*: Rookie

Mark Martin has lost to Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart -- some of NASCAR's greatest drivers -- in his frustrating bid for an elusive championship.

*: Rookie

• Mercedes link may tempt seven-time champion to return
• Former team owner's hunch cuts no ice with spokesperson

The former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan believes Michael Schumacher will replace Jenson Button at the newly named Mercedes team for next season.

The world champion Button joined Lewis Hamilton at McLaren earlier this week after the Brawn team with which he won the drivers' title was renamed Mercedes.

Speculation has mounted that the seven-time champion Schumacher, who could not replace the injured Felipe Massa on a short-term deal at Ferrari last season because of a neck injury picked up racing motorcycles, could be drafted into the team run by his former Benetton and Ferrari colleague Ross Brawn.

Jordan, who ran a Formula One team under his own name, said: "I believe the Brawn team will have Michael Schumacher in it next year. And my reason for believing that is that at Abu Dhabi, the grand prix, the last race Dr [Dieter] Zetsche [chairman of the Daimler board], Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher were deep in conversation and I believe it was to do with possibly joining the team as driver for the 2010 championship," Jordan told Radio Five Live.

Schumacher's spokesperson Sabine Kehm, however, said: "You can never say never in this sport but to me it is highly unlikely at the moment."

Ross Brawn, meanwhile, insists he did the right thing to sell to Mercedes, after his Brawn GP team enjoyed just one, albeit very successful, year in existence. "At some stage as a team owner you have to pass it on," he told The Independent. "I'm almost 55 and I'm not planning to do a Bernie (Ecclestone, the Formula One rights holder who is aged 79)."

"It was tempting to try to repeat this year's success (as Brawn GP) but it would have been an awful risk. We were already working with their (Mercedes') engine group and all the stars aligned. It was an opportunity to give the team a very strong future."

On Monday, German car giant Mercedes-Benz announced they would take a 75.1% share in Brawn GP, with the team re-named as Mercedes Grand Prix and Brawn remaining as team principal. Brawn, who launched the team from the ashes of Honda's Formula One withdrawal in December 2008, contemplated continuing as Brawn GP, but conceded the sale was necessary to ensure future success.

Brawn did not find the decision easy after a fairytale year which saw the team carrying his name claim both the constructors' and drivers' titles, with Jenson Button triumphing behind the wheel.
"As I said to the staff, it's sad to see the team only in existence for a year, but what a year," said Brawn. "We've had a wonderful time, and in many ways it was a difficult decision, but now we've joined the most prestigious brand in the automotive world."

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• Williams: 'I have no reason to stop at this time in my life'
• New shareholder Wolff a 'very shrewd businessman'

Frank Williams has sold a minority stake in his multiple championship-winning Formula One team for the first time since he set up the company in 1977. Despite the sale, which was made today for "private reasons", the Briton vowed to remain firmly in control and said he had no thoughts of retirement.

The team said Williams and co-founder Patrick Head had sold shares to an investment company led by Toto Wolff, a 37-year-old private equity investor from Austria with a motor racing background. Wolff, who founded his Marchsixteen Investments company in 2004, will join the Williams board. No financial details were given about the sale or the percentages involved.

"It is explicit that this is not the beginning of a progressive disposal of equity in the business by the owners," said a team spokesman.

Williams, whose team have won nine constructors' titles and seven drivers' championships since Williams Grand Prix Engineering was founded in 1977, said he simply felt the time had come to reap some of the rewards.

"I'm 67 and I'm not going to live forever. I've never taken any money out of the company," said Williams. "Time is getting on a little bit, but I have no intention of losing control of this company or ceasing my Formula One activities."

Williams said the sale would change nothing in the day-to-day running of the team and that he and Head would remain as involved as ever.

"We are all just going to get on with our party," he said. "I have absolutely no reason at this time of my life, career or health, to want to stop work. The sale is entirely for private motives. Speaking for myself it's time I paid a few bills. Like my mortgage."

Williams said Wolff was a "very shrewd businessman" with strong contacts that could be useful for future sponsorships.

"We are going to get too old to do this one day, I'd rather not rush into anything at the last minute but prepare the step right now. The company is still totally under my control and until I go I will not relinquish it.

"Formula One is my life so long as I am mentally and physically healthy I will carry on doing it. I have no wish to do anything else, go anywhere or stay at home and read the papers," he said. "I love what I do and having a great life."

Williams, who last won a race in 2004, finished last season seventh of the 10 teams. They have signed Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and German newcomer Nico Hulkenberg for 2010.

