Patrick Carpentier could be the next open-wheel driver to make the move to the Nextel Cup Series. Ray Evernham, the minority owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, said the Canadian-born Carpentier is a candidate to replace Scott Riggs in the No. 10 car next season.
Barney Visser, owner of Denver-based No. 78 Furniture Row Racing, said he and driver Joe Nemechek have agreed in principle to a contract for next season. Visser also said his team has stopped producing its own engines and has been powered by Hendrick Motorsports motors since Nemechek came aboard.CQ Hendrick will provide Visser with all his engines next year, he said.
Nationwide Insurance has signed a seven-year deal to become the title sponsor of NASCAR’s No. 2 series beginning in 2008. Nationwide replaces Anheuser-Busch, which has sponsored the second-tier Busch Series for 26 seasons. The series will be called the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The search for a new sponsor to replace Anheuser-Busch took nearly 10 months.
A deal with Subway appeared imminent in August, but never happened. That opened the door for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. of Columbus, Ohio, which presented an offer late last week. Subway also re-entered the picture, but NASCAR moved ahead with the offer by Nationwide.
Chip Ganassi Racing on Wednesday announced that 2007 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will drive the No. 40 Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series next year. Franchitti, from Scotland, will become the first European driver to compete full time at NASCAR’s highest level. He will make his stock-car debut in Friday’s ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Ganassi initiated discussions with Franchitti last year, but with the signing of Montoya for the 2007 season, he had no seat available for Franchitti. That changed when Ganassi opted not to renew the contract of David Stremme, the current driver of the No. 40 Dodge.
Haas CNC Racing on Wednesday announced that the team has signed Scott Riggs for the 2008 Sprint Cup season. The car Riggs will drive next season – No. 66 or No. 70 – will be determined at a later date. Jeff Green currently drives the No. 66, while Johnny Sauter is in the No. 70. Both drivers will be evaluated during the final seven races before Haas CNC makes a decision on its ‘08 lineup. Riggs is wrapping up a disappointing four-year stint in the No. 10 Dodge under the Ray Evernham/Gillett Evernham Motorsports/Valvoline umbrella.
NASCAR was finalizing a deal Tuesday night with Nationwide Insurance to sponsor its No. 2 series beginning in 2008, The Associated Press reports. Nationwide will replace Anheuser-Busch, which has sponsored the second-tier Busch Series for 26 seasons but said earlier this year it would end its entitlement deal at the conclusion of this season. The deal with Nationwide is estimated to be seven years at $10 million a year,
according to a person familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity because the deal had yet to be completed. A-B was paying roughly the same amount, and NASCAR initially had sought an increase in the price of the series. But despite a flurry of early suitors, NASCAR was unable to secure sponsorship in a search that has stretched nearly 10 months. A deal with Subway appeared to be imminent in August, but never materialized.
That opened the door for Nationwide, which presented an offer late last week. Subway also re-entered the picture, but NASCAR instead moved ahead on Nationwide’s offer. Allstate is the official insurance company of NASCAR, but this new sponsorship deal will likely require Nationwide to take over that role.
It looks like Scott Riggs will be next in line to take over the No. 66 Chevrolet at Haas CNC Racing. The team and Riggs are in serious discussion and the speculation is that the announcement may happen ‘within days’. Riggs future with Gillett Evernham was on shaky ground to begin with, but with the appearance of Canadian Patrick Carpentier to take over the No. 10 for next year, Riggs future at Gillett Evernham was doomed.
Coors Light will announce Tuesday a $20 million deal over five years to become the official beer of NASCAR starting in January. Coors replaces Anheuser-Busch as the official sponsor. The new deal includes renaming the pole award to the Coors Light Pole Award from the Bud Pole Award. For Coors, the NASCAR deal also replaces its sponsorship of the No. 40 Dodge in the Nextel Cup Series.
Mars U.S. was finalizing a deal Thursday to use its M&M’s brand to sponsor Kyle Busch when he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing next season. M&M’s would replace Interstate Batteries, which has sponsored Gibbs’ flagship No. 18 since its 1992 inception. J.D. Gibbs, president of the race team, didn’t respond to a request for comment. But two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Mars was working on a deal to sponsor Busch that will be officially announced next month at M&M’s World in New York City. They requested anonymity because the deal was not yet complete. The sponsorship would be a financial upgrade at JGR, which first partnered with Interstate 16 years ago. Interstate chairman Norm Miller is a close friend of Gibbs’, and Miller funded the No. 18 to help Gibbs launch what was then a single-car team. Bobby Labonte drove the car to a Cup championship in 2000. Interstate is expected to stay involved with JGR in a smaller role.
Tony Eury Jr. will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. for Hendrick Motorsports earlier than expected, team officials confirmed on Thursday. Eury, who has been Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car or crew chief for all but one season since the two broke into the Nextel Cup Series in 2000, will step down after the Oct. 7 race at Talladega Superspeedway. He will be allowed to take four members of Earnhardt’s No. 8 team with him under a deal made by DEI when it agreed to free him contractually to join Earnhardt at HMS in 2008. DEI vice president John Story said he met with Eury’s crew this week and only one person has mentioned leaving thus far. Eury and Earnhardt could work together for HMS as early as the Car of Tomorrow test at Atlanta Motor Speedway following the October 28 race.