Eel River Racing – dead or alive? which is it? UPDATE 3 At Richmond with Geico not to be confused with gecko: from NASCAR.com’s Buzz: Kenny Wallace’s Pontiac will carry the logo of FX’s “The Man Show” this weekend(actually Comedy Central’s The Man Show). Wallace is still seeking primary sponsorship for his Pontiac, but said Wednesday that NASCAR might change its mind on the Crown Royal issue and allow him to sign on with the Seagram Company after all. Earlier this season, Crown Royal was set to hand Wallace and his Eel River Racing cohorts a multi-million dollar sponsorship, but NASCAR shot it down. They may have reconsidered……and….. from That’s Racin’: It’s possible that Sunday’s race could be the end of the line for Eel River Racing, the team that fields the #27 Pontiacs for driver Kenny Wallace. The team has not decided if it will be in Richmond next weekend. It has been running without a sponsor so far this season. Wallace did not make the field last weekend at Talladega. AND some rumors even have Wallace going to the #4 Kodak Chevy starting at Richmond and that is why the announcement of Kevin Lepage’s signing with the #4 Morgan-McClure team was postponed. But sources say it’s a done deal with Lepage and testing and travel is the reason for the delay UPDATE: Hounded by reports this weekend his Eel River Racing team was close to shutting its doors following this weekend’s race at California, driver Kenny Wallace said Sunday he was told by the team’s vice president that the reports were not accurate. “I talked to (team vice president) Devin Birmingham and he said it’s not true,” Wallace said. “He said we’re still scrappin’ and clawin’. I told him I needed to know what was up, because I’m his driver and I got everybody telling me we’re closing up. As of now, he says no,” Wallace said. “I guess if we don’t show up at Richmond next week, we closed up. There’s no announcement. I’m as confused as anybody right now.”(That’s Racin’)(4-29-2001) UPDATE 2: Kenny Wallace says his Eel River Racing Team might sit out this weekend at Richmond if a sponsorship deal is not signed. Wallace says that at a rate of $200,000 a race, the team’s budget is being stretched. Wallace is grateful for the support owner Jack Birmingham has offered and would like to continue with the team, but Wallace might be in consideration to get the No. 4 Morgan-McClure car, which is being driven by Kevin Lepage on an interim basis(Sporting News) AND The demands of running the circuit without sponsorship finally caught up with Kenny Wallace and Barry Dodson. Wallace announced on Sunday that the Eel River team, owned by Jack Birmingham and Dodson, would not be competing next week at Richmond, Va.(Gaston Gazette)(4-30-2001) UPDATE 3: “We are very pleased to have 1-800-Geico on as a sponsor with us at Richmond, they came out of the woodwork to save ERR from possibly making a very hard decision this weekend. We will give them something to be proud about.”(Kenny Wallace Racing Site) AND ESPN2’s RPM 2Night interviewed Wallace who says the Geico deal could turn into a full season sponsor if things work out well at Richmond(5-1-2001)
