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Can Todd Parrott Jump Start Matt Kenseth?

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

February 19, 2010 8:47 am CST 3 Comments

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A year ago next Monday, Matt Kenseth and Drew Blickensderfer were on fire.

Matty and the Blickster were two-for-two in the 2009 Sprint Cup season, including a Daytona 500 win and life was very good. But it got worse.

Wednesday, Roush-Fenway Racing replaced Blickensderfer with veteran box-topper Todd Parrott as the Kenseth’s partner in the Crown Royal no. 17 team.

And “partners” is what Kenseth and Parrott will have to be. The 17 car hasn’t been the same since Robby Reiser was promoted to a supervisory position at Roush-Fenway. Before that move, the Kenseth-Reiser combo was on a level comparable to Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus, performance wise. Not all change is good.

But Kenseth is the defending Auto Club 500 champ. The team should have the right settings in the book and Kenseth is historically very good at the big two milers. Maybe Parrott and Matt will party like 1999, when Todd Parrott partnered with Dales Jarrett to win a Cup championship.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: Auto Club Speedway, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR, Roush Racing

Tagged with: Auto Club 500, Drew Blickensderfer, Todd Parrott

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A Potential Renaissance for the Blue Oval in 2010

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

If OnPitRow.com was a NASCAR team, I’d be the development driver of the bunch. In the same way that young hotshots like Joey Logano have been driving since they were in grade school, I’ve been following and writing about all forms of motorsports since I was barely old enough to talk.

January 12, 2010 11:40 am CST No Comments

After years of Roush Fenway Racing being its only reasonably competitive entry in the Sprint Cup Series, the Ford brand will see a renaissance come the start of the 2010 season.

With the merger of Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports, and that new organization’s decision to campaign Fords, the make gained three cars on the grid, those of A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler, and former Ford development driver Kasey Kahne.

Combine that with the recent additions of Front Row Motorsports (two full-time cars, and potentially a third for John Andretti) and Furniture Row Racing (resuming full-time competition for 2010), and the Wood Brothers’ limited schedule, and there may be 13 Fords on the grid - the largest number of Fords that could run the Daytona 500 since the 2002 season, when there were 15.

In 2009, only seven Fords competed full-time – five in the Roush stable, one for Yates, and one for Hall of Fame Racing that ran out of the Yates shop. Another Yates car attempted the first five races of the year, and the Wood Brothers ran a limited schedule with former champion Bill Elliott.

With the states of General Motors and Chrysler (and thus their motorsports budgets) still somewhat in flux, however, Ford and its “open communication” strategy became most attractive to the fringe teams on the grid, teams that would in the past campaign Chevrolets or Toyotas because they were the most readily available. Given the opportunity to use information developed in Jack Roush’s shops, as opposed to working on their own and struggling to remain in the top 35, these teams are making the obvious choice to ally.

This “open communication” strategy came out of the fall of what used to be one of the sport’s most powerful teams. Over the past few years, the once-mighty Robert Yates Racing evolved into Yates Racing, which became, in effect, a satellite team for Roush. Former Roush employee Max Jones joined Doug Yates to run the team, which relied on Roush sponsorship contacts to campaign former Roush driver Travis Kvapil in its No. 28 car.

Roush and Yates had already merged their engine departments, which were two of the best in the sport, and began supplying to the Wood Brothers early in the decade. While NASCAR had set a team cap, this system in effect allowed Jack Roush to run nearly ten cars.

Now, by attracting teams that would not have received any support at all from Chevrolet, which has been cutting back on its motorsports spending, and plucking one of the only two major Dodge teams, Roush can effectively run nearly a dozen on any given weekend.

The biggest question that comes from this near-doubling of Ford’s presence, however, is whether or not the right drivers are in place to win the brand a manufacturer’s championship. Most of the teams have solid personnel – Front Row and Furniture Row have benefitted from the big teams downsizing, adding personnel that would not have been available to them in a better economy, but the men behind the wheel are just as important.

The three new drivers joining the brand are Kvapil, Kevin Conway, and Regan Smith. Kvapil and Smith only competed in limited schedules in 2009, and Conway is a rookie with less than 30 combined starts in Nationwide and the Truck Series. As solid as Kvapil was in 2008, and Smith’s near-win at Talladega of that year and no-DNF streak notwithstanding, none of the three will likely contend to win races.

