The Nextel Cup veteran, in the final year of a contract with Robert Yates, would jump ship in '07.
By BRANT JAMES, Times Staff Writer
Published May 13, 2006
DARLINGTON, S.C. - At a track where the face of NASCAR began taking shape a half-century ago, the familiar firm-jawed gaze of veteran Dale Jarrett likely will be presented today as the face of Toyota's entry into the Nextel Cup series.
The 49-year-old and 1999 series champion is expected to be named during a news conference as the second driver for Michael Waltrip Racing's new Camry-driving team beginning in 2007.
Waltrip has openly admitted that Jarrett is on his wish list. Jarrett, in the final year of a contract with Robert Yates Racing, has refused comment. He has driven for Yates since 1995 and said he hopes to race through 2008. Both Jarrett and Yates refused to address the subject on Friday at Darlington Raceway.
In Jarrett, Toyota would have another recognizable, marketable driver, and Waltrip a powerful sponsor in UPS if the shipping giant opted to leave RYR with Jarrett. It was unclear what UPS will do.
Toyota, which has raced in the Truck series since 2004, enters NASCAR's top two series with a reputation for providing its teams with a wealth of resources. That has scared the collective wits out of established Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford teams.
NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton has asserted throughout that NASCAR's rules are enforceable and that Toyota understands them. Opinions vary.
"If NASCAR has come back and got assurance from Toyota that they're going to let the teams operate independently and they're not going to function or source all this unattainable technology that they've got based on how deep their pockets are, if they're not going to let that happen, if they have a way to stop that, that's going to be wonderful," said team owner Jack Roush, who races Fords.
Zephyrhills native David Reutimann, the 2004 trucks rookie of the year who will drive a Busch car full time for Waltrip beginning next season, said Toyota's reputation is unfair. A key difference is the commitment to share a vast amount of information with affiliated teams, instead of a few choice ones. Waltrip, Bill Davis and Red Bull Racing are scheduled to each field two Cup teams next season. BDR has not won a Cup race since 2002 (five times in 607 starts) and Waltrip and Red Bull are startups. Neither BDR nor Red Bull has announced drivers.
"They give you the absolute best support they could possibly give you with engineers and wind tunnel data, (research and development) they do everything they can," Reutimann said. "People are under the impression they are throwing all this money at teams, and that's not what's happening."
That said, Reutimann admitted Toyota's entry will likely change the way other manufacturers must play the game.
"What it will come down to is they have some very, very intelligent people who work some really crazy hours to make this work," he said.
That was another source of fear for team owners within the garage as the market value of everyone from crewmen to drivers was suddenly escalated.
With Kevin Harvick having recently signed an extension with Richard Childress Racing through 2009, Jarrett became the next most likely target. In the inevitable domino effect, Casey Mears has become the new subject of speculation as a replacement for Jarrett. Mears, who has never won a Nextel Cup race but is a career-best 10th in points, is negotiating a new contract with Chip Ganassi Racing. He is in the final year of a three-year deal, has not spoken with Yates, he said, and added, "I don't speculate at all I'll be going anywhere else."
RYR's move Friday appeared to safeguard the team for Jarrett's departure and Mears staying at Ganassi. The team announced that Cup driver Elliott Sadler would not drive the No. 90 Ford in the Busch series anymore this season to accelerate the driver development program," namely Matt McCall and Stephen Leicht.
