Marlin Finds a Ride for 2006
When the ink dries next month, the number of the car is the only thing left to be determined for Sterling Marlin’s ride for the final two years of his NASCAR Nextel Cup racing career.
As rumored in last Sunday’s edition of The Daily Herald, Marlin has agreed to join the MB2 Motorsports team where he will join Joe Nemechek, who drives the No. 01 U.S. Army car.
Marlin will fill the void left when Scott Riggs accepted a deal with Everham Motorsports for next year, but don’t look for the 48-year-old Columbian to drive the No. 10 car which Riggs currently drives.
The potential car numbers for Marlin range from No. 2 to No. 35, with perhaps No. 14 being an outside possibility.
No official announcement has been made but the decision has been confirmed by Marlin and by Jay Frye, the team’s manager/CEO for MB2 Motorsports. The team is owned by Nelson Bowers of Chattanooga and is based in Concord, N.C.
The announcement will likely remain on hold until sponsors are finalized over the next few weeks.
Frye indicated that Marlin presented both the driver and the image that their team was seeking.
“Age equates to experience,” said Frye in a published statement. “Sterling has no baggage. Everybody liikes him.”
The fact that since 2002 that Marlin’s career at Ganassi has slipped, Frye feels Marlin is still very capable. Marlin has 10 Nextel Cup wins.
“We think he can still do it,” said Frye. “We’re very excited about the next couple of years.”
Marlin is happy to have finalized what he feels will be his final one of his career.
“It’s a team with a great future,” said Marlin. “Two more years is all that I want. After that I’m done.”
This decision enables Marlin, currenty driving Dodge No. 40, to be behind the wheel of a Chevrolet which has figured prominently in his career.
Auto Racing
I’m glad Sterling got things settled for next year. He’s one of my favorite veteran drivers and he brings more to the sport than most of these no-personality 19-year-olds. Plus, Sterling can still drive, it’s just that his equipment and owner have sucked the last few years. I’m going to hate to see him go, but at least he will go out with a team that believes in him.
Has anyone heard anything about Mikey’s plans for next year? It’s been awfully quiet, or I haven’t been paying attention.
I heard that we might hear something about Mikey’s plans this weekend, but I don’t know that for sure. I hear that he is taking Napa though.
The latest rumor has M. Waltrip going to Bill Davis Racing and the #23.
If you remember around the event at Michigan Waltrip was romured to bbe taking ‘06 off to drive for Toyota in 2007. A connection to Davis fits both scenarios. Davis lost his Dodge Cup support because his Craftsman Truck Series entry runs Toyota.