NASCAR News

Truckers Connection

2/5/2008

‘08 Season Kick Off

Get ready race fans because the long winter hiatus is now over and the 2008 racing season is upon us. Many fans have been dreaming of green flags, the smell of fuel, the pre-race fly-overs, the drafting and the eventual checkered flag. But all of those dreams are about to be reality once again as each Sunday (and sometimes Saturday) brings you a new race with new opportunities for your favorite driver to win.

But 2008 isn’t going to be just another racing year. Big changes took place from ’07 to ’08. A couple
of highlights:

What’s in a Name?

The Nextel Cup Series is no more. The headlining series in the NASCAR arsenal has changed names from the Nextel Cup Series to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It might seem a tough pill to swallow for long time fans who long grew accustomed to the 32-year stint the series did as the Winston Cup Series. Even last year, you could catch the occasional slip up in name use by even those professional commentators. Just as folks were getting Nextel Cup to roll easily off the tongue, another change has taken place. But after the Nextel and Sprint merger in 2005, you had to know it was coming. The company is eliminating the Nextel name from all its corporate branding, and the NASCAR sponsorship is a huge part of that.

Back in mid-summer of ’07, when the name change was first announced by NASCAR, Sprint’s Chief Marketing Officer Tim Kelly explained: “To leave Nextel on Cup title would be inconsistent with where we are headed for the future.”

NASCAR’s Brian France acknowledged his preference to avoid this frequency in name changes, “However, there comes a time when a great opportunity outweighs that issue. We’re very confident this particular change is going to be beneficial to the industry.” And considering Sprint invested some $2 million to change all signage at NASCAR tracks and company stores in time for the start of this season, it was clearly not a decision they made likely. And those dollars are over and above the $75 million/year price tag that comes for the sponsorship alone.

Adding an 8

The majority favorite among drivers continues to be the man with the same name as his legendary dad: Dale Earnhardt. But this year marks a huge change for Dale fans as they get used to a new number, a new team, new teammates, a new color, and a new sponsor.

Much ado was made last year about Dale’s departure from Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI). Would he go or would he stay? In the end, a disagreement with the team’s owner—stepmom Teresa—about just what part he played in DEI’s ownership caused Dale to consider other options. And how fitting that the team his dad drive for—even as DEI existed with its own drivers—is the one that offered him a home Dale felt was right: Hendrick Motorsports.

This year will find Dale Jr. teammates with some of the Series’ winningest drivers, including back-to-back reigning champ Jimmy Johnson and four-time past champion Jeff Gordon. A second eight has been added to Dale’s long time number, fitting since the number 88 was utilized by the driver’s grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, back in 1957. The #88 Chevrolet driven by Ralph’s grandson will be sponsored jointly this year by PepsiCo and

The National Guard.

Funny tidbit about this—Dale had jokingly signed a paper napkin 16 years prior agreeing to drive for Hendrick one day. So can the Hendrick powerhouse organization finally boost Jr. to his first Championship? It’d certainly be an appropriate payback since Dale Sr. scored the Hendricks’ first ever Busch win, back in 1983 at Charlottesville. A first for a first…

February Race Schedule

February 9, 2008

Budweiser Shoot-Out

Daytona International Speedway

February 24, 2008

Race Title TBA

California Speedway

February 17, 2008

Daytona 500