As part of the deal with PE, GEM agreed to keep the Petty name in the name of the new organization. Richard Petty also requested that the team use the No. 44.

The No. 44 will replace the No. 10, and will be driven by AJ Allmendinger for at least seven races.

The No. 44 will not feature sponsorship from Budweiser, which currently sponsors Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 car. It has long been a Petty tradition to not feature alcohol-related sponsors on their cars.

At the unveiling of the team’s new logo, Petty said:

We come out to let the world know we’re still in the racing business and we’re going to be bigger and better than we’ve ever been.

The team will be sponsored by Ask.com.

Following his release from Petty Enterprises, Labonte was rumored to be going to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the No. 41 sponsored by Target, or, more recently, the No. 8 Chevy. No word on who will drive that car, now that Labonte is out of the picture.

Labonte said of joining HOF Racing:

I’m excited to be part of what Ask.com is bringing to our sport. In a time like this, it’s great to see a sponsor come in with technology and ideas that will help all of the competitors in NASCAR and enhance the experience for all of our fans, no matter which driver or team they cheer for.

HOF Racing co-owner Tom Garfinkle said:

Jeff Moorad and I are excited to add Ask.com as a primary sponsor on the No. 96 car. We’ve been working closely with Ask.com for several weeks now, and their talented management team has come up with more creative ideas to serve NASCAR fans than I’ve seen in a long time. With our new Yates [Racing] partnership and having a true champion and class person in Bobby Labonte behind the wheel, we’re expecting great things on the race track as well.

Separately, Ask.com also entered an agreement to become the official search engine of NASCAR, meaning Ask.com has category exclusivity and a broad set of promotional rights.

Under the agreement, Ask.com will exclusively power the search experience on NASCAR.com.
 
Ask.com CEO Jim Safka said:

Through these partnerships, we will break new ground by applying our semantic search technology capabilities to NASCAR-related content while also tapping one of the largest marketing channels in America. Our goal is to win over the millions of loyal fans by providing them with the best NASCAR search experience on the Web, and introduce them to all of Ask’s capabilities when they come.

The two teams announced that they will be aligning, and that HOF Racing would be moving to Yates Racing’s shop.

So, if true, you can pretty much throw out whether or not Labonte would be a good fit for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Labonte’s name has been linked to EGR’s No. 8 and No. 41 since he was released from Petty Enterprises.

Rumor has it that now Labonte is being considered for the No. 8, where he will be reunited with his former Petty Enterprises crew cheif Doug Randolph.

Other EGR rumors include that Target may move its sponsorship over to the No. 42 and Juan Pablo Montoya, instead of the No. 41 car, which currently does not have a driver named.

Martin Truex Jr. will be back in the No. 1 with Bass Pro Shops. Aric Almirola, at this point, is expected to drive the No. 8 car, which is currently looking for sponsorship following the departure of the U.S. Army. He may be moved to the No. 41 car, though. Montoya will be sponsored by Wrigley’s Big Red and Juicy Fruit brands, but that sponsorship only covers half of the season.

Almirola said in a NASCAR.com article:

It is something they have kicked around and talked about. But really and truly we want to run four cars. That is the goal because everybody knows to be competitive you have to have a multi-car team. They have said if we have to run three cars it may be a possibility but it is not our goal.

Also, Max Siegel, president of global operations for Dale Earnhardt Inc., which is now EGR, is said to be close to leaving the team. Siegel has been working with DEI owner Teresa Earnhardt about his future plans with the team.

Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, but the agreement is said to have been reached on Christmas Eve. An announcement is expected next week.

Following the merger, Reed Sorenson is expected to drive the famed No. 43 car fielded by the team.

It was also recently announced that AJ Allmendinger would be replacing Elliott Sadler at GEM next season. No word on Sadler’s future, but he is rumored to be headed to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

PE has not been able to secure sponsorship for the 2009 season for its storied No. 43 entry. While the team has said that if a merger were to fall through, it would still field the No. 43 car, some believe that it would not be likely without the merger.

Labonte, who earlier this year signed a contract extension with the team, has been linked to Ganassi-Earnhardt Racing’s No. 41 entry, the only full time ride with full sponsorship for next season without a driver.

Labonte said:

I am, and will always be, very appreciative of what Richard Petty and the Petty family, every employee of Petty Enterprises and members of Boston Ventures did to invest in bettering my career the past three seasons. Moving forward, I’m very anxious to prepare for the 2009 season. I do not currently have a contract with any other team for 2009, but I am ready to explore all opportunities and form the next partnership in my career.

Should a merger go through, there are rumors that Reed Sorenson, AJ Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler, and Kasey Kahne would make up the new GEM/PE team. That would leave Bobby Labonte out in the cold.

Sources believe he could end up in the No. 41 Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team.

As a result of the Earnhardt and Ganassi merger, the No. 10 will move into the top 35 in owners’ points because the merger eliminated two teams that were in the top 35.

CGR is also said to be considering a merger with Petty Enterprises.

Currently, CGR has one full time sponsor for next season (Target), and one part time sponsor (Wrigley’s). DEI only has one full time sponsor (Bass Pro Shops) and part time sponsorship for the team’s other two cars.

Paul Menard is leaving DEI at the end of the season to join Yates Racing, and he is taking his Menards sponsorship with him.

Petty Enterprises is also seeking sponsorship for its cars.

CGR fields Dodges, while DEI fields Chevys, which could be a potential stumbling block for any merger with DEI.

But, given Dodge’s performance in the sport and the current economic climate, a move from Dodge to Chevy may be possible.

Earlier this year, Boston Ventures purchased a significant stake in Petty Enterprises. The team is seeking a sponsor for Bobby Labonte and its No. 43 Dodge, which lost General Mills to Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33 team and driver Clint Bowyer.

The team is also said to be at odds with Kyle Petty, who could leave and take the team’s only major sponsor, Wells Fargo, with him.

DEI is also searching for sponsorship, after US Army bolted for Stewart Haas Racing’s No. 39 and driver Ryan Newman. Paul Menard is leaving at the end of the season to go to Yates Racing, and he is taking his Menards sponsorship with him, leaving DEI with Bass Pro Shops as its only sponsor, on Martin Truex Jr.’s No 1 Chevy. DEI currently has Regan Smith and Aric Almirola on its roster, but sponsors for neither team.

But, a deal was reached with Petty Enterprises No. 45 Dodge for Said to drive the car in place of Kyle Petty, who was originally scheduled to drive. Said had to secure permission from Ford, which he did.

He will start 40th.

Said was also approached by Yates Racing to drive the No. 28 in place of Travis Kvapil.