- Contracts: Sponsor: 2009+;
Driver: 2009; Manufacturer: 2013
- Latest on Roush Fenway Racing having to trim a team: The five-car stable of Roush Fenway Racing (#16-Greg Biffle, #99-Carl Edwards, #17-Matt Kenseth, #6-David Ragan, #26-Jamie McMurray) must be trimmed to four vehicles for the 2010 season. According to Brian Corcoran, executive vice president of Fenway Sports Group, a decision should take place by August because of sponsorship obligations. An alternative is for one of the drivers (most likely Ragan or McMurray) to switch to Yates Racing, the current home of #96-Bobby Labonte and #98-Paul Menard. Roush has an existing partnership with Yates. “Should be an interesting 45 days,’’ Corcoran said. Corcoran also noted that Roush is still in discussions with DeWalt, the primary sponsor of Kenseth’s #17 Ford. Currently, DeWalt may not have the funds to continue primary sponsorship of the #17 next season.(Boston Globe)(6-29-2009) Comment here
- What's up with Roush's five teams? Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith on the team cutting from five teams to four after this season (as mandated by NASCAR to meet its four-car limit): “We’re still messing with the sponsorship pieces,’’ Smith said. “We’re still not sure how it’s going to lay out. We thought we’d be done by now but we’re not.’’ One of the teams will move to Yates next year, Smith said. Smith also was asked about the status of signing Jamie McMurray to a contract extension: “Jamie wants to stay. We’d like him to stay. We’re hoping we can have sponsorship around Jamie before he has to decide how much longer he can wait. We’ve been working together. Hopefully we’ll have that worked out pretty quickly before he has to turn his attention to the marketplace.’’(Virginia Pilot)(6-22-2009) Comment here
- Danica to Roush? Danica Patrick will be in a Jack Roush NASCAR Ford next season, bank on it. Well, don't bet the ranch, but there is a growing sense that that is the momentum on the issue, if the sexy Indy-car star does make the leap into stock car racing, as she has hinted. And in the NASCAR garage here at Infineon Raceway Roush himself pondered the Danica option Friday. Patrick herself has been talking around the NASCAR possibility for several weeks now but insists she won't be making any announcement of where she'll be racing next season until this fall [after the IRL's finale in Oct]. Last weekend Geoff Smith, head of Roush Fenway Racing, talked about the Danica Patrick option. What does Roush himself think about her as NASCAR stocker? "I don't know enough about her to know how much time she'd have to spend in the Nationwide series or Truck series," Roush said. "I'd say, as a minimum, two years in the Nationwide series would be required…and at the same time she could run six or seven Cup races, to maintain her rookie status. It just depends on how badly she wants it," Roush says of any Patrick move into NASCAR. Patrick has some big advantages, Roush points out: "I don't know of any problems with Danica Patrick. If a female is going to make it in NASCAR in the foreseeable future, it will be Danica Patrick.(mikemulhern.net)(6-20-2009) Comment here
- Chris Andrews helping out #6 team: In an effort to improve communication between driver David Ragan and the engineering support group at Roush Fenway Racing, Chris Andrews will be working with the #6 UPS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team for the next five weeks. Andrews, RFR's Engineering Manager, has been with the organization for almost three years and will assess what changes may be necessary to benefit the team's performance. Jimmy Fennig will continue to call the races for the #6 UPS Ford and be involved in on-track activities throughout the weekend.(Roush Fenway PR)(6-12-2009) Comment here
- Congrats to Justin "Tweek" Hines of the #6 UPS Roush Racing team and wife Carrie as they welcomed Isabelle Marie Hines into the world on April 21, 2009.(5-7-2009)
- UPS Unveils new scheme for Richmond: NASCAR fans will see a different look for the #6 UPS Ford this weekend when David Ragan hits the track at Richmond International Raceway for the Russ Friedman 400 presented by Crown Royal. Taking a break from the traditional brown UPS paint scheme, Ragan’s car will feature a special UPS Freight design to promote the Richmond, Va.-based division of UPS. The design incorporates the gray of UPS Freight with new brown and gold trim using a unique paint formula that includes crushed glass to make the vehicle sparkle. UPS Freight offers a wide range of ground freight shipping options for customers who need to ship anything from a single oversized package to a heavy pallet or full truckload of freight across North America, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To kick off the Richmond race weekend, Ragan will make a special appearance at the UPS Freight headquarters today to spend time with local UPS employees. UPS Freight employs nearly 2,000 people in the Richmond area and roughly 17,000 total around the country. In addition to the special UPS Freight paint scheme, the UPS Freight Charlotte Service Center will be featured on the wing of Ragan’s #6 Ford as part of UPS’s ‘Maximum Center’ program. UPS launched the program this year to recognize UPS operating facilities for accomplishments in service, safety and performance.(UPS Racing PR), see an image of the scheme on my #6 Team Schemes page.(4-30-2009)
- Roush Fenway Racing increases pledge to be more sustainable: It’s been 40 years since Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day and on this day of ecological awareness, Roush Fenway Racing is upping their pledge to promote more sustainable operations and better environmental management. Always a leader in the sport of NASCAR on and off track, Roush Fenway has been working with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to reinforce its position as a leader in environmental stewardship in the industry.
