Hendrick, RCR form new Busch Series alliances
By JIM UTTER - jutter@charlotteobserver.com

The wave of mergers and partnerships in NASCAR continued on Monday with separate announcements that Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing had formed new alliances with their respective Busch Series operations.

Hendrick and JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., will combine their Busch operations at the conclusion of this season.

The partnership will campaign two full-time Busch teams under the JR Motorsports banner next season. Both teams will use Hendrick engines, chassis and vehicle engineering support. Rick Hendrick will continue be listed as owner of the No. 5 Chevrolet and Earnhardt Jr. the owner of the No. 88.

“Being a relatively new team owner in this sport, this is a huge step for me and everyone at JR Motorsports,” said Earnhardt Jr., who will drive a Cup car for Hendrick next season.

“It was never part of the equation when I was deciding where to drive next year, but it seemed to be a natural progression once Rick and I began talking about the transition into 2008.”

To support the operation, approximately 30 employees, including crew chief Chad Walter, will move from Hendrick to JR Motorsports. Walter will serve as crew chief of the No. 5 team next season.

“Ultimately, Dale Jr. and I both want to win races and give our people the best possible chance at achieving success,” said Hendrick.

JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports will also collaborate in the areas of sponsorship services, marketing and media relations. Brad Keselowski currently drives the No. 88, while Kyle Busch has been driving the No. 5. Busch is leaving Hendrick at the end of the season.

Also Monday, RCR announced it had reached an agreement with Kevin Harvick Inc., co-owned by RCR Cup driver Kevin Harvick and his wife, DeLana, to expand their technical alliance. RCR currently provides engines for KHI’s Busch and Truck series teams.

KHI will take on a larger role in regard to testing, aerodynamics, suspension and chassis development with RCR’s Busch program.

“Our plan is to field a fourth Cup series team for 2008 so we’re going to work more closely with KHI on the Busch side,” said RCR owner Richard Childress. “I have all the confidence in the world that we’re going to have a better overall program.”

Eury Sr. talks about HMS/JRM merger: Tony Eury Sr, Director of Competition at JR Motorsports, talked with Claire B. Lang on XM Satellite Radio Tuesday about the developments in the JR Motorsports Busch operation this week. He told her that he and the JR Motorsports team visited the team at Hendrick Motorsports yesterday. JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports have merged their Busch operations and Eury told CBL he was amazed by what he saw. Eury Sr. said: "I had not actually been through Hendrick Motorsports until yesterday and I took my first tour through there yesterday and we all sat down and kind of tried to address this thing out how it's going to happen you know how it's going to work. Kelly (Earnhardt Elledge) and myself and Dale Junior and Rick (Hendrick) and Marshall (Carlson) and Doug Duchardt you know and Ken House and everybody thats involved in this deal we all just trying to figure out how we're going to make this thing work and no bumps in the road. And I actually took my first tour yesterday with Kelley through Hendrick Motorsports and I really was amazed at what I seen you know. I actually made a phone call to Tony Jr last night after I got back and told him we need to pat ourselves on the back if we ever outran a Hendrick Motorsports because it's one heck of a race shop no doubt about it.
Claire B. : What was it that they had that you were so impressed with or that you saw?
"They are just swarmed with engineering help I mean every building you go in is engineered very well they just have the seven post rig and they have just all kinds of engineering stuff to work with. They have the...the engine shop is just amazing the machine and equipment the CNC stuff thats running in there. You know it's it's just really amazing to walk in there and see so much stuff going on and they build a lot of carbon fiber seats for a lot of the drivers over there, they have a carbon shop. It was really just amazing to walk through there and see how much he has accomplished, you know, in his racing career because he has really built a really nice place over there.(XM Radio)(8-1-2007)

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