ALERT THE SHERIFF!!!!!!! a.j. is missing....

[mac miller]

Whatever happened to nascar wannabe, aj almendinger???? Just when I was getting excited about a new young superstar, to root for, he disappears????? I have searched all of the nascar lineups, grids, entry lists, results, qualifying orders, etc for the nascar pickup trucks , busch league and "cup", and I can't find him anywhere...... If this guy is serious about nascar, why isn't he driving busch sportsmans or pickups this weekend??????

I even checked the owrs/cc entry to see if he showed up down in Mexico, but no a.j.

Does he have something more important to do this weekend??????


C'mon, a.j..... Just because you looked like a complete bozo in your first attempt to qualify for the "cup" league, doesn't mean you should give up. Its true that you may just not be good enough to make it in nascar but don't give up this soon.
Get back on that "horse", little buckeroo! I know you can do it!

[Automotive]

Mac, I think he is supposed to be in Phoenix this weekend, but we all know how the law works down there....maybe he lipped off to the meter maid or something and is in the crowbar hotel???

[carl s]

From the rumors I've heard he's down pickin out his first private jet lease and quiping on Bill Elliot

[Mack Too]

Mac, I think he is supposed to be in Phoenix this weekend, but we all know how the law works down there....maybe he lipped off to the meter maid or something and is in the crowbar hotel???

Nope, Team Red Bull is done for the year, not happy with the Dodges they have or the Dodge engines they were using.

[Gateway Fan]

Red Bull's plan was to race in three events this year. They tried and failed to make Charlotte with Bill Elliot (DNQ), Atlanta with AJA (Q's rained out) and Texas with AJA (DNQ - off the pace badly). It is my understanding that they are giving up their borrowed Bill Davis Dodges and are going full speed ahead with an extensive testing schedule of the new Toyota Camrys and TRD engines with AJA now and Brian Vickers as soon as his current contract ends. (I am not sure if that is after Homestead, or if his obligation runs through the NASCAR banquet, or the end of the calendar year.)

I heard they have made an offer to purchase the 88 from Robert Yates Racing to guarantee Vickers a starting spot in the Daytona 500 and next 4 races, but Yates has not decided to sell just yet.

[Mack Too]

Yates now says "the number isn't for sale." Yates is Ford's engine guru, he gets much of his budget from them, and I doubt even Toyota/Red Bull has enough money to offer Yates that would make him risk his relationship Ford by selling a guaranteed starting position in the first four 2007 races to a Toyota team.


From Jayski:

UPDATE: Car owner Robert Yates has offered more details concerning the make-up of RYR in 2007 and it’s appears it will still be a two-car operation. Reports Saturday indicated several teams were interested in purchasing the #88 operation and its owner points. However, just prior to Sunday's green flag at Phoenix Yates said “I actually have looked at that but what’s on the horizon, and is here now, I don’t think that’s gonna be the deal. It’s gonna be more expanding instead of getting rid of anything. I need to know and everybody will know as soon as we can get it all figured out but it looks pretty good right now.” While a decision could be reached this coming Tuesday, Yates said “Everybody needs to know where they’re headed when they come home from Homestead. That’s out agenda and I think we can meet that timeline. The facts are we’re gonna run a really good positive 38 team. We also have an opportunity to run a very good 88 team, and we’re still looking at opportunities of maybe growing it on into the bigger full scope of four teams.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(11-12-2006)

DEI was also in the mix to buy not only the number but all or part of the Yates "car" facility if RYR went to a single car team. Now that ain't gonna happen, and I expect Ford will be forced to re-issue it's manufacturer related sponsorship to Yates.

[Gateway Fan]

Mack Too, do you suppose that Yates floated the I'll sell it to DEI (i.e. Chevy) unless a sponsor steps up, to get Ford to do just that? It seems pretty logical to me. Ford lost Mark Martin to Chevy. The idea of the their factory engine team selling to a Chevy team probably would have made a few heads roll in Detroit. RY is no dummy. I'll guess Ford Finance or Leasing is announced as the sponsor this week in Homestead. With a whole lot of we'll be expanding to 4 cars asap syrup thrown in for good measure.

[Mack Too]

Mack Too, do you suppose that Yates floated the I'll sell it to DEI (i.e. Chevy) unless a sponsor steps up, to get Ford to do just that? It seems pretty logical to me. Ford lost Mark Martin to Chevy. The idea of the their factory engine team selling to a Chevy team probably would have made a few heads roll in Detroit. RY is no dummy. I'll guess Ford Finance or Leasing is announced as the sponsor this week in Homestead. With a whole lot of we'll be expanding to 4 cars asap syrup thrown in for good measure.

When Dan Davis was last heard from in the Charlotte area he said that fixing the Yates problem was what amounted to be job one at the time. Since then the problem seemed to get worse for a while, now perhaps the possibility of Yates selling the number may have brought the issue back onto the front burner, and yes, Yates may have twisted Ford's tail. Ford needs Yates, Roush never could get the power Yates could and worst of all was that his reliability sucked too. When Ford shotgunned that marriage Yates got the worst of it, Roush got engines and wins, but it was only recently (years later) that Yates got chassis/aero help and entire car bodies from Roush. Now the Yates cars are racing better.

The DEI offer was for the entire car package, not just the number. They would buy the shop, equipment, and all the cars. That's an interesting concept, since DEI is Chevy equipped and Yates runs Ford. The idea being that DEI will run a 3rd car full time next year for Paul Menard, and they need the shop space. I would guess the two shops are 15 miles apart, with Yates in the former Pontiac team shop I can't recall that closed it's doors just off Rt. 151 in Mooresville. It's a huge state of the art shop.

What happens next? I'm just guessing here, but rumors have the new Riley Dehount (SP) team using Ford/Yates power, I'm thinking some kind of joint effort/merger, with the new team either running the #88 or their own number and Ford putting Ford Credit or Motorcraft on the Yates #88. Whatever happens, Yates wants it done before Sunday. This has all taken a toll on Robert Yates, he has checked himself into the hospital twice with stress related issues. Once they sent him home and he went right back.