July 25, 2007
By Chuck Abrams

Chuck Abrams

After finishing second in the Daytona 500 and having Mark Martin sitting in the top 10 for the early part of the season, Ginn Racing has taken a hard look at its NASCAR operations as of late with devastating results.

They closed up their Busch operation and cleaned house in the NASCAR garage releasing Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek in favor of Aric Almirola and Regan Smith.

Smith was sharing the ride with Mark Martin, who stays at Ginn, and he will replace Marlin in the 14 car while Nemechek has been out-and-out released.

Almirola will replace Smith in the ride share program with Martin.

The reason? Sponsorships baby, sponsorships.

It’s not that Regan Smith has lit the Cup world on fire in his five starts this year or that Almirola was a top tier driver in the Busch series. But with Ginn closing it’s Busch operation, Smith was the future. CTS driver Almirola was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Busch Series and had come up through their driver development program. But being replaced while running third by Cup driver Denny Hamlin during a Busch race at Milwaukee, made Almirola look elsewhere for his future.

Ginn has money. Or at least had more money. And without a sponsor on the hood of the car, it is very expensive to run a Cup team. In the world of Cup racing in 2007, it is all about having a top driver to woo a sponsor or a young talent with enough promise and good looks to make a sponsor look your way.

Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek are fuddy duddies in this version of NASCAR. Ken Schrader is lucky enough to be able to go back to BAM Racing and try to run some more Cup races this year, leaving the Wood Brothers with Bill Elliott’s remaining provisionals and Jon Wood waiting in the wings.

Schrader is self-deprecating enough to have made one funny commercial for Little Debbie’s. Marlin is behind only Ward Burton in being able to understand what he says at any given time. Nemechek is a nice guy but he ain’t no Jamie McMurray or Kasey Kahne.

It seems like the older drivers are being used to bring home the equipment, in once piece (which they do more often than not) and keep the owner in the top 35 in points, while they train the new guy in the big, bad world of Nextel Cup racing.

But there are plenty of veterans to keep Cup racing interesting while some owners try to turn it into a more expensive Busch race. Believe you me, if one of these Cup neophytes gets in the way of Tony "Smoke" Stewart during the Chase, you are going to hear about it, as well you should.

Sterling and Nemechek may get another chance this year, but it is not likely. As Bobby Ginn looks to 2008 and beyond, Sterling and Nemechek are looking to gain rides for 2008.

But where?

Toyota may be looking for someone to make races for them next year, but Red Bull seems pretty set. That leaves Michael Waltrip Racing and Bill Davis racing if Blaney falls out of favor.

Yates Racing has Ricky Rudd and David Gilliland and Gilliland is running the best of all four drivers right now. If Rudd were to part, that leaves a seat open.

So unless Ganassi Racing or DEI is looking for a veteran driver, both may have to settle for training duties -- or hope someone else decides to add a new team with a veteran driver. Or be content to possibly sit out a year if not flat out retire.

You always hope a driver gets to go on his terms and have a farewell tour for the fans. But that seems less and less likely in today’s NASCAR.

I won’t be at Indy this year, only the second time since they started Cup racing there. Have fun and be nice to the guy that bought my tickets for a song.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.