LAS VEGAS -- Felix Sabates was emphatic three months ago that the NASCAR Sprint Cup organization he co-owns with Chip Ganassi was not looking to merge with another company.

Now the company is negotiating with several organizations, including Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises.

''We're talking to a lot of different people,'' Sabates said on Tuesday. ''We're keeping our options open. Obviously, the way things are going today with sponsors, unless you have the sponsors you can not run.

''We only have a sponsor for the 41 car [Target] and the 42 [Wrigley is Big Red] for half a year. We're looking at all possibilities.'' DEl and Petty Enterprises are in similar situations. DEl has only the No. 1 car of Martin Truex Jr. fully sponsored for next season, with partial sponsors in line for the No. 8 and none for its other two cars.

Petty Enterprises is looking for sponsors for the No. 43 and 44 that is expected to replace the No. 45.

So how would a merger with DEl help Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates?

''They have a sponsor for one and a half cars and we have a sponsor for one and a half cars, that makes three cars, does not it?'' Sabates said. ''The same thing with Petty. They've got one car. There are other people out there, too.''

The biggest stumbling block for DEl to merge with Ganassi or Petty may be manufacturer permission. DEl is under contract with General Motors to field Chevrolets and the other two are under contract with Dodge and Chrysler. The proposed merger between GM and Chrysler could help that situation, but there remain other obstacles on both sides.

''Everything is up in the air,'' Sabates said. ''We're just talking in theory. We do not know what is going to happen. We do not have anything concrete with anybody. And I am not saying we will do anything.''

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespnaol.com.

What do you think about this?

All anybody can do is sit and wait and see what happens. They do not even know.

At this point, it is ALL rumors. Trust and be sure they will go where the $$$$/sponsor potential is. Stay tuned, more conspiracy theories to come..

*SLIQ*

l think it is just a sign of the times. This does not surprise me in the least. What DID surprise me was when Jack Roush brought in the Fenway Sports Group as a partner last year. Jack has some of the deepest pockets in all of sports and if he can not make a go of it alone nobody is safe from these tough economic times.
3 STR8 N 08!!!

l agree with the above.
Also, this is not the first (and probably not the last) that we've heard of potential mergers. It looks to me as if everyone is scrambling; trying to get the best deal that they can. Things are tough all over. : (

l expect Gannassi to merge but not sure who yet. Seems like a good fit with DE l but that means Ganassi would have to switch to Chevy.