(photo courtesy Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

If anyone doesn’t think that Mark Martin is a proud old warrior, you better rethink that thought!  Martin made it clear last week in a very rare flare of anger after ESPN analyst, former crew chief and team owner, Ray Evernham, suggested that Mark Martin should bow out gracefully from the Hendrick . . . → Read More: Martin-Hendrick: Could Get Ugly]]>

(photo courtesy Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

If anyone doesn’t think that Mark Martin is a proud old warrior, you better rethink that thought!  Martin made it clear last week in a very rare flare of anger after ESPN analyst, former crew chief and team owner, Ray Evernham, suggested that Mark Martin should bow out gracefully from the Hendrick Motorsports stable of drivers to allow Kasey Kahne into the #5 Chevy.

The audacity of that suggestion struck a very raw nerve in the 51 year old warrior.  An irate Martin made it abundantly clear that he will not give up his ride without a fight!  He has a contract with HMS and fully expects Hendrick to fulfill his part of the contract!  Anything less than that is totally unacceptable to Martin.

Rick Hendrick created this mess by signing Kasey Kahne to a contract that is not starting until 2012.  Granted, Hendrick needed to strike and sign Kahne early, however what is a driver of Kahne’s caliber to do for the 2011 season?  Therein lies the confusion, the rancor, and a huge logistics problem.  Hendrick has five drivers signed with the maximum of four race teams allowed by NASCAR.  No problem according to Hendrick, Kahne will join the team after Martin leaves at the end of the 2011 season!

Obviously Hendrick wanted Kahne to join his company, no matter what the cost.  However, it has been a disaster in the making from the start.  Why make the announcement in early 2010 for the 2012 season?  That announcement only fueled the fire of speculation over Kahne’s future employment status for 2011.  The collateral damage from Hendrck’s announcement has caused the waters surrounding Mark Martin to become muddied, turbulent, and infected with alligators waist deep!

In 2010, Martin’s team has struggled with their performance, adding additional fuel to the fire, and magnifying this tenuous position that Martin has been thrust into!  The outside speculation and pressure continues to mount weekly

So this is the deal.  HMS has five very talented drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt,Jr.,Mark Martin, and Kasey Kahne, signed to drive four cars.  It doesn’t appear that Hendrick has been able to line up a ride for Kasey Kahne for the 2011 season, at this point in time.  A talented driver, such as Kahne, will not be willing to sit out an entire season waiting for the contract to become enforceable.

Therefore, having five drivers for only four race teams has put rick Hendrick into a very delicate situation.  Martin has made it very clear that he is not “expendable”, and is not going to be pushed out of the #5 Chevy!  Hendrick has been extremely busy trying to line up employment in 2011 for Kahne.  As the season starts to draw to close, the possibilities for Kahne’s 2011 season are not looking so bright!

The Kanhe signing has had many side affects within the HMS organization.  Nevertheless, you can’t fault Hendrick for grabbing Kahne when he could, even though it has turned into a car owners worst nightmare!

Hendrick’s options seems to be dwindling as the days tick off!  What is car owner to do?

What are your thoughts as to how Hendrick could solve his delicate problem?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Tom Whitmore/Getty Images)

Could it be that Dale Earnhardt,Jr.’s rise in the standings this season is related to the fall of Mark Martin?

Earnhardt finished fourth last Saturday night at the Coke Zero 400 and climbed up to 12th position in the Chase.  Meanwhile Martin was caught up in one of the “big ones”, finished 28th . . . → Read More: Is Dale Jr’s Fortunes Martin’s Misfortunes?]]>

(photo courtesy Tom Whitmore/Getty Images)

Could it be that Dale Earnhardt,Jr.’s rise in the standings this season is related to the fall of Mark Martin?

Earnhardt finished fourth last Saturday night at the Coke Zero 400 and climbed up to 12th position in the Chase.  Meanwhile Martin was caught up in one of the “big ones”, finished 28th and fell out of the Chase to 13th place.

