- Contracts: Sponsor: 2008 and leaves;
Driver: 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)
- Roush Fenway Racing announces new GM - Robbie Reiser: Roush Fenway Racing announced Thursday that championship crew chief, Robbie Reiser, has been appointed General Manager of Roush Fenway Racing’s Nextel Cup team operations. “This is a great opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to the next phase of my racing career,” Reiser said. “If it’s anywhere near as fun, competitive, and successful as the previous phase, then we’re going to be in good shape. It wasn’t an easy decision to stop being the crew chief of the #17 team, but now I get to work with all of our Cup teams and help improve our performance as a whole. I’m looking forward to the new challenge.” Reiser replaces Max Jones and steps into the GM role with well over 20 years of racing experience under his belt. Roush Fenway Racing is expected to name other crew changes to the #17 Ford team in the upcoming weeks.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(11-15-2007)
- Doug Yates and Max Jones join forces: Yates Racing announced Thursday that Max Jones, long-time general manager for Roush Fenway Racing and former road-racing driver has joined Yates Racing as a co-owner and will also assume the role of General Manager . Jones, a native of Long Beach, Calif., joins Yates Racing after serving as general manager for Roush Fenway Racing’s Cup program in 2007. “We’re thrilled to have someone as respected as Max join Yates Racing,” said Yates Racing owner, Doug Yates. “With his experience in the sport and working with such a large and successful organization as Roush Fenway Racing for so many years, he will immediately step in and improve our race operations. As we continue to improve and restructure in preparation for a successful 2008 season, having someone with Max’s experience and credibility only accelerates the process of getting Yates Racing back to where it needs to be and that’s competing for wins and championships on a weekly basis.” Jones will add his experience to one of the most successful operations in motorsports. Since venturing into NASCAR’s Cup series in 1989, Yates Racing has recorded 57 wins, 269 top fives, and 427 top-10 finishes, including the Cup
series championship in 1999.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(11-15-2007)
- Special AAA Scheme at Homestead: #6-David Ragan will carry extra colors on his car during the Nextel Cup Series season finale at Homestead. Ragan, driver of the #6 AAA Ford Fusion, commemorates AAA's longstanding partnership with The Hertz Corporation with a special addition to his car. Hertz will be featured on the rear deck lid and back of the #6 Ford at Homestead. The logo placement highlights an additional AAA member benefit that is in effect this November: AAA members can receive a free tank of gas when they rent a Fun, Green or Prestige Collection vehicle from Hertz for a 3-day weekend or minimum 5-day week. It marks the first time Hertz has participated in a Nextel Cup Series event. Hertz is
AAA's preferred car rental company. For more information on AAA member benefits with Hertz, visit AAA.com/Hertz.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(11-14-2007)
- Ragan to promote safety: When David Ragan signed on with AAA to drive the #6 Nextel Cup Series car in 2007, his sponsor had big plans for him to help promote safe driving from coast to coast. This weekend, while in New Hampshire for the Sylvania 300, Ragan along with his mother, Beverly Ragan, will be doing just that. The mother and son duo will be producing a public service announcement for the Maine Department of Transportation encouraging young drivers and their parents to come to an agreement, and an understanding, about the laws and expectations that the state of Maine has put forth for all drivers on the roads.(Roush Fenway Racing)(9-13-2007)
- Braun to make stock car debut in ARCA for Roush: Colin Braun, driver of the #99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion, will make his Roush Fenway Racing debut in Friday night's ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Gateway International Speedway. Braun recently signed long-term contracts with Roush Fenway Racing and Ford Racing.(Ford Racing PR)(8-29-2007)
- Roush to sell off one team, then help: In 2010, Roush Fenway Racing will have to shrink from five cars to four, but Jack Roush already has a plan in mind: Sell the fifth car to a group of investors as what he called "seed corn" for an investor-controlled four-car team owned and funded by a group outside of Roush but fueled with Roush crews and technology.
"It shouldn't go without notice that we are unabated in our effort to find and identify new drivers and to build our crews and teams with outsiders to the extent that we can and advance them through the programs as they get experience," Roush said. "We're on a track to be able to help somebody come in and provide the technology and the manpower to get them started."(Ford Racing)(8-18-2007)
- Roush COT Testing in Full Swing: Entering this weekend's USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicago, Ford and Roush finally look like a match for the Chevys. "The big thing that has helped us with the Car of Tomorrow is we now have a test team," [Jack] Roush said. "We are doing the things I thought we weren't going to be allowed to do when NASCAR told us we couldn't take tires from the racetrack because they didn't want us to test. I thought they would put teeth in that, but they didn't. We got behind. But five weeks ago I hired six people and dedicated a tractor-trailer [for testing]. We've been to Iowa, Milwaukee four times in the last month, and Road Atlanta and VIR [Virginia International Raceway]." Roush's three 2007 victories have come with NASCAR's current car, and the Chicagoland race also will feature the current car. But if Roush Fenway is going to compete with the Chevy teams for the championship, it will have to have a strong COT program. "We're not caught up yet," Roush said. "But we're certainly on the path, and we'll be heard from more before the year is over."(Tampa Tribune)(7-13-2007)
- New York Investors Looking for Cup Teams: The buzz in the garage in New Hampshire is that at least two New York-based investment banking firms have been making the rounds among Nextel Cup teams, looking to invest in one or more teams, eventually taking a race team public with a stock offering. So far, there have been no takers among the NASCAR team owners. At least one of the investment firms has talked with multiple teams in the garage, including Robert Yates Racing [#38 & #88], Dale Earnhardt, Inc. [#1, #8, #15] and Roush Fenway Racing [#6, #16, #17, #26, #99], multiple sources said. The idea has been for the companies to make cash investments of upwards of $50 million in a team and then at some point sell their interests, perhaps by public stock offering. “We looked at their business plan and it didn’t make sense to us,” said Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith, who confirmed his team had been contacted by a New York-based investment fund that he did not identify by name. Robert Yates talked extensively with the potential investors and reached the same conclusion. “You sit in a room with about 20 bankers and you spend about 18 hours in there with them and you realize that they didn’t contribute anything to the gross national product except maybe going to the bathroom,” said Yates, who also has entertained merger and/or partnership offers from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Robby Gordon Motorsports and Hall of Fame Racing, among others, before deciding to go it alone. Another team principal who spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday morning at New Hampshire, said the team he works with was approached by investors, but chose not to get involved with them, either. “They had a ton of money, but they didn’t know anything at all about racing,” he said, adding the team was not in need of a cash infusion and would only consider an outside investor if that investor could add significant value to the team.(SPEEDtv.com)(7-2-2007)
- Roush: Aflac deal could be sign of things to come: Jack Roush says that his team's new partnership with Aflac could highlight how future sponsorships will work in the sport. The company is sponsoring eight Nextel Cup races as primary sponsor for #16-Greg Biffle this season. It is also sponsoring four Busch Series races with drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray. It's a business move that gives the company access to four of the organization's drivers. "The time may be waning when a new sponsor could come into our business and understand how to make their marketing program be configured in order to give them the value for a full schedule," Roush said Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "I think that the way that Aflac is coming in with a limited schedule, with some races in the Busch as well as the Cup side with multiple drivers I think is a prudent way to do it."(SceneDaily.com)(6-16-2007)
- Roush not interested in Busch: His ride gone for next season and then his agent, #5-Kyle Busch faces more changes.
