Stoddard starts new Cup team UPDATE: Frank Stoddard, a 14-time Cup winner as a crew chief has formed his own NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team and plans to run the full 36-race schedule with the #32 Ford. No driver has been named and the team is currently seeking sponsorship support. “I’m really eager to get this off the ground,” said Stoddard. “It’s a great time to enter the sport. We’ll just have to wait and see where we can go from here. My hope is to take this team to a competitive level and put together some respectable runs with the limited resources we have in place. One never knows, with our determination and just a little bit of funding we could definitely improve our chances on the track.” Stoddard plans to open the season with the Daytona 500.(National Speed Sport News) Stoddard was the crew cheif of the #26 Latitude 43 team that attempted all 36 races in 2011 with various drivers, but has not made its plans for 2011 known and didn't test at Daytona.(2-3-2011)
UPDATE: Veteran crewchief Frank Stoddard has joined the ranks of team ownership, joining with U.S. Chrome Corporation owner and CEO Bob Reath to form FAS Lane Racing, a new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series operation that will run the full 2011 championship schedule. “We’ve acquired a few cars from Richard Petty Motorsports and a few from Roush-Fenway,” said Stoddard. “Doug Yates is going to build us some killer race engines, and we’re looking forward to making our debut at the Daytona 500.” Stoddard said his goals are realistic for 2011. “We’re not going to be out there knocking off Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush,” he said. “Our goal will be to run between 15th and 30th, and by doing that, to give a smaller sponsor a ton of exposure.”
Stoddard and Reath first joined forces nearly a quarter-century ago -- in 1988 -- when U.S. Chrome backed New Hampshire driver Dana Patten in five races on what is now the Sprint Cup Series. Stoddard served as crewchief and chassis specialist for the team, and more recently teamed with Reath to field cars for Boris Said in a limited schedule of events on the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Last year, he served as crewchief for the #26 Latitude 43 Motorsports team, an operation that is not expected to compete this season.
“I am energized to be back partnering with U.S. Chrome and Bob Reath… this time as co-owners on NASCAR’s grandest stage.” Stoddard said. “With U.S. Chrome’s sponsorship of the FAS Lane Racing Team, we look forward to hitting the ground running at the Daytona 500.” The team will announce its Daytona 500 driver early next week, with Stoddard hinting he may utilize multiple wheelmen over the course of the season.(Sirius Speedway)(2-4-2011)

What's up with the #26 team? The future of Latitude 43 Motorsports [#26 Air Guard Ford] remains a mystery for 2011. Despite a long list of financial problems, with several former drivers and crewmen insisting they haven't been paid, a source within the team says they're "in talks" with potential investors and companies about returning for next season. Using seven drivers in 2010 [Said, David Stremme, Jeff Green, Ken Schrader, Bill Elliott, J.J. Yeley, Carpentier], the team posted just one top-10 finish, with Boris Said in Watkins Glen and dropped out of the top 35 in owner points early in the season. No word on who would drive the car if it continues on; as noted above, Patrick Carpentier failed to qualify Friday to end their season two days early (Frontstretch)(11-20-2010)

Schrader to run a couple Cup races: Ken Schrader will attempt to qualify for the Sprint Cup Races at Martinsville and Talledega in the #26 Ford and will also do double duty at Talledega by driving the Harvick #2 truck.(Schrader Racing Facebook)(10-13-2010)

Chase Suites to sponsor two teams at Kansas: Chase Suite Hotel, Overland Park, KS will be the home away from home for the teams of Tommy Baldwin Racing and Latitude 43 Motorsports. As part of the program, the Chase Suite logo will adorn the #36 Chevy for Tommy Baldwin Racing and the #26 Ford of Latitude 43 Motorsports in the running of the Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway. The partnership is highlighted by a special autograph session in the hotel on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. as drivers #36-JJ Yeley and #26-Patrick Carpentier will be in attendance to greet fans and employees of the hotel during this appearance. The hotel is located across the street from the Overland Park Convention Center and the event is open to the public.(Chase Suite Overland Park/Integrity Sports Marketing)(9-29-2010)

Carpentier back in the #26 at Atlanta: When Patrick Carpentier climbed into the #26 Latitude 43 Motorsports Ford on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway the bar wasn’t set very high. In fact veteran crew chief Frankie Stoddard said all the team wanted out of the 39-year-old Canadian pilot was a finish in the Top 35 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Carfax 400. Carpentier finished 29th. For Carpentier it was a tough welcome back to NASCAR Sprint Cup oval racing in the heat of August. With high track temperatures all afternoon at MIS he said it was a physical challenge. “My neck is sore, my bum is sore and my arms are sore,” he said when he got out of the car at the end of the race. “I forgot just how hard these (Sprint Cup) cars are to drive and how you have to battle every lap.” The chemistry between Carpentier and the team was so good in fact, that there is a possibility that the Canadian could resume a full-time Sprint Cup ride in the #26 Ford. “We have had discussions,” he said. “For sure I will race in Atlanta next month. But for me it I was very impressed with how these guys operate.” Stoddard said that the team has had its eye on Carpentier since last season when he was driving the #10 Dodge for Gillett Evernham Motorsports.(in part from the Toronto Star)(8-20-2010)

Stremme leaves #26 team: UPDATE: David Stremme has quit his ride with Latitude 43 Motorsports, alleging that team owner Bill Jenkins has failed to meet his financial obligations and is doing little to help the team improve. We've been trying to put that program together," said Stremme. "We always had to do more with less, but in the last month and a half, ownership hasn't really wanted to make things better. Bill Jenkins has not been willing to make the correct decisions, and it has affected the performance of the team. We've barely been making it to track the last few weeks. At Pocono, we didn't even know if we were going to have tires to race on. "I went to Bill and said `If things aren't going to change, I don't think I want to stay involved.' We discussed a timeline for him to find another driver and agreed that we would look at things again after Bristol. But he immediately started calling around trying to replace me. He apparently wanted to find someone else right now, and that's fine. It's his choice." Jenkins admitted his first-year team has struggled to find sponsorship this season, saying, "We are in a funding fight every day, and we haven't been able to fund the team at the level David expected. We've had some good things happen, and some bad things. We had to pull a sponsor off the car two weeks ago (GTW GPS) after a conflict emerged between their products and Sprint. We were counting on them to help get us over the hump, but those are the bumps in the road that you hit." Last week, former Latitude 43 Motorsports driver Boris Said revealed that he is unhappy with the way he was treated by Jenkins. "There's no real polite way to say this, but Bill Jenkins owes me a bunch of money," he said. Asked if he expects to have any relationship with the team going forward, Said replied, "(Jenkins) hasn't returned my phone calls, so I guess not. It's a bad deal for me." Asked if he is owed money by Latitude 43, Stremme said, "There are obligations to both me and the team that have not been met, and that was a big part of my decision to leave. I don't want to be involved with something like that. I dealt with (Jenkins) with respect, and was straightforward with him at all times. I didn't get that in return."(Sirius Speedway)(8-10-2010)
UPDATE:Patrick Carpentier will again be driving the #26 Ford of Latitude 43 Motorsports for the Sprint Cup race at Michigan this weekend. Davis Stremme had been the driver until Sunday, according to owner Bill Jenkins and crew chief Frankie Stoddard. Stremme, however, announce Monday on Sirius XM Radio that he left the team. It was during the same show that Jenkins said Carpentier would probably be in his car at Michigan.(Rue Frontenac, translated by Google translate)(8-11-2010)

