Welcome to the Rumors and News Page:
How to read:  F = Fact, P = Probable, Q = Questionable, D = Doubtful
7/05/08
Earnhardt Jr vs Justin Wilson  This weekend Justin Wilson competed against troops in Irag playing an on-line war video game. Wilson stated that next time they should play a racing game which he routinely plays online vs Dale Earnhardt Jr and AJ Allmendinger.
7/05/08
F
Martin signs with Hendrick for 2009  Mark Martin will return to full time Cup racing for the 2009 season running with Hendrick teammates J Gordon, Johnson, and Earnhardt Jr. 
7/05/08
F
Casey Mears out at Hendricks   Casey Mears, who has had a disappointing season among high expectations will finish the season with Hendrick, but will be looking for 2009 options while doing so.
7/05/08
F
Franchitti out, Ganassi folds team 
Chip Ganassi has folded Dario Franchitti's team following the N Hampshire race, eliminating 70 personnel from Cup employment. Franchitti, who won the 2007 IndyCar championship and Indy 500 is rumored to be offered a Nationwide ride with Ganassi or perhaps move to the AMLS series with Andretti Green Racing.
7/05/08
F
Bowyer re-signs with Richard Childress Racing 
Clint Bowyer has said at N Hampshire that he has re-signed to drive the #07 for 3 more years
5/30/08
Q
Montoya to Toyota and Gibbs Racing  Rumor has it that if Tony Stewart leaves the Toyota Gibbs team that Toyota and Gibbs wants to grab Juan Montoya.  Montoya is very unhappy at Ganassi and Toyota won a CART championship with Toyota.  Toyota is apparently still very high on Montoya and they feel Montoya's real potential is being masked by Ganassi's Dodges.
5/30/08
F
E Sadler extends with Evernham  STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP)—Elliott Sadler and Gillett Evernham Motorsports agreed to a multiyear contract extension on Thursday that will keep the Sprint Cup driver in the No. 19 Dodge.

“This is the place where I want to race,” Sadler said. “I think what we are building here is special and something other drivers and crew members envy.” Yahoo! Sports

5/28/08
F
Mayfield to drive Franchitti's No 40   Jeremy Mayfield will replace Dario Franchitti in the No. 40 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge for this weekend's Best Buy 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway, the team announced Wednesday.
4/23/08
F
Franchitti replaced by Ken Schrader for Richmond 
Dario Franchitti, who broke his ankle in a Nationwide series accident at Talladega, will be replaced for Richmond by veteran Ken Schrader in the number 40 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge. No word yet on Franchitti's return or if Schrader will remain in the car after Richmond.
4/30/08
Q

Robert Doornbos hoping for  Indy 500 ride  Robert Doornbos, who became an instant star in his rookie Champ Car season last year writes, "My management is still in talks with IndyCar teams to compete in the Indy 500 and maybe to do all the remaining races this season. For me it's important to get into a team where we also have good chances to score in the long term (2009). So keep your fingers crossed a little longer!"

 

4/25/08
Q
04/25/08 Stewart to start own Cup Team? Two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart is considering team ownership and where he will drive in the future. Stewart said Thursday that he has offers of ownership from other existing teams and is considering those offers, but he did not rule out a return to Joe Gibbs Racing next season and beyond.

Stewart said he has discussed his various offers with JGR officials and has talked to JGR about the possibility that if he were to go somewhere else starting in 2010, could he leave after this season instead of waiting until after his contract ends in 2009. He said, though, that he has not made a decision about what he is going to do and has not requested to get out of his contract. “There’s a couple of groups that have thrown some ownership in the mix,” Stewart said. More at Scenedaily.com
4/24/08
F
04/24/08 Perera out at Conquest IndyCar Racing team 
The rookie who has impressed so many in his start to 2008 after impressing in everyone last year with a 2nd in the Atlantic Championship is suddenly without a ride as Conquest Racing has announced that they have signed Jaime Camara for the remainder of the season to drive their #34 entry as well as an extension to their sponsorship program with current partner Sangari. Camara will start his duties with the team at this weekend’s Road Runner Turbo 300 at Kansas Speedway. Camara has ran the past three seasons in the Indy Lights series.
4/23/08
Q

4/24/08 Will Truex leave DEI?
If free agent-to-be Martin Truex Jr. is considering employment with another team, the next two months should help him make up his mind.

