In just a couple weeks the 2008 NASCAR Spring Cup season kicks off with the 50th running of the Daytona 500. This season features some important changes that every NASCAR fan should know about before the cars hit the track in Daytona.
1. Sprint Replaces NEXTEL as Sprint Cup Sponsor
Logo Courtesy of NASCAR
2. Nationwide Replaces Busch As Nationwide Series Sponsor
Nationwide Insurance signed a seven year deal late last year to become the title sponsor of NASCAR's number two series. Nationwide will take over from Anheuser-Busch who had sponsored the series under a variety of names since 1982.3. 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule
You can't be a NASCAR fan if you don't know where they are racing this week.The 2008 Sprint Cup schedule looks very similar to the 2006 and 2007 schedules. The Sprint Cup calendar now starts off with 5 races before the first break. This makes more sense to me than NASCAR taking a week off after just two points races. The other notable change to the schedule is that the July 12th race at Chicagoland Speedway is scheduled for Saturday night under the lights.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Drive Hendrick Motorsports #88
NASCAR's most powerful team will add NASCAR's most popular driver to their stable for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been named NASCAR's most popular driver for the last five years in a row. Unable to get the rights to the #8 the team was able to make a deal with Robert Yates Racing to allow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to drive the #88 instead. AMP Energy Drink and the National Guard will join forces as primary sponsors on Dale Jr's #88.
5. Car of Tomorrow Races Full-Time In 2008
When the Car of Tomorrow was originally announced NASCAR planned to phase the car in over two years. As a result of the CoT's success on the track in 2007 plus multiple discussions with car owners NASCAR has decided to accelerate their plans. As of 2008 the Car of Tomorrow is the regular, full-time, NASCAR Sprint Cup race car.6. 2008 Rookie Class Features Talented Pointy-Car Drivers
NASCAR will increase its international flair in 2008 as the pointy-car drivers will invade in 2008. The 2008 Rookie of the Year candidates bring with them very impressive resumes including three Indianapolis 500 victories, four IndyCar Series Championships, one CART Championship and one Formula One World Championship.7. Tony Stewart Will Drive a Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing announced that they would switch all three of their teams to Toyota beginning in 2008. This change puts Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in Toyota Camrys for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.Toyota has struggled so far in NEXTEL Cup. This is partly because they did not have any top level teams fielding the Camry. The addition of Joe Gibbs Racing immediately changes their outlook for 2008. Wins are almost certain to come and a Championship is no longer out of the question.
8. The Budweiser Car Is Kasey Kahne
Budweiser and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have had a relationship for all of Junior's NASCAR career. That comes to an end in 2008 as Budweiser will not be following Dale Earnhardt Jr. to his new home at Hendrick Motorports.Instead Kasey Kahne's #9 will carry the Budweiser logo on his Gillett Evernham Dodge.
9. 2007 Team Mergers Change The Landscape for 2008
The NASCAR Sprint Cup landscape has changed this year in one rather unexpected way. NASCAR teams are merging and seeking outside investors to help offset the costs of Sprint Cup racing. Big name NASCAR team owners Jack Roush, Ray Evernham, and Dale Earnhardt Inc. all went through significant changes in 2007.Now that those changes have had time to take root it will be interesting to see if Roush-Fenway Racing, Gillett Evernham Motorsports and DEI (who absorbed Ginn Racing in 2007) will now be stronger.
10. Mark Martin Still Has Not Retired From Sprint Cup
This is a follow-up item from last year's list.Originally Mark Martin announced that 2005 would be his last full season in Sprint Cup racing. Then Jack Roush was caught up in a silly season struggle that left him one driver short. Mark agreed to stay on for one more year.
After a successful part-time 2007 with Ginn Racing 2008 finds him in the famous Dale Earnhardt Inc. car number 8. Mark is scheduled to run 26 races in the DEI #8 U.S. Army car. Mark will also be mentoring Aric Almirola who will be driving the car for the other 12 Sprint Cup races.
