2012 Nascar Silly Season

[kurski]

What do you think whether a NASCAR back to Mexico in the future?...Telcel is Mexico cell phone giant, run by Carlos Slim, who has been a key part of NASCAR's Mexico marketing initiatives. Slim, who once hoped for a Cup race at Mexico City's Autódromo Hermanos Rodr�*guez, is one of the world's wealthiest men, with a 2011 portfolio estimated at $74 Billion US. Slim also runs the Sears empire in Mexico, certainly a positive connection for this sport.

[kurski]

Side Racing Go Canada, they intend to do a dozen Nationwide races with only one car. The talks for a second car with Jacques Villeneuve have not progressed since last summer. However, for the career of Andrew, Go Canada Racing is the second option available to him because he is a risk that the results are not up to the young pilot joining a small team with that a partial schedule. . Andrew needs to rely on good team to get noticed.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

Totally shafted. Look at this, cause there were little sponsorship issues. They basically wanted Reutimann gone.

I think they wanted Reutimann to develop into more of a media talent like Waltrip. In the Aarons commercials he is way to stiff and looks like a deer in the headlights.

[Clive Brown]

Waltrip might well be a media talent. Trouble is, he can't drive worth a s**t.

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by kurski

The talks for a second car with Jacques Villeneuve have not progressed since last summer.

this can only be a good thing...

[MJ_N_09]

Rusty Wallace's NNS team is laying off people. Hopefully it's temporary until he can find sponsorship for his son alongside Michael Annett (returning w/ sponsor).

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

So now Mark Martin has gone to MWR, and I still can't see quite how this deal makes sense for anyone, it looks like Superbim's Cup ride at Stewart-Haas will only be a part-time team, as MM had been slated to run the events that she didn't.

Would have made awesome sense if Mr Ambrose had still been there, and they were able to share data....

[Clive Brown]

Yeah, but the most likely winner at MWR was always David Reutimann (won for MWR in both 2009 and 2010), and they've just got rid of him. Truex Jr. has never looked likely, and the #47 has become a laughing stock. Get rid of Bobby Labonte, guys!

I believe that Bowyer's own conceit has just terminally undermined his career; he should have moved heaven and earth to have stayed at RCR, for where else did he have a chance of actually winning a race? An MWR Toyota simply doesn't look like a race-winning car to me....

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

Yeah, but the most likely winner at MWR was always David Reutimann (won for MWR in both 2009 and 2010), and they've just got rid of him. Truex Jr. has never looked likely, and the #47 has become a laughing stock. Get rid of Bobby Labonte, guys!

I believe that Bowyer's own conceit has just terminally undermined his career; he should have moved heaven and earth to have stayed at RCR, for where else did he have a chance of actually winning a race? An MWR Toyota simply doesn't look like a race-winning car to me....

the 2009 win was only due to him being in front when the red was thrown due rain, which only leaves him with 1 proper win, now equal with Mr Ambrose.

I really do not think the JTG/MWR relationship would have yielded the car for Mr Ambrose to win any more than the RPM car has. Do you think he would have been so competitive at Charlotte/Texas/Phoenix with the JTG car? I don't

I do agree with your sentiments on Mr Bowyer though, should have tried for anything other than MWR, for the same reasons above

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

I really do not think the JTG/MWR relationship would have yielded the car for Mr Ambrose to win any more than the RPM car has. Do you think he would have been so competitive at Charlotte/Texas/Phoenix with the JTG car? I don't

Neither do I. I rather fear you have misunderstood me. Even had RPM not been the comeback story of the 2011 series, it was surely still a better option than the JTG Daugherty car. My criticism of the #47 team is that I'm sure they could have picked a better driver to take the team forward than Bobby Labonte, who as far as I am concerned, was a busted flush long before he joined the team. He was just such an unambitious selection.

The other glaring fault about JTG is their choice of allies. I could understand their being a satellite of JGR (�* la Stewart-Haas and Hendrick), or even Red Bull, but a satellite of MWR? Gimme a break!

[MJ_N_09]

Who knows? Maybe they wanted the PCP to use if the team fell out of the top 35 somehow.

[MJ_N_09]

I heard about somethings with the Red Bull team during the PIR race today. Apparently there was an interview that Jay Frye (director) was working on things so that the 2 cars can be on the grid next year. Whitt ran this race, and is also getting approval to run Homestead, and hopefully the Daytona 500. If RBR is successfully transferred over to another owner, I can see Whitt running for ROTY, with Vickers as a teammate.

[Clive Brown]

Now Cole Whitt is one of Dietrich Mateschitz's boys, so you may well be right.... I think there is every prospect of him having a Red Bull-funded seat in Cup next year, even if there is no Red Bull Racing as such.

[MJ_N_09]

Yeah, I'd agree. This is what I think will happen. Two car team again (4/84 and 83), Whitt and Vickers as drivers, Red Bull sponsoring in some form along with others, and Jay Frye owning and running the team.

The real question is the manufacturer. Staying with Toyota or going to Chevy?

[Clive Brown]

I'd have thought that staying with Toyota would be their best option. At least at Toyota they are the #2 team behind JGR, and #1 at TRD. Where would they fit in at Chevy, with HMS, RCR, SHR, and EGR already established?

Second serious Dodge team behind Penske?

[MJ_N_09]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

I'd have thought that staying with Toyota would be their best option. At least at Toyota they are the #2 team behind JGR, and #1 at TRD. Where would they fit in at Chevy, with HMS, RCR, SHR, and EGR already established?

Second serious Dodge team behind Penske?

JGR will actually be the #1 team for TRD engines soon. They're not building their own engines anymore. Can we blame them after all the blown engines this year?

[Clive Brown]

Can someone please explain to me just how the arithmetic for this deal works out? As I understand it, Mark Martin is to drive 25 races, including the Daytona 500. Mikey is to race the rest of the plate races, plus his home race at Kentucky, but that's surely only four races, whereas the MWR press releases suggest that he will be doing seven events with Aaron's sponsorship. So that leaves a discrepancy of three races. As there are thirty-six races in the season, that leaves either seven races for other drivers/sponsors uncovered, or four.

And what about the All Star race?

Can someone please explain, and do the math for me?

[MarcosAmbroseFan]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

Can someone please explain to me just how the arithmetic for this deal works out? As I understand it, Mark Martin is to drive 25 races, including the Daytona 500. Mikey is to race the rest of the plate races, plus his home race at Kentucky, but that's surely only four races, whereas the MWR press releases suggest that he will be doing seven events with Aaron's sponsorship. So that leaves a discrepancy of three races. As there are thirty-six races in the season, that leaves either seven races for other drivers/sponsors uncovered, or four.

And what about the All Star race?

Can someone please explain, and do the math for me?

Ok

Michael Waltrip - Aaron's Sponsorship (5 races)

1. Bud Shootout (2/18)
2. Talladega (5/6)
3. Kentucky (6/30)
4. Daytona (7/7)
5. Talladega (10/7)

Mark Martin - Aaron's Sponsorship (25 Races)

1. Daytona 500 (2/26)
2. Phoenix (3/4)
3. Las Vegas (3/11)
4. Auto Club (3/25)
5. Texas (4/14)
6. Kansas (4/22)
7. Darlington (5/12)
8. All-Star (5/19)
9. Charlotte (5/27)
10. Dover (6/3)
11. Pocono (6/10)
12. Michigan (6/17)
13. New Hampshire (7/15)
14. Indianapolis (7/29)
15. Pocono (8/5)
16. Michigan (8/19)
17. Atlanta (9/2)
18. Chicagoland (9/16)
19. New Hampshire (9/23)
20. Dover (9/30)
21. Charlotte (10/13)
22. Kansas (10/21)
23. Texas (11/4)
24. Phoenix (11/11)
25. Homestead (11/18)

TBA - Unsponsored (8 races)

1. Bristol (3/18)
2. Martinsville (4/1)
3. Richmond (4/28)
4. Infineon (6/24)
5. Watkins Glen (8/12)
6. Bristol (8/25)
7. Richmond (9/8)
8. Martinsville (10/28)

[Clive Brown]

That's what has me confused. NASCAR.com quotes Mikey as running seven events; I could only make it five, even including the All-Star event, but I'd overlooked the fact that Mikey is eligible for the Bud Shoot-Out.

The other complication is the position regarding Owner's Points. Presumably
the 56 will retain the 56's points, this year's 00 points will go to Clint Bowyer's #15 team, and the #55 will have to qualify on speed for the first five races, unless they can cut a deal with someone.... maybe Red Bull?

[Matt]

you realize mikey could pick a few more races he just feels like running...right?

[Clive Brown]

There's also three unsponsored races until Mikey's first scheduled points outing, so if Mark Martin is doing particularly well after his initial run of races, MWR would still have the option of carrying on with Mark for a tilt at The Chase. Unlikely I know, but then, who would have thought of the outcome of this year's Chase?

[Flyin Ryan]

Roger Penske has fired Kurt Busch tonight.

[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.

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

Roger Penske has fired Kurt Busch tonight.

(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?

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

Roger Penske has fired Kurt Busch tonight.

Ouch. I suspect, however, Kurt Busch won't have any major trouble finding another ride but what other quality rides are available at this point in the Silly Season?

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.