Smack: Ganassi in the news for wrong reasons

1. Chip Ganassi has announced that his No. 40 team is shutting down because of a lack of sponsorship. What does former Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti do now?

David Caraviello: Well, if they keep that No. 40 Nationwide team afloat, it might not be too bad. Dario has really struggled at the Cup level, more than anyone thought. And while the cars are different, a little more time in a lower series might help him in the long run, if he wants to stay in NASCAR.

Raygan Swan: Something tells me Chip is not going to be able to afford to pay Dario to merely run the remainder of the Nationwide Series season, so maybe he could just relax for the time being.

Duane Cross: Run back to open wheel ASAP. He doesn't have anything to prove in NASCAR; he should cut his losses and return to open-wheel racing and enjoy the rest of his life.

Raygan Swan: Right, but what IRL team is going to have him, one that would be competitive? He was almost out the door when he raced for Andretti Green.

David Caraviello: I'll tell you, having seen the way Ashley Judd reacts when a reporter disses her Kentucky Wildcats, Chip had better look out. Especially since he said in the preseason he could field that car all year.

Duane Cross: Dario should be Exhibit A for those who believe they can jump into NASCAR and be sliced bread -- not that he thought he was -- and compete at the Cup level with little or no stock-car experience.

Raygan Swan: He's 35 years old, and that's a respectable age to take life in a different direction. He could be like Burney Lamar, and travel to his wife's TV and movie shoots.

Duane Cross: Getting an elite Cup series ride is tough; Dario should have looked before he leaped, in this case. Ganassi isn't a contender; sponsorship money is tough to come by; experience pays dividends.

David Caraviello: Dario knew full well what he was getting into, how steep the learning curve would be. But I don't think anyone figured that sponsors would stay away as if that unit was radioactive. Chip was pretty positive in January that they could keep it afloat all year long with patchwork deals.

Duane Cross: Patchwork deals are not the way to run a contender, that's becoming clearer with each passing day. Look at Petty Enterprises; those guys have signed more deals than Trump. And there's nothing to show for their "patchwork." And the economy isn't showing signs of floating the NASCAR team owners' boats.

Down to two

Citing a lack of sponsorship, Chip Ganassi has decided to shut down the No. 40 team.

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Raygan Swan: And besides, I don't want to see Dario running the remainder of the Nationwide Series season because up-and-comer Bryan Clauson needs the seat time and his career is just getting started. He's only 19. As far as sponsorship goes, they should've had their ducks in row before the season started.

David Caraviello: Dario is actually the lucky one here. There were some wrench-turners who were laid off when their team evaporated. They don't have all that open-wheel cash to fall back on. But yeah, with a unified open-wheel series, why would Dario stick around? Unless he really wants to see if he can do this. If that's the case, he obviously needs to start looking at other teams.

Duane Cross: This week it's Dario; next week, who knows -- Reed Sorenson looking for a job? The only guy who should sleep well at Ganassi is Juan Montoya; he's got the diversity angle covered. Dario is the lucky one, no question. He now has options. There will be a team -- an open-wheel team -- that will make a run at him, no question.

Raygan Swan: Reed's average finishes aren't too much better than Dario's, which is why I was confused to hear that he is staying at Ganassi. But he also has Target behind him for now.

David Caraviello: I'll tell you what, it might be time for Chip to seriously re-evaluate things. This NASCAR deal has been a struggle for him since the day Sterling Marlin got hurt.

Duane Cross: You do have to feel for the folks who most certainly received pink slips. Dario will find another job and has the resources to survive. Some of the folks who make the wheels go 'round don't.

Raygan Swan: Yeah and it's not like they get two weeks, either. This seemed unexpected.

Duane Cross: Yep, it's time for a nuts 'n' bolts re-evaluation at Ganassi -- but that's not the only team that is looking at hard times. Would it surprise anyone if two, three more teams dramatically trim their efforts before year's end?

David Caraviello: No, especially given that some organizations are thousands over budget in just fuel costs alone. This has never been an inexpensive deal. It ain't getting any cheaper.

Duane Cross: It would not surprise me if Michael Waltrip Racing cut back, if Michael McDowell drops out of the top 35 -- and he's 35th entering Daytona.

David Caraviello: I'd hate to see that -- Michael's a great kid. But I'll tell you this, I don't think any more open-wheel folks will be looking to jump to NASCAR anytime soon. Dario might be the end of the line. (Continued)