The NASCAR Week That Was: Jan. 4-Jan. 10

For the race teams, this week was their first full week back to work after the holidays.  And there was no shortage of news to go along with it.  We finally got the official announcement about the Petty Enterprises/Gillett Evernham Motorsports merger on Thursday.  The new team will run three full time Sprint Cup cars and possibly a fourth part time in ‘09.  And shortly after that announcement, the Elliott Sadler/GEM saga took another strange turn, as GEM announced Sadler would drive the #19 next season, contrary to recent reports about his ouster.  In other Cup news, former crew chief Tommy Baldwin announced he will start a team and attempt to run the entire ‘09 season.  No official word on a driver or sponsor.  In the Nationwide Series, Brad Keselowski can breath easier as his car now has full funding for the year because GoDaddy.com is coming on board for 18 races.  And in the Truck Series, Bill Davis Racing, now Triad Racing Technologies, is rumored to be shutting down their truck teams this season leaving Mike Skinner and Tayler Malsam without rides.  This is the NASCAR week that was January 4, 2009 to January 10, 2009.

Sadler to drive No. 19 Dodge

NASCAR’s Dirty Little Secret: Few Trucks For Speed

Laid Off: A NASCAR Mechanic Shares His Story

NASCAR tracks are dealin’, dealin’, dealin’ on tickets

NASCAR “Official Sponsors” List Needs to Grow in 2009

Vintage Insiders 

The Insiders Face Off: Driver/Media Interaction

Strive For Diversity

**Remember if you have a NASCAR blog or website and would like a recent article you wrote featured in this section email me and you could be part of next week’s NASCAR Week That Was. Please only send stuff you have written.**

Subscribe to the Insiders