Said doesn't expect to be back in the #26: Boris Said says he does not expect to drive the #26 Latitude 43 Motorsports Fords again this season. Said will drive the #83 Red Bull Racing Toyota in Sunday's Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, and told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody, "There's no real polite way to say this, but (team owner) Bill Jenkins owes me a bunch of money. I got a better offer from Red Bull, so I took it." Asked if he expects to have any relationship with Latitude 43 Motorsports going forward, Said replied, "(Jenkins) hasn't returned my phone calls all week, so I guess not. It's a bad deal for me, but it's a great deal for David Stremme. He's a good racer and a nice guy, so I hope it works out for him."(Sirius Speedway)(8-4-2010)

Boris Said to run for Red Bull at Watkins Glen: Road racing ace Boris Said told ESPN.com Monday that he will drive the #83 Red Bull Toyota at Watkins Glen International next month [August 8th]. "I've known [Red Bull GM] Jay Frye and [crew chief] Ryan [Pemberton] forever, and have run for them a bunch of times," Said said. "[Frye] has been calling me, and things worked out so I jumped at the chance. Red Bull is in so many forms of racing, so you never know what could happen from this opportunity. Hopefully it'll give me wings."
"He's better than 'best available,' " Frye said. "He's a phenomenal talent and an even better guy. He's been close to winning one of these things in the past. We have great history with him, and we have great expectations with him in the car." Said has started five races in 2010 with the #26 Ford team, but the Red Bull outfit is among those in the top-35 in owner points, meaning Said will have a guaranteed starting position. That affords Said the opportunity to focus on race setup during practice. "I've done so many one-offs I'm used to it," Said said. "I don't really know any other way. I'm not worried about that. The first time I'll drive the car is the first practice. If it was 10 years ago I'd think I was going there to win this race. But they've all gotten so damn good at [road racing] now, you just never know. I feel like we'll have a great chance. But again, everyone's gotten so much better. It's going to be fun, no matter what." Said will become the fourth different driver to man the #83 Toyota since Brian Vickers was diagnosed with blood clots that required blood thinner to dissipate, thus ending his 2010 season. Casey Mears made four starts before Mattias Ekstrom took over at the Sonoma road course. Ekstrom has a conflict that weekend, but Frye said they're looking at future opportunities with him. Reed Sorenson drove the #83 at Loudon, Daytona and Chicago, and will be in the car at Indianapolis this weekend.(ESPN)(7-19-2010)

#26 team has sponsorship to run rest of season: Bill Jenkins, the owner of #26 Latitude 43 Motorsports, says that he’s happy with the team’s progress this year and has enough sponsorship to run full events the rest of the 2010 season. Jenkins, a Massachusetts businessman involved in selling environmental friendly soaps and cleaners, bought the #26 team (points and some equipment) from Roush Fenway Racing before the season started. NASCAR allowed a rare sell of points because it was forcing Roush Fenway to cut from five teams to the recently implemented four-team cap. The organization had Boris Said in the car for the first four races, and David Stremme has driven the remainder of the races with the exception of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, where Said was back behind the wheel. The team is 36th in owner points after Stremme’s 31st-place finish Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Jenkins, whose home sits on latitude 43, has sponsorship from Air National Guard (a sponsorship that Jenkins called “humbling”) and GlobeTrack Wireless GPS. The team fell outside the top 35 after not running full races early in the year. Jenkins said the key to his team has been having an experienced crew chief in Frank Stoddard. He also has been pleased with Stremme, who has driven Cup cars for Penske Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing. “David is an incredible young man,” Jenkins said. “He works so hard. He has the natural talent.”(Scene Daily)(6-28-2010)

Said’s Crew Pockets Tissot Pit Road Award in Sonoma: Boris Said’s crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s (June 20) Sprint Cup road race at Infineon Raceway. Said’s #26 crew, which will collect $5,000 and a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch for the win, is the 13th different team in the first 16 races to take top honors in the weekly pit road competition. A combination of quick work on pit road and a savvy race strategy resulted in Said’s No. 26 California Air National Guard Ford Fusion spending the least amount of time on pit road – 116.717 seconds. The pit road effort also helped the colorful Said to an impressive eighth-place finish in the Toyota/Save Mart 350k race. The No. 26 over-the-wall crew consists of: Gordon Arbitter (front-tire changer), Herman Reiss (front-tire carrier), Kyle Collins (rear-tire changer), Dwayne Doucette (rear-tire carrier), Kevin Kreutzer (jackman), Rick Pennington (gasman), Erick MacPherson (catch can). The crew chief is Frank Stoddard. The team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver. The pit crews for Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon share in a three-way tie in the Tissot standings with two wins each.(DMF Communications/Tissot), see past winners and standings on my 2010 Pit Crew News page.(6-24-2010)

Said hopes to run Daytona in July; will run Watkins Glen: during an interview with Jay Hart of Yahho, Boris Said mentioned his plans for racing the rest of the season: How many more races are you running this year?
Said: I’m for sure going to do the Nationwide races at The Glen and Montreal, and for sure I’m going to do [the Cup race] at Watkins Glen. I’m hopeful I’m going to go to Daytona with the 26 team. It’s still the same old deal, I’m looking for sponsors because I want to do more races. I’m working with a company called Sacred Power. It’s a Native American-owned solar power company, and we’re talking about doing a bunch of races. I’m working on it everyday, but right now I count my lucky stars that I’m driving the Air National Guard car this weekend, and I cherish every race that I get to do."(Yahoo Sports)(6-18-2010)