He'll search for a new ride and could be barred from some Hendrick Motorsports team meetings [as Brian Vickers was in 2006] even as he tries to make the title chase. Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. replaces him next year, Busch wouldn't mope about his situation Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "I'm interested in talking to ... whoever's got an open seat," Busch said before qualifying third for Sunday's race. "Let's sit down. Let's have dinner." Many owners are expected to answer, but not Jack Roush, for whom Busch drove before moving to Hendrick in 2003. "I am not interested in Kyle Busch," Roush said. "I've been there and I've done that."(Roanoke Times)(6-16-2007)
- Roush to test COT more: Ford team-owner Jack Roush [#6,16,17,26,99] will use B.F. Goodrich and/or Hoosier tires to test his Car of Tomorrow fleet on non-Nextel Cup tracks in coming months. The team owner believes Roush Fenway Racing is slightly behind rivals that are skirting the spirit of NASCAR’s testing policies. By rule, Cup teams are limited to a handful of closely-monitored official tests. Teams must test together at the same Cup venue, and on Goodyear Eagles. But several organizations have gotten around that limit by using Goodrich and/or Hoosiers for unofficial testing at outside tracks. “NASCAR wanted to start everybody in the Car of Tomorrow on an even basis, with [the same] four or five tests,” Roush said at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “Well, the teams that have been successful—the Hendrick organization, the Gibbs organization and the Childress organization—have tested their cars multiple times a week. They’ve gone to tracks outside NASCAR’s control with tires that were not from Goodyear. Right now, Goodyear is sitting on millions of dollars worth of tires that are growing obsolete and hard in their warehouses. Teams have gotten around NASCAR’s policy by buying other people’s tires and testing at tracks that aren’t on the Nextel Cup schedule. I got behind on that; I didn’t do that. But two weeks ago I hired six people and dedicated a tractor-trailer, and I’ve gone public. ‘OK, I’m getting in the testing game, too.’ If you don’t want us to test, have us sign something in the application. Something that says, ‘We agree we won’t test with Goodyears or anybody else’s tires, except for the tracks that NASCAR approves.’ But they didn’t do that; they left the door open and we got behind… but we’re going to catch up.” Strictly speaking, there’s nothing illegal about what the Hendrick, Gibbs and Childress teams are doing. Jeff Gordon, who’s won two CoT races—teammate Jimmie Johnson has won two and Kyle Busch the other—said Hendrick Motorsports shouldn’t apologize for its CoT success. “If the Roush teams aren’t doing that, then that’s their mistake,” the series points-leader said. “We’re doing everything we can to be competitive and we’re not doing anything wrong. It’s definitely playing a role in helping us get to where we are.”(Ford Racing)(5-29-2007)
- Roush, Red Sox Plan New England Bash: The first major collaboration to come from the partnership between Fenway Sports Group and the former Roush Racing will take place next month in Boston and New Hampshire with an event called Roush Fenway Days.
Roush Fenway Racing will have two days of activities at Fenway Park June 28-29, culminating with a baseball game between The Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers on June 29th. “We’re having our midyear sponsor summit there, followed by the game,” said Roush Fenway President Geoff Smith. “We’re having our big racing displays and event displays, like you would here at a racetrack, surround the park and be somewhat in the park. People get to participate in batting practice and there will be a big P.R. rollout inside the park with the drivers and players and so forth.” From there, Smith said, the action will move to New Hampshire International Speedway, site of the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 NASCAR Nextel Cup race July 1. “I think you’ll see one of our cars with a special paint scheme and some special guests,” said Smith. “It’ll integrate NASCAR and the whole Fenway Red Sox experience kind of all in one big weekend.”
Smith also said the team is close to announcing a title sponsor to the event.(SPEEDtv.com)(5-28-2007)
- Carl Edwards' Busch Win is Roush Fenway's 350th Overall: Carl Edwards drove the #60 Dish Network Ford home to his second Busch Series win of the 2007 season in Nashville over the weekend and at the same time, hit a milestone for Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards' second consecutive win gave Roush Fenway their 350th overall win. Of the 350 wins Jack Roush has obtained, 234 of them have been wins in NASCAR's three elite series (Nextel Cup - 101; Busch Series - 90; Craftsman Truck Series - 43). Of the 101 Nextel Cup wins, 96 of them have been point races while the other five have come from wins in the Bud Shootout (1), The Winston (1), The Winston Open (1) and the Nextel All-Star Challenge (2). In the Busch and Truck Series, Roush Fenway's 90 and 43 wins respectively, make Roush the most winning owner of any other owner in both of those series. In addition to the 234 wins, Roush has also collected 116 road racing victories bringing Roush Fenway Racing's win column total to 350.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-9-2007)
- Roush Not Gloating Over Toyota's Woes: After all the buildup from Detroit rivals about the Toyota monster crushing NASCAR competition, the season so far has seen quite the opposite, with most Toyota teams struggling just to make the fields. But [Jack] Roush isn't backing away from his quite vocal worries. "I'm not going to gloat over what's happened, or take any glee in it," Roush said, "because it's hard to start a new program, around new people and new drivers and a new manufacturer. And this year's hardware issues (like the car of tomorrow) make it triple tough. I didn't expect Toyota to be a factor early on. But the comments I've made were not based on what I looked for in the first half of 2007, or even all of 2007, but rather 2008, 2009 and beyond will be a very good time for Toyota, if they continue to have the money they now have available to get the people and technologies. Toyota will get it right ... and they will put the rest of us in the back, unless NASCAR is vigilant in its effort to protect against unlimited amounts of money coming into this sport and buying everything of value from the existing teams. If Toyota can do that, there will be an upset the likes of which we have never seen. Right now the good news for the established teams is that the good drivers have all been under contract, and the good crew chiefs and the best crewmen have not been willing to take a chance on an upstart team or a new program. But as time goes on, as the Toyota teams get their legs under them and start to consistently qualify, the more those people who have the talents to make a difference in the programs will be inclined to consider the generous offers they've made- offers that will escalate as time goes on."(Winston-Salem Journal)(4-8-2007)
- Roush Fenway must lose team by 2010: Roush Fenway Racing will have to decrease its number of Nextel Cup teams from five to four by the start of the 2010 season, team president Geoff Smith said Saturday. NASCAR announced in 2005 that it would limit organizations to four fulltime Cup teams and that it would work with Roush to get down from four to five. Originally, the agreement was that once Roush lost a sponsor and driver at the same time, it would have to get down to four. "That [original discussion] triggered a loop that made the shrinkage date unpredictable, so it was [changed to] very simply, when the 2010 season starts, you'll have four," Smith said. "We have to be at four at the start of 2010, regardless of what happens to us in the interim, if we lose a driver, lose a sponsor."
