Season winds down, NASCAR 2009 plans speed up

While the 2008 season winds down with this weekend’s championship race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, plans for the teams, drivers, series, and Kansas Speedway are already in-motion for 2009.

To help teams save money in their budgets, NASCAR announced today that all testing at its sanctioned tracks is banned in 2009. Teams will not be allowed to test at any track with a Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, or Camping World Truck Series event.

NASCAR also recently announced Camping World as the new sponsor for the Truck Series, officially titled the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, starting in 2009. Camping World sponsored Kansas Speedway's NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the Camping World 400, on September 28, 2008 (the third race in the Chase).

As teams and drivers continue to switch around, the following fan-favorites highlight recent headlines.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing announced this week that the two teams will merge to form Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Martin Truex Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya will stay in the #1 and #42, respectively, while Aric Almirola pilots the #8.
Reed Sorenson leaves Ganassi’s #41 open for 2009, since he is moving to the Gillet Evernham #10 car.
Paul Menard and Mark Martin also announced plans to leave DEI to join Yates Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, respectively, in 2009.
Casey Mears will drive Richard Childress Racing’s #07 car, while the #07’s current driver, Clint Bowyer, moves to the #33.
Tony Stewart is purchasing what is believed to be 50 percent of Haas CNC Racing to form Stewart-Haas Racing. He will drive for them in 2009 and 18-year old Joey Logano will take over the #20 Home Depot.

Watch for all of these changes to culminate at Kansas Speedway in 2009, where phases in the construction of the road course and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Kansas Speedway will begin to take place. As a result of winning the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Kansas Speedway and International Speedway Corporation (ISC) are also petitioning NASCAR for a second Sprint Cup race. Kansas Speedway Ticketholders will have the first opportunity to obtain additional Sprint Cup tickets should we be granted that second race.

Get non-stop racing action with Kansas Speedway’s 2009 Ticket Package, on sale now! This includes the IndyCar Series Road Runner Turbo 300, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 250, NASCAR Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300 and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas 400, the third race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. For tickets and more information, call 866.460.RACE or visit kansasspeedway.com.

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