NASCAR Team Shakeup: New Teams Abounding, but Is It Enough to Fill Daytona?

As we inch ever so close to the Daytona 500 this February, more and more of the Sprint Cup Series field is taking shape. It's time to take a look at what it looks like right now.

On Solid Footing

Hendrick Motorsports

No. 24 AARP Drive to End Hunger Chevy: Jeff Gordon

No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevy: Jimmie Johnson

No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/AMP Energy/National Guard Chevy: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

No. 5 Farmers Insurance/Quaker State Chevy: Kasey Kahne

Roush-Fenway Racing

No. 99 Fastenal/Kellogg’s-Cheez It/Aflac Ford: Carl Edwards

No. 16 3M Ford: Greg Biffle

No. 17 Valvoline/Best Buy Ford: Matt Kenseth

Penske Racing

No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil/AAA Dodge: AJ Allmendinger

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge: Brad Keselowski

Phoenix Racing

No. 51 TAG Heuer Chevy: Kurt Busch

Joe Gibbs Racing

No. 18 M&Ms/Snickers/Interstate Batteries Toyota: Kyle Busch

No. 20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota: Joey Logano

No. 11 FedEx/Sport Clips Toyota: Denny Hamlin

Michael Waltrip Racing

No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota: Clint Bowyer

No. 55 Aaron’s Toyota: Mark Martin (26 races), Michael Waltrip (6-7 races)

No. 56 NAPA Toyota: Martin Truex Jr.

Richard Childress Racing

No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy Johns Chevy: Kevin Harvick

No. 27 Menard’s Chevy: Paul Menard

No. 31 CAT/General Mills/BB&T Chevy: Jeff Burton

Germain Racing

No.13 Geico Ford: Casey Mears

Stewart-Haas Racing

No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy: Tony Stewart

No. 39 Quicken Loans/US Army/Tornados/Outback Steakhouse Chevy: Ryan Newman

No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevy: Danica Patrick (10 races)

Furniture Row Racing

No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy: Regan Smith

Richard Petty Motorsports

No. 9 Stanley/DeWalt Ford: Marcos Ambrose

No. 43 Smithfield/Air Force Ford: Aric Almirola

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing

No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/McDonald’s/Belkin Chevy: Jamie McMurray

No. 42 Target Chevy: Juan Pablo Montoya

JTG-Daugherty Racing

No. 47 Lance Snacks/Clorox/Bush’s Beans/Kimberly Clark Toyota: Bobby Labonte

Wood Brothers Racing

No. 21 Motorcraft Ford: Trevor Bayne (<20 races)

Turner Motorsport

No. 50 Walmart Chevy: Bill Elliott (July race at Daytona only)

Plans Uncertain or Unknown

Levine Family Racing

No. 95 Chevy (Sponsorship TBD): Scott Speed (16 races, including the two road courses)

Michael Waltrip Racing

No. 00 Toyota (Sponsorship TBD): Michael Waltrip? (Waltrip is looking for a ride for Daytona, could field a fourth car to do so)

Tommy Baldwin Racing

No. 35 Chevy (Sponsorship TBD): David Reutimann (~25-26 races)

No. 36 Chevy (Sponsorship TBD): Dave Blaney

Phil Parsons Racing

No. 66 Chevy? (Sponsorship TBA): Michael McDowell (set to merge with Whitney Motorsports)

Front Row Motorsports

No. 34 Ford (Sponsorship TBD): David Ragan

No. 38 Ford (Sponsorship TBD): David Gilliland

Roush-Fenway Racing

No. 6 Ford (Sponsorship TBD): Ricky Stenhouse Jr.? (Locked into Daytona 500, more races possible)

Richard Childress Racing

No. 33 Kroger/General Mills/South Point Chevy: Elliott Sadler (Daytona), Brendan Gaughan (four races following Daytona)

Sinica Motorsport

No. 93 Chevy (Sponsorship TBD): Driver TBD (Set to work with Danny Efland in NNS at Daytona)

 Possible Drivers: Brian Vickers, Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner, Mike Bliss and Landon Cassill

FAS Lane Racing

No. 32 Ford (Sponsorship TBD): Driver TBD (unknown if team will return in current form)

 Possible Drivers: Brian Vickers, Mike Skinner, Mike Bliss, Jason White and TJ Bell

Hamilton Means Racing

No. 52 (Sponsorship and Manufacturer TBD): Driver TBD (limited info on team, unsure if they will make it to Daytona)

Go Green Racing

No. 19 Ford (Sponsorship TBD): Tim Andrews (first start set for Bristol; roughly ten to eleven races planned)

Robinson-Blakeney Racing

No. 28 Toyota (Sponsorship TBD): J.J. Yeley (new team; plans full season according to press release)

Turn One Racing

No. 60 Chevy (Sponsorship TBA): Driver TBD (new team; plans eight to ten races)

MaxQ Motorsports

No. 37 Ford (Sponsorship TBD): Driver TBD

  Possible Drivers:  Brian Vickers, Josh Wise

Robby Gordon Motorsports

No. 7 SPEED Energy Toyota: Robby Gordon (will run Daytona 500, unsure of what races after)

NEMCO Motorsports

No. 87 Toyota (Sponsorship TBD): Joe Nemechek (ran full season last year, could do the same as start and park)

No. 97 Toyota (Sponsorship TBD): Driver TBD (ran a few races last year with Kevin Conway)

 Possible Drivers: Kevin Conway, Jeff Fuller

K Automotive Racing

No. 92 Chevy (Sponsorship TBD): Brian Keselowski (ran a few races last year, changed manufacturers, then scaled back)

Inception Motorsports

No. 30 Chevy (Sponsorship TBD): David Stremme (ran ~15 races last year, planned full season as of Nov 2011)

Closed / Inactive

TRG Motorsports

No. 71 Chevy

Red Bull Racing Team

No. 4 Red Bull Toyota

No. 83 Red Bull Toyota

No. 84 Red Bull Toyota

Whitney Motorsports

No. 46 Chevy (Merging with Phil Parsons Racing)

Confirmed Entries: 31

Entries Not Set in Stone: 21

Total: 52

This could be a record year for NASCAR in terms of new entries with solid footing—that is, if they ever get off the ground. Many of these programs still are looking for sponsors, manufacturers and drivers. Daytona is looming in just over a month.