Smith indicated that his contracts are solid through the 2009 season. He also said in the perfect world, Roush would sell one of the teams. "We've got three more years to sell one of our teams off," Smith said. "Hopefully, we can retain some business with that sale."(SceneDaily.com)(3-24-2007)
- AAA Travel scheme at Talladega: #6-David Ragan is scheduled to run a AAA Travel paint scheme at Talladega on April 29, 2007. See an image on my #6 Team Schemes page.(3-4-2007)
- AAA Insurance scheme: #6-David Ragan is scheduled to run a AAA Insurance paint scheme at Dover in June [also ran it at California] and some other races in 2007. See an image on my #6 Team Schemes page.(3-1-2007)
- AAA SYCS scheme: #6-David Ragan is scheduled to run a AAA Show Your Card and Save (SYCS) Special at the Phoenix race in April and other select other races during the 2007 Nextel Cup Season. See an image on my #6 Team Schemes page.(2-27-2007)
- Roush Fenway Racing owner gives MLB player a...Toyota: [Boston Red Sox slugger David] Ortiz got his own present Wednesday morning. Arriving at the Red Sox minor league facility for his physical, Ortiz was greeted with a Toyota Tundra pickup, courtesy of owner John W. Henry......why is this of interest? Red Sox owner John Henry is Jack Roush's new partner at Roush-Fenway Racing, they run Ford Fusion's and Jack Roush has spoken out against Toyota's involvement in NASCAR.....oops.(Heads up at Motorsports Soapbox, full article at the Hartford Courant)(2-26-2007)
- Gulf Oil shows interest in Roush-Fenway: Roush Racing's 50-50 partnership with John Henry's Fenway Sports Group, finally announced last week at Daytona International Speedway, might show an immediate return. One of the Boston Red Sox's longtime partners, Gulf Oil, has expressed an interest in a sponsorship position with Roush. Gulf, a Fenway Sports Group client based in Chelsea, Mass., distributes motor fuels and lubricants in about 2,600 branded gas stations, with a footprint that extends from Ohio to the east and Delaware to the north. The company's 65-foot logo is painted on the left-field wall at Fenway Park. "NASCAR really never made sense for us before because it is a national play and we're a regional company," said Richard Dery, Gulf's vice president of branded marketing and sales. "A race at Daytona doesn't do us a lot of good, but a race at Loudon, N.H. -- that could be a really fun day." Dery said his discussions with Roush have involved sponsorships for select races in Gulf's footprint, primarily the July 1 Lenox 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Gulf also could become the official motor oil of Roush Fenway Racing. Fenway Sports Group and the Red Sox are sister companies, both owned by John Henry, who said he hoped the partnership with Roush would vault FSG into a prominent position in sports marketing.(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)(2-23-2007)
- Roush Racing & Fenway Sports Group partner up: Today, during Speedweeks in Daytona Beach, Fla., Roush Racing and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced the formation of Roush Fenway Racing. Under the agreement, FSG will purchase 50% of
Roush Racing to form the new entity. Jack Roush will continue to manage the competitive operations of the race teams and Geoff Smith will continue as president to oversee business activities. FSG will support Roush Fenway Racing’s marketing and sales activities by using their experience, network of relationships, and powerful demographic base to add value to Roush Fenway Racing sponsors and help Roush Fenway Racing maintain an unsurpassed position among NASCAR teams on and off the track.
“This partnership will bring a whole new perspective to our business,” said Jack Roush. “There is a lot of hard work that goes into being successful in sport. John Henry and FSG understand what it takes. Anybody that has watched the Red Sox has been impressed with their tenacity and their ability to prevail after all the frustration. To be able to have someone to bounce ideas and strategies off of will be fun. Everyone at Roush Racing is excited to welcome our new partner and we look forward to our success together.”
“This is an unprecedented partnership of two extremely successful organizations with proven track records for winning in their respective businesses and sports,” said Mike Dee, chief operating officer of the Boston Red Sox and president of Fenway Sports Group. “We believe in NASCAR and like its long-term business future and are thrilled to be a part of this exciting and growing industry.”
The new Roush Fenway Racing logo will make its track debut at Daytona International Speedway beginning Thursday, February 15 during the Gatorade 150 qualifying races. All of Roush Fenway Racing’s 13 teams will be competing throughout the weekend.
Off the track, the Roush Fenway Racing focus will be to continue to service its world-class sponsorship base which includes such great companies as; DeWalt Power Tools, Diageo (Crown Royal), AAA, Office Depot, Ameriquest Mortgage Company, 3M, Ford Motor Company, Northern Tool + Equipment, Dish Network, Discount Tire and Coca Cola, whose sponsorships Roush supports with public relations, licensing, event marketing and account management services.
