Pocono Raceway was not good to AJ this weekend, but it didn’t have anything to do with poor performance and everything to do with bad luck. I have to admit that I yanked my headphones out of the computer and threw them down when AJ radioed in that he was out of gas on the final lap. I also said some choice cuss words that I can’t repeat on here without putting up some kind of content warning.
The fact that I was sitting next to both of my parents during this outburst didn’t even faze me. I was so mad – no, I was furious! How could this happen? I just didn’t understand it. AJ had topped off before coming to the green, and cars that didn’t top off made it to the checkered flag. And I knew that AJ was saving fuel – I could see the throttle and brake telemetry right on my computer screen.
I was so angry in the beginning that I cursed crew chief Sammy Johns until I was blue in the face. Then I calmed down and realized that if he hadn’t made that gamble, that AJ probably would have finished somewhere between 15th and 20th anyway, instead of the 10th place or better that he would get if he could make it. So I forgave Sammy and instead fumed about the Dodges, which always seem to get horrible mileage, and wished to high heaven that AJ had been driving something else instead. I guess maybe I should be careful what I wish for after Monday’s news tidbits, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
I was so heartbroken after the race, and just sick to my stomach for AJ’s sake. He needed this good run so badly, and he had the car to finally get the finish that he deserved. And then it all slipped away in half a lap. This isn’t just about finishing order or points position, either. Don’t forget that he still is not secure in a ride for the last ten races of the season. Not to mention that Richard Petty Motorsports could really use the share of 10th place prize money that they would get. That fact was brought home just a day after AJ’s disappointing finish at Pocono when news came out about layoffs and salary reductions at RPM.
With Chrysler in the middle of Chapter 11 restructuring, the Dodge teams that receive factory support seem to be experiencing a cash flow problem. According to an article on NASCAR.com, Richard Petty says that they have been affected by the bankruptcy proceedings. At the moment, the Dodge teams apparently have to file paperwork for reimbursement from Chrysler for engineering, technical services, and factory provided parts. The paperwork then has to go through legal proceedings before the team can be reimbursed.
With RPM already struggling to support four teams with limited sponsorship, it makes me wonder how long they can continue to do so now that they have to wait for factory support from Dodge. The hope was that as soon as Chrysler came out of the bankruptcy proceedings that things would get back to normal. But Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg threw a kink into the works when she granted a stay on the sale of assets to Italian automaker Fiat on Monday. This leaves only a week until the government mandated deadline of June 15th for the sale. After that date, Fiat can walk away from the purchase.
So what does this mean to the NASCAR teams? It means that the Chapter 11 restructuring is going to take even longer than expected. Apparently the higher ups at RPM are concerned about how long it will take for Dodge to pay the bills they are submitting. With the race team already strapped for cash, news came yesterday from Associated Press writer Jenna Fryer about nine workers being laid off and salary cuts for the remaining employees.
With Richard Petty Motorsports seemingly in flux due to the bankruptcy proceedings, rumors have already started flying about a move to Toyota in 2010. And adding fuel to the fire was another announcement on Monday regarding the Nationwide series. RPM has not fielded a car in that series for 2009, but they have now partnered with Braun Racing for five races. And Braun Racing is one of the top Toyota teams in the Nationwide series, and currently fields two full time entries – the #38 of Jason Leffler and the #32 car, which is shared by Brian Vickers and Burney Lamar – along with a part-time ride for David Reutimann in the #10.
No official word has come out on whether Braun Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports will run a Dodge or a Toyota for the five scheduled races to be shared by drivers Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler. But having RPM enter into a partnership with a known Toyota team certainly increases the speculation that the team will make a manufacturer change when their contract ends with Dodge in 2009.
Unfortunately, all of this uncertainty makes it hard for RPM to be competitive for the remainder of this year. They are working on the new R6 engine right now, but don’t have enough built to even run one at every race. And the question becomes – how much of their resources should they commit to that engine when they may not be running it next year? Yet if they don’t work on improving their team and getting better finishes, will there be any sponsors interested in them for next year?
The biggest thing that RPM has going for them right now is that they have a good lineup of drivers. Kasey Kahne is not only extremely talented, but he is one of the most popular drivers in the sport right now. Elliott Sadler is a charismatic person with a large media presence, and sponsors love him. Reed Sorenson has the youth factor on his side and is a great long term investment if they choose to keep him. And AJ is a driver whose star is on the rise. His fan base is growing at an amazing rate, as is the respect of his peers.
Yet even with all of that going for them, I am concerned for the future of Richard Petty Motorsports – and more importantly, the future of my driver. I think that the RPM executives are going to have to make several tough decisions in the near future. Do they commit to improving the Dodge equipment that they have, or do they save their resources and make a change for 2010? If they do spend the money on improving the teams, how long can they field four entries? And if they do have to shut a team down, which one do they choose?
In a way, this last decision is similar to what Roush Fenway is facing this year by having to cut down to four drivers for next season. Only in Roush’s case, they aren’t really cutting a driver. There is no doubt that they will simply move one of their drivers to Yates Racing and supply them with what is basically Roush equipment. Richard Petty Motorsports doesn’t have that option, and if they do have to close one of the teams, there will be a driver looking for work. I can guarantee it won’t be Kasey Kahne, so who will it be – Sadler, Sorenson, or Allmendinger? I guess only time will tell.
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