NASCAR Racing

  1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. NASCAR Racing

NASCAR Teams Have Had Their Own Silly Season in 2007

Team Mergers and Acquisitions Have Changed the Car Owner Landscape in 2007

By Steve McCormick, About.com

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup landscape has changed this year in one rather unexpected way. NASCAR teams are merging and seeking outside investors to help offset the costs of NEXTEL Cup racing. Is this trend good for the sport or are greedy team owners killing off the small teams?

Bringing In Outside Investors

Jack Roush kicked off this year by announcing a deal with Boston Red Sox owner John Henry in February of 2007. Jack Roush sold 50% of his racing team to the Fenway Sports Group. This created the new entity called Roush Fenway Racing.

In August Ray Evernham Motorsports brought in some outside cash and changed its name. George Gillett Jr. is the owner of the Montreal Canadiens and their arena. The new team is now called Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

NASCAR Team Mergers Shuffle the Deck

Earlier this season The three car team of Ginn Racing was absorbed by Dale Earnhardt Inc. Ginn Racing fielded cars for Mark Martin/Regan Smith, Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek.

Only Mark Martin survived this merge intact as the other three drivers plus 124 former employees of Ginn Racing were all left looking for jobs.

Then Robert Yates got in on the merger act when he joined forces with Champ Car owner Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. This created one new cross-discipline racing team with the mother of all team names.

The new entity is officially named Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.

What effect will these new "Superteams" teams have on NASCAR?

Explore NASCAR Racing

About.com Special Features

Learn to Pitch

Strike out the competition with these step-by-step pictorials. More >

Introduction to Pilates

Learning Pilates fundamentals can help you get the most out of your exercise regime. More >

NASCAR Racing

  1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. NASCAR Racing

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.