Through the team’s current efforts, they recycle almost 96% of every race car. In 2008, the team recycled over 66 tons of waste
(plastic, paper and metal); reduced the overall amount of waste produced by more than 11 tons; reduced storm water run off by 1.51M gallons; and saved 2.10M gallons of water by not using potable water for irrigation.
As a next step, Roush Fenway Racing pledges to meet or exceed its corporate environmental target of an overall 10% improvement in indoor air quality; reduction of water consumption; increase in waste reduction and recycling; and improvement in energy usage over the next 18 months. The team has commissioned an independent energy audit through Electricities and the Carolina Consulting Group in cooperation with the City of Concord (N.C.) to further identify opportunities to reduce its power consumption. These efforts are applauded by the NRDC.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-22-2009) Comment here
- Pit road shakeups for Roush? Could there be a few shakeups in the pit crews at Roush Fenway Racing? Officials haven't said anything, but co-owner Jack Roush spent a lot of time in meetings this past week trying to figure out why his teams are having so much trouble on pit road. That usually means changes for the man known as "Cat in the Hat." Carl Edwards went from first to 11th after a crucial mistake on his final pit stop with about 30 laps remaining in Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway. Greg Biffle believes pit road mistakes, at least one by him, has cost him a shot at two wins this season. Even Matt Kenseth had problems at Texas. He was second coming onto pit road on lap 252, but left in 15th after a lug nut problem on the right rear tire. Nobody is publicly blaming anybody as Kyle Busch did in a Nationwide Series race last month when a pit road mistake cost him a victory. But there are concerns.(ESPN Insider)(4-10-2009)
UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards said small changes made this week to his Sprint Cup pit crew were designed to help his #99 team be able to compete for the Cup title this year. Edwards said Friday at Nashville Superspeedway that one crew member was replaced, and a team spokesman said it was front tire changer Corey Quick.(Scene Daily)(4-11-2009) Comment here
- UPS Reveals New NASCAR Ad Campaign: #6-David Ragan won’t be racing the “big brown truck” this year, but he will be learning what it takes to be a UPS driver in a humorous new television advertising campaign UPS launches this weekend as part of its revamped racing program. The four-spot series, which was produced by The Martin Agency, will feature Ragan competing with UPS drivers in various extreme physical challenges to determine who will earn the title of “Maximum Driver.” The first spot will be broadcast on FOX on Sunday, April 5, during the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, but a special preview will be available on Friday afternoon, April 3, at www.racing.ups.com. Ragan made his UPS Racing debut at the Daytona 500 in February, at which time a new television ad introducing him to the UPS team began running that featured Ragan driving his No. 6 Ford Fusion through UPS corporate headquarters. The “Maximum Driver” series will go beyond the introduction, with Ragan facing several unique and potentially harrowing challenges as he goes toe-to-toe with some of UPS’s elite delivery professionals. The “Maximum Driver” campaign follows UPS’s immensely popular “Race the Truck” commercials featuring NASCAR legend Dale Jarrett, who represented UPS Racing for nearly eight years. After the Samsung 500, the three remaining spots will be revealed sequentially throughout the 2009 racing season.(UPS Racing)(4-2-2009)
- Kvapil done with Yates Racing? Next week's race at Bristol Motor Speedway may be #28-Travis Kvapil's last for Yates Racing this season. Sources close to the organization say Kvapil's crew has been told they will not run the next two Sprint Cup events at Martinsville and Texas, and that unless sponsorship comes along they won't run the rest of the year. The team pieced together sponsorship for the first five races hoping Kvapil would do well enough to garner more attention. Things were looking up after he finished second in the second race at California. Then he failed to qualify for the Las Vegas race and a failed engine last week at Atlanta left him 42nd with a car capable of finishing in the top 20. He's 39th in owner points with little chance of being in the top 35 guaranteed a spot in the field after Bristol. On anther front, Roush Fenway Racing has not replaced the entire crew of David Ragan's team as another driver suggested last week. Ragan has had a rough start, ranked 22nd in points, but the team is confident in crew chief Jimmy Fennig.(ESPN Insider)(3-14-2009) Comment here
- Ragan To Make Modified Debut: While some of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers are taking this weekend off to rest and relax, David Ragan is going to keep racing. Ragan, driver of the #6 UPS Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, has entered to run the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour season opener Sunday, March 15 at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. Ragan will drive for Darrel Krentz’s No. 15 in the Spring Classic 150.(localracing.nascar.com
)(3-10-2009) Comment here
- Roush Fenway looking for sponsors: Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith should only be negotiating to renew the one NASCAR Sprint Cup sponsorship he has open – the #17 Ford and DeWalt – for 2010. But Smith’s organization is working on helping nearly all of its Cup sponsors (#26-Crown Royal, #16-3M and #99-Aflac) find other companies willing to pony up the money to buy some races for 2010 and beyond even though they have contracts obligating them for the entire season. Smith said the companies have requested help, and it’s imperative in these economic times that the organization find more sponsors willing to share some of the costs. DeWalt, whose contract is up after the 2009 season, has also indicated it wants a partner. The only sponsor that has not requested a partner is UPS [for #6 David Ragan]. A new sponsor could be on one of those cars by the end of 2009 if there is a commitment for future years, Smith said.
