It's not like Sarah Fisher had a bevy of drivers to choose from. Yes a number of drivers talked with them but only as a "Safety" team. Sarah Fisher racing is like that local college you apply to in case everything else fails. J.R. Hildebrand and J.K. Vernay did not consider SFR their first choice, or probably even their second choice.

Ed may or may not have brought money to the table but he was the only driver willing to commit before the New Year. I don't know for a fact by Dollar General probably wanted a deal done by a certain date and if they waited for another driver to come available they might have lost Dollar General. Even if he brought money signing an early deal allows them time to find more money for more races.