Geoff Smith summed up the overall goal by saying, “We wholeheartedly believe that the addition of FSG, and the incorporation of its expertise and demographic power will insure that Roush Fenway Racing will indefinitely preserve our pre-eminent position among NASCAR teams both on and off the track.” FSG’s core strengths include property representation and acquisitions, entertainment marketing, sponsorships and consulting services. For more information please visit FenwaySportsGroup.com.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(2-14-2007)
- Cup races for Kvapil? Travis Kvapil, the 2003 Craftsman Truck Series champion, is back in the Truck Series this year after a brief, frustrating stint in Nextel Cup. Kvapil is now driving for Roush Racing and is expected to contend for the NCTS title this year. He also could end up doing a few Busch and/or Cup races for Roush this season, too. “I said to him (Roush Racing President Geoff Smith), ‘What am I going to do with all my off-weekends?’ And he said, ‘Hopefully, we can find something to run you part-time, if we can find a sponsor, you can run some races here and there. If nothing else, you can come along and be a part of it.’ I told him anytime he’s ready for me, I’m ready, but there’s nothing set in stone and no promises made or anything like that. First things first, is go out and win races and win the (NCTS) championship.”(SpeedTV.com)(2-10-2007)
- Fenway Sports Group/Roush deal completed, announced the 14th: A group of investors led by Boston Red Sox owner John Henry has completed a deal to buy a 50% stake in the Roush Racing NASCAR team, a person familiar with the negotiations said Friday. Although team owner Jack Roush is selling half of the team to the Fenway Sports Group, Roush will continue to run the team's competitive operations, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. Both parties have scheduled a Feb. 14 news conference at Jackie Robinson Ballpark [105 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach], a minor league facility near Daytona International Speedway. Roush, who was wearing his trademark fedora as he supervised his drivers at Daytona International Speedway on Friday evening, declined comment.(Associated Press)
also Roush Racing announced a major announcement with Roush Racing and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) executives; Red Sox
players and Roush Racing drivers on Wednesday, February 14 at 5:30pm/et(Roush Racing PR)(2-10-2007)
- Millikan released and home in NC: Former Cup driver, Joe Millikan, who was injured in a multi-vehicle accident outside of El Paso, TX on Wednesday, was released from Thomason Hospital on Friday afternoon. Millikan returned home to North Carolina on Saturday, February 3. Millikan was one of two Roush Racing employees injured when the #6 Nextel Cup transporter was involved in an accident returning home from a test session in Las Vegas, Nev. Justin Grebe, the driver of the transporter, was treated, released and returned home to North Carolina on January 31.(Roush Racing PR), see the intial news and past updates in next post.(2-5-2007)
- #6 Hauler involved in wreck in Texas UPDATE 4 former Cup driver injured: A NASCAR hauler carrying the #6 Roush Racing AAA Ford Fusion was involved in a multi-vehicle wreck 85 miles east of El Paso mid-morning Wednesday, according to Border Patrol officials. The accident occurred just after 9:00ammt [11:00am/et] at mile marker 102 on Interstate 10, near the Border Patrol check point outside the community of Sierra Blanca. Truck driver Jesse Bear, tells ABC-7 the tractor-trailer struck a motor home in the rear. According to ABC-7 reporter Darren Hunt, the front part of the rig's cab was completely torn off. The NASCAR hauler, owned by Roush Racing, was only transporting the AAA-sponsored racecar. Driver David Ragan was not involved in the wreck. Bear adds there were "a few other vehicles in the wreck, but everything was crushed together." Crews diverted eastbound traffic from the Interstate to an access road as crews cleaned up the scene. According to Border Patrol agents at the checkpoint, the hauler struck a motor home, which then struck another 18 wheeler, that then struck a 2nd tractor trailer. Emergency radio transmissions indicated that at least one person was rushed to Thomason Hospital with serious injuries. Emergency officials add there were 3 other persons transported to local hospitals. Emergency crews with Culberson County, Hudspeth County, and Ft. Hancock all responded to the scene of the accident. Law enforcement officials tell ABC-7 accidents of this type are not unusual for the checkpoint, as drivers aren't expecting to have to stop quickly, just off the interstate.(updated from kvia.com)
UPDATE: Roush Racing can confirm that the #6 Nextel Cup transporter was involved in a multi-vehicle accident with injuries in Sierra Blanca, TX in route from Las Vegas, NV to Concord, N.C. They will provide additional details as they become available.(Roush Racing PR)(1-31-2007)
UPDATE 2: A driver of a tractor-trailer with the NASCAR logo was critically injured in a traffic collision at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sierra Blanca today, a Texas Department of Public Safety Official said. Joe Millikan, the driver of the NASCAR tractor trailer, was taken by ambulance to Thomason Hospital. Three other people, including Millikan's driving partner, suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. They also were taken to Thomason. Their names were not available, DPS dispatcher Julian Najera said. The cause of the crash has not been determined. Officials were also unable to say what vehicle the other victims were traveling in.(El Paso Times)
UPDATE 3: Two Roush Racing employees were injured in a multi-vehicle accident 85 miles east of El Paso, Texas yesterday morning. Justin Grebe, the driver of the #6 Roush Racing Nextel Cup transporter was treated and released from Thomason Hospital. Driving partner Joe Millikan, a passenger, is in stable condition in the Thomason Hospital intensive care unit. The two were returning to Concord, N.C. from a test in Las Vegas, Nev. According to local news reports, two other people also were taken to Thomason Hospital after suffering non life-threatening injuries. The cause of the crash has not been determined. Roush Racing will provide additional details as they become available.(Roush Racing PR)
Millikan ran in 80 Cup races from 1974 to 1986, with 10 top-fives, 38 top-10s and one career pole. His best season was in 1979 with 20 top-10s in 31 starts [his only full season], finishing 6th in points and was 2nd in the rookie race to the late Dale Earnhardt. His best finish was a 2nd at the March 1979 Rockingham race in the #72-Hayes Jewelers Chevy.(racing-reference.info)(2-1-2007)
UPDATE 4: have not seen anything official, but told that Millikan was released from the hospital on Saturday, Feb 3rd.(2-4-2007)
- Ragan to test at Infineon Raceway UPDATE: #6-David Ragan will make his first-ever visit to Infineon Raceway on Friday, working with instructors from the Jim Russell Racing Schools. Ragan, who has limited road-racing experience, has never traversed the
twists and turns of Infineon Raceway's 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course. He'll be coached by Mark Wolocatiuk, the lead instructor of the Jim Russell Racing Schools. Wolocatiuk has coached NASCAR drivers like Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears and Bill Elliott, over the years. The Jim Russell Racing Schools has been based at Infineon Raceway since 1996. "I'm definitely looking forward to the road courses," said Ragan, whose limited experience on road courses includes Legends Cars testing in Atlanta and Virginia. "You've got guys like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon who are veterans and they make it look easy. I just want to get some track time and become familiar with it so I'm better prepared when we come out there in June." Ragan (AAA Ford Fusion) will drive the serpentine circuit in one of the school's open-wheel cars, and there is the possibility of testing an American Speed Association stock car. Ragan, who drives for Roush Racing, will also receive plenty of classroom instruction. "We're really hoping to get David familiar with the track," Wolocatiuk said. "The elevation changes and off-camber nature of Infineon Raceway will be important for him to understand and deal with in a heavy and high-horsepowered stock car." Ragan will test on Friday, and then get some additional seat time on Saturday. The Nextel Cup Series visits Infineon Raceway June 22-24 for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. For tickets, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com.(Infineon Raceway PR)(2-2-2007)
UPDATE: #99-Carl Edwards and #6-David Ragan spent Friday afternoon testing the twists and turns of Infineon Raceway
