Roush Fenway expects to have 3 teams in 2012
 

Roush Fenway expects to have 3 teams in 2012: Roush Fenway Racing expects to shrink from four full-time Sprint Cup cars to three in 2012. "The most likely scenario is three,'' RFR president Steve Newmark said before Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway. "We're still plugging away at the fourth, but we all recognize the realities that when you're this late in the season it makes it more difficult to secure that. Only the #99 car of Carl Edwards and #16 of Greg Biffle is fully sponsored for next season. The #17 of 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth has no sponsorship for 2012, and Newmark said "nothing is eminent'' but added RFR is prepared to run that car unsponsored if necessary. Newmark said the #6 car driven by David Ragan could run limited races but was non-committal on whether Ragan, Nationwide Series points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. or Trevor Bayne -- or a combination of two or three -- would get those races. He said the plan is for Bayne, the defending Daytona 500 champion, to run a limited Cup schedule in the #21 for the Wood Brothers. Newmark said RFR hopes to field two Nationwide Series cars, with at least one of them fully sponsored. No decision has been made on who would fill those seats, although Stenhouse has been promised a ride for RFR next season.(ESPN)(DATE)

I don't get it, I really don't.

Start and park drivers have a full time sponsors these years and Kenseth, who won 3 races this year, doesn't?

Biffle, Ragan on equal footing at Roush Fenway
Jack Roush is adamant that his two drivers who aren't Chase contenders this season, Greg Biffle and David Ragan, are racing for wins just as ardently as RFR's two title contenders, Edwards and Kenseth. Roush was asked if his two lesser-ranked teams were expected to play a subservient role in helping their teammates win a title.
"There is no line for them to toe," Roush said. "They have a green light to win whatever race they can and the orders are no different. The expectation on my part is no different than it has ever been. I expect them not to wreck one another or to wreck Matt or Carl.
"The other thing is that what is left of the year is a building opportunity for Greg and David. We are still trying to find sponsorship. We are actually closest on Carl and Greg on sponsorship requirements than we are for Matt and David. We need to make our best efforts to put the best face on the selling efforts that are ongoing for sponsorship for 2012."
Roush has at least said he'll run a car for Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion, regardless of whether or not it was sponsored. Ragan, who won his first Cup points race in the summer at Daytona, has no such guarantee.
"We are making as much hay from [Edwards and Kenseth being title contenders] as we can in the negotiations and discussions that we have ongoing," Roush said. "Whether we are successful in leveraging that back to get all the support we need is yet to be determined. A championship would speak volumes for that."

Roush: Ragan's return 'a 40 percent chance'


"David Ragan was a frustration and a disappointment for all of us," Roush said, "because he was not able to realize the potential that he had, given what his skill is and what the expectations of the sponsor were, and what the performance that was being demonstrated in the car, and what the engineering package was."
Roush said he had not yet decided if the No. 6 -- which would be a guaranteed starter beginning the 2012 season based on its 23rd position in the final 2011 owners' standings -- would run in the Daytona 500. Roush said he hoped to put Ragan's crew chief, Drew Blickensderfer, in a Nationwide program.
Roush said he has done what he can to help keep Ragan in the Sprint Cup Series.
"I have tried to help David," Roush said. "[Would you] characterize what I've done as not attempting to be helpful and to do my very best for David? As far as I know Richard Petty's situation is stable, and either Ricky or Trevor will figure into the Wood Brothers' limited program.

Significant layoffs at Roush: Multiple sources have confirmed significant layoffs this week at Roush Fenway Racing. According to sources, more than 100 workers were released by the team Monday and [Tuesday]. One source put the number at 125. Prior to today, the team employed about 440 people. Roush Fenway is expected to reduce its NASCAR Sprint Cup car count from four cars to three next season, with the #6 driven by David Ragan likely to be shuttered. At last report, the team is also without sponsors for the #17 of Matt Kenseth. The team may also reduce the size of its NASCAR Nationwide Series operations from three cars to one or two.(SPEED)(1-22-2011)

I wonder if Sunday's race results figured into the cut-back or is it just a bad economy?

He never impressed me as a driver. Too bad about the number 6.

I agree, Ragan should've been fired a long time ago. Sometimes you just gotta let a men go.
A chance should be given to Ricky Stenhouse Jr in the Sprint series.

I agree to those thoughts! Stenhouse earned that spot! Put him in the 6 car for the Cup side! You know, I still can't get over Sunday's race! Tony must have had 42 hit-men set to lay waste to anyone who didn't let him go pass them on Sunday! I would have loved to eavesdrop on the pre-race driver's meeting to hear those "instructions"! "Get out of my way, or DIE!"

