Patrick Carpentier will be put on the fast track to drive full-time in the Nextel Cup series for Gillett Evernham Motorsports next season. Minority owner Ray Evernham hopes to get the former Champ Car star into two Busch Series and two Cup events before the end of the season, beginning at Phoenix. Evernham said Carpentier also will drive at least a partial schedule next season in the Nationwide Series, now the Busch Series. Carpentier has been cleared by NASCAR to run a Cup event at every track but Daytona and Talladega. . "He's a great race driver. He's smart. He communicates well with the team. Carpentier will fill the third car at EMS being vacated by Scott Riggs,
Patrick Carpentier joins Gillett-Evernham Motorsports
JR Motorsports development driver Jeremy McGrath has left the team and has joined a Late Model team on the West Coast, closer to his home. JR Motorsports Vice President of Competition, Steve Crisp confirmed Friday the departure of the motorcycle supercross star. "He's got a little girl, and he's got another on the way," Crisp said. "Looking at what he's done, he's had a full career, a very successful career - and a career that's every bit as taxing as a Nextel Cup driver. He traveled all the time, had to go all over the world. "He wanted to drive a stock car, but he didn't want to get into the traveling. "And he didn't want to relocate his family. Looking at those two components, that mean he probably needed to do it on the West Coast." McGrath, who lives in the San Diego area, has Monster Energy Drink as one of his sponsors, and that would have been an apparent conflict with JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr's deal with Mountain Dew Amp Energy beverage
Jeremy McGrath leaves JR Motorsports
Wisconsin native, Ryan Matthews has become another victim of the open-wheel invasion of 2007. When Jacques Villeneve of F-1 fame joined BDR last month, there was no room at the Inn unless someone got moved. Finishing 96.1% of the laps in the Craftsman Truck Series and placing the team back inside the top 20 after the dismisal of Tyler Walker, was not enough for Matthews.
Matthews also captured his first career pole at Kentucky Speedway in route to 1 top 5 and 2 top 10's in just 12 races.
Ryan Matthews makes room for Jacques Villeneuve at Bill Davis Racing
Scottsman Dario Franchitti has signed a deal that will place him in the #40 seat in the Nextel/Sprint Cup Series for 2008 with Chip Ganassi Racing. The biggest non-secret signing of the season, Franchitti has already finished his first ARCA ReMax race at Talladega where he finished 17th and is now set to make his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway where he will try to qualify the No. 41 Dodge. The truck is owned by Cunningham Motorsports, but Brian Pattie from Chip Ganassi Racing will be the crew chief.
Dario Franchitti joins Chip Ganassi Racing for 2008 Cup action
Stephen Leicht has been given the opportunity to pursue other racing ventures for the 2008 season. The reconstruction of the organization from Robert Yates Racing to Yates Racing with Doug Yates at the healm has left no room for up-and-comer Leicht.
Sitting firmly in the top 10 in the Busch Series point standings among Nextel Cup regulars was not enough to secure his ride, nor was his win at Kentucky Speedway earlier in the season.
Stephen Leicht released from Yates Racing for 2008
Team Red Bull formally announces an agreement with former Formula 1 Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed to race the No. 2 Red Bull Toyota Camry with Eddie Sharp Racing for the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Season.
Patrick Donahue will serve as crew chief for the rookie driver as he begins his ascent into stock car racing. Red Bull may consider occasional opportunities for Speed in NASCAR as the 2008 season progresses
Scott Speed to ARCA ReMax Series in 2008
Ricky Stenhouse Jr of Olive Branch Mississippi has made the most of his 2007 USAC schedule. Filling in for injured Tracey Hines at Tony Stewart Racing in the USAC Series, the youngster was impressive with in the Sprint cars with two wins, seven top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, mostly on dirt as well as his Midget series campaign with five wins in 23 starts along with 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes, all mostly on dirt.
Stenhouse will get his chance to improve on pavement when he hits the 2008 ARCA ReMax Series for a full-time schedule for the Roush-Fenway team.
