2008 Sharpie 500 - Pre-race News

Pre-race News

• The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule was formally announced on Tuesday (8/19). The biggest change is a three-way swap of dates between Auto Club Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, with California becoming part of the 2009 Sprint Cup Chase and Atlanta becoming a Sunday night Labor Day weekend event.
• Tony Stewart announced a change in number for his new Hoosier teammmate Ryan Newman at Stewart Haas Racing for the 2009 season. Reports said that the car would carry #4, but Morgan McClure Motorsports, which has not been running this year, objected and are hoping for a comeback next year. Newman will now carry the No. 39 next year.
• The 2008 economic crisis has swallowed up another major sponsor. Texaco's Havoline brand motor oil, owned by Chevron, has announced that they will not return to NASCAR. The current sponsor of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge driven by Juan Pablo Montoya was best known for years as the sponsor of the No. 28 Robert Yates Racing Ford first driven by Davey Allison and then Ernie Irvan before moving a few years ago to Ganassi.
• Donnie Wingo, the crew chief for the No. 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing was docked $25,000 for a violation of an improperly attached weight at last week's 3M Performance 400.
• Ken Schrader will drive the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing Texas Instruments DLP Toyota this week in place of Brad Coleman.
• Four drivers in the second through fifth positions can clinch spots in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup this week. Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. can lock up positions by finishing this week's race.
• Casey Mears will take over the wheel of the No. 07 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for 2009, and Clint Bowyer will move to the No. 33 car, to be sponsored by General Mills.