His performance to date has been much better than in the first eight races of last year. If Truex decides to bolt, Richard Childress Racing’s new fourth car would be a step up. Truex is a good qualifier and probably wouldn’t sweat too much over the first five races of next season, when he would have to qualify solely on time. Also, Truex would be joining an organization whose current drivers rank among the top eight in points. If Truex’s cars don’t measure up to his expectations during these next two months, the decision to leave will become that much easier. And it would leave DEI without any full-time premier drivers. NASCAR.com

4/23/08
F
04/23/08 PCM Joining IndyCar Series with Dominguez
PCM will become the 10th entry from Champ Car into the Indy Car Series for 2008. Pacific Coast Motorsports is pleased to announce their entry into the IndyCar Series, with Mario Dominguez driving the #96 Visit Mexico City/PCM/Dallara.  The Mexico City Tourism Board is the primary sponsor of the PCM entry and the program will commence with the 2008 Indy 500.

PCM team owner Tyler Tadevic joined Mario Dominguez and representatives of the Mexico City Tourism Board at a press conference in Mexico City this morning.  Mexico City’s Vice Minister of Tourism, Flavio Abed commented on the program, “For the city of Mexico City, this motorsports project represents an extraordinary opportunity to promote another face of our city and to show the world everything this great city has to offer.  Mexico City is one of the more important destinations in Latin America, not only for business, but also for pleasure.  Mexico City is rich with history and features beautiful parks, theatres, museums and cultural destinations.  Mario is very important to this city and we are excited to promote our city to the IndyCar audience through this program.”

Formed in the fall of 2002, PCM joins the IndyCar Series from the Champ Car World Series. 

4/23/08
F
4/23/08 Max Papis to run Cup road courses with Haas team  
Haas CNC Racing is pleased to announce that Max Papis will drive the No. 70 Haas Automation Chevrolet during the two road-course races on the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

"I'm very excited to have this opportunity," Papis said. "After testing for Hendrick Motorsports and developing more knowledge about the COT, I'm proud and honored to carry over that experience to the Haas CNC Racing program."

The 2008 Sprint Cup Series road-course races are June 22 at Infineon Raceway and Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen International.  Haas CNC Racing
4/16/08
P
04/16/08 Sebastian Vettel to drive for Red Bull in 2009
Advisor Helmut Marko thinks it is likely the "special" Sebastian Vettel will be driving for the team next season.

The German is currently impressing for Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull's B-team, and has been tipped for bigger things.

And Marko told admits it is likely the 20-year-old will be driving for Red Bull by the time the next season starts.

He told Autosport: "I think so, yes.

"He's a special one and he is very developed for his age. He can be very aggressive in the car but he's also technical and well trained.

"Red Bull has been with him for eight years and we have a contract for another couple of years."

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost also had nothing but praise for Vettel.

"He is one of the best young drivers so far," he told Autosport.

4/13/08
F
Update: AJ Allmendinger back in car: After Phoenix, Mike Skinner will step back down to make way for Allmendinger's return starting with Talladega.

Red Bull confirms Allmendinger relacement: Red Bull Racing Team has confirmed that veteran NASCAR driver Mike Skinner will temporarily replace AJ Allmendinger in the No. 84 Red Bull Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series effective this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Skinner, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, currently races full-time in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra. 

"We’re at a crossroads where we need to make a change that will elevate the No. 84 team to success,” said VP and General Manager Jay Frye. “AJ’s our guy and he’s a talented driver, but there’s a lot being asked of him. In order for him to be successful, we have to get this team pointed in the right direction. We hope we can do that with the help of a veteran driver.”

Skinner’s history with Red Bull Racing Team dates back to 2006 when he served as a test driver for the team.  Skinner’s history with Allmendinger also dates back to 2006, when he mentored teammate Allmendinger during the rookie’s part-time ride with Bill Davis Racing NCTS team.  Frye hopes with the help of Skinner, that RBRT will have the program turned around and the ride returned to Allmendinger in no time.

   AJ Allmendinger, No. 84 Red Bull Driver: “Let’s not kid ourselves; I’m a racer and I want to be racing, but I get the big picture here and obviously we need to improve our program. Do I want to be out of the car? No. But, I know Skinner can help both me and my team. All I can say is he better be prepared for me to eat, drink, and sleep with him. Ok, well maybe not the sleeping part, but I’m ready to attach myself to him and learn everything I can.”