]]> http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=352591 http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=352591 http://formula1.about.com/b/2009/11/20/williams-sells-a-stake-in-team.htm http://formula1.about.com/b/2009/11/20/williams-sells-a-stake-in-team.htm The Williams Formula One team has held out against selling equity to a car manufacturer all throughout this period of manufacturer ownership or part ownership that began a decade ago. But today the team, owned since 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, announced that it sold a minority share in the team to an Austrian investor named Toto Wolff. It is no surprise to me that Wolff is, like Frank and Patrick, a racer himself. He has raced in German Formula Ford and in several touring car series.

Williams Sells a Stake in Team originally appeared on About.com Formula 1 on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 08:19:42.

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• Ecclestone wants contract signed by 11 December
• 'Bernie doesn't care if you lose your shirt,' says Damon Hill

Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One commercial rights holder, has warned that he will remove the British grand prix from next year's calendar if a deal to host the race at Silverstone is not sealed by early next month.

The Northamptonshire circuit has been in talks to hold the race after a proposal to take it to Donington broke down. But Silverstone has not yet committed to the long-term deal on offer and Ecclestone said the British grand prix would be struck off at the next meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, on 11 December, unless it does so by then.

"The World Council will meet and we will just pull it off — we will have to," Ecclestone told the Times. "We'll have no other choice, if we don't have a contract. We shouldn't have anything on the calendar unless we have a contract in place."

Ecclestone said the door would remain open for the race to return to Britain in 2011 and that no grand prix would be scheduled to replace it next season. "Of course we want a British grand prix," he said. "I've been spending an awful lot of time trying make sure it does happen, but there is no chance of an exceptional contract for Silverstone. Why should there be?"

He added: "They are close and they know they are close. It's not the terms and conditions so much as whether the investors are prepared to bankroll them and take the risk."

Damon Hill, the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which owns Silverstone, said the financial terms of the deal were still being weighed up. The annual race fee, for instance, would increase each year under the terms.

"The club does not want to sign up for something that puts it in peril," said Hill. "Bernie doesn't care whether you lose your shirt or not — he wants to deal with someone who can take a chance. We saw what happened with Donington and so there is a point at which it becomes a fine line between signing a contract or not."

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The EGR opening came about when Martin Truex Jr. signed with Michael Waltrip Racing on July 7.

McMurray, who will team with Juan Montoya under the EGR banner, said he is looking forward to reuniting with some familiar faces.

"I am really excited about this opportunity with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, as I think Juan Pablo and Martin have shown this season [that] their equipment is as good as anyone's in the garage. I am really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of their cars and once again competing for a NASCAR championship.

"It will also be fun to work with some of the people that I worked with when I was there a few years ago."

McMurray -- reunited with team owner Chip Ganassi for whom he drove from 2003-05 -- has driven the past four seasons for Roush Fenway Racing. However, because of the impending four-car limit imposed by NASCAR for the 2010 season McMurray was free to negotiate with other teams.

Roush Fenway Racing will have Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan in its stable next season.

"To be able to sign a veteran driver with the talent and experience of Jamie was important to us," Ganassi said. "We know Jamie and understand what makes him tick as a driver. We had a lot of success with Jamie in the early part of his career and are looking for more of the same.

"We also think he will be a tremendous compliment to Juan Pablo Montoya as well. The duo of McMurray and Montoya creates a very formidable team as we look to continue the momentum that has been established this year in our chase for the championship."

Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats will return as sponsor of the No. 1 Chevy.

McMurray drove the 2002 season's final six races following neck injury to Sterling Marlin that ended the veteran's challenge for the championship after Kansas race in September.

McMurray, who has three wins in 257 starts in the Cup Series, made his series debut on Oct. 6, 2002, at Talladega, then won his second start a week later at Charlotte by holding off Bobby Labonte on the final lap.

McMurray's most recent victory came Nov. 1 at Talladega. He has 30 top-five finishes and 80 top-10s in the Cup Series. His best finish in the point standings is 11th in 2004.

McMurray's victory in the Nationwide Series on Oct. 26, 2002, gave him the distinction of becoming the 100th driver to win a series race.

• Button banned from working with McLaren until January
• 'Clearly loyalty would be nice,' says Nick Fry

The depth of anger felt by Brawn at Jenson Button's move to McLaren was put on public display today when the team announced they would hold him tightly to the letter of his contract until the end of the year.

Button signed for McLaren this week after negotiations to remain with Brawn seemed to be dragging on for what the 29-year-old driver and his management team concluded was an excessively protracted period.

Brawn have responded in the only way remaining to them by forbidding Button even to take part in a press conference with McLaren, their sponsors or his new team-mate Lewis Hamilton until the end of 2009.

