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Re-sign of Kenseth answers and raises questions for Roush
By admin | November 23, 2008
By Richard Allen
Roush Fenway Racing’s re-signing of Matt Kenseth answered one very important question for that organization going into 2009. But at the same time, it also raised an important question as well.
The question answered is, what was to become of Kenseth at the end of the 2009 season? The former Sprint Cup champion’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season. He would have been a much sought after prize by other teams had he not been locked down by RFR.
Certainly, to go through a season with an unsigned driver would have created a distraction that no one on the #17 team would have wanted.
Team co-owner Jack Roush summed up the team’s feelings when he said, “Matt Kenseth is a champion in every sense of the word and John Henry and I are proud to have him in our stable of drivers. Over the last 11 years Matt has been a leader in our organization and a voracious competitor on track, and to know that he will continue on in that role with Roush Fenway is gratifying.”
However, just because RFR has settled the issue with Kenseth does not mean they have settled all their issues.
In 2010 the NASCAR mandated limit of four teams per organization will go into effect. RFR currently fields five teams. Obviously, if Kenseth had been allowed to leave the organization at the end of the 2009 campaign the team count would have taken care of itself by simple attrition. Clearly, though, giving up a championship caliber driver was not the means by which RFR wanted to accomplish that goal.
So, how will Roush and co-owner John Henry whittle their organization down to the mandated number of teams after the next trip to the Homestead-Miami Speedway?
With Kenseth’s new deal, RFR has its top three drivers locked down for years to come. Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards are each signed through 2011. Each of their teams have lucrative sponsorship deals in place as well.
That would seemingly leave Jamie McMurray and David Ragan racing to save their spot on the team in 2009.
Both the #6 team of Ragan and the #26 team of McMurray have made recent moves that would seem to indicate that although the contracts of both drivers runs out in 2009, neither is looking to be shut down.
The #6 team will have a new sponsor in 2009 and beyond. UPS has moved from Michael Waltrip Racing to join forces with Roush Fenway. It does not appear as though the new sponsor nor the team owners anticipate that team being the subject of a cutback.
Ragan showed progress as a driver throughout last season and at times appeared ready for a breakout victory.
The #26 team is considered by many to be the favorite for a trimming. However, crew chief Larry Carter has been moved out and new crew chief Donnie Wingo has been brought in. Wingo served as McMurray’s crew boss when he drove for Ganassi Racing.
McMurray and his team had the appearance of a race winning contender at the end of the past season. If RFR had the intention of shutting this team down at year’s end next season then why go through the hassle of a crew chief swap, especially when the team’s performance was improving?
The prevailing thought among NASCAR insiders is that one of the Roush teams will simply be moved over to RFR’s sister organization, Yates Racing, after next year. However, the likelihood is that all five of the RFR teams will be inside the Top 35 of the standings at season’s end in 2009. It would be difficult for any owner to simply give away such a valuable piece of the company.
There could possibly be another option for Roush Fenway Racing. If they have five sponsored teams ready to go into the 2010 season, NASCAR may have no other choice by that time but to relax its four team mandate.
With the economy in a state of disarray, there is the real possibility of having race fields with less than 43 cars in the near future. With the prospect of reduced fields NASCAR may find it difficult to force an organization that could not only field a team, but a contending team, to reduce its numbers.
It may make for an interesting year of behind the scenes wrangling.
Yes, Matt Kenseth re-signing with Roush answered the question of the driver’s status beyond the near future. But, it also raised questions about the future of the company he drives for.
Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association. His weekly column appears in The Mountain Press every Wednesday.
Topics: Articles |
November 24th, 2008 at 10:32 am
What is missing from all of this is. RFR has not yet filed their lawsuit against NASCAR to atempt to prevent the forced contraction.
Nothing will be “a done deal” until after that happens.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I think RFR sees longterm with David Ragan. I have maintained all along that Jamie McMurray will be looking for a job. He is too hot and cold. He hand picked Larry Carter to be his CC and things did not work until it was learned he would be leaving that post. I know Jamie has worked with Donnie Wingo and had success. But I dont see that happening again. He will be mediocre at best.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Roush will need to do something. As a Kenseth fan, I’m awfully glad he’s staying but I want the 99s cars!!!!!
November 24th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I’ve said this all along that in 2010, the Roush lineup will be Ragan, Biffle, Kenseth, and Edwards. McMurray? Well, if you think about this, Yates racing is in partnership with Roush to build Ford engines. And at the beginning of 2008, Yates moved from Mooresville to Concorde to the shop vacated by the former MB Motorsports, which is located right next store to one of Roush’s shops (which is across the street from his other shop). Roush also supplies chassis’ for Yates, and despite some very nasty comments I’ve read through message boards like the one’s on Jayski, Roush does give a lot of help to Yates. I make the joke that he just slides them through the hole in the fence that separates the shops. And all year, they’ve been calling Yates Racing a satellite team of Roush, just like the former Haas Racing, now Stewart-Haas Racing, is a satellite team of Hendrick. So where will McMurray end up in 2010? The entire 26 team, sponsor and all, will end up being “sold” to Yates. I know the “hot” rumour is that one of Yates’ current drivers is being given the boot, likely Gilliland, and Yates will only be running a two-car team in 2009. I don’t believe it! Yates will have three cars at Daytona, Kvapil, Gilliland, and Menard. And in 2010, he’ll be adding the Crown Royal - Jamie McMurray car to his team too! Bet on it!