in preparation for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Nextel Cup Series race, June 22-24. It was the first time on the road course for Ragan, while Edwards has two starts in Sonoma, including a career-best finish of sixth place in 2006. Both piloted American Speed Association (ASA) stock cars supplied by Pioneer Motorsports out of Lake Oroville. The drivers were coached by Mark Wolocatiuk, lead instructor at the Jim Russell Racing Schools, which is based at Infineon Raceway. Edwards and Ragan, a rookie, each completed around 40 laps over the serpentine circuit. Both drive for Roush Racing. Ragan has limited road-racing experience, while Edwards placed 38th in his rookie season at Infineon Raceway in 2005 and sixth last year after starting 20th.(Infineon Raceway PR)(2-3-2007)
- Roush-Red Sox partnership not a done deal yet: While addressing the media last week in Charlotte, NASCAR team owner Jack Roush spoke as if the pending sale of a portion of his racing organization to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry, and Henry's Fenway Sports Group, was effectively complete. It isn't. In fact, it could be a while. It's one of the most elaborate transactions Roush Racing president Geoff Smith has ever seen. "The deal is not done," Smith told ESPN.com Tuesday. "It's a really complex transaction with more separate contracts than anything I've ever seen." More than 50, in fact, Smith said. "There are lawyers engaged around the clock, basically, trying to work through all the details of all these documents," Smith said. "So that's why nobody wants to talk exactly, because the deal's not done." Both parties remain committed, though, Smith said. "We both want it to be done and want to be in business together, and are hoping we can agree on everything necessary to close in a short period of time," Smith said.
He doesn't have a timetable. "We've been saying that for two full months, maybe three full months now," he said. "That's how long it's been going on." Smith is uncertain how many individuals are working on the project of the Fenway Sports Group side, but said no less than seven Roush Racing employees, including a pair of lead lawyers and three senior financial executives, are working on Roush's behalf full time. Then there are multiple folks weighing in on a part-time basis, such as Smith. Smith also said the speculated dollar figure involved in the sale -- $50 million -- is inaccurate. And he isn't giving any hints as to what it is, either. "No, they are not accurate," Smith said. "I never comment one way or another about any numbers, any money, but I've read a couple different numbers and I'm like, 'Well, that's people hypothesizing.' "There are people making assumptions about what our revenue is and what our profitability is, and they're trying to figure out what [team owner] Richard Childress sold his interest [to a group of investors] for, or what someone else is looking for, then coming up with a number."
Asked for comment on the status of the deal Monday, Fenway Sports Group chose instead to respond via e-mail statement from FSG president Mike Dee: "As we have previously stated, Fenway Sports Group is in discussions with Roush Racing. While we continue to explore this opportunity, there is nothing new to report at this time."(more at ESPN.com)(1-31-2007)
- Ragan to run ARCA race at Daytona: Roush Racing has paired NASCAR Nextel Cup Rookie driver of the #6 AAA Ford, David Ragan with Roulo Bros. Racing to run the 2007 Daytona ARCA Race on February 10th at Daytona International Speedway.
Ragan, who competed in his first Nextel Cup race at Dover last fall, will be running full time Cup and Busch Series schedules in 2007, with AAA and Discount Tire respectively as full time sponsors. He is eager to get as much seat time as possible going into the start of the season. Brothers Gary and Rusty Roulo, who serve as crew chief and car chief respectively, are no strangers to the ARCA Series. With 22 ARCA RE/MAX Series wins under their belt and a roster of past drivers including Darrell Waltrip, Ken Schrader, Jimmy Spencer, Dick Trickle, David Green and many others, experience is one thing that their team is not lacking. Over the past two seasons, Roulo Bros. Racing has worked with several of Roush Racing's development drivers including Ragan, Erik Darnell, Danny O'Quinn, Jr.
and Peter Shepherd.(Roush Racing PR)(1-29-2007)
- Negotiations progressing between Roush and Red Sox owner UPDATE 2: The negotiations in the sale of a portion of Roush Racing to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry's Fenway Sports Group are progressing well, Roush Racing President Geoff Smith said Saturday. Many of the major points have been agreed upon since the negotiations began in earnest in September. "The big principal points, that's all buttoned up," Smith said. "I think by the first of the year, we'll [know]. We're going along pretty fast. By Daytona for sure." One of those pieces involves what percentage of the racing organization the Fenway Sports Group will own. Jack Roush will not relinquish control of the team. "We have been open to being all the way up to equal [partners], but not more than equal [for them],"(SceneDaily.com)(11-19-2006)
UPDATE: the [Red] Sox deal for a half-interest in Roush Racing, the class of NASCAR racing, is done. Reported price: $62 million. Formal announcement to follow.(at the bottom of a Boston Globe article)(1-5-2007)
UPDATE 2: Jack Roush says his deal with the Fenway Sports Group is not complete, but his Roush Racing team has scheduled a "BIG" announcement Feb. 14 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach. That would be an appropriate place for Roush to announce that he has partnered with FSG, the marketing arm of Boston Red Sox owner John Henry. Roush said the contracts are in the hands of the lawyers, and he would expect a decision by the end of March. He indicated that there could be a name change to the team. FSG has been negotiating with Roush for about the last five or six months. Roush said FSG's ownership role could be anywhere from 25 to 50%.(SceneDaily.com)(1-24-2007)
- Ragan Cleared to run Daytona; Allmendinger & Whitt to be 'observed': Roush Racing's David Ragan, whom owner Jack Roush named as Mark Martin's replacement this Nextel Cup season in the #6 AAA Ford, has been approved to compete in the Nextel Cup Series events of Speedweeks 2007 at Daytona International Speedway. Two Nextel Cup rookies #72-Brandon Whitt and #84-A.J. Allmendinger will come to Speedweeks with "observation" approval. They must also participate in the final session of Cup testing Jan. 15-17.(NASCAR.com)(1-9-2007)
- Ragan not cleared yet by NASCAR: David Ragan has not raced in a Nextel Cup event since NASCAR held him out of the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month, but he still could race in the season-opening Daytona 500 next year. Ragan is set to replace Mark Martin in the #6 AAA Ford Roush Racing entry next year. The rookie has failed to qualify for Nextel Cup races at Texas and Homestead since his rough outing at Martinsville that led to NASCAR keeping him out of the car for a week. A decision from NASCAR on whether it would hold Ragan out of the 2007 season opener could come this week, but that scenario seems unlikely.(SceneDaily.com)(11-21-2006)
- Martin Voted Busch Series' Greatest Driver: Mark Martin has been ranked #1 among the "25 Greatest NASCAR Busch Series Drivers" in internet polls on NASCAR.COM and NASCARMedia.com in conjunction with the season-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Busch Series and its association with series sponsor Anheuser-Busch. Martin, the all-time series leader in wins (47) and Busch Poles (30) despite never having run a full season throughout his 220 starts, received the most votes in both polls, which allowed fans and media to rank their top 25 selections from a list of 41 nominees. The series' first two-time champion, Sam Ard, finished second in the NASCARMedia.com poll; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in third, another multiple champion; Jack Ingram, the first series champion in 1982 (he won again in '85) in fourth and Dale Earnhardt, who won the first NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona in 1982, in fifth.(NASCAR PR)(11-16-2006)
- Special AAA for Martin at Homestead: The #6 AAA Ford Fusion will run a special paint scheme this weekend to commemorate the final run of Martin behind the wheel of the car he has driven since 1988. The AAA car will be colored in a predominately black scheme when it takes to the track this Friday for what will be Martin's last Nextel Cup weekend in the car.(Roush Racing PR)(11-14-2006)
- Latest on Red Sox owner buying into Roush: Geoff Smith, the head of Roush Racing, said that the proposed merger with Red Sox owner John Henry's Fenway Sports Group is proceeding nicely, and if the deal is completed it should be by early February.