Said returns to the #26 for Infineon: Vermont’s Latitude 43 Motorsports will have its best chance yet at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series success this weekend as road course specialist Boris Said returns to the seat of the Air National Guard/GlobeTrack Wireless #26 Ford at Infineon Raceway in California. Said is a former winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring road races, and is a former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner at the 1.949-mile, 12-turn Infineon track. He earned four of his seven career Sprint Cup top-ten finishes at Infineon, as well as his first career Sprint Cup pole position in 2003. “I’ve been itching to get back behind the wheel, especially at [Infineon],” Said told Vermont Motorsports Magazine on Tuesday. “I’m like a little kid at Christmas when we go there.” Said drove in the season’s first four Sprint Cup Series events for the first-year Latitude 43 Motorsports team, finishing 25th on the lead lap at the Daytona 500. David Stremme took over driving duties at Bristol in March, and the team has shown marked improvement nearly every week since its debut in February. Said said that although he is excited to get back on track, he is mindful of the team’s position; Latitude 43 currently ranks 37th in owner points, and is therefore outside the top-35 and not guaranteed a starting spot at Infineon. “It could be our best chance at finishing well, but we need to stay realistic,” Said cautioned. “We’re not locked in the field, so we can’t take too many risks. The first goal is to get through [qualifying] Friday and not make any mistakes. We’ll have to stay conservative and get in the race, rather than put a wild setup in the car and try for the pole. We can’t take a chance on spinning out or dropping a wheel off the track. Once we get in the race we can reevaluate our goals.” Said is particularly excited about returning to work with Latitude 43 crew chief Frank Stoddard. “I’ve worked with Frankie for the last six years, and he’s one of the best in the business,” Said said. “Hopefully he can get the car capable of running in the top-ten, that’s my goal. If we can get into the top-ten, then we can readjust and figure out what it would take to have a shot at winning.” (Vermont Motorsports Magazine)(6-16-2010)

Latitude 43 Motorsports gets a sponsor: Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports, LLC, has announced a long-term sponsorship agreement for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series #26 Ford with GlobeTrack Wireless, Inc., (GTW) of Austin, Texas. Latitude 43 Motorsports will represent GTW's very unique line of GPS products which include the SOS 1000 automotive GPS tracking device, as well as personal and pet GPS tracking devices (Vermont Motorsports Magazine). No word which races GlobeTrack Wireless will sponsor the #26 and driver David Stremme.(6-2-2010)

#26 owner, Jenkins, hosts academy cadets: Vermonter Bill Jenkins is in his first year as a team owner on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, fielding the #26 Ford for driver David Stremme. Jenkins is an intensely private man, and strives to shift any focus on himself to members of his team, namely Stremme and crew chief Frankie Stoddard, a North Haverhill, N.H., native raised in the pits at Barre's Thunder Road as a crewman for late legend Stub Fadden. Jenkins contacted the Air National Guard in Washington, D.C., and since mid-March has carried the military branch's colors on his cars as a tribute. As he waited for a flight at the Manchester, N.H., airport a few weeks ago, Jenkins and a woman in uniform struck up a conversation. As it turned out, the soldier was an assistant to Command Sergeant Major Michael Parker of the South Carolina National Guard. Eventually Jenkins was speaking with CSM Parker himself, and last weekend Parker attended the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with four unlikely guests -- a group of teenagers. CSM Parker is the man in charge of the South Carolina Youth Challenge Academy, a program built by the National Guard for at-risk 16 to 18 year-olds, assisting them in earning their high school diplomas and preparing them for adulthood. As a reward for outstanding achievements at the SCYCA, Parker and Jenkins arranged for an all-access trip to Darlington for four cadets.
"The kids in the Academy have grown up in some challenging situations," said Jenkins. "It was an amazing experience to get to know them. They were all so intelligent, so polite, and you knew they were proud of themselves and how far they'd come. I wanted to give the kids a positive community experience like the one we have every week at the track. That's what racing is about."
Jenkins invited the cadets to participate in everything his team routinely does at the track -- they stood on top of the team's transporter to watch qualifying, they were front-and-center at driver introductions, and they sat on top of the pit box during the race with Jenkins and Stoddard as the team plotted strategies and made pit stops. Stremme practiced and qualified well throughout the weekend and finished a season-best 24th on Saturday night. "I didn't do anything special, I just wanted to give some kids a neat experience. They deserve it," he said. "Hearing their stories makes you look at your own life differently. It was very emotional for everyone on the team, and there wasn't a single person around last weekend that those kids didn't touch the lives of. I wish every team in NASCAR had the opportunity to give back like that. As a race team we had our best weekend yet, and I took as much out of meeting those kids as I did from the race itself."(more at Vermont Motorsports Magazine)(5-14-2010)

Company finds value in with #26 team: Sacred Power Corp. is riding NASCAR into the big leagues. This year, the Albuquerque solar energy company became the first American Indian-owned firm and the first solar enterprise to sponsor a NASCAR team. Sacred Power logos adorned the #26 Ford in five of the top Sprint Cup Series races in February and March after striking a barter deal with Latitude 43 Motorsports, a NASCAR team owned by Vermont businessman Bill Jenkins. Sacred Power offered to install solar photovoltaic systems on team leaders' homes, shops and locations, said Sacred Power President and CEO David Melton. In return, Sacred Power received unprecedented national exposure that Melton said is paying off big time. The company is making two major business pitches this month in California as a result, although Melton declined to name the firms. If the deals are signed, Sacred Power will pump a percentage of the profits back into more racing sponsorships with Latitude 43 Motorsports. Melton said his company couldn't afford a traditional NASCAR sponsorship for even one race, which can run in the six digits. But a bit of luck led to the barter arrangement with Latitude 43, which launched in February at the 2010 Daytona 500 after Jenkins bought the team from Rousch Fenway Racing. "A traditional sponsorship was way out of our league, but this was a startup team looking for associate sponsors," Melton said. "In terms of value, the barter arrangement cost us about $250,000, but we think it's a great deal. We're very pleased with the return we've had in business opportunities." Latitude 43 wants to do a lot more business with Sacred Power by converting the associate sponsorship, which sported decals on the side and front of car # 26, into a primary sponsorship for the entire car, according to Said.(New Mexico Business Weekly)(4-12-2010)

Stremme back in the #26 at Phoenix: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner Bill Jenkins of Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports confirmed to Vermont Motorsports Magazine that David Stremme will continue to drive the #26 Ford at Phoenix International Raceway on April 10. The Subway Fresh Fit 600 will be Stremme's third-straight race with Latitude 43. Following Boris Said in the first four races of the year, Stremme raced the Air National Guard car for the team at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 21 and at Martinsville Speedway on Monday. After getting caught in a lap-170 crash that forced the team to replace the car's radiator, Stremme retired from Martinsville in 37th place with a broken rear gear. Despite the bad finish, Jenkins was impressed with his driver. "I couldn't be more happy with David," said Jenkins. "He ran as fast as anyone in the field, even with a damaged car. There was no qutting in him, even though the race didn't go that well for us." Jenkins said that Stremme is going to pilot the car at Phoenix, but that Said remains with team: "We're excited for David to race at Phoenix, but Boris is still a very important part of this team. We'll take it one race at a time." First-year owner Jenkins said that he wasn't happy to have a wrecked race car at Martinsville, but was thrilled with his team's performance under pressure, led by crew chief Frank Stoddard of North Haverhill, N.H. "Watching Frankie Stoddard and his crew repair the car was a marvel to behold," said Jenkins. "They got the radiator changed and fixed everything else from the crash in about 35 laps, which isn't a lot of time at Martinsville. Nobody quits on this team, they all did an incredible job."(Vermont Motorsports Magazine)(4-1-2010)

