WILL THIS TEAM RUN FORDS--HUH???

New Cup team buys #26 Roush number?: hearing that Vermont businessman Bill Jenkins [owners of Latitude 43, a cleaning products company] has purchased the #26 number from Roush Fenway Racing. The transaction includes racing equipment plus 2009 owner points, meaning that the new team will automatically qualify for the first five NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010. A driver and sponsor have not yet been named for the new team, which will be known as Latitude 43 Motor Sports

All I see are two new teams FRM and now this new one with middle of our point system or even worst joining FORD. What do you think? Can FORD expect much of anything from these new teams?

I would like to see FORD help the TEAMS they already have with MONEY (WOOD BROS.) would be one of the teams I have in mind. FRM and this new team are MIDDLE OF THE PACK , maybe even worst in the point system. Getting sponsors will be difficult enough for the TEAMS we have already

This is how I thought the 35 point system should work. This is what is happening in the past 2 or 3 years, Teams who were not even around the previous season can purchase points and qualify. In my opinion, this is defeating the reason Nascar implanted this rule. Seems to me the very opposite is happeneing

Starting with the 2005 NASCAR Cup season NASCAR guaranteed the top 35 teams in car owner points a spot in the starting lineup. This is to encourage teams to run all the races instead of just a few and reward the teams that do show up every week.

This means that teams safely in the top 35 are only qualifying to determine where they will be on the grid and are in no danger of going home without racing. This sometimes allows these teams to spend their practice time working on race setups. This can pay off on race day, but could cause them to start deeper in the field.

Provisionals

After the top 35 in owner points take their guaranteed spot the seven fastest non-guaranteed drivers get into the field based on their qualifying time. The seven drivers that get in on time will start wherever their times normally would put them in the order. So if a non-guaranteed driver runs quickest in qualifying he still gets to start on the pole ahead of the guaranteed, but slower, drivers.

This leaves one final spot which is known as "The Champions Provisional." This final 43rd starting position is reserved for any former NASCAR Champion that didn't qualify for the race any other way (by points or on time.)

If there is no driver eligible for the Champions Provisional then that spot goes to the eighth fastest driver that is not guaranteed a starting spot based on points.

I think using the FORD MOTORCRAFT brand to fully sponsor the Woods (for all 36 races) is a better use of Ford Racing funds than funding these sub-par teams.

TeamBlueOval wrote:

I think using the FORD MOTORCRAFT brand to fully sponsor the Woods (for all 36 races) is a better use of Ford Racing funds than funding these sub-par teams.

Thats exactly what I was thinking.

I will third that statement. It would make more sense to try and improve the current teams instead of adding some that won't come close to being competitive. Not to mention it would make Ford look better as a whole.

HERE IS AN UPDATE FROM JAYSKI'S (I still think its NOT a good idea)


UPDATE: West Wardsboro [Vermont] businessman Bill Jenkins has purchased the car number, owner points, and equipment from the #26 team formerly campaigned by Roush Fenway Racing and driver Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jenkins plans to contest the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule beginning with next month's Daytona 500 at Daytona Int'l Speedway in Florida. "I'm a huge race fan and I've always wanted to do this," Jenkins told Vermont Motorsports Magazine on Tuesday. "The opportunity presented itself, and I took it." Jenkins and his wife, Sandy, are the owners of Latitude 43, an organic soap company. Originally from New York City, Jenkins moved to New England in 1990 and has homes in Vermont and Maine. He plans to keep strong ties to the northeast with his new adventure, starting with the core of the team; Jenkins has hired North Haverhill, N.H. native Frank Stoddard as crew chief. Stoddard won 17 Sprint Cup Series races with Roush-Fenway Racing and driver Jeff Burton in the late 1990s and early 2000s. "We have a shop in Concord, N.C. and we could do all of our business down there, but we're staying true to Vermont," said Jenkins. "I consider Vermont my home, and I have for almost 20 years. There are a lot of race fans here in Vermont, and I'd like to think this may be a big deal for them and give them something to cheer for. We will do all of our banking through Vermont and try to focus on the state as much as we can." Jenkins said that he realizes there is a lot of work to do before the season starts on Feb. 14 in the biggest stock car race in the world. "We don't have any sponsors, and I realize that we will be the only blank canvas in the top-35 at Daytona," he said. "We've been contacted by several companies that otherwise couldn't become involved in NASCAR for various reasons, and we think we'll find something soon." The 61-year old said he drew inspiration from a close friend, Middlebury car dealership mogul and veteran Devil's Bowl Speedway racer Gardner Stone, before he made the transaction with Roush-Fenway: "One of Gardner's favorite sayings is 'Life isn't a dress rehearsal.' I've been around racing since I was a kid. I remember guys driving around with cigarettes in their mouths and their arms hanging out the window. Now, all these years later, I finally have a chance to get involved. It's all very exciting. I celI put my head down in the ditch and got to work."Vermont Motorsports Magazine)(1-13-2010ebrated for about ten minutes when we signed the deal, but then