Even though Roush Fenway can have only four Cup teams next year, it also is responsible for sponsorship for Yates Racing, so it is continuing to court companies to sponsor Cup teams. On an initial call, Smith said the organization will offer anything open in its portfolio. The one thing his company won’t do is to stagger sponsorships on a car because the organization has to commit to a salary for the driver and needs the sponsorship to back it up. Smith said that car owners must realize that they need to spend money on sales. He said he has “a whole team” making cold calls about sponsorship.(SceneDaily)(3-9-2009) Comment here
- Roush could tie record: Even if #17-Matt Kenseth fails to win Sunday, his four Roush Fenway Racing teammates could help match another Cup Series record. Only two owners / teams have won the first three races of a season. Owner Peter DePaolo's team won the first three races of 1957 (two wins by Marvin Panch, one by Fireball Roberts) and Petty Enterprises won the first three races in 1963 (two wins by Jim Paschal, one by Richard Petty).(NASCAR.com)(2-28-2009) Comment here
- Roush Fenway Racing Pledges 'Green': With the country under new leadership and the start of a new race season upon us, Roush Fenway Racing announces their pledge to sustainability and environmental protection. Always a leader in the sport of NASCAR on and off track, Roush Fenway Racing will continue current environmental initiatives and look into new initiatives to “go green” in 2009. There are many aspects of the sport which will not change in the immediate future when it comes to environmental impact. However, the environment is a topic that’s important to many of our sponsor partners as well as the world, so in an effort to be good stewards of the planet, Roush Fenway Racing continues to seek ways to be environmentally conscious from materials in their daily operations, to the expansion and construction of facilities. Roush Fenway Racing currently recycles oil, solvent, steel, tires, aluminum, paper and plastic bottles and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Ian Prince, Roush Fenway’s LEED certified person on staff, oversees the operations of Roush Fenway’s 25-acre campus with three buildings totaling over 190,000 Sq. ft. All the building have innovated LEED building design features including (but not limited to) solar shades on southern exposure to reduce solar heat gain and glare, reducing the amount of artificial building cooling required; interior lighting controlled by individual occupancy and photoelectric sensors to reduce electrical usage; motion activated plumbing fixtures to reduce potable water use; and rain and storm water run off captured and contained for landscape irrigation reducing the need for potable water. As a point of interest, Roush Fenway uses no city water they have their own wells and storm water reclamation. In addition, Roush Fenway has proposed an emission reduction program to LED retrofit the shop Metal Halide lighting resulting in a 530 Megawatt savings of electricity each year. The use of Building Integrated
Photovoltaic laminates that will produce 13,710kWh per year of electricity for 20 years to be sold back to the utilities companies is also being proposed. But that’s not where the effort ends. Roush Fenway Racing Sprint Cup standouts Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle
are purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s) as part of their commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(1-25-2009)
- Ragan 4th in Late Model race: #6-David Ragan finished fourth in Sunday's 100 lap Late Model race at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, Ga.. John Wes Townley, a 2009 Raybestos rookie of the year candidate in the Nationwide Series, finished fifth.(1-12-2009)
- Laid off Roush Fenway crewman sues team: A former Roush Fenway Racing fabricator and over-the-wall crew member is suing the team for money he alleges he is owed for being laid off prior to the completion of his three-year contract. Nick Bailey, signed a three-year deal in October 2006 to run through the 2009 season, according to the complaint and portions of his contract filed recently in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte. He initially worked in the Truck shop at Roush as well as on the pit crew for the No. 16 Nationwide team. He was then transferred to Roush’s ARCA team in April 2008. At the time he was laid off Nov. 10 , 2008, his base salary was $1,050 per week, according to the complaint. He also was eligible for bonuses depending on the performance of the team and the pit crew. Bailey is asking for $63,000 – his salary from Nov. 10, 2008 through Dec. 31, 2009 – and for whatever bonuses it is determined he deserves. Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith confirmed that Bailey had been laid off as part of a reduction in the company work force but declined further comment.(SceneDaily)(12-12-2008) Comment here
- No major layoffs at Roush: Jack [ROush] said he would have to "displace" half a dozen employees involved with his test program as a result of NASCAR banning testing at its sanctioned tracks in 2009. But his core staff -- those involved with his Sprint Cup and Nationwide team operations at his race shop in Concord, N.C. -- "will remain intact," he said.(Detroit Free Press)(11-21-2008) Comment here
- Roush: No plans to build test track: Back in the day, NASCAR team owner Jack Roush had contemplated building his own test track. On Saturday, the day after NASCAR had announced that it was banning all testing on the tracks it sanctions, Roush was asked if he had revived the idea. “I have neither the money nor the inclination to build a test track,” Roush said. Roush also said he has no intention of circumventing NASCAR’s ban. “If we could organize a situation where all the established teams could hold hands and resolve not to test outside of the NASCAR mandated or approved testing, not go to the skid pads, not go to Canada, not go to Pikes Peak or any of the places they are checking on,” he said, “I’d be happier with that than to skirt around.” Roush said, however, that if other teams started skirting, he would be forced to as well.(Kansas City Star)(11-20-2008) Comment here
- Roush's #6 & AMS to honor soldier: Roush Fenway Racing will honor Sgt. William P. Rudd this weekend by placing a decal in honor of his memory on the #6 AAA Ford Fusion at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Additionally, Atlanta Motor Speedway has donated 200 tickets for members of Sgt. Rudd’s unit to attend Sunday’s Sprint Cup event. Sgt. Rudd died on October 5, 2008 while on combat patrol in Mosul, Iraq. This was the same raid in which U.S. soldiers killed the alleged #2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Qaswarah. Sgt. Rudd, originally from Madisonville, Ky., joined the Army on October 2, 2003 and was a member of the U.S. Army Rangers, an elite special operations troop. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Ft. Benning, Ga. and had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. His story was told to Jack Roush by Roush’s friend Don Bowles who also hails from Madisonville, Ky. Instantly, Roush knew he wanted to not only honor the fallen soldier, but celebrate the homecoming of his unit. In his five years of service, Sgt. Rudd was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He is expected posthumously to receive the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal and Meritorious Service Medal.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(10-25-2008) Comment here
- Ford re-ups with Roush BUT no support for Trucks: Ford Racing has reinforced the importance of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series to the manufacturer under tough economic times by reaching a five-year deal to remain with Roush Fenway Racing. BUT Ford will pull its financial support in the Craftsman Truck Series beginning next season. Team owner Jack Roush assured that Ford has not pulled support from the Cup program. "Ford has made us a commitment for five years going into the future that we feel is adequate to our needs for the support that comes from manufacturers," Roush said before Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway. Roush has been with Ford since he got into NASCAR in 1988. His organization owns five of the eight Cup teams currently funded by the manufacturer and has an alliance with two more at Yates Racing. The single-car team [#21] of the Wood Brothers is the only other one that runs fulltime in NASCAR's premiere series, although Yates plans to expand to three teams [#28,#38 and Paul Menard] in 2009. The withdrawal of financial support in the Truck Series was purely an economical decision. It is the second big hit for that series, which lost Dodge support earlier this year. Unlike Dodge, Ford will continue to provide technical support and engineering. "We remain positive about the performance of our teams and their dedication to the company during these challenging times," said Brian Wolfe, the director of Ford Racing Technology.(ESPN.com)(10-19-2008) Comment here
- Special Helmet for Ragan at Kansas: In honor of his charity of choice, Shriners Hospitals for Children, #6-David Ragan is going to wear a specially designed helmet this weekend in Kansas. The helmet portrays the children the Shriners have been able to assist at their 22 hospitals with high-quality medical care at no charge. Ragan will wear the helmet for the Sprint Cup race this Sunday in Kansas, and then again in the 2008 season finale for the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Toledo Speedway on Oct. 12. In that race, he will also drive a race car with a special Shriners Hospitals for Children paint scheme. Ragan will autograph the helmet which will be auctioned off to benefit the Shriners Hospitals following the Oct. 12 race.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(9-25-2008) Comment here
- David Ragan, Ken Schrader enter Toledo's ARCA race: Ken Schrader and David Ragan have entered the ARCA Re/Max Series Hantz Group 200, set for Oct. 12 at Toledo Speedway. The race will determine the 2008 series champion. Schrader has four wins at Toledo (1997, 2004, 2005 and 2006). Nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel and Formula One veteran Scott Speed, who drives the Red Bull Toyota for Eddie Sharp Racing, also are entered. With three events remaining, Speed has a 90-point lead in points over Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr.(Detroit Free Press)(9-25-2008)
- UPS to announce team Friday; Ragan and Roush: hearing that UPS will announce Friday, what team and driver they will sponsor in 2009. Rumor has it that David Ragan will be sponsored by UPS in the #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in 2009.
AND On Friday, September 12, UPS will launch a new era in our NASCAR partnership when we [UPS} announce the sponsorship of a new driver and team for the 2009 racing season. UPS’s eight-year partnership with NASCAR has netted us significant growth opportunities and increased brand awareness. Due to the success of the partnership, UPS also will remain the Official Express Delivery Company of NASCAR. An exclusive employee preview of the announcement will be available on UPSers.com at 5pm/et, Thursday, September 11. Friday morning at 9:30am/et, a press conference introducing the new driver and team will be held at the New Hampshire Speedway.
