NASCAR Silly Season

The NASCAR rumor mill is always churning. With that in mind, we've got your one-stop shop for all the latest news and rumors about driver and crew changes for 2009.

Find the latest buzz on: Bill Davis Racing | Chip Ganassi | Dale Earnhardt Inc. | Gillett Evernham Motorsports | Haas CNC Racing | Hendrick Motorsports | Joe Gibbs Racing | Michael Waltrip Racing | Penske Racing | Petty Enterprises | Red Bull Racing | Richard Childress Racing | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Roush Fenway Racing | Yates Racing

Stewart Haas Racing	14, TBD	Chevrolet
(Updated July 25) Just the facts: Tony Stewart has been granted his release from the final year of his contract at Joe Gibbs Racing and will join the organization formerly known as Haas CNC Racing as a driver and 50% owner starting in 2009. He will race in the No. 14, the number used by his childhood hero A.J. Foyt, with Office Depot and Old Spice as his co-primary sponsors. Jeremy Mayfield started the season in the 70 car, but was released after the seventh race when the car fell out of the top 35 in owner points. Several drivers, including Johnny Sauter, who drove for the team in 2007, and Ken Schrader have filled the seat since. Scott Riggs pilots the 66 car. The team receives engine and technical support from Hendrick Motorsports. Haas CNC is currently operated by Joe Custer while Gene Haas serves prison time for tax evasion. Rumblings: Ryan Newman, who will not return to Penske Racing in 2009, is expected to join Stewart as a teammate and may be sponsored by Jack Daniels, currently adorning Clint Bowyer's 07 car at RCR. Martin Truex Jr. has also been mentioned as a possibility, but all signs point to Newman. Discuss Haas CNC Racing

Penske Racing	2, 12, 77	Dodge
(Updated July 14) Just the facts: Penske Racing and Ryan Newman (12) have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season. Kurt Busch (2) is under contract through at least the 2009 season. Three-time IndyCar series champion Sam Hornish Jr. (77) is in his first full season in the Cup Series. Rumblings: The 2008 season started in stellar fashion for Penske, with Newman and Busch finishing 1-2 in the Daytona 500 and Hornish a respectable 15th. But performance has tapered off greatly since. Busch is likely to miss the Chase, while Newman is in a bit better shape, though the 12 team has had its ups and downs just like in 2007. All signs point to Newman joining Tony Stewart at his new operation in 2009, but we won't discount Richard Childress Racing just yet. RCR and Newman have been linked together in past rumors. Verizon's purchase of Alltel could leave Penske searching for a new sponsor for the 12 car as well. The L.A. Times reported that Helio Castroneves, in the final year of his IndyCar deal with Penske, may be interested in making the switch to NASCAR. Soon after, Castroneves, 33, refuted the report, saying the paper took his quote out of context. He would be wise to stick to IndyCar, which is growing in stature again after merging and ending its decade-long feud with Champ Car. The open-wheel influx into NASCAR hasn't been met with much success. David Stremme, currently serving in a testing capacity for Penske, and Casey Mears have been mentioned as the leading contenders to replace Newman. Discuss Penske Racing

