Gillett Evernham Motorsports has a Plan
Gillett Evernham Motorsports will rotate its three NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chiefs on the team’s No. 9 Nationwide Series entry for the remainder of this season.
The plan is to rotate Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, Patrick Carpentier and Chase Miller at the wheel of #9 Dodge NS entry and match them with Kenny Francis, Mike Shiplett, Rodney Childers, and Kevin Kidd respectively.
“This allows our Sprint Cup crew chiefs and drivers to gather more data in the Nationwide Series races, which we think will aid our Sprint Cup programs,” said Mark McArdle, GEM’s vice president of competition.
Wonder who thought this one up, hopefully not the same guy that mixed and matched 2006 test data with 2007 test data and sent GEM reeling for the remainder of the ‘07 season. And arguably along with several other factors hasn’t helped much this year given GEM’s sad-sack season.
They may gain some “camaraderie” between driver and their assigned pit-wagon rider, an always important factor in success, but I have as yet seen any team claim they’ve gained any significant data transfer from an NNS car to the Sprint Cup car.
But, it’s their sackful of nickles, not mine.
Think the plan is to draw straws to match driver and CC? Or maybe rock/paper/scissors!
MeThinks Bob Barker is coming out of retirement and they will conduct a special spinning of The Big Wheel live on each races pre-race show.
In other news, rumor also has it that the NW team will have 3 rotating sponsors - Florida Rock, Hammermill Paper, and Sukotto Scissor Company.