Not much has gone right for Jamie McMurray since winning at Daytona International Speedway last July. He’s had only five top-10 finishes in the 35 races since 2007’s Pepsi 400, but there’s something about being a defending champion of a race that can raise your spirits. McMurray edged Kyle Busch by inches at Daytona last year in the final restrictor-plate race for NASCAR’s old Cup car. The win was the second of McMurray's career and snapped a six-year winless streak.
McMurray’s No. 26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford will sport a special Irwin Industrial Tools paint scheme in this weekend’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, a scheme similar to the one used last year.
McMurray hasn’t been close to victory lane this year, with a best finish of eighth at Martinsville earlier this season. He was 18th at Infineon Raceway and 41st last weekend at New Hampshire after being in a crash with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Sources indicate that Ginn Racing may already have been removed from Kyle Busch's short list of potential employers for 2008 and beyond. If so, that would be disappointing for Jay Frye, CEO and general manager of Ginn Racing.
"We would certainly be interested in speaking with Kyle, yes," Frye said prior to last Sunday's Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway. "All this just happened last week. I think the dust needs to settle, and hopefully within the next couple of weeks we'll be able to get with his group and see where we're at."
Explaining why he would like to add Busch to the Ginn stable of Cup drivers that currently includes part-timers Mark Martin and Regan Smith, and veteran full-timers Joe Nemechek and Sterling Marlin, Frye added: "He's 22 years old and he's already been out here a couple of years. He's one of the best Cup drivers out here today. So he's a phenomenal talent. We think he's a great kid. So the upside is huge. The potential is huge. And when you speak of potential that means what is yet to come and he's really, really good right now."
Of course when someone is available and teams are pursuing him, you hear all kinds of stuff floating around the garage. One of the rumors making the rounds in Michigan was that Ginn Racing already had offered Busch a job. Frye said that wasn't true, although he added that he would like to make it happen.
He said the plan for next year is to again pair Martin with another young driver in one car, while Smith, Martin's part-time partner this year, moves up full time from the Busch Series to the Cup Series. Future plans for Nemechek and Marlin are still being formulated, Frye added, although he did say Marlin wants to cut back to a part-time ride next season as well and the team is still discussing "how it would work, if he could or not, and that's still kind of up in the air."
Most of Frye's recent focus has been on trying to catch Busch's attention -- sort of like the young up-and-coming sophomore at the high-school prom trying to land at least one dance with the most popular senior, where he can pitch the seemingly outrageous idea of beginning a long-term romance.
"There is no truth to the rumor that we've offered him a job. We certainly want to offer him one, yes. We certainly want to talk with them," Frye said of Busch. "We think between him and Regan, if we could match them up as two young 22-, 23-year-old guys that would definitely set the program up for a long time. Mark would be a phenomenal mentor for those two as we go forward. It could be a very exciting prospect."
Frye said Ginn Racing is poised to go to a four-car Cup operation next year whether Busch comes aboard or not.
"We've been preparing for the Busch team, along with Regan, to graduate into the Cup Series," Frye said. "It would just be a Cup team vs. a Busch team. We're already a four-car team. It just happens that one of the teams is a Busch team right now."
Personally I think Kyle wants to go to DEI, run Childress power with sponsorship from Bud and shove it in Hendrick's and Jr.'s faces!
This does not sound good for my man Marlin. If Martin is paired with a young driver it will be Karl Kinser. Then you would have Nemechek and Smith. Signing Busch or any other full time driver would leave Marlin out of a ride. However, realistically speaking, being forced to retire might be best for Marlin.
Suddenly, the oft-temperamental, 22-year-old driver has been thrust into the role as the most coveted free-agent driver in the Nextel Cup Series and is drawing more interest from race teams than even Dale Earnhardt Jr. was. Fifteen races into this season, he is 11th in points. His crew chief, Alan Gustafson, can only hope that his race team can maintain its focus and make the season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. Gustafson does expect that he will be competing against Busch in the future for several Nextel Cup victories. He also added that Busch does need to mature a little bit.
"Actually, I'm just kind of flattered and excited about all the interest and phone calls that we've gotten," Busch said. "I haven't talked to any representatives from any teams. "I've got people that stand behind me that do that stuff for me, so when it comes down to the point where I feel like there's some people I need to talk to, we'll definitely sit down." "I'm interested in talking to anybody who wants to talk, so whether it's DEI, whether it's Gibbs, RCR, [Ray] Evernham, [Robert] Yates, whoever's got an open seat," Busch said, "whatever, let's go, let's sit down. Let's have dinner."
Car owners can hope they will be able to spark a change in Busch's oft-bitter persona. After all, he has gone through a great deal at such a young age without the warnings of exactly what it would take to adjust to a grueling NASCAR lifestyle. As of now, Busch is preparing to find his new home.
I am thinking dinner will not include Frosted Flakes.
Kyle Busch looked like his future at Hendrick Motorsports was secure when team owner Rick Hendrick said he didn't have any room to add Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to his stable with four drivers under contract. But that changed this week when Junior signed a five-year deal to join Hendrick beginning next season, essentially replacing Busch. Busch maintains the decision for he and Hendrick to part ways was mutual, at least publicly, but there have been several reports he was completely surprised by the turn of events.
"We decided it and sat down and talked about things and decided it would be in both of our best interests to get a fresh start," he said Friday in the Michigan International Speedway media center. "I feel like it's a time where I can step away from where I've been for a few years and try to get a fresh start and see what else is out there."
Kyle Busch, a native of Las Vegas, traditionally has run well at the three NASCAR stops that are nearest to his hometown. Of the three West Coast ovals on the NASCAR circuit (California, Las Vegas and Phoenix), Busch has earned two Cup victories, two Cup poles, one Busch Series pole, 11 top-10 finishes (Cup and Busch Series combined) and led a total of 341 laps.
"I love West Coast racing. Maybe the positive attitude has something to do with it. I don't know. It just seems like we run well every time we're in the Pacific Time zone,'' said Busch.
"California Speedway in particular really fits my driving style. I think it's because of how flat it is. The track just clicks for me personally and the 5 Cup team. So, I guess it's not expecting too much to think it will click for the Busch (Series) team as well."
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