78 FRR is done

Spotter22

Spotter22

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Damn. This is gonna be fun to see how this shakes out! Let the bidding begin!
 
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Only question now is, do the 78 gang end up in the #19 or the #41?
 
https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2018/09/04/furniture-row-racing-to-cease-operations-after-2018-season/

Furniture Row Racing, the reigning Cup championship team, announced Tuesday it will cease operations after this season, citing a lack of necessary funding.


“This is not good for anybody,” said team owner Barney Visser in a statement. “The numbers just don’t add up. I would have to borrow money to continue as a competitive team and I’m not going to do that. This was obviously a painful decision to arrive at knowing how it will affect a number of quality and talented people.

“We’ve been aggressively seeking sponsorship to replace 5-hour ENERGY and to offset the rising costs of continuing a team alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing but haven’t had any success. I feel that it’s only proper to make the decision at this time to allow all team members to start seeking employment for next year. I strongly believe that all of our people have enhanced their careers by working at Furniture Row Racing.”

The move comes after primary sponsor 5-hour Energy announced in July that it would no longer remain in NASCAR after this season. 5-hour Energy is serving as co-primary sponsor of the team with Bass Pro Shops for 30 races this year. Furniture Row Racing was unable to find any income to replace what it would be losing.

This announcement comes as Martin Truex Jr. is third in the points after winning his first series title last season.

Truex, who joined Furniture Row Racing in 2014 as the driver of the No. 78 car, said: “While I am saddened by today’s announcement, I totally understand the decision. Barney Visser, Joe Garone and the entire Furniture Row Racing team took me in while my career was in a bad place, and together we reached the pinnacle of the sport. I will forever be grateful to each and every one of them, and also to Furniture Row, Denver Mattress and the Visser family.

“But make no mistake this is not the immediate end. We still have unfinished business to attend to and that’s to give everything we have to successfully defend our Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. Right now that is foremost on my mind as it is with the entire team.”

With Furniture Row Racing leaving after this season, it will have a charter to sell. That will be among the more valuable charters. Cup charters guarantee a starting spot in each race but also a set amount of money per race. One portion of the team payments is based on performance in the past three years. Furniture Row Racing has made the playoffs each of the past two years and will again make the playoff this season.
 
I'm trying to figure out who's in higher demand MTJ or Cole?
 
Taco said:
What CC would Pern replace at HMS?
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They'd more than likely give him to Byron if I had to guess. They're trying to replicate Gordon in the 90's as much as possible with that kid.

Chase would make the most sense as he has made it clear that he's the future flag-bearer for HMS. It ain't happening tho.
 
AdoubleU24 said:
They'd more than likely give him to Byron if I had to guess. They're trying to replicate Gordon in the 90's as much as possible with that kid.

Chase would make the most sense as he has made it clear that he's the future flag-bearer for HMS. It ain't happening tho.
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I think you’re right, but would love to see him with Chase and move AG to Byron
 
AdoubleU24 said:
They'd more than likely give him to Byron if I had to guess. They're trying to replicate Gordon in the 90's as much as possible with that kid.

Chase would make the most sense as he has made it clear that he's the future flag-bearer for HMS. It ain't happening tho.
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that is a bit premature, Bowman and Byron are in the first year there. Elliott will win the popularity contest like Jr and his dad Bill. Hopefully they will all get wins, but I can see Hendrick wanting him for a crew chief for his organization.
 
Allenbaba said:
MTJ is already signed to JGR. Not sure about Cole, he was at least listening to other offers, but I bet he ends up there as well. (FWIW, HMS is more of a player for Cole than SHR, but I still believes he ends up JGR).
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Do you think HMS has a legitimate shot, or is he using them for negotiating leverage with JGR? Would the other teams (HMS, SHR) want him as a "Head of Competition" type role or a CC on one car?
 
I was thinking SHR would bring in Pruex and Pern as a pair the way they did with Harvick and Childers. Since there are rumblings JGR may can Suarez, they may bring them in. I'd say both are going to the same team. It's what I would do.
 
Well its a good thing this charter system is doing such a good job protecting the owners and making it easier for them to stay in business
 
That sucks. Sad to see a championship team have to fold up.
 
Time to bring back the throwback for the final race.

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Spotter22 said:
He will have more money now then he would without one. Thats what the charter does also.
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A little I can't imagine the value of a charter is all too high these days. Seems like there's more charters available than teams looking for them
 
wi_racefan said:
Well its a good thing this charter system is doing such a good job protecting the owners and making it easier for them to stay in business
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The RTA has a lot more work to do to make this 'franchise' ideal remotely operative. Unless it was only supposed to be a handful of franchises anyway. In which case, an upstart pest who was beating them has been eliminated.

I believe it is more likely that FRR would have found the help they needed to stay open if they had been say a 15th place team and not 2017's dominant team and one of 2018's "big three". Satellites are supposed to orbit around their master, not show them up.
 
Terrible news, good luck to all the people on landing new jobs, really sucks for all of them. Its sad to see to team close up shop, more so when the previous year they won the championship
 
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wi_racefan said:
A little I can't imagine the value of a charter is all too high these days. Seems like there's more charters available than teams looking for them
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Bankrupt BK racing sold theirs for2.3 million with many creditors owed. I would imagine Barney will get more than that for his Charter and equipment, much better stuff.
 
hard to believe the economics of the sport has the defending championship team leaving.

Times They Are a-Changin'
 
for some everything is a setback. It was a struggling one car team until a year and a half ago. He got a title, more than many one car teams with a small budget.
 
Imagine if this happened in any other sport.
It’s not a good sign from any angle when the defending champion can’t find funding.
 
This and a 1.5 tv rating for Darlington? Never been a sky is falling guy, but this isn't good
 
Spotter22 said:
He will have more money now then he would without one. Thats what the charter does also.
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I'm sure after all of the millions he and his company poured into that team over the last decade, that extra couple of million dollars (if he gets it) will make him feel MUCH better. This isn't the Dallas Cowboys where you buy the team and the stadium for 140 million and have it be worth a couple of billion 30 years later. Sorry to be snarky, but I just have never seen much value in the charter system. It's only SLIGHTLY better than the old pennies on the dollar team auctions.
 
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