AND II: from the UPSers site: "Well now it’s time to really put the pedal to the metal with the NASCAR sponsorship and UPS’s growth strategy. And what better way to do that than partner with one of NASCAR’s premier teams, Roush Fenway Racing. Like UPS, they have a really strong brand awareness. There’s a new number, number six, that’s my favorite number. And – and this is really cool, there’s a new driver, David Ragan." The new video will be posted sometime Friday at racing.ups.com
OFFICIAL: Launching a new era in its relationship with NASCAR, UPS today announced it would join Roush Fenway Racing for the 2009 campaign and rely on driving standout David Ragan to push the colors of “Big Brown” into Victory Lane. Ragan will race the #6 UPS Ford Fusion next season in a significantly revitalized UPS motorsports program. UPS has signed a multi-year deal with Roush Fenway Racing and Ragan. The agreement represents a return to Ford Motor Co. and an opportunity to establish long-term stability for UPS’s racing program. Ragan and Roush Fenway Racing will be supported by UPS with a variety of new programs, to be fully announced in coming weeks, including an entirely new advertising campaign. The 2009 Sprint Cup Series season will mark the ninth season of primary sponsorship for UPS and the 10th year as the Official Delivery Company of NASCAR. UPS became the official express delivery company of NASCAR in 2000 and a year later, joined Robert Yates Racing and NASCAR champion Dale Jarrett to campaign the #88 UPS Ford Taurus as a full sponsor. In 2007, UPS followed its driver when Jarrett joined Michael Waltrip Racing to race the Toyota Camry. Earlier this season, Jarrett retired and the #44 UPS Camry is being driven for the remainder of this season by David Reutimann.(UPS Site)(9-12-2008) Comment here
- Roush Fenway's Ragan in running for UPS sponsorship: UPDATE: done deal? UPS was linked to Roush Fenway Racing three months ago when the organization was looking for sponsorship for Carl Edwards. Aflac ended up sponsoring Edwards, but Roush Fenway Racing still might land UPS as the organization still needs a sponsor for David Ragan. Talks with UPS are continuing as UPS has not committed to a team in 2009, Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith confirmed. Michael Waltrip Racing is not expected to retain UPS, and Roush Fenway needs a sponsor to replace AAA for Ragan. "We are a candidate," Smith said in an email. "We don't know at this time whether or not we will win. … Of course it would be fantastic to be associated with UPS." UPS has been linked to several drivers and organizations. Gillett Evernham Motorsports still needs a sponsor for its # 10 car and has not committed yet to current driver Patrick Carpentier. Stewart-Haas Racing still needs a sponsor for Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Inc. still needs sponsorship for its # 01 car, driven this year by Regan Smtih. Yates Racing still needs sponsors for its drivers as well.(SceneDaily.com)(8-16-2008)
UPDATE: UPS has reportedly reached to a multiyear agreement with Roush-Fenway Racing to sponsor David Ragan and the #6 Ford next season, with an official announcement expected within the next two weeks. UPS will leave Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of the 2008 campaign, after backing Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann for the last two years. Ragan is in his second year of Sprint Cup competition, and ranks as one of NASCAR’s most improved drivers.(Motorsports Soapbox)(9-2-2008) Comment here
- New Hire by Roush Fenway Racing: Fenway Sports Group (FSG), a premier sports marketing agency that specializes in representation, sponsorship sales, event marketing and strategic marketing consulting, announced it has appointed Brian Corcoran as Executive Vice President, Business Development & Motorsports. Corcoran will oversee day-to-day operations for FSG's NASCAR division which includes Roush Fenway Racing and Yates Racing. He is tasked with identifying and developing new sponsor and revenue opportunities for both teams. Corcoran comes to FSG after spending the last six years as Managing Director, Corporate Marketing for NASCAR. He was instrumental in securing Nextel Communications as the entitlement partner of the Nextel Cup Series and Nationwide Insurance as lead sponsor of NASCAR's secondary circuit which is often compared to Triple-A baseball. Corcoran also played key roles in securing new sponsors, including Enterprise, Office Depot, AMD, TISSOT, AutoZone and Domino's Pizza. In February 2007, FSG purchased 50 percent stake in Roush Racing, one of NASCAR's largest and most successful teams, to form Roush Fenway Racing (RFR). The team fields five cars in the Sprint Cup Series and currently has three drivers, Carl Edwards (2nd), Greg Biffle (7th) and Matt Kenseth (10th) in the Chase for the Cup and four drivers in the top 13 in Cup standings with David Ragan currently in 13th place. This merger marked the first time that owners of a professional franchise in one of the four major leagues have partnered with a NASCAR team. Through RFR, FSG also provides marketing and sponsorship services to Yates Racing.(PR)(8-25-2008)
- Roush's Smith to retire? Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith is putting plans in place to retire after the 2009 season.
"More than likely," Smith said before Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway. "That's what we're building for. We've been systematically elevating the responsibilities of several key people, training and training." Smith runs the business and marketing side of Roush Fenway. He has been instrumental in putting together one of the top sponsorship programs in the garage.
