Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Parks #8

Help Wanted/Sponsors!!!
Now, if not sooner, please...
Please apply to Aric Almirola's last known address...

((HT: David Newton/four-letter))

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing president Steve Lauletta is optimistic the No. 8 car made famous by Dale Earnhardt Jr. will return to the track one day, but not until sponsorship is found.

Lauletta confirmed on Wednesday an ESPN.com report that operations for the car driven by Aric Almirola has been suspended until sponsorship is found. Lauletta would not confirm how many employees were released, but sources said the total would be between 40 and 50.

"The plan was to run the 8 all season," Lauletta said. "We worked really hard to get a few sponsors. We're working really hard to continue to get it back on the track.

"But when you're in the position we're in where you don't know what sponsor goes on a car a couple of weeks out, how the team is going to progress in order to race two and three weeks out, it takes a lot of focus away from everybody at the shop."

Lauletta said those things have been a distraction even for the No. 42 team of Juan Pablo Montoya, which is 13th in points.

"Now that we've had to make this decision, the focus in the entire shop will settle down and get back to being on the 42 and 1 [Martin Truex Jr. ]," he said.

Almirola ranks 37th in owner points heading into next week's race at Phoenix International Raceway. He is 59 points behind rookie Joey Logano, who occupies the final spot for the top 35 guaranteed a position in each race.

Almirola has an average finish of 32.9 this season, finishing no better than 21st in seven races and no better than 33rd the past three.

((Here's Amirola's reaction, thanks NASCAR.com))

Through the first seven races of the season, the team had picked up single-race sponsorship from video game Guitar Hero (four races total), portable GPS maker TomTom (one race), outdoor equipment maker Cub Cadet (one) and Champion Apparel (one).

Parking that car leaves EGR with two full-time drivers in Truex Jr. and Montoya. Sources deny a report that Truex has a clause in his contract that would free him and primary sponsor Bass Pro Shops if he doesn't have at least two full-time teammates.

This flies in opposite a Lee Spencer-Fox Sports report from April 4that had Truex opting out of his deal with EGR and taking over for Joey Logano at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Truex's contract states that he must have two teammates or he can leave the team. Bass Pro Shops has a performance clause and with Truex 28th in owner points, the No. 1 team is in a precarious position. Finally, Chevrolet can alter its support to EGR if three teams are not under the roof.

The hot rumor at Martinsville last week had Truex replacing Joey Logano in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs insisted Sunday and again by phone on Wednesday that "Joey's our guy."

"We haven't had any conversations with anyone," Gibbs said. "We'd like to have someone in line by summer time, but you have to sit down, look at what partner is available, what driver is available and who would be a good fit for the team.

"We had Hall of Fame last year and we don't have it now. So we have room for a fourth team. We'd love to have it."

Gibbs mentioned JGR's plans to run the No. 02 Farm Bureau Toyota to race later this season. An announcement was made in January that Farm Bureau Insurance was signed for six Cup races in 2009, including being the primary sponsor for two Cup races on Denny Hamlin's car at Darlington and Atlanta and on Logano's car at Martinsville. A fourth team will feature Farm Bureau as the title sponsor for the fall races at Lowe's Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway along with the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gibbs did not believe Farm Bureau was committed to a level where it could expand as a full-time sponsor in 2010. But as far as potential drivers are concerned, Gibbs ended the conversation with "Who is available?" Brad Coleman and Almirola are the likely candidates with availability — after talent — being one of the top prerequisites.

If Truex's status suddenly changed, he would top many owners' wish lists. In three full years on the tour, the 28-year-old has not finished worse than 19th in owner points. His only Chase appearance came in 2007, but in his defense, there was quite a bit of turmoil surrounding Dale Earnhardt Inc. last year. It's understandable that he dropped to 15th in points in 2008.

Truex said on Friday that he's committed to staying the course.

"When I give someone my word by signing a contract, if they keep theirs and I keep my mind, there's no reason to ever think about doing anything else, obviously," Truex said. "Right now, my focus is on getting this car better and moving up in the points. We're back here where we shouldn't be. We've never been back this far before and we've had a tough start to the year.

"Right now, we're just focusing on making things better and turning things around and heading in the right direction."

But Truex reiterated that there is just one year left on his contract and the performance simply isn't there.

As for Bass Pro Shops, if Truex does leave. don't be surprised if the sponsor fills out Ryan Newman's program on the No. 39 Chevrolet at Stewart-Haas Racing. That deal, which is valued between $8 million and $10 million, could go down before summer.