JUMP TO: the Points Chart - past all this news and updates

Owners Points Transfers:
Before the entry list comes out for the Daytona 500 [Feb 2-4 range], there will be some transfers of 2009 Owners Points:

#78 gets #07 The #78 Furniture Row Racing team forms an alliance with Richard Childress Racing, and the #07 team transfers its owners points to the #78. Which was ranked 21st. RCR had no plans to run the #07 team in 2010 once the sponsor left. This supposedly has been ok'd by NASCAR and is a done deal

#98 gets #44 Richard Petty Motorsports merged with Yates Racing, so six teams had to be pared down to four, RPM kept the #9, #19, #43 and #98 teams. The #44 closed shop as did the #96 Hall of Racing team, that had an alliance with Yates Racing in 2009. So with the #44 being 24th in owners points and the #98 in 33rd, the #98 will retain the number but use the #44 owners points

#37 & 38 gets the #96 & #98 after the #44 to the #98 points transfer, the #37 and #38, both out of the top 35 in owners points and owned and run by Front Row Motorsports. Doug Yates joined in the ownership group and brings the the owners points from the #96 and #98 teams and start the first five races of 2010 in the top-35 of owners points. Front Row Motorsports switched to Ford this season and will have Ford support. The #37 gets the #98 owners points and the #38 gets the #96 owners points. There was NO MERGER between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing. Instead Richard Petty Motorsports bought equipment, chassis, cars, Paul Menard's driver contract, sponsor contracts and such from Yates but NOT the points earned by Yates with the 98 and 96 last year. Thus, when Yates entered into deal with Front Row Motorsports and became part owner, those points trasnferred to the two cars.

Front Row cars in Top-35 UPDATE2 Alliance w/Yates Racing: Front Row Motorsports General Manager Jerry Freeze told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody Tuesday that negotiations are underway to give all three of the team's Fords guaranteed start status for the first five races of 2010. "We've been working on this for several weeks," he said. "There are still some details to be ironed out, but we have a really close relationship with (Yates Racing owner) Doug Yates and Ford. This is something we've been working on with them, and I hope to have things buttoned up and ready to announce in a couple of days." Freeze said driver Robert Richardson, III, will attempt to qualify FRR's new #38 Ford for the Daytona 500 as part of a three-race sponsorship with Mahindra Tractors that includes both Daytona races and the spring race at Talladaga. David Gilliland will run a majority of the schedule for the team with sponsorship from Taco Bell, and Freeze said "a couple of races" have been left open for a possible limited return by the team's 2009 #34 driver, John Andretti.(Sirius Speedway)(1-19-2010)
UPDATE: Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that talks are underway between Yates Racing and Front Row Motorsports to enable a transfer of owner's points that would lock all three Front Row Motorsports Fords into the first five races of the 2010 season. Reliable sources say Front Row Motorsports will assume the owner's points accrued last season by Yates' #96 and #98 Fords, which finished 31st and 33rd respectively in the final 2009 owner's standings. Talks are reportedly in their preliminary stages, but are progressing rapidly with an eye toward completing the deal by midweek. It is expected that in order for the dagreement to pass muster with NASCAR, Yates Racing owner Doug Yates will have to assume a minority ownership stake in Front Row Motorsports. Front Row's #34 car is already a guaranteed starter in the first five races after finishing 35th in owner's points a year ago.(Sirius Speedway)
Front Row Motorsports Announces Partnership with Doug Yates UPDATE: Solidifying an ownership alliance with Doug Yates and Yates Racing, Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins announces a name change to the organization. With the addition of Yates, the team will now officially be titled Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing. Doug Yates will be the listed owner of the #37 and #38 Ford Fusions, with Bob Jenkins remaining the listed owner of the #34 Ford Fusion. The team will remain headquartered in Statesville, N.C. The alliance secures all three entries into the top 35 in owner points heading into the opening weekend of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. It also reunites Yates with his former drivers David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil. "There has been a lot of movement this past off-season inside the sport," said Yates. "The opportunity came up with Bob (Jenkins) and to continue in the ownership role. I didn't have to think long about making this decision. Bob is really putting together a strong team this season and has done so over the past few seasons. He's been smart and making all the right moves as an owner. He's capitalized on the changes in the sports landscape and has built a solid team with great factory support and drivers. That's what excited me about making this move. I had already learned a lot about Bob and the Front Row team over the past two months with their involvement with Ford Racing and leasing engines from Roush/Yates Engines. They are a fast-improving team and this move allows me to carry on the Yates Racing legacy created by my father over 20 years ago."
"There has been so much that has happened for us in the past two months," said Jenkins. "But, having Doug come on board is a big piece of our puzzle coming together heading into this season. He brings such a family tradition of winning and a lot of confidence to everyone here. His relationships with Ford Racing, Roush/Yates Engines, David and Travis immediately make us a stronger team."(Front Row Motorsports/Breaking Limits), the #98 RPM Ford team of Paul Menard would use the #44 Owners Points from 2009, which ranked 24th. See the way it looks right now on my 2010 Owners Points Stadings for 1st Five races page to see how things are shaking out.(2-1-2010)