   Mike Skinner, Substitute No. 84 Driver: “The first time I ever met AJ, I took an immediate liking to him. He’s not just a great personality; he also has a remarkable amount of talent. He took on a huge challenge jumping into stock cars last year, and I’m glad I can be the one to help him and his team figure out where the glitches are in their program.  This is a positive thing for AJ as a learning experience, for the Red Bull Racing Team to get back on track, and for me to have the opportunity to help another Toyota team that has great equipment and potential.”

Red Bull to remove Allmendinger  Red Bull Racing is considering temporarily pulling A.J. Allmendinger from his Toyota as it reevaluates that struggling program.  Allmendinger failed to qualify for Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, making him 0-for-3 on the season. In contrast, teammate Brian Vickers has made all three races in the other Red Bull car.

"We can't keep missing races. It's just not an option," said general manager Jay Frye, hired in January to turn around the second-year Red Bull program. More at SI.com

2/29/08
F
Garmin signs on for #19 E Sadler  Garmin International Inc. announced that it will become an associate sponsor of the #19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports team in the 2008 Sprint Cup series with driver Elliott Sadler. Electronics retailer Best Buy is the car's primary sponsor. Garmin is partnering with Best Buy Racing for the second year in a row. The #19 car will sport a prominent Garmin logo that will also be found on driver and crew uniforms, and it will appear on other supporting vehicles throughout the 2008 race season.
2/28/08
F
Forsythe Racing shuts down top program - Paul Tracy withought a ride
This from the Forsythe website:  Forsythe Championship Racing LLC, which has participated in CART and Champ Car over the past 13 seasons, will cease operations following the April 20th Long Beach Grand Prix.  Parent company Forsythe Racing, Inc. will continue its Atlantic program with drivers James Hinchcliffe and David Garza.

Thanks to all the fans who supported us over the years!

Forsythe Racing out of merger - Paul Tracy without a ride
You heard it here first, Gerald Forsythe has told Tony George his team will not be moving to the IRL, leaving Paul Tracy, Champ Car's best known star, without a ride for the merged series. This would bring the number of cars down to 6-8 cars moving to the IRL. Will Tony George step in to entice Forsythe, or another team to run PT?

2/23/08
P
Pacific Coast Motorpsorts team to IndyCar
Tyler Tadevic, Team Director - “We are thrilled to have a unified series, without a doubt this provides the strongest platform for our partners going forward.  It is our intention for Pacific Coast Motorsports to continue its open-wheel endeavors.  Our goal is to be on the IRL grid at the GAINSCO Grand Prix in Miami with two IndyCars. We are working diligently on this program and welcome all opportunities.  In addition, it is our intention to continue our Atlantic program with our young American stars Frankie Muniz and Carl Skerlong.  Vicki O’Connor (Atlantic President) has a long, successful history leading the Atlantic series and we are confident she will find the series a good home.  We are grateful to the Champ Car community and to our fans who have shown us great support and we look forward to a brighter future for Open-Wheel Racing in North America.”
2/23/08
D
Robby Gordon docked 100 pts by Nascar, threatens to leave & join merged Indy Car  Nascar came down hard on Robby Gordon with a 100 pt penalty for what Robby Gordon say's was a simple mistake in the late switch to Dodge and not in any way an intentional cheating. The loss of pt's and it's implications could cost the teams ability to attract or retain sponsors.

“A hundred could be life-threatening to our team,” Gordon said before Friday’s first practice. “If this sticks I don’t know what our plan will be. I think [IRL and CART are] back together, and I think I can drive one of those cars.”

2/23/08
F

Indy Car - Champ Car 2008 merger is complete
Champ Car has ceased operating as the merger became official Friday afternoon, Feb 22. It is expected that the deal includes the incorporation of at least three races (Long Beach, Edmonton, and Australia) for this season and the inclusion of up to six Champ Car teams with between 6 to 10 cars. The merged league is actually the continuation of Indy Car with it's loud normally aspirated engines and technologically inferior cars. Champ Car teams will be given Dallara chassis this season and are expected to run in the season opening race next month in Homestead. Teams expected to come over are: Newman/Haas/Lanigan (one or two cars), Forsythe Racing (maybe one or two), PKV (one or two), Walker Racing (one car), Conquest Racing (two cars), and Dale Coyne (one car). Some teams will not merge as the loss of the European races means some sponsors have no interest or benefit in the racing in the IRL's schedule. Those teams include Rocketsports and Team Minardi. The merged league is expecting to have approximately 24-26 cars as the current Indy Car teams are expected to have only 16 cars.

