WAVY-TV (NBC) in Norfolk, Va. reported last night that sources have told them that Ricky Rudd is talking with Cart owner Chip Ganassi about buying Rudd’s team. The team would be sponsored by Target with Rudd staying on as driver. The announcement is expected to come Thursday in Long Beach, CA where the Cart tour has a stop this weekend. WAVY sports director Bruce Rader talked with Rudd spokesman Kirby Boone at 4:20pm est Tuesday. Boone said Rudd heard about WAVY’s report and says he “dosent know a thing about it.” But Rudd added, “If Chip is interested in buying the team, tell him to call me.”(many readers) and on RPM2Nite, Dr Jerry Punch did his patented “House Call” with Ricky Rudd and they talked about last years Martinsville win with the heat and the cooling system failure, it was pretty interesting…but there was no mention on the ‘Target rumor’. — UPDATE 1: From Rudd Performance Racing – “These rumors are completely unfounded. There has been no communication with Chip or Target.” — UPDATE 2: Ganassi Racing could well be on its way to getting involved in NASCAR someday, the team owner confirmed Wednesday, but he denied rumors that he is negotiating to purchase the team of driver/owner Ricky Rudd. A Portsmouth, Va., television station reported Monday night that Ganassi Racing was interested in purchasing Rudd Performance Motorsports (RPM) from veteran Winston Cup campaigner Ricky Rudd, a native of Chesapeake, Va. Kirby Boone, public relations director for RPM, denied that the team was for sale. The Winston-Salem Journal reported Wednesday that Larry McReynolds, crew chief for the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team, has made Rudd a legitimate offer(but it has not been accepted). McReynolds has said that if he found proper funding and a substantial sponsor, that he would resign his position at Childress and form his own team for the 2000 season( iRACE/SpeedVision )