Richard Childress Racing	3, 07, 29, 31, 33	Chevrolet
(Updated July 14) Just the facts: Clint Bowyer (07) has signed a three-year contract extension. Kevin Harvick (29) is signed through at least 2009. Jeff Burton (31) is signed through 2010 and will have Caterpillar as his sponsor, replacing AT&T. RCR is also starting a fourth Cup team in 2009 with sponsorship from General Mills. Rumblings: Despite an earlier report that said Bobby Labonte was a done deal for the fourth car, you can cross him off the list of contenders as he'll remain with Petty Enterprises. Ditto Greg Biffle, who re-signed with Roush-Fenway. No doubt Childress would have loved to have landed Tony Stewart but he's out of the equation and he might bring along Penske Racing's Ryan Newman, who has been heavily linked to RCR in past rumors. The "hot" rumor going around now is that RCR will give the keys to the fourth car to Casey Mears, who will not return to Hendrick Motorsports in 2009. If RCR goes with youth for its opening, Reed Sorenson, who's on the hot seat at Chip Ganassi Racing, and David Ragan could be options. Bowyer may have a new sponsor in 2009 as UPS is rumored to be replacing Jack Daniels on the 07. Discuss Richard Childress Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing	11, 18, 20	Toyota
(Updated July 10) Just the facts: Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Busch (18) are under contract through 2010. JGR will grant Tony Stewart his release at the end of the season. He was under contract through 2009. Rumblings: The switch from Chevrolet to Toyota has gone smoother than the organization probably ever imagined. But Stewart was never very fond of the move and there was speculation from the start that he'd want to make a move back to a Chevrolet-backed team. Stewart will join Haas CNC Racing, which will be renamed Stewart Haas Racing, as an owner-driver. Reportedly, JGR had talked to Carl Edwards as a possible Stewart replacement before he opted to resign with Roush Fenway Racing. Phenom Joey Logano has emerged as a viable candidate. After turning 18 on May 24, he won in just his third Nationwide race (June 14 at Kentucky) and the organization says it plans to run him in a few Cup races toward the end of the season. Discuss Joe Gibbs Racing

Petty Enterprises	43, 45	Dodge
(Updated July 9) Just the facts: Petty Enterprises sold a controlling interest in the company to Boston Ventures. Bobby Labonte (43) has agreed to a contract extension through the 2012 season. General Mills, the primary sponsor of the 43 car, is moving to Richard Childress Racing in 2009. Kyle Petty mans the wheel of the 45 car. Rumblings: The Petty's made a huge leap -- but a much needed one -- in giving up control. The organization has made baby-step improvements since Labonte came on board in 2006, but not yet enough to make him a top-10 contender on a weekly basis. The influx of cash and marketing prowess of Boston Ventures should help them land a sponsor for Labonte and continue the uptick for the race team. During the announcement, Boston Ventures also noted plans to expand to three teams in the future. Though he'll once again step out of the car in 2007 (for six races as an analyst for TNT and one for his daughter's wedding), Kyle isn't ready to give up the 45 car on a permanent basis. Kyle was replaced by Chad McCumbee at Texas in April and that didn't sit well with him. He went so far as to say he'd join another team if his father Richard and vice president Robbie Loomis wanted to replace him. Terry Labonte will fill in for Petty in five of the races, while McCumbee will take the wheel for the other two. According to one report, however, David Reutimann will replace Petty in the 45 car in 2009. Discuss Petty Enterprises

Michael Waltrip Racing	00, 55, 44	Toyota
(Updated July 9) Just the facts: Dale Jarrett ran the first five races of 2008 in the 44 car before a planned retirement. David Reutimann, who signed a contract extenstion through 2010, replaced Jarrett in the UPS car, moving over from the 00 car. The 00 ride was then assumed by Michael McDowell, with Aaron's as sponsor. On July 9, Peter Sospenzo was hired as crew chief for the 00 car, replacing Bill Pappas, who was moved to head of engineering. Michael Waltrip drives the 55 car with NAPA as sponsor. Rumblings: While Joe Gibbs Racing has enjoyed immediate success with its switch to Toyota, MWR continues to struggle. There has been some improvement as all three of his teams have made every race this season, unlike last year when Waltrip failed to make 22 races. There's no give up in Waltrip, but unless performance picks up soon, his organization could be in trouble. UPS is reportedly already looking to move its sponsorship elsewhere, most likely to RCR and Clint Bowyer's 07. The loss of the sponsorship may force Waltrip to whittle his opertation to two cars, leaving Reutimann or McDowell out of a job. According to one report, Reutimann may be in line for a ride at Petty Enterprises. Discuss Michael Waltrip Racing

