(WOMR file photo)
The silly season is getting much more “silly”!
Here is what is known at this point.
Open Seats for 2014
Ryan Newman’s Stewart-Haas Racing #39 Chevy driver’s seat is now officially open. Newman was informed last week tht his contract would not be renewed for the 2014 season. Also Juan Pablo Montoya was informed that his familiar Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #42 Target Chevy would not be his future working environment. It was learned that Furniture Row Racing has not given Kurt Busch a contract extension for the 2014 season, therefore, the FRR #78 Chevy has an open driver’s seat. And lastly, it has been known for sometime that Kevin Harvick would be leaving the Richard Childress Racing #29 Chevy at the end of this season, and taking up residence in the Stewart-Haas Racing newly formed #4 Budweiser Chevy.
Free Agents Available for 2014
It is not known, at this point, where Ryan Newman will be employed beginning in 2014. The popular consensus is that Newman could end up at either, Furniture Row Racing, or possibly at Richard Childress Racing. The previous thought was before the news that JPM was not going to be back in the EGR #42 Target Chevy. Could there be a possibility that Newman could wind up at Earnhardt-Gannassi Racing?
With the latest bombshell speculation that Kurt Busch has been offered employment at Stewart-Haas Racing in a proposed 4th race team, KuBu may be off the free agent market, almost as quickly as he appeared on the list.
Now that Juan Pablo Montoya is unemployed in NASCAR at the end of this season, the question begs as to what his future may be. Will JPM turn up in another Sprint Cup ride for 2014, or will he move on to another form of auto racing like back to IndyCar, or the Rolex Series?
What about A.J. Allmendinger’s future? He has performed very well for Penske in the Indy 500 earlier this year, leading laps and finishing 7th. Additionally, “The Dinger” is two for two in the Nationwide Series, winning both road courses races that Penske entered him into!
Lastly, Mark Martin is available, on a part-time basis, to aadd some experience to some race team in 2014!
What we do know
Even though Harvick is leaving the RCR #29 Chevy, that team will most likely return in 2014 and rebrand themselves as RCR #3 Chevy driven by Childress’s grandson, Austin Dillon. Therefore, the seat vacated by Harvick is not truly open for employment by any other Sprint Cup driver, it is Dillon’s ride for 2014.
It is not totally clear, however, but widely assumed, that Chip Ganassi is about to put a young gun into the former ride of JPM. That young gun would be in the form of one heck of a sprint car and midget driver, Kyle Larson.
It has been leaked today that Stewart-Haas Racing has tendered to Kurt Busch a job offer to drive a possible 4th team for SHR!
So now race fans, the scramble is on among the free agents to grab one of these available seats before the music stops! Can we say the game of “musical chairs” has officially begun?
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