Jack Roush and Smith are negotiating a sale of as much as 50% of Roush Racing to Henry and his company. "It's still progressing, and progressing positively toward closing," Smith said of the negotiations. "It's pretty straightforward on how it's proceeding. Lawyers are looking at documents, accountants are working on plans for operational adjustments that need to take place. All those practical things are in motion. People are out in the garage verifying how certain things work. I would expect by the time we show up in February at Daytona there will either be a deal in place or there won't be a deal at all."(Winston Salem Journal)(11-13-2006)
- Biffle and Tryson To Team Up For 2007 Season; Fennig to the #6 UPDATE 2 McMurray?: Veteran crew chief Pat Tryson will be paired with Greg Biffle, driver of the Roush Racing #16 Nextel Cup Ford Fusion [no sponsor mentions, so far 3M has been announced] for the 2007 season. Tryson has been the crew chief for veteran driver Mark Martin for the past three seasons. Tryson is one of only three crew chiefs to lead his team to a position in the Chase for the Nextel Cup every year since its inception in 2004 and looks to continue that record with Biffle. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with Greg in 2007,” said Tryson. “Obviously our top priority for next season is getting Greg back in the Chase. He’s a great driver and I hope to continue my personal streak of making the Chase with him.”
“I’m looking forward to the 2007 season and working with Pat Tryson,” said Biffle. “I haven’t gotten to spend a lot of time with Pat but he’s had a good record with Mark in making the Chase three years in a row, so hopefully we won’t stop his streak next year.”(Roush Racing PR), no word on who will replace Tryson on the #6 Ford that rookie David Ragan will drive, other sponsors of the #16 car or plans for current #16 crew chief Doug Richert.(11-10-2006)
UPDATE: In a series of moves at Roush Racing, Jimmy Fennig will serve as rookie #6-David Ragan's Nextel Cup Series crew chief next season, with Pat Tryson moving over to lead #16-Greg Biffle's team. Doug Richert, Biffle's current crew chief, said Friday that he's not yet sure what he'll be doing next season. Richert offered no specifics about his future. "Not real sure," he said. "There's a lot of stuff going on, but nothing certain."(SceneDaily.com)(11-10-2006)
UPDATE 2: That leaves only Jamie McMurray without an assigned crew chief for 2007 yet. One tantalizing option for that ride could be Matt Borland, who’s sitting out the final two races of 2007 and might be leaving Penske Racing South. “I heard a rumor that he packed up his stuff and left,” Roush said of Borland. “If he were on the street, I’d be very interested in talking to him. If he’s under contract, I have no interest in him.”(SpeedTV.com)(11-11-2006)
- New Nextel Cup GM for Roush: Max Jones, who has led the Craftsman Truck and Busch series programs at Roush Racing the past two years, was named general manager of the Nextel Cup program yesterday.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(11-6-2006)
- Looks like Martin to run for Wood Brothers in Truck Series: #6-Mark Martin still doesn't know what his limited Craftsman Truck Series schedule will look like next year, but he said Friday that Wood Brothers/JTG Racing is working to secure the sponsorship.
