hearing that Jason Keller is not signed to stay in the #57 ppc Racing Busch Series Ford as the team has not yet signed a sponsor and is activly looking for other rides.
UPDATE: In a matter of weeks, the fortunes of NASCAR Busch Series veteran Jason Keller have changed dramatically. During the Rockingham, N.C., race weekend, Keller’s team co-owner, Keith Barnwell, said he was “99.9-percent sure” a sponsor had been located for Keller’s #57 Fords at ppc Racing and both he and Keller were excited about the prospects for the 2004 season. Now, less than two weeks since the season finale at Homestead, Fla., Keller has learned the sponsor deal for his team has yet to materialize and he is left at least for now without a ride next year. “I’m left kind of clueless right now,” said Keller, 33, who finished fifth in series points this season, with one win and two poles. “I wish I had more options for myself. I made a commitment to this deal and this team three or four weeks ago, that we were going staying together next season. Now, everything is up in the air.” For much of the 2003 season, ppc Racing was struggling to find sponsorship for both of its teams for 2004 and Keller began exploring several other options. Late in the season, when ppc appeared to have secured sponsors for both teams, Keller stopped looking around and concentrated on trying to win the 2003 title. Now he finds himself looking again, but believes there are few options available. “Most of the things I was looking at before, they have already all been put into place,” Keller said. “I would have loved if everything had worked out like it looked like it would. We were a little behind schedule because the most recent deal was late in coming. But now its late November and the prospects of finding something or getting something done are even less.(ThatsRacin.com)(11-25-2003)
UPDATE 2: Jason Keller is looking for a 2004 ride again after delays in sponsorship commitment at ppc Racing, where he has driven successfully for six seasons. Although the two-car ppc Racing Busch series operation has letters of intent from two sponsors for 2004, neither company has signed a contract. Keller said Tuesday he has not been offered a contract for next season, although he verbally committed to stay with the team three weeks ago. Team general manager Keith Barnwell admitted Tuesday that there has been a delay in finalizing a contract with the sponsor, which he refused to identify. “I’m a little upset about the whole deal,” Keller said. “The sponsor proposal I committed to a month ago has not materialized like it was presented to me and like it was presented to them. Everybody’s scrambling, not just me.” Keller, 33, didn’t rule out staying at ppc if the sponsor situation is settled but said he is looking in what is a very small marketplace. Most teams and drivers have locked up their plans for next year. “I turned down a couple of pretty good deals that would have kept me racing with good teams,” he said. “I’m getting the word out that I’m looking, but it’s hard to pick up something on November 25th. I was kind of blind-sided by this whole deal.” Keller said he visited the team shop Monday. “There wasn’t a lot of preparation going on for Daytona (the February season opener),” he said. “Everybody was sitting around wondering what to do.” Barnwell said ppc still plans to field two Busch teams next season the other driver has not been announced if sponsor negotiations are productive. He said team officials plan to meet with NASCAR executives next week to seek assistance. “We have a (sponsor) letter of intent on behalf of Jason,” Barnwell said. “I don’t think that situation is dead, but, obviously, I don’t think it’s as strong as it needs to be. There’s always stuff floating around late. We’re hoping something comes around. I want Jason in race cars, and I want him here.”(Greenville News)(11-26-2003)
UPDATE 3: Jason Keller is expected to make a decision about his 2004 plans today [Dec 3rd]. Keller said Tuesday there is a “large possibility” he will return next year as a driver for ppc Racing, the team he has raced with for six seasons. Keller said he also has discussed a probable vacancy at Brewco Motorsports with officials of that Busch team. He said sponsorship problems at ppc Racing have been solved and that the team is set for next year. “Some details remain to be worked out, but that situation looks good,” Keller said. The Brewco opportunity appeared with the apparent decision by driver Johnny Sauter, who had agreed to drive for the two-car team next year, to move to the #30 Nextel Cup cars owned by Richard Childress. Team general manager Keith Barnwell said the No. 57 team will undergo personnel changes during the off-season.(Greenville News)(12-3-2003)
UPDATE 4: Jason Keller said Friday he has signed a contract to remain as a driver for the ppc Racing Busch series team through 2004. Details of the team’s structure have not been worked out, Keller said, but he will be working with a new crew chief next year. Steve Addington, the #57 crew chief and a Keller associate for many years, has been released by the team and apparently will work for another Busch team, possibly Joe Gibbs Racing. Team general manager Keith Barnwell said the team has a sponsor he would not reveal the company [Miller high Life? TrinSpa?] and an agreement with a new crew chief, which he also wouldn’t name. Although Keller and Addington, long-time friends, won races and competed for the Busch championship, Barnwell said he thought both would benefit from a new direction. Barnwell also said Keller’s cars might carry a new number next season [has used #57]. He said ppc Racing will have at least one Busch team and one Craftsman Truck series team [supposedly Terry Cook] next season and that he continues to work on the possibility of keeping the organization’s second Busch team alive. Jeff Green had been offered that ride but recently announced that he will race for Petty Enterprises in the Winston Cup series again next year.(Greenville News)(12-6-2003)
UPDATE 5: BGNRacing is hearing Keller will be in the #22 Ford with Miller High Life as the sponsor. ppc Racing is supposedly changing the team number by Miller’s request.(BGNRacing.com)(12-8-2003)