Stenhouse signed a multi-year contract with Roush-Fenway and joins youngster Colin Braun who has been impressive in his short stint in stock cars this season.
MMcDowell.com
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joins Roush-Fenway Racing Stable
ARCA standout Michael McDowell joins Waltrip. The plan for now is to use MWR development driver Josh Wise and Michael McDowell, who has been racing in the ARCA Series, in that car. "We've got a lot of time to figure out if those guys are ready," Norris said. "We'll test them and try to get them up to speed and see if we can't use them in that car next year. If they aren't ready, we've got plenty of time to find a driver from the (free agents) who are still available. Since David is going to run the first five races, we could conceivably wait until the sixth race of the year to figure out what we're going to do with that car." (associated press)
Michael McDowell to Michael Waltrip Racing for 2008
Joey Logano, the 17-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing development driver, is poised to enter the Nationwide Series after the hot shoe turns 18 on May 24th of 2008. His debut in that series will occur at Dover International Speedway.
The exact determination of Logano's schedule before the Dover event is not been announced but speculatuion is he will run selected events in the Grand National division as well as a on slaught of testing for the Joe Gibbs Toyota camp.
Joey Logano to Nationwide Series in May of 2008
Roush-Fenway Racing is cleaning house as they have released developmental driver Todd Kluever. Among Kluever, others such as TJ Bell, Pete Sheperd and Danny O'Quinn are expected to be given their chance to persue other options and be released to make room for the new Driver Development Stable of Colin Braun, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Joey Clanton and John Wes Townley.
The newly revamped lineup is very stout and loaded with talent and there is little room at the Roush-Fenway Inn at the current moment. Kluever has the best chance to land on his feet with some decent perfomances in the Busch Series during the 2007 season.
We are hoping to get ahold of Kluever for an interview real soon to get the details of his 2008 racing plans.
Todd Kluever and others released from Roush-Fenway Racing
Joey Clanton and John Wes Townley have recently left the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team and joined the newly formed Roush-Fenway Racing developmental program.
Clanton has had some solid runs in a limited schedule in the Craftsman Truck Series for the organization and will bring over , close racing partner John Wes Townley with sponsorship in tow. Townley, the grandson of Zaxby's founder Tony Townley, will once again running in the ASA and USAR Pro Cup Series, carrying the Zaxbys banner.
John Wes Townley won his first ASA Late Model race at South Georgia Motorsports Park earlier this season.
Joey Clanton & John Wes Townley moves to Roush-Fenway Racing
Bill Davis Racing announced today that Phillip McGilton will complete the BDR NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series trio in 2008, with teammates Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson.
“Phillip has shown us his talent on and off the racetrack,” said Mark Chambers, BDR’s Truck Team Manager. “He tested for us a few weeks ago at Caraway Speedway [Asheboro, N.C.] and ran incredibly well. He has shown his abilities in the ARCA RE/MAX Series over the last few years, and we are just very excited about the opportunities that he is bringing to the table.”
Phillip McGilton signs with Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing has announced that Michael Annett will join the team in 2008 to drive a BDR entry in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Annett will compete in 10 ARCA races during the 2008 campaign and will also participate in a very intensive testing program, which competition director Tommy Baldwin will oversee. Annett made his first start for BDR at NASCAR's largest track, Talladega Superspeedway. Annett dominated the 250-mile race and became the first driver in the 55-year history of the ARCA RE/MAX Series to take the Toyota nameplate to victory lane. Annett qualified in the second position and led all but 19 laps en route to not only his first, but BDR's first ARCA win as well
Michael Annett to Bill Davis Racing in 2008
Rookie driver Brad Coleman, only a few short weeks after signing for a full-time ride with Brewco Motorsports in the Busch Series, has turned around and signed another contract to go Sprint Cup racing in 2008 with Hall of Fame Racing. The 19-year-old Texas native has agreed to become a full-time test driver for the team and run at least seven Cup races at the end of the 2008 season; meaning Hall of Fame will add a second car along side the #96 piloted by J.J. Yeley
Brad Coleman heads to BrewCo Motorsports & Hall of Fame Racing
Sam Hornish annouced today that he will be joining the frey full-time in Nextel/Sprint Cup for 2008. The three-time IndyCar champion told The Associated Press he will drive the #77 Dodge next season for Penske Racing with Mobil 1 as the sponsor.
