Offseason NASCAR News Recap: Week 3

We understand that in the offseason, you may not be paying close attention to the various news and notes from the NASCAR world.

↵So to help you catch up, here’s the latest in our offseason recaps:

↵• Roush Fenway Racing named Steve Newmark as president Dec. 20 to replace Geoff Smith, who retired after 13 years with the organization. Newmark is a former lawyer who joined Roush as senior vice president of business operations in April.

↵• Michael Waltrip will race in the Daytona 500 and the Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway, in addition to a new book and a comedy tour that features a standup routine from the driver/owner. In its Tuesday announcement, Michael Waltrip Racing also left the door open for Waltrip to attempt a few more races in what it called his “semi-retirement.”

↵• Kenny Wallace will drive full time for RAB Racing in the Nationwide Series, SB Nation reported Tuesday. The popular Wallace joins with a Nationwide team that won a race last year in Montreal.

↵• Truck team Billy Ballew Motorsports “merged” with Vision Aviation Racing on Wednesday, which sounded awfully like a purchase. While team owner Ballew retains a stake in the team, the new organization will operate under the Vision Aviation banner, with VAR’s Late Model drivers Justin Johnson and Dusty Davis in the Nos. 15 and 51 trucks.
• Brad Keselowski has a new Nationwide Series crew chief at Penske Racing: Todd Gordon, a former engineer for Diamond-Waltrip Racing. Gordon replaces Paul Wolfe, who won the series championship this season and is moving up to join Keselowski in Sprint Cup.