The rocky road to splitsville: was that Jamie McMurray serenading team owner Chip Ganassi with 'please release me; let me go?'

There's no love lost between Jamie McMurray and Chip Ganassi right now.

That much was obvious when McMurray sat stoically as Ganassi Racing announced its 2006 lineup last weekend at Watkins Glen. McMurray left immediately after the formalities ended.

If McMurray isn't happy with the team, why won't Ganassi let him out of his contract? In response to that question, Ganassi replied flippantly, "I'm not happy about a lot of things either, but I don't leave. Every time I get unhappy, do I leave? No."

Welcome to divorce, NASCAR style.

While some drivers are trading up for trophy teams, as is the case with McMurray's move to the No. 6 Roush Racing car in 2007, others--such as defending champion Kurt Busch, who dropped the "I'm leaving you" bombshell on Jack Roush last week--are marrying for money.

Who can blame Busch for signing up for Roger Penske's dough in 2007 when younger brother Kyle (alias the Shrub) reportedly was making more as a rookie at Hendrick Motorsports?

Many top rides are opening because of retirements, and the race to find replacements is on. How professionally the transitions take place is up to the drivers and owners. But some fans fear that the greed and lack of loyalty that has plagued other professional sports is taking root in NASCAR.

There's a fundamental difference between what happens in other sports and what happened with Busch and McMurray. The drivers are not free agents. McMurray and Busch have one year remaining on their contracts. Note to drivers thinking about their next contracts: The options usually belong to the owners, and if you're unhappy, it could be the longest year of your young life.

Drivers up for grabs after next season include Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick, both of whom will be heavily recruited over the next year. Each is likely to go to the highest bidder, despite any supposed allegiance to the owners who brought them into the Nextel Cup Series. With the exception of Jeff Gordon, who owns a large percentage of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team, the days of a lifelong contract between a driver and an owner are over.

Roush looked like a genius when he made a move on McMurray a year early--reminiscent of the Celtics' drafting Larry Bird after his junior season at Indiana State--but precautionary measures were not taken before word of the contract leaked out. Kenseth and Busch learned about their new Roush teammate on the Internet, and as the terms of McMurray's new deal were disclosed (albeit through the company rumor mill) additional animosity arose.

Unlike Roush, who did not secure his assets (aka Busch and Kenseth) before making the McMurray announcement, Ray Evernham and Roger Penske put their motorsports houses in order. Penske made it clear that Ryan Newman was locked up before his contract expired at the end of 2006. Evernham made a point of letting the media know rising star Kasey Kahne was off the market and teammate Jeremy Mayfield, 36, would drive the No. 19 into his 40s.

Both owners stopped the madness before it began. That's a valuable lesson Roush is certain to remember the next time around.

speed reads

Greg Biffle is third in points, but his performance has been lukewarm lately. That will change this Sunday at Michigan. Biffle has won the last two Cup races there.

Build more bleacher seats at tracks that don't sell out. Reasonably priced seats will attract existing fans plus potential fans who normally wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy the NASCAR experience up close and personal.

Scott Riggs is 32nd in points and still is being heavily recruited. He reportedly is making $1.7 million in salary this season. The $2 million question: Which owner will gamble on a driver with no victories and two top fives in 57 starts?

TSN's POWER POLL

1. Tony Stewart smoke is steaming. Can anyone extinguish the Stewart Express?

2. Jimmie Johnson

3. Rusty Wallace

[down arrow] 4. Greg Biffle

5. Mark Martin

6. Jeremy Mayfield

7. Kurt Busch

[up arrow] 8. Jamie McMurray

9. Ryan Newman

10. Elliott Sadler

INSIDE DISH

NASCAR has finally stepped in to eradicate the excessive tire problems teams have experienced this season--and remove some of the heat from Goodyear in the process. A new camber rule will be in place starting this weekend at Michigan that limits the angle of the front tires to 8 degrees. "We've had tire issues this summer at Pocono and Indy (because of) excessive camber," says Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "Some teams were on the mark, but others were way off." NASCAR already has a rear camber rule of 2 degrees and checks cars with a camber gauge during inspection. * Richard Childress has postponed Paul Tracy's Nextel Cup debut, citing insufficient time to establish a competitive team. Tracy, a former CART champion, drew tons of interest when he tested last week at Michigan International Speedway, site of Sunday's race. Childress had considered entering Tracy, but there is a lack of manpower for the team and despite running laps comparable to other drivers' at the Michigan test, Tracy needs to drive the heavier, slower cars more to adapt to them. With additional practice, Tracy could be ready to race next month at California, a track much like Michigan. Childress also says he's contemplating a fourth team for 2006 if sponsorship can be obtained. * Tony Stewart will be a triple threat in September at Richmond. He will try to become the first driver to win in NASCAR's top three series in the same weekend. Stewart won the first Cup race of his career at Richmond. * Robert Yates Racing's strategy to make sure Dale Jarrett, the 1999 Cup champion, qualifies for the Chase includes having Jarrett drive more in the Busch Series and improving the pit crew. Last week, Yates added front tire changer Jim Carbon and tire carrier Bradley Sutton to the crew. * Chip Ganassi announced he's adding Busch Series standout Reed Sorenson and expanding to four teams in 2006. Sorenson will drive the No. 41, currently driven by Casey Mears. Mears will move to the Ganassi No. 39. Jamie McMurray and David Stremme, another Busch standout, will be the other Ganassi drivers in 2006.