Stremme back in the #26 at Martinsville: David Stremme, who was out of the Sprint Cup Series since last fall before stepping-into Latitude 43 Motorsports' #26 Ford at Bristol, will get another shot this weekend at Martinsville. Stremme, who scored the new team's best finish in its five-race history, 24th at Bristol; was named Wednesday to replace entered-driver Boris Said in the car tuned by crew chief Frank Stoddard. Stoddard said Stremme did a good job for the team in Bristol, despite the team falling from a locked-in spot in the top 35 in owners' points, which means Stremme is a go-or-go-home qualifier on Friday at Martinsville.(NASCAR.com)(3-26-2010)

#26 to donate sponsorship to ANG: NASCAR Sprint Cup series owner Bill Jenkins of Latitude 43 Motorsports announced that his team will be campaining the colors of the Air National Guard as a tribute to the men and women of the serving our country. The Latitude 43 Motorsports #26 Ford and driver David Stremme will pay tribute to the Air National Guard at the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Latitude 43 Motorsports has also announced a brand-new team website on Wednesday at www.lat43.com.(Vermont Motorsports Magazine), see images of the scheme on my #26 Team Schemes page.(3-17-2010)

Stremme in the #26 at Bristol? UPDATE: NASCAR's entry list for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway lists David Stremme in the #26 for Latitude 43 Motorsports. Boris Said had driven the first four races, but has never made a start at Bristol.(3-15-2010)
UPDATE: Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports will see its first-ever driver change as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hits Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. David Stremme, a veteran of 108 NSCS starts, will take over for Boris Said at the controls of the #26 Ford for Latitude 43 at the Food City 500. The Food City 500 is the fifth race of the season, and Jenkins sits 37th in owner points, just 24 points out of 35th place; after Bristol, all cars outside the top-35 will have to qualify on speed during time trials without the benefit of a provisional. South Bend, Ind., native Stremme, an accomplished short track racer, has been tabbed to drive the car at the treacherous Bristol half-mile. The change, says Jenkins, was Said's idea. "Boris came to me last week and said he thought we needed a different driver for Bristol," Jenkins told Vermont Motorsports Magazine. "Boris is as big a part of this team as anyone, and I can't thank him enough for his willingness to help the whole program. We need to put all of our chips on the table at Bristol, and we need to come out of there strong and inside the top-35. Boris thought putting Stremme in the car was the right move, and I stand behind his decision." Stremme has been idle in NASCAR's three national series since being released from Penske Racing's #12 NSCS Dodge last November. Said has a best finish of 25th in the season-opening Daytona 500. In 39 career Sprint Cup starts, Said has only raced once at a track shorter than 1.5 miles in length, at Loudon, N.H., in 2007.(Vermont Motorsports Magazine)(3-16-2010)

Kyle Busch not happy with Boris: #18-Kyle Busch walked away from a banged-up car shaking his head, clearly miffed about a scrape in the final practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch tangled with #26-Boris Said coming onto the back straightaway and was forced to park his Toyota after getting in 37 practice laps. While the damage around the right rear tire was mainly cosmetic, that didn't improve Busch's mood. "You've got guys who don't belong out there," he said. "He's off the pace at every track we've been to. But he keeps getting in on owner points." Said drives for Latitude 43 Motorsports, a new venture started by a Vermont businessman who bought the #26 team from Roush Fenway Racing, inheriting its points from a year ago. Since that team finished 22nd in the Cup standings, Said is guaranteed entry into the first five races of 2010. "I'm out there minding my own business, running my car at the bottom of the track," Busch said. "He's at the top, then all of a sudden he wants to run in the middle on the straightaway. Usually if you're running at the top, you stay up there." Said, who's gotten into the last three races based on his owner points, managed only two laps in his final tuneup for the race. He was next-to-last on the speed chart, beating out rookie Kevin Conway.(Associated Press/ESPN)(3-7-2010)

Said, Cook and Bliss just riding the wave for now: On the “other side” of the garage these first few races of 2010 are three drivers whose teams are in similar situations. All veterans, #26-Boris Said, #46-Terry Cook, and #26-Mike Bliss find themselves in a difficult position where funding wholly determines which races they run the distance in and which ones they park early.
Bliss has had funding on the #36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevy from Wave Energy drink and is running the distance in those races, but since only half the races are funded by either Wave or other companies, he is realistic that he may have to begin start and parking. He says that he has no idea what Baldwin will choose to do in those races and that he will simply do what he is told. His start to the season has seen his Chevy show some speed, but the finishes have not backed that up after crashing in two of the first three events.
Boris Said’s #26 Latitude 43 Motorsports Ford team, which bought the owner points from the now-defunct Roush Fenway #26 entry, is also locked into the first five races. While the team DNF’d at both California and Talladega, Said says Sunday’s race in Atlanta should be different. “This weekend, we are planning on running the whole race. We’ve got a motor to run the whole race.” Said also says that the team’s future races depend solely on sponsorship.
Finally, Terry Cook, technically signed up to run for Rookie of the Year honors, has failed to qualify for three races in the #46 Whitney Motorsports Dodge. When asked if he would start and park his unsponsored entry if he made a race this year, he shrugged and said he would only do as he was directed.(Frontstretch)(3-6-2010)

Sacred Power sticks with Said at Las Vegas: Sacred Power and U.S. Chrome will continue to support Boris Said in the #26 Sacred Power Ford Fusion at the Shelby American in Las Vegas. Sacred Power will be on the lower rear quarter Panel. Sacred Powers V.P. / COO Odes Armijo-Caster stated, "I'm encouraged by the amount of business and attention we have recieved from being a part of the Latitude 43 and the number 26 team." David Melton President / CEO of Sacred Power added, "Boris Said could not be a better representitive of our product and company." Latitude 43 still has partnerships available for Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Bristol. Latitude 43 thanks Southern Pride Trucking Inc. for their support of the team during the Auto Club 500.(Latitude 43 PR)(2-26-2010)

