#40 team shuts down: what now for Franchitti?

[FIRE]

Ganassi's #40 team skipping Daytona, closing? hearing that the #40 Chip Ganassi Racing team of Dario Franchitti will skip the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway and has closed the team, supposedly laying off around 70 employees.(7-1-2008)

Source: jayski

[mattcat]

Well, that was only a matter of time...

Actually, it was only a matter of time until they found someone else to drive the car. I would be surprised if they shut the whole team down. Err...well, then again...

[Knowlesy]

Sad news.

[FIRE]

Confirmed by Ganassi:

UPDATE: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that due to a lack of sponsorship funding it will cease operation of the team's #40 Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Dodge driven by Dario Franchitti beginning this weekend in Daytona. "This is a difficult decision for Felix and I that did not come without its share of anguish," said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. "In this tough business environment continuing to run the car without proper funding has become increasingly difficult." CGRFS is committed to Franchitti's continued stockcar development and are currently in discussions with him on his racing options with the team which could include running the balance of the 2008 Nationwide season in the #40 Fastenal Dodge. Currently the #42 Texaco/Havoline/Juicy Fruit Dodge of Juan Pablo Montoya is 21st in owner points while the #41 Target Dodge driven by Reed Sorenson is sitting 31st in the standings.(CGRFS PR)(7-1-2008)

Source: Jayski

[Knowlesy]

Mod note: given this news its own thread, it is a pretty major development.

[ss_collins]

What now for Dario?

[ensign14]

35/8 strikes again.

[Knowlesy]

Dario will just do Nationwide for now. Then after that, god knows...retirement I guess?

The worst thing is the guys at the factory who've lost their jobs. I wish them the best.

[V8thunderfan]

Seems to me from the beginning Gannassi invested too much in a rookie .. all be it IRL champion he was never going to be on the pace during his first season. Its a case of setting goals too high and paying a rookie silly money .. then when the results don't come and the cheques are thin on the ground they call it all off.. End of the day big losers are the guys in the shop Gannassi has made redundant. Dario will be back in a Sprint Cup car I am sure.

[Speedworx]

I'm not surprised. This has been on the cards since end of 07.

[Hazard]

Seems odd. Ganassi gets things very wrong sometimes, and mostly in NASCAR it seems - it went a bit ropey in Champcar back in 2001-2002 aswell.

Franchitti's not really earned himself a decent drive elsewhere yet, and to be honest, was probably already looking at other options for 2008 anyway. I'd expect to see him back out of NASCAR entirely - that includes the Nationwide series (guessing only of course).

A fair escape for him is to go back to Indycar. With the Champcar merger, strictly speaking it's not the same series he's left so it's not quite as much a backwards step as it would seem. If he and Ganassi are still on friendly terms, a ride with them would be ideal though the Indycar team's a little crowded.

Else, back to AGR perhaps - but a great move would be to land a drive at Newman-Haas and help turn them into a top level team, or ride with them as they get there themselves.

I'm doubtful he's that interested in Sportscars. That option was clearly open to him and he decided to run towards NASCAR instead.

Anyway - all round bad news. NASCAR again becomes an all american, xenophobic little series. A shame.

[nic.v814]

70 employees? that seems like alot for one car

[Knowlesy]

I don't see Dario returning to Indycars. I get the impression that open wheel racing was something he wanted to turn his back on. He'll probably see out his Nationwide campaign and, depending on the situation, either return to Cup (highly unlikely) or go do something like ALMS.

It could be that we see him in Cup again this year if Reed is turfed out early. But again, not likely.

Not sure what xenophobia has to do with this though. Just because Franchitti has been turfed out? I'm not sure anyone really expected him to shine in this series...

[J-C]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Anyway - all round bad news. NASCAR again becomes an all american, xenophobic little series. A shame.

All-American? Three letters - JPM. Carpentier too for that matter.

Don't see what xenophobia has to do with it either...JPM has proven that you don't have to be from the USA to make it in NASCAR (relative to the other open-wheelers anyway).

[Mystery]

No-one could have expected Dario to have run as well as his team mates and given they're only 21st and 31st then his performances have neither been better nor worse than expected (Sonoma aside perhaps).

All very sad indeed.

