hearing the new number for the #97 team and driver Jamie McMuuray could be #26, which Roush Racing used years ago with Johnny Benson and the Cheerios car.(11-12-2005)
UPDATE: Roush Racing has decided to bring back the #26, replacing the #97, when Jamie McMurray steps into the car next season starting at Daytona. The sponsors of Kurt Busch’s old ride – Sharpie, IRWIN and Crown Royal – will transfer over to the new number along with new paint schemes [and owners points]. Although Busch won the championship with the #97 in 2004, the move is a smart one from a marketing point of view. With the recent troubles for Busch, the rebranding will help build a new base for McMurray and the sponsors. The last time Roush ran the #26 was during the 1998-1999 seasons with driver Johnny Benson. Benson, who ran the Cheerios sponsored car at the time, posted 12 top-10 finishes in 48 races behind the wheel of the car. The #26 has seen multiple drivers and owners over the years, most recently with Todd Bodine and Haas-Carter Motorsports in 2002.(RacingOne image there)(11-16-2005)
UPDATE 2 Crown Royal kicked off a year of new beginnings as they unveiled a brand new paint scheme and car number for the #26 Roush Racing Ford Fusion piloted by new driver Jamie McMurray. The car will feature a purple and white color scheme, with gold striping reminiscent of the stitches that line Crown Royal’s famed purple bag packaging. There will be both daytime and nighttime versions of the paint scheme. Crown Royal’s parent company Diageo – the world’s leading premium drinks business – announced in November 2005 that it will take over primary sponsorship of Jamie McMurray’s Roush Racing Ford Fusion beginning with the 2006 season. Crown Royal will own the primary paint scheme for 18 races this season, with Smirnoff ICE – another Diageo brand – owning three, and Newell-Rubbermaid [with Sharpie and Irwin Tools] retaining the remaining 15 races.(Alan Taylor Communications), see many images of all the schemes on my #26 Team Schemes page.(1-19-2006)