Is this just racing luck or is there something to this analysis?  If you look at the bigger picture, maybe there is something here.  During the off season Rick Hendrick made some changes to try to bolster the sagging performance of “NASCAR’s rock star”, Dale Jr.  and the #88 race team. Hendrick moved some “key players” from Martin’s team over to Earnhardt, Jr.’s team.  It was explained as part of “reorganization “ effort to help both teams.

After last year’s performance, Mark Martin’s team really didn’t need any help, they had 5 victories to show for themselves.  What needed help?  Now 18 races into the season, Martin has zero victories and has fallen out of the Chase.

There is also this small item, what to do with the new Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kasey Kahne, for the 2011 season?    There is much conjecture on the future of Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, and Hendrick Motorsports.  Martin has a contract to drive full time with HMS in 2011, but the water is still very murky as to how the pieces of this puzzle will fit together.

Does any or all of this Kahne, Martin, and HMS negotiations have an affect on the Martin’s 2010 performance?  One thing that is for sure, winning in NASCAR requires a multitude of factors to fit together snugly, from mechanical to mental, and many things in between.  There are some people that may wondering if Hendrick’s tinkering may have upset the apple cart.

Nevertheless, there is some happy news for the ardent Mark Martin fan.  Martin is only a handful points out of 12th place.  The driver currently in 12th place is  Carl Edward, hardly a powerhouse and winless in 2010.

What is your view on Martin’s slide and Junior’s ascent?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

Breaking news from SI.com:

Hendrick Motorsports and James Finch are working on a partnership to put Kasey Kahne in the #09 car for 2011, SI.com has learned. Multiple sources indicate the deal could be completed within the next few weeks. Hendrick will not be allowed to own the car . . . → Read More: Kahne To Phoenix Racing’s 09 Car in 2011?]]>

(photo courtesy Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

Breaking news from SI.com:

Hendrick Motorsports and James Finch are working on a partnership to put Kasey Kahne in the #09 car for 2011, SI.com has learned. Multiple sources indicate the deal could be completed within the next few weeks. Hendrick will not be allowed to own the car under NASCAR’s four-team rule, leaving Finch in the position of ownership, although engines and chassis would continue to come from Hendrick.

Once completed, the partnership solves the HMS dilemma of where to put Kahne next season. Signed to take over the #5 car in 2012, Kahne leaves RPM at the end of the year but Hendrick already has four signed drivers — Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson — under contract for 2011. Stewart-Haas Racing was the first option for Kahne, but sources claim sponsorship and financial constraints for that team have made such a move impossible.

Instead, the partnership with Phoenix Racing is a compromise solution. Under a one-year deal, Kahne will be installed with a single-car team that gives him the opportunity to continue running full-time. Here’s the kicker: once Kahne moves to HMS, sources claim the man he’s replacing, Mark Martin, may be interested in purchasing the Phoenix team for 2012 as he scales back his driving career.

Spokesmen on both sides have denied a deal is in the works. According to Hendrick spokesman Jesse Essex, “Our position with regard to 2011 has not changed. We continue to be open to various options, and nothing has been determined at this time.” The 51-year-old Martin also remains uncommitted to his future beyond 2011.

“I have to say options are in the beginning stages of formulating for what ’12 would bring,” he said at a press conference Friday morning in Michigan. “With not a very high sense of urgency, since I have actually made it clear that I am going to be driving the #5 car next year. It’s still real early to talk about ’12. I don’t think that anything that we had initially had thrown up in the air works great with me driving the #5 in ’11 and getting involved with some other team… although you never know what might happen.”

The dominoes are starring to fall into place regarding Kasey Kahne’s 2011 driving future.  Never underestimate the creativeness and power that Rick Hendrick possesses!