By running a limited schedule, the Wood Brothers are reasonably competitive in the 13 or so races a year that they attempt, but 1985 champion Bill Elliott can’t race forever.

At Petty, Allmendinger is improving, but Sadler is no longer the same driver who made the Chase in 2004. Paul Menard regressed last season, with no strong finishes to show for his efforts. And the reunification of Kahne and Richard Petty with the Ford brand feels awkward and forced, given Petty’s history with Dodge and Ford’s lawsuit against Kahne when he left the brand to go Cup racing.

Even Roush has its questions. Which David Ragan will we see in 2010 – the near-Chase driver of 2008, or the “arrow without feathers” that returned in 2009? Will Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth return to victory lane after struggling last season? What the heck happened to Carl Edwards last year, and will he be fully recovered from the broken ankle he suffered playing Frisbee?

This is an important season for the Ford brand in the Sprint Cup Series. It’s been years since this many Fords have showed up on the grid with plans for full-time schedules, and these teams want to establish Ford as the top make in the series. They’re finally on par with Chevrolet and Toyota in terms of car count. The goal is to establish the new teams as contenders. If the new Ford teams can even knock on the top 20, we may see an end to the run of Chevrolet dominance.

Filed under: NASCAR, Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Racing

Tagged with: Ford, Front Row Motorsports, Furniture Row Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush-Fenway Racing, Wood Brothers Racing

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Sponsor Switches in NASCAR Just Part of the Business

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

December 24, 2009 4:41 pm CST No Comments

I saw the weirdest thing a few days ago.

I was in the middle of one of my thrice-daily Jayski.com runs, checking the paint scheme gallery for some of the cars that will run next year, when I saw a No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford for Carl Edwards that had Kellogg’s and Cheez-It decals plastered all over it.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I had been aware of this sponsorship switch for at least a month. I knew it was coming. But something about seeing a tangible representation of the scheme just felt weird.

For one, it maintained the bright yellow that Kellogg’s had been using with Hendrick Motorsports since 2004, as well as the red and blue that had been accent colors. I knew they were Kellogg’s colors, but something about them felt more like Hendrick colors. Keep in mind that before Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the team, all four cars ran that shade of yellow in their numbers. The blue also matched up best with CarQuest Auto Parts, a remaining Hendrick sponsor that had partnered with Kellogg’s on the No. 5 car for the past few years.

It felt kind of like a Hendrick Motorsports Ford, and kind of like somebody’s Photoshop project for a NASCAR computer gaming website. It felt like one of those ideas that sounded good at the time, but didn’t quite work out.

That’s when I remembered that it was a real car, due to hit the track in 2010, and that the 16-year relationship between Hendrick and Kellogg’s was no more.

It’s just part of the business - sponsors go wherever they feel they can get the most bang for their buck. Two races with the young and fit Carl Edwards made more sense to company execs than 18 races with the older (but similarly fit, and better performing on-track) Mark Martin.

Sponsor loyalty cannot be relied upon in the business anymore. How else can one explain Valvoline returning to Roush in a primary sponsorship role with Matt Kenseth next year, nine years after leaving Mark Martin for an ill-fated experiment in team ownership?

For what other reason would Subway shift its loyalty from Greg Biffle to Tony Stewart to Carl Edwards over the past three years?

It happens with every team, both big and small. Richard Childress Racing snagged two defectors; Caterpillar ended a 10-year relationship with Bill Davis Racing after the 2008 season to back Jeff Burton, while Cheerios ended an eight-year pact with Petty Enterprises to sponsor Clint Bowyer. Budweiser spent seven years with DEI from 2001 to 2007 before putting their money on Kasey Kahne when Earnhardt Jr. left. DeWalt had been with Kenseth since the late 1990s before leaving this year, although the company has chalked that up to not having the marketing dollars.

Regardless, it’s rare to see a driver, team, and sponsor stick with one another for any significant length of time anymore. We just don’t see as many Richard Petty-STP, Robert Yates-Texaco, or Morgan-McClure Motorsports-Kodak combinations anymore.

Sure, there will always be a DuPont car for Jeff Gordon, a Lowe’s car for Jimmie Johnson, and a Menards car for Paul Menard. Miller Lite will continue to adorn the hood of a Penske car, Interstate Batteries and the Home Depot will stay with Joe Gibbs Racing, and Michael Waltrip will always be able to bank on NAPA sponsorship dollars. Red Bull owns its own team. Aside from that, it’s a free-for-all.

