Replies

Chip Ganassi Racing	Dodge
Published Fri August 12, 2005 at 9:45 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	N/A
2006 Sponsor:	Home123
2005 Driver:	N/A
2006 Driver:	Casey Mears

Casey Mears will remain with Ganassi. The car number has not yet been determined, but the sponsor will be mortgage lender Home123, a new company to NASCAR.

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Chip Ganassi Racing	Dodge
Published Fri August 12, 2005 at 9:44 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	Target
2006 Sponsor:	Target
2005 Driver:	Casey Mears
2006 Driver:	Reed Sorenson

Reed Sorenson, the hotshot 19-year-old Busch Series driver, will run a full Nextel Cup schedule next season in a fourth team for Chip Ganassi Racing.

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Penske Racing	Dodge
Updated Thu August 11, 2005 at 11:25 AM ET Published Tue August 2, 2005 at 10:03 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	Miller Lite
2006 Sponsor:	Miller Lite
2005 Driver:	Rusty Wallace
2006 Driver:	TBA

Rusty Wallace has upwards of a half-dozen roles to consider for 2006 and beyond, but driving a Nextel Cup car won't be one of them, the former series champion said at Pocono in July. Kurt Busch has signed on to drive the No. 2 starting in 2007, but has indicated he would like to take over the car next season. More

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Joe Gibbs Racing	Chevrolet
Published Mon August 8, 2005 at 10:26 PM ET

2005 Sponsor:	FedEx
2006 Sponsor:	FedEx
2005 Driver:	Jason Leffler
2006 Driver:	TBA

Joe Gibbs Racing released Leffler from his driving duties with the No. 11 car following Indianapolis. Terry Labonte, J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin will split the seat time for the remainder of the season. More

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Dale Earnhardt Incorporated	Chevrolet
Published Tue August 2, 2005 at 10:13 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	Unsponsored
2006 Sponsor:	Bass Pro Shops
2005 Driver:	N/A
2006 Driver:	Martin Truex Jr.

At the end of last season, DEI announced plans for Truex -- who recently signed a three-year contract extension -- to compete this season for the Busch Series championship and for his Chance 2 Motorsports team to move, intact to the Nextel Cup Series in 2006 with the same Bass Pro Shops sponsorship. More

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Petty Enterprises	Dodge
Published Tue August 2, 2005 at 10:09 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	Georgia-Pacific
2006 Sponsor:	Unknown
2005 Driver:	Kyle Petty
2006 Driver:	Kyle Petty

Petty Enterprises plans to restructure its primary sponsorship of the No. 45 Dodge driven by Kyle Petty in 2006 following Georgia-Pacific's announcement that they won't return as Petty's primary sponsor. More

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MBV Motorsports	Chevrolet
Published Tue August 2, 2005 at 10:04 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	Valvoline
2006 Sponsor:	Unknown
2005 Driver:	Scott Riggs
2006 Driver:	Unknown

Riggs is in the second year of a two-year contract with MBV and has yet to be resigned. Additionally, Valvoline announced it will end its Nextel Cup Series team partnership with MB2 Motorsports -- effective at the end of 2005. More

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Chip Ganassi Racing	Dodge
Published Tue August 2, 2005 at 10:01 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	Coors
2006 Sponsor:	Coors/Lone Star Steakhouse
2005 Driver:	Sterling Marlin
2006 Driver:	David Stremme

David Stremme was officially introduced as driver of Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 40 Dodges for 2006. Marlin, who has driven the No. 40 Coors entry for the past eight seasons, will finish out the 2005 campaign in that machine. More

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Roush Racing	Ford
Published Tue August 2, 2005 at 9:54 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	Viagra
2006 Sponsor:	Unknown
2005 Driver:	Mark Martin
2006 Driver:	TBA

Martin wanted to move next season to the Craftsman Truck Series after 18 years as the keystone driver of Roush's huge NASCAR operation. Jamie McMurray, still under contract next year at Chip Ganassi Racing, has been hired to succeed Martin in the No. 6 car in 2007. Martin has stated that he may return in 2006 if Roush needs him. More

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Dale Earnhardt Incorporated	Chevrolet
Published Tue August 2, 2005 at 9:28 AM ET

2005 Sponsor:	NAPA
2006 Sponsor:	Unknown
2005 Driver:	Michael Waltrip
2006 Driver:	Unknown

Unsuccessful in a quest to agree to terms for a contract extension, Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. have mutually agreed to part ways following the 2005 Nextel Cup Series season. More

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LINK for Silly Season posted above

End-of-the-weekend Jayski update -

Changes at RCR - Phillipe Lopez out as crew chief of the #07 (he's been offered an R&D role at RCR), Scott Miller in (was the team manager and crew-chief-fill-in at the #29)
Ray Evernham is still looking for a driver for the new-for-2006 #10 Valvoline team. He may well end up doing a driver-of-the-week like he is with his #6 Busch team as he won't be joining the Roush/Penske trend of signing someone under contract for 2006.
Over in Busch, the Navy may not be back with FitzBradshaw (currently on the #14 with David Stremme, who's moving up to Cup) next year. They may be on a new Chance2/DEI team with Mark McFarland (who's running Hooters ProCup for Jr) or on the #5 Hendrick ride, which is rumored to be losing Lowe's.
Stacy Compton may well be leaving the ST #59 Kingsford Ford for a Dodge ride. Less likely is another rumor that he'd head back to the Trucks in a Tundra.