2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Team Chart

[jaysfan]

I say Geoff is going to end up with FRM.. They're desperate enough for the money.He took a shot at TBR in his interview saying it was the equipment and not him..yea they don't really have winning cars but they're definitely better than where he ran.

Come on TNT, surely you don't think FRM is better fit for Geoff Bodine? Hell, they're running cars that're Roush rejects, hand me down cars and the engines that were sitting in a scrap metal pile

[MichaelCMTX]

Hey Rowdy, let me respond this way: What do you consider Roger Penske? He's been part of nascar I think since when 1970's? Roger Penske, I would say he's as old school as he gets, I don't think we can do better, Jack Roush, another old school owner, but yet they had enough of Kurt Busch.

Penske's been in NASCAR since 1991 but the Miller Deuce was where he started, unless there were some roadies back in the day.  Finch is an old-school owner alright, prior to when we had contracts to protect drivers from them.  Ask others who've "shaken hands" with him (excluding Mike Bliss, who is like a beaten woman who keeps going back to her abuser)

John Wes Bodine is freaking delusional. 

I think you're allowed to call him that only after JWT wins a Daytona 500 and 17 other races in Cup.  He may be close to (or past) his sell-by date, but he also had a few accomplishments along the way other than being born to someone who could finance his career.  There are certainly guys out there he can still outdrive.  THe word keeps popping up in here about what super equipment TBR has.  Aside from a couple good plate runs I didn't see Blaney (also talented) setting the world alight.  I think TBR is one of those teams that's a little too big to be a single-car deal, but not quite enough for two, and definitely not funded enough for two. 

Kinda like FRM (and yes, I realize full well they've run more than 2 cars, with their results proving my point)

[Rowdy]

Hey Rowdy, let me respond this way: What do you consider Roger Penske? He's been part of nascar I think since when 1970's? Roger Penske, I would say he's as old school as he gets, I don't think we can do better, Jack Roush, another old school owner, but yet they had enough of Kurt Busch.

The difference is that unlike Finch, Penske and Roush are very corporate.

Also, apparently the Charlotte Observer is saying that Busch will run a full Nationwide season too for KBM, apparently with a title in mind. The whole deal stinks to me. Sounds incredibly farfetched.

[Tarkus]

John Wes Bodine is freaking delusional. 

I think you're allowed to call him that only after JWT wins a Daytona 500 and 17 other races in Cup.  He may be close to (or past) his sell-by date, but he also had a few accomplishments along the way other than being born to someone who could finance his career.  There are certainly guys out there he can still outdrive.  THe word keeps popping up in here about what super equipment TBR has.  Aside from a couple good plate runs I didn't see Blaney (also talented) setting the world alight.  I think TBR is one of those teams that's a little too big to be a single-car deal, but not quite enough for two, and definitely not funded enough for two. 

Kinda like FRM (and yes, I realize full well they've run more than 2 cars, with their results proving my point)

I'd totally concur that Geoffrey has accomplished a lot in his career--more than JWT ever will by a long shot.  He was one of the best drivers in the sport in the 1980s/1990s and he seemed to still be able to pull off some surprisingly good runs even as late as the early-2000s.

But he's well past his prime now, and is essentially a ride-buyer.  Sure, I'd much rather see him out there with a rent-a-ride than another Whitney or Parsons parkmobile special, but there's other, less rusty drivers out there who can attract/bring funding, and his driving performance in his few races back were very JWTish.  He was a weapon out there at Phoenix.  Admittedly, as a Blaney fan, I was miffed at what transpired at the July Daytona race (Blaney, with a potentially race-winning car, being forced to draft with his vastly slower teammate who flat-out wrecked him), so that definitely shapes my sentiment toward his attempts to get back into the Cup series.

With regards to TBR, they experienced a lot of growth this year, finally being able to run pretty much a full season of full races and have stable funding . . . they are still a fledgeling outfit, but they've put together some surprisingly decent runs--outside the plate tracks, both Richmond races come to mind.  I think Tommy was pushing it trying to run a second car this season, particularly with a past-his-prime driver who had been out of the saddle for a long time.  He basically FRMed it, and I think it was a distraction that hampered their performance mid-season.  I think the main thing TBR needs to get figured out is how to be competitive on 1.5-mile tracks . . . they're decent on short tracks and plate races.  FRM's success there mainly comes out of the fact that Gilliland is surprisingly good on 1.5-mile tracks with lesser equipment (see his 14th-place run in TRG's second-ever race at Vegas in '09).

I think Geoffrey Bodine really would be better off trying to run the Truck Series now if he wants to see if he's still competitive . . . that sponsorship he has would get him a full season in Trucks with a top-tier team, and it seems the Bodine driving style works well there (see Todd Bodine's success).

[Rowdy]

Things are going good for David Ragan. He's been engaged to his girlfriend, Jacquelin Ann Butler, he's expected to be announced as the #43's new driver, and it's his birthday on Saturday (Mine, too).

In the back of my mind, I wish he had gotten tapped for the #22, but hey, it's not like RPM has bad equipment. The question is whether or not he can get the #43 back into Victory Lane.

EDIT: Apparently not, as now it seems that Aric Almirola will drive the #43. It's as if the cosmos themsleves have aligned in an unbridled prejudice towards David Ragan.

[GotFaith?]

David got greedy - should have taken the #51 when it was his. Now his best shots are with FRM, which are basically the only cars left.

[Tarkus]

Or TRG or FasLane (Stoddard), which I've not really heard mentioned.

[MichaelCMTX]

If David's not careful, he'll be spending 2012 with Erik Darnell wondering what went wrong.

[caissefan]

I can't help but think IF ford really does love David,why not "give funding" to another ford team and have david go there,FRM for example,comes to my mind.

If Geoff goes there,and gilliland returns,put ragan in the third car.

Or give Brian Keslowski a shi-ton of support,convert his fleet to ford and let david race there.

[GotFaith?]

I've seen a couple of press releases over the past couple of days that seem to indicate FRM has every intention of having their lineup remain the same in 2012. So, unless Ragan can bring some money to make the #55 full-time, FRM seems to be out.

I'd bet Bodine ends up in the #32, with Luke & Associates getting a share of the team. It would fit - remember they had VA Home Mortgage Company on the car in some races last year.

[Tarkus]

Or give Brian Keslowski a shi-ton of support,convert his fleet to ford and let david race there.

I was under the impression that Brian K was already planning on switching to Ford.  I know he has a couple of old #43 cars from RPM in his shop now.

I'd bet Bodine ends up in the #32, with Luke & Associates getting a share of the team. It would fit - remember they had VA Home Mortgage Company on the car in some races last year.

The announcement from Bodine seemed to hint that he and Luke were going to land at an existing multi-car operation.  With the exception of fielding the #23 at Indy as an S&P with Terry Labonte, they only fielded the #32 and it'd be a stretch to call them an existing multi-car team. 

[caissefan]

I was unaware that Brian was going to ford next year.

[jaysfan]

According to jaysk regarding Brian K: Will run an ARCA Team and hopes to run some Sprint Cup races in 2012

[Tim]

On the Jayski team chart it lists the 92 as a chevy.

[TNT]

Well it seems like FRM is still working on their driver line up but hinted that they wouldn't mind bringing back their 3 drivers from last year..Maybe they can decide to stretch their resources and add a 4th car for Geoff but  that seems unlikely in my opinion.Maybe Germain for Geoff and the #60..they were multi car for most of the season and needs some money to bring it back.