#12 Decision next week(today) UPDATE 5 Closed and done – Official – Sospenzo to the #7? or #5?: Peter Sospenzo, crew chief for the No. 12 Fords now being driven by Mike Wallace, said he hopes to hear about the future of the team next week. Sospenzo said Walt Czarnecki, president of Penske Racing, is expected to notify the team of its plans when he visits the shop in Mooresville, NC., on Tuesday. “I really believe that (owner) Roger (Penske) will look at doing the right thing, and that’s keep everything just as it is,” Sospenzo said. “It really hasn’t been easy. But we all know we’ve got a job to do and we have to focus on the job at hand.”(That’s Racin’)(11-24-2001) UPDATE: sources tell me the #12 Penske Racing team has shut down effective today AND from the Sporting News: The first pink slips went out on the Penske South #12 Mobil Ford on Monday. Despite a valiant effort to resuscitate the team by driver Mike Wallace after Jeremy Mayfield’s departure on October 8, sources close to the team say that Roger Penske will announce on Tuesday morning that he will indeed shut down the operation. Ryan Newman, who is running for rookie of the year in 2002, is expected to move his operation out of Penske South’s #2 shop that he currently shares with Rusty Wallace and into the #12 car’s building. Newman might assume the #12 and the owner’s points that accompany that team.(11-26-2001) UPDATE 2: If the team is disbanded, Penske likely will split the personnel between the #2 Ford of Rusty Wallace and the #02 of rookie Ryan Newman.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(11-27-2001) UPDATE 3: Penske Racing, LLC today announced that it will consolidate team operations with Penske Racing South, effective immediately. The result will be a two-car entry in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series with drivers Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman. Miller Brewing Company will be the primary sponsor of Wallace’s Miller Lite Taurus while Alltel will be the primary sponsor of Newman’s Alltel Taurus. ExxonMobil will be an associate sponsor on both cars with its Mobil 1 brand.(Williams Company PR)(11-27-2001) UPDATE 4: sources tell me there were approximately 60 full-time employees with the #12 team who stayed until the end of the year hoping they would run next year. Appoximately 20 of them remain for the new team, the others were let go. Crew Chief Peter Sospenzo is supposedly one of those looking and could end up with the #7 team(11-28-2001) UPDATE 5: The word on the street — it’s not official and could just be part of the rumor mill — is Peter Sospenzo, the crew chief for the 12 car, is going to be the crew chief for Terry Labonte.(FoxSports)(11-29-2001)