He'll be 63 when his contract expires after next season. "I've done this for a lot of years," Smith said. "I owe my wife time together before we're dead."(ESPN.com)(8-18-2008)
- Ragan to return to #6 in 2009: Roush Fenway Racing officials confirmed Sunday that David Ragan will be back behind the wheel of the #6 Ford next season. Sponsor negotiations to replace AAA on the #6 are awaiting the completion of Stewart’s deal, though team sources confirmed that Office Depot will not be back at Roush Fenway Racing next season.(SPEEDtv)(7-6-2008) Comment here
- Red Sox scheme for Ragan at NHMS UPDATE: #6-David Ragan will run at AAA Insurance/Boston Red Sox scheme at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. See the scheme on my #6 Team Schemes page.(6-24-2008)
UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing announced that two Ford Fusions bearing the Boston Red Sox marks will compete at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) in Loudon, N.H. on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29. The #6 AAA/Red Sox Ford Fusion driven by Roush Fenway Racing’s David Ragan, will compete in NASCAR’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 Sprint Cup Race on Sunday, June 29 and the #60 Under Armour/Red Sox Ford Fusion driven by Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards will race in the Nationwide Camping World RV Sales 200 presented by RVs.com on Saturday, June 28. This announcement marks an evolution of last year’s successful cross-sports promotional program between NASCAR and Major League Baseball (MLB) that featured Roush Fenway Racing driver Carl Edwards racing a special #99 Red Sox/Lumber Liquidators/Gillette Ford in 2007’s Sprint Cup Series’ LENOX Industrial Tools 300. As Red Sox sponsors, AAA Southern New England and Under Armour had a special opportunity to utilize Boston Red Sox marks for marketing and promotional activation at this weekend’s NASCAR races in Loudon through a regional sponsorship agreement with Roush Fenway Racing. These rights allow the two companies to leverage their association with the team to feature the Red Sox mark on the #6 and #60 cars. In addition to being featured on the Roush Fenway Racing entries, the sponsors will activate their sponsorship by tapping into Roush Fenway Racing’s public relations and marketing services to reach a broader audience of NASCAR fans. AAA Southern New England is leveraging its relationship with Roush Fenway Racing and the Red Sox to increase visibility for its safe-driving programs, generate exposure for its new AAA mobile navigational application and to connect with Red Sox Nation and NASCAR fans throughout its New England territory. Earlier this week, AAA Southern New England launched a program designed to capitalize on the synergy between the Red Sox and Roush Fenway Racing fan base with the “Races & Bases” online sweepstakes. This integrated promotion provides one lucky fan with the opportunity to watch a Red Sox game with #6 driver Ragan and attend the September race at NHMS. Nationally, AAA is the primary sponsor of Roush Fenway Racing’s #6 car and the official auto insurance for International Speedway Corp. tracks.(Roush Racing) See the scheme on my #6 Team Schemes page(6-26-2008) Comment here
- Roush Fenway hopes to have drivers locked in soon for ’09: Roush Fenway Racing hopes to soon solidify its current driver lineup in the same positions for 2009, team president Geoff Smith said Sunday at Infineon Raceway. The first item would be locking in #16-Greg Biffle, who said Friday he expects to complete the deal this week. As far as #6-David Ragan, Smith also was optimistic. “We’re working through a final contract now with a sponsor, and unless Tony Stewart puts a wheel under us [in his sponsorship quest], it should be over very shortly,” Smith said. The team’s other three drivers – #99-Carl Edwards, #26-Jamie McMurray and #17-Matt Kenseth – are already signed for next season. Roush Fenway Racing can have five teams in 2009 but will have to cut down to four for the 2010 season.(SceneDaily.com)(6-23-2008) Comment here
- Ragan on TV show tonight: Roush Fenway Racing’s #6-David Ragan will appear on the Travel Channel series, “Lawerence of America,” Tuesday, June 10th at 11pm/et. The series is new to the Travel Channel and features Lawerence immersing himself in American culture. In the episode Lawerence will spend some time with Ragan and see what
racing is all about. The two team up to drive some go-karts to give Lawerence a feel of what it’s like to be behind the wheel. "It was fun filming the show with Lawrence last fall,” said Ragan. “I think he learned a lot and it will be a great way to hopefully introduce the sport to some new fans to the sport. We had a good time at the go-kart track, but next time we’ll go the big track and see how he does.”(Roush Fenway Racing)(6-10-2008)
- Ragan has blood type on his uniform: David Ragan has an “O+” by the name on his uniform, designating his blood type. Drivers occasionally put their blood type on their firesuits in case they are in an accident and are rushed to a hospital. Ragan said his suit maker Sabelt asked him for his blood type before it started making suits for him this year. The Roush Fenway Racing driver isn’t the first driver in NASCAR to have his blood type on the uniform but it is fairly rare to have that.(SceneDaily.com)(4-20-2008) Comment here
- Dunkin' Donuts teams up with Fenway Sports: As it expands nationally, Dunkin' Donuts is teaming up with a high-powered group of local sports marketers to bring in new customers. Dunkin’ now has 5,500 stores, but plans to triple that number over the next two decades, targeting markets like Dallas, Cleveland and Nashville that are outside its Northeast base. The Canton-based chain has hired Fenway Sports Group to help devise a national sports marketing campaign. That could mean rolling out Dunkin' ads featuring sports stars in some of its new markets across the country, said Mark Lev, executive vice president at Fenway Sports Group. The Dunkin' deal is a major coup for FSG, which has been building a broad portfolio of deals ranging from a 50% stake in a top NASCAR race team to consulting deals with a range of companies.(Boston Herald)(4-15-2008) Comment here