Red Bull Racing	83, 84	Toyota
(Updated July 9) Just the facts: Brian Vickers (83) and A.J Allmendinger (84) are in the second year of multi-year deals. On July 9, the organization announced that Jimmy Elledge, who was fired at Chip Ganassi Racing in May, has replaced Ricky Viers as Allmendinger's crew chief. Scott Speed, formerly of Toro Rosso's Formula 1 team, is racing in the ARCA Series. Rumblings: Performance has improved greatly in 2008 -- at least for Vickers. Stock-car novice Allmendinger continues to struggle, missing eight of the season's first 18 races. It appears the organization learned from Allmendinger's failures as it's bringing along Speed in a more appropriate developmental manner. Speed may see part-time action in Nationwide and/or Cup in 2008 in addition to ARCA. Discuss Red Bull Racing

Dale Earnhardt Inc.	01, 1, 8, 15	Chevrolet
(Updated July 8) Just the facts: On July 1, DEI announced Aric Almirola will man the wheel of the No. 8 car on a full-time basis in 2009. Almirola began splitting time in the car with Mark Martin when DEI merged with Ginn Racing in 2007. The remainder of the 2008 lineup: Martin Truex Jr. in the 1, Paul Menard in the 15 and Regan Smith in the 01. Rumblings: Teresea Earnhardt may be willing to give up control of DEI. President of global operation Max Siegel and a group of investors are reportedly in negotiations with Teresa to buy her out of DEI. Siegel, however, denies there is anything in the works. Truex, the main cog DEI was counting on as it moves on without Dale Earnhardt Jr., isn't so sure he wants to return in 2009. DEI exercised an option on his contract, but it's a mutual option and Truex has yet to respond in kind. He could just be making DEI sweat it out in a ploy for more money as leaving an organization where he's the top guy and is locked into the top 35 doesn't make much sense. Although Menard hasn't come along as DEI would have hoped, his seat is pretty much safe because he brings his own sponsorship. If the team can't find a sponsor for Smith in 2009 he may be out of luck. Martin will join Hendrick Motorsports on a full-time basis next season, replacing Casey Mears in the 5 car. It's not yet known whether Army will be back as sponsor of Almirola in the 8 car in 2009. Discuss Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Hendrick Motorsports	5, 24, 48, 88	Chevrolet
(Updated July 4) Just the facts: Mark Martin will replace Casey Mears in the 5 car in 2009. Jeff Gordon (24), Jimmie Johnson (48) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) are all under contract for next season. Gordon's longtime sponsor DuPont has signed an extension through 2010. Rumblings: If Martin can't get the job done in the 5 car in 2009, then it's probably a good sign that the problem over there is the team and the car, not the drivers. Martin wants to make one last run at the championship that has eluded him his entire career before returning to part-time work in 2010. Discuss Hendrick Motorsports

Chip Ganassi Racing	40, 41, 42	Dodge
(Updated July 1) Just the facts: Due to lack of sponsorship, Chip Ganassi shut down the No. 40 team on July 1. The car's primary driver was 2007 IndyCar Series champion and Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti, who was trying to make the jump from open-wheel racing to stock cars. Reed Sorenson (41) and Juan Pablo Montoya (42) continue in their rides. Before the race at Talladega in April, the crew chiefs for the 41 and 42 cars were swapped, with Donnie Wingo joining Sorenson and Jimmy Elledge moving on to work with Montoya. Ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 in late May, Ganassi replaced Elledge with Brian Pattie. Rumblings: Franchitti missed seven of 17 races, five due to a broken ankle sustained in the Nationwide race at Talladega in April. In 10 races, his best best finish was 22nd (Martinsville, March 30) with no other finish better than 32nd. The team could be resuscitated if it lands sponsorship, but in the meantime, Ganassi has given Franchitti the option to continue in the Nationwide Series. Struggles for Franchitti were expected, not so for Sorenson and Montoya, leading to the crew chief swap as Ganassi hoped to jump start his teams. RCR and JGR are rumored to have been trying to woo Montoya away from Ganassi. But despite disappointment in the way his second season has played out, Montoya says he's loyal to Ganassi. If Sorenson's performance doesn't pick up soon, it's not out of the realm of possibility he ends up elsewhere in 2009. He has yet to turn his potential into results. But forget about Dan Wheldon as a possible replacement. With IndyCar racing on the upswing following the merger with Champ Car, Wheldon likes it fine just where he's at and is working on a three-year extension to continue to drive Indy cars for Ganassi. Discuss Chip Ganassi Racing

