Mark Martin on the move?

[DougS]

A rumor was floated today and I got to hear it first hand at it's start. It's picking up legs as it's been on Twitter and Jayski.

Randy Pemberton of Speed and Inside NASCAR for showtime was on Sirius Nascar 128 this morning on "The Morning Drive". He stated, and with a lot of confidence, that Mark Martin will end up at Red Bull Racing next year. Pemberton went on to explain that Mark Martin has a history with Jay Frye the GM at RBR from when Jay was the GM at Bobby Ginn Racing. That's as far as he let it fly out there.

The TMD guys then gave some further fuel for the fire, speculating that some sports contracts have clauses that if the player/driver was to miss "X" amount of game an automatic released would be executed per contract. They even went further to address that there is no news from the Brian Vickers camp what so ever. They tied a nice little bow around it by stating this works out for everyone, HMS freeing up the 5 car for Kasey, Finch and SHR not having to worry about a 1 year wonder program and Red Bull with a brand name driver that could replace either Scott Speed or Brian Vickers.

I fully expect this one to be completely viral by the time we hit Chicago on Saturday, so I'm just doing my part.

[FS_Amy]

If this is true (Mark Martin doesn't really seem like the type to advertise to the Red Bull demographic, but whatever floats your boat...) I hope, hope, HOPE,for a myriad of reasons, that it's the No. 82.  Not the least of which being that well, what a crappy thing to do to Brian Vickers who MADE that team!  If he can't race next year due to his medical condition, that's different.  But if he can, and they use the races he missed this year as an excuse to fire him, well, I will lose the one shred of respect I haven't already lost for them.  As for Scott Speed, let's just say I wouldn't be sorry if he lost his ride to Mark Martin.  For starters, the No. 82 might actually perform to its potential with Martin, an experienced NASCAR driver, in the car.  For finishers...well, I just wouldn't be sorry...

[scott b]

I agree with Amy, Mark Martin would certainly be an odd match for the Red Bull demographic... not that he wouldn't be capable of giving them good finishes.

I don't think Red Bull is going to release Brian Vickers unless they are certain he is medically unable to continue racing in 2011.  I do, however, think both Casey Mears and Reed Sorenson were brought in not just as temps, but also to be looked at for the possibilty of something longer term if either one excelled.  That could be as a replacement for Vickers if he can't return, or as a teammate to Vickers replacing Scott Speed (no matter how many times Red Bull has denied it, the clock is ticking down on him to start producing).

I don't expect Sorenson will be the last driver to sit in the #83 seat this season, either.  They could stick a veteran like Bobby Labonte in there on a week when he has no other ride, or try out another younger driver like Aric Almirola when the truck and cup series schedules converge toward the end of the season.

[south jersey girl]

from Jayski

•Martin to Red Bull in 2011? UPDATE denied: on the Sirius NASCAR Radio Facebook page, it is reported: "Randy Pemberton says that Mark Martin will move over to Red Bull Racing next year and Kasey will come to Hendrick and race the #5 car next season." Doesn't say which Red Bull car the #82 Scott Speed drivers, the #83 that Brian Vickers is supposed to return to in 2011 or a third Red Bull Racing team.(7-7-2010)
UPDATE: Martin's Business Manager, Benny Ertel, called the reports "aggravating," saying his driver has grown tired of answering the same questions, week after week. "It's the same thing, over and over again," he said. "We walk into the media center and someone immediately raises their hand and asks about where Mark will be racing next season. Mark has answered the question a thousand times and it's always the same answer. `I will be driving the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season.' That's as simple as it is, but some reporters just don't listen."
"Randy Pemberton went on Sirius NASCAR Radio the other day and said Mark will be driving for Red Bull next season," said Ertel. "There's not a shred of truth to that statement, and he never bothered to ask Mark, Rick Hendrick or anyone else about it. If he had asked, he would have been told -- in no uncertain terms -- that it was a load of hooey. I don't know what's so difficult to understand, Mark Martin will drive the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season. Period."(Sirius Speedway)(7-8-2010)

[DougS]

From Randy Pemberton:

Mark Martin will travel to London on this up coming week off and be a visitor at Red Bull's London facility.

[DougS]

On a separate note Randy Pemberton is also reporting that Ray Everham will be back at HMS.

I'm starting to wonder if Randy Pemberton has gone the way of Mike Mullhearn and just completely making up fiction. Not a good way to keep a job on speed, but might be great for some fringe specialty cable show on Showtime.

[20forLogano]

I would be very surprised to see MM driving at Red Bull racing. 

[PuglieseVT]

Mark isn't going anywhere....I don't know why everybody is in such a hurry to kick him out of the car he nearly won a championship with a year ago.

Having said that, I don't know why Kasey Kahne would be in such a hurry to bail out of a car that is Top 5 every week to get in a car that Mark Martin has to muscle to a 15th place finish every week.

[DougS]

One good thing about the Carl Edwards fiasco part II is, it takes the heat off Mark Martin for a while.

[Montvale]

 Could this be smoke and mirrors? To keep the heat off of Dale Jr as he makes plans to move to Childress racing next year and drives the #3?  Ha Ha Ha
 
 Take a deep breath   

[Chris]

Could this be smoke and mirrors? To keep the heat off of Dale Jr as he makes plans to move to Childress racing next year and drives the #3?  Ha Ha Ha
 
 Take a deep breath  

I still see "the Plan" is to have Austin Dillon in the #3 in the CUP series a few years down the road.
And from what little experience he has,.. and the way he can wheel a car... he's got lots of talent. 

[Chris]

I see it has been rumored that Kahne will be going to Red Bull for 2001.  Leaving Martin in the #5 at Hendricks.
Sounds interesting..
SO who is out at Red Bull in 2011.  Speed..??  Will Vickers be healthy enough to drive by then,..??
I don't see Red Bull adding a 3rd car.  We have 3 drivers with two seats. 

[FS_Amy]

It's a weird situation.  I know the Austrian brass at TRB LOVE Scott Speed, but firing Vickers before they know if he's cleared to race next year would be, IMO, a PR nightmare-Vickers MADE that team.  So where does that leave Kahne? Is Hendrick willing to fully fund a third team for him?  CAN they, given their ties to Chevrolet?  Or would TBR switch to Chevrolets and a technical alliance with HMS?

IMO, it makes more sense for Hendrick to go to one of the start and parks, like Tommy Baldwin, give them full technical support, chassis, and engines the way they do with Stewart-Haas.  HMS trains the pit crew and gets them up to par, and provides engineers.  The little team switches to Chevrolet and gets to keep the cars for their trouble-which might allow them to be more competitive after Kahne leaves, which might help them attract sponsorship.  Hendrick gets somewhere to store Kahne for the year that's reasonably competitive.  So it's a win-win.

[20forLogano]

Speed is a goner if Vickers can race.

[DougS]

Agree with 20FL

If Vickers healthy Bye bye Scott Speed and a possible trip to full time NNS in a Braun / TBR car?

If Vickers can't go Martin in the 83 and Speed in the 82.

Seems pretty smart to me, as long as TRB can manage Brian Vickers and not have a PR disaster on Twitter or facebook out in the public.