BREAKING NEWS: More Owner Point Shuffling In The Works

Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that talks are underway between Yates Racing and Front Row Motorsports to effect a transfer of owner’s points that would lock all three Front Row Motorsports Fords into the first five races of the 2010 season.

Reliable sources say Front Row Motorsports will assume the owner's points accrued last season by Yates’ #96 and #98 Fords, which finished 31st and 33rd respectively in the final 2009 owner’s standings. Talks are reportedly in their preliminary stages, but are progressing rapidly with an eye toward completing the deal by midweek. It is expected that in order for the agreement to pass muster with NASCAR, Yates Racing owner Doug Yates will have to assume a minority ownership stake in Front Row Motorsports. Front Row’s #34 car is already a guaranteed starter in the first five races after finishing 35th in owner’s points a year ago.

A spokesman for Front Row Motorsports declined to comment on the story earlier today.

The team will also be forced to shuffle its driver lineup for the season-opening Daytona 500, after rookie Kevin Conway failed to receive clearance from NASCAR to compete on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

As a result, John Andretti will drive the #34 Front Row Motorsports Ford in the Daytona 500 and Budweiser Shootout. Travis Kvapil will drive the #37 at Daytona in place of Conway, before taking over the #34 at Auto Club Speedway and for the rest of the season, Robert Richardson Jr. will drive Front Row’s #38 Ford in the season's first three restrictor-plate races, with David Gilliland driving the car for the bulk of the Sprint Cup schedule and Andretti also making a handful of starts.