NASCAR Cup Series

CHARLOTTE, NC – Paul Menard, a staple in Richard Childress Racing’s lineup the last few years is moving over to the Wood Brothers after Ryan Blaney moved over to Team Penske after the 2017 season. Menard has proven he can handle a Monster Energy Cup car, and now he goes to the oldest team on the circuit, bringing some sponsorship from his family’s business.

In 2018, MIS will debut a new high-end campground, seating option, ticket package and hospitality area. A new high-end campground will overlook Turn 1 with upscale amenities. In addition, countertop seating will be added to rows in the Turn 1 Grandstands. The track is also introducing a new all-you-can eat ticket package and the track’s hospitality area will move to Turn 1.

CHARLOTTE, NC - Ryan Blaney, new driver of the No. 12 Menards Ford has had a great two seasons with Wood Brothers Racing. He not only made the Playoffs in his second season with the team, he won his first race at Pocono last year. He is one of the youngsters to watch in 2018, having moved over to the Team Penske stable.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Alex Bowman spent a year at Hendrick Motorsports subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and generally helping out and waiting. When Earnhardt decided to retire at the end of last season, Bowman was pegged to replace him in the No. 88 Chevrolet CamaroZL1.

CHARLOTTE, NC - Kyle Busch has always spoken his mind, and nothing was different at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour on Tuesday. He is bothered by the so-called youth movement and the attention it keeps getting in the media and the promotion it gets from the sanctioning body.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-Hour ENERGY Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - What do you think of where Ryan Truex is now? “I'm very optimistic about it, as he is. I think it's a great opportunity for him. Last year did a lot for, I feel like, his ‑‑ what people see in him as a driver, as a personality as a driver. He's grown a lot over the years, and I think for a while he was kind of cast aside because everybody always thought he was really quiet and he's really reserved and it was hard to get him to say anything."

CHARLOTTE, NC – SHR Teammates Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Aric Almirola met with the media on Tuesday at the Charlotte Convention Center during the 2018 Charlotte Media Tour. The team won three races in 2017 including the Daytona 500, and Harvick was in the Final Four championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. What do they think the 2018 season holds for them?

CHARLOTTE, NC – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won two restrictor plate races, the first of his career, and took a tumble in the Chili Bowl in the off season. Those were just two of the topics the press corps heard at the NASCAR Media Tour in the Charlotte Convention Center on Tuesday.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Seven-Time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson faces having a new race car (the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1) and a changing Hendrick Motorsports organization. As the seasoned and senior driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, a leadership role emerges, even if last year’s performance was not up to the team’s usual standards.

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at the Charlotte Media Tour and discussed his impression of the new Camaro ZL1 race car, the sharing of data, personnel changes at RCR, the Hawkeye system, and more. Full Transcript: