Nationwide Series ready for '08 Preseason Thunder

New era begins with new series sponsor for new season

By Official Release
January 18, 2008
10:42 AM EST

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A new sponsor is excited to be involved and looks forward to infusing fresh ideas and strategies into the series. The reigning champion returns to defend his title. Veterans are as focused as ever with the influx of new talent.

Welcome to the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, which begins Friday, Jan. 18 at Daytona International Speedway with the first of two, three-day Preseason Thunder test sessions for the Feb. 16 Camping World 300 presented by Chevrolet.

More than 40 drivers -- including four series champions -- representing nearly 30 teams are scheduled to participate. The test will split into two sessions; teams ranked in odd-numbered positions in series owner points after July 17, 2007, will test from Jan. 18-20, while teams ranked in even-numbered positions after July 17 last year will test Jan. 20-22. There is no rain date.

The first session is highlighted by series champions -- defending champion Carl Edwards, two-time champion Kevin Harvick and 1994 champion David Green.

Edwards is one of four drivers scheduled for full-time double duty in the Nationwide Series and in the Sprint Cup Series. For the first time in his nine-year series career, Harvick will not compete for Richard Childress Racing. Instead, he'll drive his own Kevin Harvick Inc. car and also help develop young teammate Cale Gale, who also will test during the first session.

Green makes the trek to Daytona to offer information on the JR Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet that will be shared by a trio of all-stars out of the Hendrick Motorsports camp -- two-time series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin (the series' all-time wins and poles leader) and two-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. Newcomer Landon Cassill, also will get seat time in the No. 5 during the season and will be on hand at Daytona to learn from Green.

Clint Bowyer will pull double-duty in 2008 and returns to the series in a full-time capacity for the first time since 2005 when he finished as runner-up to champion Martin Truex Jr.

Series veterans Mike Wallace and Johnny Sauter -- who returns to the series after a year in Sprint Cup -- are scheduled for the first session. Gale's young peers include Brad Keselowski and Brad Coleman, along with Bryan Clauson. Dario Franchitti, the 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and Clauson's teammate with Chip Ganassi Racing, also is scheduled to participate in the first session.

The first day of Session II -- Jan. 20 -- overlaps with the final day of Session I. Scott Wimmer will shake down the defending owner champion car. He and Jeff Burton captured that crown last year for RCR and again are paired in 2008 to defend the title.

Other drivers featured in Session II include 2003 series champion Brian Vickers and David Reutimann, a native of Zephyrhills, Fla., who finished second to Edwards last year. David Ragan, Edwards' Roush Fenway Racing teammate, was the 2007 series rookie of the year. Ragan and Reutimann round out the drivers pulling full-time double duty in 2008.

Jason Leffler was third in the final 2007 standings and is a solid contender this season. Australian Marcos Ambrose also claimed a top-10 position in the rankings last year, his first in the series. Steve Wallace and David Stremme usher in a new era for Rusty Wallace Racing, as the team turns to Chevrolet.

The Nationwide Series garage opens at 7 a.m. ET and closes at 5:30 p.m. each day. Practices will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m. during the two three-day sessions. Fans can watch all sessions free from the Oldfield Grandstands located just outside of the Daytona 500 Experience.