2008 Dodge Challenger 500 - Pre-race News

Pre-race News

• As Darlington is NASCAR's answer to Fenway Park or Wrigley Field, the two oldest baseball stadiums still in existence, three teams rolled out retro paint schemes for this race. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s #88 Hendrick Motorsports team came to Darlington with a 1980s Mountain Dew paint scheme similar to one that Darrell Waltrip drove for Junior Johnson Racing while under their sponsorship, the Wood Brothers brought out their 1971 Mercury paint job for Bill Elliott on their #21 ride, made famous by David Pearson, and Yates Racing's #28 of Travis Kvapil sported an old school sponsorship for Fayetteville, North Carolina Ford dealer Lafayette Ford. In addition, the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota with current points leader Kyle Busch on board carried a special Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull M&Ms paint scheme.
• Back in the saddle for the #40 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge was Sterling Marlin after Ken Schrader failed to make the Richmond race the previous week. Another change found Jeff Green replacing John Andretti in the #34 car, however they failed to qualify.
• In broadcast radio news, a settlement between Motor Racing Network and rival Performance Racing Network over broadcast rights concerning the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway were peacefully settled as Speedway Motorsports, Inc. bought the former New Hampshire International Speedway last year. MRN, owned by International Speedway Corporation, held broadcast rights to the NSCS and NNS races there, and PRN wished to broadcast those races as SMI bought the property. As a result, MRN will have the rights to June 29's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 events, while PRN will take over radio broadcasting rights in time for the first race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Sylvania 300 on September 14. MRN retains the rights to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at NHMS, as they hold the exclusive rights to that series.