Smith to replace Marlin at Ginn; Nemechek released (cont'd)

"I don't think that Bobby and Jay ever thought it was going to be that hard to find sponsors," Nemechek said. "The disappointing thing is here starting a new team and being the only new team that has been able to get in the top 35 [in owner points]. So that's a big accomplishment."

Ginn said that while sponsorship was a facor in the reorganization, the Car of Tomorrow also played a role in the decison.

"Our plan has been from the beginning that we were going to build our team slowly, over time, not make snap decisions and quick decisions that we would look back on and regret and so we were running the truck and the Busch car and Regan was doing great in the Busch car," Ginn said. "He had done pretty well in the Cup and so I talked with Mark and Jay [Frye] and Mark was convinced that he was ready to run a full-time schedule so if I've got to run a car with no sponsorship on it I may as well be trying to get my young driver seat time.

"In our particular situation, right now, I think the younger drivers is what most of the sponsors [want]," Ginn said. "They're either going after the big names or they're going after somebody that they think is going to be a big name."

Smith had been splitting time with Martin in the No. 01 and driving in the Busch Series, but Ginn recently shuttered its Busch operation as part of a rollback that also involved some layoffs. Looking to get the young driver more seat time, Ginn will move him into the car driven Marlin, who turned 50 earlier this month and was not likely to be back with the team next year.

Almirola was credited with a victory in a Busch race at Milwaukee earlier this season, but was stung when he was replaced during that event by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who arrived late from the Nextel Cup event at Sonoma, Calif. Almirola came up through the developmental program at Gibbs, which viewed the 23-year-old as a prime candidate to pilot an eventual fourth Nextel Cup team.

Almirola's first race in the No. 01 will be Aug. 12 at Watkins Glen. He will fulfill his obligations with Joe Gibbs Racing and compete in five more Busch races for the team this season.