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

Retail giant, Wal-Mart is in in deep discussions with NASCAR teams and NASCAR officials about a wide ranging deal that has both sponsorship, licensing implications, and could see Wal-mart sponsoring a Hendrick Motorsports team or one of the other powerhouse teams.

Senior level Wal-Mart executives were the guests of NASCAR at the May 22nd . . . → Read More: Wal-Mart In Negotiations With NASCAR]]>

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

Retail giant, Wal-Mart is in in deep discussions with NASCAR teams and NASCAR officials about a wide ranging deal that has both sponsorship, licensing implications, and could see Wal-mart sponsoring a Hendrick Motorsports team or one of the other powerhouse teams.

Senior level Wal-Mart executives were the guests of NASCAR at the May 22nd Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte.  One week later they were back touring race shops and meeting with team executives as the mass ratailer explores NASCAR possibilities.

Although there are several scenarios, industry sources say that Wal-Mart is discussing the potential of a direct license that would make Wal-Mart NASCAR’s exclusive retailer in the mass market.  A direct license would give Wal-Mart the ability to select its suppliers and set prices for certain categories, such as hats and T-shirts.

Wal-Mart is believed to be exploring sponsorship opportunities with Hendrick Motorsports as well. Hendrick’s drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin – account for close to 75 percent of all licensed sales in the sport, industry analysts say, making it a logical team for Wal-Mart to sponsor. Hendrick has also signed popular driver Kasey Kahne, who will take over Martin’s No. 5 car in 2012.

Wal-Mart is thought to be considering a sponsorship arrangement with a team or multiple teams, with Hendrick Motorsports in the middle of those discussions. It’s unclear, though, if the mass retailer will settle on one car for a chunk of the season, sponsor multiple cars for a few races each, or perhaps put together several driver deals into a marketing platform, a la the Gillette Young Guns or the Coca-Cola family of drivers.

One scenario, according to sources, has Wal-Mart sponsoring Gordon’s # 24 Chevrolet for half of the season or more, as primary sponsor DuPont looks to scale back its spending. DuPont’s current primary sponsorship on the No. 24 car ends this season, and while the longtime sponsor is expected to remain in some form, it’s uncertain whether DuPont will remain the primary.

Other industry insiders say it’s unlikely that Wal-Mart would sponsor a single driver because the retailer will potentially have licensing arrangements across a variety of drivers.

What do you think about Wal-Mart making an entrance into NASCAR?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

After the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress were joking when they announced that they had formed a joint company in order to put Darrel Waltrip back into a race car.  Quite honestly a meeting of those two minds isn’t a bad idea.  Childress and Hendrick ought to . . . → Read More: Is There A Change In Dale Jr’s Future?]]>

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

After the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress were joking when they announced that they had formed a joint company in order to put Darrel Waltrip back into a race car.  Quite honestly a meeting of those two minds isn’t a bad idea.  Childress and Hendrick ought to put their minds together to solve a problem that is clearly growing, that of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports.

It is obvious that the Earnhardt-Hendrick equation has not added up in 2 1/2 years.  Junior has only won two races for HMS, the 2008 Bud Shootout and the June 2008 Michigan race.

The shape of thing to come may appear to be nebulous right now, but there may be clues to what the future may hold for Dale,Jr.

Last September Austin Dillon, Richard Childress’ grandson, made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Iowa Speedway driving a black # 3 Chevy Silverado.  Even though the paint scheme commemorated the 40th anniversary of RCR in NASCAR, it was eerily reminiscent of the black #3 Goodwrench Chevy by Dale Earnhardt,Sr.  The bottom line is that the black #3 was back on the race track in one of NASCAR’s elite series.

In late April there was an announcement that Dale,Jr. would drive the #3 Wrangler Chevy in the July Daytona Nationwide race.  The paint scheme is a replica of the blue and yellow Wrangler car that Dale,Sr. drove before the Goodwrench sponsorship.

