Looking To NASCAR 2007: 21 To Go

Hache Man · Jan 28, 2007

Looking to 2007: 21 to go
During the off-season, Rotoworld.com keeps you up-to-date on what's happening with NASCAR. Looking to 2007 gives a snapshot of driver moves, new teams, new sponsors and other general NASCAR news.
With 21 days to go until the 2007 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some recent updates.

Cup team updates:
Petty Enterprises signed a two-year contract with Marathon Oil to sponsor the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge, driven by Kyle Petty, for 14 races in both 2007 and in 2008.

Ginn Racing will field a 4th entry (with the #01, #13 and #14) for Regan Smith to make his Cup debut in the Daytona 500. It was announced earlier that Smith will ride-share Ginn's #01 Chevrolet with Mark Martin. His first Cup start in that car is scheduled for Bristol in March. He'll drive the #39 Chevrolet in the season-opening Daytona event and in other races when Martin is in the #01.

Busch Series team changes:
Casey Mears will be sponsored by the Army National Guard, his Cup sponsor, in 22 Busch Series companion events. He'll pilot the Hendrick Motorsports #24 National Guard Chevrolet in those events.

Kyle Krisiloff will drive for the newly formed Haas-Carter Motorsports #14 Ford team. Carl A. Haas, co-owner of the Newman/Haas Racing Champ Car Team and former partner with Travis Carter in Haas-Carter Motorsports have reunited in the Busch Series in 2007.

Penske Racing's #12 (#39 in 2006) Mobil 1/ALLTEL Dodge will be entered in 23 races this season. Sam Hornish Jr. will drive in eleven races, Ryan Newman in seven and Kurt Busch will take the other five.

Jason Keller will share driving with Ward Burton in the Brewco Motorsports #27 Kleenex Ford. Burton will drive 20 races and Keller is in for the remaining 5 events.

Kevin Harvick and Timothy Peters will ride-share the Richard Childress Racing #21 AutoZone Chevrolet this season.

The Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Chevrolet will have several drivers in 2007. Kevin Conway will drive eight races for sponsor Z-Line Designs. Brad Coleman will drive 17 races for Carino's Italian Grill. JGR drivers Tony Stewart and Aric Almirola complete the driver lineup for the #18.

Jay Robinson Racing has aligned with Haas CNC racing for their #28 Chevrolet team. They will run the full season with cars prepared by Haas CNC and have Haas's Cup drivers, Jeff Green(#66) and Johnny Sauter(#70), split the #28 ride with Robert Richardson. Richardson tested the #28 Chevrolet in preparation for a debut with the team in the season-opener at Daytona.

Ganassi Racing has hired 18-year-old Bryan Clauson to ride-share their #41 Memorex Dodge beginning in August 2007 at Bristol. The car will be sponsored by Wrigley's up until that event. Driving duties on the #41 will be split between Clauson and Ganassi teammates, Reed Sorenson and David Stremme.

Craftsman Truck Series team changes:
Key Motorsports hired former CTS champ Mike Bliss to drive the #40 Chevrolet in four races this season. They were outside the top 30 in points in 2006 and not guaranteed a starting position in this season's first race. Bliss gives the team a past champion's provisional. No word yet on who will drive the remaining races in the #40.

