Time is almost up !

[RaceFanStan]

7 driver's contracts expire at the end of 2007.
I wonder who will renew their contracts, move to another team or ??? :eek:

The drivers whose contracts expire at the end of 2007 are :
Dale Earnhardt Jr - #8 DEI Chevrolet
Scott Riggs - #10 Evernham Dodge
Joe Nemechek - #13 Ginn Chevrolet
Sterling Marlin - #14 Ginn Chevrolet
Jeff Burton - #31 Childress Chevrolet
Bobby Labonte - #43 Petty Dodge
Tony Raines - #96 HOFR Chevrolet

[Sparky1329]

7 driver's contracts expire at the end of 2007.
I wonder who will renew their contracts, move to another team or ??? :eek:

The drivers whose contracts expire at the end of 2007 are :
Dale Earnhardt Jr - #8 DEI Chevrolet
Scott Riggs - #10 Evernham Dodge
Joe Nemechek - #13 Ginn Chevrolet
Sterling Marlin - #14 Ginn Chevrolet
Jeff Burton - #31 Childress Chevrolet
Bobby Labonte - #43 Petty Dodge
Tony Raines - #96 HOFR Chevrolet

If the Boss Lady at DEI doesn't put a sock in it the first guy on that list might relocate. That would serve her right.

[RaceFanStan]

My opinion goes like this :
Dale Earnhardt Jr will stay with DEI (unless he is a total moron or Teresa does something stupid)
Scott Riggs will very likely stay with Evernham MotorSports
Joe Nemechek is probably out of a ride @ Ginn Racing unless Mark Martin leaves .....
Sterling Marlin talked about retiring at the end of 2007, either way he is out @ Ginn Racing
Jeff Burton will stay with Richard Childress, 2006 was a great year for their union, more good runs are expected
Bobby Labonte may stay with Petty Enterprises UNLESS he gets a better offer
Tony Raines will be out @ Hall Of Fame Racing UNLESS his performance level picks up

[harvick#1]

Dale Earnhardt Jr - #8 DEI Chevrolet (will stay)
Scott Riggs - #10 Evernham Dodge (will stay)
Joe Nemechek - #13 Ginn Chevrolet (will stay)
Sterling Marlin - #14 Ginn Chevrolet (retire or leave)
Jeff Burton - #31 Childress Chevrolet (will definitely stay)
Bobby Labonte - #43 Petty Dodge (will stay)
Tony Raines - #96 HOFR Chevrolet (will get the boot)

[SmokeFan20]

Dale Earnhardt Jr - If he makes the chase and either wins or seriously contends for the championship, he'll be back. If not, he'll probably be gone.

Scott Riggs - If he doesn't win and finish in the top 15, he'll probably be gone.

Joe Nemechek - Might leave and become a part timer with his own team.

Sterling Marlin - Will probably retire :(

Jeff Burton - Unless Jeff wants to retire, I don't see him leaving.

Bobby Labonte - Same as Burton. And the Petty's would be stupid if they let go of a driver of Bobby's class (and having a driver eligible for a champions provisional doesn't hurt either)

Tony Raines - Don't really know on this one.

[Sparky1329]

My opinion goes like this :
Dale Earnhardt Jr will stay with DEI (unless he is a total moron or Teresa does something stupid)
Scott Riggs will very likely stay with Evernham MotorSports
Joe Nemechek is probably out of a ride @ Ginn Racing unless Mark Martin leaves .....
Sterling Marlin talked about retiring at the end of 2007, either way he is out @ Ginn Racing
Jeff Burton will stay with Richard Childress, 2006 was a great year for their union, more good runs are expected
Bobby Labonte may stay with Petty Enterprises UNLESS he gets a better offer
Tony Raines will be out @ Hall Of Fame Racing UNLESS his performance level picks up


What Stan said. I think your predictions are on the money.

[princess4e]

If Jr left DEI it would be a marketing nightmare or goldmine...all depends on how you look at it.

[harvick#1]

it would be a total nightmare, I've gotten very tired of Jr.

anyway and hope he did leave and go to RCR to drive the #3, so we all have to stop hearing about when he actually will do it.

[Jonesi]

I think Ragan, Blaney, Stremme, W Burton & Menard are only signed for next year too.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, probably stay, but if he goes I think the deal will happen before the chase, (maybe as soon as July.) If he does move I think Bud goes with him, to an expansion of a top 5 team. GM will try to do whatever it takes to keep him in a Chevy.
Scott Riggs, top 20 is probably good enough to stay.
Nemechek (or Marlin) will stay until another rookie can be developed.
Jeff Burton, big improvement over last year, he'll stay.
Bobby Labonte, improvement too from '05, (and where the bar isn't set that high,) he'll stay.
I think there's a good chance a driver with multiple years left on contract is fired (or told to start looking) before any of these guys move on.


