August 5th, 2010 
T.C. I wonder if we will ever quit referring to driver and sponsor movements as the Silly Season. It was initially called that because it referred to a specific part of the season when all this started happening. Now it seems that it starts in February at Daytona. Sorry, I digress…
Has the 2010 Silly Season not been extremely odd? Looking at what we know and still don’t know about who will be where in the future is really interesting. We’ve had all kinds of crazy things happen already, and it’s only August!
Let’s review. First, it was announced in April that Kasey Kahne would leave Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of 2010, and that he’d signed a deal to drive for Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2012. The move certainly raised a ton of questions, namely, where in the heck Kasey would be driving for the 2011 season. In the four months that have followed, we’ve heard everything from Kasey to Stewart Haas, Kasey to stay at RPM, Martin out at HMS early, and so on and so forth. As it sits today, we still don’t have a single answer about where Kahne will be in 2011. With other teams having open seats, and some considering adding teams, was this move the best for Kahne? Should he have waited to make a move? The ball is in Mr. H’s court.
A few weeks after the Kahne announcement, we learned that Shell-Pennzoil would be leaving the Richard Childress #29 and Kevin Harvick to join Penske Racing and Kurt Busch for 2011 and beyond. It was an interesting move at the time, as trouble was brewing and it appeared Harvick was on his way out at RCR. Besides the chance to sponsor a NASCAR Cup champion, a big reason for the move on Shell’s part was the chance for rights to sell their oil in all of Penske’s auto dealerships. Shortly after the initial announcement however, Harvick won at Talladega, and later decided to re-sign with RCR. Even with the business opportunities for Shell at Penske, this move was still an odd one. You don’t often see a sponsor leave a team at or near the top of the points standings. It may be a little awkward at season’s end if Harvick ends up winning the championship.
The strangest driver change of this season though, just might be the most recent one. On July 27th, Marcos Ambrose announced he would leave JTG Daugherty Racing after the 2010 season. The move ended a five year relationship with team owner Tad Geschickter that took Ambrose from the Truck Series to the Cup ranks. JTG wasn’t driver-less for long, as only a few short days later they announced that Bobby Labonte would replace Ambrose for 2011. What’s odd here though, is Ambrose is now without a ride for the future. We’ve seen plenty of lame duck situations with drivers over the years, but how often has the lame duck driver not had a spot for the next year already locked up when he made his announcement to leave? I can’t think of one off the top of my head. The persisting rumor is that Ambrose is headed over to RPM to replace one of their vacating drivers in either the #9 or #19, but no announcement has come and there are indications that RPM doesn’t have a sponsorship deal lined up. Some have floated that Ambrose may be wanting to return to Australia, but I feel if that were the case, he would have already told us that. He may just be caught in the middle right now waiting for a deal to come together. Either way, the whole situation is very odd.
Besides the situations and questions that I mentioned, there are plenty of other holes to fill for 2011. There are strong indications that Paul Menard is bailing from RPM and taking his family sponsor money to help RCR restart their fourth team for next season. The deal may already be done. If that happens, where does that leave RPM? What happens to Elliott Sadler, who by most indications appears to finally be on his way out? With Brian Vickers health still in question, and Scott Speed’s unflattering 2010 performance, who will drive the Red Bull cars next season? Is Sam Hornish going to be out at Penske at season’s end, or does Roger keep him on? Could Justin Allgaier be bumped up to the third or possibly fourth team for Penske next season?
Where’s the Advil, my head is spinning…
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Don’t forget the lack of a sponsor for the #24 next year, and Jeff Dickerson becoming the spotter.
Right now is the best time to move Allgaier up to Cup. Kurt is a past champion so to lock Allgaier in all you have to do is give him Kurt’s owner points from 2010. I have a feeling that AAA will sponsor Hornish next year. Also I have heard a lot about Vegemite sponsoring Ambrose when he goes to RPM. That can’t happen unless Kraft/Nabisco ends their contract with Stewart-Haas. They dont sponsor Cup races with SHR but remember the Nationwide race at Daytona? Oreo/Ritz are made by Kraft/Nabisco. But if they end their contract then it is all good. Another thing Stanley Tools could Sponsor Ambrose next year. Rumor has it that they are returning to RPM. If Best Buy was smart they would return with A.J. Now that he has a contract in place he can just go out and race. Plus unless they sign some “Free Agent” he is now the “Top Dog”. Also I heard that it ia a done deal that Bass Pro Shops is returning to sponsor Mcmurray. But really, WHY WOULDN’T THEY???
Anyway I am done talkin for now.
Also, I know this is on the schedule but it has to do with 2011 Changes. Have any of you read the Jayski.com article on the schedule changes? Chicagoland in the chase? And we all know that Kentucky is on the schedule and Atlanta loses a date. But wow the changes are everywhere. I just hope that Brian Frances chase changes are not just the tracks that are in them. Though that would help.
