted Labonte a few years back, but haven’t heard anything there. All I know McMurray has been told he is free to talk to other organizations about next season.
On McMurray, EGR could be on the list if Ganassi wants to fill the ride, besides that Earnhardt, not just Ganassi we are talking about.
Here is my thoughts on the Cup Series silly season so far.
T.C. – First I didn’t know if its ok to put a link in the comments and second I never like to push things, I just comment if I can add to the conversation and put my URL Address in the website line so viewers can check the source of the comment when they click my name above, but thank you.
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
A driver know one has mentioned is David Reutimann…I heard his contract is up and he’s done really well this year.
on Sep 18th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
egr have a decision to make. considering yates has merged with rpm, mcmurrays out. i see egr plumping for youth, but i prefer sorenson to almirola, but imo, it’s close
on Sep 18th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
SCD- Sorenson won’t be back to Ganassi. Chip has had enough of trying out young drivers. He’s looking for proven ability, not youth. It’s burned him with Mears, Sorenson and Stremme. If I was betting, my money would be on McMurray.