Ownership split at MWR?:And Notes

• Burton to MWesR? Ownership split at MWR?: the sport continues to await some word from Rob Kauffman (part owner of MWR) about the Michael Waltrip Racing Richmond controversy. Kauffman, 49, is Waltrip's business partner, joining in late 2007. Kauffman's primary business is as a private equity investment manager, with his Fortress Investment Group, with some $17 billion under management. Kauffman himself is listed by Forbes as one of the world's top billionaires. Now comes word from people close to the situation that Kauffman may be planning to separate himself officially from Waltrip's racing operations and establish his own NASCAR team. Kauffman's pick for his driver, again, according to people familiar with it all, is Jeff Burton. Burton says he's got a driving deal for 2014 but says he can't say anything more than that right now. Burton currently drives for Richard Childress' Chevy team; if Kauffman does do his own team, it would most like be with Toyota. A spokesman for Waltrip and Kauffman says he is unfamiliar with such a Kauffman-Burton scenario.(MikeMulhern.net)(10-12-2013)
  
• Truex Jr. to Furniture Row? A spokesman for the Barney Visser-Todd Berrier Chevy [#78 Furniture Row Racing] operation says the team is "very hopeful" of signing Martin Truex Jr. to a contract for 2014. Truex was victim of the Richmond (MWR) controversy, first making the championship playoffs in a hard stretch charge...only to be bounced out of the chase and replaced by #24-Jeff Gordon, in the wake of the #15-Clint Bowyer/#55-Brian Vickers flap. Not only did Truex get booted from the playoffs for no fault of his own, his sponsor NAPA is pulling the plug at the end of the season over the controversy. That has many Waltrip people quite worried about their own jobs for next season.(MikeMulhern.net)(10-12-2013)