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Bobby Hamilton Jr.: Team Rensi will close in December if sponsor isn't found
By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Robert Laberge
Getty Images for NASCAR
Nationwide Series driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. said Team Rensi Motorsports will close its doors in December if a new sponsor to replace Smithfield Foods isn’t found by then.
Hamilton Jr. is in his second stint with Team Rensi and nearly was without a ride this season until a sponsor was found in early December. Smithfield told the team last Monday it would not return next season, Hamilton Jr. said.
“It’s simple: If they don’t have nothing by December, they’re locking the doors,” Hamilton Jr. said. “That’s for real. They’ve already let people go. They’ve tried to keep as many good people as they could. We’ve already lost several good people because they didn’t know what was going on and they had to have jobs. It’s a bad deal. It’s for real.”
Efforts to reach team president Ronnie Russell were unsuccessful, but a source close to the team confirmed Hamilton Jr.’s statements.
Crew chief Chris Wright remains with the team, though a source said nearly half of the team’s payroll was cut via layoffs.
“The upsetting thing about it all is these guys have been in business for 11 years,” Hamilton Jr. said. “It’s so hard now to get [a sponsor] to look at you unless you’ve got a Cup guy. … It’s a mess.”
Hamilton Jr. blamed the current status of the Nationwide Series for the problems independent teams like Team Rensi are facing.
“The series has no identity,” Hamilton Jr. said. “It doesn’t have anything going on, there’s nothing to watch. There’s no drama because it’s all the same stuff.”
Team Rensi is co-owned by Ed Rensi and Gary Weisbaum. Once a two-car team, it was forced to cut back to one car, the No. 25 Ford, for 2008 because of sponsorship issues.
Hamilton Jr. said he has been “fishing around” for other rides.
“I’m about 40 percent, talking to a Cup deal,” Hamilton Jr. said. “I’ve been on the phone several times with a top-notch organization on the truck side. The Nationwide cars, there’s just none out there. Everybody I’ve talked to, if you’ve got a sponsor, they’ll take you. There are some when you could run a handful of races whenever a Cup guy doesn’t want to. I wouldn’t turn my back to that because it’s in really good equipment. I’d like to run full time but if you can’t, you’ve got to take what you can take.”
Hamilton Jr. said he even could end up owning his own Nationwide team next season. The five-time series winner isn’t ready to quit driving.
“I want to drive,” Hamilton Jr. said. “I ain’t ready to hang it up yet.”
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4 responses to "Bobby Hamilton Jr.: Team Rensi will close in December if sponsor isn't found". Post a Comment.
anonymous said:
Sep 15, 2008 at 5:47 AMI've said all along, allowing the CUP drivers to drive in the Nationwide Series for points/championships is hurting the NATIONWIDE ONLY drivers/teams. They only run the NW series to gain experience/track time for the companion race the next day. Those few that run both the NW & Cup full time need to chose one of the other. Or NASCAR has to change the rules once again and don't allow the CUP drivers to run for points. It's a shame. Once again NASCAR is going to ruin what once was a learning series/first step up to the CUP.
Kerry O'Gorman said:
Sep 15, 2008 at 4:55 PMYou are correct. It will all come to a head in the future when they lose out on tallent due to over running the cup drivers. It is a shame because owners like Mr. Rensi are rare. I met the man and am honoured to know him. I pray they find a sponsor.
Keith Johnson said:
Sep 15, 2008 at 5:59 PMIf you race in Cup you don't race in Nationwide. That's all Nascar has to do. Just look at the samller crowds at Nationwide races. A few Cup drivers dominate and this year you had better have a Toyota.
Don Rakow, Jr said:
Sep 16, 2008 at 10:33 AMHaving the CUP competitor's down in Nationwide to help them learn is fine. Just change the rules that the CUP driver's cannot compete for NW Championship, and that Car Owner's Champion must be driven 60+% of time by NW ONLY driver. I've stopped watching NW Series as much due to high Cup Competitors running. Drop-in from time to time drivers like Earnhardt & Martin did back in the day is GREAT. Just no more full-time double dip like Edwards, BOwyer, and Reutiman are doing. That is hurting the independents like Rensi and others. Good Luck Bobby Jr. you have had to face to many challenges lately. You & Team Rensi deserve a break