What's up with Roush's five teams?

Quote :

McMurray told he is free to 'look around' for a ride; to #1 car?: Roush Fenway Racing has informed #26=Jamie McMurray he is free to talk to other organizations about next season, team president Geoff Smith said on Sunday. But Smith said that is not an indication Roush doesn't want the driver of the #26 Ford associated with the organization in 2010. Smith said Roush is willing to move any of its five drivers with sponsorship to partner Yates Racing next season if that would maintain the current Ford stable. He said most of the drivers are willing to do that, understanding they will be in same equipment with the same technology. The problem is convincing sponsors to move to what is perceived as the "B'' team. UPS, for example, is committed to keeping David Ragan at Roush. "It's not moving apples to apples,'' Smith said from the garage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
NASCAR has mandated that Roush be at the four-car cap by 2010. Roush currently has five drivers, McMurray, Ragan, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Although Edwards, Kenseth and Biffle signed extensions last season, Smith is not opposed to moving one if that keeps all within the Roush/Yates umbrella. "We would be open to any combination to keep them,'' he said. McMurray is considered the most likely to be moved because his contract expires after this season. Smith said it did not make sense in this economic climate to re-sign him to a long-term deal without sponsorship commitment. Crown Royal, which sponsors a portion of races on McMurray's car, has two years left on its contract. Smith didn't rule out that could be moved to Kenseth's car if necessary.
Roush announced earlier this week that DeWalt, Kenseth's long-term sponsor, will not return in 2010. Smith said sponsorship for that car would be cleared up soon. McMurray avoided conversations with the media on Friday and Saturday. He reportedly has been contacted by Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as a candidate to fill the spot being vacated by Martin Truex Jr. in the #1 Chevy.(ESPN)(7-26-2009)

To be honest, I am not sure why Jamie would want to be back with Earnhardt-Ganassi. They're worse now than they were in 2005, but I will give them credit for Montoya dominating today before his speeding penalty.

I think EGR is getting better and better. Montoya runs well every week.

Quote :

Roush's Smith talks about 2010 plans: Sunday on "The SIRIUS NASCAR Radio Pre-Race Show", SIRIUS XM's Claire B. Lang spoke with Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith about the possible changes to the team's roster of drivers before next season.
Geoff Smith: "If you're asking about our team plans for 2010, we're settled that Carl Edwards and Aflac, Greg Biffle with 3M, and David Ragan with UPS will be staying put and that sponsorship is going to kind of determine whether or not the #17 or the #26 are going to have to be the teams we shut down and move, if we can."
Smith: "There are difficulties. You just can't assume that a team can transfer intact just because you want it to. There are sponsors that get to vote as to what organization they're going to sponsor. So we have to work through that, which is what I've been saying. I expect, now that the DeWalt cloud has been removed, we're going to move very quickly to lock in the sponsorship and then that sponsorship will determine [whether] the #17 stays or goes."
Host, Claire B. Lang: "Meaning that we could see a past champion, Matt Kenseth, moving?"
Smith: "It all depends on the sponsorships. Our objective is to keep both of those teams (the #17 and the #26) in the Ford Motor Company community. We're hoping that we don't have to keep one and then lose one out of the Ford community entirely. So if we can keep them both in the [Ford] community by shuffling the #17 we would do that. Pretty unlikely that Matt Kenseth or the #17 will move at this point."
(SIRIUS NASCAR Radio)(7-27-2009)

Red Bull is STUPID not to have Vickers signed already. What are they waiting on? If any of you saw Vickers interviewed before the race on Sunday, it's clear he is not happy it's not done.

As far as McMurray, you pretty much know what you're going to get. Ragan is still a question mark- is he going to run like he did last year or like this year? Time will tell.

Yeah, Brian sounded pretty upset about the situation, and was sure to point out that he had "options" for next year if Red Bull didn't re-sign him.

I am starting to think Brian would be better off to leave Red Bull before he gets the "Allmendinger" treatment, and plus I don't think he is still all that happy with Scott Speed.

WHAT CAN WE FORD FANS SAY---WHAT A DISASTER

I BELIEVE In karma---When DJ shafted YATES ,well we know how that turned out for DJ. This year, FORD TEAMS can't do anything right. Could the reason be YATES (w/Roush behind it all) shafting David and Travis. Hmmmmmmm

Strange as it might seem, Wood Bros doing better this year than they have done in a long time, but than they didn't have anything to do with that decision

When was the last time Roush Teams (EVEN YATES) have had such a BAD SHOWING--Look at YATES Point Standing last year and compared them to this year. NOT MUCH BETTER

BIFFLE AND KENSETH are figthing to stay in the chase and
Edwards doesn't look like CUP CHANPIONSHIP IS IN THE MAKING.

FORD FANS we are in serious trouble====BRING ON THE FR9 and hope it helps us even tho it seems to late for any kind of a turnaround.

This year has been quite the struggle for all of Ford Racing, that's a fact. I have been quite disappointed with the performance in nearly every race, especially after such a promising start with back-to-back wins for Kenseth in the 500 and at Fontana.

