Random News of the Week
Jess
There have been some interesting developments and rumors to ponder recently posted on Jayski!
JR Motorsports: Cup?
Jayski posted part of a press conference transcript where Dale Jr. talked about the possibility of moving JR Motorsports to Sprint Cup:
IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU'LL MOVE UP TO THE CUP LEVEL WITH THAT TEAM ANYTIME? "I used to say no way, no way. But it's almost as expensive to run in the Nationwide Series. And they're going to bring a CoT in and we won't be able to race in the Nationwide Series with the CoT probably. That'll just be too expensive to switch all that over."
WOULD YOU DO IT AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR? "Yeah, maybe. If the right opportunity comes along with the right sponsorship and driver, we'd love to do it. And it would cost the same amount of money to do that, as it is to run the Nationwide Series. It's harder to get sponsorships. And the CoT program is going to be too expensive for me to justify creating a whole new program with CoT stuff, so I'd just as soon go into the Cup Series or get out of the Nationwide Series altogether."
I know June has a habit of opening his mouth when he shouldn't; I'm really hoping this is one of those times. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't fully believe that running a Cup team is about the same as a Nationwide team. That set aside, is he joking? His Nationwide team (the #88 - I don't count the #5) hasn't won a race yet...and he thinks it's ready to head into Cup? I love Junior but I don't think it would be a great idea. Starting a Cup team isn't easy even if you do have a lot of money.
Tony Stewart's name came up as a potential driver, as well. Of course it would. Martin's name came up. Of course it would. They're Junior's friends and Junior does have a tendency to make his buddies his drivers. Unfortunately so far it looks like it hasn't worked out too well with the exception of Martin. JR Motorsports has gone through two drivers/buddies already and it appears that things are a bit tense between Junior and Brad Keselowski:
"The problem I run into with Brad Keselowski is that he watches and sees how I act and thinks that's how he can act. But I've earned the ability or the right to be a little bit of jerk every once in a while and the thinks he can come in right off the bat and be one. And so I have to tell him, man, you can't be like that you know, you got to earn it. People ain't going to like you just coming in, seven months into the deal, and you're complaining all the time. You've got to suck it up for a little while. It's no fun. But after about four or five years, you can start kind of being more demanding and calling your shots a whole lot more and saying 'no' a whole lot more often. But he wants a PR person that'll carry his uniform around for him and things like that right now, and he's got to wait a couple of years before he gets that. I tell him to be patient. And I tell him too that qualifying is overrated. So hopefully he'll start listening to that."
This is about the time I smack my forehead and look up at the sky. Nationwide coverage isn't too expansive so to me Keselowski always seemed pretty down-to-earth...Junior's comments surprised me in that aspect because he makes him sound like an arrogant poop.
It bothers me a little, firstly because I've always gotten the impression that Junior's drivers think he's their friend first and boss after that (I mean he lets his drivers live with him). Secondly, no matter what he shouldn't be talking about Keselowski like that to the media - it should be between them. Maybe he feels it's gotten to the point where he has to publically embarrass him but I think team owners need to be more professional than that. It's an issue I have with Michael as well.
Aflac Signs with Carl Edwards: Primary Sponsor
This puts some hope back into me about MWR having a better chance of keeping UPS, since Carl Edwards was apparently their first choice. It also leaves Office Depot looking for a driver, already rumored to be McD. You can't help but dream and hope 2009 has a #55 NAPA Camry, a #44 UPS Camry and a #00 Office Depot Camry beefing up MWR.
Doug Richert: Bye Bye DEI
No surprise here as I saw this coming the moment he left Brian. According to Bob Dilner on SPEED just a few minutes ago, DEI also fired some Team Red Bull crewmen that came along with Richert! Things that make you go, "Hmm!" I wonder if they had "different philosophies"?
We'll see where Richert ends up.
JR Motorsports: Cup?
Jayski posted part of a press conference transcript where Dale Jr. talked about the possibility of moving JR Motorsports to Sprint Cup:
IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU'LL MOVE UP TO THE CUP LEVEL WITH THAT TEAM ANYTIME? "I used to say no way, no way. But it's almost as expensive to run in the Nationwide Series. And they're going to bring a CoT in and we won't be able to race in the Nationwide Series with the CoT probably. That'll just be too expensive to switch all that over."
WOULD YOU DO IT AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR? "Yeah, maybe. If the right opportunity comes along with the right sponsorship and driver, we'd love to do it. And it would cost the same amount of money to do that, as it is to run the Nationwide Series. It's harder to get sponsorships. And the CoT program is going to be too expensive for me to justify creating a whole new program with CoT stuff, so I'd just as soon go into the Cup Series or get out of the Nationwide Series altogether."
I know June has a habit of opening his mouth when he shouldn't; I'm really hoping this is one of those times. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't fully believe that running a Cup team is about the same as a Nationwide team. That set aside, is he joking? His Nationwide team (the #88 - I don't count the #5) hasn't won a race yet...and he thinks it's ready to head into Cup? I love Junior but I don't think it would be a great idea. Starting a Cup team isn't easy even if you do have a lot of money.
Tony Stewart's name came up as a potential driver, as well. Of course it would. Martin's name came up. Of course it would. They're Junior's friends and Junior does have a tendency to make his buddies his drivers. Unfortunately so far it looks like it hasn't worked out too well with the exception of Martin. JR Motorsports has gone through two drivers/buddies already and it appears that things are a bit tense between Junior and Brad Keselowski:
"The problem I run into with Brad Keselowski is that he watches and sees how I act and thinks that's how he can act. But I've earned the ability or the right to be a little bit of jerk every once in a while and the thinks he can come in right off the bat and be one. And so I have to tell him, man, you can't be like that you know, you got to earn it. People ain't going to like you just coming in, seven months into the deal, and you're complaining all the time. You've got to suck it up for a little while. It's no fun. But after about four or five years, you can start kind of being more demanding and calling your shots a whole lot more and saying 'no' a whole lot more often. But he wants a PR person that'll carry his uniform around for him and things like that right now, and he's got to wait a couple of years before he gets that. I tell him to be patient. And I tell him too that qualifying is overrated. So hopefully he'll start listening to that."
This is about the time I smack my forehead and look up at the sky. Nationwide coverage isn't too expansive so to me Keselowski always seemed pretty down-to-earth...Junior's comments surprised me in that aspect because he makes him sound like an arrogant poop.
It bothers me a little, firstly because I've always gotten the impression that Junior's drivers think he's their friend first and boss after that (I mean he lets his drivers live with him). Secondly, no matter what he shouldn't be talking about Keselowski like that to the media - it should be between them. Maybe he feels it's gotten to the point where he has to publically embarrass him but I think team owners need to be more professional than that. It's an issue I have with Michael as well.Aflac Signs with Carl Edwards: Primary Sponsor
This puts some hope back into me about MWR having a better chance of keeping UPS, since Carl Edwards was apparently their first choice. It also leaves Office Depot looking for a driver, already rumored to be McD. You can't help but dream and hope 2009 has a #55 NAPA Camry, a #44 UPS Camry and a #00 Office Depot Camry beefing up MWR.
Doug Richert: Bye Bye DEI
No surprise here as I saw this coming the moment he left Brian. According to Bob Dilner on SPEED just a few minutes ago, DEI also fired some Team Red Bull crewmen that came along with Richert! Things that make you go, "Hmm!" I wonder if they had "different philosophies"?
We'll see where Richert ends up.
