ChiefsPlanet - Other Sports ******Official 2011 NASCAR thread******

smittysbar, your boy is doing great - Congrats!

Excerpts: Scene Daily

Whether Edwards re-signs with Roush is not as certain, although as long as he keeps running well, the better the chances of him remaining with the team that he has spent his entire Cup career with.

Edwards has four days a week to ponder his future, while it appears that he already knows what he’ll do to Busch if and when the time comes.
Off the track, Edwards will remain calculated in his job search. He talks a good game about trying to put his decision on hold so it won’t be a distraction to him or his Roush team.

“The biggest thing I don’t want to do is mess anything up by focusing too much on that,” Edwards said. “We all work very hard to be in the exact position we are in right now, to be this fast and come to the race track and have a chance to win.

“I don’t want to mess that up by focusing on the contract right now. We are four races in right now and I don’t want to do anything to mess up this performance.”

But Edwards can’t put a decision on hold for long because it’s not just about negotiating with Roush executives. It’s also about courting a potential new sponsor. Roush officials have been trying to help Aflac sell off some of its races under the current contract, so it makes sense that if Aflac renews, it won’t be for a full season.

So no matter whether Edwards stays at Roush or goes somewhere else, he will need a new sponsor. Those talks need to start now. It would also make sense that the longer Edwards goes unsigned, the more other teams will knock on Aflac’s door to try to lure the sponsorship – and possibly Edwards – away.

As long as Edwards leads the Cup standings and wins races, he holds the cards in the negotiations. With strong performance, he has the leverage to make money demands, whether that’s in base salary or significant incentive clauses.

Edwards’ heart might be with Roush; it’s obvious he has a soft spot for team co-owner Jack Roush. But he knows he must put himself in the best position possible to win races and championships – even if that is with another team. His passion for racing and winning likely will prevail over loyalty.

That leaves possibly a fourth team at Joe Gibbs Racing as the strongest competition. Penske Racing certainly could be a player, but the more Kurt Busch struggles, the less likely it is that Edwards will go there. Moving to Penske already could be a sticky situation considering his history with nemesis Brad Keselowski. The one thing in Penske’s favor is that organization’s ability to package sponsorships with other Roger Penske businesses.

With Kasey Kahne leaving at the end of the season for Hendrick, Red Bull Racing might have the money, but won’t get more than a passing look unless Kahne or Brian Vickers suddenly start rattling off wins.

Hendrick Motorsports doesn’t appear to have an opening for 2011. Stewart-Haas Racing? That just doesn’t seem to be a good fit. Richard Childress Racing could have a spot open if Clint Bowyer surprisingly leaves, but bringing in Edwards and trying to get him to mesh with rival Kevin Harvick would be a challenge considering their history and dislike for each other.

The history between Edwards and Harvick is different than that of Edwards and Busch. Edwards and Harvick got in a scuffle in the Charlotte garage a few years ago and have expressed their disdain for each other again last year. Busch is one of the drivers who didn’t publicly denounce Edwards during his feud with Keselowski last year. While they might get into battles on the track and in the press occasionally, there appears to be a mutual respect between the two and the possibility that they could work together on the same team.

So maybe Busch should hope that Edwards is interested in JGR. If Edwards gets deep into negotiations with Gibbs, he might hesitate to retaliate for fear of angering Busch and hurting his chances to drive for JGR?

But that probably won’t be a factor. When it’s time to wreck Busch, there will be no time for second thoughts. The contract negotiations, though, will be a much more agonizing, deliberate decision for Edwards.

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/artic..._contract.html

"do you really think NASCAR would ever help a Ford? Chevy has more cheaters than any other make and those Toyota motors really suck this year. Why do you think plates came to Nascar? It wasn't safety It's because Chevy drivers were getting smoked week in and week out by Bill Elliott. /NASCRAP FAN

LMAO true!!!

JGR? Engines seem to be breaking down in all three Gibbs teams on a weekly basis. If its not fuel mileage problems its engine problems. Toyota doesn't build JGR engines -- Gibbs engines are built in-house. Given that Red Bull hasn't had engine problems, it may be a good idea to let Toyota engineers take over. Somehow, I doubt ol' Joe Gibbs would want to give up his secrets.

I think JGR cars had engine problems last year -- I could be wrong.