2011 Silly Season

[FIRE]

Nelsinho will do full season in Trucks. Team is unknown.

[gomick]

Surely the Piquet family would have the funds to do a full season in whatever they choose...

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by gomick

Surely the Piquet family would have the funds to do a full season in whatever they choose...

they definitely will now after settling with Renault

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Nelsinho will do full season in Trucks. Team is unknown.

It's been announced now that he'll race a Kevin Harvick Inc truck. Very good team, will be interesting to see how he does in 2011.

[FIRE]

Wow that's a good team. I assumed he would turn up in one of the Toyota teams.

[MJ_N_09]

Wow, testing already. (Goodyear tire test)

http://jayski.com/schemes/2011/daytona-testing-dec.htm

[Matt]

Rear spoiler looks different, bit more rounded.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by gomick

Surely the Piquet family would have the funds to do a full season in whatever they choose...

That was before the tax evasion charges!

[HJJ]

Bayne in the #21 at Daytona testing, Bill Elliott?: Trevor Bayne will be working with Wood Brothers Racing. He made one start for the legendary team last year, starting 28th and finishing 17th at the Texas Motor Speedway. "Anything that's brand new is exciting," said car owner Eddie Wood. "It's special for us because our dad drove on the new pavement in 1959 when the track was built and here we are all these years later running at Daytona with a 2011 Ford Fusion and the same number 21." Bill Elliott will move from the Wood Brothers to the #09 Chevy at Phoenix Racing.(Augusta Chronicle), this was before testing at Daytona last week, Elliott did not test the #09 at Daytona but will run the #09 in the first five races for Phoenix Racing in an effort to get the team in the top 35 of owners points.(12-20-2010)

Wow! Bill now driving a Chevy!

[Axeman444]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Wow! Bill now driving a Chevy!

Good for Bayne, hopefully he shows his potential. He certainly has the talent.

Did he leave MWR or did they let him go? If MWR let him go i'd be very surprised

[fieldodreams79]

Bayne seems like he has the goods, so driving for the Woods is a good start for him, but Bill in the 09 on a superspeedway?! Awesome! Finch/Phoneix Racing and the 09 car have always had some good speed at dega and Daytona.

I am actually getting excited about speed weeks now.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

Good for Bayne, hopefully he shows his potential. If MWR let him go i'd be very surprised

They dumped him and Rousch picked him up. I would say he's being groomed to replace David Ragan if he doesn't have a "break through" year.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Originally Posted by HJJ

They dumped him and Rousch picked him up.

Nope, he left by his own choice. Thought he could do better than MWR, both equipment-wise and seeing his future not looking great a team with two Cup guys signed long-term and Ryan Truex in the program.

[MJ_N_09]

Originally Posted by HJJ

They dumped him and Rousch picked him up. I would say he's being groomed to replace David Ragan if he doesn't have a "break through" year.

I really don't see Ragan making it past 2011 with Roush either way.

3 cars again for Front Row: #34 Kvapil, #38 Gilliland, #37 (Part time only)

Kenny Wallace will drive for RAB in Nationwide

[FIRE]

With Bayne to Wood Bros, does that mean more support from Roush?

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Awesome! Finch/Phoneix Racing and the 09 car have always had some good speed at dega and Daytona.

I am actually getting excited about speed weeks now.

Maybe not.

UPDATE denied? James Finch [Phoenix Racing] says he has no plans to put Bill Elliott in his #09 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy for the opening five races of the 2011 season. Published reports claimed Elliott would drive for Finch's Phoenix Racing Team at the start of the season, in an effort to earn the operation a spot in the Top 35 in owners' points. But Finch told Sirius-Speedway.com that he knew nothing of the deal until reading about it online earlier this week (Sirius Speedway)(12-22-2010)
AND Wood Brothers Racing will continue its long NASCAR odyssey in 2011 when it begins its 58th year of competition. As it has for the past few seasons, in an effort to get the most out of performance and sponsorship, it will race on a limited schedule out of its shops in Harrisburg, N.C., with veteran driver and 1988 champion Bill Elliott wheeling its Fords.(Motorsports Unplugged)(12-22-2010)

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Maybe not.

Tease. The Augusta Chronicle sucks along with Augusta.

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Tease. The Augusta Chronicle sucks along with Augusta.

Agree, except for Master's week.

[MJ_N_09]

Billy Ballew's truck team has merged:

UPDATE: Billy Ballew Motorsports announced today that the team has merged with Vision Aviation Racing to continue to field the No. 15 and No. 51 entries in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The announcement was made today by Ballew and Vision Aviation Racing General Manager Tom Davis. The team will compete under the Vision Aviation Racing banner and race with the same winning equipment and resources Billy Ballew Motorsports is known for. Ballew will keep an ownership stake in the team. Up-and-coming drivers Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis, who both competed in the Super Late Model and K&N Pro Series West divisions in 2010 for VAR, will make their Truck Series debut in 2011. The team will remain supported by Toyota. Vision Aviation Racing, already a winning team on the West Coast, will carry on the tradition of Billy Ballew Motorsports, which just completed a history-best season with two wins and a second-place finish in the drivers' championship by Aric Almirola. The team is also known for teaming with Kyle Busch to collect 16 wins before Busch started his own operation. The team merger is still in process with key personnel yet to be finalized. The team will compete out of VAR's Mooresville facility, located directly across from the former Billy Ballew Motorsports location.(VAR/BBM PR)(12-22-2010)

[Jacques Rabbit]

Whitney Motorsports confirmed via Facebook that J.J. Yeley will drive their number 46 Chevrolet next year. Not sure what that means for McDowell, who may also lose his Nationwide ride with MacDonald (who are currently evaluating options; hopefully Bobby Santos, who practiced/qualified for them at Gateway is one of those choices).

[MJ_N_09]

Roush returning to trucks apparently.

[FIRE]

2 cars? who's behind the wheel?

[MarcosAmbroseFan]

Originally Posted by FIRE

With Bayne to Wood Bros, does that mean more support from Roush?

Bayne to #37????

[Jacques Rabbit]

Originally Posted by FIRE

2 cars? who's behind the wheel?

Right now it only mentions one car with some guy named Troy Rave driving, though they may do an ARCA program instead.

I don't know if he brings money or not, but I have to say it's disappointing that Roush keeps adding more and more drivers to his development program only to never find rides for the ones with seniority. Bayne will be taken care of and Stenhouse has at least 15 races next year (I have to admit, despite the fact I really dislike the guy, that he was getting a lot better at the end of the season). But what about Darnell, Ickler, Braun, Chris Buescher, etc.? Not to mention there's talk of running Ross Kenseth in a Nationwide race or two. The limits on Cup drivers in Nationwide aren't going to accomplish anything, and they don't even have a full sponsorship program for Edwards! Lame that they'd create a truck program and not give Darnell or Ickler a shot.

[FIRE]

Braun failed to impress. I have to admit don't know about the others you mentioned.