Tony did say that he drove clean the whole year and on Sunday he was "cashing his favors in".

Roush clarifies Ragan comments: Jack Roush constantly is juggling a bunch of balls but he could be excused for being a little sleep-deprived on Monday morning. So on Tuesday evening, Roush was compelled to reach out and make sure his feelings for David Ragan hadn't been misconstrued in comments that Roush made in a media briefing on Monday morning in conjunction with the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series banquet. Roush expressed his "disappointment and frustration" at Ragan not fulfilling his potential in a five-year stint driving the #6 Ford, which may come to an end if Roush Fenway Racing is unable to secure sponsorship. Tuesday night, Roush said part of the frustration came -- and he's expressed the same emotion in a variety of situations throughout his lengthy ownership tenure -- from his own failure to turn the proper keys. "I have nothing but the highest level of respect for David Ragan both as a person and a competitor," Roush said. "He has been a valuable member of the Roush Fenway family for many years, and has been a great representative of our organization. "The point referred to in my comments was aimed at my sincere disappointment that I have not been able to put the pieces together with David that would have supported the type of success that I feel he is capable. With that said we have watched David grow tremendously as a driver and much of that growth was manifested in his successes on the track this season."(NASCAR.com)(10-25-2011)

That last race was Edward's to win. Carl just has a hard time with re-starts and closing out a race. He wins in the Nationwide series but he can't close out the big one. I'm sure things would be a whole lot different at RFR if Carl could have won that last race.

I don't think it would matter. It's not the #99 team that's in trouble with sponsors, its #17 and #6 teams.

This just in ...

Kurt Busch out at Penske? Ragan in? Penske Racing officials are meeting Monday to determine the future of driver #22-Kurt Busch. Penske officials were contacted by ESPN.com on Sunday, but would not confirm or deny the meeting over Busch's status, while the Charlotte Observer reported that Busch has been fired. Busch has been involved in several behavior incidents on the track this season, including the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch made an obscene hand gesture leaving the track after his transmission failure early in the race. He also had a profanity-laced tirade at ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch and his camera crew in the garage moments later, which went viral on YouTube. NASCAR later penalized Busch $50,000 for the two incidents. Penske officials, along with team sponsors Shell Pennzoil, publicly reprimanded Busch afterward. Sources confirmed that Shell Pennzoil officials have spoken with team owner Roger Penske and expressed concerns about Busch continuing as the driver. Penske spokesman Bud Denker and Walt Czarnecki, the executive vice president of Penske Corportation, said they will stand by their comment made after Busch was fined by NASCAR that they will not comment further until their internal review is complete. Kurt Busch had an earlier incident with reporters this season at Richmond in September, the final event before the Chase started. He had to be restrained from a NASCAR.com reporter on pit road. Busch also tore another reporter's interview transcript in half after being questioned about recorded comments that he denied making. Last week in Las Vegas, Busch said he was seeing a sports psychologist to deal with his anger issues.(ESPN)
AND Speculation points to David Ragan as the leading candidate for the job. Ragan spent the 2011 season with Roush Fenway Racing, but his future has been in doubt since the team lost sponsorship for next season. He earned his first career Sprint Cup victory this season, at Daytona International Speedway. Other candidates for the job include David Reutimann and Brian Vickers  two drivers who drove in the Sprint Cup Series this past season but are without a ride for 2012  and Sam Hornish Jr., who has previously driven for Penske at the Sprint Cup level.(FoxSports)(12-4-2011)

Whuut?? Didn't see that coming! I guess both the Busch bros need some therapy. Family discount? Lol

Its official - Busch's out, Ragan's in at the #22 team.

Good For David, The Busch Brothers can drive but its that 5 cent head that keeps them in the gutter.

Personally, they both lack good sense! In both cases, why would they let their alligator mouth get their tweety-bird a$$es in trouble?!

Kenseth expects team to find sponsorship: Even in a tough economy, the fact that Matt Kenseth is riding into the off-season with a blank quarter-panel is a mystery. With Crown Royal's last sponsorship dollars having been poured from the glass, Kenseth's #17 Roush Fenway Racing team is looking toward 2012 from a rather lonely position. The team does not have a major sponsor for next season, and time is rapidly running out. Kenseth said he remains hopeful that his Fords will carry major sponsorship when the team reports to Daytona International Speedway in February. "I think they'll find something," he said. "I think we have too competitive of a team to be unsponsored. From my standpoint, it's frustrating because I don't know how the whole process works. But, from a driver standpoint, if you perform well and don't act like an idiot too much, things are good.(SPEED)(12-7-2011)

Where are you finding information about David Ragan going to the 22 car for next season as a driver for Penske ? I cannot find anything about such a thing happening. :screwy: