So what does 2011 Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. do for an encore? How about a repeat performance that includes double-digit wins in 2012?

The phone call came, of all times, when Cole Whitt was home in Southern California visiting his parents for Christmas. It was from his manager, and the request was urgent -- could he get back to North Carolina the next day to meet with JR Motorsports? And suddenly Whitt was on a red-eye, and suddenly he was in a conference room with Dale Earnhardt Jr., and suddenly he was the driver of a car capable of winning the Nationwide Series championship.

Nationwide Series rookie of the year Timmy Hill didn't wreck any cars in 2011, mainly because he knew Rick Ware Racing didn't have any cars to wreck.

Richard Petty Motorsports announced on Thursday the formation of a Nationwide Series team with driver Michael Annett and his long-time partner Pilot Flying J. The team will be run out of RPM's Concord, N.C. race shop and will vie for the Nationwide Series championship.

CONCORD, N.C. -- The secret can now be revealed: The main reason why Kevin Harvick decided to shut down his race team at the end of the season? Because wife, DeLana, is 14 weeks pregnant.