hearing that Jamie McMurray, currently the driver of the #26 Crown Royal/Irwin Tools Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, will be the driver of Richard Childress Racing’s 4th team, to be sponsored by General Mills and supposedly will be the #33 Chevy. No word if Roush will run the fifth team in 2009 or drop down to four teams a year early. RFR will need to drop to four teams after the 2009 season.(7-25-2008) UPDATE: On Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, owner Jack Roush was quick to defend his driver, Jamie McMurray — right after he said he would not allow any of McMurray’s four Roush Fenway Racing teammates to be pilfered from his team — while pointedly omitting McMurray. “Jamie is important to me,” Roush said. “But today, Jamie is not the driver that’s been productive, to the extent that the other four are. I look forward to, and certainly expect, great things from Jamie, but the productivity has not been there at this point.” McMurray, whose current contract runs through the end of 2009 and who last won in the 2007 Pepsi 400 at Daytona — 37 races ago — is 22nd in the standings, with only three top-10 finishes this season in the #26 Ford.(NASCAR.com)(7-26-2008) UPDATE 2: [Tony] Stewart said that Ryan Newman is just one of three drivers on his short list [for the 2nd team, the #4 Chevy]. Presumably, Martin Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray are the other two. And Stewart is battling car owners Joe Gibbs and Richard Childress, who are both also looking for drivers. McMurray’s future with car owner Jack Roush has been up for debate the past several weeks, and the speculation has become intense that Roush would be releasing McMurray. But apparently sponsor Crown Royal is pushing Roush to keep McMurray in the fold, and as tough as good sponsors are to find, that could well end that whole debate. McMurray has been mentioned as being on Childress’ short list for his new fourth team. But Childress now appears to be back in the market trying to sign Truex. A Childress-Truex deal was in the works earlier this year, until Teresa Earnhardt, who owns DEI, said she would hold Truex to the option year on his current DEI contract for 2009.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-26-2008) UPDTE 3: Jamie McMurray squelched reports on Saturday that he may be on his way out at Roush Fenway Racing. “If you guys want to print the truth, the truth is I’ll be there with Crown Royal [as a sponsor],” McMurray said after his qualifying lap at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s 100 percent.” McMurray’s name had been connected with the fourth car at Richard Childress Racing. Sources close to the situation said RCR made a run at him, but couldn’t get him out of the final year of his contract at Roush. “Richard is looking for a driver and I’m somewhat flattered to have my name on the list that another owner would want you,” McMurray said. “But I will be in this car and not at Richard Childress Racing.”(ESPN.com)(7-26-2008)