Over the years it has generally been the convention among Formula One teams to permit drivers who are leaving them at the end of any particular season to start working for their new employer after the final race of the year. As an example, Fernando Alonso was permitted to attend a Ferrari celebration day ahead of joining the Italian team at the start of 2010 despite being contracted to Renault until December 31.

Brawn, however, have insisted that Button will not be permitted to assume any duties for McLaren, whether on or off the track, before the end of next month. "Jenson will not be doing anything at all for McLaren until the end of this calendar year," said Nick Fry, the Brawn team's chief executive officer.

"And if he does, we will be looking on it very dimly. He didn't have any obligations to us in 2010, but there are issues with regard to the [McLaren contract] signing process on which we are in discussion with him at the moment. There are other constraints on what Jenson can do between now and the end of the year which we will be rigorously enforcing."

Fry had earlier claimed on autosport.com that Button had not received a better financial offer from McLaren and might even be moving to Brawn's Woking-based rivals for less money than the winners of the world championship constructors' title had tabled.

"I am actually earning less that I've been paid with Brawn," Button said on BBC Radio 5 yesterday afternoon said. "But things change and people move on. I always want a new challenge and I know that it is going to be difficult going up against Lewis.

"Either of the teams would have been able to give me a car capable of defending my world championship but I feel I need something else. It's definitely not for the money but because I want to experience something new."

Nevertheless, it is clear that Fry considers Button to have been disloyal over his new career move and concedes that they feared the possibility of doing a deal with him began to evaporate last weekend after his Friday visit to the McLaren headquarters, as revealed exclusively by The Guardian.

"Clearly loyalty would be nice," said Fry waspishly, "but in this day and age you don't expect too much of that. I am always happy when any employee leaves our company if they are going to a better job, and they always go with our blessing if that is the case. In this situation we don't see the logic of the decision and I think Jenson is going to have to up his game if he is going to beat Lewis on home territory."

It was reported tonight that Brawn have held preliminary talks with Michael Schumacher about a return to Formula One. The seven-time world champion is said to be a target for Mercedes, which this week took a 75.1% share in Brawn GP. Schumacher abandoned plans to drive for Ferrari last season because of a neck injury.

]]> http://therestofthedirt.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/no-bed-of-roses-no-pleasure-cruise-dirt-championships-part-ii/ http://therestofthedirt.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/no-bed-of-roses-no-pleasure-cruise-dirt-championships-part-ii/ http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&brand=&vid=e5bbf765-8538-44c7-991f-7fc0571fc223&from=&fg=rss http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&brand=&vid=e5bbf765-8538-44c7-991f-7fc0571fc223&from=&fg=rss http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/nov/19/kimi-raikkonen-formula-one-brawn http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/nov/19/kimi-raikkonen-formula-one-brawn

• 'Always a possibility' Finn would drive next year, says manager
• Car performance, not money, is overriding factor

Kimi Raikkonen's plans for a one-year sabbatical from Formula One lasted less than 24 hours before his manager suggested that he might be open to offers from Brawn GP's new owner, Mercedes.

Steve Robertson, who manages Raikkonen with his father David, told the autosport.com website that he was not 100% certain to be absent next year.

"This is Formula One, if they can offer, or convince us, that they can provide Kimi an opportunity that Kimi is happy with, and that we are happy with, and he feels he can win races and the championship, then never say never. There is always a possibility," Robertson said.

Brawn won both the driver and constructor titles this year with Britain's Jenson Button, who has now departed to McLaren. The team will compete as Mercedes next season, with Germany's Nico Rosberg expected to be one of their drivers.

Speaking in Macau, Robertson said Raikkonen's position was not all about money: "There are not many teams that would appeal to Kimi because he is honest when he says he has got to have a car to win. He is not interested in the money.

"Of course, money is a part of it but he doesn't need the money. He wants a car where he can show his talent."

]]> http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&brand=&vid=c7fd16f6-74f0-4679-aee2-32d6a6c61170&from=&fg=rss http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&brand=&vid=c7fd16f6-74f0-4679-aee2-32d6a6c61170&from=&fg=rss http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/TheNascarInsiders/%7E3/Hzhf6MLyLWo/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/TheNascarInsiders/%7E3/Hzhf6MLyLWo/ http://edhoncho.com/2009/11/19/sports-vs-games/ http://edhoncho.com/2009/11/19/sports-vs-games/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/AlexMeshkin/%7E3/paEibOUCCxw/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/AlexMeshkin/%7E3/paEibOUCCxw/ Post from: Alex Meshkin

NASCAR Teams – Take a Stand!