Jamie McMurray remains unsigned at Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing's Jamie McMurray is 19th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings heading into Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. // Jim Fluharty, NASCAR Scene
INDIANAPOLIS – Roush Fenway Racing has not been able to find sponsorship yet for a fifth team, leaving Jamie McMurray still unsigned and talking to other teams for 2010.
If Roush Fenway gets five sponsored teams, the plan is to move one to Yates Racing, team President Geoff Smith said Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Which driver and team that would be could depend on the sponsor, Smith said. Roush Fenway must move a team to be in compliance with NASCAR’s four-team cap.
Smith said the organization cannot commit to McMurray without sponsorship finalized for that fifth team. McMurray enters the Allstate 400 today 19th in points in his seventh season as a full-time Cup driver.
The other four drivers – Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards – are all under contract with Roush Fenway for next year.
“We told Jamie a few weeks ago that we weren’t going to be making commitments to drivers without having the sponsors tied in with it,” Smith said. “We used to make these multiple-year commitments and be on the hook for their compensation. We’re not doing that anymore.
“We don’t know whether we’re going to be able to get to an opportunity fast enough to keep him. He obviously has to protect his career the best way he can. He’s a good guy. … He’s had some terrific results and his point standing has been reasonable.”
McMurray’s agent, Rod Moskowitz of Motorsports Management International, said McMurray has options. He wouldn’t comment on what teams are interested, including when asked if McMurray could return to what is now Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.
“Obviously Jamie has had a very good relationship with Crown Royal, Irwin tools and Roush Fenway,” Moskowitz said. “With respect to NASCAR’s mandate to move from five cars to four cars as well as the economic environment, everybody has been working hard to keep Jamie within the Roush Fenway-Yates Racing-Ford [camp].
“To the extent that an opportunity cannot be put together, there’s substantial interest in Jamie throughout the garage. It’s very close with another organization. We’re in the process of working with the parties. We’re confident that a very solid opportunity will come together.”
Smith said that the sponsorship for Matt Kenseth will be announced soon, leaving open the possibility that McMurray sponsor Crown Royal could move to Kenseth, who is losing DeWalt as a sponsor.
Kenseth was once sponsored in select races by Smirnoff Ice, which is a product of Crown Royal parent company Diageo.
Smith indicated that Kenseth would have multiple sponsors next year.
“We know we’re going to run four cars,” Smith said. “To keep the fifth team remaining in the Ford camp is a bigger question. I’ve got to finish out the [sponsorship].”