Sacred Power to sponsor Said at ACS: Latitude 43 is excited to have Sacred Power on the hood for this weekends Auto Club 500. Sacred Power is the largest Native American Owned Solar Energy company in the United States. Boris Said driver of the #26 Sacred Power Ford Fusion has solar panels on his house and is excited about the opportunity to promote this green company. David Melton President / CEO of Sacred Power stated, "We are hoping to put a promotion in place in the very near future to give away a solar array to one lucky NASCAR fan. We hope to have that finalized soon." Sacred Power's V.P. / COO Odes Armijo-Caster added, "We cant wait to be in California this week. Rich Kuty of Kuty's Motorsports & Marketing has some unique marketing opportunities for Sacred Power in the coming weeks. Stay tuned folks." Latitude 43 would like to thank Window World for their support last week and add that there are still sponsorship opportunities available.(PR), see an image of the scheme on my #26 Team Schemes page.(2-18-2010)

#26 team signs associate sponsor: Latitude 43 announced that Sacred Power has signed as an Associate Sponsor for the first 5 races of the 2010 season with Boris Said and the #26 Ford Fusion. Sacred Power is a Native owned solar energy company based in New Mexico. That’s right Latitude 43 is going green. Sacred Power’s President / Ceo David Melton stated “We are excited to be the first Solar Energy Company to be a sponsor of a team in the top series in NASCAR. We understand the marketing power of NASCAR and are excited to be with a team that is locked into the top 35 in owner points. We are even more excited to be with a driver as recognizable as Boris Said." Sacred Power's V.P. / COO Odes Armijo-Caster added, "We look forward to attending the race in California next week where Sacred Power will adorn the hood of the car. We would love to be in Daytona this week but things have been put in place too quickly for that to happen.”(PR)(2-12-2010)

Window World and Andretti racing with Heavy Hearts: Window World Inc., John Andretti and the Window World Racing community will be racing in the memory of Window World CEO Todd Whitworth during the 2010 race season. Whitworth passed away unexpectedly on February 5. Window World's foundation, Window World Cares, is the primary sponsor of John Andretti and the #34 Ford team for Front Row Motorsports and Boris Said and the #26 Ford team for Latitude 43. Window World has been heavily involved in motorsports since the beginning of 2009. America's largest window replacement company first partnered with Andretti during the 2009 Daytona 500. The relationship expanded to seven NASCAR Sprint Cup events and the famed Indianapolis 500 when Andretti raced with Richard Petty Motorsports. Window World and Andretti were the only driver/sponsor combination to race in both the Daytona and Indianapolis 500 - two of the largest sporting events in the world.
"This loss is monumental on all levels," said Blair Ingle, President, Window World. "His passion for auto racing, Window World Cares, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Veteran's Airlift Command were immeasurable. We know in our heart that Todd would want to have John (Andretti) and Boris (Said) continue to race this weekend and raise support for Window World Cares and St. Jude. We will all feel pride knowing that the legacy of Todd will be carried through their efforts." Andretti and the #34 Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing team plan to memorialize Whitworth by running a decal on the car during the duration of Speedweeks and wearing black armbands around their uniform sleeves. "My heart is heavy," said Andretti. "Todd was more than a sponsor partner of mine. He was a true friend and I'm deeply saddened by his sudden loss. Todd and I met a few years ago and he almost immediately became a part of the Andretti family. His family and extended Window World family are all in my prayers, especially his wife Tammy and children Anna Grace, Wyatt and Tucker. In 2009, Window World Cares was named a corporate partner of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. More info at www.windowworld.com.(Breaking Limits/FRM)(2-6-2010)

Andretti gets sponsor for Bud Shootout, Said too...images: Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing announced this week that John Andretti will drive the team's #34 Ford Fusion in the Feb. 14 Daytona 500. His 1997 win at the Coke Zero 400 makes him eligible to also run the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Andretti will drive the #34 Window World Cares Ford Fusion in Saturday's winner-take-all exhibition and the Daytona 500. "It's just fun to be in it," Andretti said of the exhibition race. "You hate for any race to go on and not be in it. So if you're going to be there, you should be in it, having fun and not watching other people have fun. And the Budweiser Shootout is definitely a fun race. It's the first race of the NASCAR season and leads up to the 'Great American Race.' It's a good warm-up for the drivers, for the team and for the pit crew. And, you know, there's always bragging rights on the line. Like they say, finishing second in the Bud Shootout is not a good point's day - because there are no points. There's only one spot to finish in, and everybody drives it that way. It obviously creates a lot of excitement. I don't have a lot of hair, but it's a time to let your hair down and have fun. There's very little to lose and a lot to gain." After driving a full schedule last year between Front Row Motorsports and an Indianapolis 500 entry for Richard Petty Motorsports, Andretti is looking forward to a part-time schedule in 2010. "I'm more relaxed because I can go to Daytona and not be looking at California and everything that's coming up next," Andretti said. "I'm not thinking about anything but Daytona."(Front Row Motorsports/Breaking Limits). Window World Cares will also be the sponsor on the #26 Ford that Boris Said will drive in the Daytona 500. The Window World Cares Charity helps to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, see images of the cars on my #34 Team Schemes page and #26 Team Schemes page.(2-3-2010)

Said to run first five races of 2010: UPDATE 2: Boris Said is committed to running the first five races in 2010 and will announce his sponsorship for the Daytona 500 on Saturday. Said, who is driving the #94 Turner Motorsports BMW in the Grand-Am Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend, will pilot the #26 Ford for Bill Jenkins' Latitude 43 Motorsports team this season. Frankie Stoddard, who Said referred to as his "partner" in the venture, will be the crew chief. Roush Fenway Racing will provide the cars and engines. Said, 47, said the team is still looking for sponsorship for the remaining races to fill out the schedule. "If we have to start and park we will," Said said. "We're going to run the first five races that's for sure."(Fox Sports)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE: There are a lot of things that stand between Said having not only a successful Speedweeks, but also succeeding in the 35 races that follow it. The first hurdle Latitude 43 crossed was getting sponsorship that'll allow it to race in the Daytona 500, which is on the verge of being announced. "I just signed it [Thursday] and in the agreement they asked me not to announce anything, because they want to announce it," Said said. "There will be two cars with the same sponsor on it at Daytona. The other car they're sponsoring at Daytona, he called me up and offered it to me, so I said, 'Do you want to drive the car?' "And he said, 'No, no -- you're going to drive the car and I'm going to drive the other car.' So that was another thing with a really good friend and I'm really excited about it. I think it's going to be [big] -- they're going to bring a lot of people down and have a big hospitality suite so hopefully we can put up a good effort for 'em." But after Daytona, the team needs additional sponsorship to be able to race. Team owner Bill Jenkins, Said and Stoddard are among the group scrambling after it, but it's not all they need. Stoddard is preparing the cars with three other employees and admitted Friday they didn't know who'd pit the car in the 500.(NASCAR.com)(1-30-2010)
UPDATE 2: Boris Said told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that he has secured sponsorship from Window World for this month's Daytona 500. His new Latitude 43 Motorsports team is still seeking additional support, however, forcing Said and crew chief Frank Stoddard to do less with more. "We're doing all of SpeedWeek on one engine," he said. "It costs $100 a mile to run these engines, so we'll run minimal laps in practice. We have one really good car and not much of a backup car, so we'll have to pick our spots. A top-20 finish (in the Daytona 500) would make me really happy, and a Top-15 would be like a win."(Sirius Speedway)(2-2-2010)

