Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates [owner’s of tht #39, #40, #41, #42 teams in Cup] will be on hand for a special announcement on Sunday, June 19th at Michigan International Speedway regarding new sponsor activities and plans for the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)…..#40 with Stremme???(6-16-2005)
UPDATE: NASCARs Youth Movement has swept aside veteran Sterling Marlin. Months of speculation about the future of the 47-year-old racer from Columbia will end at a press conference tomorrow at Michigan International Speedway when David Stremme, 27, is introduced as Marlins replacement for Chip Ganassi Racing. They decided they wanted a younger driver, Marlin said yesterday from the track where he is preparing for tomorrows Nextel Cup race. Theyre going with Stremme. Marlin said he understands that he will finish out the season in the #40 Dodge he has driven for the past eight years. I think they may put Stremme in another car [#39?] for about four races, he said, but as far as I know Ill run them all.(Tennessean)(6-18-2005)
UPDATE 2: Lone Star Steakhouse announced Sunday at MIS a multi-year partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates on the #40 Dodge Charger with driver David Stremme for 17 races in 2006. Coors Light will sponsor the #40 Dodge Charger in the other 17 NASCAR Nextel Cup races next season.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates/Clear!Blue PR), no word on the sponsor for the other two races.(6-19-2005)
UPDATE 3: Coors Brewing Company announced today that they have extended their relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates [CGRwFS] in the Nextel Cup Series. The extension will include the primary sponsorship of the #40 Coors Light Dodge with CGRFS development driver and current Busch Series driver David Stremme for 17 races in the NEXTEL Cup Series in 2006. The partnership also includes associate sponsorship of the #40 during the other 19 Nextel Cup races. David Stremme joined the CGRwFS stable of drivers in 2002 when team owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates signed him as part of the CGRwFS driver development program. Currently he is driving the #14 Navy Dodge for FitzBradshaw Racing.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)(6-19-2005)
AND In 2006, Stremme’s Dodges will split sponsorship between Coors Light and Lone Star Steakhouse. Coors will grace the hood in 19 events, while Lone Star will be the primary sponsor in the other 17 races. Stremme will make his Nextel Cup debut at Chicagoland Speedway next month. He plans to test the speedway Monday. Ganassi said Stremme will run four Nextel Cup races in 2005 before running for rookie of the year next season [#39 team?].(NASCAR.com)(6-19-2005)
AND MORE: Stremme, the 2003 Busch rookie of the year, will run four races this season in the No. 39 Dodge. Included in those is the Sept. 10 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway along with races at Chicago, Charlotte and Miami.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(6-20-2005)
