NASCAR Cup Series Rumors

Cup field dwindling fast

UPDATE Correction: Max Papis is not gone and he will run a partial 18-race schedule in 2009. He has a 4-year deal with Geico.

12/06/08 46 Cup cars were entered at Homestead for this year's Sprint Cup finale. Looks like as many as 11 could be gone from the field (in bold) for next year or are only running a partial season. And of the 35 full-time teams we know of, five teams will make up 20 of 35 – Roush 5, Hendrick 4, Childress 4, Gibbs 3 and GEM 4

1 4 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot Roush 1
2 5 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil Childress 1
3 7 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal Roush 2
4 37 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont Hendrick 1
5 27 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's Childress 2
6 18 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser GEM 1
7 19 28 Travis Kvapil Ford All Sport Yates 1
8 12 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet Kellogg's / CARQUEST Hendrick 2
9 13 20 Tony Stewart Toyota The Home Depot Gibbs 1
10 10 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker DEI 1
11 43 10 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Valvoline ????
12 15 21 Bill Elliott Ford Motorcraft 10 of 36 races
13 25 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express Gibbs 2
14 39 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet State Water Heaters Stewart 1
15 30 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Hendrick 3
16 2 83 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull Red Bull 1
17 11 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Juicy Fruit Slim Pack Ganassi/DEI 2
18 23 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M Roush 3
19 8 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M's Gibbs 3
20 1 44 David Reutimann Toyota UPS MWR 1
21 29 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Alltel Penske 1
22 33 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Bad Boy Mowers GONE
23 31 25 Brad Keselowski Chevrolet GoDaddy.com GONE
24 6 6 David Ragan Ford AAA Roush 4
25 3 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT Roush 5
26 14 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Jim Beam Gordon 1
27 34 38 David Gilliland Ford Digital TV Transition Yates 2 (Roush Satellite)
28 24 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Hellmann's GEM 2
29 21 109 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Miccosukee Resort & GONE
30 36 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet Johns Manville / Menards Yates 3
31 9 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target Ganassi/DEI 3
32 20 84 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull Red Bull 2
33 35 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Liberty Medical GEM 4
34 26 01 Regan Smith * Chevrolet DEI / Principal Financial G GONE ???
35 40 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet U.S. Army GONE
36 16 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing GONE
37 32 70 Tony Raines Chevrolet Haas Automation Stewart 2
38 42 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS MWR 2
39 28 45 Chad McCumbee Dodge Marathon American Spirit GONE
40 17 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility Childress 4
41 22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / AMP Energy Hendrick 4
42 41 347 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Little Debbie New w/MWR
43 38 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite Penske 2
44 – 96 Ken Schrader Toyota DLP HDTV GONE???
45 – 213 Max Papis Toyota GEICO 18 Races
46 – 77 Sam Hornish Jr. * Dodge Mobil 1 PENSKE 3