Ginn Racing wants a shot to woo Busch its way

Ginn Racing just wants to get out of the on-deck circle and into the batter's box this time.

Just one chance to swing the big stick, that's all.

But just as it ultimately turned out with Dale Earnhardt Jr., it may not happen with Kyle Busch -- the latest driver being hotly pursued not only by the Ginn organization but several others, including clear frontrunner Dale Earnhardt Inc. (Busch talks free agency with Tony Stewart)

Looking to the future

As soon as the announcement was made Kyle Busch was leaving Hendrick Motorsports, the inquiries started coming in.

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Busch essentially became a free agent-in-waiting when it was announced he and Rick Hendrick, his boss at Hendrick Motorsports, had mutually agreed to part ways at the end of this season -- even though Busch had one year remaining on his current contract. That announcement came the same day it was announced Earnhardt, who earlier said he would be leaving DEI at the end of the 2007 season, had signed a five-year contract with Hendrick and would begin driving there next season.

While sources say that Busch already has sat down with some of the powers-that-be at DEI for a chat about future employment, those same sources indicate that Ginn may already have been removed from Busch's short list of potential employers for 2008 and beyond. If so, that would be disappointing for Jay Frye, CEO and general manager of Ginn Racing.

"We would certainly be interested in speaking with Kyle, yes," Frye said prior to last Sunday's Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway. "All this just happened last week. I think the dust needs to settle, and hopefully within the next couple of weeks we'll be able to get with his group and see where we're at."

Explaining why he would like to add Busch to the Ginn stable of Cup drivers that currently includes part-timers Mark Martin and Regan Smith, and veteran full-timers Joe Nemechek and Sterling Marlin, Frye added: "He's 22 years old and he's already been out here a couple of years. He's one of the best Cup drivers out here today. So he's a phenomenal talent. We think he's a great kid. So the upside is huge. The potential is huge. And when you speak of potential that means what is yet to come and he's really, really good right now."

Problem is, by the time the dust settles, it appears that Busch may be signed with someone else.

Of course when someone is available and teams are pursuing him, you hear all kinds of stuff floating around the garage. One of the rumors making the rounds in Michigan was that Ginn Racing already had offered Busch a job. Frye said that wasn't true, although he added that he would like to make it happen.

He said the plan for next year is to again pair Martin with another young driver in one car, while Smith, Martin's part-time partner this year, moves up full time from the Busch Series to the Cup Series. Future plans for Nemechek and Marlin are still being formulated, Frye added, although he did say Marlin wants to cut back to a part-time ride next season as well and the team is still discussing "how it would work, if he could or not, and that's still kind of up in the air."

Most of Frye's recent focus has been on trying to catch Busch's attention -- sort of like the young up-and-coming sophomore at the high-school prom trying to land at least one dance with the most popular senior, where he can pitch the seemingly outrageous idea of beginning a long-term romance.

"There is no truth to the rumor that we've offered him a job. We certainly want to offer him one, yes. We certainly want to talk with them," Frye said of Busch. "We think between him and Regan, if we could match them up as two young 22-, 23-year-old guys that would definitely set the program up for a long time. Mark would be a phenomenal mentor for those two as we go forward. It could be a very exciting prospect."

Frye said Ginn Racing is poised to go to a four-car Cup operation next year whether Busch comes aboard or not.

"We've been preparing for the Busch team, along with Regan, to graduate into the Cup Series," Frye said. "It would just be a Cup team vs. a Busch team. We're already a four-car team. It just happens that one of the teams is a Busch team right now."

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Busch even casts more than a cursory glance in the direction of Ginn Racing during this courtship game. Despite reports to the contrary, Frye said it never really happened during the five weeks Earnhardt was trying to decide where he would direct his future.

The two sides talked, but never really had a serious conversation.

"We never really got up to bat with him," Frye said of Earnhardt. "We were flattered that we even got on-deck, if you want to put it like that. But we never really got engaged. What he did, where's he's at, I think he ended up exactly where he wanted to go. And if you're him, why wouldn't you? It's a great opportunity for him and a great opportunity for Hendrick. It'll be a perfect fit. So we're happy for all them, and again, we're flattered that they even talked to us."

But with Busch, Frye said the Ginn operation wants more. He pointed out that since Ginn gets their motors from Hendrick and their Chevrolet chassis are set up virtually the same (but built in-house by Ginn), Busch could make "a seamless transition."

Asked what it takes to lure a top talent to an operation like Ginn, which shows lots of promise but has been in business under the present ownership of resort developer Bobby Ginn only since November of 2006, Frye chuckled and replied: "Lots of zeroes."

Then he quickly added: "No, I'm kidding on that. With Dale, the same way, it's not about the money. People will pay the money. So how does he fit? Eighty percent of it is how we define why he would fit better with us than the other teams that want to talk with him. Hopefully there are some similarities between Dale and him on [wanting to be behind the wheel of] Chevrolets and Hendrick motors. The Hendrick relationship we have is great, and I think Mark [Martin] is a huge asset to a kid like Kyle. Mark could help define him for years to come. So you just present what you have -- and again, it's personalities.

"All this stuff people say about him [being immature]? He's 22. I think he handles everything phenomenally. He's under a tremendous amount of pressure. But here's the thing: most of the pressure that he's under, he puts it on himself -- because he wants to win. He's a fanatic about it. And I think that's great. I think it would be an easy transition for him."

First, though, Busch would have to agree to even consider it. It appears he may already be set to go steady with someone else, leaving Ginn Racing sitting on the outside looking in at the most popular date again.