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Sprint Cup
CUP: Daytona Media Day Notebook
Roush Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle is among NASCAR's top free agents for 2012...
Greg Biffle led the first Sprint Cup Series practice at Kansas. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thursday is the annual Media Day at Daytona International Speedway, when drivers from all three top NASCAR series meet the press. This notebook will be updated throughout the day.
SILLY SEASON —The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the year has yet to be run, but already people are wondering where the four top free agents of the Class of 2011 might land — Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer. The overwhelming odds are that each of the four will stay put, but the climate is very different this year.
“I don’t see guys jumping all over the place now,” said Biffle, who expects to sign a new deal with Roush Fenway Racing soon. “We didn’t see a lot of big moves. A lot of teams are ending up with four teams. Childress has four teams, Hendrick has four teams, Gibbs will probably have four teams sooner or later. We have four teams, so in order for you to go somewhere, somebody has to get kicked out, so it’s not as easy as, ‘Hey, maybe I’ll go see what Hendrick has going,’ because they don’t have a spot. It’s a little more difficult. The field is getting narrower with options.”
The money is getting narrower, too. Asked if drivers should expect to see their compensation cut, Biffle said: “Yes, a significant amount. I think it’ll be a big adjustment for a lot of people. I think it’s gonna be a significant amount just because I think sponsor programs are going down. A lot of us had some pretty rich deals in the heyday. It’s gonna get reset, there’s no doubt. ... The sponsor dollars go down, let’s say, 40 percent or 35 percent. That’s a significant number, so that’s got to come from somewhere. It’s gonna be cut back at the team for engineering, personnel, driver salaries, all the way down. We’re gonna have to economize what we’re doing to continue on.”
Montoya said he hasn’t talked with any team owners other than Chip Ganassi yet about 2012 and beyond. “Yeah, it’s up this year and we’ll see. I’ll have to wait and see what happens,” Montoya said of his current contract. "... We (Chip Ganassi and Montoya) have a very good relationship and I think if everything comes together and we can come to an arrangement, I would assume I would stay here.”
48 ENTRIES FOR 500 — NASCAR released its Daytona 500 entry list Thursday, with 48 cars attempting to make the race. Drivers outside the top 35 in owners points who are trying to make the race include Michael Waltrip, Brian Keselowski, Travis Kvapil, Norm Benning, Derrike Cope, Bill Elliott, Casey Mears, Terry Labonte, Dave Blaney, J.J. Yeley, Todd Bodine, Michael McDowell, Joe Nemechek and Kevin Conway.
KASEY WANTS KENNY — Kasey Kahne knows where he'll be in 2012 — and he'd like to take crew chief Kenny Francis with him.
Kahne has a one-year deal with Red Bull Racing, as he waits for Mark Martin to complete his contract in the No. 5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports.
Francis, who moved with Kahne from Richard Petty Motorsports, also has a one-year deal with Red Bull, but beyond that his plans are uncertain. There's no doubt, however, as to what Kahne would prefer.
“I think Kenny's been enjoying Red Bull so far, and that might be something that he wants to keep doing,” Kahne told Sporting News on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. “I'd imagine they really enjoy having him. He's a great guy to have around no matter what. He's just a good guy to work with.
“I can tell you Hendrick would enjoy having him, too — and I really want him. Every since we got with Kenny, he's the only guy I want to be with. We have a good relationship and good communication there, as far as trying to figure out these race cars. They're tough to figure out, and I feel like we do a pretty good job of it at times.”
As for Kahne's strategy for the Feb. 20 Daytona 500?
Simple — just follow Kevin Harvick.
“There's a few guys who are really good at putting themselves in position each year,” Kahne said. “Kevin Harvick's definitely one of them. I don't know how he does it, but every year, at the right time, Kevin Harvick's there. … So maybe I'll just try to stay with Kevin all day — he does it right.”
Harvick, the 2007 Daytona 500 winner, will attempt to win his third straight Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night.
SILLY SEASON —The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the year has yet to be run, but already people are wondering where the four top free agents of the Class of 2011 might land — Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer. The overwhelming odds are that each of the four will stay put, but the climate is very different this year.
“I don’t see guys jumping all over the place now,” said Biffle, who expects to sign a new deal with Roush Fenway Racing soon. “We didn’t see a lot of big moves. A lot of teams are ending up with four teams. Childress has four teams, Hendrick has four teams, Gibbs will probably have four teams sooner or later. We have four teams, so in order for you to go somewhere, somebody has to get kicked out, so it’s not as easy as, ‘Hey, maybe I’ll go see what Hendrick has going,’ because they don’t have a spot. It’s a little more difficult. The field is getting narrower with options.”
The money is getting narrower, too. Asked if drivers should expect to see their compensation cut, Biffle said: “Yes, a significant amount. I think it’ll be a big adjustment for a lot of people. I think it’s gonna be a significant amount just because I think sponsor programs are going down. A lot of us had some pretty rich deals in the heyday. It’s gonna get reset, there’s no doubt. ... The sponsor dollars go down, let’s say, 40 percent or 35 percent. That’s a significant number, so that’s got to come from somewhere. It’s gonna be cut back at the team for engineering, personnel, driver salaries, all the way down. We’re gonna have to economize what we’re doing to continue on.”
Montoya said he hasn’t talked with any team owners other than Chip Ganassi yet about 2012 and beyond. “Yeah, it’s up this year and we’ll see. I’ll have to wait and see what happens,” Montoya said of his current contract. "... We (Chip Ganassi and Montoya) have a very good relationship and I think if everything comes together and we can come to an arrangement, I would assume I would stay here.”
48 ENTRIES FOR 500 — NASCAR released its Daytona 500 entry list Thursday, with 48 cars attempting to make the race. Drivers outside the top 35 in owners points who are trying to make the race include Michael Waltrip, Brian Keselowski, Travis Kvapil, Norm Benning, Derrike Cope, Bill Elliott, Casey Mears, Terry Labonte, Dave Blaney, J.J. Yeley, Todd Bodine, Michael McDowell, Joe Nemechek and Kevin Conway.
KASEY WANTS KENNY — Kasey Kahne knows where he'll be in 2012 — and he'd like to take crew chief Kenny Francis with him.
Kahne has a one-year deal with Red Bull Racing, as he waits for Mark Martin to complete his contract in the No. 5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports.
Francis, who moved with Kahne from Richard Petty Motorsports, also has a one-year deal with Red Bull, but beyond that his plans are uncertain. There's no doubt, however, as to what Kahne would prefer.
“I think Kenny's been enjoying Red Bull so far, and that might be something that he wants to keep doing,” Kahne told Sporting News on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. “I'd imagine they really enjoy having him. He's a great guy to have around no matter what. He's just a good guy to work with.
“I can tell you Hendrick would enjoy having him, too — and I really want him. Every since we got with Kenny, he's the only guy I want to be with. We have a good relationship and good communication there, as far as trying to figure out these race cars. They're tough to figure out, and I feel like we do a pretty good job of it at times.”
As for Kahne's strategy for the Feb. 20 Daytona 500?
Simple — just follow Kevin Harvick.
“There's a few guys who are really good at putting themselves in position each year,” Kahne said. “Kevin Harvick's definitely one of them. I don't know how he does it, but every year, at the right time, Kevin Harvick's there. … So maybe I'll just try to stay with Kevin all day — he does it right.”
Harvick, the 2007 Daytona 500 winner, will attempt to win his third straight Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night.
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