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LONG POND, Pa. -- Chip Ganassi Racing has exercised the option in Jamie McMurray's contract that will keep McMurray in the No. 42 Dodge for the 2006 Nextel Cup Series season, a team source said Friday.
"The option for Jamie is exercised," said Tyler Epp, Ganassi team manager. "Unless something tragic happens, he will be in the No. 42 next year driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates."
Sources close to McMurray said Friday that he is unhappy with the decision, and that McMurray is legally unable to discuss the matter at this time.
Mark Martin, whom McMurray will replace in the No. 6 Ford in 2007, isn't ready to completely accept the viability of the team's stance.
"Are you going to take and say that is concrete, or take that and say that's what they say today?" Martin said. "I've been given indication he'll be at Chip's next year.
"It's Chip's option. There's been no indication otherwise. That's not new news. That's exactly what Chip said when Jamie told him what he was going to do."
Epp also addressed the team's future plans for Busch Series driver Reed Sorenson, whom some have speculated was already signed to drive the No. 41 Target Dodge in 2006.
Epp discounted the notion, and said unequivocally that Sorenson would once again drive the Ganassi Busch Series car next season.
"Reed Sorenson will be in the No. 41 [Busch Series] Dodge in 2006," Epp said. "[The Cup speculation] are all rumors. Certainly we're really happy with his development. He's developed really quickly.
"If we have an opportunity to put him in a Cup car that we think is beneficial that's not going to push him too much and still allow him to run the full Busch schedule, certainly that's something we'll look at at that point. But we don't have that capability right now."
What about adding a fourth full time Cup Series program?
"We're always looking to expand," Epp said. "With the right deal at the right time, Chip has said from the beginning, we may have four Cup cars, may have another Busch car. But we're not going to expand just for the sake of expanding.
"There's no point in that. Chip and Felix have been very clear that at some point, there's a possibility for expansion. But whether that's next year or '08 or '09, it's all up in the air. It's all dependent on sponsorship dollars."
"The option for Jamie is exercised," said Tyler Epp, Ganassi team manager. "Unless something tragic happens, he will be in the No. 42 next year driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates."
Sources close to McMurray said Friday that he is unhappy with the decision, and that McMurray is legally unable to discuss the matter at this time.
Mark Martin, whom McMurray will replace in the No. 6 Ford in 2007, isn't ready to completely accept the viability of the team's stance.
"Are you going to take and say that is concrete, or take that and say that's what they say today?" Martin said. "I've been given indication he'll be at Chip's next year.
"It's Chip's option. There's been no indication otherwise. That's not new news. That's exactly what Chip said when Jamie told him what he was going to do."
Epp also addressed the team's future plans for Busch Series driver Reed Sorenson, whom some have speculated was already signed to drive the No. 41 Target Dodge in 2006.
Epp discounted the notion, and said unequivocally that Sorenson would once again drive the Ganassi Busch Series car next season.
"Reed Sorenson will be in the No. 41 [Busch Series] Dodge in 2006," Epp said. "[The Cup speculation] are all rumors. Certainly we're really happy with his development. He's developed really quickly.
"If we have an opportunity to put him in a Cup car that we think is beneficial that's not going to push him too much and still allow him to run the full Busch schedule, certainly that's something we'll look at at that point. But we don't have that capability right now."
What about adding a fourth full time Cup Series program?
"We're always looking to expand," Epp said. "With the right deal at the right time, Chip has said from the beginning, we may have four Cup cars, may have another Busch car. But we're not going to expand just for the sake of expanding.
"There's no point in that. Chip and Felix have been very clear that at some point, there's a possibility for expansion. But whether that's next year or '08 or '09, it's all up in the air. It's all dependent on sponsorship dollars."