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CUP: Axe Falls for Ex-Ginn Employees
Written by: Tom Jensen   
08/02/2007
Long Pond, Pa.
 
The human cost of the absorption of Ginn's fleet into DEI has now come to light. (LAT photo) MORE NASCAR PHOTOS ยป More Photos


This has been a brutal week for the employees of what was formally known as Ginn Racing. On Tuesday at the team's shops in Mooresville, N.C., between 70 and 125 employees were let go, casualties of the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. acquisition of the struggling Ginn organization.

DEI and Ginn each began the season with three NASCAR Nextel Cup teams, but when DEI took Ginn over, per NASCAR rules, it had to shutter two teams, which reduced the total from six to four. Ginn's Busch team had been closed earlier, and the result of was one of the biggest round of layoffs in NASCAR history.

Former Ginn General Manager Jay Frye is helping DEI in the transition, but through a team spokesman said his future was uncertain. Richard "Slugger" Labbe, formerly Sterling Marlin's crew chief, said 124 people were let go Tuesday, but Mark Martin, who drives the No. 01 Chevrolet, said the number was closer to 70.

"The thing that sucks is there are 124 people out of work and they can't be here today to find jobs," said Labbe, who lost his job, too, but showed up at Pocono to help other team members try to find work with different teams. "On Wednesday I called pretty much every organization and said, 'Look, if you need a machinist, a secretary, a travel person, shop mechanic, tire changer. Let me know what you need and I'll get you the right guy.' There have probably been about 30 people that I know of so far that have gotten jobs. That's not a good average. These 124 people didn't do anything wrong. They did their job every day and now because of the merger they are out of work, much like myself."

Labbe said he felt bad for the workers and for his former boss, Frye. "The thing that sucks is that Jay Frye has done miracles with that place," Labbe said. "Pulled a lot of strings, did a lot of things, and Jay's out, too. Was there for 12 or 13 years and was a part owner. He's on the outside looking in, too."

Martin said that only about 70 people lost their jobs at Ginn, though his No. 01 U.S. Army-sponsored
car, now campaigned by DEI, remained intact. "It was my understanding that about 70 made the cut and about 140 were working there," Martin said Friday morning at Pocono. "I thought it turned out better than expected. I think it was better than everyone expected."

The changes, while tough to go through, are the start of a new era for the newly expanded DEI, Martin said. "This has been a very tough week for all the individuals involved," Martin said. "But actually it is also the beginning of moving forward and moving ahead with an exciting new endeavor and new chapter for many."

Labbe defended his former team owner Bobby Ginn, who many have blamed for the job losses.

"Bobby is getting beat up through all this. A year ago when he bought into this, the company was in financial trouble and Bobby spent a lot of money to bail them out," Labbe said. "Because of that we got Mark Martin. Bobby had to sell everything out. I've talked to Bobby several times the past couple of days and he's devastated by all this. He is going to make it right for some people and give them their bonuses and take care of the people who had contracts. He's trying to do the best you can."

The crew chief blamed the failure of Ginn Racing to sponsorship deals gone awry. "It's tough when you're trying to run three Cup teams and a Busch team off one sponsor," Labbe said. "He had the US Army money. Some people like Panasonic, who we ran five races with, never gave a dime. I don't see Teresa (Earnhardt) spending all that money for nothing, or Rick Hendrick. There were some races we ran decals and never got a dime for it. When you're desperate you have to do things like that to get sponsors, but it never materialized. You don't have money here, you can't play."


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