Looking Ahead To The 500 (12 Days)

HacheMan · Feb 2, 2010

Looking Ahead: 12 to the 500

During the off-season, Anthony Ballantoni and Rotoworld.com keep you up-to-date on what's happening with NASCAR. Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of driver moves, new teams, new sponsors and other general NASCAR news. With 12 days to go until the 2010 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some recent updates.

Cup team updates:

- Denny Hamlin plans to drive this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Hamlin tore the ACL while playing basketball. The plans are for Hamlin to be in the car at Daytona and throughout the 2010 campaign, and then have surgery to repair the ligament after the season.
- Kevin Buskirk, who started the 2009 season as crew chief for Elliott Sadler at Richard Petty Motorsports, has been named crew chief for the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet driven by Mike Bliss. Buskirk has also worked at Robert Yates Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc.
- Randy Seals will crew chief the No. 38 Front Row Racing Ford for David Gilliland. Seals returns to Front Row after a short stint as crew chief on the #61 car with Chad Chaffin in 2006. Seals worked as a crew chief for Bobby Hamilton Racing for five years prior to moving to the Sprint Cup Series.
- Robby Gordon said he will attempt the Daytona 500 in his #7 Toyota with sponsorship from Monster Energy Drink. Because the #49-BAM Racing team, that he recently formed an alliance with, is still looking for additional sponsorship, their current plan is to make sure they have at least one car on track for each race. It's possible that David Gilliland will be in the #7 at California in a BAM car. Gordon will not complete in the full season due to other scheduling conflicts. He plans to continue off-road racing, Hummer racing, some Rally cars, is planning to build a monster truck, and is "seriously considering" a return to open wheel cars, with at least an attempt at the Indianapolis 500.
- Boris Said is committed to running the first five races in 2010. Said will pilot the No. 36 Ford for Bill Jenkins' Latitude 43 Motorsports team this season. Frankie Stoddard will be the crew chief. Roush Fenway Racing will provide the cars and engines. - Joey Logano won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown for the second time in three years at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, Calif. Logano was eligible for the event as the 2007 East Series champion.
- Window World Inc. will return as the primary sponsor of the No. 34 Ford driven by John Andretti in this year's Daytona 500. Window World and Andretti teamed together last season for seven Cup events as well as the Indianapolis 500 when Andretti raced for Richard Petty Motorsports. Andretti was the only driver in 2009 to race in both the Daytona and Indianapolis 500s.
- Michael McDowell has signed with Prism Motorsports to run full time in the Sprint Cup Series in the #55 car.

Nationwide Series updates:

- RAB Racing announced Scott Riggs will pilot the No. 09 Ford Fusion in the NNS season opener at Daytona. Riggs, the 2002 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, will be making his 81st NNS start and his fifth NNS start at Daytona. The Bahama, NC native has an impressive four wins, 19 top-5 and three poles to his NNS resume, and in just four starts at "The World Center of Racing" has two top-10 finishes.
- As part of its expanded motorsports program, Federated Auto Parts will be sponsoring NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace and the Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet in eight NNS races in 2010 including the Federated 300 on June 5 in Nashville. Federated will also be an associate sponsor of the Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet for the remainder of the season.
- Jason Leffler will split the 2010 NNS between the Braun Racing No. 10 and No. 38 Toyotas. Leffler will split the ride in the No. 38 Great Clips Toyota with Kasey Kahne. Leffler will drive the No. 38 in 27 races and will move over to the No. 10 Dollar General Toyota while Kahne is racing the No. 38.
- Danica Patrick will compete in 12 NNS races with the possibility of 13 in her debut season with JR Motorsports. The only event uncertain on Patrick's schedule is the Feb. 13 season opener at Daytona. Beyond Daytona, Patrick's 2010 campaign is confirmed.
- Penske Racing driver Parker Kligerman will continue his development in 2010, beginning the NNS season behind the wheel of the No. 42 Dodge for Team 42 Racing. Kligerman, 19, will compete in at least the first five series races for the Eddie Smith-owned team, with the possibility of entering more events this season.
- Veteran crew members Chad Beahr and Morris Van Vleet will head Herd Racing's efforts in the NNS. Beahr will serve as crew chief for Herd's #75 NNS team, while Van Vleet will fill the role of car chief. Both men have previously served as crew chiefs at various levels of racing.
- Thanks to sponsorship of Boudreaux's Butt Paste, Jeremy Clements will at Daytona for the first race of the season. They will sponsor JCR for the first three races of the season. Jeremy will be driving the Clements Racing Engine powered "0" car owned by JD Motorsports for the Daytona race.
- Jason Keller announced an agreement with TriStar Motorsports to drive the team's No. 19 Chevrolet in the NNS this season. Keller, 39, parted ways with Baker Curb Racing at the end of last season following his 10th career Top 10 finish in the Nationwide points standings.
- Mike Bliss will return to the seat of the #40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet to kick off the season. Bliss is locked in the seat of the #40 for the first three events of the NNS schedule. Both Key Motorsports and Bliss are hopeful sponsorship will allow for Bliss to remain in the car for the full 35 race schedule.

