Sponsorship issues may reduce Rusty Wallace Racing to one Nationwide team
By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor
Friday, November 20, 2009
Related story: Rusty Wallace Racing to run Toyotas next season
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Rusty Wallace Racing owner Rusty Wallace said Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway that he may have to cut back to one NASCAR Nationwide Series team car next season if more sponsorship isn’t found for his No. 62 entry driven by Brendan Gaughan.
Wallace said he has sold about 40 percent of the races for 2010, but that might not amount to enough to keep Gaughan in the car full time. Wallace said Michael Gaughan, Brendan’s father, subsidizes sponsorship on the No. 62, but that he wants the full season.
“Brendan definitely wants to come back, but we don’t have the finances put together for the 62 car right now,” Wallace said. “It’s very much so up in the air, and it’s coming down right to the last minute. The last thing I want to do is let guys go, but I might have to do that – but I don’t want to do that.
“I tell the guys, ‘Just work your [butt] off to the last minute,’ because the last race they see is one of the most important I’m going to have during the winter trying to sell. If we have a [bad] last race on the 62, it makes for a tough sell.”
Wallace said he would run the No. 62 car part time in 2010, but it appears Gaughan would not be the driver under that scenario.
“I would definitely run the car part time if the sponsorship’s there,” Wallace said. "Mr. Gaughan subsidizes a lot of the sponsorship on the 62, but Mr. Gaughan wants to come in and run all the races. That’s what we want to do, but right now we don’t have that done yet.”
Wallace’s team has full sponsorship for the No. 66 entry and driver Steve Wallace, and the team announced this week it would switch to Toyota from Chevrolet next season.
“I think it’s going to put us over the top, or else I wouldn’t have done it,” Wallace said. “The reason I’ve done it is all the support from Chevrolet is basically dried up because of the government bailout and Chevrolet’s decision just to do the Sprint Cup Series. I talked to the guys at Toyota and look at their resources, and it was more than I’ve ever seen in my life out of any manufacturer. The engineering support is what I think we really need to get these cars unloaded week after week fast.
“Right now, we’ve got kind of a shotgun approach at it right now. We take our best shot going into every single week. I feel like we spend all of the practice sessions just getting the cars close. Teams I’m running against unload right on. It seems like the Toyota teams always unload very, very close, and we don’t.”
Wallace is seventh in the Nationwide standings, with Gaughan ninth. The two drivers have combined for four top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
Wallace said Triad Racing Development would build the team’s engines next year.
The move to Toyota could be a precursor of a move to Cup in 2011 or beyond, as Wallace has wanted to take his team a step up.
“No, it’s not too far off,” Wallace said. “I’ve had an eye on Cup for long time. I need to get my organization there. But it’s all about finances.”
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10 responses to "Sponsorship issues may reduce Rusty Wallace Racing to one Nationwide team ". Post a Comment.
galvan18244 said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 2:37 PMToyota sucks!
Report as AbuseSteven wallace sucks!!!
These team sucks!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportRobby said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 3:42 PMThis team is going under fast. In a few years no one will ever know they even existed.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportlegends73 said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 4:26 PMLet Brendan drive next year, and not Steven... Steven may be your son, but he is NOT a race car driver... Steven SUCKS as a driver! Brendan has potential!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportrobby_7_fan said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 5:51 PMI agree #3. Get rid of Steven and keep Brendan. Brendan's a better racer than Steven is anyways.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkeith308 said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 6:00 PMIt will soon be the Toyota series instead of the Nationwide series. Toyota's money will take over Nascar as everyone predicted three years ago. Don' watch trucks anymore because it's all Toyota's up front except Hornaday. Nationwide is next then cup. Nascar's happy, they have Toyota's money.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJRSMOKEFAN said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 6:52 PMIn order for Toyotas to own cup HMS would have to go bellyup.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgojeffgo said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 8:31 PMI agree, dump Steve!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSheilaLovesNASCAR said:
Nov 20, 2009 at 11:47 PMSteve has the sponsors. You can't dump the one with the sponsors. Look at Johnny Benson.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgroveroak said:
Nov 21, 2009 at 12:11 AMCrusty Wallace could care less what make his team (steven Wallace,HA,HA )drives he is bending over for the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ another looser sellout.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportOld_school_fan said:
Nov 22, 2009 at 8:41 AMGot to admit that Steven lacks a lot in the personality department, too. That silly commercial for 5 hour energy drink makes me just want to run out and buy some...not. Put Brendan in the full time seat, give him equipment he can win with and Rusty will have a winning season. Let Steven advertise and Brendan drive. But, if you really want a good spokesman, let Brendan advertise and drive and park Steven behind a desk.
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