Yates Out of racing,..?? whats this report mean??

[Chris]

Robby buying RYR? The LTN Radio Network has learned that Robby Gordon has purchased Robert Yates Racing, #88 and #38 Cup teams and #90 Busch Series team to be effective this week. The Yates-Roush engine program is not included in the sale. No word on the status of the contracts between RYR and sponsors M&M/Mars and Citifinancial, and how they will be affected by the sale.

OK,.. I'm confused,.. If you don't have a race team,... how can you be hiring new drivers.

Sadler out at RYR as of Monday? Gilliland in at MIS?: Elliott Sadler cleaned out his locker Monday at Robert Yates Racing, clearing the way for David Gilliland to take over the #38 M&M's Ford. Gilliland, 30, will make his second Nextel Cup start, his first for RYR, Sunday in the GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway

I'm sure all of this becomes effective at season's end,.. but wonder what is going on BEHIND the scenes..??  Quite possibly a rumor that will be denied... TYPICALLY when you buy a businesses, you get everything.  All it's assets and liabilities.  That would mean drivers, crew chiefs, sponsors, etc.
Basically it's a change in "ownership",.. just like when GINN bought (whoever he bought) a few weeks ago.  Everything goes on as it is.
Of course RYR really don't "have" any drivers at this time,.. and I suppose the crew chiefs are free to go anywhere they want.

NOW what does RYR do... Start all over,.. go to a different make,.. what??
I know Ford announced something on 8/7 that they were "Re-evaluating their plans" for the future.  They say they are doing this because:  a) the Toyota challenge, b) the debacle at Robert Yates Racing, and c) the failure of some young recruits to pan out

Maybe RYR is abandoning a sinking ship,.. just when Robby is buying into it.
Be bad to NOT have any factory support.... as far as "body style" that won't matter much anyway with the CoT kicking in next season.  (which is part of the reason I think Ford is think of pulling out).  I remember hearing when all the TALK of this first came up,.. they said there would be no business in them supporting cars to race in the CUP series, if they didn't look like cars that drove on the street, and fans could identify with; and could promote their sales

These are questions I had and stuff I picked up on that made me go ....  hhhuummmm

[paulfan]

The rumor has been denied, but it was curious that Robby's team manager stated several times that they were not buying RYR "in their entirety"

Could John Menard's money be behind this?  Remember, he was an Indy car owner for many years and won a championship with Tony Stewart and there were rumors he wanted to buy a piece of DEI.

[Busch Babe 899]

Someone suggested that Robby is buying Yates' old chassis, as Jack Roush is helping Yates/giving (selling) him new Roush chassis...As Robby is thinking of going Ford, ditching Chevy...so he'd have a bunch of already built chassis.

[Chris]

Someone suggested that Robby is buying Yates' old chassis, as Jack Roush is helping Yates/giving (selling) him new Roush chassis...As Robby is thinking of going Ford, ditching Chevy...so he'd have a bunch of already built chassis.

GOSH,.. I HAVE to think Robby is smarter than THAT,.. even us OUTSIDERS know that the problem with RYR this season has been the chassis.  (sure not the motors)
Roush take RYR motors and puts them on Roush chassis and runs up front or wins every week.
RYR can't even find the MIDDLE of the pack... and they running Roush motors too.

Recently RYR got some Roush chassis's and sadler has been running up toward the front,.. even finished 7th last week.
SO OBVIOUSLY it's been a chassis problem... If we all on the outside know it,.. the insiders HAVE to know it.

Why would Gordon want to 1) buy a bunch of old junk chassis and 2) go to the trouble to switch from Chevy to Ford..??
It's very confusing to me...

[Busch Babe 899]

Just reporting a suggestion someone made...maybe ready-made chassis, even with problems, is better than trying to build from scratch yet again, a couple of years after building up a fleet of Chevies...If Robby is, indeed, going to Ford.

[IndyCarzGo]

OK,.. I'm confused,.. If you don't have a race team,... how can you be hiring new drivers.
I'm sure all of this becomes effective at season's end,.. but wonder what is going on BEHIND the scenes..??  Quite possibly a rumor that will be denied... TYPICALLY when you buy a businesses, you get everything.  All it's assets and liabilities.  That would mean drivers, crew chiefs, sponsors, etc.
Basically it's a change in "ownership",.. just like when GINN bought (whoever he bought) a few weeks ago.  Everything goes on as it is.
Of course RYR really don't "have" any drivers at this time,.. and I suppose the crew chiefs are free to go anywhere they want.

NOW what does RYR do... Start all over,.. go to a different make,.. what??
I know Ford announced something on 8/7 that they were "Re-evaluating their plans" for the future.  They say they are doing this because:  a) the Toyota challenge, b) the debacle at Robert Yates Racing, and c) the failure of some young recruits to pan out

Maybe RYR is abandoning a sinking ship,.. just when Robby is buying into it.
Be bad to NOT have any factory support.... as far as "body style" that won't matter much anyway with the CoT kicking in next season.  (which is part of the reason I think Ford is think of pulling out).  I remember hearing when all the TALK of this first came up,.. they said there would be no business in them supporting cars to race in the CUP series, if they didn't look like cars that drove on the street, and fans could identify with; and could promote their sales

These are questions I had and stuff I picked up on that made me go ....  hhhuummmm

Just a thought on this .. I wonder if the following has anything to do with any of this as far as Ford goes... It wouldn't be the first time they retrenched in NASCAR when the corporate side got into deep financial doo doo....  with GM in not too much better shape...and the Toyota onslaught in the wings next season.... It really does make one take pause to wonder and ponder the future.... How many more teams will have problems?

To me, it makes no sense to jump teams and chassis/engine combos until all the corporate stuff shakes out... You cannot tell me with a straight face that seeing the kind of continuous losses that both GM and Ford are suffering lately (and with no real relief in sight), there will  not be a major fallout on direct corporate involvement in NASCAR (as well as other racing)... It just makes too much sense to the "bean counters" at Corporate ...and remember it is those "bean counters" who speak to God every day for guidance and are given full sway by the "powers that be"..

Maybe things are comming full circle... could we see a return to the "Old Days"? When truly "independent" teams were able to run and win on Sundays?  And will we see a return to the NASCAR us ole timers knew and loved?

Only the Shadow knows.... and he ain't sayin as of yet!!! Stay Tuned, Fans!


Ford to cut up to 30,000 jobs, idle 14 plants
Struggling automaker seeks to reverse $1.6 billion loss in 2005
   
 Ford Motor Co. announces that it will cut thousands of jobs and close 14 facilities as part of a restructuring designed to reverse financial losses in its North American operations. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.

DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Co., the nation’s second-largest automaker, said Monday that it will cut 25,000 to 30,000 jobs and close 14 facilities by 2012 as part of a restructuring designed to reverse a $1.6 billion loss last year in its North American operations.

The cuts represent 20 percent to 25 percent of Ford’s North American work force of 122,000 people. Ford has approximately 87,000 hourly workers and 35,000 salaried workers in the region.

Plants to be idled through 2008 include the St. Louis, Atlanta and Michigan’s Wixom assembly plants and Batavia Transmission in Ohio. Windsor Casting in Ontario also will be idled, as was previously announced following contract negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers. Another two assembly plants to be idled will be determined later this year, and production at St. Thomas Assembly in Ontario will be reduced to one shift.

A total of 14 facilities, including seven assembly plants, will cease production by 2012. The names of the other facilities were not immediately disclosed.