Edwards wanted Biffle to slow enough to let him close in, using the air pressure to remove the debris.

Biffle refused, citing the bap between the two, the timing, and the fact that he was the race leader.

After asking for help, a voice radioed back to Edwards that there was no help coming from the teammate.

Edwards responded:

He ain’t our teammate.

Edwards’s engine managed to survive until he pitted a handful of laps later. Shortly after his green-flag pit stop, the caution flag flew. Still, he overcame that to finish eighth.

But, he wasn’t too pleased with how Biffle handled the situation. Nor was Edwards’s crew chief, Jimmy Fennig.

Fennig said:

[We] didn’t get any help from our teammate, and he put us in a hole.

Biffle said:

These races are very, very hard to win. The last win I had was here. This is a competitive sport.

RFR owner Jack Roush defended Biffle’s decision, saying:

There are no team orders for that kind of thing but I do support the decision that Greg made to not give up his track position, and we’ll discuss that.

While I understand Edwards’ frustration, I think Biffle was right in choosing not to help his teammate.

If Biffle were in 8th place, and Edwards were running 9th and the same thing happened, I think Biffle helps him. If he doesn’t, then I think Edwards has more of a reason to be mad.

But with Biffle leading, he shouldn’t slow down and allow the second-place car, teammate or not, to catch up, especially with 50 laps to go.

I’m sure that once Jack Roush talks to everyone, everything will be okay… unless of course, the roles are reversed sometime in the near future. In that case, I doubt Edwards would do much to help Biffle.

In 2013, Bayne will run another part-time Cup schedule with WBR, and a full-time Nationwide Series schedule with RFR.

Team owner Jack Roush says that the team still needs to work out the finances and sponsorship issues.

Related Stories

• Bayne To Return To Wood Brothers Racing In 2012
• Bayne Gets First Win In Record-Setting Daytona 500

Team owner Jack Roush said:

We are excited about this change on both fronts. Pairing two highly successful veterans like Carl and Jimmy should be quite a matchup and it is our expectation based on what Jimmy has been able to accomplish with many high profile drivers, that it will provide the spark to get the #99 program and Carl back into championship form. However, we are particularly excited about teaming up Scott Graves and Ricky. Through his extensive research and development work, Scott has an excellent understanding of the new 2013 body style. In his short time as a crew chief he has demonstrated a cunning knack as a leader on the pit box and he is going to be a great match for Ricky as he makes his move upwards into the Sprint Cup ranks.

Fennig will replace Chad Norris, who took over the reigns when Bob Osborne stepped down due to health issues. Norris will move to the No. 60 Nationwide Series team.

Graves has been working as Carl Edwards’ team engineer.

Related Stories

• Osborne Steps Down As Edwards’ Crew Chief
• Fennig To Return As Crew Chief For RFR’s No. 17, Kenseth

RPM Chief Operating Officer Robbie Loomis confirmed that discussions were taking place about Busch. Loomis said:

Best Buy has been a great partner for a long time, and AJ Allmendinger has done a fantastic job for us. He’s coming off his best season yet, but I can tell you there is a lot of interest on our part in having Kurt Busch in the fold. It makes sense to have Kurt with our team, if we can make it work. Our main focus is to continue building on what we finished the season with last year.

Busch parted ways with Penske Racing after a tumultuous year in which Busch became known for his in-race, over-the-radio tirades directed at crew chief Steve Addington and his team. A video in which he berated respected NASCAR media member Dr. Jerry Punch went viral, and proved to be the last straw for Busch.

There is no word on what will happen to AJ Allmendinger, if Busch were to take over the No. 43.

Jack Roush, whose Roush Fenway Racing team supplies cars and engines to RPM, could also block Busch from joining RPM, as Busch drove for RFR before joining Penske and was let go after on-track and off-track incidents.

Earlier this season, Kasey Kahne signed a deal to drive for Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. Following nearly four months of speculation on Kahne’s plans for 2011 (Hendrick had the maximum number of teams (four) under contract in 2011, leaving Kahne without a ride); Red Bull Racing signed Kahne for one year.

Around that time, it was reported that RPM majority owner George Gillett Jr was in default on a $90 million loan. Gillett called the problem technical in nature, saying that RPM did not miss payments. But an anonymous source indicated that the issue was payment-related.

Two months after the Kahne-to-RBR deal was announced, Kahne was abruptly released from RPM, five races before the end of the season. Kahne was said to be frustrated with the team’s inability to finish races. At the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kahne wrecked his No. 9 Budweiser Ford after a brake failure.

The team repaired the car but Kahne, who was feeling ill, refused to get back in the car. After the race, he said:

I was told that I need to start doing my part. I can’t control the issues I’ve had this year. I don’t know how many parts I’ve broke, how many shifter handles, control arms, blowers, brakes. If I really thought about it, I could come up with all kinds of stuff. You can’t control that as a driver. I’m doing my part. I just need the car. I work as hard as anybody out there.