Furinture Row Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing form alliance: UPDATE 2 78 gets 07 owners points: #78-Furniture Row Racing will put the finishing touches on its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing this week. A meeting is scheduled on Friday between principles of the two companies in hopes to strengthened the single car operation at FRR and in essence create a satellite fourth car for RCR. "While the team may look the same on the outside, eternally we're much stronger," said Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing. "One of the assets with the alliance with Richard Childress is our ability to be secure in the top 35 (using the #07 RCR Owners Points). During the last quarter, we decided we needed to run the full season. Around May or June, we realized how much it hurt us not to run the full season. We can race on the Furniture Row sponsorship, but it wouldn't allow us to expand to a second car. Our primary goal is to have the #78 team run at 100% efficiency." FRR will continue its partnership with Kevin Harvick Inc., with the pit crew. FRR contracts the over-the-wall crew who work at KHI full-time and pit Harvick's Nationwide Series cars.(Fox Sports)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE: On the surface it looks basically the same. But behind the scenes it's a whole new look for the Furniture Row Racing team, which made significant personnel moves during the offseason as it readies to return to a full 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2010. The team's driver (Regan Smith), car number (78) and car manufacturer (Chevy) remain the same for the new campaign, which kicks off Sunday Feb. 14 with NASCAR's traditional season opener -- the Daytona 500. But when you get beyond the driver, car make and car number, the Denver-based Furniture Row team is quite different than it has been in recent years. For starters, more than 20 new employees were hired during the offseason, increasing the team's growing staff to more than 60. Along with the new hires, Furniture Row Racing went even a step further to enhance its program by forming a technical and engineering alliance with Richard Childress Racing. "Being a single-car team against the mega, multicar teams has put us at a huge disadvantage over the years," said Garone. "Now that we have formed an alliance with RCR, we will have the ability to be secured in the top 35 and keep a better pace with the other multicar teams. RCR has always been a leader and a winner, and we are proud to be affiliated with Richard Childress and his outstanding organization."(Furniture Row Racing PR)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE 2: Furniture Row General Manager Joe Garone told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that as part of the team's new technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, Childress is now an owner of FRR. Garone said the details of the technical alliance are not fully ironed out, but will give the team a major boost in engineering. He confirmed that the team will not utilize Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, choosing instead to continue their relationship with Hendrick Engines.(1-29-2009), See the 2010 Owners Points Standings page [totally unofficial] for how the owners points are stacking up for the first five races.(1-29-2010)

#26 Owners Points Explained: There's been a lot written about and talked about of Roush Fenway Racing selling the No. 26 car to Vermont businessman Bill Jenkins. Dustin Long talked to NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston and here's the deal on the issue:
Jenkins has bought the 26 team and in a ONE-TIME EXCEPTION approved by NASCAR also gets the 26 team's points without the primary owner of the car from the previous season being a part of the new endeavor. In other words, Jenkins gets the points even though Roush _ who earned the car owner points last year _ is NOT a part of the ownership. This is a straight out sell from Roush to Jenkins. This is important because it guarantees that Jenkins' car will be in the first five races, including the Daytona 500, this year. The top 35 in car owner points at the end of last year are guaranteed starting spots in the first five races of the next season.
Poston said NASCAR approved this exception because it was a NASCAR rule that forced Roush to have to sell one of his cars. Remember, a few years ago, NASCAR implemented the four-car ownership limit. At the time Roush had five cars. Roush was allowed to keep his five cars for as long as sponsor contracts lasted. They ended after last season. So, Roush was forced to get rid of one of his teams. Poston said that NASCAR felt that was the fairest way to deal with the issue since it was forcing Roush to dump one of his teams. Any other time, an owner has to stay involved with a team if he sells (or merges) with another team for that new team to get those car owner points. That's why in the past Bobby Ginn [#33] and Bill Davis [#77] have each been listed as car owners of cars they really have very little, if anything, to do with after their mergers.(Virginian Pilot)(1-20-2010)

