Turner Latest Team To Warn Of Possible Layoffs

Add Turner Motorsports to the list of teams facing layoffs at the end of the season. The team informed a number of employees this week that they could face layoffs at the end of the 2011 campaign, and issued a statement this afternoon, saying, "Due to the current economic climate, coupled with the decision by long-time marketing partner Dollar General to seek other sponsorship opportunities, Turner Motorsports has notified its employees of a potential downsizing at the end of the current racing season. It is hopeful the action will become unnecessary as the team continues to work with potential marketing partners for their Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series teams."

Turner has not filed a report under the North Carolina Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires employers to provide 60 days' notice of layoffs involving at least 50 employees or 33 percent of a company’s total workforce. The lack of a WARN filing could mean that fewer than 50 employees will be affected, or that the layoffs will not occur for more than 60 days. Red Bull Racing filed a WARN document September 20, listing 152 jobs at risk. Kevin Harvick, Inc. made a similar filing a week later, affecting 103 additional workers.

Turner Motorsports team has fielded four NASCAR Nationwide Series teams this season; Reed Sorenson’s #32 Dollar General Chevrolet, Justin Allgaier’s #31 Brandt Impala, Jason Leffler’s #38 Great Clips Chevy and the #30 machine driven by a number of drivers this season, including Sprint Cup stars Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne. The team also campaigns a trio of Camping World Truck Series entries; James Buescher’s #31 Exide Batteries Chevrolet , the #4 Monster Energy Silverado driven by Ricky Carmichael and the #30 truck, which has featured a number of different drivers this season.

Sources say Turner may eliminate one Nationwide and one Truck Series entry next season, and Leffler revealed recently that he does not expect to return to the team in 2012.