Working On My Redneck ™ » paul menard

Sponsor Changes Coming

Leon — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:19:12 +0000

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

It appears that Richard Childress Racing is about to announce a new sponsor for the #29 Chevy driven by Kevin Harvick. All signs point to an announcement that Budweiser will be moving over to the #29 team for 2011. That announcement could come as early as the weekend races at Watkins Glen, NY, on the weekend of August, 8th.

If that announcement comes to fruition, the ramifications for Richard Petty Motorsports could be severe. A.J. Almendinger has been talking to several teams, including Penske Racing about 2011. If he were to take his sponsor, Best Buys, and depart RPM, that would leave Stanley Tools as the only sponsor still under contract to RPM for 2011!

Another RPM driver, Paul Menard, has beating the bushes as well. There is speculation that Menard could well leave, take his Daddy’s sponsorship money (Menard’s), and become the fourth team at Richard Childress Racing!

It would appear that Menard’s move hinges upon what Almendinger does for the 2011 season. If “The Dinger” stays with RPM, Menard would most likely remain at RPM, as well.

However, if both of these drivers leave Richard Petty Motorsports, that could have devastating ramifications in the garage area. RPM could possibly go under if both of these drivers and sponsors jump overboard and move on to other race teams! That would effectively remove Richard Petty’s presence from the NASCAR garage area, and that would be totally sad to see!

What is your thoughts on the possible switches to come?

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

Atlanta Refections

Leon — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:06:44 +0000

(photo courtesy Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Things overlooked in Atlanta Sunday in light of “The Wreck”:

1. Kurt Busch wins the Kobalt Tools 500 for Penske Racing.

2. Matt Kenseth finished second for Roush-Fenway Racing.

3. Kasey Kahne led the most laps, but finished fourth for Richard Petty Motorsports.

4. Paul Menard, also an RPM driver finished fifth!

5. A. J. Almendinger,(THE DINGER), finished sixth, again an RPM driver!

6. Scott Speed finished 10th for Red Bull Racing

7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. started on the pole and finished 15th!

Most interesting quote from the race:

8. Steve Addington, the crew chief no longer good enough for Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing, took the older Busch, Kurt, back to Victory Lane at the same track where he got his first victory in 2008 with Kyle Busch. “It is a good feeling to know that your driver wants you to go to work for him,” Addington said in a statement that showed a lot of class but made a strong point.

9. The Atlanta Motor Speedway folks were probably extremely pleased that the amount of empty seats was not a big topic of conversation with the media!

10. Brad Keselowski is probably glad to have an off week to recuperate from the Edwards “Cheap Shot”! He also will need to reload and prepare for some of the other drivers who, no doubt, are lining up for their shot at him!

NOTE TO ROGER PENSKE:

Have plenty of haulers at the tracks with back cars onboard for the #12 for the remainder of the the 2010 season, you may need them!

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

RPM Drivers Like Their Chances In 2010

Leon — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:02:38 +0000

(photo courtesy Chuck Burton)

In the last two years this organization has merged three times and been housed in four different shops and changed their name from Petty Enterprises to Richard Petty Motorsports. It has gone from basically a one car team to a four car team and from Dodge to Ford.

The irony of all these mergers of Petty Enterprises/Richard Petty Motorsports is that the newly merged organization has a shot of being as strong as ” The King” was in the heyday of Petty Enterprises. The merger will quash the question of equipment, it will now come from the Roush-

Fenway Racing. RPM will pick up a wealth of technical support from beefed-up Ford, something that it never got from Dodge. It will share information not only among the four RPM drivers, but also among the four Roush-Fenway drivers as well!

The “big dog” at RPM, Kasey Kahne, is excited about the possibilities there, enough so that publicly he willing to state that RPM has a chance to re-sign at years end. But many say that will not happen. Some already have Kahne penciled in as the third driver at Stewart-Haas Racing, or some other high powered race team.

“I’m definitely going to give them a shot here”, Kahne said. That is a far cry from his words in November! Maybe it is a negotiating ploy. Maybe he honestly believes that!

All four of the RPM drivers, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, Paul Menard, and A.J. Almendinger, contracts are up at the end of the 2010 season. That might [prove to be a very interesting contract time for the organization!