Frustrated!!!
WARNING: Feeling very irritated and unsure. Definitely will be some ranting. As more information comes out of I calm down after a while I might change my tune, but for the moment I’m writing what I’m feeling.
MWR’s long-awaited announcement was made today at Charlotte regarding both Dale Jarrett’s plans for next year and a partner. Basically what is happening is this:
1. 50% of MWR is now owned (personally) by Robert Kauffman, who founded and co-manages Fortress Investment Group. MWR is now MWRH (Michael Waltrip Racing Holdings, LLC).
2. Ty Norris (thankfully) is still going to be VP and GM, but now Cal Wells III (listed as the owner of the 00, former owner of PPI Motorsports, former expectant minority owner at Robby Gordon Motorsports) is the Executive Vice President of Operations and Larry Johns (no clue who he is) is the Chief Financial Officer.
3. DJ is running in the 44 UPS Toyota for the first five races of 2008 as well as the All-Star race, and then he will retire.
4. David will drive the 00 (supposedly sponsored by Aaron’s) for the first five races and then will drive the 44 with UPS as a sponsor. David will also be in a full-time Nationwide Series car as he is this season.
Okay. There was nothing an any official MWR (coughMWRHcough) press release about Frankie and the 00 team, but in this article David doesn’t know whether he’ll keep them or not. That’s alarming to me. David has such wonderful chemistry with the entire team and it would be absolutely ridiculous to rip them apart! What is Michael doing here? Does he want Frank? Does he want Frank to go to whoever will be driving the 00 (rumored to be Josh Wise and/or Michael McDowell, two development ARCA drivers with little experience in NASCAR), and David can “pick up the 44 team”? I know David is definitely talented and good-natured enough for any team to fall in love with him, but he’s got a great thing going with the 00 crew.
I’m also upset about the number switch. Apparently UPS wants to keep the 44…why? They’ve only been with the 44 for one year. It was so cool that David could make his Cup name in a number he’s run with all his life and I think he really enjoyed it. I don’t see why UPS would get their panties in a bunch about the 44. It would be easy to just switch sponsorship to the 00 as well as owner points.
Owner points. I guess the plan is for DJ to get into the Top 35 and then David will get those points. But what happens if David goes on a streak of great finishes and is solidly in the Top 35 after Bristol? And if DJ is teetering on the edge? Will David get dumped to crappy points even though he earned his way into the Top 35, and then whoever gets into the 00 reaps the benefits of his hard work? David should get the higher owner points, hands down, from the 44 or the 00. He is the 1-year veteran of MWR versus a new driver. He is MWR’s shining star.
Oh yeah, as far as I know UPS is still signed only through 2008. I remember David saying some time ago that the contract was for multiple years hinging on sponsorship. That’s scary.
So who is the Kauffman guy? This whole “partner/investor” thing isn’t really my cup of tea. I don’t understand it (except for the big money part) and I don’t like it. I don’t want NASCAR to turn into stupid money-making machines where drivers are treated like greyhounds.
I’m nervous to see some parallels forming between David and Casey Mears. Both are kind of being pushed around to fit into gaps in the team and the sponsors. Both have lost their sponsors for this year to take over someone else’s sponsor next year. Both are losing their numbers, and those numbers had emotional meaning to the drivers. And both are way too good to be treated like that.
On the positive side (always have to have that or I go insane), I’m very happy that David will be a fulltime NS driver next season! And I’m looking forward to some great UPS commercials!
MWR’s long-awaited announcement was made today at Charlotte regarding both Dale Jarrett’s plans for next year and a partner. Basically what is happening is this:
1. 50% of MWR is now owned (personally) by Robert Kauffman, who founded and co-manages Fortress Investment Group. MWR is now MWRH (Michael Waltrip Racing Holdings, LLC).
2. Ty Norris (thankfully) is still going to be VP and GM, but now Cal Wells III (listed as the owner of the 00, former owner of PPI Motorsports, former expectant minority owner at Robby Gordon Motorsports) is the Executive Vice President of Operations and Larry Johns (no clue who he is) is the Chief Financial Officer.
3. DJ is running in the 44 UPS Toyota for the first five races of 2008 as well as the All-Star race, and then he will retire.
4. David will drive the 00 (supposedly sponsored by Aaron’s) for the first five races and then will drive the 44 with UPS as a sponsor. David will also be in a full-time Nationwide Series car as he is this season.
Okay. There was nothing an any official MWR (coughMWRHcough) press release about Frankie and the 00 team, but in this article David doesn’t know whether he’ll keep them or not. That’s alarming to me. David has such wonderful chemistry with the entire team and it would be absolutely ridiculous to rip them apart! What is Michael doing here? Does he want Frank? Does he want Frank to go to whoever will be driving the 00 (rumored to be Josh Wise and/or Michael McDowell, two development ARCA drivers with little experience in NASCAR), and David can “pick up the 44 team”? I know David is definitely talented and good-natured enough for any team to fall in love with him, but he’s got a great thing going with the 00 crew.
I’m also upset about the number switch. Apparently UPS wants to keep the 44…why? They’ve only been with the 44 for one year. It was so cool that David could make his Cup name in a number he’s run with all his life and I think he really enjoyed it. I don’t see why UPS would get their panties in a bunch about the 44. It would be easy to just switch sponsorship to the 00 as well as owner points.
Owner points. I guess the plan is for DJ to get into the Top 35 and then David will get those points. But what happens if David goes on a streak of great finishes and is solidly in the Top 35 after Bristol? And if DJ is teetering on the edge? Will David get dumped to crappy points even though he earned his way into the Top 35, and then whoever gets into the 00 reaps the benefits of his hard work? David should get the higher owner points, hands down, from the 44 or the 00. He is the 1-year veteran of MWR versus a new driver. He is MWR’s shining star.
Oh yeah, as far as I know UPS is still signed only through 2008. I remember David saying some time ago that the contract was for multiple years hinging on sponsorship. That’s scary.
So who is the Kauffman guy? This whole “partner/investor” thing isn’t really my cup of tea. I don’t understand it (except for the big money part) and I don’t like it. I don’t want NASCAR to turn into stupid money-making machines where drivers are treated like greyhounds.
I’m nervous to see some parallels forming between David and Casey Mears. Both are kind of being pushed around to fit into gaps in the team and the sponsors. Both have lost their sponsors for this year to take over someone else’s sponsor next year. Both are losing their numbers, and those numbers had emotional meaning to the drivers. And both are way too good to be treated like that.
On the positive side (always have to have that or I go insane), I’m very happy that David will be a fulltime NS driver next season! And I’m looking forward to some great UPS commercials!