I’m just happy NASCAR, and all other forms of motorsports, do not have trade deadlines, rules, etc, etc like stick-n-ball. Although there are business contracts, drivers and crew are pretty much free agents. That’s is one area that makes racing unique.
Marcus-I thought for sure you would step in and oust Lowe’s from JJ’s #48 team and become his personal sponsor.
Looks like the “silly season” is more interesting than some of the actual races this year.
You forgot to mention the wildcard big sponsor, Budwiser. Will they follow Kasey to Hendrick? (Unlikely, due to Hendrick’s broad relationship with Pepsi). Will Bud stay on the RPM #9? (No, especially without a superstar driver). Will Bud go to RCR’s #29? (Maybe, but Harvick is a little old and crotchity to appeal to Bud’s core 21-35 year-old male drinkers). Or, will Bud leave NASCAR, at least sitting out 2011? (This scenario appears likely).
Meanwhile, it seems like after Ambrose lost the race at Sonoma, that knocked over the first domino of change for the JTG team. Ambrose had to endure embarrasing interviews for a week after the race, which must have made his sponsors cringe. He also mentioned in interviews that he and his family were becoming homesick for Oz. Then there was past-Cup Champion, Bobby Labonte trolling the garage area around the same time looking for a better ride.
Meanwhile, Ambrose is facing the “chicken or the egg” issue when looking for a new ride. I’m sure that RPM would love to have him in the #9, provided he brings a sponsor, but I’m guessing he has no sponsor to bring along.
JT,
No telling what those commies who stole BUDWEISER away from America will do. I used to be a devoted, exclusive Bud drinker but when the commies came in, I was gone.
I switched my allegiance to a local brewer ( I am lucky to have them, it is great brew too ) ….but anway…I knew that after they gobbled up Bud there would be BIG changes, and there have been.
Heck, me and the three hillybilly brothers could have figured out a way to make more money at Bud … just cut out all the good fun things they do…… and that is what Bud has been doing.
Just another great American product ruined…. it is sad…. They really should take American off of any labels.. Bud is foreign owned….and that sucks.
ps
yeah yeah.. blah blah…. I know I use the term commie too losely, but after all the Bud I bought and paid for, I can call them anything I want to …. Damned commies… ruining my fav beer company : (
Neon- I dont shop at Lowe’s for the fact that they sponsor him. Home Depot, Menard’s or ACE Hardware for me. Hell, Target and Wal-Mart sell half the stuff the others do. Anyway. Like Lowe’s would ever leave the #48. If they left, as much as I hate to say it, it would be a DUMB decision.
Garry- I would partner with Pepsi in a heartbeat! I absolutely LOVE Pepsi Co. as a whole. Pepsi, Mountain Dew, AMP Energy, Gatorade, Lipton Tea, and Frito Lay Chips! Mainly Pepsi and AMP though! So much better than Bud and it’s AMERICAN OWNED!!! No racial comments here but we live in America and our food and drink should be owned and made by us! Yes I know Bud is made in the USA but it is not owned by the USA! Bummer I know!
EXTRA!! EXTRA!!
READ ALL ABOUT IT…..
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/06/2134235/kansas-speedway-expected-to-receive.html
100% quoted from the KC Star website…
“”NASCAR is expected to make a formal announcement that a second Sprint Cup weekend will be granted to Kansas Speedway.
Kansas’ receiving a second date is part of several changes to the NASCAR schedule that will be announced early next week. Already, Chicagoland Speedway has scheduled a Monday news conference to announce it will kick off the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2011 in place of Auto Club Speedway in California. Auto Club Speedway, also owned by ISC, will relinquish one of its two Cup dates, apparently the one going to Kansas Speedway.
Also, Kentucky Speedway has scheduled a news conference to announce it will receive one of the two Sprint Cup dates from its sister track, Atlanta.
While Kansas Speedway president Pat Warren has not received formal notification from NASCAR he said, “We fully expect when the schedule is announced, or when they at least tell us what our portion of the schedule will be, that we anticipate that next year we will have two Sprint Cup races.”
Lesa France Kennedy, chief executive officer of International Speedway Corporation, owner of Kansas Speedway, petitioned NASCAR’s board of directors for a second date if the state of Kansas approved the casino that is now under construction at the track.
That was a mere formality considering the board consists of Kennedy, her brother, NASCAR Chairman Brian France; her uncle James C. France, NASCAR president Mike Helton and NASCAR senior vice president Gary Crotty.”"
I have noticed that my renewal forms for Fontana, usually sent out in June or so, have yet to arrive… Too bad. When I first bought my tickets, Fontana had a CART race and a NASCAR race; then it was IRL and NASCAR. Now it’s going to be one NASCAR race. Oh well, I suppose I can go to the ALMS event, or maybe the Superbike weekend.