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#11-Brett Bodine told Ford officials last weekend that the financial commitment from a multi-year sponsorship package for his NASCAR Winston Cup team is due Saturday. That was reported on the Web site www.fordracing.com. If the money comes through, Bodine said he may be able to debut his yet-to-be named sponsor at the season finale Nov. 15 in Homestead, Fla. Bodine has been unusually closed-lipped about the sponsorship since he signed the contract back in mid-August. Perhaps it's because he doesn't want to jinx the deal, which he has said would be the largest in the team's eight-year history. Or it could be that the deal is indeed in jeopardy. Bodine told Ford officials he is tempering his excitement until the sponsor honors its commitment. On Tuesday, the Web site www.jayski.thatsracin.com reported that Bodine's crew chief, Mike Hillman, has left and joined the Arnold Motorsports Winston Cup team. Could that be another bad sign for Bodine's sponsorship deal? The team has been running on a shoestring budget. Many of its employees have been laid off. With the expected new sponsor signing, Bodine had hoped to be back racing by mid-September. That didn't happen, but Brett said several weeks ago that he might compete in the final three races of the season.