Ken Schrader will drive for Haas CNC Racing at Talladega
Penske hires David Stremme. This could turn out to be a brilliant move for Stremme. He presently drives for Rusty Wallace part-time in the Nationwide Series, and has enjoyed some solid showings. Instead of settling for a third-tier ride, he will test cars for Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman, 2004 champion Kurt Busch, and three-time IRL champion Sam Hornish, Jr.
Penske is a premier organization that may have an opening in the near future. Hornish, Jr.'s heart may still be in open-wheel racing, though he has denied that he will compete in the Indianapolis 500. If he returns to IRL, Stremme is the frontrunner for the 77. Newman is a free agent and may be exploring his options. Obviously, teams are going to throw some dollar bills at Newman. If Newman leaves Penske, then Stremme would hit the jackpot with the 12 team. Perhaps Penske is gearing up for a fourth team.
Ken Schrader will drive for Haas CNC at Talladega. Haas CNC Racing continues to serve as a revolving door for journeyman drivers. The team dumped Johnny Sauter after he produced a solid season with a rookie team. In comes Jeremy Mayfield, a proven winner, and after seven races, they show him the door. When is this team going to commit to a driver? Schrader will be the next ex-Haas driver.
Ganassi swaps crew chiefs on the 41 and 42. Ganassi lashed out at his underachieving teams at Texas, therefore, he made some changes. Well, the team he called pathetic, the 40 team driven by Dario Franchitti, was not a part of the reorganization. Montoya has carried the banner for Ganassi, and the 41 team has been decent, but they cannot escape bad luck. Donnie Wingo will now be the crew chief for Reed Sorenson, and Jimmy Elledge for Montoya.
