Ganassi's #40 team closes down

[Batman1138]

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that due to a lack of sponsorship funding it will cease operation of the team's #40 Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Dodge driven by Dario Franchitti beginning this weekend in Daytona. "This is a difficult decision for Felix and I that did not come without its share of anguish," said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. "In this tough business environment continuing to run the car without proper funding has become increasingly difficult." CGRFS is committed to Franchitti's continued stockcar development and are currently in discussions with him on his racing options with the team which could include running the balance of the 2008 Nationwide season in the #40 Fastenal Dodge. Currently the #42 Texaco/Havoline/Juicy Fruit Dodge of Juan Pablo Montoya is 21st in owner points while the #41 Target Dodge driven by Reed Sorenson is sitting 31st in the standings.(CGRFS PR)(7-1-2008)

Sucks for Dario....

 

[burtonbraves]

:frown: :frown: :frown: :frown: :frown:

 

[Cheezypuff]

thats unbelievable! they should take sorenson out of the 41 and put dario in it. nothing against sorenson its just tht dario is way better than he is imo. darios probly pissed out of his mind bc he left a championship race team in indycar for an unsponsored team tht shuts down. thts bad for him

 

[MattSRD28]

Dario knew what he was getting into when the season started. He hoped that good performance would solve the ills of lack of sponsorship, but that never came. Then the #40 team started DNQ'ing and Ganassi has no tolerance for that.

Franchitti will continue to compete in the Nationwide series w/ a fully-sponsored team which is where he should have started anyway IMO. Sometimes I really wish NASCAR would implement a mandatory season, or some number of races in the Nationwide or Truck series before a rookie driver can make the jump to the Cup Series. Seems like it would be better for everyone in the sport, sponsors included, as it would slightly decrease the risk involved in pumping unknown drivers full of cash or leaving talented drivers sponsorless.

 

[Batman1138]

As long as Dario is getting seat time somewhere in a stock car I think he'll improve. I bet he'll be testing everywhere in the COT during the week and then run the Nationwide races.

 

[Kazuo]

I'm gutted to hear this, I think a GNS Apprenticeship or something like that would be a good idea for future rookies regardless of other experience, there's no comparision for Cup racing and the jump is too big without a basic grounding in the discipline, something like say 30+ races in ARCA, GNS and CTS combined before they even consider letting a guy near a Cup car. Villeneuve was in the same boat after the 500 and it sucks cos they're talented guys who would and should be given the chance to enrich the stock car scene.

Feel so bad for Big Dario, :frown:

 

[Alex Kessler]

This is really unfortunate. Not only for the Dario and his team, but for the sport as a whole. That 40 car has been around longer than most of the cars out there now and it's a shame to see it go.

It was hard enough not seeing Coors on it this hear, but that's just a racing deal - Sponsors go and so do teams

 

[mgcastro]

Dario will surely improve in nationwide, I agree with you guys, and he will come back stronger if he gets strong finishes in Nwide series.

 

[Cheezypuff]

This is really unfortunate. Not only for the Dario and his team, but for the sport as a whole. That 40 car has been around longer than most of the cars out there now and it's a shame to see it go.

It was hard enough not seeing Coors on it this hear, but that's just a racing deal - Sponsors go and so do teams

yea same thing with the 4 team...ever since kodak left them in o4 nothins been the same...then they shut down after last year which left another great driver out of a ride with ward burton....it just sucks all around that things like that have to happen

 

[CLAUSON41]

the sucks for bryan clauson because he won't get to drive anymore he should try to go to a different team like evernham.

 

[MattSRD28]

^ Ganassi has said before that if he can find a sponsor for Clauson, he'd run him full time in the Nationwide Series.

These are uncertain economic times (note: NOT recession), and during uncertain economic times, sponsors are more difficult to come by. So much is required in a sponsorship investment that additional risk becomes very unattractive in a financial forecast.

 

[dalejrgamer]

40 team ceasing operations solidifies that Ganassi doesn't know NASCAR at all even more since they give Sterling Marlin the boot.

