Elliott Sadler will remain in the No. 19 Dodges, Reed Sorenson will drive the No. 43 and the team resulting from the merger of Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Holdings is working with AJ Allemdinger on at least a partial schedule in a fourth car for 2009.
Tom Reddin, chief executive officer of GEM, confirmed all of that Friday morning in an interview on "The Morning Drive" on Sirius NASCAR Radio.
"We have been busy," Reddin said. "We're at the goal line now. We're done as far as all the loose parts."
After weeks of rumors, speculation and reports about what might be happening, Reddin detailed much of what will happen as part of the merger.
The surprising development in the story within the past 48 hours has been that Sadler will not be supplanted by Allmendinger in the No. 19. Last week, Sadler's attorney indicated the driver was willing to take legal action alleging breach of contract if that took place.
"Let me put it like this," Reddin said. "I know that in my family every now and then we have our differences. But we get those settled and resolved and we move on. We had some differences with Elliott, but we're a family and we have everything resolved. ... It's all settled and we're moving forward, full bore."
Reddin said the team was impressed with Allmendinger when he drove the No. 10 Dodges for GEM in the final five Cup races of 2008.
"We are working on a deal with him," Reddin said. "We have always wanted to add a fourth car and we have at least and eight-race package for that for 2009. We have sponsors for four cars for Daytona, and we were very impressed with AJ. On the competitive side he just jelled with us and he's a great guy. We hope we can work it out and get four cars on the track at least part of the time (in 2009)."
Reddin said the team has sponsorship sold for "a majority" of the races for the No. 43 that Sorenson will drive. The number for the possible fourth car has not been determined.
Reddin said the name of the merged team is still being determined, but that the Petty name will most likely be part of it.
"Richard (Petty) was up at the shop yesterday with Dale (Inman) and Robbie (Loomis) and we're really excited to have them coming on board," Reddin said. "I think having them will bring a certain level of magic in terms of working with our drivers on the mental side of the game. The difference between being a good driver and being a winner is the kind of thing that Richard can help us with. ... When he walks around the shop people just stop in awe."
Reddin said he believes Chrysler will live up to its racing commitments in 2009.
"Dodge has told us they're 100 percent behind us for 2009," Reddin said. "Looking beyond that, we'll take on a day-by-day basis. There is a lot going on with all the manufacturers.
"But we're a Dodge team for 2009. ... We're counting on that. I think that's a big question for the whole industry."
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14 comments:
Spoled Crybaby Sadler gets his way again.
He'd better start producing better results or he will lose what little respect and credibility he has left.
The guy is just pitiful !
Another year of mediocre performance and whining and complaining is on the horizon.
Best Buy's Worst Buy will be in the 19.
They need to put A.J. in the 43 period.
Let's see if Sadler can show he desevers this ride. If AJ beats him in head to head competition, Sadler will lose more support.
Sadler's ability to stay in the sport with his drawl, low intellect and lack of driving talent is a real puzzle.
YAWN
MCMI.
I'll bet Tony Stewart is happy to hear the good news! What is more expensive, his contract buy out or that fleet of cars? Sorry for his return.
Except for a couple of articles by David Caraviello, there sure has been very little real reporting about the PE, GEM, Sadler, etc. situation. About the best you can say is that there has been a very small amount of news in the print and internet media as compared to nothing on EESPN and SPEED, who rumor has it sometimes cover racing.
Richard, what it is that you would like to know? What has not been reported? What information do you lack?
There was almost nothing reported from before Xmas on PE until the statement was issued yesterday evening. From what little I could find, it appeared no one was doing any reporting, except David newton and Bob Pockrass on the contents of the PE parking lot. All the reporting seems to be after press releases were issued.
The big issue that I have seen no one do any reporting on is what happened to the major investment that Boston Ventures said they were going to make in PE? Was that not the truth? Is BV in financial difficulty so that they were unable to live up to the commitment that they made publicly? How has BV's failure to live up to their commitment affected their reputation?
What about the so-called DEI-Ganassi team? Did the martians take it? I've seen nothing since the merger announcement.
At least there has been some, limited reporting on the internet and in the newspapers since EESPN and SPEED have more important things to carry on TV.
Richard, David....
Could it be the lack of reporting on things essentially NASCAR related is a clear and present indication that the majority of people in the world have little interest or concern about the travelling circus of "out of touch with reality" clowns?
NASCAR is but a bleep on the radar of life.....and every day it becomes more and more evident that most of the clowns are "full of bleep."
NASCAR's importance in the world is only important to the self-centered big wigs at NASCAR. The same individuals who have destroyed a once enjoyable form of weekend entertainment. Greed has ruined the United States economy, and greed has ruined NASCAR.
As far as reporting is concerned, there is always a lack of information from all venues after the yearly banquets, unless it is something like the Petty information. The reporters go on hiatus, along with the teams and drivers. It's been this way for years and years.
I yearn for the day when money isn't the focal point and it's the racing, like when Smokey Yunick would bring his car to the track on an open trailer, not in a hauler. Now THAT's RACING (or racin') and I can keep on yearin'!
Richard,
I talked to Robbie Loomis on Dec. 10 and I wrote about what he told me. For the next two weeks I checked almost every day with sources. I was in touch with several people who worked with the Petty team through that period and they were being told what I had reported -- the merger talks were proceding with GEM. One person at one point reported the deal was off. I never reported that because I knew it wasn't true. One person reported Bobby Labonte had a deal for the 41. I didn't because again, I knew better.
You have to understand something, Richard. When you're talking about a business deal, there are things that if they're reported (or told to reporters) then it could keep the deal from happening. Nobody wants to do that.
OK, I did not go to Petty's building in Mooresville to census the parking lot and peer in the windows. The offices were closed from about Dec. 23 through Jan. 4 as were most race team offices. What good would it have done to go there?
I was told about Dec. 28th that the people on the PE staff would be laid off effective Dec. 31. I reported on that story and wrote what I could about it.
Your "big issue" is Boston Ventures. That company bought PE because it thought the driving experience would be profitable and it is. They looked at the business environment and decided that the racing side wasn't as good of a business as they hoped it could be. The financial "commitment" you talk about is something they will be asked about. For weeks I've tried to get them to comment about what was going on. I don't have subpeona power. I can't make them call back. The fact that no other reporters have done that either should tell you something, Richard.
Same thing holds for DEI-Ganassi. When they made the deal, they also made a deal not to talk about what they were doing until they were ready to talk. Again, we do not have subpeona power.
Richard, you have been saying the same thing over, and over again and I just don't understand why you don't get it.
Everyone who reads this blog, hears you say the same thing and you get the same answer, Then a few days later, you go at it again.
Maybe you ought to try and be a reporter, just so you know how things work.
It's not like the whole universe is trying to keep NASCAR news from you.
I am not a mind reader, so if I don't read or hear news reported I have no way to know what is going on with the teams or with the reporting on them. There has been little news reported since about the time of the banquet, and sources for NASCAR news have been dropping like flies, and ESPN & SPEED act like NASCAR no longer exists. I just find it real surprising how little news there has been on NASCAR compared to the amount of leaks on NFL & MLB.
Yes, I know about confidentiality. I'm just surprised to actually see it work so well for so long with so many people involved.
Thank you.
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