Sterling Marlin may not be without a Nextel Cup ride for long. Late Tuesday a team source at Morgan-McClure Racing which currently fields the no. 4 Chevy with veteran Ward Burton said that officials there are in discussions with Marlin for a possible second team. Marlin scored six of his ten career wins at Morgan-McClure while driving the No. 4 from 1994-1997.
Sterling wants to keep driving some. He just likes driving. The money is good. But he doesn't need it.
More than one driver has stayed out there too long. Richard Petty did. Darrell Waltrip did. More recently, Kenny Schrader, Kenny Wallace, Ward Burton and Ricky Rudd are.
I have a lot more respect for people like Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin and Terry Labonte who know when to say when. Bill Elliott is in a class by himself. He has proven to have an uncanny ability to drive anyone's car and help them out. See his recent renaissance in the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing car.
If Sterling goes to MMM, I'll give him a chance to pull off a miracle this year before giving up on him.
I do not like the way things at Ginn went down. However, all you had to do was look at Ginn's business record to know that he might do something like what he did.
Given Ginn may merge with DEI, might MMM merge with Haas? Burton plus Marlin = two car team + Haas = four car team (franchise for 2009)?
Wouldn't it be sweet to see Sterling back in the 4 with Kodak on the side? Damn, I'm starting to dream again already.
And oh yeah, wasn't Ward going to pay Sterling back or something? How might this work out?
One more thought. 1997? Ten years have gone by already?
Jaimie McMurray wanted to be my man. I know he doesn't have a clue who I am. It is a fantasy. It is called play. So pardon me if I offer him an imaginary five year contract if Sterling does not win a race this year.
Sterling Marlin had a chance tonight. He could have won. Who knows? He still has a shot at Talladega. It's too bad "it blew a tire" tonight.
Someone said my heart would tell me who my favorite was. I never knew how much I wanted to pull for Jaimie next year until that finish right there. I know some Sterling Marlin fans don't like Jaimie because of his picture of him in the 42 flipping Sterling off. But to me, Jaimie, who last won in Sterling's car when Sterling was hurt 186 races ago, is the perfect transition. It is a lineage of family. And after all, it took Sterling more than 200 starts to find his first win.
I also am becoming less of a Tennessean as I haven't lived there in 23 years and more of a Missourian having lived there 9 years since then. I am happy. I want to share that happiness with you guys. I would appreciate no bashing. But you guys will do what you will do.
It looks like my all time favorite drivers list will look like this; Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Sterling Marlin and Jaimie McMurray. Right now Jaimie doesn't hardly belong in that list. But I believe he has it in him and that there will be many more wins to come.
Jeff Gordon has a lifetime contract and Du Pont is signed through 2008. He is not going anywhere and I don't think Du Pont is either. Du Pont and Gordon go together just like Richard Petty and STP.
Jimmie Johnson and Lowes are signed through 2010. There will be no movement here either. I know, I know, nobody expects Gordon or Johnson to move. Bur bear with me. I am just sitting the table here.
Kyle Busch is signed through 2008 as are Car Quest and Kellogg's. Again, no movement here.
Casey Mears is signed through 2008 as well. However, the National Guard is not signed beyond this season. So Hendrick needs a sponsor here. Is Budweiser and Dale Jr. the answer? I honestly hope not. I would hate to see Casey Mears get done this way. Hendrick has a pretty good reputation. I don't think he wants to sully it.
Of course, I never thought Jr. would leave Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) this season either. Shows how much I know.
Waltrip started slow that year but he whittled away at Bobby Allison's early lead. With six races to go Waltrip took over the lead in one of the best championship races ever. Waltrip would eventually defeat Allison by 53 points. Darrell won 12 races that year. Count them 12. The man can say boogity boogity boogity if he wants. He earned the right.
Although Buick had previously only won two NASCAR races (both in 1955), 1981 began a period of complete dominance. Twelve models were eligible for 1981, but aerodynamics and rules favored the Regal. Darrell and just about everyone were driving the newly designed Buick. Buick's roster also included Richard and Kyle Petty, Harry Gant, Bobby Allison, Terry Labonte, Tim Richmond and many others.
DW's 1981 Championship season is now recognized as one of the most impressive runs in NASCAR history, as he fought back from a 341-point deficit in the final 17 races to capture the Cup.
"The Darrell Waltrip years were some of the finest in Mountain Dew's racing history," said Ralph Santana, vice president of sports, media and interactive, Pepsi-Cola North America."
"What a relief," offered Sterling Marlin, two-time Daytona 500 champion. "The three cars outside of the Top 35 with the fastest qualifying laps today were guaranteed a spot in the 500 and we were one of them. That's a huge relief for this team and a lot of weight taken off our shoulders. Slugger (crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe) and all the guys on the Waste Management team worked their tails off in the off season to bring a car back here that we could be confident would make the show and that's exactly what they did." While only the front row was set by today's time trials, the three cars outside of the Top 35 with the fastest qualifying laps today were guaranteed a spot in the 500. Thursday's Gatorade Duel races will place drivers in the remaining positions for the Daytona 500. Because the No. 14 team ended last season outside of the Top 35 in the Nextel Cup owner point standings, Marlin wasn't not guaranteed a spot in that race.
Marlin will start fifth in the second Duel race on Thursday. We would've had another shot to make the race on Thursday, but now that we're locked in we can focus on getting a top starting spot for the 500," said Marlin. "We've been fast since we unloaded and we were happy with the way our Waste Management Chevy drove in the pack during testing. I love this race track and I'm glad I can stop worrying about making the show and start focusing on winning it." Thursday's Duel races will be broadcast live on Speed beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
The top 35 drivers from 2006 are assured a spot in the 500, but their starting position will be determined by a pair of qualifying races Thursday. It leaves eight other spots to fill, and 26 drivers are vying for them. Dale Jarrett is guaranteed one of them by virtue of the past champions provisional, as are the three fastest drivers in qualifying from that group. That caveat promised Boris Said, Sterling Marlin and Johnny Sauter spots in the race.
In August 1991 at Michigan he recorded his first Cup victory but it wasn't until 1993 that Jarrett had the breakout season. In his second year driving for Joe Gibbs, Jarrett opened the season by winning the Daytona 500. He finished the year with 13 top-fives and 18 top-10s to finish fourth in points.
In 1995 Jarrett joined Robert Yates Racing and became one of the series' top drivers. In 1997 he won a personal-best seven races, and in 1999 put together one of the best seasons in NASCAR history. Jarrett won four times that year, but he finished in the top five in 24 of 34 races and 29 times finished in the top 10. He joined his father (twice) as a Cup champion and made the Jarretts just the second father-son combo to win Cup titles (Lee and Richard Petty).
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