Latest round of mergers more debacle than success

It appears that Merger Mania is almost complete, at least for the foreseeable future.

Of course, these days in NASCAR, the "foreseeable future" translates to about two weeks from now. It has been an ever-shifting landscape since about May of last year, and that likely will continue to be the case as teams scramble to find sponsorship dollars that simply don't appear to be there in a faltering economy.

Petty to GEM

• Petty, GEM announce deal
• Merger talks in final stages
• History of Petty Enterprises
• Andretti gave Petty last win
• Driving Experience lasting
• By the Numbers: Petty

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• Petty Enterprises: Early Years
• Petty Enterprises: Later Years

The latest so-called merger involved Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises, and was more of an absorption of the No. 43 team made famous by Richard Petty than an actual merger in the true sense of the word.

Much has been written and said about the sad end of Petty Enterprises as NASCAR has known it for 60 years. Many fans wonder aloud why it wasn't able to be saved, even if NASCAR itself would have had to prop it up somehow.

The fact is, especially in this economy, there wasn't much NASCAR could do. So at least the famed No. 43 survived, with a promise from the King himself that he will continue to come to the track to spread racing goodwill as only he can.

Dust swirls again

As the dust began to settle from that agreement, however, more unpleasant particles were kicked into the air when officials at GEM badly handled the supposed planned departure of driver Elliott Sadler from one of their other cars -- the same No. 19 that they had inexplicably awarded a contract extension for Sadler to drive through 2009 and beyond just last May.

After hearing through the grapevine that GEM planned to release him and put A.J. Allmendinger in that driver's seat instead, Sadler threatened to sue for breach of contract. He had every right, to be honest; and that assertion was validated when GEM officials backed off in the long run and said Sadler would remain employed as driver of the No. 19 after all.

Where does this leave the affable Allmendinger? In limbo, with which he should be familiar after spending much of last season mired in the same miserable place. (Continued)