The news this past week that Jamie McMurray is job hunting probably does not come as a great surprise to many. Though McMurray has denied such speculation, critics have had him with one foot out the door of his Roush Fenway ride ever since the beginning of 2008. Currently 22nd in the Cup standings with just two Top 10 finishes, the 31-year-old Joplin, Missouri native simply has never lived up to the hype that surrounded him in 2005 as a player in perhaps the silliest of Silly Seasons in NASCAR history. His hiring was the culmination of a series of moves that led to power plays, contract squabbles, and some unrealistically high expectations — none of which may ever be fully realized.
The events of that 2005 Silly Season were really something to behold. First came the news that McMurray had reached agreement to drive for Roush — even though he was still under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing through 2006. It was looked at as a positive change for McMurray, who, after missing out on the Chase for two straight years, reached an agreement with a team that put all five of its cars in the title hunt — making them the premier organization in Cup at the time. But Ganassi, clearly not pleased with the prospects of losing McMurray, chose to initially refuse to allow his top driver to opt out of his contract, a decision that would delay a move to Roush until the beginning of 2007. The news created a firestorm of opinions surrounding the appropriateness of McMurray negotiating with another team owner when he had well over a year remaining on his agreement with Ganassi; and in return, Ganassi’s defiant refusal to simply allow McMurray to move over to the Roush camp to replace the then-retiring Mark Martin generated considerable debate, as well.
Shortly thereafter, in perhaps an even more surprising turn of events, NASCAR’s defending champion Kurt Busch announced that he was jumping the Roush ship to replace the legendary Rusty Wallace in the almost equally legendary No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. Like McMurray, Busch requested his release from Roush for the 2006 season; but just like Ganassi, Roush refused to allow his championship caliber driver to bolt the team early. It was a cruel twist of irony that threatened to shut down both deals; however, in the end both McMurray and Busch were granted their requests to move to new teams. The owners fully capitulated — albeit after some backroom deals were made — and McMurray was permitted to move to Roush at the conclusion of the 2005 season, with Jack Roush responding in kind and allowing Kurt Busch to defect a year early to Penske.
By the time the release was given, McMurray’s original plans of replacing a retiring Mark Martin had derailed; instead, he essentially replaced Busch, working with the same team but with a new car number — the No. 26 instead of Busch’s No. 97. Martin, who had originally agreed to stay another year when it was thought that McMurray would be held to his contract with Ganassi, later agreed to stick around to help old friend Jack Roush out of his dilemma as to how to fill the void left by the unexpected exodus of Busch.
As the year began, Jamie McMurray came to Roush amid a lot of hullabaloo; but with great expectations, as well. Rumored to have been lured away from Ganassi with one of the most lucrative contract offers in NASCAR history — reported at $20 million plus performance bonuses — it appeared that Jamie McMurray had arrived at just the right time to realize his full potential. And considering the successful team he had just landed at — a team that had just won the 2004 Cup championship — he seemed a sure bet to become a major player in NASCAR for years to come.
Following in Martin’s footsteps was going to be a tall order, and it’s one you can bet that Jack Roush and his management team fully considered when deciding on a driver best suited to fill that role. Roush certainly knows race car drivers, having his share of success in picking them, and Jamie McMurray seemed to possess all the necessary qualities he desired. Not only did Roush believe the man was talented enough to strap into the seat of his No. 6 Ford, but McMurray also appeared a success in the boardrooms, a trait that’s equally as important in today’s NASCAR. And like Martin, Jamie McMurray is a nice guy, too; he is seemingly always in control of his emotions, both on and off the track. Young and handsome, Jack Roush believed that he would have a driver that he could not possibly go wrong on.
It certainly is both puzzling and hard to figure how even the best drivers have found the right combination to rise to the top of their profession sometimes. It all seems so easy, as if everything just aligns properly. A driver at the top of his game pairs with a crew chief that seems almost to be able to read his mind; holes open when wrecks seem unavoidable; a consistently winning driver’s car performs as if it is bulletproof.
But these are not a set of circumstances that have graced Jamie McMurray with any regularity during his tenure at Roush-Fenway. In fact, it is quite the opposite. And even when McMurray was given the ultimate authority to shape his program — bringing on Larry Carter as crew chief and revamping the No. 26 team from top to bottom — it did nothing to change what were ultimately disappointing and inconsistent results.
In the end, barring a miracle, Jack Roush will release McMurray before the end of his contract. Even if it’s not until 2009, he surely cannot resign him with the performance — or lack thereof — that the two have experienced for more than two years. And when it happens, the move won’t be personal … just business.
CROSSVILLE, TN.- Last Tuesday, July 17th, Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace were in town to do some dirt track racing at the Crossville Raceway. An early afternoon rain came across the track threatening the nights racing activities, but nobody gave up hope. While waiting out the rain, I hogtied Kenny Wallace for an interview, but it soon became a story telling marathon.
