Silly Season 2020

Matt D is about to get shafted like hell. Watch the 95 team dynamic change completely next season. They want to keep Bell long-term and giving him the same cars as Kyle Busch and company will probably be on the menu. There is a relationship between LFR and JGR, but its going to be a much more noticeable change come 2020. I hate to see Matt D get dumped, but JGR drivers are the priority here. Bell is going to get full-access to everything JGR, the latest and greatest chassis and engines.

Hopefully, Matt D can land a good ride in Xfinity. (If nothing in Cup materializes) I'd like to see him compete, IMO take Brandon Jones out of the 19 and give Matt D the opprotunity to show what he can do.
 
Levine has a point there, JGR can give more support, but it costs. Sponsorship dollars are important and LFR may not have the pockets deep enough for a second car. When Ty Dillon drove the 95, when the team was affiliated with RCR, Ty had sponsorship for the car prepared. I'm sorry, I got it all mixed up. 2016 they had Dillon in the 95 and McDowell in the 59 for one race. My bad about the misinformation there. Still, the money was there to make it happen.

LFR is not just going to get a second car for the hell of it. It has to be financially viable for them before even thinking about it. They have trouble enough covering races for the 95 alone. I'd LOVE to them get a second car, but everything has to be there first before a move like that is made.
 
I will also point out that you don't just MAGICALLY turn these satellite teams into top notch contending teams, no matter how much you might WANT to. Toyota and or JGR can dump all of the money, materials and engineering they want at LFR, and that doesn't automatically mean that LFR becomes a team anywhere CLOSE to being equal to the mother ship. Furniture Row was like a winning lottery ticket, VERY rare. If you ask me, the only major difference between where FRR was and LFR is, is Cole Pearn. Pearn changed the equation there. If LFR can't find somebody that can change the game for them the way FRR did, then they will likely remain a team that will put up a good finish now and again, but not be a serious contender.
 
Formerjackman said:
I will also point out that you don't just MAGICALLY turn these satellite teams into top notch contending teams, no matter how much you might WANT to. Toyota and or JGR can dump all of the money, materials and engineering they want at LFR, and that doesn't automatically mean that LFR becomes a team anywhere CLOSE to being equal to the mother ship. Furniture Row was like a winning lottery ticket, VERY rare. If you ask me, the only major difference between where FRR was and LFR is, is Cole Pearn. Pearn changed the equation there. If LFR can't find somebody that can change the game for them the way FRR did, then they will likely remain a team that will put up a good finish now and again, but not be a serious contender.
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Why was Furniture Row a good team with Kurt and Todd Berrier?
 
Formerjackman said:
I've asked this question before, and I'll ask it again; If you're Bell, why in the hell would you be satisfied with getting sent to THAT ride, and how long do you think he can be kept placated driving for the B team that is actually only a C- team?
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Big fish in a medium sized pond vs a small, SQUISHED one in a big pond. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
 
The point I'm making is that his power to influence his future may NEVER be as high as it is right now. If he gets shuffled off to the "B" team for a couple of years, he runs the risk of becoming yesterday's news. It's kind of like a college ball player that would be a top 5 pick if they came out as a junior, but return for their senior year and then are lucky to crack the top ten. Think Matt Leinhart. For Matt D, LFR is an opportunity. For Bell, LFR is almost a demotion.
 
Ventisca said:
Bell is in the Driver Marketplace. His personal team will have to sort thru various available opportunities for his future.
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You don't know that. As far as I know, Bell's current contract status is not known to the public. If he is already under Toyota contract for 2020, then perhaps he has little to no control over what he drives in 2020.

Do you know that he is a free agent after this year?
 
LewTheShoe said:
You don't know that. As far as I know, Bell's current contract status is not known to the public. If he is already under Toyota contract for 2020, then perhaps he has little to no control over what he drives in 2020.

Do you know that he is a free agent after this year?
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He's still in the marketplace. His value is gonna go up or down depending on how he finishes up and whether he captures the Xfinity Championship this year. Doesn't matter what his contract status is. Contracts for athletes are part of the marketplace.
 
LewTheShoe said:
You don't know that. As far as I know, Bell's current contract status is not known to the public. If he is already under Toyota contract for 2020, then perhaps he has little to no control over what he drives in 2020.

Do you know that he is a free agent after this year?
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yeah he is.
 
StandOnIt said:
yeah he is.
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Bell is free to sign with any team for next year? If he is, then I stand corrected... because I thought we didn't know if his Toyota contract was expiring or not. I must have missed something that is vitally important to 2020 silly season.
 
Does anyone know when Larsons contract expires?

I know he has been loyal to Chip in the past but I have a theory about him after Kurt's message today.
 
