MWR scrambles to find a driver for the No. 55 as Sadler backs out
The No. 55 and Mark Martin on track at Phoenix. Credit: Michael Waltrip Racing |
Michael Waltrip Racing is in a scurry to fill the seat of
the No. 55 for five upcoming races after Elliott Sadler backed out of his deal
with the team, citing focus on the Nationwide championship. MWR needs to find
someone before Bristol, which was to be Sadler’s first race.
"I was going to drive the 55 car for five races for
MWR, but actually, after the race on Saturday, after Victory Lane, Richard and
I went to his bus. And I think Richard, along with some of the executives that
he has, have just decided that it's probably not in our best interest to do
that right now,” Sadler took SPEED earlier this week.
Now the pressure is on over who will race those five races. Mark
Martin will not, he has said he is delighted with his part-time schedule. The
new Twitter addict @55MarkMartin
has shot down the idea of a full schedule in these tweets among others:
I love my schedule. Got to pick it
myself. RT @RCRFan92:@55MarkMartin would you
rather be driving full time this year?
No RT @smgdabest: @55MarkMartin have you
considered racing for the championship this year if your still in top 10 at
bristol with maybe a win?
That being clearly stated, to whom could MWR be looking? One driver presently sits without a ride, has Toyota affiliations, can
win races and can keep the car in the points…Of whom am I speaking? Brian Vickers!
Sure, it is only five races, but five versus zero is a win/win situation in my
opinion.
Tweeting with Bob Pockrass of SceneDaily.com, I seemingly set
Twitter afire with this simple tweet and answer.
“He's possible b/c he has experience & no ride. RT
@AmandaEbersole: Is it true that Vickers could be a possibility?”
@I_Grothe
agrees with my assessment, saying “Yeah that would be a good driver to race it.”
@jde126hunter
is also pro-Vickers. “And has links with Toyota. Good call!”
But not everyone is so keen on this possible move, @ScottNied1 states that “Vickers
can't drive, makes bad decisions. He cost 48 win which got 14 points he should
not have had at Mville.”
It is a tough call; I see both sides. I have nicknamed
Vickers Bam-Bam on Skirts and Scuffs Happy Hour following last year, but I also
believe in second chances. Vickers needs to find a quality ride, so get into
the No. 55, show you can handle the car, keep it clean and get respectable
finishes…teams will be beating down your door for 2013.
If all else fails, maybe Lucky is free? He already has his own firesuit! |
Besides, who else is available? (Maybe Lucky needs to suit up, his team needs him!)
Well, there is Reed Sorenson, who is also without a ride for
2012. Or maybe Trevor Bayne who is is search of a sponsor to continue in the
Nationwide Series this season. Bayne does run part-time with Wood Brothers
Racing in the Sprint Cup Series and the No. 21 is already scheduled for those
races, so put Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in for those races, Bayne to MWR and problem
solved, right? Wrong, it is complicated because Bayne is a Ford driver and MWR
is a Toyota. Maybe there's some red tape involved and I do not think there is time for any red tape.
Another option would be pull a driver from the Nationwide or
Truck Series to do double duty for some of the races. The Toyota Truck contingent
includes Cup veterans Johnny Sauter and Todd Bodine, while Nationwide offers
Mike Bliss as a veteran with experience.
Honestly, I think the best and only option is for Brian
Vickers to step into the No. 55 for Michael Waltrip Racing. That is, unless Michael
Waltrip himself chooses to drive in those races, which makes this whole post null
and void. Either way, a decision should be coming soon because Bristol is just
a week-and-a-half away.
MWR scrambles to find a driver for the No. 55 as Sadler backs out
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
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