Earnhardt Ganassi president says team is stable; Truex leaving on good terms
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya (left), Martin Truex Jr. (center) and Aric Almirola sign autographs earlier this season.
// Sam Cranston, NASCAR Scene
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing President Steve Lauletta says he could understand what Martin Truex Jr. was saying when the driver commented that he is leaving EGR for Michael Waltrip Racing in part because MWR has fewer questions about its future. But Lauletta is looking optimistically at the future of his own organization.
EGR was formed at the end of last season as a merger of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing. The organization started with three cars this year but suspended operations for Aric Almirola in April. Driver Juan Pablo Montoya is 11th in the standings while Truex is 24th.
“I think we’re very stable,” Lauletta said in a phone interview Tuesday. “We have a car sitting in the top 12. We’ve got really good sponsors. However, there are a couple of things that I know he’s alluding to, one of those being manufacturer. We’ve been working with General Motors. We all know that story. We’re very happy with what we’re doing with [Earnhardt Childress Racing engines] and our relationship with Chevrolet. We all had to make adjustments based on bankruptcy. They’re obviously Toyota and they’re not having the same discussions.
“And the other part of it is with their deal with NAPA being a [reportedly] three-year deal for the entire car, that’s a lot different position than we’re in currently with the [No.] 1. We have an agreement with Bass [Pro Shops] for next year that is more than half the season but it’s not the full season. There certainly are some things I can see where he’s coming from.”
Truex addressed his team members Tuesday about his decision.
“We had really good dialogue,” Lauletta said about the negotiations with Truex. “These decisions are made every day. We make them. There are a lot of things that I am sure Martin considered and there are a lot of things that we did. We wish him the best and he’s leaving us on good terms.”
Truex’s leaving for MWR obviously creates an opening with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Lauletta said he expects Bass Pro Shops to remain with the team and hopes to find the best fit for them as a sponsor and for the team as a driver.
“We owe it to our organization, and we certainly owe it to Bass and the conversations that we’ve been having with them already, to make sure that we can, as quickly as possible, get our ducks in a row on the options that we have,” Lauletta said. “All the considerations and options, we’ll keep those internal. It won’t be a tremendously long list, but we feel like we’ve got some really, really good options.”
As far as Almirola, who is not signed with the organization for 2010, Lauletta said EGR is looking more for the remainder of 2009 for Almirola than 2010 right now.
“Our focus for Aric is to get the [No.] 8 back on the track,” Lauletta said. “That’s the ride he started the year in, and that’s part of what we’ve been talking with companies about since we suspended operations of that car. … Right now, that’s our main focus and we’ll see if that plays where then he does become an option for 2010.”
Lauletta reiterated what Truex had said earlier in the day that Truex will remain in the No. 1 car the rest of this year.
“We wanted to keep the momentum going as an organization,” Lauletta said. “We feel like the partnership with EGR is working. We’re performing better on the track with both cars, particularly the results obviously speak for themselves with Juan.
“We want to keep that going. Martin is fully committed to do that and finish out the year in the 1 car and to help Juan get into the Chase and stay there and to win races. We don’t anticipate any changes the rest of the season on that team and with Martin.”
