SM Staff

The last time that Aric Almirola had a Sprint Cup Series ride things went far from planned. The year was 2008 and Almirola had just signed with then Dale Earnhardt Inc..

JR Motorsports has become pretty good at picking winners and Wednesday afternoon they signed a driver who they believe will be their next one in the Nationwide Series.

With the turning of the calendar it brings a New Year and NASCAR season. Preseason testing at Daytona is just weeks away, meaning every team has begun to tact up a list of goals they’d like to have accomplished by Homestead in November.

Throughout the years, the world of sports and entertainment has seen its share of fallen heroes, those who in one way or another touched the lives of those around them.

Imagine, if you will, this scenario: Mr. Rick Hendrick arrives at the official home of his North Carolina based NASCAR empire. As he walks through the building, with a typical smile on his face, he waves at his employees and greets them with a cheerful good morning.

While Jeff Gordon, as well as the rest of his NASCAR colleagues, may be enjoying Christmas with family and friends, his sponsor, the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger campaign, is taking no holiday.

AJ Allmendinger has asked the jolly man from the north pole to ignore the wish list he previously sent him. There’s nothing else Allmendinger could find under the tree that will top what he received on Wednesday afternoon, that being a ride at Penske Racing.

Just weeks after mutually agreeing to part ways with Penske Racing, 2004 Sprint Cup Champion Kurt Busch has landed a full time ride in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series with James Finch's Phoenix Racing.

After the continuing activity during this off-season, I have but one conclusion. You just never know what is going to happen.

After suffering injuries in an October plane crash, Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick was at home resting during the Sprint Cup Series season finale in Homestead.