Roush enters 'comprehensive service agreement' with new team owner for #26 UPDATE4: hearing that Vermont businessman Bill Jenkins [owners of Latitude 43, a cleaning products company] has purchased the #26 number from Roush Fenway Racing. The transaction includes racing equipment plus 2009 owner points, meaning that the new team will automatically qualify for the first five NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010. A driver and sponsor have not yet been named for the new team, which will be known as Latitude 43 Motor Sports.(1-12-2010)
UPDATE: West Wardsboro [Vermont] businessman Bill Jenkins has purchased the car number, owner points, and equipment from the #26 team formerly campaigned by Roush Fenway Racing and driver Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jenkins plans to contest the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule beginning with next month's Daytona 500 at Daytona Int'l Speedway in Florida. "I'm a huge race fan and I've always wanted to do this," Jenkins told Vermont Motorsports Magazine on Tuesday. "The opportunity presented itself, and I took it." Jenkins and his wife, Sandy, are the owners of Latitude 43, an organic soap company. Originally from New York City, Jenkins moved to New England in 1990 and has homes in Vermont and Maine. He plans to keep strong ties to the northeast with his new adventure, starting with the core of the team; Jenkins has hired North Haverhill, N.H. native Frank Stoddard as crew chief. Stoddard won 17 Sprint Cup Series races with Roush-Fenway Racing and driver Jeff Burton in the late 1990s and early 2000s. "We have a shop in Concord, N.C. and we could do all of our business down there, but we're staying true to Vermont," said Jenkins. "I consider Vermont my home, and I have for almost 20 years. There are a lot of race fans here in Vermont, and I'd like to think this may be a big deal for them and give them something to cheer for. We will do all of our banking through Vermont and try to focus on the state as much as we can." Jenkins said that he realizes there is a lot of work to do before the season starts on Feb. 14 in the biggest stock car race in the world. "We don't have any sponsors, and I realize that we will be the only blank canvas in the top-35 at Daytona," he said. "We've been contacted by several companies that otherwise couldn't become involved in NASCAR for various reasons, and we think we'll find something soon." The 61-year old said he drew inspiration from a close friend, Middlebury car dealership mogul and veteran Devil's Bowl Speedway racer Gardner Stone, before he made the transaction with Roush-Fenway: "One of Gardner's favorite sayings is 'Life isn't a dress rehearsal.' I've been around racing since I was a kid. I remember guys driving around with cigarettes in their mouths and their arms hanging out the window. Now, all these years later, I finally have a chance to get involved. It's all very exciting. I celebrated for about ten minutes when we signed the deal, but then I put my head down in the ditch and got to work."Vermont Motorsports Magazine)
UPDATE 2 - Boris Said? hearing Boris Said could be the driver of the #26 Ford.(1-13-2010)
UPDATE 3: Roush Fenway Racing and Roush Yates Racing Engines have fashioned a "comprehensive services contract" with Latitude 43 Motorsports that will give the new team a guaranteed start in the season-opening Daytona 500 using the 2009 owners' points accrued by Roush Fenway's #26 Ford. RFR president Geoff Smith said the NASCAR-approved deal with Latitude 43 included "race car builds; repair and maintenance; gear, transmission and engine services; and testing services," as well as some complete race cars. But the most integral part of the deal is the transfer of the 22nd-place owners' points earned last season by Jamie McMurray. Latitude 43 has yet to announce any plans for 2010, and Smith wouldn't speculate about what the team's schedule would include or where it would operate from -- though he said the car wouldn't be fielded from RFR's facility. But Smith was clear about what RFR had done in the aftermath of the contraction it was forced to make, from five to four Cup Series teams, per a NASCAR mandate that takes effect this season. Due to that, McMurray is driving this season for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing [#1 Chevy]. "The [points] transaction requires a different format for NASCAR's approval," Smith said, "So there's a comprehensive services contract between Roush Fenway Racing [and] Roush Yates Racing Engines, as two suppliers, with Latitude 43 Motorsports being the customer. "Included in those service mechanisms is a transfer by Roush Fenway Racing of all the heritage rights that it may have relating to the [26] car number and owner points and so forth. There were a certain number of existing cars that were sold to start the inventory and they can buy new cars as needed, depending on what they're going to campaign."(NASCAR.com)
AND been told that Boris Said will NOT be the driver of the #26 Ford, supposedly he will run races for another team to be announced soon.(1-14-2010)
UPDATE4: NASCAR has approved a one-time exception to its rules to allow Roush Fenway Racing to transfer the points of its former #26 team without remaining an owner, sanctioning body spokesman Ramsey Poston said Thursday. NASCAR typically allows point transfers but only if the original owner remains part of the ownership group. Because Roush Fenway is dropping a team to meet the NASCAR-mandated four-car limit on teams, it was given an exception to sell the entire assets of the team that included the points without having any piece of the new ownership, Poston said. The new team, which reportedly is owned by a Vermont businessman, will be locked into the first five races of 2010 thanks to those owner points. “NASCAR doesn’t allow points sales,” Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said in a statement. “They did permit the transfer of the heritage of the 26 as part of a comprehensive service agreement.”(SceneDaily), with the #26 owners points 'transferred' that leaves three teams unlikely to start the season at Daytona in the top-35 in owners points: #07 Richard Childress Racing [says the car will not run], #44 Richard Petty Motorsports [merged with Yates Racing, could get the same 'exception Roush did for the #26 but have heard nothing] and #96 Hall of Fame Racing team [have not heard a thing about this team since end of the season]. That would allow the #71 [36th in 2009 owners points] to move into the top-35 and a guaranteed starting spot for the first five races of 2010, along with #82-Scott Speed (37th) and #09-Aric Almirola (38th).(1-15-2010)