SILLY SEASON: The annual NASCAR silly season is at full swing. Two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart announced last week that he will leave Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season to become driver and co-owner of Haas CNC Racing, which will be renamed Stewart Haas Racing. Meanwhile, Penske Racing and driver Ryan Newman have announced they will part ways at the end of the year, with Newman expected to join Stewart Haas Racing as the second driver.
RE-SIGNED: Dan Wheldon confirmed he will re-sign with Target Chip Ganassi Racing and return to the team for the 2009 IndyCar Series.
NO NASHVILLE: After strong crowds for eight years, it appears the IRL IndyCar Series will not return to Nashville Superspeedway next year. Instead it added a new stop on the schedule.
MUMPED: IndyCar Series driver E.J. Viso sat out Saturday’s event at Nashville Speedway after being diagnosed with the mumps. Viso is a native of Venezuela.
THE KING: Daryn Pittman won the 25th annual Kings Royal sprint-car race at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. The triumph was worth $50,035.
MAKING PEACE: The McLaren and Ferrari Formula One teams have agreed to bury the hatchet in regard to the spy scandal that dominated the news during the 2007 season. McLaren issued a public apology and Ferrari accepted.
POWER RANKINGS: A sweep of NASCAR events at Chicagoland Speedway kept Kyle Busch in the top spot in the National Speed Sport News Power Rankings. The National Speed Sport News Power Rankings are published weekly in the 74-year-old motorsports publication.
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