Still unknown (waiting on official word from Indy Car) is how the Long Beach GP will be ran. Speculation is that officials for the race in Motegi, Japan were not willing to move their race, meaning that both races (sanctioned by Indy Car) will be ran on the same weekend, with Champ Car teams running their Panoz Champ Car's at Long Beach, but still receiving full Indy Car points as the Indy Car's in Japan.

The highly popular Toronto GP is also left in the dark for 08 as it's race date is the same as the sparsely attended Watkins Glen. Speculation is that Toronto is desired by the IndyCar series for 2009 or maybe even offering a different weekend of 2008? The Cleveland GP is also missing from the schedule with no speculation at this point on it's long term future. The Cleveland GP is another highly successful race with 26 years of competition.

Keep an eye out for more details in the coming days.

2/10/08
F
Mears car too low in Bud Shootout post-tech  Casey Mears' Chevy was determined to be too low during Budweiser Shootout postrace inspection. Mears finished sixth in the race, his first with the Hendrick Motorsports Sprint Cup team. Jim Hunter, NASCAR's Vice President of Corporate Communications, said NASCAR will continue investigating the issue today. "It might have some damage," Hunter said. "We'll let you know tomorrow." Daytona Beach News Journal
2/08/08
Q
Indy Car - Champ Car merger for 08 close but stumbling
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (AFP) - Indy Racing League chairman Tony George will fly to Japan on Saturday for talks that could set the stage for a reunification with Champ-car, whose officials say talks are at a standstill.

George will talk with officials at Twin Ring Motegi about moving their Indy-car race from April 20 to allow the Long Beach Champ-car Grand Prix to be staged that weekend as scheduled as part of a Indy-Champ series merger.  more at Yahoo Sports

2/02/08
F
Robby Gordon aligns with Evernham  Robby Gordon on Friday aligned his race team with Gillett Evernham Motorports in a partnership that will give the owner/driver the technical, manufacturing and marketing support his single-car operation has lacked.

As part of the agreement, Gordon will field Dodges instead of Fords this season. Gordon will also use GEM-produced engines. Yahoo Sports.

1/29/08
Open Wheel Invasion: has Nascar's quest for dominance come at the expense of it's Stock Car roots?  by Jim Hart Jan 29, 2008
They're coming to NASCAR in surprising numbers and surprising nationalities. For 50 years, the domain of NASCAR drivers had been All-American (mostly southern) good old boys who proved their metal on the local NASCAR sanctioned short track ovals. But things began to change as NASCAR used a fledging cable sports channel (ESPN) to broadcast their races in the 80's... Read Full Article Here
1/20/08
F

Bill Elliott to drive Wood Brothers #21 at Daytona  Bill Elliott will drive the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 at Daytona before eventually turning the team’s entry over to Marcos Ambrose and Jon Wood for most of the races.

“I’d just as soon run a good bit at the start and then let Ambrose and Jon run as time goes on here,” said Elliott, the 1988 Winston Cup champion. “I kind of like that plan. Let’s get started and run a little bit. Really, it’s a perfect world for me, and I can’t argue with it.”

Having won the Daytona 500 in 1985 and ‘87, Elliott said, “It’s exciting to be a part of the history of this race track. … Daytona is what stock-car racing is, and there are no ifs, ands or buts.”

1/17/08
P

NASCAR likely to change gear rule before Daytona 500  NASCAR is still evaluating data, but it looks as if there likely will be a change in the gear rule when competitors return in February. Teams currently have a choice of a 370 gear or a 375 gear, but their RPMs are above what NASCAR is looking for.

A change in gear - likely a 364 gear - would reduce RPM. That would make the engines more durable. It could even make the cars faster.

"If we change the rule, we won't do it officially until all of testing is completed," NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said Wednesday during testing. "I think all of the teams are already anticipating a change. I know a lot of teams last week tried a 364 gear and a lot of teams here have got 364s in."

NASCAR would like to keep the RPMs below 9,000, Darby said. Darby said no one has reached 9,000 RPM.

"We're getting too close to that," Darby said. "The key to it is if 10 cars are drafting and they see 8900, when we put 43 out, they're going to be over 9000."