NASCAR has gotten considerably more expensive as of late, with most team owners fielding at least two to three cars. Everybody wants to have four. This facilitates an environment in which sponsors are, as of late, less willing to be patient or stick with a good thing in place. Instead, they’re always trying to take the next step up, looking for a way to align themselves with a better driver for less money, even if it means sponsoring fewer races.

It’s unfortunate that it’s the way of the business, but it’s the nature of the beast these days. So when you see Jeff Gordon rejoin the Coca-Cola Racing Family, Tony Stewart appear on Cheerios and Wheaties boxes, or Joey Logano someday pitching Budweiser, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I mean, Mark Martin’s a GoDaddy driver now, after all. It can’t make any less sense than that.

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Hendrick Motorsports, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Roush Racing

Tagged with: Carl Edwards, Hendrick Motorsports, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Roush-Fenway Racing, sponsorship changes

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Roush’s Talent Surplus Zapped Bobby Labonte

by Charlie Turner

September 1, 2009 1:27 pm CDT 2 Comments

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Eric Darnell is going to replace Bobby Labonte in the Ask.com Racing Ford Fusion at Atlanta this week.

At Atlanta. When you replace Bobby Labonte at Atlanta Motor Speedway, you have to really want to.

Labonte was, not too long ago, the king of AMS. That’s why I have to argue a bit with Matt Mercer’s contention - that Bobby just can’t get the job done.

But that doesn’t mean that I think the other part of this story is bogus. Erik Darnell is ready for a shot at a big ride. He’s part of the Roush-Fenway minor league system, and he’s gone as far in the Busch leagues as he can go. Pushed from the bottom up, by the likes of Colin Braun and Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Darnell has to move up, or out.

It’s a tough pill for Labonte to swallow, according to reports. He isn’t taking it well. I wouldn’t either. But guys get bumped in this business. Ask Jamie McMurray - another Roush-Fenway castoff.

We interviewed Bobby last week On Pit Row. Steve asked him about his plans for 2010 and as expected, he was vague, evasive. I wish we had him today. Listen to our interview with Bobby Labonte. Click the player at the start of this post.

Filed under: Ask.com Racing, Bobby Labonte, NASCAR, NASCAR Rumors, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Roush Racing

Tagged with: Clin Braun, erik darnell, ricky stenhouse jr.

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Last Sprint Cup Off Weekend Leads to Decisions for Kevin Harvick and Yates Racing

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Charlie likes to call me an "idiot". I'm not an "idiot"; I just prefer not to let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

September 1, 2009 7:06 am CDT No Comments

NASCAR puts the final Cup SeriErikes off weekend behind themselves as the final push to make the playoffs begins.

This is usually the height of NASCAR’s “silly season”; a time for teams to put together their deals for the next season. This is the time for speculation to run rampant.

But what have we seen this week? Kevin Harvick will remain at Richard Childress Racing for 2010 and Bobby Labonte will be out of the #96 Hall of Fame Racingride for seven of the final twelve races. Labonte was a guest ON PIT ROW last week and made no mention of the move. The sad state of the sport is that if there is no money to race; you don’t go racing. In the case of HOF Racing, their sponsor had only committed to the final five of twelve events and were not willing to fund the other seven races.

In steps Erik Darnell of Roush-Fenway Racing, who fields the cars for Yates Racing who partners with HOF, and brings sponsorship money with him. So while the number may be the same for those seven races, the car will not be a HOF Racing entry at all. In essence HOF Racing is loaning its number to Roush-Fenway to give one of its rookies and one of Ford Racing’s prospects some seat time.

This week’s ON PIT ROW will include an interview with Harvick, who had been rumored to be looking for a new ride. Harvick has made no excuses for the poor performance of his race team and the entire RCR effort. With the way things are in NASCAR today, Harvick may well have decided that knowing what he was dealing with was far less scary than entering a new and possibly worse situation.

This leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

If a driver is out of the Chase and moving to a new team the following year; should he be allowed to move in the current season?