Hazard - would I be right in saying your xenophobe comment is actually born out of frustration that it seems hard for someone not from the Americas (the continent) to get sponsorship in NASCAR? I don't hear the same sponsorship worries coming from many other teams, but then again maybe I wouldn't hear that over here anyway.

[Minicross424]

I think the dtm or world touring cars is where he will end up.

[StuiE]

Wow, I thought maybe he'd get dropped, but not the whole car #40 team disappearing. Could Ganassi get a driver that will attract a sponsor? not idea who though, Ken Schrader (I'd like that ), Jeff Green, Jeremy Mayfield? Just ditching the team completely won't help the organisation as a whole at all, even though he was the least experienced and worst performing, it's still another team to gather data and make all the cars go better.

[mattcat]

Yea but you can't keep pumping money into something that is giving you no results.

Dario needs to explore other options, I think it is fairly clear that his bid to become a NASCAR driver is not going to work out. Now it will be very difficult for him to return to the IRL, as well. AGR doesn't have a seat for him to come back to (unless they ditch Mutoh, which is unlikely), Ganassi doesn't have one either (unless he begins fielding a third car, again unlikely), and I doubt that Penske would be interested in his services. Aside from them, the only teams with seats available are not teams which he would be interested in driving for.

I think that the most likely outcome is that he will be in the AGR P2 car in ALMS. Andretti has said that Franck Montagny will be partnered with various other drivers throughout the remainder of the season, and when his IRL shoes have schedule conflicts, Dario would be a good sub. Also, Marino Franchitti used to drive the car, so yea, that's what I see happening.

[VilleneuveTracy]

Dodge is a big part of the problem. Penske was a winning team that, while not truly contending for the championship in the 2000's, had two drivers in the top 10 in points in 2005 and won races in its final year with Ford. In fact from 1993-2005 with Ford Penske never failed to reach the top 10 and won 48 races. With Dodge both Penske cars missed the Chase in 2006, Newman missed it in 2007 while Busch barely made it, and all three will likely miss it in 2008. Unfortunately, Ganassi foolishly re-signed with Dodge this year and is stuck with Dodge. He should have moved to Toyota and become the #2 Toyota team behind JGR. The only viable option Ganassi seems to have left, assuming he doesn't want to sell the team, is to form an alliance with Penske. (Evernham is already allied with the other Dodge teams of Petty and R. Gordon. For Ganassi to hook up with them would basically make the entire Dodge camp vassals of Evernham so that is unlikely) Both teams are struggling and this would be the best way to improve. Look at how well the Roush-Yates partnership has worked out. There is certainly nothing to lose in an alliance with Penske.

As for JPM, he needs to jump ship as soon as he can while his stock is high enough for him to land a quality ride. How can a 2 car team compete with Roush's 5 cars, Hendrick and RCR's 4 cars, and Gibb's 3 (how long before Gibbs expands to 4 cars?)? Unfortunately, it seems JPM is committed to Ganassi for at least another season.

[Knowlesy]

Penske are possibly switching to Toyota aren't they?

But yes, JPM needs to jump off the sinking ship.

[johntt]

Originally Posted by Minicross424

I think the dtm or world touring cars is where he will end up.

I think Dario i quite well settled in North America now, I suspect he'll go back to ALMS with AGR, if he did that then Acura may have him for their P1 programme.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by J-C

All-American? Three letters - JPM. Carpentier too for that matter.

Don't see what xenophobia has to do with it either...JPM has proven that you don't have to be from the USA to make it in NASCAR (relative to the other open-wheelers anyway).

JPM is from Columbia, which is in South America
Carpentier is from Canada, on the continent of North America

I know - a bit literal.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by Minicross424

I think the dtm or world touring cars is where he will end up.

He's done DTM already - over 10 years ago. He won't be back there. WTCC's not his bag either, he'd be in Sportscars first - I don't see him leaving America at all though so that'd be ALMS.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by mattcat

I think that the most likely outcome is that he will be in the AGR P2 car in ALMS. Andretti has said that Franck Montagny will be partnered with various other drivers throughout the remainder of the season, and when his IRL shoes have schedule conflicts, Dario would be a good sub. Also, Marino Franchitti used to drive the car, so yea, that's what I see happening.

Dario drove it himself last year too - not just his brother.

[mattcat]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Dario drove it himself last year too - not just his brother.

Yes he did. I forgot about that.