Casey Mears

[MDS]

Casey signed with a new team that will likely start and park a couple of races.

Basically he, and most of the drivers who could/should be in the ICS would rather be mid to back of the pack in NASCAR than in a competitive seat in the ICS. That has to change.

[Civic]

I don't remember his results with Mo Nunn (maybe they weren't memorable?) but how did you guys think he did while at Nunn?

[DanicaFan]

Casey signed up with Keyed-Up Motorsports, a new team for this year. He will be driving the #90 car. The team plans on securing sponsorship to run Casey for a full year so I doubt we will see him in Indy.

[Chamoo]

Casey signed up with Keyed-Up Motorsports, a new team for this year. He will be driving the #90 car. The team plans on securing sponsorship to run Casey for a full year so I doubt we will see him in Indy.

Plans regarding sponsorship at this point in the game usually don't happen. The owners of Keyed-Up Motorsports have no sponsorship at the moment, they are simply paying out of their own pockets for the first 6 races hoping they can find sponsorship for the remainder of the year. I've got odds saying they don't get to May full-time.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Yes, they haven't had a clue. Proof is in the pudding.

Casey left for NASCAR for the same reasons most Americans go to NASCAR. Opportunity and because you don't get hired in Indy Cars anymore, unless you write a check. He spent a nice period of time in NASCAR, being PAID to race and never having to spend a dime to buy his ride. He lost his seat, for the reason you SHOULD lose a seat in racing....lack of results.

Mears is someone, whose skills were/are better suited for Indy Car Racing. Just like Hornish (who also won't be around much longer in Cup either).

Scott, he lost his ride because he lost his sponsor. NOT for performance. Indirectly yes, performance would have maybe attracted sponsors.

Hornish isn't going anywhere if Roger doesn't want him to go anywhere. He is still improving. Once again, Sam Hornish not being in cup much longer is your opinion only.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Plans regarding sponsorship at this point in the game usually don't happen. The owners of Keyed-Up Motorsports have no sponsorship at the moment, they are simply paying out of their own pockets for the first 6 races hoping they can find sponsorship for the remainder of the year. I've got odds saying they don't get to May full-time.

Can you say "start and park?"

[Scotty G.]

1. Scott, he lost his ride because he lost his sponsor. NOT for performance.

2. Hornish isn't going anywhere if Roger doesn't want him to go anywhere. He is still improving. Once again, Sam Hornish not being in cup much longer is your opinion only.

1. Uhh, it wasn't HIS sponsor. It was his TEAM's sponsor. When they left, the TEAM was left with 3 primary sponsors and 4 drivers. They dumped the 4th best performing driver (which is what professional race teams are supposed to do).

If he had perfomed better, he'd still have a good ride with somebody. That simple. Lucky for him, this new team is giving him yet another shot for at least the first 5 races. At least for him, he can still get hired in Cup (even if its in a bottom-feeder ride).


2. If Sam now gets his ass handed to him by Keselowski (which probably will happen), its not going to be good for him. He has improved from unbelievably bad to just below average. Still a long way to go and many, many really talented drivers in front of him to get into the above average category. And pretty soon, it will be Mobil 1's call, on whether Sam continues on or not. With other primary sponsors bailing on Cup teams, that is a important factor to consider.

Sam has never shown anything that says he will ever be a top-end Cup driver. Montoya by now, had at least shown flashes. So had Robby Gordon (who never did make it). So have most young Cup drivers in the past 15 years, who went onto having long Cup careers. I'd put Sam in a similar boat as Allmendinger. Both need to show something significant this year to stay in Cup in 2011.

[Mark in Oshawa]

1. Uhh, it wasn't HIS sponsor. It was his TEAM's sponsor. When they left, the TEAM was left with 3 primary sponsors and 4 drivers. They dumped the 4th best performing driver (which is what professional race teams are supposed to do).

If he had perfomed better, he'd still have a good ride with somebody. That simple. Lucky for him, this new team is giving him yet another shot for at least the first 5 races. At least for him, he can still get hired in Cup (even if its in a bottom-feeder ride).


2. If Sam now gets his ass handed to him by Keselowski (which probably will happen), its not going to be good for him. He has improved from unbelievably bad to just below average. Still a long way to go and many, many really talented drivers in front of him to get into the above average category. And pretty soon, it will be Mobil 1's call, on whether Sam continues on or not. With other primary sponsors bailing on Cup teams, that is a important factor to consider.

Sam has never shown anything that says he will ever be a top-end Cup driver. Montoya by now, had at least shown flashes. So had Robby Gordon (who never did make it). So have most young Cup drivers in the past 15 years, who went onto having long Cup careers. I'd put Sam in a similar boat as Allmendinger. Both need to show something significant this year to stay in Cup in 2011.

Allmendinger has never had a good car under him, yet has shown flashes of brilliance. Sam has had less of an excuse, but NASCAR is a funny business. It isn't something all OW guys figure out....

[MDS]

Interestingly enough Iain Watts, former engineer for Newman Haass and Team Green has been promoted to Robby Gordon's crew chief. Probably nothing, but if I were looking at switching back between series Watts would be one of the guys to hire.

[beachbum]

Interestingly enough Iain Watts, former engineer for Newman Haass and Team Green has been promoted to Robby Gordon's crew chief. Probably nothing, but if I were looking at switching back between series Watts would be one of the guys to hire.

So... based on that analysis, Michael Waltrip racing hired Steve Hallam, so they must be looking at F1? Got it.