Ganassi "Interested" In Adding Danica... But...

((HT: Sporting News/Reid Spencer))

IndyCar and NASCAR owner Chip Ganassi made no attempt to hide his interest in hiring Danica Patrick—for the IndyCar Series—with the possibility of allowing her to test the NASCAR waters through an alliance with a Nationwide Series team.

"If I told you I didn't have any conversation about that, or I wasn't interested in that, I'd be lying to you," Ganassi said Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Like a lot of teams, they've had discussions, and she's on the market right now, and she's ready to make the next step in her career, wherever that takes her."

Ganassi, however, cautioned reporters not to make assumptions about the progress of any discussions with Patrick, the most marketable star in the IndyCar Series.

"I wish I could tell you I'm a lot further down the road on that, but I think the fact of the matter is—like most other teams—we're in the top of the first inning on that subject," said Ganassi, who fields two IndyCar teams in addition to Sprint Cup teams for Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin Truex Jr. through Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

"You might characterize it as we're on the pace lap yet here, so it's way early."

If Patrick decides to make a full-time move to NASCAR racing, however, Ganassi feels she'd be better off with a team other than EGR.

"If she wanted to do NASCAR on a full-time basis, I would suggest that there are better places for her to go and do it with," Ganassi said. "I don't think our team's in a position to do that."

Ganassi has six Cup wins as an owner since he began fielding cars in NASCAR in 2001. His last Cup Series win came from Montoya in 2007. It was Ganassi's first Cup victory since 2002. Ganassi has six wins in the Nationwide Series.

Earnhardt + Ganassi = New Nascar Math

An economy makes for strange bedfellows... NASCAR is no different...

It appears, according to those wire services and other sources that are around, that Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi will be merging their race teams to create a mega-squad for the 2009 season. The new venture will be called "Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing."

The four drivers in play are:

Martin Truex, Junior- He has a fully-sponsored ride for next year from DEI.

Aric Almirola- He does not...

Juan Pablo Montoya ((pictured, thanks chipganassiracing.com))- He's half-sponsored from the Ganassi side of the family.

Some fourth driver to be named later during the Silly Season- This would be to drive the Ganassi #41 car. It has a fully-sponsored car but, obviously, no driver.

The only other questions... other than sponsors and drivers... is what exactly they'll all be driving. DEI fields Chevrolets. Ganassi drives Dodges.

The idea is for all four to drive for the bowtie...

“In this ultra-competitive era of NASCAR, it is necessary to build and sustain the strongest team possible and our combining with the people and equipment at Dale Earnhardt Inc. will help create a strong four-car program for years to come,” said Chip Ganassi. “This is a win-win for both organizations as well as all of our partners.”

The release from Ganassi Racing can be found in black...

Putting The Medal To The Pedal Is A Bad Idea

Busy day in NASCAR... Bad day for Joe Gibbs Racing...
He is pictured ((thanks, nascar.com)) and he is not a happy man...

The short version- Both Tony Stewart and Joey Logano's Nationwide Series cars were found to have magnets on the bottom of the gas pedals of both cars to mess with the dyno test procedures during testing at Michigan International Speedway. They're both out 150 points. Gibbs is out 150 owners points.

JD Gibbs has suspended both crew chiefs, Dave Rogers and Jason Ratcliff respectively, for the remainder of the 2008 season, and seven crew members have been indefinitely suspended.

From Joe Gibbs, ahem... quote...

"We had come to the conclusion that we would add to any NASCAR imposed penalties with the minimum being suspension for the remainder of the season for those involved, including our two Nationwide Series crew chiefs. There will also be an additional monetary fine beyond the amount announced by NASCAR earlier today, which will be the responsibility of those involved."

The gory details are hyah

And that's not all...

Just as Ganassi Racing is trying to re-sign Reed Sorenson to the #41 car for another contract, his crew chief Donnie Wingo has been fined $25,000 for "actions detrimental to NASCAR." Apparently, Wingo "improperly attached a weight" at Michigan as well.

Whoops... wasn't that why NASCAR brought in Robin Pemberton as their Competition Director in the first place...? To detect these kinds of things...

Remember... it's the pedal on the right...
And some cars were made to do things others were not...