Roush Racing defends multi-car ownerships

A cap on drivers is being discussed by the NASCAR president.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Feeling singled out by NASCAR's proposed cap on teams, Roush Racing distributed a 10-point argument Saturday outlining the benefits of multi-car ownership.
NASCAR chairman Brian France said last weekend he was looking at placing a limit on the number of teams a car owner will be able to field in the Nextel Cup series. Any limits would be phased in over the next few seasons.
Car owner Jack Roush -- who owns five teams and all five qualified for NASCAR's Chase for the championship -- was told of the plans second-hand, and his management group spent a large part of this week preparing the five-page document they placed around the garage area at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"We were taken by complete surprise by their remarks last weekend," said Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing and the author of the document. "We felt like we wanted to make it an intellectual issue if we were allowed to."
Improved competition
The document argues that multi-car teams have improved the level of competition in the sport; have given new drivers an opportunity to break into the sport; and made it easier for new teams to enter NASCAR competition.
It also maintains that potential team restrictions represent a significant loss to every owner, while arguing that Roush's five-car team and Rick Hendrick's four-car operation are not even the largest in NASCAR.
The Roush camp alleges that Toyota's Craftsman Truck Series operation is the biggest team owner because the car maker provides all chassis and engines to eight different teams.
All of NASCAR's top teams are multi-car operations, and France said their success is viewed as an obstacle to people contemplating coming into the sport.
Roush, who has won the past two championships, is having a hard time believing the cap isn't directed at his organization.
"Is it a coincidence? We don't know," Smith said. "It's just hard to believe that it is."
Bowyer's big move
Busch series driver Clint Bowyer got his big promotion Saturday when Richard Childress Racing promoted him to the Nextel Cup series to drive the No. 07 Chevrolet.
The 26-year-old Bowyer will take over for Dave Blaney at the start of next season and will attempt to complete both a full Cup and Busch schedule.
The busy schedule might not be his biggest challenge, though. Bowyer will have to have a strong relationship with RCR driver Kevin Harvick to ensure his rookie Cup season will be a success.
"It's tough, Kevin's a determined individual and he liked being The Man," Bowyer said. "But the thing I have working for me is I am the closest in age to him as any teammate he's ever had and we are good friends. I think the key will be for us to just keep trying to help each other."
The two had an on-track altercation during Friday night's Busch Series race, when Bowyer ran into Harvick 50 laps into the event to end his evening. It cost him big in the points standings -- he entered the race in second place, 74 points behind leader Martin Truex Jr. and now trails by 120.
"I don't know what happened," Bowyer said. "But I took a lick in the standings and hit the wall pretty hard."
Bowyer's new Cup car is sponsored by Jack Daniel's, which extended its deal with Childress through 2009.
XSaturday's race was not completed in time for today's edition.
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