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Roush announces Cup changes for 2007 season
McMurray to drive the No. 97; Kluever to take over the No. 6
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
October 8, 2005

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Jack Roush on Saturday wouldn't be drawn into discussing NASCAR's proposed future limits on team ownership, but he confirmed a change of plans in his Nextel Cup lineup for 2007.

In a post-qualifying news conference at Kansas Speedway, Roush said Jamie McMurray would drive Roush Racing's No. 97 Ford in 2007 while Todd Kluever, a current Roush driver in the Craftsman Truck Series, would drive the team's No. 6 Ford.

Roush Racing president Geoff Smith previously said Kluever would race a full Busch Series schedule in 2006 and Saturday, Roush said that Kluever probably would mimic Roush driver Carl Edwards in 2007 by contesting full schedules in both Nextel Cup and the Busch Series.

Roush previously had said Mark Martin would continue in the No. 6 Ford in 2006 while Kurt Busch would fulfill his contractual obligations in the No. 97 Ford. In a Sept. 27 conversation on NASCAR.COM, Smith said if everything could be worked out, Busch might be released from his contract, but it wasn't likely.

"Our short-term plan is that Todd Kluever will be in the 6 car in 2007," Roush said. "Mark will be in the car in 2006 and Todd will run a Busch Grand National program full-time in 2006 and, most likely, in 2007 he'll do the same sort of thing that Carl did this year [run both series]."

McMurray, meanwhile, has said he's resigned to race Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 42 Dodge in 2006, per his contract, which Ganassi has said he won't release McMurray from.
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