Kahne’s refusal to get in the car led many, including RPM, to question his commitment to the team. He was released the following week.

One day later, it was reported that RPM was in danger of going under. Team employees were told that they may not have jobs after the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. Speedway. According to FoxSports.com, Roush Fenway Racing and Roush Yates engines, which supplied chassis and engines to RPM, respectively, stopped, and they repossessed equipment from the team.

There was speculation that the issue stemmed from a lawsuit over the sale of Liverpool Football Club of the Premier League. Gillett and his business partner, Tom Hicks, put the Liverpool Football Club up for sale because the team was in danger of going into bankruptcy.

RFR co-owner John W. Henry’s company, New England Sport Ventures, purchased the debt-ridden team for $477 million. But, Gillett attempted to block the sale because, he said, he had two higher bids for the team, despite the fact that the sale had been negotiated and agreed upon.

A Dallas judge issued a temporary restraining order against NESV and others. Meanwhile, Hicks filed a $1.6 billion lawsuit, which was later dropped, while he and Gillett worked frantically to recapture the team. The restraining order was dropped and the British High Court ordered Gillett and Hicks to drop their claim, clearing the way for NESV to purchase Liverpool.

The whole ordeal was described as heated, contentious, and bitter. It’s possible that hard feelings prevented Henry and Gillett from being able to continue to work together in NASCAR… at least initially.

Shortly after the report of RPM being in danger of being without cars and engines at the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, it was reported that they did, in fact, have cars. And Jack Roush said that the team did not owe him any money, and that they were up-to-date on payments. Still, there was some uncertainty before the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

But, the sale of Liverpool was said to have jeopardized the finances of RPM. And, it was reported that lenders took majority interest away from Gillett and approved a plan for Petty to run the daily operations of the team.

Rumors also began to surface that the team owed Kahne money, and that was part of the reason he asked to be let go. However, Kahne denied that, saying that RPM met all its financial obligations to him.

After reports of the financial turmoil at RPM began to surface, Petty began looking for investors to help him take control of the race team that bore his name. Today, he did that officially.

Under the deal, Petty will serve as chairman, and will run the daily race operations. Petty said:

Today is a great day for me, my family, our fans and our wonderful sponsors. [They] have supported me through thick and thin and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

Murstein added:

We could not be happier to be able to acquire these assets together. … Ample working capital has been invested in the company to insure this great team and legend will not only continue to perform, but will thrive and be back in the winner’s circle.

Bergeron echoed Murstein’s sentiments, saying:

With Richard Petty’s unmatched name and reputation in the motorsports industry, I know this investment is well-timed to succeed. We are going to help put Richard Petty Motorsports back in Victory Lane.

Gillett’s legal dispute over the recent sale of the Liverpool Football Club to New England Sport Ventures is said to have jeopardized the finances of RPM to the point that there was concern that the team would not operate after this weekend’s Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville.

While Petty would not comment on whether or not he was trying to buy the team, ESPN noted that Roush Fenway Racing owner Jack Roush indicated that Petty was.

Roush also indicated that RPM did not owe the team any money for cars or engines, and that they were up-to-date on payments. Kasey Kahne also indicated that RPM did not owe him any money.

Roush issued a statement saying:

I would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and concern I have received the past two weeks. Our teams and drivers have not missed a beat in my absence, and I am proud of the effort they have put forth. I look forward to rejoining them at the track soon. 

The win came at a good time for RFR, as it occurred as team owner Jack Roush is recovering from injuries sustained in a plane crash.

With 35 laps to go, Jimmie Johnson attempted to bump draft Kurt Busch down a straightaway. The contact sent Busch sideways. Busch turned across the nose of Clint Bowyer, twice, before hitting the inside retaining wall.

Elliott Sadler was also cut up in the wreck. He apparently got hit from behind, and slid through the grass and hit the inside wall hard — so hard in fact that his engine was laying on the track.

He slowly climbed from his Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, wincing in pain. He immediately layed down on the track. He was treated and released from the infield care center, and appeared to be okay. He said that the accident knocked the wind out of him.

The wreckage caused a red flag. After the debris was cleared, the cars were fired and the field went back to green. About 12 laps later, ran began to fall. Eighteen minutes later, the track was dry and the field was under caution.

Biffle changed two tires and was running second to Sam Hornish Jr, who stayed out. On the restart, Biffle passed Hornish easily and drove away from the field for the win.

Top 5: Biffle, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin.

Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr, and Johnson finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

Notables: Hornish (11th), Ryan Newman (12th), Clint Bowyer (15th), Juan Montoya (16th), David Reutimann (17th), Matt Kenseth (18th), Kasey Kahne (19th), Jamie McMurray (22nd), Kyle Busch (23rd), Joey Logano (25th), Dale Earnhardt Jr (27th), Kurt Busch (33rd), and Marcos Ambrose (39th).