I'm still holding on to the hope that things will get better by Chase time.

I don't really feel like Yates shafted Travis and David, though. They didn't have sponsors - the new drivers did. That's just how things work in the "NEW" NA$CAR. Money is everything anymore...

There have been far too many races this year with no Fords in the top-5, top-10, or even top-15 at the finish. They have a lot of work to do to catch Hendrick.

On a more positive note, they can and will catch up. Will it happen this year? Maybe, maybe not. But next year for sure.

Kyle Busch isn't running well this year, either. He was unbeatable last year for the first 26.

I think it's just that Ford has gotten behind on the technology front, and they're going to have to work to catch up...

Yatesracing wrote:

Strange as it might seem, Wood Bros doing better this year than they have done in a long time, but than they didn't have anything to do with that decision

Actually that's not quite true. Yes they have been qualifying much better but the race finishes are par.

From 2003-2009
Rudd's avg finish was 21.5
Schrader's avg about 28.4
Elliott's avg. has been about 28.6 and this season after 7 races it's 24.7
I'd say they are running where they usually do. ~JMO

I agree with Andrew ...

Quote :

I think it's just that Ford has gotten behind on the technology front, and they're going to have to work to catch up...

When they get the new engine it will help a bit but I wouldn't expect miracles.
Give them time to catch up.

DeeDee wrote:

Yatesracing wrote:

Strange as it might seem, Wood Bros doing better this year than they have done in a long time, but than they didn't have anything to do with that decision

Actually that's not quite true. Yes they have been qualifying much better but the race finishes are par.

From 2003-2009
Rudd's avg finish was 21.5
Schrader's avg about 28.4
Elliott's avg. has been about 28.6 and this season after 7 races it's 24.7
I'd say they are running where they usually do. ~JMO

I agree with Andrew ...

Quote :

I think it's just that Ford has gotten behind on the technology front, and they're going to have to work to catch up...

When they get the new engine it will help a bit but I wouldn't expect miracles.
Give them time to catch up.

I WILL I WILL LOL I still think their cars are running better even though the results were not. Bill made that statememnt and I'm hoping he is right. As far as the New Engine goes, if they can't find the secret to setting up these cars, than your absolutely right (with all the FORDS) won't be much of a change on the race track.

Gosh just thought of something , doesn't this belong on the WOODS BROS THREAD I know I started it LOL

Just a brief note on the Wood Bros., I agree that they are running better this year. The finishes may not show it because of freak issues, but the cars are better, for sure!

Not up to what they were doing when Ricky was there, though. In 2005, they were running well enough that I think they could have challenged for the Chase in 2006 if Ricky and Fatback had stayed together.

Nothing, Ricky just took a year off and didn't race in 2006...

Quote :

Wasn't Roush and Woods Bros suppose to hook up but when Fatback returned to the Wood Bros Roush pulled out .WASN'T THE YEAR 2004 WHEN RICKY LEFT YATES. I'm not sure how that went because i wasn't into Roush or Wood Bros at that time.In 2005 I was to much into the wrong driver. Should have been Ricky ALL THE WAY.

Yates gave Ricky the shaft in 2002 so he left. He joined WBR in 2003-2005 and they were under Roush's umbrella until mid 2004. Leslie was his CC (from Roush stables) which didn't work out at all. Fatback join in Aug 2004. Fatback wanted to build his own cars cus they kept getting all the Roush test stuff. Now I'm not exactly sure of the rest of the story but I'm under the impression Roush didn't like that so the Woods pulled out. The car's Fatback built were much much better. <people don't like hearing this but Roush used the Woods as there test team> Fatback to my knowledge never worked for the Woods previously.... he was Ricky's CC at RPM when Ricky owned his own team and moved to Yates with Ricky.

You could never go wrong with Ricky being your driver.

And now YATES IS ROUSH'S TEST TEAM WITH HIM GETTING RID OF HIS GARBAGE TO YATES NO CHANGE. The only difference is DOUG HAS GOTTEN HIMSELF TO DEEP INTO THIS MESS TO PULL OUT

Don't know why i keep calling it YATES. He may be ROBER YATES SON but this is not a YATES TEAM.

yep, I guess that sums it up. I find it hard to expect anything different. History just repeating it's self. ~JMO
But I wouldn't say he's getting rid of his garbage. Just testing new stuff that may or may not work. But on the other side some of his cars may really be good ones but Yates may not know how to get them set up properly. They don't have the same tech people which can really change things.

But wasn't TECHNICAL HELP PART OF THIS SO CALLED ALLIANCE????? Not only is YATES a TEST TEAM but they also were an excuse for Roush to still have 5 teams. I know some think Hendrick is doing the same thing but I don't. This is a whole different Race Game and we know Roush is clever enough to cross all his "T'S" and dot all his "I'S" and get away with it.

Quote :

But wasn't TECHNICAL HELP PART OF THIS SO CALLED ALLIANCE?????

I'm not sure. It may have. ??

I have to laugh with the way that Stewart is going that maybe Hendrick is supply them with too much info.
That may stop.