"We're waiting on the Woods to come up with a sponsor," Martin said. "... I can't give you answers [yet], but I don't expect things not to work out. They're looking to secure the sponsorship and we're looking at Daytona to be the first one." The team currently runs two full-time truck teams with #21-Bobby East and #20-Marcos Ambrose. It has committed to run a truck for Stacy Compton next year, with the driver or drivers for the other truck still being determined. It is expected that rookie Kelly Bires will compete at least part-time in the second truck.(SceneDaily.com)(11-4-2006)
- Martin plans to run some Truck races in 2007..for Ford: Mark Martin said Thursday that he probably will drive in five to 10 races in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2007 in a Ford. He said he also probably will run five to 10 races in the Busch Series, driving a Chevrolet. Martin is driving the #01 Chevrolet for MB2 Motorsports [Ginn Racing] in 20 Nextel Cup races next season. Martin has raced in the truck series 11 times this season, winning five of them.(Dallas Morning News)(10-27-2006)
- Crew Chief Changes Planned at Roush Racing: Jack Roush confirmed Sunday that a multi-team, crew chief shakeup is in the works in his five-team Nextel Cup operation [#'s6,16,17,26,99], but he said he hasn't decided which crew chiefs to pair with which drivers, though veteran Jimmy Fennig "might be a good choice" for David Ragan [in the #6] next season. Will Wally Brown be back as #99-Carl Edwards' crew chief? "That's one of our dream-team packages," Roush said. "Wally Brown is one of my heroes; he's done a great job. But his dad, in Pennsylvania, isn't doing well, and Wally is missing his dad, and we've been talking, and Wally may have a change in venue, and in his career. If we lose Wally, it would be a huge loss."(Winston Salem Journal)(10-23-2006)
- Ragan to run four more races in #06 this season: Roush Racing announced that they will field David Ragan in four of the final five Nextel Cup Series races in 2006. Ragan will pilot the #06 Ford Fusion in an effort to get a head start on the 2007 season, when he will become the driver of the #6 AAA Ford Fusion. Ragan is entered for this weekend's Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. In addition, Ragan will also be behind the wheel of the #06 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 29, Texas Motor Speedway on November 5, and the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17. "I'm looking forward to making the most of this opportunity to race in the Nextel Cup Series this year," said Ragan. "This will be a great chance for me to gain some additional seat time and experience before coming over here full-time in 2007. We had a great test in Homestead earlier this week, and I think any additional time I can get behind the wheel of these cars is just going to be that much more of a help to me. It's going to take some time to get familiar with the feel of these cars, and getting the opportunity to do it now is going to be a big benefit for next year." Ragan made his Nextel Cup debut in September at Dover International Speedway, finishing 42nd after being involved in an accident. Ragan will perform double duty for the balance of 2006, as he will continue to compete in the Craftsman Truck series. To date, Ragan has made 15 truck starts in the 2006 season. He has scored one top-five and six top-10 finishes, and one pole at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Ragan has also made three starts for Roush Racing in the NASCAR Busch Series this season, recording finishes of 41st at California Speedway, 23rd at Dover and 36th at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(Roush Racing PR), no sponsor mnetioned, Todd Kluever was supposed to run at Texas and Phoenix, looks like Texas is out with Ragan in the car, no work on Phoenix.(10-18-2006)
- Martin still may race Ford truck in 2007? UPDATE: Even though he is leaving Roush Racing and Ford after 19 years to drive an MB2 Motorsports [Ginn Racing] Chevy part-time next season in the Nextel Cup Series, Mark Martin has asked Ford if he can continue his plans to drive Roush’s #6 Ford F-150 in some Craftsman Truck Series races next year. Martin planned to drive that truck in 2007, at least until the MB2 Chevy deal came up. Ford’s racing boss, Dan Davis, said no decision has been made from Ford’s end so far. “I didn’t give him (Martin) an answer yet and we haven’t actually decided what to do yet,” Davis said Friday. “Maybe we need to get over the initial hurt of this whole thing and try to look at it in hard, cold business terms and that’s what I would really like to do and be unemotional about it. Hopefully, as a team at Ford we’ll sit down and try to figure out what to do.”(SpeedTV.com)(10-14-2006)
UPDATE: Davis said a slim chance exists that Martin could still drive Roush's NCTS entry in 2007. "He asked me that and I said, 'Mark, man, wow. You've sort of...my life at Ford headquarters is not real good right now because of your little deal here, so you're asking me something that's real hard,'" Davis said. "I didn't give him an answer yet and we haven't actually decided what to do yet. Maybe we need to get over the initial hurt of this whole thing and try to look at it in hard, cold business terms and that's what I would really like to do and be unemotional about it. Hopefully as a team at Ford, we'll sit down and try to figure out what to do."(Ford Racing)(10-14-2006)
- Ragan named to drive the #6 AAA Ford in 2007: Roush Racing today announced that David Ragan will be the full-time driver of the team's flagship #6 AAA Ford Fusion in 2007. The #6 has been the foundation of the Roush Racing stable, dating back
to Jack Roush's beginning into NASCAR's premier series in 1988. "We are very pleased to have David Ragan going into the #6 AAA Ford Fusion next season," said Jack Roush. "David is a driver with outstanding talent and as a result of his actions he is the young man I selected to fill the seat. The #6 is obviously a special car to me personally and this organization and we are confident in David's ability to step up and get the job done." Ragan currently shares the #6 Scotts Ford with Mark Martin [in the Truck Series] and also pilots the #50 Roush Racing Ford [in the Truck Series]. Ragan started his first career Nextel Cup race at Dover three weeks ago. He is set to make four more starts in the Nextel Cup Series in 2006 and will make his first start in the #6 AAA Ford in next season's famed Daytona 500. "This is a tremendous opportunity and I look forward to racing on behalf of AAA's millions of loyal members in 2007. Obviously, I've got big shoes to fill and quite a legacy to follow, but I look forward to the challenge and the next chapter of the #6 race team," said Ragan. "AAA has great confidence in Jack Roush and his entire organization, including their selection of David Ragan as the promising new driver of the #6 AAA car," said Kristin Warfield, director AAA Motorsports. We look forward to cheering David on as he competes in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing for the first time, and to introducing him to our members and other race fans at tracks and special appearances throughout the coming year." Ragan has one pole and six top-10 finishes in 15 starts in the Craftsman Truck
Series in 2006. He will make his next Cup start at Martinsville Speedway on October 22nd.(Roush Racing PR)(10-11-2006)
- Martin to MB2 Motorsports in 2007..in a Chevy UPDATE 3 Official: hearing that Mark Martin will announced his 2007 plans on Friday morning [Oct 6th] at Talladega....however, hearing part of his 2007 plans include running some 2007 Nextel Cup races in the #01 Chevy [MB2 is NOT changing to Fords] with MB2 Motorsports....the sponsor would NOT be the U.S. Army. Supposedly current #01 driver, Joe Nemechek would move to a different car number for MB2 Motorsports.
From Two Weeks Ago: hearing that Regan Smith, currently driving the #35 McDonald's Ford for Team Rensi in the Busch Series, will go to Ginn Motorsports [#01-Joe Nemechek and #14-Sterling Marlin] in 2007 to run a Cup/Busch schedule.(9-19-2006)
UPDATE: nascar.com has something posted on this: Mark Martin will drive the #01 Chevrolet part time for the 2007 Nextel Cup season, multiple sources close to MB2 Motorsports told NASCAR.COM on Thursday. It is believed that Martin will run 22 races for the team. Busch Series driver Regan Smith will drive the remaining 14 Cup races, the sources said.(10-5-2006)
UPDATE 2: Team owner Jack Roush, who has fielded a Ford for Martin in NASCAR's top series since 1988, is expected to make the announcement Friday at 10:30am/et at Talladega Superspeedway. MB2 general manager Jay Frye has scheduled a news conference for later Friday morning at the Talladega track. Martin reportedly will share the ride in the #01 Chevrolet with rookie Regan Smith, a 23-year-old regular in the Busch Series, a source told The Associated Press. Joe Nemechek, currently racing in the #01, will remain with MB2, but will move to a third team entry, while Sterling Marlin will stay in the team's #14 Chevy. Roush team president Geoff Smith said several weeks ago that the team would definitely not field a Cup car for Martin in 2007 and that it was close to completing a deal with Martin to drive a Roush truck. But that deal apparently fell apart after the MB2 ride became available. The source said it was unclear if Martin might also drive in the truck series in 2007, along with the MB2 ride.(ESPN.com)(10-6-2006)
OFFICIAL: Mark Martin announced today that he will continue in the Nextel Cup Series next season, driving the #01 MB2 Motorsports Chevy on a limited basis in 2007. “I consider Mark Martin a personal friend and over the last 20 years we have had a fantastic relationship professionally and personally,” Roush said. “Mark will always hold a special place in my heart and a special place in Roush Racing, and I truly wish him all the best in his future plans.”