Kiante said:
Matt D is about to get shafted like hell. Watch the 95 team dynamic change completely next season. They want to keep Bell long-term and giving him the same cars as Kyle Busch and company will probably be on the menu. There is a relationship between LFR and JGR, but its going to be a much more noticeable change come 2020. I hate to see Matt D get dumped, but JGR drivers are the priority here. Bell is going to get full-access to everything JGR, the latest and greatest chassis and engines.

Hopefully, Matt D can land a good ride in Xfinity. (If nothing in Cup materializes) I'd like to see him compete, IMO take Brandon Jones out of the 19 and give Matt D the opprotunity to show what he can do.
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I think if Bell goes to LFR next year they'll get more buy-in from JGR and TRD too, as they're actually invested in him...not so much in DiBenedetto. There's not much more to learn at the Xfinity level for Bell, and I imagine forfeiting another year of Cup-tier salary is not something he wants to do. I think Jones gets a one-year extension unless he catches fire this summer, as that would take him out to the same duration spent at JGR before Logano got the axe for not delivering as well.

I don't know where that leaves Matt D but I don't think it's as simple as filling Jones' seat in Xfinity because I'm pretty sure Brandon is the one who brings the Rheem funding to the JGR Xfinity program through his father.
 
I wish they'd put Bell in the 95 and Toyota (they have been on the car some) helps Matt to the 20 NXS ride or a full time Truck ride to help KBM out.
 
How long before Austin Dillon/Danny Stockman & Daniel Hemric/Luke Lambert have a crew chief/team swap? Austin's 22nd in points...

Also it would look real bad if Erik Jones misses the playoffs, but I expect him to get in over Newman (who's doing a great job, but it's RFR).
 
AuzGrams said:
How long before Austin Dillon/Danny Stockman & Daniel Hemric/Luke Lambert have a crew chief/team swap? Austin's 22nd in points...

Also it would look real bad if Erik Jones misses the playoffs, but I expect him to get in over Newman (who's doing a great job, but it's RFR).
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BUT, Maybe they are getting some help from Team Penske via FORD and give credit to Ryan Newman with his engineering degree to help improve things.
 
The Roush-Yates engines have always been the same. If they're getting help from Ford teams such as SHR/Penske, why isn't Stenhouse running well?
 
AuzGrams said:
The Roush-Yates engines have always been the same. If they're getting help from Ford teams such as SHR/Penske, why isn't Stenhouse running well?
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Every driver wants something different in their feel of the car. It could be that Stenhouse couldn't finish 10th in the 19 car. KDB maynot be able to run top 10 in other cars.
The fact that Ryan is able to run near the front in the 6 means that RFR is giving him much of what he wants. FORD shares among all the teams but never what a team has found to give them an advantage over other Ford Teams.
If what ever they were doing for Kurt was shared with HMS it probably would help them as well. What Kurt has doesn't necessary help Larson if he won't drive that same set up.
Harvick said his car was so bad off the truck they had to eventually switch to #14 set up and adjust from there.
 
Formerjackman said:
The point I'm making is that his power to influence his future may NEVER be as high as it is right now. If he gets shuffled off to the "B" team for a couple of years, he runs the risk of becoming yesterday's news. It's kind of like a college ball player that would be a top 5 pick if they came out as a junior, but return for their senior year and then are lucky to crack the top ten. Think Matt Leinhart. For Matt D, LFR is an opportunity. For Bell, LFR is almost a demotion.
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The real issue here is Toyota and their strategy of having one giant factory team and nothing else outside of a car that is 25th in owner points means they have nowhere to put their high quality incoming talent. This is just dessert on their end for Furniture Row Racing shutting down.

If Bell does go to Leavine, to put it in recent Indycar terms: Toyota is Ganassi, DiBenedetto is Ed Jones and Bell is Felix Rosenqvist.

As far as Gibbs, guys should get chances before being chewed up and spit out, but let's be cold and look at performance: the #20 is currently 18th in owner points when the other team cars are 2-5-6. The #20 is behind all 4 Hendrick cars, both Ganassi cars, and the Roush #6. The fact Jones' contract is not yet signed and settled tells me either they're dangling Bell to force Jones to accept less pay, they've already decided to replace Jones, or they're seeing if Jones' performance can improve late in the season before making a decision who drives the car 2020 and beyond.
 
If Jones gets the Ax for Bell HMS should jump on the chance to replace Bowman with him.
 
Acs said:
If Jones gets the Ax for Bell HMS should jump on the chance to replace Bowman with him.
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Is Jones better than Bowman? A couple years ago I would have said yes for sure but in my opinion Bowman has showed a lot more in probably not as good of equipment that Jones had as far as the cup level goes.
 
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