Hard Turn
A NASCAR BLOG BY Jeff Owens
Silly season missing from 2009 season
Amid all the excitement over double-file restarts and the drama over who will make the Chase For The Sprint Cup, there’s one thing noticeably absent from this season:
Silly season.
It’s usually a big part of each year as drivers about to become free agents jockey for position and negotiate new deals with new teams for next year.
Their moves and rumors of moves usually keep things stirred up from April to October, giving fans a nice side story to follow off the track.
Usually there is at least one big-name driver in play, dominating the headlines as he plays the market and considers where he’ll race next.
Two years ago it was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s move to Hendrick Motorsports and all the drama and suspense surrounding his departure from his family-owned team.
Closely tied to that story was Kyle Busch’s release from Hendrick and his subsequent signing with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Then last year, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Mark Martin were all in the headlines as they made big moves that have shaken up the hierarchy at the top of the sport.
Who are the movers and shakers this year?
There are none.
Not unless you count Martin Truex Jr., who is leaving Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to sign with Michael Waltrip Racing.
Truex, an underachiever the past two years, is leaving one second-tier team for another. It might be a good move for him but not one that is going shake up the order of things and excite a lot of fans.
The only other driver on the verge of making a move is Jamie McMurray, who, ironically, might be headed back to Chip Ganassi’s organization after an unsuccessful four-year run at Roush Fenway Racing.
Other drivers who could wind up needing a new ride are Reed Sorenson, David Stremme and Casey Mears.
None of those will leave fans checking for daily updates to see where they land.
The downturn in the economy and the lack of new sponsors entering the sport are the main reasons for the limited movement, that and the fact that there are no big-name drivers in the final year of their contracts.
That could change next year as drivers like Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick could be in play.
Then things might get silly again.
For fans, that would be a good thing.
Jeff Owens
Jeff Owens has been covering NASCAR since 1991 and began covering the circuit full time in 1993. He has been with NASCAR Scene since 1998.
Latest Tweets
Poll PositionView All
Which has been most detrimental to NASCAR television ratings and attendance this season?
Promotions
-
Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!
-
Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.
-
Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.
-
Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.
Comments
3 responses to "Silly season missing from 2009 season". Post a Comment.
tybeecat said:
Aug 13, 2009 at 11:18 AMI think many fans care about where the drivers you mentioned end up. The only reason I clicked on this story was to check for news of Jamie Mac. Every driver has fans and many check Jayski daily to see what news is out there about their favorite guy. Not everyone is a Jr fan.
Report as AbuseReport Abuse
This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Reportrichardclower said:
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:06 AMYou tell em Tybeecat. I'm a Sorenson, AJ and Ragan follower. I've said many times, it seems like nascar only consists of about 10-15 drivers.
Report as AbuseReport Abuse
This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Reportnictmb said:
Aug 18, 2009 at 12:18 PMi really wanted kasey to move to tony's team..i guess we r gonna have to wait one more year
Report as AbuseReport Abuse
This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Report