No sponsorship... just what we like to hear.

TeamBlueOval wrote:

No sponsorship... just what we like to hear.

Andrew in the articles I have read it states FORD will be giving Technical help but no mention of financial help.

Yatesracing wrote:

TeamBlueOval wrote:

No sponsorship... just what we like to hear.

Andrew in the articles I have read it states FORD will be giving Technical help but no mention of financial help.

BTW Andrew what do you think about this articles


http://www.autoextremist.com/fumes1/2010/1/13/fumes.html

IN the last 2 paragraph WHAT MFG DO YOU THINK THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT???

I'm not sure what manufacturer they are referring to there. Sounds like someone wants NASCAR to make some changes and if they don't get their way, they're going to pack up their toys (and all of their money) and go back home to Detroit.

TeamBlueOval wrote:

I'm not sure what manufacturer they are referring to there. Sounds like someone wants NASCAR to make some changes and if they don't get their way, they're going to pack up their toys (and all of their money) and go back home to Detroit.

could be one of the reason Nascar was talking to VV.

I thought this sounded like it might be FORD.

If it was Ford, why would they be adding all these new teams? (RPM, FrontRow, new 26 team)...

TeamBlueOval wrote:

If it was Ford, why would they be adding all these new teams? (RPM, FrontRow, new 26 team)...

can't be Chevy, Dodge isn't any threat. FORD well maybe to much favoritism and didn't like the idea of switching to 4 teams for Roush. To may rules and FORD has had enough. I'm just guessing. This writer is suppose to be anti-nascar and most of the times doesn't know what he is writing about. We'll see

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if the writer completely made that story up...

But, I guess it could be Ford... like you say, too many rules. I'm sure Ford and Jack Roush weren't happy about dropping that team...

Quote :

UPDATE 2 - Boris Said? hearing Boris Said could be the driver of the #26 Ford.(1-13-2010)

~Jayski


Okay... I must admit, if this is true, I will instantly become a fan of this team. lol Go Boris!!

Quote :

UPDATE 3: Roush Fenway Racing and Roush Yates Racing Engines have fashioned a "comprehensive services contract" with Latitude 43 Motorsports that will give the new team a guaranteed start in the season-opening Daytona 500 using the 2009 owners' points accrued by Roush Fenway's #26 Ford. RFR president Geoff Smith said the NASCAR-approved deal with Latitude 43 included "race car builds; repair and maintenance; gear, transmission and engine services; and testing services," as well as some complete race cars. But the most integral part of the deal is the transfer of the 22nd-place owners' points earned last season by Jamie McMurray. Latitude 43 has yet to announce any plans for 2010, and Smith wouldn't speculate about what the team's schedule would include or where it would operate from -- though he said the car wouldn't be fielded from RFR's facility. But Smith was clear about what RFR had done in the aftermath of the contraction it was forced to make, from five to four Cup Series teams, per a NASCAR mandate that takes effect this season. Due to that, McMurray is driving this season for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing [#1 Chevy]. "The [points] transaction requires a different format for NASCAR's approval," Smith said, "So there's a comprehensive services contract between Roush Fenway Racing [and] Roush Yates Racing Engines, as two suppliers, with Latitude 43 Motorsports being the customer. "Included in those service mechanisms is a transfer by Roush Fenway Racing of all the heritage rights that it may have relating to the [26] car number and owner points and so forth. There were a certain number of existing cars that were sold to start the inventory and they can buy new cars as needed, depending on what they're going to campaign."(NASCAR.com)
AND been told that Boris Said will NOT be the driver of the #26 Ford, supposedly he will run races for another team to be announced soon.(1-14-2010)

Good.... sorry I don't care much for Boris.