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Michael Waltrip says his 30th Daytona 500 will be his last (The Associated Press)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Michael Waltrip says next month's Daytona 500 will be his last NASCAR race.

Earnhardt thrilled to be cleared for NASCAR return (The Associated Press)

There is nothing more tedious to a NASCAR driver than preseason promotional work, which can often be full-day photo shoots and interview sessions. Consider Dale Earnhardt Jr. the rare exception. Earnhardt was cleared to get back in a race car in December, shortly before he married his longtime girlfriend, Amy Reimann, on New Year's Eve and then embarked on a lengthy Hawaiian honeymoon.

NASCAR's Carl Edwards does not rule out US Senate run in '18 (The Associated Press)

Carl Edwards remains a hot topic in NASCAR, two weeks after his abrupt retirement as a full-time driver. Terry Smith, a political science professor at Columbia College, speculated in a Wednesday piece for KBIA's Talking Politics that Edwards will challenge U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri next year. Edwards came 10 laps away from winning his first Cup title in November, then announced his retirement two weeks ago with a year remaining on his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Drivers love new NASCAR format, fans get a look in a month (The Associated Press)

At a crossroads with its core audience and eager to attract younger fans, NASCAR took a huge swing at shaking up its model with a progressive new format. With breaks between the stages - long enough for the segment winner to be interviewed, for television to air a block of commercials and for fans to grab a beer and a bathroom break - the system has been radicalized from NASCAR's origins.

Danica Patrick may have sponsor shortfall in 2017 (The Associated Press)

Danica Patrick wore an all-white Tax Act uniform to NASCAR's preseason media event, raising eyebrows about her sponsorship situation. Patrick and Stewart-Haas Racing last year signed a deal with Nature's Bakery as Patrick's primary sponsor. The company founded in 2010 by the father-and-son duo of Dave and Sam Marson was new to NASCAR last season and was scheduled to sponsor more than 20 races this year.

Kenseth doesn't understand Edwards' retirement (The Associated Press)

Matt Kenseth has had several conversations with Carl Edwards, and none has given him any insight into why his teammate suddenly retired. Edwards abruptly walked away from the final year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing two weeks ago. Team owner Gibbs informed his drivers of Edwards' decision on a Sunday night conference call, and nothing that Edwards has said since has helped them understand.

NASCAR overhauls race and playoff format (The Associated Press)

NASCAR is dramatically changing its format for the upcoming season, cutting every race into stages that reward points in hopes of make every lap matter. The third portion of the race will be for the overall victory, and although traditional point scoring will be applied for that stage, the win will be worth 40 points. - The winner of the first two stages of each race will receive one playoff point, and the race winner will receive five playoff points.

Lady Antebellum to perform pre-race concert at Daytona 500 (The Associated Press)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Lady Antebellum will perform a pre-race concert at next month's Daytona 500.

Pioneer car owner Raymond Parks inducted into Hall of Fame (The Associated Press)

Raymond Parks, one of the first team owners in NASCAR, has been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Parks was an Atlanta businessman who first entered NASCAR with drivers Lloyd Seay and Roy Hall. When he returned from the war, he was lured into NASCAR by founder Bill France Sr. and his teams won the first NASCAR title in 1948 and again in 1949.

'Cars 3' star Wilson named Daytona 500 grand marshal (The Associated Press)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Ka-chow! Owen Wilson is set to lend his voice to one of racing's biggest events, this time as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500.

Only on AP: Son reflects on BP's Hall of Fame NASCAR career (The Associated Press)

Benny Parsons made it to the NASCAR Hall of Fame because of his victories on the track and his work as a broadcaster after he retired. During his 19-year driving career, the man most everyone called ''BP'' won 21 races, including the 1975 Daytona 500, and the 1973 NASCAR championship.

Ford finally gets to publicly celebrate signing SHR (The Associated Press)

Almost a full year after signing Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Performance is finally able to celebrate its new addition. Ford lured Tony Stewart's four-car operation away from Chevrolet early last year in a deal that begins this season. SHR and Ford announced the partnership nearly a year in advance, then had to wait as SHR fulfilled its contract with Chevy through the end of last year.

Darlington to celebrate late 1980s with throwback weekend (The Associated Press)

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- Style up those mullets and pull out the Guns 'N Roses tapes, NASCAR is celebrating the late 1980s.

Carl Edwards steps away from NASCAR, avoids 'retirement' (The Associated Press)

Carl Edwards confirms that he is walking away from NASCAR this season. At a news conference Wednesday, Edwards listed three reasons for his decision to not race in 2017, most importantly that he's satisfied with what he's accomplished in his NASCAR career. Edwards deliberately did not use the word ''retirement'' in explaining his decision to leave Joe Gibbs Racing with one year remaining on his contract.

AP Sources: Carl Edwards retiring from NASCAR (The Associated Press)

In a stunning decision, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards is retiring from the sport less than two months after nearly winning his first Cup championship, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Joe Gibbs Racing scheduled a pair of news conferences Wednesday in which Edwards is expected to announce he is giving up the sport immediately and that reigning Xfinity Series champion Daniel Suarez will replace Edwards in the No. 19 Toyota. The two people spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because the team and Edwards had not announced the move.

Texas makeover: TMS will repave track, reduce banking (The Associated Press)

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Texas Motor Speedway is going to completely repave its 1 1/2-mile track and reduce the high banking in the first and second turns.