Most NASCAR drivers don't fare well in Rolex 24: Full-time NASCAR drivers were shut out from the winner’s circle and even podium finishes Sunday at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The 24-hour race was won by the Porsche of Action Express Racing driven by Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Mike Rockenfeller and Ryan Dalziel. They finished 50 seconds ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing’s car driven by Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas as well as Germain Racing part-time Cup driver Max Papis and IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson. Ganassi’s other car – co-driven by his Cup drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray as well as his IndyCar Series drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon – blew an engine while leading less than nine hours into the event at Daytona. About half the field did not finish the race, including four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson as his Bob Stallings Racing car had an oil pump issue and retired with about four hours remaining. Richard Petty Motorsports had two drivers in the field. AJ Allmendinger drove for Michael Shank Racing and was in third when his engine blew less than two hours prior to the finish and the team had to settle for seventh. Paul Menard drove for Spirit of Daytona Racing, which retired before the halfway point and wound up 32nd. Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide Series driver Colin Braun had the best day of the NASCAR contingent as he was part of the fourth-place Krohn Racing team. TRG Motorsports’ Bobby Labonte drove one of the team cars and was leading before running out of fuel and having to be towed back to the pits with about five hours remaining. Other mechanical issues plagued the team, which finished 16th overall, ninth in the Grand Touring class. Part-time Cup driver Boris Said was part of a Turner Motorsport team that finished 15th overall, eighth in the GT class.(Scene Daily)(2-1-2010)

Said to run first five races of 2010: UPDATE: Boris Said is committed to running the first five races in 2010 and will announce his sponsorship for the Daytona 500 on Saturday. Said, who is driving the #94 Turner Motorsports BMW in the Grand-Am Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend, will pilot the #26 Ford for Bill Jenkins' Latitude 43 Motorsports team this season. Frankie Stoddard, who Said referred to as his "partner" in the venture, will be the crew chief. Roush Fenway Racing will provide the cars and engines. Said, 47, said the team is still looking for sponsorship for the remaining races to fill out the schedule. "If we have to start and park we will," Said said. "We're going to run the first five races that's for sure."(Fox Sports)(1-29-2010)
UPDATE: There are a lot of things that stand between Said having not only a successful Speedweeks, but also succeeding in the 35 races that follow it. The first hurdle Latitude 43 crossed was getting sponsorship that'll allow it to race in the Daytona 500, which is on the verge of being announced. "I just signed it [Thursday] and in the agreement they asked me not to announce anything, because they want to announce it," Said said. "There will be two cars with the same sponsor on it at Daytona. The other car they're sponsoring at Daytona, he called me up and offered it to me, so I said, 'Do you want to drive the car?' "And he said, 'No, no -- you're going to drive the car and I'm going to drive the other car.' So that was another thing with a really good friend and I'm really excited about it. I think it's going to be [big] -- they're going to bring a lot of people down and have a big hospitality suite so hopefully we can put up a good effort for 'em." But after Daytona, the team needs additional sponsorship to be able to race. Team owner Bill Jenkins, Said and Stoddard are among the group scrambling after it, but it's not all they need. Stoddard is preparing the cars with three other employees and admitted Friday they didn't know who'd pit the car in the 500.(NASCAR.com)(1-30-2010)

#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)

Roush Racing helps out NC Auto Racing HOF: For many, being able to give to others during this holiday season will be a difficult task. But it is not always the gift of tangible goods or money that can mean the most to its recipient. A recent event took place at the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame in Mooresville, NC. On Thursday, November 19th, the NC Auto Racing HOF mailbox on Knob Hill Road was struck and destroyed by a customer. One of the museum's volunteers, an 80-year-old man, went outside to try to resurrect the mailbox. Watching him struggle with this task from across the street was someone from Roush Fenway Racing, who dispatched a group of their shop workers to come over and help. They poured cement for the new post, fabricated the mailbox, and installed it on the same day. All of this was done without their being asked to do so, and without any payment whatsoever. Replacing a mail box doesn't seem like a big expense but to small non-profit organizations like the Hall of Fame, it has an impact.(NCARHOF)(11-25-2009)

Wingo named Ragan's crew chief: Roush Fenway Racing announced that Donnie Wingo has been named crew chief of the #6 UPS team with driver David Ragan. Wingo joined Roush Fenway at the beginning of the 2009 season as crew chief for Jamie McMurray and the #26 team. The duo most recently captured a win earlier this month at Talladega and Wingo is looking to build on that momentum with Ragan heading into the 2010 season.
"It's an honor to have the opportunity to work with David Ragan next season as well as our sponsor UPS,” said Wingo. “UPS has been a great sponsor in NASCAR for years and I'm truly looking forward to the chance to get the #6 Ford the finishes it deserves. I'm glad to remain with Roush Fenway Racing because I believe in the success we'll be able to achieve in 2010."
“Roush Fenway is looking to build the strongest possible teams and sometimes we do that by restructuring personnel,” said owner Jack Roush. “Jimmy Fennig’s experience and judgement are impeccable so we made the decision to re-assign him to head up our testing operations to try and make that department stronger. The requirement for us to reduce from five to four Sprint Cup teams allowed us to move Donnie Wingo to the #6 to fill that void. I think Donnie brings a wealth of experience to our organization having won races for multiple teams including our organization and we are anxious to see if he can challenge David Ragan and help him to realize the potential he showed in 2008. I think these moves will help our organization overall and we’re hopeful that David and Donnie will together take UPS and the #6 Ford to victory lane in 2010.” Former #6 UPS crew chief Jimmy Fennig will continue at Roush Fenway Racing by overseeing the team’s R&D testing efforts.(RFR)(11-24-2009)

Official: McMurray to the #1 car: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced that they will add Jamie McMurray as a teammate of #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, to drive the #1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevy for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. McMurray will return to Ganassi whom he raced for from 2002-2005. Bass Pro Shops will once again return for their fifth season as one of the primary partners on the #1 Chevy. The Jamie McMurray Foundation (JMF), created in 2006, was formed to promote awareness of, and raise funding for, research, education and support for individuals and families affected by autism. The JMF is dedicated to bringing the financial backing and support of the NASCAR community, together with the passion and commitment of the autism community to promote better understanding of this challenging disability. Bass Pro Shops, of Springfield, Missouri, will enter their fifth season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as one of the primary sponsors of the #1 Chevy.(Earnhardt Ganassi)(11-18-2009)

