Childress likely has a big points play up his sleeve

BRISTOL, Tenn. - We had us an interesting little news conference here at Bristol a little while ago, with Richard Childress announcing that Casey Mears will join his team as a driver in 2009.

The twist, which had been rumored in the past 10 days or so, is that Mears will NOT be driving the No. 33 car that will be added to the Richard Childress Racing fleet next season. Mears, instead, will go into the No. 07 car sponsored by Jack Daniels.

Clint Bowyer, who got that car and that team into the Chase last year and is trying to make it back there this year, will be moving to the new car sponsored by General Mills, which is moving to RCR from Petty Enterprises next year.

What's more, the points that Bowyer earns this year will stay with the 07 next year and that means it's Mears who'll be protected for the first five races of 2009 - inside the top 35 in points and therefore not in danger of missing a race.

Childress, though, hinted that Bowyer might not have to run without a net. He said the team has been looking into some things and is "working on some stuff" that might keep Bowyer from being exposed to miss a race if he crashes on a qualifying lap or rain interferes in the season's first five weeks.

Don't ask me what that means. The way NASCAR has allowed people to play fast and loose with owner points in the past few years I suppose anything is possible.

I know this much. RCR has four primary sponsors - Caterpillar for Jeff Burton, Shell for Kevin Harvick, General Mills for Bowyer and Jack Daniel's for Mears. Is there another Chevrolet team that has more teams than it has sponsors right now, perhaps a team with which Childress is already sharing an engine-building venture?

Dale Earnhardt Inc. has four cars right now, but I am not sure even DEI's officials could make the case they've got four full sponorships lined up for 2009.

Could Childress "buy" one of the DEI teams and harvest the owner points for the team Bowyer will be with next year?

And you thought this stuff was almost over with.