THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508200199
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BROOKLYN, MICH. LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
The floating skeet shoot known as ``silly season'' in the NASCAR Winston Cup series was in full swing this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
It's always a challenge to keep track of team, sponsor and driver changes - potential, rumored and actual - because of the number of deals in the works and the uncertainty about them.
``The only thing you know right now is that no one will tell you the truth,'' Geoff Bodine said.
Bodine has been part of the rumor mill, namely that his sponsor, Exide batteries, is leaving. ``We're still negotiating with them,'' he said Saturday between practice sessions.
Here are some other key pieces of the ``silly season'' puzzle:
Ernie Irvan's future: There has been no talk of Robert Yates re-signing Dale Jarrett, but no one yet knows whether Irvan will be able to race. If not, Yates will need a driver for his highly regarded No. 28 Ford Thunderbird.
There has been talk, also, of Yates starting a second team.
Yates said Saturday he plans to field two cars later this year for Irvan and Jarrett, but has no immediate plans to start a second team for 1996. ``I would like to be right where I was a year ago (before Irvan's crash),'' he said.
Third Roush team? Another key is whether Jack Roush will start a third team. He's not commenting, but it may hinge on whether The Family Channel returns, which Roush said he expects will happen. Roush is said to have the inside track on the Ford Quality Care sponsorship for his third team and is rumored to be considering Jarrett, Todd Bodine and the Burton brothers for the seat.
If the Ford sponsorship goes to Roush, that leaves Bud Moore in a lurch. Bud's son, Greg, said Saturday they haven't lost Ford, at least not yet.
Jarrett's plans: Jarrett made it clear this weekend that his primary interest is in starting his own team and that he's given potential sponsors until the Monday after next week's Bristol race to decide whether to go with him. His hole card is that several other teams, perhaps including his old Wood Brothers team, are reportedly still interested in hiring him.
Dale Earnhardt: He hasn't re-signed with Richard Childress yet, but he's still good through 1996, and it's expected he will remain with Childress.
Elton Sawyer: Hooters chief Robert Brooks is in the process of taking over the ownership of the Hooters-sponsored team. He's reportedly not too keen on keeping Sawyer, but the team is.
``The driver situation is what is in question right now,'' team manager and crew chief Mike Hill said. ``We're showing progress with Elton, and we'd like to keep him.''
Sawyer, of course, also wants to stay. And the Chesapeake driver's options are becoming more limited. Dennis Setzer has signed to take over his Grand National car next year.
Bill Davis team: The almost-done deal for Bill Davis' No. 22 Pontiac Grand Prix is that driver Ward Burton and veteran wrench-turner Buddy Parrott will join forces with Davis for 1996.
``The only thing I can comment on is that MBNA will be our sponsor and Chris Hussey will be our crew chief for next year,'' Davis said Saturday. ``There's a lot of things happening.''
The Brooks car: Car owner Dick Brooks has been planning to switch from Pontiac to Chevy in 1996, but the question now is whether he'll have any No. 40 car at all.
``This is not fun,'' he said Saturday. ``If we can get it better, I'll be back. If not, I'll go fishing.'' Brooks is looking for a sponsor, and he said he definitely wouldn't return without one.
A Kranefuss two-car team: This was a recent hot rumor, but Michael Kranefuss said Saturday it isn't going to happen and he's set for next year with John Andretti as driver and Kmart/Little Caesar's as sponsor.
Kenny Bernstein's team: Team manager Richard Broome said Saturday he has potential buyers, and he still is interested in buying the team.
The problem is lack of a sponsor. Quaker State is leaving. Broome said he's looking for one, and the potential buyers are looking as well, as for the driver: ``I want to race with Hut Stricklin,'' he said.
Wood Brothers: The Wood Brothers are expected to re-sign Morgan Shepherd, but they reportedly were interested in Jarrett. ``We're not set yet,'' Eddie Wood said Saturday.
Smokin' Joe's: The Smokin' Joe's sponsorship on the Travis Carter-owned No. 23 Ford Thunderbird driven by Jimmy Spencer is up in the air. ``We will make that decision by September,'' said RJR's T. Wayne Robertson, who controls the sponsorship. by CNB