NASCAR Considers Changes To Nationwide Series
NASCAR officials are considering alterations to the point system for the Nationwide Series that would deny points for most, if not all, Sprint Cup drivers in 2009, several sources have told NASCAR Scene. Beginning in 2009, drivers in the top 35 in the Sprint Cup standings would not be eligible to receive points in the Nationwide Series, under a proposal being considered by NASCAR.

NASCAR officials declined comment on the plan since it is under consideration. The sanctioning body, sources said, has also talked to teams in the series about other possible rules changes for 2009 in an attempt to differentiate itself from the Cup Series. If the proposed point system were in effect for this season, the series standings would be drastically different.

Nextel Cup drivers currently hold the top two positions, four of the top five and five of the top 10. Cup driver Carl Edwards leads the points standings, with Cup drivers David Reutimann second, Kevin Harvick fourth and David Ragan fifth. The first non-Cup driver is Jason Leffler in third, 758 points out of the lead. Harvick won last year's Busch championship while also running full time in Cup, while Edwards has all but clinched this year's title.

The specifics of the plan are apparently still being worked out, but Cup drivers would still be eligible for money and victories. It's also unclear what effect, if any, the rule changes would have on the owner point standings. Also, NASCAR is reportedly still working out how points would be awarded. For example, if a Busch-only driver such as Leffler finished 10th behind nine Cup drivers, it's unclear whether he would receive 10th-place points or first-place points.

Proponents of the plan say it would greatly reduce the involvement of Cup drivers in the series, which might create a more level playing field for independent Nationwide teams.(scenedaily.com)

Wallace To Field Two Cars In 2007
Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing announced that the team will field two full-time entries in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Two-time 2007 pole winner, Steve Wallace, will continue full time in the team’s No. 66 car for 2008, while its new No. 64 entry will feature several drivers. NASCAR Cup Series veteran, David Stremme, will pilot the No. 64 in at least 17 2008 events, while 18 year-old Kansas native, Chase Austin, will drive the 64 car in 15 races during the 2008 season. The team plans to put a well-known road racer behind the wheel of the No. 64 for the three Nationwide Series road course events in 2008. Team officials are currently in discussions with several drivers regarding that role and plan to name a driver in the near future.

Noted Rusty Wallace Racing team owner, Rusty Wallace, “Our entire team is thrilled about our prospects for the 2008 season. David Stremme has proven that he can get the job done in the Busch Series and we’re ecstatic to have him on our team. He ran the Michigan ARCA race for us last year and literally lapped the field; we’re looking forward to even more success with him next year,” he continued, “Steve (Wallace) has shown a ton of potential and has been really fast many times this season. With a full year of experience under his belt, we’re excited to watch him progress even further. Chase Austin is another talented young driver and we’re planning on putting him through the same program we did with Steve in 2006. In addition to his Nationwide Series races, we’ll run him in at least five ARCA events as well.”

In addition to its driver announcement, the team also announced an agreement with General Motors and its Chevrolet nameplate, under which each Rusty Wallace Racing entry will be a Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in 2008. The move to a GM make is a homecoming of sorts for Rusty Wallace, who seemingly dominated the NASCAR Cup Series in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s from behind the wheel of a GM product. During his GM tenure, from 1984 to 1993, Wallace earned 31 victories, 91 top-five finishes, 150 top-tens and 15 pole positions; his record with GM includes the 1989 Cup Series Championship and a whopping ten-win season in 1993 with Penske Racing.

Noted Rusty Wallace, “This move was a hard decision after all of the great seasons with Dodge. They’ve been great partners for us over the years. The bottom line though, is that Chevrolet is willing to provide us with more resources to make our race cars go faster—that’s what it’s all about. Our passion is winning races; that’s what drives us and we believe that this move is going to help us do that. Some of the best runs of my career came in GM products; this is almost like a homecoming to me.”

Providing backing for both teams in the majority of the 2008 events will be Atlanta, GA-based Atreus Homes and Communities. Currently known as HomeLife Communities, the national builder known for affordable dream homes will take on the Atreus name effective January 1, 2008. Team officials plan to announce additional partnerships within several weeks.