When the subject of Furniture Row Racing expanding to a second team for 2008, Kenny was quick to mention Sterling Marlin and the fact that he was let go that morning from Ginn Racing. “Sterling looks like he is getting close to retirement, and he and Nemecheck just got let go from Ginn Racing, and I would love to have Sterling help us. He said he doesn’t want to run more than 20 races next year, so if we can find a sponsor and I can have a teammate, Sterling Marlin is one of the best guys around.”
While rumors surrounding Sterling Marlin potentially moving to Morgan McClure Motorsports have proven unfounded, Sterling has been quoted as interested in working at Furniture Row Racing and Kenny has been quoted now as interested in working with him. Another rumor has Sterling as a potential driver for the BAM Racing 49 at Indy. However, Kenny Schrader appears to have the leg up on that ride.
But wait there is more. Back to Joe and Kenny's story telling.
Now I have heard a lot of story’s about Sterling and back in March I listened as Kyle Petty was telling some stories about Sterling and he mentioned an incident with Sterling and Rusty Wallace’s son Steven. Kyle never went into detail, and left the story hanging, so this was a perfect opportunity.
When I asked Kenny, he started to laugh and said, “Well, Sterling is from rural Tennessee, where the roads are still dirt. Sterling thinks a quarter stick of dynamite is no big deal, in Missouri we used to call them M-80’s, but these aren’t no M-80’s. So he gave my nephew Steven a whole bunch of them things. Well Steven lights one of these things and throws it under a van, and it blows up, the van lifts about 2 feet of the ground and blows the rear tires right off the thing.” Kenny assured me that no one was hurt so they all laughed about it, but I knew there was more so he continued. “ Well, about a year ago Steven got really bored at the house, he was home and his mom was home, so he lit one of these quarter sticks of dynamite. As soon as he did, Steven decided this wasn’t a good thing to do in the house. So he went into the downstairs bathroom and threw it in the toilet figuring the toilet would put it out. Well it didn’t just blow the toilet apart, it blew the plumbing right out of the wall.” Steven had to spend a few days at Kenny’s house till his mom stopped spitting nails.
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?
Two years ago it was Johnny Sauter who cruised as one of only three leaders the whole race, running 162 laps up front and taking victory at The Milwaukee Mile as the race ended under caution. Last year it was Paul Menard who led a race-high 85 laps and brushed aside a charging Kevin Harvick with three laps to go, which ultimately resulted in the aggressive Harvick spinning into a seven-car pileup while Menard rolled to victory. The last two Wisconsin races ... two Wisconsin winners. Neither Sauter nor Menard will be driving tonight. But Wisconsinites won't be without local flavor.
"I have been going to Milwaukee for as long as I can remember and watched my uncle race there along with #### Trickle, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin," said Wausau native Scott Wimmer.
"The track itself is not one of my favorites just because I don't usually like the flat tracks very much, but winning there would be one of the best places to do it because it's home," said Todd Kluever, who is from Sun Prairie.
Mauston native Kelly Bires will be making just the third Busch Series start of his career by again filling in for Jon Wood. It will be his first NASCAR start at The Milwaukee Mile, although he has won at the track before in the American Speed Association Late Model Series.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Frank Kreyer, a 37-year-old from Lyndon Station who has plenty of Late Model experience but will be making his Busch Series debut. He ran two Truck Series races at Martinsville and Mansfield to get certified to drive in the Busch Series.
He is not necessarily my boy. But I hope you enjoyed hearing more about Kelly Bires who appears to be an up and coming young gun in NASCAR. If he isn't my boy, why am I writing about him? He is a team mate of my boy Bobby Hamilton Jr. on the Ford Racing team in the Busch Series. That's why. Cheers!
There are many people in the garage who think Steve Wallace has potential. He bested more than 20 Cup drivers to win the pole for the spring 2007 Busch Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Wallace, the youngest full-time driver in the Busch Series however, is still working to gain valuable experience.
In order to accelerate the teenagers learning process in the Busch Series, officials of RWI Racing have announced that NASCAR veteran and television analyst Kenny Wallace, the 19-year-old's uncle, will serve as the team's chief spotter and driver coach to his nephew for the remaining 2007 Busch Series events that serve as companion races to the Nextel Cup Series. The elder Wallace drives the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet in the Nextel Cup Series and also works on pre- and post-race programs on SPEED from those events. In his 10 full seasons in the Busch Series, Kenny Wallace set the bar for consistency. He finished nine of those 10 seasons ranked among the top-10 in the point standings and never finished worse than 11th. It is this consistency he hopes to add to his teenage nephew's skills.
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