Give a call to Paul Menard and David Ragan. They stayed out of trouble and finish 13th and 14th, respectively.

RFR President Geoff Smith told the Associated Press via a text message that Roush suffered facial lacerations that may require surgery.

Reports indicate that Roush was flying a Beechcraft Premeir 1A, registered to Roush Fenway Racing, LLC, from Detroit to Oshkosh, Wisc. to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture. On landing, the plane made hard contact, cracking the fuselage.

According to NASCAR journalist Bob Margolis, who is penning a book about Roush’s life, Roush bumped his head during the crash and cut his face. He was evaluated at a local hospital and was okay.

A statment from the EEA confirmed that. The statement said:

Each exited the aircraft following the accident. Both were transported to local hospitals, with Roush in serious but stable condition and Strickland with non-life threatening injuries.

Update: Jack Roush has been upgraded from serious but stable condition to fair condition, ans he continues to recover from his injuries. He will continue to be treated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. At this time, there is no timetable for his release from the hospital.

But, in July of 2009, DeWalt announced it was leaving RFR and Matt Kenseth. A few days later, Jamie McMurray was given permission to talk to other teams about a ride for 2010, but RFR was still looking to keep him. The thought was that Crown Royal would move from McMurray’s car to Kenseth’s car, but if sponsorship could be found for McMurray, he would move to Yates.

About a month later, Irwin Industrial Tools announced it was leaving the team and McMurray, which only increased the likelihood that he would not stay with the team.  Shortly thereafter, Yates merged with Richard Petty Motorsports, which brought that team to the four-car limit, eliminating any space for an RFR driver.

Without sponsorship for the car, and no place for one of the teams to move, it became inevitable that one team would be cut. Based on performance, McMurray and David Ragan were the logical choices. Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Matt Kenseth were all considered “safe” because they were consistently top performers.

Ragan and McMurray, however, both struggled. McMurray did have two wins to his credit, but he also had 43 finishes of 30^th or worse in four years (144 races) with RFR. Ragan, meanwhile, had 28 finishes of 30^th or worse in three years (110 races) with RFR, which would translate to 37 finishes of 30^th or worse in 144 races, assuming Ragan kept up his pace.

Statistically, McMurray would have been the wiser choice to keep. He had better percentages of wins, top 5s, and top 10s. He won about one percent of the races he ran. He finished in the top 5 in 7.6% of races ran, and in the top 10 in 22.2% of races ran. Ragan, however, never won, and finished in the top 5 7.2% of the time and in the top 10 17.2% of the time.  

But, Ragan had solid sponsorship from UPS and there was no indication that they were unhappy with Ragan. He was also under contract with RFR, while McMurray’s contract was expiring. So, he became the odd man out. He left the team and joined Earnhardt Ganassi Racing’s No. 1 team. McMurray and owner Chip Ganassi worked together from 2002-2005, and McMurray won his first race (in his second start) in a Ganassi car. For Ganassi, I’m sure the signing was a no-brainer.

Looking at McMurray’s recent success, it’s easy to say that Jack Roush made a mistake letting him go. With wins in two of the biggest races of the year, the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, McMurray has not only solidified himself in the history books, but he’s shown the entire Sprint Cup garage that he’s a legitimate competitor week in and week out.

This season, McMurray has posted two wins, six top 5s, and seven top 10s. He was also very close to winning at Talladega, Darlington, and Charlotte, finishing second in each of those races.

In four years with RFR, he posted two wins, 11 top 5s, and 32 top 10s. In 20 races with EGR he has matched his win total at RFR, and is more than half way on his way to matching his total number of top 5s. Let that sink in.

If we were to assume that McMurray keeps up this pace over the next four years – which is highly unlikely, I know – that would mean he would post 14 wins, 43 tops 5s, and 50 top 10s in 144 races. RFR would certainly be happy with those numbers. So, it’s easy to assume Roush must be kicking himself for letting McMurray go.

But, I don’t think he is (or at least he shouldn’t be.)

McMurray had an expiring contract and no sponsor. Who’s to say McMurray would have re-signed with Roush without knowing if a seat was available? That scenario was more unlikely when EGR’s No. 1 became available, since I think McMurray wanted the chance to work with Ganassi again.

Statistically, and from a fan perspective, McMurray is a better driver than Ragan, but that doesn’t mean that sponsors agree. Ultimately UPS would have had to sign off on replacing Ragan with McMurray, and I’m not certain that they were prepared to do that.

Also, McMurray’s success with EGR and Kevin “Bono” Manion this season is the result of team chemistry – everything clicking. It’s highly unlikely that McMurray would have the same success with a different crew chief at RFR, which is current struggling as an organization.

We also can’t forget that Roush didn’t want to let McMurray go. He was looking for ways to keep him, but he couldn’t find a way.

In retrospect, letting McMurray go was a mistake. But, it isn’t one that Jack Roush should be kicking himself over.