hearing SABCO owner Felix Sabates(#’s 40 and 42) and CART championship team owner, Chip Ganassi are getting close to forming some sort of partnership that would bring a Ganassi team (an Andy Graves) to the Cup series for 2001(5-9-2000) UPDATE: Chip Ganassi, who has won four consecutive championships as a team owner in CART, may be on the verge of entering NASCAR. Ganassi is negotiating with Felix Sabates to become a part-owner of Team Sabco. If there’s a partnership with Ganassi, it wouldn’t begin until next year(Dallas Morning News) UPDATE 2: On Thursday’s ESPN2 RPM2 Night, Robin Miller reported that the Ganassi-Sabates is a done deal with Ganassi owning 80% and Sabates owning 20% with Ganassi talking to Jeremy Mayfield and Bobby Hamilton as part of a two car team to run in 2001. Target is the rumored sponsor(RPM2 Night). Note: Mayfield is signed with Penske-Kranefuss thru 2002 and Hamilton with Morgan-McClure thru 2001(5-11-2000) UPDATE 3: See the story at SpeedNet: Ganassi to join NASCAR, source says, no drivers mentioned like on RPM2 Night but the story adds: “According to a source in Charlotte, who requested anonymity, Ganassi will become a majority owner of Felix Sabates’ operation and run a two-car effort starting in 2001 with Dodges.” No mention of what would happen with the current drivers, Sterling Marlin or Kenny Irwin, on RPM2 Night it sounded like a deal in addition to Sabates current teams, but the story sounds more like a partnership. Three of the drivers have contracts at least thru the 2001 season, Marlin has the option to leave at the end of the 2000 season(see the interview at RacinDeals – see link in the story section below)(5-12-2000)