Richard Childress Racing, Dale Earnhart, Inc., and JR Motorsports are jointly putting this deal together and all have a piece of this action.  RCR is the owner of record, Jr Motorsports will build and prepare the car, Hendrick will supply the motors.

If introducing the #3 into the truck and nationwide series was the start, then the next logical step seems obvious.  An Earnhardt in the #3 RCR Chevy would solve a litany of impending problems, maybe after an interim move to JR Motorsports for 2011.  That would solve the question of Kahne’s ride in 2011.

However, is Hendrick willing to sell his interest in Jr Motorsports?  That would be required if JR Motorsports were to have a Sprint Cup team in 2011.  Is the Wrangler #3 truly a “one off” deal?  Is Childress really interested in making that kind of move?  Is Dale,Jr really serious about not moving his Nationwide team up to the Sprint Cup level?  Is this a move that Dale,Jr. really would contemplate, moving back into his father’s shadow in the black #3?

What do you think about these scenarios?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy NASCAR)

Kyle Busch, driving the JGR #18 M&M’s Toyota, only led 131 laps today, but  he led the most important lap- the last one.  With 38 laps to go, Busch capitalized on a pit road mistake by the HMS #48 Lowe’s Chevy.  Johnson was flagged for speeding leaving the pits and had to return to . . . → Read More: Kyle Scores At The Autism Speaks 400]]>

(photo courtesy NASCAR)

Kyle Busch, driving the JGR #18 M&M’s Toyota, only led 131 laps today, but  he led the most important lap- the last one.  With 38 laps to go, Busch capitalized on a pit road mistake by the HMS #48 Lowe’s Chevy.  Johnson was flagged for speeding leaving the pits and had to return to the pits for a drive through penalty, relegating the #48 team to a 16th place finish Sunday.

The victory was the second for Busch during the Dover weekend,  On Friday afternoon, Busch dominated the Camping World Truck Series race, but ran out of gas on the final restart and failed to bring home the victory for his Kyle Busch Motorsports #18 Toyota Tundra.  On Saturday, however, Busch again thoroughly dominated the Nationwide Series race and was able to bring home a victory for his Nationwide JGR #18 Combos Toyota.

On Sunday, Busch was not the most dominating car, leading only 131 laps.  Jimmie Johnson led a race high of over 200 laps, however, his speeding violation with 38 laps to go was all it took for Busch to “run off and hide” from the rest of the pack.

Jeff Burton finished second Sunday and Matt Kenseth was third.

Denny Hamlin, Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, was fourth.

Points leader Kevin Harvick finished seventh. Busch moved from third to second in points – 69 behind Harvick – with the victory while Johnson fell two places to fourth.

It appears that Joe Gibbs Racing has found something that the other teams have yet to see with the return to the new/old rear deck spoiler.  Since returning to the spoiler, Joe Gibbs Racing has won 4 of 7 the Sprint Cup races.

Is the Sprint Cup torch about to be passed from Hendrick Motorsports to Joe Gibbs Racing?  What do you think?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy NASCAR)

Over the past four years how many times have the fans seen Jimmie Johnson miss a wreck or a near disaster? The driver of the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe’s Chevy always seemed to have had leprechaun riding on his shoulder.  He had an uncanny knack for avoiding most, if not, all trouble on the . . . → Read More: Has Johnson’s Luck Run Out?]]>

(photo courtesy NASCAR)

Over the past four years how many times have the fans seen Jimmie Johnson miss a wreck or a near disaster? The driver of the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe’s Chevy always seemed to have had leprechaun riding on his shoulder.  He had an uncanny knack for avoiding most, if not, all trouble on the race track.  No matter what happened at the race track, Johnson could always fall into a bucket of s##t and come out smelling like a rose!  But is that run of luck now coming to an end?

Johnson was cruising around Darlington Raceway last Saturday night, minding his own business and staying out of trouble – as he usually does – when suddenly A. J. Allmendinger lost control, zinged up the track, and nailed Johnson’s Chevy. Jimmie was OK,  but his car was a demolished pile of sheet metal and knocked out of the race.

