Elliott Sadler will drive the No. 19 Dodge in 2007. Credit: Autostock

Last Lap: NASCAR confusion for Ford

Sadler's move to No. 19 latest in long line of Ford defections

Though he denies any contact with Ray Evernham, Elliott Sadler will drive the No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge in 2007, multiple sources close to Robert Yates Racing have confirmed.

Contrary to recent speculation, M&Ms, Sadler's current primary sponsor at Yates, will not accompany him to Evernham, those same sources say.

	MARTY SMITH •   E-mail Marty •   Opinion Archive

A rather substantial -- and seemingly unnoticed -- subplot to this development is the loss of yet another marquee driver by Ford Motor Company to a rival manufacturer.

Since 2000 seven drivers, including three of Ford's last four champions, have defected either to Dodge or Toyota, and another retired. A fourth champion, Alan Kulwicki, died in a plane crash in 1993, a year after he won the title.

Bill Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman -- a decision made by team owner Roger Penske, not Wallace and Newman individually, of course, but a departure from Ford, nonetheless -- Kurt Busch and now Sadler left Ford for Dodge.

Dale Jarrett departed to join Michael Waltrip's Toyota organization, and Ricky Rudd, a Ford fan-favorite, retired. That's a ton of star power gone to competitors. Ford added Jamie McMurray, but the No. 26 team is the biggest disappointment to date in the 2006 season.

Speaking of Jarrett and Sadler, with both having opted to leave RYR, what will become of that organization? Two seats to fill. Few prospects. Well behind the curve in the crucial engineering department.

Young Busch Series driver Stephen Leicht could very well be promoted to the team's flagship No. 88 next season, possibly backed by CitiFinancial. It's not a done deal, but it's being discussed.

Leicht has 10 Busch Series starts to his name. He'll attempt to make his Nextel Cup Series debut this weekend at Pocono Raceway in the No. 90 Ford.

And the No. 38? TBD. David Gilliland's win at Kentucky Speedway could ultimately prove to be a career maker.

Or maybe RYR can woo a marquee name to stabilize a shaky program, solidify a porous empire.

Credit: Autostock

SADLER'S WOES Elliott Sadler's season can be summed up in one heart-breaking moment: Running out of gas after taking the final green flag and ruining a possible top-five finish Sunday at New Hampshire.  •   Complete story,  click here LOUDON, N.H. -- Jeremy Mayfield has been offered the opportunity to drive for Michael Waltrip Racing next season.  That could open the door for Elliott Sadler to move into Mayfield's No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge as Bob Dillner of SPEED reported during Friday's qualifying for Sunday's race at New Hampshire International Speedway.  •   Complete story,  click here

Many folks can't fathom why Sadler would leave Yates for a team much worse-off in the overall standings. It comes down to performance potential. He sees more at Evernham than at Yates.

Selfishly, I hope RYR is able to rebound like Richard Childress did. Like Childress, Robert and Doug Yates are throwbacks, good ol' boys.

We should all hope new-wave NASCAR doesn't leave them in its wake.

Chad M. Callender: Marty, I was very impressed with your story on Tim Calhoun. I find it inspiring to know that there are NASCAR fans out there that take a positive roll in the sport unlike the "fans" we witnessed last week at Chicagoland throwing garbage at a four-time champion.

I think you might have stumbled upon Tim's niche to make a lot of money for him and his family. Given that these drawings are so detailed and take such a large time to construct, I think that each one of them could possibly be worth a considerable amount of money to die-hard race fans.

Do you know if he has considered auctioning some of his drawings?

Meeting Tim Calhoun was quite a blessing for me. Only rarely is one subjected to that type of spirit in this life, especially from a gentleman that's overcome such hardship.

His artistic ability is remarkable, but not nearly as remarkable as his unwavering refusal to concede to his disability.

As for the possibility of purchasing a Tim Calhoun original, get in line, Chad. Dozens of folks submitted similar requests. (I want one, too.) I've informed NASCAR of this, and we're working through the intricacies now. Stay tuned.

Jim Edwards: Marty, you're awfully hard on Kyle Busch when he screws up (which he has a lot, for sure). What do you have to say for yourself now?

What, Jim, because he won at Loudon? He drove an excellent race Sunday, and to his credit Busch has conducted himself quite well since the Charlotte HANS-tossing contest. Again, I wish he'd embrace the bad boy persona, and that his sponsors would allow him to do so.

There's a substantial sect of fans that yearn for a rough-edged ramblin' man to scuff some luster from the shiny surface of Nextel Cup racing. Rowdy's the guy.

And don't think for a moment Busch is a fluke. He's as much a title contender as anyone right now.

Craig: Marty, I've been meaning to ask you this question for quite awhile. So if you know the answer, I would appreciate it.

Let's say there's a caution, and every car comes down pit road. Driver A is leading and Driver B is in second. If Driver A's pit box is before the start/finish line and Driver B's is past it, who leads the lap when Driver A stops before the start/finish line and Driver B goes past him.

If Driver B hasn't led the race all day, does he get five bonus points? Any help would be appreciated.

According to the czar of NASCAR's competition tower, race director David Hoots, Driver B would be credited with leading that lap and thus receive five bonus points, Craig. Good question.

JohnCHolmes: Marty, with Jeff Burton getting in the 77 (Busch Series car), and qualifying great and running well in the race, is Burney Lamar done?

According to the statement released by the team late last week, no, Lamar's job isn't in jeopardy. Rather, replacing him for the Loudon event was an effort to evaluate performance, the statement said.

"After reviewing the progress of our team the first half of the season, we felt like the assessment of an experienced driver could only help the development of our team and Burney Lamar," team owner Kevin Harvick said in the statement.

"I've watched Jeff's input have a very positive impact on RCR and I value and respect his opinion."

Lamar will be back in the No. 77 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Monsoon29: Marty, I want to pound on this guy for a while for making this statement: "But its staged close finishes and overwhelmingly showbiz approach seem somewhat beneath a driver of Montoya's ability." Whatever, jerky.

That's funny. It's an excerpt from a BBC Motorsports column regarding Juan Pablo Montoya's departure from F1 to NASCAR. The column largely praises Montoya's driving ability and raves about his otherworldly skill in completing passes.

Montoya is a phenomenal talent, no doubt, but he's going to get schooled in the Nextel Cup Series for a while. Take something as rudimentary as heat and hydration, for example:

Jimmie Johnson told me he drank three liters of Gatorade before Sunday's event and still managed to shed six pounds by the end of the day. After a Monday morning jog he was down five more. Eleven pounds in 24 hours.

Now, F1 drivers are in ridiculous shape. The g-forces their bodies must withstand requires esteemed fitness. But I'd betcha that ceaseless wind gusting over the helmet feels quite refreshing.

Oh, and then there's the side-by-side thing. And the 300 extra miles.

I have the utmost respect F1 and its competitors. To me it is fascinating to watch. Too bad it's not reciprocal.

No Pocono for me this weekend. I'm playing Mr. Mom while my wife does the bachelorette party thing 600 miles away. This should be interesting...

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