Darby said NASCAR is fine with the overall speeds, which have hit 188 mph in drafting.  Scenedaily.com

1/17/08
P
Justin Wilson to get Bourdais seat at Newman/Hass/Lanigan; 2007 Champ Car series runner-up Justin Wilson may be taking over for the 4 time champion Sebatian Bourdais in the Newman/Haas/Lanigan #1 car, carryong with him his long time sponsor CDW. He was initially rumored to be going to Forsythe Racing due to his contract with part owner Dan Pettit. It was unclear if CDW would follow. Perhaps CDW (which was not happy last year with the team chemistry) was not willing to switch to Forsythe Racing. It would be easy to see why they would stay with Wilson if he gets the coveted #1 car.
1/16/08
P
Earnhardt Jr. to get 4 wins; Tony Eury Jr. says he'd be disappointed if the new Hendrick Motorsports driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., doesn't win at least four NASCAR Sprint Cup races.  "We can get the job done," he said. "It's just a matter of the people to surround me and we get the right breaks and making the right calls during the year. I think we've got a shot at being in the Chase [For The Sprint Cup], winning the title."

"I'd be very disappointed if we don't win at least four, to be honest," he said. "I mean, I just look at the races that we had problems with last year, and we were running in the top three and in contention. That's the biggest thing in this sport, is you've got to put yourself in contention and anything can happen in any of these races. That's all we've got to do. We've got to make the right calls and be in the right position at the end of races and we can win those races.

1/13/08
Q
Villeneuve questionable for full season  Jacques Villeneuve will run the first five races of the Cup season and then will evalate where to go from there. Speculation is that getting into the top 35 in owner points will play a key role in the decision. 
1/9/08
F
Ganassi; "Chase of bust" for Montoya   Now that the rookie stripe is off Montoya’s bumper, the car owner is ready for results.   “It’s Chase or bust, and in a macro-sense I mean it,” Ganassi said. “Yes, it’s a lot of pressure, but that’s what this business is about. We’re not in the Wizard of Oz, you know.” It’s a stark contrast from what Ganassi preached this time last year, when he cautioned observers not to expect miracles from Montoya. 

So the car owner tempered expectations at every turn, even after Montoya delivered the winning car in the prestigious Rolex 24 sports car race. Montoya scored his first NASCAR victory a little over a month into the season when he won on the road course in Mexico City. The bumps soon followed, though, and Montoya suffered through an eight-week stretch in which he failed to finish higher than 20th. When he turned it around, he scored his first Cup win on the road course at Sonoma.

Now Ganassi is demanding more out of the former Indianapolis 500 champion, but he doesn’t think his raised expectations will faze Montoya.

“This is not putting pressure on him, this kind of stuff doesn’t even get his attention,” Ganassi said. “Saying ‘Chase or bust’ isn’t going to speed him up or slow him down. This isn’t his first goat roping.” More at ThatsRacin.com
1/7/08
F

Martin and DEI announces '08 schedule  Mark Martin will race in 26 Sprint Cup events in 2008, including 24 point races and two non-point events. Martin will kick off the 2008 season and his tenure in the No. 8 U.S. Army/Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet with his record-extending 20th-consecutive Budweiser Shootout. Highlights of Martin’s 2008 schedule include the 50th running of the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Sprint Cup All-Star event.

Martin will share the No. 8 ride with rookie Aric Almirola, who will run the remaining 12 events in the car. Martin will enter in the first four point races of the season before handing the wheel over to Almirola at Bristol (March 16) and Martinsville (March 30).

1/7/08
F

 

Tracy says no to IRL, stays in Champ Car 1/7/08 Paul Tracy has put to rest rumors about his future in Champ Car, telling motorsport journalist Gordon Kirby that "everything is fine" with him and team owner Gerald Forsythe. Tracy met with the team. "The result of the meeting is that Kenny Siwieck is now in charge of my car and everything is squared away with me and Jerry". 

Kenny Siwieck comes over from Newman/Haas/Lanigan. Neil Micklewright will no longer have direct involvement with Tracy's car, but will oversee the teams 2nd car and possibly a 3rd entry.

1/5/08
F
Michael McDowell to take over #00 after 5 races: Michael McDowell, the 2007 runner-up on the ARCA circuit and sports car road racing veteran, will succeed David Reutimann in the #00 Sprint Cup car at Michael Waltrip Racing. The switch is expected to take place at Martinsville when Reutimann will switch too the #44 car being vacated by the retirement of Dale Jarrett 
12/30/07
F

Sam Hornish locked in to start season  Sam Hornish (who failed to qualify for almost all races he attempted at the end last season, will enjoy being locked in the field for the first 5 races. Hornish can thank Kurt Busch as the team has been allowed by Nascar to transfer car owner points from Busch to Hornish. For those who disagree with the 35 & 8 rule, this only increases the criticism of a system that renders qualifying almost meaningless and makes running a new or lesser funded team almost impossible.