News beginning early today.....
Carter leaves MWR? heads to Roush? hearing that Crew Chief Larry Carter, recently announced as #00-David Reutimann's crew chief at Michael Waltrip Racing, supposedly has left MWR and will be #26-Jamie McMurray' crew chief at Roush Racing.(12-18-2006)
Geoff Bodine Daytona 500 deal falls thru: Geoff Bodine said Wednesday [Dec 13th] he hasn't been able to find a team to run a car in February's Daytona 500 Nextel Cup race. Bodine, who has been in retirement for the past season or so, said in November he has a sponsor -- energy drink Mona Vie -- that wants to put him in a car during NASCAR's season-opening Cup race. "It's the hardest thing to find a Cup car and team to do it, so I've pretty much written off a Cup deal," Bodine said. "I'm going to try and pursue another angle." Geoff said he's exploring rides in the other series running at Daytona, along with non-race options. "I'm looking to try to get something so I can to be there at Daytona," Bodine said. Bodine will travel to Lake Placid, N.Y., this weekend to watch the World Cup Bobsled event and make some runs of his own on the bobsled track with his NASCAR sled. From Jan. 5 to 7, Bodine will host the second annual Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge at the Verizon Sports Complex, an event to help raise money for the U.S. Olympic Bobsled team, which uses Bo-Dyn sleds developed through Bodine.(Elmira Star Gazette)(12-18-2006)
http://www.jayski.com/teams/drivers.htm#geoff
Rudd/Yates announcement today? Previously paired for the 2000-2002 seasons, Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing on Monday will announce the driver and car owner will again become an item for the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Rudd will take over the driving duties vacated by 1999 Cup champ Dale Jarrett at the end of the 2006 season, joining David Gilliland, who will drive the #38 M&M's RYR Ford.(Motorsport.com), rumors have the #88 using the #28 that was previously used by Yates and Rudd and the Mar's Company as the sponsor with other brands being used such as Snickers, Pedigree and Combos on the car.
The NASCAR Busch Series will be looking for a new title sponsor after next season.
NASCAR officials confirmed Monday that Anheuser-Busch, parent company for the Busch beer brand, has decided not to renew its sponsorship of NASCAR's No. 2 series after it expires at the end of 2007.
"We are starting the process of finding a new title sponsor and executives at Anheuser-Busch have decided to pursue another direction in their marketing of the Busch brand," said Andrew Giangola, NASCAR's director of business communications.
Giangola said Anheuser-Busch will continue with its sponsorship as "the official beer of NASCAR," it's sponsorship of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's pole awards and the annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, a non-points all-star race held each February featuring pole winners from the previous season and past winners of the event.
http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/16267902.htm