“Jack Roush and I have enjoyed a very special relationship for the past 20 years,” said Martin. “Jack afforded me the opportunity to chase my dreams, and there is no way to put in words what he has meant to me, my life and my career. The deal to come back with Roush in the #6 with AAA really worked out great and gave me one of the best and most rewarding years of my career, AAA has been great to work with and it’s really been awesome to work on such important issues. I’m really glad I was able to come back a year and help those guys and Jack out, and we are going to do everything we can to keep chasing after that Nextel Cup for the next seven races.”
"When Mark finally reconciled his somewhat conflicting desires, he settled on staying in Cup and running a 20-race schedule. We had no way of accommodating that desire since all of our Cup programs were previously committed," said Roush Racing president Geoff Smith. And, NASCAR team limits prevented Roush Racing from putting together an additional team for Mark, so in the end Mark had to move on - in order to stay in the Cup series. He's meant a great deal to this organization and we certainly wish him the best in whatever he chooses to do down the road." Martin reiterated that his focus over the next seven races will remain on the “Chase” for the Nextel Cup Championship. “Our focus is on winning this championship,” Martin said. “I’ve been fighting this fight in the #6 car for 19 years now, and we aren’t about to give up anytime soon. It’s the complete focus of our attention, and we’ll fight down to the very end for it.”(Roush Racing Site/PR)(10-6-2006)
- More on the Roush Racing/Fenway Sports Group 'deal': Team owner Jack Roush said there is not yet an offer on the table from John Henry's Fenway Sports Group as the entity discusses buying into Roush Racing with team President Geoff Smith. Roush said Friday that he's not sure when the sides will next talk but added that's not out of the ordinary. "I don't do the money very well," Roush said with a smile at Dover International Speedway. "Right now, there are discussions going on. There's not a deal on the table. There may not be a deal that makes it to the table. What do I think the chances are that John Henry will become an investor in the Roush organization? On one day it looks like the glass is a little more than half full; on other days it looks like it's definitely [less] than half full. And I don't get a report every day on what's going on." Roush said talks are sometimes conducted via email, but added that several members of FSG were at the team's North Carolina shops prior to the race at New Hampshire. If an agreement is reached, Roush said he wouldn't sell more than 50 percent of the organization to Henry's FSG, which is a separate entity from the partnership that owns the Boston Red Sox. And he said this simply isn't a way to get around NASCAR's ownership rules, which will eventually limit him to fielding four full-time Nextel Cup Series teams. If an agreement were reached, Henry would be an investor in Roush Racing, not fielding teams under the Fenway Sports Group umbrella as a separate entity. "Our plan is to operate four NASCAR stock car racing teams past this decade," Roush said. "We think if I can spread my base and do an expanded marketing and sponsorship involvement program that would have a component of interest in the Northeast that we'd be stronger through that." Anyone thinking this is Roush's way of preparing to retire is mistaken according to the owner. "For anybody that thinks Jack is looking for a way to get off stage now, or in the foreseeable future or that retirement's my plan, just hide and watch [me]," he said. "I'm not going to retire. I'm not trying to back away from the races. I'm not trying to put somebody between me and the race teams. One of my challenges my managers have on the race teams is, 'How do we get Jack out of the way so we can do what we need to do.'"(SceneDaily.com)(9-23-2006)
- Boston Red Sox owner in talks to buy part of Roush: While Roush Racing president Geoff Smith isn't sure where discussions with Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and his Fenway Sports Group will lead, he doesn't envision a scenario in which Jack Roush would relinquish control of the operation. Negotiations have been ongoing throughout the summer, Smith said late Tuesday afternoon. He's not sure what percentage of the team - which competes in all three of NASCAR's national series - could be sold, if any, but expects one thing to remain the same. "I can't see Jack Roush giving up control of Roush Racing," Smith said. "I don't see that as an outcome." Roush and Henry, who heads the NESV partnership, have been friends for several years, sparking occasional rumors that Henry was looking to buy into Roush Racing. In the past, though, Smith said the two sides were just discussing marketing possibilities, not a sale. The two were seen together on Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway and Roush Racing released a statement Tuesday that confirmed discussions about selling an interest in the team were ongoing.(in part from the SceneDaily.com)
AND: According to multiple executives briefed on the negotiations, Fenway Sports Group is in talks to buy as much as 50 percent of privately held Roush Racing, the class of NASCAR, for something north of $50 million. No deal is imminent, these executives cautioned, and the negotiations, which have started and stopped before, could still falter. Both the Fenway Sports Group and Roush Racing confirmed the talks, but both said there is no agreement. Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, called the Red Sox unit "attractive partners" because of its marketing capabilities, particularly in the Northeast. Said Mike Dee, president of Fenway Sports Group: "If these discussions are fruitful, we will be happy to talk about them."(in part from the Boston Globe)
AND II: “Roush Racing confirms,” said Geoff Smith president of Roush Racing, “It has entered into discussions to sell an interest in Roush Racing to Fenway Sports Group, Boston. Should these discussions ultimately materialize into a definitive agreement Roush Racing will provide further information on the topic.”(Roush Racing PR)(9-19-2006)
Jack Roush, Mark Martin, Garry Hill
Photo by HHP/Harold Hinson
- Hill presents artwork to Martin: One perk of winning the Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway is that Mooresville-based artist Garry Hill does a commemorative painting of each year's key moment, and the members of the winning team get prints of the limited edition work. Hill unveiled the 2005 painting showing Mark Martin celebrating his victory in that race on Monday. "That's probably the most meaningful victory of my career, and just because I'm getting old and it's hard to remember the other ones," Martin joked.(Thatsracin)(1-24-2006)