7 driver's contracts expire at the end of 2007. I wonder who will renew their contracts, move to another team or ??? :eek:
The drivers whose contracts expire at the end of 2007 are:
Dale Earnhardt Jr - #8 DEI Chevrolet
Scott Riggs - #10 Evernham Dodge
Joe Nemechek - #13 Ginn Chevrolet
Sterling Marlin - #14 Ginn Chevrolet
Jeff Burton - #31 Childress Chevrolet
Bobby Labonte - #43 Petty Dodge
Tony Raines - #96 HOFR Chevrolet

[carrera66]

#3 Budweiser/Chevy/RCR

[Jonesi]

#3 Budweiser/Chevy/RCR

It will never happen! (Although I think if he leaves DEI, it will be to RCR.) He's already said he hasn't raced well enough to live up to the #3 legacy, and every time the fan pressure/media attention is on him, his performance suffers. He's a competent driver and he may win a championship some year, but he doesn't have talent or ambition of his father. His only realistic chance for a championship is to "sneak up" on it, with few wins and the media spotlight on a hot streak driver (like JJ or TS).
It almost happened this year, but in the Chase he had 4 finishs 19-23. Turn two of them into top 5s he's still in the hunt on the last lap at Homestead, with three more top 5s he'd have the championship.
If he somehow ended up in the #3, he would probably have the worst year of his career.

[Labonte Massa]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. might leave if RCR gives him an offer. However, I'm not sure how that would work. If Burton were to retire, which is highly unlikely, I could see them switchign the 31 to 3 and getting a new sponsor (cingular is on the way out). However, if Junior is to go to a fourth car for RCR, it seems odd because I doubt RCR can field four great cars, and neither of his current 3 are doing anything that makes it seem liek they should be given worse equipment. Also, not related to will eh stay or not, but, I don't wanna see Junior in the 3 because his dad was a true racer and legend and no one in NASCAR today is or NASCAR in the future will be worthy of number 3.

Scott Riggs has been doing pretty well and should stay. Also, Evernham doesn't have any development drivers that are doing anything at the moment, so there's no one pressuring Riggs for his seat.

Joe Nemechek or Sterling Marlin will be gone and replaced with Regan Smith. Most likely Sterling will retire and the team will keep Nemechek until Kinser, Hernandez, or Carmichael is ready for Cup.

Jeff Burton will stay where he is unless he retires, but as I said before, it's very unlikely. As logn as he continues to perform, he'll stay.

Bobby Labonte will probably retire at the end of 07. That stinks for Petty because Kyle's at the end of his career, too, and the only development driver they have is Tim Andrews (Paul Andrews' son). Since Petty has no Busch or Truck team, getting Tim ready for Cup by 08 is impossible.

I have no idea with Tony Raines, but I'll go with he'll eb gone. I think he's a solid driver, but DLP seems to be a big sponsor and the results aren't exactly there. Also, Gibbs has Aric Almirola coming through the ranks with a possible Cup debut in 07, and if he's successful, he might go fulltime. He could replace Yeley if Yeley has another crash-filled season, though.

[Mark in Oshawa]

7 driver's contracts expire at the end of 2007.
I wonder who will renew their contracts, move to another team or ??? :eek:

The drivers whose contracts expire at the end of 2007 are :
Dale Earnhardt Jr - #8 DEI Chevrolet
Scott Riggs - #10 Evernham Dodge
Joe Nemechek - #13 Ginn Chevrolet
Sterling Marlin - #14 Ginn Chevrolet
Jeff Burton - #31 Childress Chevrolet
Bobby Labonte - #43 Petty Dodge
Tony Raines - #96 HOFR Chevrolet


OK, Raines is likely gone, Marlin also due to probably a part time gig. Riggs will keep his ride, he was making progress this year. Nemechek will keep his ride as he is solid and Ginn isn't likely to attract anyone better. The Petty boys would ahve to be idiots to get ride of Labonte, but Kyle has messed up some good ideas before. Burton is the most solid bet to hang onto his ride out of this group. That leaves Jr. Lets face it, if he isn't signed by July, look for the silly season to just go insane. No other driver save maybe Jimmy, Smoke or Jeffy as a free agent would create as much of a tizzy as Jr. on the free market. I don't think he will ever run the number 3. If he didn't conquer the world, people would dump on him for that, and Childress has too much respect for the Earnhardts to put Junior through that pressure.

Teresa has to make up her mind how much abuse she wants to take in the press if she gets rid of Junior. In some ways, though, it would be a watershed moment. Is Junior as good a driver as some think he is and is being held back by the team OR is the team better than Jr, and the car has made him look better than he is? I think the answer is somewheres in the middle, but I do know that if Junior wanted the challenge of going somewhere else, you would find out just how many guys are disposable on some of these teams. Lets face it most owners wouldn't dump a driver for just anyone, but with Junior and that Budweiser money, and his ability, I think a few top guys could still lose their rides if Jr was available. Teresa better sign him for more than just her sake.

[harvick#1]

If he somehow ended up in the #3, he would probably have the worst year of his career.

he can top his 2000 season wow, that would be something

bur RCR fielded the 4th car at Homestead with Scott Wimmer, and all four were solidly in the top 15-20 the whole race