In the past Allmendinger’s skidding car would have hit inches in front of Johnson, or just  inches behind him. And the announcers would have whooped about “another close call” for Jimmie.  But not this time. This time Jimmie was in precisely the wrong place at precisely the wrong time.

The crash at Darlington was Johnson’s third DNF (did not finish) in 2010.  The #48 team is used to racing an entire season without a single DNF, but that is not the case this year.

And so the question begs to be asked:  Has the incredible luck of the #48 Lowe’s Chevy run out?

Whether it is “luck” or defying “the odds”, Johnson has either been very lucky or just great at defying the odds.  That is what makes his four consecutive championships such a remarkable feat, but sooner or later you must pay the piper.  And it appears that the piper is standing on the pit box now collecting for the past four years!

This could be the year that the #48 Lowe’s team has to repay for all the good fortunes of the past four years!

What do you think?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

Foster Gillette, co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, fully expects Kasey Kahne to fulfil his commitment to RPM and The Ford Motor Company for 2010.

Not only do I expect that, the one thing that I do know well is what a gentleman Kasey Kahne is,” Foster Gillett, son of team principal George . . . → Read More: RPM: Life Without Kasey Kahne]]>

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

Foster Gillette, co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, fully expects Kasey Kahne to fulfil his commitment to RPM and The Ford Motor Company for 2010.

Not only do I expect that, the one thing that I do know well is what a gentleman Kasey Kahne is,” Foster Gillett, son of team principal George N. Gillett Jr., said Friday morning at Texas Motor Speedway. “I really, really believe that not only will he fulfill his contract and his commitment to us, but he’ll do it to 
the best of his ability. He’ll uphold all of the commitments that he has.”

“I think a lot of people explain him as kind of a racer’s racer,” Gillett said. “If you give him great equipment, he’ll go and win and I think that’s our focus. I really believe we have a championship-caliber team in the No. 9 team as a whole, with the driver and the sponsor and all the people that are a part of it. Our goals haven’t changed. We show up here to win with that car. We show up to win with all of our cars and we look forward to trying to get him into the Chase and compete for a championship.”

I think many different owners or teams in this sport would take a 30-race contract with Kasey Kahne to try and do the best they can,” Gillett said. “He’s probably one of the nicest people in this sport. He’s one of the greatest racers and we’re pleased to have had him for as long as we have, and we’re focused on our next 30 races with him to see what we can do. We want to win races. Obviously, when there’s a change like this it opens opportunities for others. I think we’re trying to focus more on what opportunities we have than what we might potentially lose.”

Gillett declined to say if Kahne has a non-compete contract that prevents the driver from taking Bud with him to another team. “That’s a contractual, private matter and we’re going to keep it there,” said Gillett, whose current lineup also includes Elliott Sadler, A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Menard. Of that group, only Sadler (three wins) has visited Victory Lane in NASCAR’s premier series.

Through all of this massive upheaval, Gillette talked very positively about the driver that is bolting from his stable.

However, one of the biggest fall-outs from all this upheaval at RPM is the possibility of loosing Budweiser as the big dollar sponsor for RPM.  That could be a catastophic for RPM and possibly add to the already financial difficulties that they have had to endure.

Stay tuned gang, the Hendrick-Kahne saga still has a few more chapters to be written!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

The  big news in the NASCAR garage this week is the Hendrick Motorsports signing of Kasey Kahne to drive the #5 HMS Chevy staring in the 2012 season.  That headline puts Mark Martin, the current driver of the HMS #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy, in very precarious position.

It’s not like Martin is building this . . . → Read More: Is Martin A Lame Duck?]]>

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

The  big news in the NASCAR garage this week is the Hendrick Motorsports signing of Kasey Kahne to drive the #5 HMS Chevy staring in the 2012 season.  That headline puts Mark Martin, the current driver of the HMS #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy, in very precarious position.

