Okay I know I already put up a blog today, but when I read this I seriously stopped breathing.
AJ Allmendinger is set to replace Elliott Sadler in the No. 19 Dodge in 2009, multiple Gillett Evernham Motorsports team sources told ESPN.com on Saturday.
GEM CEO Tom Reddin told team employees and sponsors the news just before Christmas, causing some sponsors to consider leaving, according to team sources.
Reached for comment Saturday, GEM spokesman Drew Brown chose not to comment.
Sources also said Ray Evernham, who founded the team and sold majority ownership to George Gillett, cleared out all personal possessions from the team's shop, including the 2002 Brickyard 400 trophy he won as owner of Bill Elliott's No. 9 Dodge.
Calls placed to Evernham and Sadler's representation were not immediately returned.
GEM announced earlier this month that it would scale back its Nationwide Series program next season by laying off about 65 employees and having the No. 9 Dodge run a partial schedule in the second-tier NASCAR series.
The team continues to field three Sprint Cup Series teams for Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson and now Allmendinger.
GEM lost sponsor Unilever to JR Motorsports at the end of the season and doesn't have enough sponsorship in place to run the full Nationwide schedule.
Allmendinger was released by Red Bull Racing late in the 2008 season.
Marty Smith covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.
Yeah. I can't believe it either. Imagine NASCAR...without Elliott Sadler. Okay, he flat out sucked this year, but it's Sadler for God's sake! Good Ol' West Virginia Fried Balony Lovin' Do Anything To Put A Smile On Your Face Sadler! A few months ago everything was fine. I mean he just sign a 5 five year contract with GEM and stated that he couldn't see himself anywhere else. I'm beginning to believe them. Those who tell me that NASCAR is slowly dieing. Slow && Painful. If someone doesn't hire him, I swear to God I'm buying a bloody race team!
Screwed up world, you've been Buschwacked Babe!
P.S. Don't get me wrong. I love AJ, and I really wanted him to get a ride...just not Elliott's.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
OMG! If This Is True...
Posted by Jordan at 6:13 PM
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2 comments:
I know.. I just got this alert on my phone and about fell out of my chair.. WTF is going on... dang it!!
Very disappointed, I really like Elliott. AJ could have stayed in the #10 That would have been fine with me.
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