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Team Rensi Motorsports likely to close doors after Memphis Nationwide race
By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor
Saturday, October 25, 2008
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Saturday's Kroger On Track For The Cure 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series is likely the final event for Team Rensi Motorsports, Team President Ronnie Russell said at Memphis Motorsports Park.
Sponsorship from Smithfield Foods runs out after this race, and there is no sponsorship for driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. and the No. 25 Ford for the remaining three races.
“If something doesn’t happen good for us by Monday, then, no, we will not be continuing the last three races,” Russell said. “We will not be going to Texas, Phoenix or Homestead.”
Smithfield was a 30-race deal for 2008, and Memphis was the 30th race. Russell said it was important to the team not to have any outstanding debt before closing its doors, and the team did not want to start-and-park its car over the final three races.
And if sponsorship doesn’t work out – and Russell held out slim hope for that – Team Rensi will close for good.
“We’re not going dormant when we’re not coming here,” Russell said. “We’re closing up. It’s not a dormant situation.”
Formed in 1998 by brothers Ed and Sam Rensi, the team has won five races in its time in the series and has become a stalwart among independent teams. But the economy of the series has changed, Russell said, and the current state of the U.S. economy hasn’t helped.
“We’ve been in this series for 11 years,” Russell said. “We’ve been very successful in this series. We’ve had good years and bad years. But we always felt like we could compete. It’s unfortunate now that the competing part of it is getting harder and harder. Our times that we live in right now, it’s difficult, as we all know – no matter what job you’re in.
“Our economy has affected our racing. It didn’t cause our problem we have here right now. It has affected it and influenced it and made it worse, but it didn’t cause it.”
Russell has been one of the more vocal critics of the state of the series, arguing that independent teams have too much of an uphill battle against Sprint Cup teams who race in the series. Costs have increased too much, Russell said.
“I’m not bitter at anything in particular,” Russell said. “I’m upset that we can’t continue, and maybe that’s all our fault. I do know that we’ve been honest with the media in telling everybody what we have going on. There’s a lot of people in this garage area that have failed to tell the media and NASCAR where they stand. We’re not the only ones; we’re just being vocal about it.”
Team Rensi has fielded a second car, the No. 35, in the last two races for Danny O’Quinn, who parked not long after the green in both events. Russell said he doesn’t want to do that any longer.
“Here’s our opinion on that: In one sense it is [economical], and I’ve even been doing that with the second car the last couple weeks,” Russell said. “But we’re racers, and we come here to race. If we can’t do that, then we almost look at it as, ‘Maybe it isn’t meant to be.’
“From the other side of it, it’s important for us, too, to make sure that we don’t owe a lot of money to people. What we owe our people, we want to make sure they are solvent. Whatever day was their last day, we want to make sure they got paid every penny of it. We’re not going to be like some people in this sport.”
Mentioned Drivers:
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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Comments
8 responses to "Team Rensi Motorsports likely to close doors after Memphis Nationwide race". Post a Comment.
Nelda Quier said:
Oct 25, 2008 at 5:39 PMIn my humble opinion, I believe a big part of their problem is they don't have a marketable driver in Hamilton Jr. He's a dour, angry young man, with the personality of a toad, & a mediocre driver to boot.
Report as AbuseSad for Team Rensi.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportNelda Quier said:
Oct 25, 2008 at 5:40 PMIn my humble opinion, I believe a big part of their problem is they don't have a marketable driver in Hamilton Jr. He's a dour, angry young man, with the personality of a toad, & a mediocre driver to boot.
Report as AbuseSad for Team Rensi.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportTN Toad said:
Oct 26, 2008 at 7:41 AMI like Bobby Hamilton Jr and am a big fan of Danny O'Quinn. I agree with the Rensi brothers, too much Cup competition in the Nationwide series.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportCarol said:
Oct 26, 2008 at 11:59 AMLooks like "Another one bites the dust" is going to become NASCAR's new theme song. Add this one to the growing list; what on earth are they going to do?
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAndrew Briscoe said:
Oct 26, 2008 at 12:29 PMWasn't Boris Said in the car when they didn't have sponsorship? I thought Boris had sponsorship whenever he drove from 7-eleven and No Fear Energy Drink. Isn't that a possibility? Boris can drive, and deserves a full-time ride in Nationwide at worst, if not Cup.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportjerry swiatek said:
Oct 26, 2008 at 2:14 PMI agree Andrew. sure don't take a pretty face to be a good driver, HA!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbranna verrett said:
Oct 26, 2008 at 6:00 PMJMO:
Report as AbuseI think the Cup Drivers need to pick the 10 races they want to drive. It isn't fair to the Nationwide Drivers.
But that is JMO
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbranna verrett said:
Oct 26, 2008 at 6:17 PMWith the Cups Drivers running all the races the Nationwide Drivers will NEVER get ahead or win a Championship.
Report as AbuseWith the economical situation the way it is only the big guys (Hendrick or Roush) will win or survive.
And the single-car teams will fall by the wayside. I was a big fan of Bobby Hamilton Sr.
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