McMurray supposedly signs with EGR: Apparently, a one-year deal was inked last Wednesday between Jamie McMurray and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and is expected to be announced sometime on Tuesday. Kevin "Bono" Manion is expected to continue on as the crew chief.(FoxSports)(11-17-2009)

Roush's Smith not retiring: Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith has decided to delay his retirement. Smith said because of tough economic times and the merger between partner Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports that he will stay on at least through the 2010 season. Smith is handling a lot of the paperwork in the merger that he said is agreed to on all major issues and should be announced soon. He also plays a major role in bringing sponsors to the cars for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. Smith has yet to wrap up a full season of sponsorship for the #17 of Matt Kenseth.(see more at ESPN Insiders)(11-17-2009)

Wingo to stay at Roush UPDATE Fennig? #26 Crew chief Donnie Wingo appears to be headed back to Roush Fenway Racing next season in a capacity still to be determined. Wingo's future with the organization has been uncertain since it was revealed in late July that driver Jamie McMurray's #26 team would go away and sponsor Crown Royal would move to Roush driver Matt Kenseth's team next year. The breakup of McMurray's team is part of a downsizing by Roush Fenway to conform to NASCAR's new four-car limit set to take effect in 2010. Asked on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway if there would be a place for Wingo next season at Roush Fenway, team co-owner Jack Roush said, "The answer to that is yes." Wingo later backed up his boss' assertion. "I don't think the plan is finalized for next year but we have spoken and he says he's got a place for me there next year and I'm real happy about that," he said. "It's where I want to be right now and I hope I can end my career here. ... I'm just looking forward to whatever they have for me in the future, whatever I can do to help."(SceneDaily), on SPEED's Happy Hour coverage, it was mentioned at Jimmy Fennig, crew chief of the #6 Ford of David Ragan with Roush Fenway Racing, will go to Roush's R&D area and Donnie Wingo will become the crew chief of the #6 team.(11-8-2009)
UPDATE: #6-David Ragan doesn't expect Jimmy Fennig to be his crew chief in 2010. "Yeah, I would say there will be some change in the crew chief role,'' Ragan said on Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "As far as who and when and all that stuff, that's to be determined. We still feel like we don't want to lose focus on the last two races and start planning for 2010 too early. As soon as the checkered flag falls on Homestead all of our thoughts will be on 2010 and preparing a stronger team.'' Ragan said Fennig, who has been at Roush Fenway Racing for 13 years, wants to head up an R&D department for the organization. "He's been a teacher and crew chief and mentor and really taught me a lot the last couple of years,'' said Ragan, in his third full season in the Sprint Cup series. "Ninety percent of what I know today I learned from Jimmy Fennig. A lot of things are changing at Roush Fenway. I'm sure right after Homestead, Jack [Roush] and [general manager Robbie Reiser] will make those decisions.'' Fennig said he is waiting for management to tell him what he will be doing next season.(ESPN)(11-14-2009)

More layoffs after 2009 season?: Teams have predicted that the unemployment lines following the season finale at Homestead will exceed the numbers we witnessed following 2008. Under NASCAR's four-car rule, Roush Fenway Racing loses one team under its roof and another across the street at Yates Racing. While employees have been told there will be movement in the ranks with the potential of a Richard Petty Motorsports/Yates merger, in either case a minimum of two teams will dissolve — the #26 and the #44. The #96 Hall of Fame Racing team will no longer use the services of Yates Racing in 2010. However, the #98 team could remain under the Yates banner — and not RPM — in order to keep Paul Menard in the fold. Regardless, the four teams (98, 9, 19 and 43) are expected to operate under one roof.(FoxSports)(11-3-2009)

New driver of #1 announced this week? An announcement on the driver that will replace #1-Martin Truex Jr. could come this week, sources close to the situation said. Jamie McMurray, who is losing his ride at Roush Fenway Racing because the organization has to reach the four-car cap, is one candidate. Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, is the other. EGR co-owner Chip Ganassi wants McMurray. Bass Pro Shops, which will sponsor the #1 for 20 races next season, isn't sure he fits the image.(read more at ESPN Insider)(11-2-2009)
UPDATE: It's no secret that Bass Pro Shops has a contract to sponsor the #1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing car that McMurray is slotted to drive next year. And it's no secret that Bass Pro Shops wants to move to the #39 car with Ryan Newman. Now, this is not a knock on BPS, which has offered tremendous support to many racing programs in and beyond NASCAR. But McMurray's contract with EGR has been prepared but lacking signatures for some time. No, McMurray is not going to apply for his NRA membership any time soon, but he will go above and beyond for his sponsors whether it's Bass Pro or anyone else.(FoxSports)(11-3-2009)

McMurray wins at Talladega: #26-Jamie McMurray won the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway under a green-white-checkered finish that ended under caution for his 1st win of the season and third of his career. #9-Kahne finished 2nd, followed by #20-Logano, #16-Biffle, #31-Burton, #48-Johnson, #55-Waltrip, #09-Keselowski, #19-Sadler and #71-Labonte. The other Chasers finished as follows: #83-Vickers 13th, #99-Edwards 14th, #42-Montoya 19st [caught in final accident], #24-Gordon 20th [caught in final accident], #5-Martin 28th [caught in final accident], #2-Busch 30th [caught in final accident], #14-Stewart 35th [caught in accident with 4 to go], #39-Newman 36th [caught in accident with 4 to go], and #11-Hamlin 38th [lost engine].
The first "big one" came with 4 laps to go, even though it only collected 5 cars. #39-Newman checked up to keep from getting into #14-Stewart. #47-Ambrose got into the back of Newman causing him to spin out of line, he turned backwards, flipped upside down, end over end, and landed on the hood of #29-Harvick. #19-Salder was also collected. Newman flipped a couple more times and the car came to rest on its roof. Safety crews had to flip the car over and cut the roof off to get Newman out but he was able to walk to the ambulance under his own power. The red flag was out for 13 minutes during cleanup. After the red flag was lifted, several drivers including #5-Gordon, #24-Gordon and #42-Montoya ran out of gas, further delaying the restart of the race for the finish.
Then coming to the white flag #09-Keselowski appeared to get in the back of #2-Busch, spinning him into traffic and collecting a number of cars and causing NASCAR to throw the caution flag.
There were 6 cautions for 23 yellow flag laps and there were 60 lead changes among 26 drivers.
For race results, awards and more, see my Talladega Superspeedway Race Results Page.
For the drivers points standings, see my Drivers Points Standings.(11-1-2009)