Camping World Truck Series updates:

- Team Gill Racing announced that 2008 NCWTS champion, Johnny Benson, will be debuting their #95 Ford F-150 in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 event at Daytona. Benson, who logged six wins in the NCWTS in the 2008 season, just edging out second place to win the points championship, will be sharing the seat of the #95 with rookie Lance Fenton for the 2010 season. Fenton is scheduled to run at least seven of the 25 events for 2010 behind the wheel of the #95.
- SS Green Light Racing announced Sean Murphy will pilot the team's No. 07 Chevy Silverado in the season-opening NASCAR CWTS NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona. Sean is no stranger to the SS Green Light Racing team having run twenty-four NCWTS races since 2004 for the Mooresville-based team including two previous starts in a truck at Daytona.
- Mike Fritts, who served as Ricky Carmichael's crew chief in his first stock car endeavor in 2007, will again assume the role as crew chief for the 2010 season. The No. 4 Monster Energy team is locked in for the first five races of the season based on last season's championship points. Carmichael will wheel the Monster Energy sponsored truck in all 25 NCWTS events. In addition he will steer a Monster Energy Chevrolet in nine ARCA races, beginning with the season opener at Daytona.
- Daisy Ramirez Motorsports, a new NCWTS team scheduled to debut in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at the Daytona, announced Kerry Earnhardt will be behind the wheel of the team's Chevrolet Silverado's for the first two races of the 2010 schedule. Young gun Dillon Oliver will begin driving for Daisy Ramirez Motorsports at Martinsville and is set to drive the remainder of the season in an effort to capture Rookie of the Year honors.
- Truck Series lineup change: Top 25 locked in weekly
NASCAR will revise its five-year-old procedure governing guaranteed starting positions for the Camping World Truck Series in 2010. The revision will open up additional spots in the line-up for teams qualifying via time trials. Beginning with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, the "lock-in" will be reduced to the top 25 eligible owners who have entered the event based upon 2009 owners' points. The reduction in guaranteed starting positions brings the series in line, percentage-wise, with the Nationwide Series. The 36th and final position continues to be reserved for a past champion not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion is eligible, the position is filled by the next fastest qualifier. Under the procedure implemented in 2005, the top 30 eligible owners' trucks were locked into the starting lineup and guaranteed a spot among the top 35 positions in the 36-truck field.

Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(01-21-10):
- Four NASCAR veterans – Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Sam Hornish Jr., and Martin Truex Jr. – assisted Goodyear with testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Jan. 12) where Martin posted the fastest lap with a time 29.938 (185.183).
- BB&T to be primary sponsor for eight races and the all-star race of Clint Bowyer's No. 33 Chevrolet Impala.
- Dollar General is sponsor for five races on the Braun Racing No. 32 Toyota driven by Reed Sorenson.
- Air Force and Richard Petty Motorsports have chosen the No. 19 car driven by Elliott Sadler, a top-25 finisher in the (Sprint) Cup series, to represent the Air Force. As an associate sponsor, the Air Force will feature the dark blue paint scheme on the No. 19 car in five of 37 NASCAR races this season.
- Jimmie Johnson was named the National Motorsports Press Association Richard Petty Driver of the Year.
- NASCAR has not yet given Kevin Conway approval to race a Cup car at Daytona International Speedway (Travis Kvapil will drive at Daytona).
- Joe Gibbs Racing signed Kyle Busch to a long-term contract extension, was a "multi-year deal for less than seven and more than three" years.
- BAM Racing announced that David Gilliland will drive the No. 49 Warner Music Nashville/Larry the Cable Guy Toyota Camry at the 2010 Daytona 500.
- Front Row Motorsports announced that they will enter a third full-time Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The team will enter the No.. 38 Ford for drivers David Gilliland and Robert Richardson Jr.
- Wood Brothers Racing will once again run a part-time Sprint Cup schedule with driver Bill Elliott. Elliott, the 1988 Cup champion, will enter the same 12 events as 2008 when the team cut back to a partial schedule.
- Keyed-Up Motorsports named Casey Mears as driver of the No. 90 Chevy Impala. Crew chief for the new team will be Doug Richert.

Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(01-10-10):
- Front Row Motorsports will run under the Ford Motorsports banner in 2010 with Travis Kvapil driving the No. 34 with Steven Lane as his crew chief.
- Kevin Conway will pilot the Front Row Motorsports No. 37 Ford in 2010 with a crew chief to be named later.
- Furniture Row Racing filled three key positions as it prepares to run a full Cup schedule in 2010 with driver Regan Smith. Ryan Coniam (crew chief), Mark McArdle (director of competition) and Pete Rondeau (car chief) the No. 78 Chevrolet Impala.
- NASCAR Truck Series Veteran Driver Terry Cook will be driving in the Sprint Cup Series this season in the No. 46 Whitney Motorsports Dodge.
- Aric Almirola is in the No. 09 Phoenix Racing car in 2010. Almirola said he also plans to run a Billy Ballew Motorsports truck in select races this year.

Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(12-27-09):
- Jimmie Johnson, the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive titles, was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press. Johnson is the first race car driver to be named the AP's Athlete of the Year in its 78-year history.
- Penske Racing announced that Steve Addington will head up the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team with driver Kurt Busch.

Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(12-12-09):
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was awarded his seventh consecutive NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver award.
- Mike Bliss will pilot the No. 36 race car for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2010.
- Slugger Labbe will be the crew chief for Paul Menard and the #98 Menard's Ford in 2010.
- Doug Randolph will take the reins as the new crew chief for Bobby Labonte and the No. 71 Sprint Cup Series team.

Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(11-29-09):
- Martin Truex, Jr. will drive the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 56 NAPA Toyota; Waltrip will run a limited schedule in 2010 and drive the No. 55 Toyota.
-Earnhardt Ganassi Racing hired Jamie McMurray to drive the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet for the 2010 NSCS season.
- Donnie Wingo named crew chief of the No. 6 UPS team with driver David Ragan.