"I feel like this is something that is a new and unique challenge for me," Hornish said Thursday. "It may or may not be the right way to look at it, but I feel like I accomplished just about everything in Indy cars. I got to do more than I ever thought I would."
Hornish has failed to make the field in his previous 6 starts in Cup and will attempt to make the field at Phoenix this week. Penske recently said he was not of concern that Hornish had failed to qualify in six attempts at his first Cup race and has an average finish of 31.6 in nine Busch series starts.
Hornish goes full time for Penske in 2008 Cup racing
Haas CNC Racing is not only getting a fresh look at the Sprint Cup roster for 2008 but also their developmental driver lineup as they have released Blake Bjorklund from the team.
Blake has competed in the the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as well as the Busch Series this season for Haas-CNC Racing. Updates on the plans for Blake and Haas-CNC are not available at this current time but we will update as soon as we hear something.
Blake Bjorklund released from Haas-CNC Racing
An formal announcement will be made on the Speed Channel Friday night to introduce developmental driver Colin Braun as the pilot of the #6 Craftsman Truck Series entry. Colin has made a big impact late in the season with strong runs in the ARCA, Busch and Truck Series for Roush-Fenway. Sponsorship for Braun will be Con-Way Frieght.
Colin Braun to the infamous #6 Roush-Fenway Truck entry
SILLY SEASON-Developmental Driver Style
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that Fastenal Company, a leading global industrial and construction supply distributor, has signed a multi-year deal with the team to sponsor driver Dario Franchitti and the No.40 Dodge Charger in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). The program will feature Franchitti as the car’s primary driver and also include select races with his CGRFS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) teammate Reed Sorenson behind the wheel. Fastenal will kick off its association with CGRFS at its annual employee expo in Orlando (December 6-7) by introducing Franchitti to more than 2,000 employees. The company is stepping up to CGRFS and the Nationwide Series following two seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as the primary sponsor of Bobby Hamilton Racing’s No. 18 Dodge truck. Earlier this season Franchitti, the reigning Indy 500 winner and IndyCar Series champion, signed a multi-year deal with CGRFS to compete in NSCS and NNS competition beginning in 2008. Franchitti will be the first European driver in the 59-year history of NASCAR to join the series full-time when he assumes driving duties for the No. 40 Fastenal Dodge at Daytona.
Wood Brothers Racing and JTG Racing announced today that McKee Foods Little Debbie® Snack Cakes brand will be returning as a primary sponsor in a newly-signed two-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. This agreement extends and builds upon a previous two-year relationship with the Collegedale, Tennessee Company. Little Debbie® will serve as the primary sponsor for 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup events in the 2008 season and again in the 2009 season. Up-and-coming Busch Series superstar Marcos Ambrose will take over as the face of the company's NASCAR efforts in twelve of the eighteen races, beginning in Sonoma, CA in June, 2008. Additional driver lineups for the remaining six Little Debbie events will be announced at a later date—as will other sponsor/driver combinations for the new year. Ambrose will serve as a pitchman for all of the company’s snack cake brands, appearing in all point of sale (POS) materials and related items
After selling the majority of his team to Gary Baker, former owner of Bristol Motor Speedway and father of driver Brad Baker, Clarence Brewer has sold his remaining stake in the Brewco Motorsports team to Baker and Mike Curb, who has long been involved in NASCAR. Next season the team will be moving to Nashville, TN and run under the name of Baker-Curb Racing. Brad Coleman will drive the No. 27 Kleenex Ford for the team while the No. 37, confirms crew chief Newt Moore, is still searching for a driver and sponsor
Racers Report-Quick Hits