McMurray close to signing new deal? UPDATE: hearing that Jamie McMurray is close to signing a deal to drive the #1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevy in 2010, announcement could come the week following Martinsville.(10-21-2009)
UPDATE: It’s not etched in stone, but the speculation surrounding Jamie McMurray-to-Earnhardt Ganassi Racing isn’t exactly written in chalk, either. Neither McMurray nor anyone at EGR has confirmed the move, but garage-insiders say there’s a strong likelihood the driver of the Roush Fenway Racing #26 Fusion will replace Martin Truex Jr. in the #1 Chevy next year. The wild-card in the scenario is the sponsor. Bass Pro Shops would like to have an “outdoorsman” type of driver, one who’ll appeal to their customer base. To some degree, Truex Jr. fulfilled that role; less so McMurray, who’s not exactly the world’s most passionate hunter, fisherman or camper.(Ford Racing)(10-25-2009)

2010 #1 driver to be named soon: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing is close to naming a driver for the #1 car next season and it apparently won't be Jamie McMurray, as has been widely speculated. A source close to the situation said McMurray, whose contract at Roush Fenway Racing is up after this season, no longer is in the picture and that two people are in the mix. Rumored drivers include: Bobby Labonte, Reed Sorenson, David Stremme, David Gilliland and Casey Mears.(see full post at ESPN Insiders)(10-16-2009)

McMurray looks to be headed to the #1 car: The merger between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing all but made it official that Jamie McMurray will move to the #1 at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing next season. McMurray has been in discussions with EGR for several months after being told he would not be re-signed by Roush Fenway Racing to drive the #26 next season. Roush had to shrink from five to four cars to reach NASCAR's four-car cap rule.(See full post at ESPN Insiders)(9-12-2009)

Irwin Tools leaving Roush? Irwin Tools appears to be ending its relationship with Roush Fenway Racing. In a release discussing the company's new title sponsorship of the August race at Bristol Motor Speedway – the Irwin Tools Night Race – the company stated that it was time for a "new chapter" for the company. The company has been a mainstay in the sport since 2003, serving as a primary car sponsor for Roush Fenway Racing. During that span, drivers Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray both won races in company-sponsored Fords while Busch won the NASCAR Cup championship with that sponsorship in 2004. McMurray has been sponsored by Irwin this season. "It's been a great ride with Roush Fenway Racing," said Eric Pinkham, Newell Rubbermaid's Vice President, sponsorship and event marketing. "They clearly helped us put Irwin Tools on the map, and we appreciate what they've done for the Irwin brand. Now it's time for a new chapter for Irwin."(SceneDaily)(8-27-2009)

Roush's Smith talks about 2010 plans: Sunday on "The SIRIUS NASCAR Radio Pre-Race Show", SIRIUS XM's Claire B. Lang spoke with Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith about the possible changes to the team's roster of drivers before next season.
Geoff Smith: "If you're asking about our team plans for 2010, we're settled that Carl Edwards and Aflac, Greg Biffle with 3M, and David Ragan with UPS will be staying put and that sponsorship is going to kind of determine whether or not the #17 or the #26 are going to have to be the teams we shut down and move, if we can."
Smith: "There are difficulties. You just can't assume that a team can transfer intact just because you want it to. There are sponsors that get to vote as to what organization they're going to sponsor. So we have to work through that, which is what I've been saying. I expect, now that the DeWalt cloud has been removed, we're going to move very quickly to lock in the sponsorship and then that sponsorship will determine [whether] the #17 stays or goes."
Host, Claire B. Lang: "Meaning that we could see a past champion, Matt Kenseth, moving?"
Smith: "It all depends on the sponsorships. Our objective is to keep both of those teams (the #17 and the #26) in the Ford Motor Company community. We're hoping that we don't have to keep one and then lose one out of the Ford community entirely. So if we can keep them both in the [Ford] community by shuffling the #17 we would do that. Pretty unlikely that Matt Kenseth or the #17 will move at this point."
(SIRIUS NASCAR Radio)(7-27-2009)

McMurray told he is free to 'look around' for a ride; to #1 car?: Roush Fenway Racing has informed #26=Jamie McMurray he is free to talk to other organizations about next season, team president Geoff Smith said on Sunday. But Smith said that is not an indication Roush doesn't want the driver of the #26 Ford associated with the organization in 2010. Smith said Roush is willing to move any of its five drivers with sponsorship to partner Yates Racing next season if that would maintain the current Ford stable. He said most of the drivers are willing to do that, understanding they will be in same equipment with the same technology. The problem is convincing sponsors to move to what is perceived as the "B'' team. UPS, for example, is committed to keeping David Ragan at Roush. "It's not moving apples to apples,'' Smith said from the garage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
NASCAR has mandated that Roush be at the four-car cap by 2010. Roush currently has five drivers, McMurray, Ragan, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Although Edwards, Kenseth and Biffle signed extensions last season, Smith is not opposed to moving one if that keeps all within the Roush/Yates umbrella. "We would be open to any combination to keep them,'' he said. McMurray is considered the most likely to be moved because his contract expires after this season. Smith said it did not make sense in this economic climate to re-sign him to a long-term deal without sponsorship commitment. Crown Royal, which sponsors a portion of races on McMurray's car, has two years left on its contract. Smith didn't rule out that could be moved to Kenseth's car if necessary.
Roush announced earlier this week that DeWalt, Kenseth's long-term sponsor, will not return in 2010. Smith said sponsorship for that car would be cleared up soon. McMurray avoided conversations with the media on Friday and Saturday. He reportedly has been contacted by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as a candidate to fill the spot being vacated by Martin Truex Jr. in the #1 Chevy.(ESPN)(7-26-2009)

Ragan the odd man out at Roush? UPDATE nope? Who will be the odd man out at Roush Fenway Racing? According to published reports, Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith is putting together a sponsor package that would keep #26-Jamie McMurray in the fold. McMurray, whose contract expires after this season, has been speculated as the most likely to be moved to satellite team, Yates Racing, to get Roush to four teams. If McMurray stays then #6-David Ragan becomes the top candidate to leave because #17-Matt Kenseth, #99-Carl Edwards and #16-Greg Biffle signed new deals within the last year. A decision on restructuring should come by September at the latest. Roush has until the end of this season to move from five to four teams as NASCAR mandated when it put a cap on teams.(ESPN Insider)(7-21-2009)
UPDATE: With #99-Carl Edwards, #17-Matt Kenseth and #16-Greg Biffle all signed to long term contracts, multiple sources say that #6-David Ragan will be the fourth driver at the team next year. "Absolutely, I can confirm that David Ragan will be driving for UPS in the #6 Roush Fenway car," said Zak Brown, CEO of Just Marketing International, which handles the UPS marketing account. According to NASCAR rules, RFR has to downsize from five to four teams by the end of this year. #26-Jamie McMurray, the fifth driver at RFR, is likely headed across the street from the Roush shop to Yates Racing, which is a satellite organization of RFR. However, another option appears to be a reunion with former boss Chip Ganassi [in the #1 Chevy].(FoxSports)(7-25-2009)