Check out some bits about NASCAR layoffs, some crew chief moves and some driver news….
End of the 2011 NASCAR Season Brings Layoffs at Roush
In a sad bit of business news, layoffs at Roush Fenway Racing started to kick in on Tuesday, 11-22-11. Word on the street that as many as 100 folks were being cut, many of whom, are losing their jobs because the No. 6 Ford of David Ragan will not be on the track in 2012, as Roush is cutting that car from the program.
Jack Roush himself said there’s a 40% chance of Ragan returning to RFR.
As noted, in an economic rough spot, it’s a bad time, but primary sponsor contracts were expiring with Roush and UPS and Crown Royal didn’t want to foot the bill for an entire hood by themselves. Not sure what it costs these days, but I’ve seen numbers between $10 and $15 million to sit on a hood all year. ouch!
UPS will be an associate sponsor for Carl Edwards in 2012. Maybe that will help deliver a title for Carl! (Sorry, I couldn’t help it.) Crown Royal is putting its sponsor money behind the Indianapolis Brickyard 400.
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On Monday, October 17th, twelve NASCAR Sprint Cup teams took to the the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway to run some tests on the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) engine systems that will be deployed in the 2012 season.
Of the twelve NASCAR teams that participated in the tests included four teams from Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, NEMCO Motorsports, two (both? All?) teams from Stewart-Haas Racing and Richard Childress Racing.
The fastest on-track car during the test was the No. 6 Roush Fenway Ford with Trevor Bayne behind the wheel. This was also Kasey Kahne’s first chance to wield a HMS car.
“The entire NASCAR community has worked very closely together in developing the EFI system,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president for competition. “Today was a positive step in the right direction for us. We have associated ourselves with some world-class technology partners, including McLaren, Freescale and Holley, and going to EFI next season is only going to enhance the racing. The horsepower should be about the same, or perhaps slightly more, the cars will be more fuel efficient, and it’s the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint. Plus, it helps us become more relevant with the production cars that our fans drive every day.”
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