While Chip Ganassi brushed off the possibility of switching from Chevy to Ford as “just a rumor” last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, sources told FOXSports.com that Ford initiated discussions with the team in July, and a decision could come as early as next week at Talladega Superspeedway. Although Ganassi’s NASCAR drivers Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya failed to make the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup field, the pair has delivered four wins this year. McMurray, who won the Daytona 500 in his return to Ganassi this season, moved from Ford’s Roush Fenway Racing at the end of last year. In four years at RFR, McMurray posted just two wins. Ganassi stands to benefit through the support the company would receive from Ford both on a financial and technological basis. When it comes to the pecking order at Chevrolet, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing lulls far behind Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing, who shares an allegiance with Hendrick. At Ford, Ganassi would be second only to Jack Roush. The area that would hit Ganassi the hardest would be the loss the company’s partnership with Earnhardt Childress Racing Technology engines ‘Â currently one of the top programs in the garage. ECRT engines have won eight races this season. Only Mark Cronquist’s engines at Joe Gibbs Racing have accounted for more (9) wins. With teams already preparing for the 2011 season, ECRT has been told a decision will come from Ganassi by Talladega. ECRT currently provides engines for Richard Childress Racing, EGR and Tommy Baldwin Racing. Furniture Row Racing will join the program next year.(FoxSports)(10-23-2010)
UPDATE: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing officials don’t deny that Ford has approached them about switching manufacturers in 2011. They also say there are no plans to leave Chevy, in part because of the long-standing relationship the Earnhardt part of this equation has with General Motors, not to mention the Earnhardt Childress Racing engines that arguably are the best in the business at the moment.(ESPN.com)(10-26-2010)