- RFR working on driver contracts: Greg Biffle’s contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing is nearly complete, and the team is working on extensions for David Ragan and Carl Edwards. Using Biffle’s words from earlier in the week, Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said that the contract with Biffle is 90% along. He said the fact that Biffle is running second in points has not accelerated the deal. “We wanted to get it done over the winter,” Smith said Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. “We like to get them done so they don’t become a distraction of the team in terms of the race season.” The contracts for Edwards and Ragan, as well as those with the companies sponsoring [AAA announced they would leave at the end of 2008] their cars, end after the season is over. Smith indicated that the team would like to sign the sponsor and driver at the same time. He said the team also is working with a sponsor to finalize the Biffle deal. “For us, there’s a money equation that has to be met,” Smith said. “The sponsor has to pay [a certain amount] in order for us to pay the driver and so forth. We close all of that out at the same time.” Smith doesn’t anticipate having trouble finding sponsorship for Edwards. His organization currently is looking for sponsorship for the two Yates Racing cars. “It’s pretty early,” Smith said about the sponsor search. “Carl Edwards, even in this down economy, he’s the hottest property in the garage. We’ve got all the sponsorship we can handle for him. David, and Travis [Kvapil] and David Gilliland, they’re all in the mix. We’re hoping the economic climate improves here shortly and typically May and June are big months for significant prospects to come forward for us. We’re about to find out if that’s true.”(SceneDaily)(3-31-2008) Comment here
- Roush Fenway Racing doesn't plan any legal action against MWR: Roush Fenway Racing doesn't plan to take legal action against Michael Waltrip Racing for what it characterized as the theft of a sway bar unless there is evidence that the piece has been duplicated. Team president Geoff Smith said the issue would not have surfaced at all had Toyota general manager Lee White not insinuated that Roush's team of Carl Edwards intentionally cheated at Las Vegas.(see full story at ESPN.com), so lets hope this whole thing is over.(3-30-2008) Comment here
- MWR had [Roush] part, says it was a mistake UPDATE: Michael Waltrip confirmed Friday afternoon that it was his team that Jack Roush was alluding to when saying a Toyota team had stolen a sway bar from Roush Fenway Racing at Dover last September. “It was a mistake,” Waltrip said. “Look at the back of these toolboxes. There are sway bars, there’s jack handles, and it wound up in our possession. We called them and said, ‘We want to give this back.’ ”(full story atSceneDaily)
MORE: Michael Waltrip acknowledged on Saturday that his team had the sway bar that team owner Jack Roush accused a Toyota team of stealing last season. But Waltrip insisted that it wasn't a theft, that the bar accidentally wound up at his shop after the September race at Dover and that nobody realized it belonged to Roush Fenway Racing until that organization called to inquire about it in January. "Accidents happen, mistakes happen," Waltrip said. "If you look inside this garage area today there's over 70 racing vehicles in here and stuff gets slung everywhere ... I could see why he would be upset. He feels like he was wronged and he's mad about it." Roush said the sway bar was specially designed by Roush Fenway for his cars. He said they were larger than the old bars, unable to fit in the toolbox slot and were put underneath the box instead. Roush said a member of a Toyota team -- which turned out to be David Reutimann's #00 car -- parked next to him at Dover, then walked over and took the piece. "I don't know what makes him tick," Waltrip said of Roush. "But I do know that no one went to his toolbox and swiped his bar." Waltrip said he had no knowledge that the piece was sandblasted to hide its identity and that somebody from his team called a vendor to have it duplicated as Roush alleged. "I don't have knowledge of any of that," he said. "I heard it was painted blue and when we figured out that it wasn't ours then it was set off to the side and eventually returned."(ESPN.com)(3-29-2008) Comment here
- NASCAR won't intervene in Roush dispute with Toyota team: NASCAR officials say they will not intervene in the dispute between Roush Fenway Racing and an unspecified Toyota team that allegedly took a part from the Ford organization. Team owner Jack Roush is asking NASCAR for “relief” on the issue, but NASCAR Vice President of Competition strongly dismissed that idea on Friday. “If they’ve got issues with each other or other teams, then they’ve got to talk to those other teams,” Pemberton said. “I didn’t take a part or a piece, all right? Nobody in this [NASCAR] trailer took a part or a piece. We know Jack said that, and apparently some other team acknowledged having a part or a piece. Those people need to work their deal out.” Roush said a Toyota team took a sway bar home from a September race at Dover last season. If that’s true, Pemberton said, “Then shame on a team that has that person working for them. If you’ve got a guy that takes a part or a piece from another team, then, in my opinion, I wouldn’t have a guy like that work for me,” he said. Still, that doesn’t mean NASCAR is going to do anything about it. “[The teams] have to work together,” he said. “We’re not going to build walls in here. We’re not going to separate everything. We’re going to run this garage area just like it’s been run. If you have issues, then you've got to work it out.”(SceneDaily)(3-29-2008)
- Latest on the 'stolen' Roush "proprietary part" UPDATE MWR: Jack Roush said on Friday that a Toyota team stole a sway bar made specifically for Roush Fenway Racing from one of his Sprint Cup teams last season at Dover. "A theft did occur," the co-owner of Roush Fenway said during practice at Martinsville Speedway. "The part was recovered ... We are still considering what if any legal action to seek." One of Roush's options is asking for a restraining order to guarantee the team in question does not duplicate the bar, which has been determined legal by NASCAR, for a competitive advantage. "It's lawyer time," Roush said. Roush made his first comments since he was quoted in ESPN The Magazine as saying a proprietary part was found missing from his inventory and discovered with a Toyota team. He discounted comments made by Jim Aust, the president of Toyota Racing Development, that a valve spring was found during a teardown inspection, identified as belonging to Roush and returned. Roush said the theft occurred in the garage area at Dover in September [2007], where the only Toyota teams in the field belonged to Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull.
