McMurray lands with Earnhardt-Ganassi

On Thursday, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing officially named Jamie McMurray as the replacement driver in the No. 1 that will be vacated by Martin Truex Jr. at the end of the season, according to a press release.

Our View Most of the pieces have fallen into place for next year. All that remains for drivers like Reed Sorenson and David Stremme are start and park or lightly-funded entries.

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RPM – Yates to merge

Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced an intention to merge their companies in 2010. Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard will be the drivers and the entity will race Fords.

Our View That leaves Bobby Labonte and Reed Sorenson out of rides next year.

This has to be one of the most convoluted entities of all time since RPM is made up of a merger between Petty and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports and Yates, who absorbed Hall of Fame Racing at the start of this year. The economy makes strange bedfellows, and it is not improving competition.

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Crown Royal Russ Friedman 400

Sorenson out at RPM?

Reed Sorenson is part of the latest rumor mill. According to Autoracingsport.com, Richard Petty Motorsports is considering shuttering the No. 44 team, moving A.J. Allmendinger over to the No. 43 and releasing Sorenson.

Our View All four RPM teams have been improving this year, but the weakest link seems to be Elliott Sadler. After abortively trying to release him at the start of the season, however, it would be hard to ring that bell again. Sorenson could become a victim of circumstances.

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Sorenson posts single fast lap in NH Sat. am practice

Reed Sorenson posted the single fastest lap in the Saturday morning practice session with a top speed of 128.472 mph. He also had the quickest average speed of 126.921 during 29 laps. That certainly makes him a driver to watch in Happy Hour.

Our View: Sorenson has been uneven on the short, flat tracks, but so far this year he's finished 17th at Martinsville and 12th at Phoenix.

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Dodge withholds support

The bankruptcy proceedings of Dodge/Chrsyler have put factory support on hold for the moment, according to NASCAR.com.

Our View: In this economy, with sponsorship at a premium, this support was extremely important. This impacts Richard Petty Motorsports' four teams and Penske's three teams. The effect won't be immediate, but without some additional support, money will eventually be tight.

Sorenson slaps wall, McMurray eats donut

Reed Sorenson and Jamie McMurray got together at the seven minute mark in the first practice session, which put a donut on the No. 26 and slammed the No. 43 into the wall.

Our View: McMurray was faster, but discretion dictates a little give and take. That is the same kind of impatience that has made him a risky proposition on a weekly basis during the race.

Petty wants more consistency

Richard Petty wants more consistency from all four of his drivers, according to SceneDaily.com. “They really were a two-car team, and we brought two cars in and kind of got us behind, I think, on some of the stuff,” Petty said. “Hopefully, we’re going to get it together. If it don’t, we'll keep working until we do."

Our View: We all want that Richard… we all do.

Reddin resigns from RPM

Tom Reddin has resigned from his post as CEO of Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), according to ESPN.com.

Our View: Reddin has taken much of the heat leveled at RPM. A former CEO of Lending Tree, he may have found out how difficult this sport can be to industry outsiders. It is unlikely that Foster Gillet will help this team perform much better in the short term and the organization needs to look for someone who knows racing.

RPM teammates struggle to keep Kahne company

Only Kasey Kahne is locked into the All-Star race by virtue of winning it last year, which leaves Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson and A.J. Allmendinger hoping to win the Sprint Showdown or get voted in by the fans, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View: Until last year, we would have said that none of these drivers would be a very good value, but Kahne won after the fan voted him into the big show and Sam Hornish Jr. finished seventh after racing his way into last year's field.

Happy Hour stripes

Here is a partial list of the cars that received stripes in Darlington's Happy Hour:

In Happy Hour:

Sam Hornish Jr. scraped the wall and spun
David Stremme slammed the wall; into backup
Denny Hamlin got a light stripe
Max Papis striped his car
Greg Biffle striped his car
A.J. Allmendinger striped his car
Scott Speed got another stripe
Reed Sorenson changed an engine
Bobby Labonte striped his car
Marcos Ambrose big stripe (backup?)

Sorenson tests late model at Infineon

Reed Sorenson found another loophole in NASCAR's test ban and tested a late model (non-Cup / non-Nationwide car) at Infineon Raceway. For more, check out the story at SceneDaily.com.

Our View: On road courses, seat time is more important than the type of car as drivers look for the best line around the track. Sorenson certainly needs the practice since his best finish at Infineon is a 29th.