UPDATE: Last night (January 14, 2009) on”Dialed In” on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, host Claire B. Lang spoke with Penkse Racing president Tim Cindric about Verizons purchase of Alltel Corp. and what effect it might have on Alltels sponsorship of the #12 Alltel Penske Racing Dodge of David Stremme.
Host Claire B. Lang:”Youre headed to Daytona. Alltel, at this point, is on the car?”
Penske Racing president Tim Cindric:”Certainly as we work through this I wouldnt speculate in what form or how or how it is all going to turn out because we really havent gotten to the point where it makes sense to really speculate on how its going to look, how were going to present ourselves, what our strategy is going to be. Because were looking for some direction and in those situations sometimes you have to sit on the sidelines a little bit to understand exactly what all that means. And right now were just starting to get the focus of the people who make those kinds of decisions.”
Lang:”So the contract runs and stays?”
Cindric:”They (Verizon) take on the obligations of the people they acquire, I guess, and obviously they have stipulations with how they have to do their business when these things occur and I dont pretend to understand it all.”
Lang:”You know for sure that NASCARs not going to let you take Alltel off the car and put Verizon on.”
Cindric:”Thats what Ive understood. Weve all watched how it all played out in the past. Anything that we do we certainly do in step with everybody else.”
Cindric:”The good thing with David [Stremme] is hes really focused on driving the race car and letting the other things around him take their course. And to him, however it sorts out, he said to me, “As long as I know that Ive got the best people behind me and the best efforts going forward the rest of it will sort itself out. Im just fortunate to have this opportunity. Thats really the approach that when you hear that its refreshing because you know you have someone that has focus.”(SIRIUS NASCAR Radio)(1-15-2009)