It’s not like Martin is building this team for a very young inexperienced driver to take control of once Martin retires.  Quite to the contrary, Martin will be turning over the reins of the #5 Chevy to a very capable and experienced driver, Kasey Kahne.  Kahne is a proven winning driver, in waiting!  If the facts are correct about this new Hendrick-Kahne contract, it would appear that the sooner that Kahne takes over the driving status of the #5 team, the better it is for the entire race team.  No Lame duck!

This story has a very familiar sound to it.  It mirrors a story that erupted back in 2004 when, this very same, Kasey Kahne make his entrance into the Sprint Cup scene with Evernham Motorsports.  In 2004 Kahne took over the driving duties in the Evernham #9 Dodge from a very capable veteran, Bill Elliott.  In the last 7 races of 2003, Elliott had an average finish of 4.56 including a win at Rockingham.  Is this current Hendrick-Kahne situation deja vu?

Martin, like Elliott, has shown that he is still a very capable race car driver.  But with this HMS logistical dilemma, what is Mark Martin supposed to do?

Does Martin stubbornly stay in the driver’s seat of the #5 car through the end of 2011?  Should he volunteer to step out of the car at the end of 2010 and request to drive for JR Motorsports in the #88 Nationwide Chevy in 2011?  Martin then could try to make an arrangement to race for a team that is closely aligned to HMS, Stewart-Haas, or Phoenix Racing,  in selective Sprint Car races at  Martin’s favorite tracks?

It is very obvious that Martin needs to formulate a good and graceful exit strategy for his Sprint Cup driving duties at Hendrick Motorsports!   There are a number of options that must be explored and negotiated very soon!

What are you views?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Rusty Jarrett/Garret Images)

This newly announced deal between Kasey Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports is so full of holes that it looks like Swiss Cheese.  Most people who might have been involved in this kind of deal, with so many details left undone, that they would not get involved at all from the very beginning.  The . . . → Read More: Kahne To HMS A Leap Of Faith?]]>

(photo courtesy Rusty Jarrett/Garret Images)

This newly announced deal between Kasey Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports is so full of holes that it looks like Swiss Cheese.  Most people who might have been involved in this kind of deal, with so many details left undone, that they would not get involved at all from the very beginning.  The contract seems to be knee jerk and half-baked at the very best!

In this day and age in which handshake deals are not worth the paper they are written on, in a time when leaps of faith in the business world are routinely rewarded with high speed plunges to the bottoms of rocky chasms, it is inconceivable that two parties would enter into this kind of multi-million-dollar, career-determining deal.  But again this is Hendrick Motorsports making this deal.

There are so many strings dangling that anyone in their right mind would not get involved in this particular situation.  But this deal is a done deal for one specific reason, it is Rick Hendrick making the deal!

Kahne summed this deal of a lifetime up in in just seven succinct words.  “You dream of driving for Mr. Hendrick,” Kahne said.  There is a powerful allure to drive for the man who has two four-time champions in his employ, and is affectionately know as just Mr. H.  The mystique is so powerful that Kahne was willing to put his career in limbo just for the opportunity to drive for Rick Hendrick.

Since Mark Martin is under contract with HMS to drive the #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy through the end of the 2011 race season, where does that leave Kahne?  He will be in the hands of Rick Hendrick Employment Services, and Mr. H has said that he, himself, is responsible for placing Kahne into a race team for 2011.  Hendrick states further that there are “tons” of options.

So the guessing game starts as to where Kasey Kahne will land just for the 2011 Sprint Cup season.  At Workingonmyredneck the view is that Stewart-Haas Racing has the inside edge for landing Kahne.  But there are, at least, a couple more options that Hendrick has to explore.

But one thing is for sure, with the announcement of this deal there are at least a dozen drivers that are both angry and jealous.

There is now one less good job available!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!