Following a shouting match between Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver Patrick Carpentier and crew chief Mike Shiplett, Carpentier has been released from the team effective immediately, the Sporting News reports.
Mike Wallace will replace Carpentier in this weekend’s Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. AJ Allmendinger will take over driving duties of the No. 10 GEM Dodge for the remaining races.
Mark McArdle, GEM VP and managing director of competition, said:
We certainly appreciate all the effort that Patrick Carpentier made for us this year. But our job is to put ourselves in a position to win races, plus we’re striving to get the No. 10 into the top 35 in [owner] points. We feel A.J. gives us the best chance to do both.
Being 338 points out of the top 35 does not bode well for the team. After this weekend’s race, Allmendinger will have five races to make up those points, which is highly unlikely.
[...] announced he would be leaving GEM after they hired Reed Sorenson for 2009. In October, he was released by GEM and former Red Bull Racing driver AJ Allmendinger finished the year in the No. [...]