Let us know what you think and we could use your response on this week’s radio show. Listen live to ON PIT ROW every Tuesday from 5-7pm ET. Call the show with your opinion and you could win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead if your call is deemed The Shell Nitrogen Enriched Call of the Day.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Ask.com Racing, Bobby Labonte, Hall of Fame Racing, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Racing, Yates Racing

Tagged with: Bobby Labonte, erik darnell, Hall of Fame Racing, Kevin Harvick, Roush-Fenway Racing, Yates Racing

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Sillier and Sillier

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary,NASCAR video,NASCAR pictures, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

July 15, 2009 6:22 pm CDT 1 Comment

With no Sprint Cup race this weekend, some of us NASCAR fans are searching for something to talk about. The IndyCar Series is off, as well, leaving major-league racing fans only with Nationwide and Camping World Truck races at Gateway and Kentucky, respectively. It’s not a bad offering, but it’s certainly nothing compared to the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard next weekend.

Because I’ve got nothing to predict this week for One and Done, I figure that now is as good a time as ever to catch folks up on this year’s Silly Season, one of the more interesting in recent memory. Martin Truex is the first big fish to move, having announced his move to Michael Waltrip Racing a couple of weeks ago, but there are plenty more drivers and sponsors on the market with strong records and sound checkbooks.

Kevin Harvick is the biggest name on the market at the moment, as multiple reports this past week have suggested that he wants out at Richard Childress Racing. Harvick’s contract is up after next year, but sponsor Shell/Pennzoil’s ends after this one.

Harvick doesn’t want to move up his own team to Sprint Cup, though, and run as an owner-driver as Tony Stewart has (with great success) this year; rather, he wants to join Stewart’s operation, this year’s biggest surprise, and take Shell with him. Sponsorship wise, the deal makes sense, as Stewart-Haas’ engine and chassis provider Hendrick Motorsports already has a deal with Shell motor oil brand Quaker State.

It’s also possible, however, that Bass Pro Shops follows Truex out of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to join Stewart-Haas, as the company is a longtime Stewart supporter. EGR believes that Bass Pro Shops will return to their No. 1 car, but with Aric Almirola the only driver candidate at the moment, they may look for more of a sure thing, such as Harvick or Ryan Newman.

Before the Harvick rumor broke, the most likely candidate for a third Stewart-Haas car was Brad Keselowski, due to his ties to Hendrick and Chevrolet. Now, however, it looks more and more like one of the following two scenarios will play out: either he’ll join Penske Racing and replace David Stremme in the No. 12 car, or he’ll join Team Red Bull (if it switches to Chevrolet), potentially in a third car for that team. (Current drivers Brian Vickers and Scott Speed appear set to return for 2010, with Vickers renewing his contract almost inevitable.)

As for other potential expansion teams, Joe Gibbs Racing may add a fourth car next year, sponsorship pending. They’re already running a fourth car in three late season races this year, potentially in preparation for a full-time gig in 2010. AJ Allmendinger has been rumored to join the team in the past, but the latest reports suggest that David Gilliland will get the ride for the three races this year and potentially next year.

One of the biggest questions remaining for 2010, however, lies not in expansion but contraction. One of Roush Fenway Racing’s current teams will be gone after this season as the team finally complies with NASCAR’s four-car limit. Drivers David Ragan and Jamie McMurray both finish up their contracts at the end of the year, and one will undoubtedly be the odd man out.

As Ragan and the No. 6 team have just started a major sponsorship deal with UPS, it looks like McMurray will leave the team. Roush’s plan, however, is to shift the odd man out and his team to Yates Racing, in order to try and strengthen that team. Current drivers Paul Menard and Bobby Labonte haven’t been running up to par with the performance of Gilliland and Travis Kvapil last year.

Yates will probably see its second overhaul in two years, combining the likely addition of a current Roush driver with the potential defection of Menard. He’s been rumored to be shopping around the family sponsorship. One intriguing option for Menard would be Robby Gordon Motorsports, which already has a long-standing deal with the Menards chain of hardware stores.

Another solid option for Menard would be to join his former EGR teammate Truex at Waltrip’s team, now running at only one level below the heavyweights. Current drivers David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose (through a JTG Daugherty Racing partnership) are solid 10th-20th place drivers every week, and are even improving as the season goes on. Both should be back next year.

If that was confusing, and a handful to decipher… it should’ve been. NASCAR’s silly season gets sillier and sillier every year, and 2009 is no exception. Expect much of the confusion to end in the coming months, however, as drivers, teams, and sponsors begin signing contracts to strengthen their positions in Sprint Cup for next year and beyond.

Filed under: Joe Gibbs Racing, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing, NASCAR, Roush Racing

Tagged with: Camping World Truck Series, IndyCar Series, silly season

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