Break out the scorecards, folks. We're still weeks from the Chase, but the silly season has officially begun.
Jamie McMurray, long rumored as the odd man out in Roush Fenway Racing's five-cars-for-four-slots team, has been in effect served his walking papers with the news that his primary sponsor, Crown Royal, will be switching its allegiance to Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 car. That's Kenseth and McMurray above, of course, in happier days.
That means David Ragan, despite currently running a full 10 spots behind McMurray in 30th place, gets the coveted fourth Roush spot. (Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards weren't going anywhere.) Roush had to shrink his five-car operation to four cars by 2010 to meet new NASCAR rules.
It's an unfortunate, if not unexpected, end to McMurray's Roush career. While he's never finished higher than 16th during his three-plus years for Roush, he appeared headed for greatness at the end of 2008. Back then, nobody outside of Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson was running hotter than McMurray, and he was a consensus dark horse (is that possible?) pick to make the Chase in 2009 -- which would have made Roush's decision that much harder.
Alas, it wasn't to be, and McMurray now finds himself a man with few options. Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith hinted at one possible future: "We are still hoping to be able to transfer the No. 26 team, intact, to Yates Racing in order to keep everyone employed and racing within the Ford community." Beyond that, well ... the 1 car is available at Earnhardt Ganassi. Beyond that ... ?
Bottom line, the dominos have begun falling, the shoe has dropped, the Rubicon has been crossed, the die has been cast -- whatever cliché you want to use, Roush Fenway now has its 2010 plans in order. Now, if they can just do something about Kenseth's slow slide from the top of the 2009 standings ...
Crown Royal becomes primary sponsor on No. 17 [NASCAR.com]
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