This is the NEXTEL Cup lineup for 2007:
<TABLE bgColor=#eff2f7 border=2><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=6>2007 NEXTEL Cup Lineup(Tentative)</TH><TR><TD>Car <TD>Driver <TD>Sponsor <TD>Make <TD>Owner</TD></TR><TR><TD>#00 <TD>David Reutimann <TD>Burger King/Domino's <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR><TR><TD>#01 <TD>Mark Martin <TD>U.S. Army <TD>Chevr <TD>Ginn Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#01 <TD>Regan Smith <TD>U.S. Army <TD>Chevr <TD>Ginn Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#03 <TD>Todd Bodine <TD>??? <TD>Toyota <TD>Germain</TD></TR><TR><TD>#07 <TD>Clint Bowyer <TD>Jack Daniel's <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>#1 <TD>Martin Truex Jr. <TD>Bass Pro Shops <TD>Chevr <TD>Dale Earnhardt Inc.</TD></TR><TR><TD>#2 <TD>Kurt Busch <TD>Miller Lite <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#4 <TD>Ward Burton <TD>State Water Heaters <TD>Chevr <TD>Morgan-McClure</TD></TR><TR><TD>#5 <TD>Kyle Busch <TD>Kelloggs <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>#6 <TD>David Ragan <TD>AAA <TD>Ford <TD>Roush</TD></TR><TR><TD>#7 <TD>Robby Gordon <TD>Harrah's <TD>Ford <TD>RG Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>#8 <TD>Dale Earnhardt Jr. <TD>Budweiser <TD>Chevr <TD>Dale Earnhardt Inc.</TD></TR><TR><TD>#9 <TD>Kasey Kahne <TD>Dodge Dealers <TD>Dodge <TD>Evernham</TD></TR><TR><TD>#10 <TD>Scott Riggs <TD>Valvoline <TD>Dodge <TD>Evernham</TD></TR><TR><TD>#11 <TD>Denny Hamlin <TD>FedEx <TD>Chevr <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>#12 <TD>Ryan Newman <TD>ALLTEL <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#13 <TD>Joe Nemechek <TD>??? <TD>Chevr <TD>Ginn Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#14 <TD>Sterling Marlin <TD>Waste Management <TD>Chevr <TD>Ginn Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#15 <TD>Paul Menard <TD>Menard's <TD>Chevr <TD>Dale Earnhardt Inc.</TD></TR><TR><TD>#16 <TD>Greg Biffle <TD>Ameriquest <TD>Ford <TD>Roush</TD></TR><TR><TD>#17 <TD>Matt Kenseth <TD>DeWalt Tools <TD>Ford <TD>Roush</TD></TR><TR><TD>#18 <TD>J.J. Yeley <TD>Interstate Batteries <TD>Chevr <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>#19 <TD>Elliott Sadler <TD>Dodge Dealers <TD>Dodge <TD>Evernham</TD></TR><TR><TD>#20 <TD>Tony Stewart <TD>Home Depot <TD>Chevr <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>#21 <TD>Ken Schrader <TD>Little Debbie <TD>Ford <TD>Wood Brothers</TD></TR><TR><TD>#21 <TD>Jon Wood <TD>Little Debbie <TD>Ford <TD>Wood Brothers</TD></TR><TR><TD>#22 <TD>Dave Blaney <TD>Caterpillar <TD>Toyota <TD>Bill Davis</TD></TR><TR><TD>#23 <TD>Mike Skinner <TD>??? <TD>Toyota <TD>Bill Davis</TD></TR><TR><TD>#24 <TD>Jeff Gordon <TD>DuPont <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>#25 <TD>Casey Mears <TD>Army National Guard <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>#26 <TD>Jamie McMurray <TD>Crown Royal <TD>Ford <TD>Roush</TD></TR><TR><TD>#29 <TD>Kevin Harvick <TD>Shell/Reeses/GM <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>#31 <TD>Jeff Burton <TD>Cingular <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>#33 <TD>Scott Wimmer <TD>Holiday Inn <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>#36 <TD>Jeremy Mayfield <TD>360 OTC <TD>Toyota <TD>Bill Davis</TD></TR><TR><TD>#37 <TD>Bill Elliott <TD>???? <TD>Dodge <TD>R&J Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#38 <TD>David Gilliland <TD>M&M's <TD>Ford <TD>Robert Yates</TD></TR><TR><TD>#39 <TD>Regan Smith <TD>???? <TD>Chevr <TD>Ginn Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#40 <TD>David Stremme <TD>Coors Lite <TD>Dodge <TD>Ganassi</TD></TR><TR><TD>#41 <TD>Reed Sorenson <TD>Target <TD>Dodge <TD>Ganassi</TD></TR><TR><TD>#42 <TD>Juan Pablo Montoya <TD>Texaco/Havoline <TD>Dodge <TD>Ganassi</TD></TR><TR><TD>#43 <TD>Bobby Labonte <TD>Cheerios <TD>Dodge <TD>Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>#44 <TD>Dale Jarrett <TD>UPS <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR><TR><TD>#45 <TD>Kyle Petty <TD>Wells Fargo/Marathon Oil <TD>Dodge <TD>Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>#48 <TD>Jimmie Johnson
<TD>Lowe's <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>#49 <TD>Mike Bliss <TD>WhatsOnline.com <TD>Dodge <TD>BAM Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#55 <TD>Michael Waltrip <TD>NAPA <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR><TR><TD>#58 <TD>Damon Lusk <TD>??? <TD>Chevr <TD>Hylton</TD></TR><TR><TD>#60 <TD>Boris Said <TD>SOBE <TD>Ford <TD>No Fear</TD></TR><TR><TD>#66 <TD>Jeff Green <TD>Best Buy <TD>Chevr <TD>Haas CNC</TD></TR><TR><TD>#70 <TD>Johnny Sauter <TD>??? <TD>Chevr <TD>Haas CNC</TD></TR><TR><TD>#72 <TD>Brandon Whitt <TD>Dutch Quality Stone <TD>Chevr <TD>CJM Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#74 <TD>Derrike Cope <TD>Sundance Vacations <TD>Dodge <TD>McGlynn</TD></TR><TR><TD>#78 <TD>Kenny Wallace <TD>Furniture Row <TD>Chevr <TD>Furniture Row </TD></TR><TR><TD>#83 <TD>Brian Vickers <TD>Red Bull <TD>Toyota <TD>Red Bull</TD></TR><TR><TD>#84 <TD>A.J. Allmendinger <TD>Red Bull <TD>Toyota <TD>Red Bull</TD></TR><TR><TD>#88 <TD>Ricky Rudd <TD>Snickers <TD>Ford <TD>Robert Yates</TD></TR><TR><TD>#96 <TD>Tony Raines <TD>DLP HDTV <TD>Chevr <TD>HOF Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>#99 <TD>Carl Edwards <TD>Office Depot <TD>Ford <TD>Roush</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Looking To NASCAR 2007: 21 To Go

Hache Man

"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"