Further, in an effort to emphasize Rusty Wallace Racing’s relationship with HomeLife and Atreus Homes, the team announced an arrangement with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, under which Stremme’s No. 40 Cup Series car will carry the current HomeLife Communities paint scheme for next weekend’s Cup Series event at Texas Motor Speedway. HomeLife Communities is also featured on the lower rear quarter panels of the No. 40 in today’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Noted Rusty Wallace Racing team owner, Rusty Wallace, “Atreus Homes and Communities is an exceptional company that is led by exceptional people, such as CEO Jon Been. They’ve been a great partner for us in 2007 and I couldn’t be more excited to expand our partnership for 2008. I’m looking forward to helping them make even more homebuyers’ dreams come true next year,” he continued, “While Atreus Homes will be on board for the majority of our team’s races in 2008, we have several other exciting partnerships that we plan to announce very shortly. We’re feeling good about our sponsorship situation right now, but there are still several opportunities for other great partners to get involved with our 2008 efforts as well.”

Bill Davis Racing Hires McGilton For Third Truck
Bill Davis Racing announced today that Phillip McGilton will complete the BDR NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series trio in 2008, with teammates Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson.

“Phillip has shown us his talent on and off the racetrack,” said Mark Chambers, BDR’s Truck Team Manager. “He tested for us a few weeks ago at Caraway Speedway [Asheboro, N.C.] and ran incredibly well. He has shown his abilities in the ARCA RE/MAX Series over the last few years, and we are just very excited about the opportunities that he is bringing to the table.”

The 29-year-old McGilton is a native of Marion, Ill., and has been around racing for a while. McGilton ran in the AMA Motorcross Series before competing on a limited basis last year in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. The 2007 season marked McGilton’s first full season of ARCA competition. The season was highlighted by a ninth-place finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and a sixth-place finish in the Championship standings.

“I am very excited about this opportunity,” McGilton said. “I tested a few weeks ago at Caraway Speedway with the BDR folks, and things went great. I was a little nervous at first, but the truck was not much different from a car on the short track, so I felt that I adapted rather quickly. This is a great accomplishment for me to land with such a great team, and I can’t wait to get the ball rolling.”

McGilton will make his NCTS debut aboard the No. 22 Toyota Tundra at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway next month. He will then run the complete NCTS schedule in 2008.

New Truck Team Announced
Jeff Wyler and Michael Gaughan jointly announced today the formation of Wyler-Gaughan Racing, LLC (WGR), which will field two full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) teams and will run a partial NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) team during the 2008 season. WGR will field the No. 77 Toyota Tundra with driver Brendan Gaughan and the No. 60 Toyota Tundra. The driver of the No. 60 Toyota Tundra and sponsors for both teams will be announced at a later date. Gaughan will also be behind the wheel of the team’s Toyota Camry in at least six Sprint Cup races.

Tom Buzze has been appointed as General Manager of WGR which will be located in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

“We have watched with great interest the recent partnerships that have formed in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup garage, and we believe that this is the wave of the future,” Wyler said. “To have a competitive race team at any level in NASCAR, it is crucial to have an almost endless supply of resources available to your team. By combining our efforts, we now have double the talent and double the resources. Our two trucks will work as one team and have the common goal of winning.

“By merging our teams together and forming WGR, we believe that we will be one step ahead when we make our move into the Sprint Cup Series in the coming years.”

Wyler and Gaughan have established solid reputations in the NCTS garage over the years. Wyler currently owns Wyler Racing which fields the No. 60 Toyota Tundra in the NCTS. The team has three victories since debut in June of 2005. Wyler Racing also has one Cup start to their credit, which came at Richmond International Raceway in May when fellow Toyota teammate Johnny Benson piloted the No. 46 Toyota Camry.

Gaughan currently owns South Point Racing, which fields the No. 77 truck in the NCTS. Since its inception in 2000, South Point Racing has nine victories.