Garage Talk

An insider on a top Cup team dishes on the hottest topics in NASCAR.

It'd be no surprise to see Ryan Newman (right) sign to drive for Tony Stewart's team next season. They have a good relationship, and Tony likes his style of driving. The question now is, Who's going to take over the 12 car at Penske? With [Hendrick castoff] Casey Mears apparently headed to RCR, a possible pick is David Stremme. He's young, but everyone knows he's talented.... NASCAR always suffers when the economy stumbles. What's different this year is how many cars have multiple sponsors. Companies just can't afford [a whole season]. The cost has gone from $10 million a year to $20 million and more.... Martin Truex Jr. re-signed for 2009 at DEI because he'll be the No. 1 driver there. DEI doesn't have the resources of Hendrick or Roush or Gibbs, but he wouldn't have been the top dog at any of those places.