Roush-Fenway Racing	6, 16, 17, 26, 99	Ford
(Updated June 27) Just the facts: Carl Edwards (99) signed an extension in early May that reportedly should take him through 2011. Aflac has signed up as the full-time primary sponsor of the 99 car in 2009, replacing Office Depot. Greg Biffle (16) signed a three-year extension in late June. Matt Kenseth (17) and Jamie McMurray (26) are signed through at least 2009. David Ragan (6) is reportedly a free agent.. Rumblings: Reports out of Dover were that McMurray will not be back at Roush-Fenway next season and that he has already been in contact with other teams. McMurray, however, denied that he has put out feelers elsewhere. Roush has to be down to four teams by 2010 and he's losing Ragan's sponsor AAA after this season, so he could be putting the pieces in place a year earlier rather than try to find a one-year sponsor. Though Biffle was a wanted man by other teams (DEI, RCR and JGR were all rumored to have shown interest), he will remain with the organization with which he has driven his entire Cup career. Ragan has blossomed in his second season and has also become a hot commodity, but it's doubtful he'd jump ship. Discuss Roush-Fenway Racing

Bill Davis Racing	22, 23	Toyota
(Updated June 18) Just the facts: Dave Blaney pilots the 22, which will lose Caterpillar as its sponsor in 2009. The organization attempted to field a second car for former Formula One and CART champion Jacques Villeneuve, but sponsorship never materialized and they parted ways after he failed to make the Daytona 500. Rumblings: Bill Davis has a solid Truck Series program with Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson, but the Cup side of things isn't going well with Blaney fighting to hang on to his spot in the top 35 in owner points. Despite the struggles and the need to find a replacement for long-time sponsor Caterpillar for his primary car, Davis still says he plans to a expand to a two-car operation next season. Discuss Bill Davis Racing

Gillett Evernham Motorsports	9, 10, 19	Dodge
(Updated May 29) Just the facts: Kasey Kahne (9) is under contract through 2010. Elliott Sadler (19) has signed a multi-year extension. The contract status of Patrick Carpentier (10) is unknown. Rumblings: With the signing of Sadler to an extension, two of GEM's three seats are set, but how long will the Carpentier experiment in the 10 car continue? As of May 29, the former open-wheeler's best finish is 28th in nine races. He also missed three events. Discuss Gillett Evernham Motorsports

Robby Gordon Motorsports	7	Dodge
(Updated May 8) Just the facts: Robby Gordon is the owner/driver of the single-car operation. On Feb. 1, it was announced that he had reached an agreement with Gillett Evernham Motorsports to receive technical, manufacturing and marketing support and was switching from Ford to Dodge. Rumblings: It's tough to compete as a single-car owner. An alignment with a multi-car team should be more beneficial in the short term than trying to expand his operation on the fly. Because he made this switch just days before the season started, it created a bit of chaos which lead to a penalty, later rescinded, when he was caught with an unapproved front end in pre-race inspection Daytona 500. Discuss Robby Gordon Motorsports

Yates Racing	28, 38	Ford
(Updated May 8) Just the facts: Driver lineup for 2008: Travis Kvapil (28) and David Gilliland (38). Rumblings: Despite limited sponsorship backing, Yates Racing has soldiered on and put together a solid first half. They've been able to land some one-off sponsorhip deals for Kvapil, but haven't had much luck with Gilliland, who has shown much improvement in his second season. You have to wonder how long Yates can continue to stay afloat without a major sponsor? Discuss Yates Racing