driver change

Following his early exit from Saturday night's Sharpie 500, Ricky Craven's career with PPI Motorsport appears to be at an end following the news that his intended replacement for 2005, Bobby Hamilton Jr, will drive the #32 Tide Chevrolet from next weekend onwards.

Bobby Hamilton Jr has been released from his NASCAR Busch Series ride, much to the surprise of most observers despite the fact that Hamilton Jr had already signed for PPI Motorsports in 2005.

Dale Earnhardt Jr drove through the pain barrier for 60 laps in Sunday's Siemens 300 at the New Hampshire International Speedway before the first of 12 caution periods allowed him to hand the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet over to Busch Series driver Martin Truex Jr.

The 2003 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford grid will swell to 20 for the first time in Mexico City next month as Derrick Walker confirmed that native Mexican Luis Diaz will campaign a third Walker Racing Reynard-Ford in the Gran Premio Telmex/Gigante.

Brian Vickers will bring his NASCAR Busch Series sponsors GMAC to the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series with Rick Hendrick's #25 Chevrolet Monte Carlo team.

John Andretti will drive the #1 Pennzoil sponsored Chevrolet owned by Dale Earnhardt Incorporated in the majority of the final eleven races of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup season starting with next Saturday's Chevy Rock 'n Roll 400 at the Richmond International Raceway.