 

[MattSRD28]

^ Um, okay, you are aware that the decision was made in full conjunction with Felix Sabates, who's been an owner in NASCAR a very long time right?

 

[dalejrgamer]

I'm aware that Felix Sabates made that decision with Ganassi. It's just that the team just flat-out sucks since Marlin is gone, and closing down the 40, along with hiring Dario Franchitti, just wasn't going to help the team at all.

 

[Blueclipse28]

it does suck for dario, that chip is leaving the cup scene but with all of the shuffling around next year with drivers and rides i am sure he wont have a hard time finding a place to drive.

 

[MattSRD28]

I'm aware that Felix Sabates made that decision with Ganassi. It's just that the team just flat-out sucks since Marlin is gone, and closing down the 40, along with hiring Dario Franchitti, just wasn't going to help the team at all.

Closing didn't have anything to do with the team, and had everything to do with the fact the team couldn't find sufficient sponsorship. Is that entirely performance, or lack thereof, related? Maybe, but sponsors don't always simply flock to the most recent winner.

For all those inquiring minds who want know, here's Felix Sabates providing his perspective:

Felix Sabates talks about closure of #40 team: Felix Sabates spoke with Claire B. Lang on "Dialed In" on XMSN (XM Channel 144) Tuesday evening about Dario Franchitti's future with the team
CBL: You didn't have a sponsor - people forget this team was unsponsored:
Sabates: "What happened to us - we kind of got hung out to dry by Coors. Coors was with me for almost ten years and they had a management change and the new people come over and told us don't worry about it - 'Don't look for a sponsor; we're going to be back with you in 2008, 2009.' So, we never looked for any sponsors and come October they come and tell us well Coors is going to do something else. They're going to sponsor the NASCAR Coors pole and this and that so then it was too late (for the 2008 season)...so we have been running all year long without a sponsor."

CBL: Talk about the options for Dario Franchitti:
Sabates: "Dario had a hard time with it. He made a change from the Indy Racing League to come here. But truth of the matter is that he needs more seat time. We gave him an option to go in the Nationwide car because we do have a sponsor for the #40 Nationwide car. He's going to decide what he's going to do in the next few days and maybe he'll be racing in Chicago (Nationwide race July 11).....I hope he does get in the Nationwide car. He's a very talented driver and if he gets a few more months under his belt maybe we can get a sponsor for next year and we can go racing next year.
Sabates told CBL on the cost of running the team and how much he's paid to keep it running: - "It cost you $20 to $21, $22 million dollars to run a competitive team and if you run 15 races and you don't have any money coming in you have already lost $10 or $11 million dollars."
Sabates on Dario's choices: "Chip pretty much told him if he wanted to go to back to Indy that, because it doesn't cost near as much money there as it does here, and over there Chip is the Rick Hendrick of over here - so he can get a sponsor for an IRL car very easily. So he's got his choice - if he wants to drive the Nationwide Car - get some more experience, maybe we'll get a sponsor for next year or go back to the IRL -- it's up to Dario - he has a contract and we intend to honor it."
Sabates on what he thinks Dario will do: "At the end of the day - I think he will get in the Nationwide car- he needs more seat time anyway."(XM Radio PR)(7-2-2008)

Now I think it's fair to point out that the #40 car never ran without sponsorship, so I'm not sure why Felix is talking about losing millions of dollars this season. While we don't know exactly where that sponsorship money always goes, Target sponsorship is somewhat unique with Ganassi given the relationship between the two, it should be reasonable to assume that they received some compensation somewhere. and simply aren't out the 10-11 million Sabates talked about.

I do like how Ganassi offered Dario the choice between Nationwide and a return to the IRL. That shows just how much Chip cares about his drivers and wants to facilitate their success as much as he can.

--DF28

 

[Blueclipse28]

Dario drove in the irl for ganassi also.. so its only fair for him to give him that option to go back. of course they don't want that and they would rather have him stay in the cup, but to finish out the rest of this season in the nationwide series is what is prolly going to happen in my opinion. they all know he needs seat time in order to start pulling constant top 20's. its all for his better.

