Notes: Ginn Racing looking for sponsorship for 13, 14

LOUDON, N.H. -- Far from being a black mark on a pretty significant 2007 racing record, Ginn Racing's appearance at New Hampshire International Speedway this weekend with a pair of plain, jet black racecars was an explanation mark, Ginn general manager Jay Frye explained on Saturday.

While doing that, Frye also went into his team's plans for next season, largely hinging on available sponsorship, in Nextel Cup and Busch; as well as the status of the team's four current full-time drivers in those two divisions.

Back support

Kyle Busch knows what he's looking for in a new team. And it's something he thinks he didn't receive all the time at Hendrick Motorsports.

• Complete story, click here

Frye just laughed when asked about Ginn Racing's interest in Kyle Busch -- seen as the most desirable driver in the "free-agent" market -- saying he "absolutely" would be interested in talking to Busch, but that he had not yet done so.

Frye said that while the No. 01 Chevrolet, driven primarily by the veteran Mark Martin in conjunction with this weekend's pilot Regan Smith, is fully sponsored by the U.S. Army, the team's other two Chevrolets, Joe Nemechek's No. 13 and Sterling Marlin's No. 14, both lack full season sponsorship programs -- and both are dressed in black at NHIS.

"It gets the word out that we do have some inventory left, and what better way to display it than to say 'we have some [blank] cars?'" Frye said. "We have two good teams [that aren't fully sponsored] and we want to get the word out.

"Hopefully, we've got something that's going to happen Monday that will change that quite substantially, but there's a handful on each of the other cars right now."

Frye said Ginn Racing, owned by real estate developer Bobby Ginn, was not in any financial trouble.

"Obviously, if you don't have sponsors that's not a good thing, but there's no financial crisis or trouble or anything like that [but] we've got to get these cars funded," Frye said. "Last fall we decided to expand and we did, and it's a chicken and egg thing.

"You don't get a sponsor and say you want to start a team tomorrow. We're totally committed to the five-year plan and we had to start it last fall. There were a couple [sponsorship deals] in January that didn't happen -- if you look at some of the names that were on our cars that aren't now, you'll now which ones didn't happen.

"We're at the point of the year anyway that we're evaluating where we're at and what we've got going on. We grew very fast, and now we're evaluating whether or not we have enough people, too many people and people in the right places.

In the interim

Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are ready to move on with their interim crew chiefs -- Johnson with Ron Malec and Gordon with Jeff Meendering.

• Complete story, click here

"It's that time of the year for any company, because you're starting your plans for 2008."

Frye said those plans included Smith in one full-time Nextel Cup car, either the No. 13 or No. 14. He said Martin's exact schedule, which includes 24 Nextel Cup points races this season, was yet to be determined, and ideally another young driver would be paired with him in the 01 car.

Frye said his ideal, in the later stages of the five-year plan, would be to have "three or four 20-somethings that we've developed, driving our cars."

"I don't believe in the age thing, though," Frye said. "Mark [Martin, age 46] is still one of the best out here, but Mark is special and there are not many guys like that."

Nemechek and Marlin's contracts are both up at the end of this season. Frye acknowledged Marlin wanted to go to a partial schedule next season, but said he would not be in the 01 car. Frye also said Ginn Racing would run at least a partial Busch Series schedule.

Would you or wouldn't you?

Carl Edwards says a team's position in the standings might still compel them to stretch the envelope when it comes to testing NASCAR's resolve on penalties, despite the fact that the last three teams penalized have totaled $300,000 in fines, 600 points deducted and 18 races of suspension for three crew chiefs.

"NASCAR has really taken a strong stance on manipulating the rules around the Car of Tomorrow," Edwards said. "We're fortunate to be seventh in points, we've got a great season going and qualifying is not so stressful for us -- we don't really have to push the envelope, so we're lucky that we're not in that situation."

But Edwards said that, with the example NASCAR has set, teams might think twice about bending the rules once the Chase for the Nextel Cup starts.

"The points penalties are really the things that have an excruciating effect on the teams -- to lose 100 points," Edwards said. "What NASCAR is doing right now, I feel, is making a statement before the Chase starts that, 'Look, this is what we're gonna do. It's gonna cost you 100 points.'

"If that were to happen with eight or 10 races to go while we were in the Chase, it would be devastating."

Burton gets it

Jeff Burton's been around the upper levels of NASCAR long enough to be considered old school, and he's one guy who's smart enough to "get" the message currently being promoted by NASCAR, via penalties for COT infractions.

"NASCAR has made it very clear that they are not going to tolerate anything," Burton said of the most recent penalties, to two Hendrick Motorsports teams. "It was a very, very harsh penalty -- more severe than I would have anticipated.

"They sent a very clear message to the garage area. It's gotten everybody nervous. Everybody is on pins and needles, but that's what they want. We can't think the same way anymore.

"This has been a game of 'what is NASCAR going to let you get by with?' It's no longer that game. There is nothing they want you to do with these bodies. There is no wiggle room."

And up again?

One week after sitting out the road-course race at Infineon Raceway in California, where his No. 00 Toyota posted its best finish of the season, but in the hands of substitute P.J. Jones, David Reutimann bounced back at NHIS, as he was the only one of three Michael Waltrip Racing teams that made Sunday's race.

"I'm not going to lie -- it feels good to get in these shows and then at least feel like we have something to work with in practice," Reutimann said. "The last couple weeks we've been slowly but surely gaining on some stuff.

"The guys are doing a good job and they've always worked hard -- that has never stopped. It's all about putting a string of good races together, trying to get some momentum going -- there's no better way to do it.

"If we could get a top 10, top 15 [Sunday] like we did at Michigan, I think that would be a good day, especially on a small racetrack. I don't have any Cup experience here [but] of course, I didn't have any Cup experience at Michigan and most places we go, so why should this place be any different?"

Newman on the verge?

Ryan Newman, another former NHIS winner, will start 12th on Sunday in his No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge, and is hopeful his recent hot streak will continue.

"I'm pretty sure we have a top-five racecar right now -- it's just a matter of having track position," Newman said. "You have to have that top-five car in the top 10 to be able to get a top-seven out of it.

"We just want to be in the right position at the end of the race. We're going to need good pit stops and just keep the nose clean. Track position is the most important part [and] pit stops are part of that. It takes a little bit of everything to win at this level. It's just a matter of getting them all right in one afternoon."

Newman has raced back to the point his team is the best Dodge in the standings.

"It's hard work," Newman said of his team's current momentum. "We're the highest Dodge in points right now -- we're 13th -- and that's nothing to scoff at. We're happy with that but we'll keep working hard."

Another week, another race

Tony Stewart, who has two Cup victories at New Hampshire, doesn't buy the contention that Sunday's race will be tough to pass.

"Passing is hard everywhere -- every week qualifying is important [because] it's important for a good pit selection," Stewart said. "Obviously the fewer cars that you've got to work to pass, the easier you can be on your equipment and try to save your car for the end of the race."