No mention of DAVID

at 12:20 PM #1

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Menard to get owners pts from other Yates team UPDATE 38 to 96; 28 to 98: from a NASCAR Press Conference at Daytona for the Fanfest. NASCAR Ramsey Poston asked the questions: Has any determination been made at Yates what the point affiliation will be for your team? Are you going to start from scratch? Are you going to get one of the other cars on points, and is there more concern or more excitement about starting out the year with a totally new bunch and how critical is it going to be to gel quickly with that group?
PAUL MENARD [#98 Menard's Ford]: As far as I know we're getting points so we'll be locked in. I'm not sure if it's #28 or #38 points, but one of them will slide over.(NASCAR PR)(1-17-2009)
UPDATE: Hall of Fame Racing today the #96 Ask.com Ford Fusion and Bobby Labonte as the manufacturers’ wild card entry into the famed Budweiser Shootout following NASCAR’s rule change on Friday. “The #96 joined the Ford family at the right time,” said Hall of Fame Racing Co-Owner, Tom Garfinkel. “We’re pleased to get Hall of Fame and Ask.com into the Shootout and have an early chance to start working towards solid top-five and top-10 finishes this season. We are pleased to be working with Bobby Labonte and Yates Racing and look forward to seeing this combination of talent come together for the first time in the Shootout.” Labonte and the #96 will also receive Yates Racing points from the #38, piloted by David Gilliland in 2008. The transfer will put the #96 in 27th position going into the Daytona 500 in February. Yates Racing’s #98 Menards Ford Fusion will start the 2009 season in 23rd position after a points transfer from the #28. Paul Menard will drive the machine for the full 2009 season. Travis Kvapil will start the season as a fresh entry in the #28 Yates Racing Ford. Sponsorship opportunities are available; please contact Jon Sands with Yates Racing at 704-720-4621.(Yates Racing PR)(1-19-2009) Comment here

Looks like a two car operation unless a sponsor shows up and soon Looks like there won't be much of a difference in 2009 2 cars and drivers about the same.

Assume David IS gone then. Not like Travis will have a full time sponsor this year either. I bet the 28 doesn't race all season, unless by some miracle a sponsor does sign up (and I mean more than Roush sending over a NW sponsor for a race).

Looks like David is done, but I think TK will run the full schedule. They need to get that car in the top-35 so Roush can move one of his drivers over next year. NASCAR probably won't let him "give" the points to Yates from the 26, so Yates will need another car in the top-35.

Also, I think the owner points swap is just to make sure that the sponsors get to race, even if that means TK misses a race in an unsponsored car.

Yup. Not a wise idea to send your sponsor home, especially in these times in NASCAR.