...and could this happen? montoya gets the boot and franchitti drives the 42? maybe? eh? lol especially after the incident this weekend with kybusch.

 

[MattSRD28]

More...

Franchitti undecided on future plans: Dario Franchitti isn't sure what his future holds, but the former open-wheel star said Wednesday he'd like to remain in NASCAR. Franchitti lost his full-time ride Tuesday when team owner Chip Ganassi closed down the unsponsored No. 40 Dodge 17 races into Franchitti's first season. The move also resulted in 71 layoffs. "This is not a decision he made lightly, and it shows how bad the economy is," Franchitti told The Associated Press. "And you certainly never want to see all those people lose their jobs. I know for certain Chip struggled with that -- I didn't even recognize his voice when he called me to tell me what he had to do. But the decision has been made and now I'll sit with Chip next week and decide what we're going to do going forward." Ganassi's got sponsorship on his Nationwide Series car, and has offered Franchitti that seat going forward. Ganassi also has successful teams in the IRL and Grand Am Series. Franchitti wasn't sure Wednesday what he'll do next. "Let's see what the future holds. I really just need to sit with Chip and see where his head is," he said. "But NASCAR is where I want to be. I want to be successful here and I certainly don't want it to end like this. I made a big commitment coming over here and I'd like to get in an opportunity to be successful." Franchitti said he'll skip Saturday night's race in Daytona and, after briefly considering returning to England to watch the British Grand Prix, decided to stay at his Nashville, Tenn., home this weekend clearing his head. He doesn't regret leaving the IRL for NASCAR. "When I made the decision to come here, I wasn't going to do the IndyCar thing anymore so this isn't a case of missing out on what could have been in Indy cars," Franchitti said. "That just wasn't a direction I wanted to go in. Never say never, but it's unlikely I'll go back." He's also not sure about moving to Grand-Am, where Ganassi drivers Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett are leading the standings. For now, he's waiting to see what Ganassi has available for him and is hopeful something can be worked out in NASCAR. Although the results don't show it, Franchitti and his team had made slow progress since he returned from his broken ankle four races ago. He started a career-best seventh last week in New Hampshire, but finished 38th.(Associated Press)(7-3-2008)

 

[exidement99]

apples and oranges

Here is what i don't understand...How is it that Yates can run 2 cars sponsorless for many races and Ganassi can't run one car for one race without a sponsor?

 

[MattSRD28]

Choices

Here is what i don't understand...How is it that Yates can run 2 cars sponsorless for many races and Ganassi can't run one car for one race without a sponsor?

First of all, Yates hasn't run 2 cars sponsorless for many races. The #38 has run all of 2 or 3 of the first 17 races without freecreditreport.com covering the car. The #28 has been able to find a sponsor, albeit a different one, just about every week except for maybe 5 out of 17 races. The reason for this moderate success with finding sponsorship no doubt has everything to do with the fact that both the #28 and #38 teams are in the top 35 in points, and thus assured of racing every week.

The #40 team does not share this luxury. That team fell out of the top 35, became vulnerable to DNQ's and started to DNQ. Ganassi said the last time the #40 DNQ'd that he has no tolerance for DNQ's and is not afraid to make drastic changes. What likely was the straw that broke the camel's back was the DNQ at Infineon. Franchitti, a former IRL driver, was no doubt expected to at least put on a good show there, and he couldn't get the car in the field. Ganassi and Sabates work VERY hard to find weekly sponsorship for the #40 team, and when they perceive that their work is likely going to be for nothing when the #40 DNQ's, they're going to put their hours toward something more productive. Can you really blame them?

The #41 and #42 are both still in the top 35, albeit the #41 could fall out the next time they have a finish down around 40th or so. If you were Ganassi or Sabates, would you rather devote a good chunk of your weekly hours chasing down sponsorship for a car that might DNQ anyway? Or would you rather devote those hours to making sure your other teams, that have safe & secure sponsorship, do not fall into that vulnerable state? It's all about making choices.

--DF28