This is the tentative Sprint Cup lineup for 2010 so far:
<TABLE border=2 bgColor=#eff2f7><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=6>2010 Sprint Cup Lineup - Full-time teams(Tentative)</TH><TR><TD>Car <TD>Driver <TD>Sponsor <TD>Make <TD>Owner</TD></TR><TR><TD>00 <TD>David Reutimann <TD>Aaron's <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR></TR><TR><TD>09 <TD>Aric Almirola <TD>?? <TD>Chevr <TD>Phoenix Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 <TD>Jamie McMurray <TD>Bass Pro Shops <TD>Chevr <TD>Earnhardt Ganassi</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 <TD>Kurt Busch <TD>Miller Lite <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>5 <TD>Mark Martin <TD>GoDaddy.com <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>6 <TD>David Ragan <TD>UPS <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR><TR><TD>7 <TD>Robby Gordon <TD>Monster Energy Drink <TD>Toyota <TD>RG Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>9 <TD>Kasey Kahne <TD>Budweiser <TD>Ford <TD>Richard Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>11 <TD>Denny Hamlin <TD>FedEx <TD>Toyota <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>12 <TD>Brad Keselowski <TD>Verizon <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>14 <TD>Tony Stewart <TD>Office Depot <TD>Chevr <TD>Stewart Haas</TD></TR><TR><TD>16 <TD>Greg Biffle <TD>3M <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR><TR><TD>17 <TD>Matt Kenseth <TD>Crown Royal <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR><TR><TD>18 <TD>Kyle Busch <TD>M&M's <TD>Toyota <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>19 <TD>Elliott Sadler <TD>Stanley Tools <TD>Ford <TD>Richard Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>20 <TD>Joey Logano <TD>Home Depot <TD>Toyota <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>24 <TD>Jeff Gordon <TD>DuPont <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>26 <TD>Boris Said <TD>?? <TD>Ford <TD>Latitude 43</TD></TR><TR><TD>29 <TD>Kevin Harvick <TD>Shell/Pennzoil <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>31 <TD>Jeff Burton <TD>Caterpillar <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>33 <TD>Clint Bowyer <TD>Cheerios/BB&T <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>34 <TD>John Andretti <TD>Window World <TD>Ford <TD>Front Row Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>34 <TD>Travis Kvapil <TD>Long John Silver <TD>Ford <TD>Front Row Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>36 <TD>Mike Bliss <TD>Wave Energy Drink <TD>Chevr <TD>Tommy Baldwin Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>37 <TD>Kevin Conway <TD>ExtenZe <TD>Ford <TD>Front Row Motorsports</TD></TR></TR><TR><TD>38 <TD>Robert Richardson Jr. <TD>Mahindra USA Tractors <TD>Ford <TD>Front Row Motorsports</TD></TR></TR><TR><TD>38 <TD>David Gilliland <TD>Taco Bell <TD>Ford <TD>Front Row Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>39 <TD>Ryan Newman <TD>U.S. Army <TD>Chevr <TD>Stewart Haas</TD></TR><TR><TD>42 <TD>Juan Pablo Montoya <TD>Target <TD>Chevr <TD>Earnhardt Ganassi</TD></TR><TR><TD>43 <TD>AJ Allmendinger <TD>Best Buy <TD>Ford <TD>Richard Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>46 <TD>Terry Cook <TD>?? <TD>Dodge <TD>Whitney Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>47 <TD>Marcos Ambrose <TD>Little Debbies <TD>Toyota <TD>JTG Daugherty</TD></TR><TR><TD>48 <TD>Jimmie Johnson <TD>Lowe's <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>55 <TD>Michael McDowell <TD>?? <TD>Toyota <TD>Prism Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>56 <TD>Martin Truex Jr. <TD>NAPA <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR><TR><TD>66 <TD>Dave Blaney <TD>?? <TD>Toyota <TD>Prism Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>71 <TD>Bobby Labonte <TD>TaxSlayer.com <TD>Chevr <TD>TRG Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>77 <TD>Sam Hornish Jr. <TD>Mobil 1 <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>78 <TD>Regan Smith <TD>Furniture Row <TD>Chevr <TD>Furniture Row Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>82 <TD>Scott Speed <TD>Red Bull <TD>Toyota <TD>Red Bull</TD></TR><TR><TD>83 <TD>Brian Vickers <TD>Red Bull Energy Drink <TD>Toyota <TD>Red Bull</TD></TR><TR><TD>87 <TD>Joe Nemechek <TD>?? <TD>Toyota <TD>NEMCO Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>88 <TD>Dale Earnhardt Jr. <TD>AMP Energy Drink <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>90 <TD>Casey Mears <TD>?? <TD>Chevrolet <TD>Keyed Up Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>98 <TD>Paul Menard <TD>Menards <TD>Ford <TD>Richard Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>99 <TD>Carl Edwards <TD>Aflac <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<TABLE border=2 bgColor=#eff2f7><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=6>2010 Sprint Cup Lineup - Part-time Teams(Tentative)</TH><TR><TD>Car <TD>Driver <TD>Sponsor <TD>Make <TD>Owner</TD></TR><TR><TD>13 <TD>Max Papis <TD>GEICO <TD>Toyota <TD>Germain Racing</TD></TR></TR><TR><TD>21 <TD>Bill Elliott <TD>Motorcraft <TD>Ford <TD>Wood Brothers</TD></TR><TR><TD>49 <TD>David Gilliland <TD>Warner Brothers <TD>Toyota <TD>BAM Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>51 <TD>Michael Waltrip <TD>NAPA <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

cloverleaf · Feb 2, 2010

Good read!

Appreciate the info Hache.

The big one is just around the corner.

GVLSandlapper · Feb 2, 2010

Thanks for the info, can't wait for em' to fire up the engines!

cloverleaf · Feb 2, 2010

Who do you like GVL?

South Carolina is definitely NASCAR country. I'm from Bama but love the fine folks in SC. No one support racing or their college football teams better than Clemson and South Carolina.

Also, South Carolina has some great dirt tracks that most NASCAR fans never heard off. I love Cherokee Speedway. Great Super Late Model racings. (some know exactly what I'm talking about...most are lost.)