Lee White, the general manager of TRD, said his organization launched a full investigation into the allegation when Roush's allegations were published in ESPN The Magazine.
He said a valve spring that did not belong to Toyota ended up at TRD's California location after the California race, that it was reported to NASCAR and returned. Roush said he became aware of the theft in early January when the vendor that produced the product for Roush Fenway was contacted by the Toyota team in question about duplicating the bar.
Roush said he's had several discussions with NASCAR officials about the situation. He was alarmed when Robin Pemberton, the vice president of competition for the series, said disappearing parts are a common occurrence and the teams needed to work it out amongst themselves. Roush said there is something fundamentally wrong if NASCAR doesn't intercede, reminding the governing body has no problem reacting when somebody uses an illegal part -- on purpose or not. Roush, noting he has been in the business 22 years, and said this is the first time he's heard of such a situation. He declined to respond to a question in which Michael Waltrip Racing was insinuated as the Toyota team. "I don't substantiate," he said. Waltrip declined to comment until he heard how the question was posed and the way Roush responded.(see full story at ESPN.com), see past news about this on the #17 Team News and Links page.(3-28-2008) Comment here
- Roush Says Toyota Team Stole "Proprietary Part" UPDATE 2: ESPN the Magazine has an interesting and potentially explosive quote from Roush Fenway Racing co-owner Jack Roush as part of its 10th Anniversary issue, which is on newsstands this week. Two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the magazine quotes Roush as saying, “We had a proprietary Roush Fenway part go missing from one of my race teams, and we recovered it from a Toyota team. I’m not going to say which team it is, but we are considering legal action, or getting NASCAR involved.” If Roush’s allegations prove to be true, this could become NASCAR’s version of the recent spy scandal that rocked Formula One racing, in which the McLaren-Mercedes team was caught with confidential, proprietary test information belonging to rival Ferrari. We contacted Roush Fenway Racing today in search of further information – including team was involved and the specific part in question -- and we [SIRIUS Speedway w/ Dave Moody] hope to have a statement from them later today.(Motorsports Soapbox)(3-25-2008)
UPDATE: Jack Roush, co-owner of Ford-based Roush Fenway Racing, leveled another serious accusation at nemesis Toyota at Atlanta Motor Speedway -- one that took nearly three weeks to surface. No one from either RFR or Toyota was willing to comment on Tuesday, but no one was denying Roush told a reporter from ESPN The Magazine on March 7 that a Toyota team had been in possession of an RFR team part.(ESPN)(3-26-2008)
UPDATE 2: Toyota officials on Wednesday identified the Roush Fenway Racing part that owner Jack Roush said was found in a Toyota team's possession during a Sprint Cup post-race teardown as a spring. Jim Aust, the president and chief executive officer of Toyota Racing Development, said once the part was found to belong to RFR that it was returned. He was uncertain how the part, discovered on a table with other Toyota parts, got there or from which team it came. "I don't understand the whole procedure when a teardown happens," said Aust, referring to a post-race process in which several cars are broken down by NASCAR inspectors. "The only thing I know is it wound up with parts we had and [which were] returned to Roush. "It's unfortunate it happened the way it did. It wasn't anything intentional. There's no reason to be done intentional. I have no idea how it happened to begin with." Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith said the part in question was not a spring, but he would not elaborate. No one at RFR has identified which Toyota team had the part. "Jack is the only one to talk to at this time and he presently doesn't want to make any additional comments," Smith said.(ESPN.com)(3-26-2008) Comment here
- CitiFinancial sponsoring Roush: CitiFinancial will be the primary sponsor on a variety of Roush Fenway Racing entries in all 35 Nationwide Series events in 2008. The sponsorship is part of Citi's new multifaceted, strategic marketing partnership with Roush Fenway Racing. As part of the relationship, CitiFinancial will tap into Roush Fenway's all-star driver lineup to pilot the CitiFinancial Ford. In addition, Citi will become a major associate sponsor on all Roush Fenway Racing teams, including the Sprint Cup Series entries of #16-Greg Biffle, #99-Carl Edwards, #17-Matt Kenseth, #26-Jamie McMurray, and #6-David Ragan.(Roush Fenway PR)(1-19-2008) Comment here
- AAA leaves NASCAR and #6 team after 2008: AAA's national motorsports sponsorships will hit the end of the road after the 2008 season. The primary sponsor on Roush Fenway Racing's #6 Ford [David Ragan] and the official auto insurance for International Speedway Corp. tracks, AAA has decided that it will not renew those deals at the end of this season. AAA's exit at ISC could open the door for Nationwide Insurance, the new title sponsor of NASCAR's No. 2 circuit, formerly known as the Busch Series. ISC tracks are the site for 19 of NASCAR's 36 Sprint Cup events. Sources say that ISC has reached out to Nationwide and possibly other insurance companies in an effort to fill that category beginning in 2009. Nationwide owns status as the official insurance company at Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks. AAA's status as the official auto club and auto insurance of the Indianapolis 500 also will end after this season. AAA made its decision this early in the year based on deadlines that were in its agreements.(SportsBusiness Journal/SceneDaily.com)(1-8-2008)
