The NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and NEXTEL Open will have their usual share of special paint schemes, different colors and sponsors on the cars. Among those featured this weekend:

  • No. 1 of Martin Truex Jr., featuring the 35th anniversary of Bass Pro Shops
  • No. 2 of Kurt Busch, featuring gold Miller colors
  • No. 14 of Sterling Marlin, with Pep Boys as sponsor
  • No. 18 of J.J. Yeley, with black paint
  • No. 24 of Jeff Gordon, featuring a reverse paint scheme
  • No. 29 of Kevin Harvick with a platinum paint scheme
  • No. 45 of Kyle Petty has sponsorship from Coke Zero
  • No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson is carrying the Lowe's Power of Pride colors
  • No. 38 car of David Gilliland is featuring the M&Ms Shrek colors
  • No. 00 of David Reutimann has a black-and-white scheme


Junior Johnson Announces "Midnight Moon":

In the first press conference of the afternoon held in the Time Warner Media Center, legendary NASCAR driver and car owner Junior Johnson announced he has put his name on a new distilled spirit aptly named Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon Carolina Moonshine. It is being manufactured by Piedmont Distillers in Madison, N.C. The product has already hit the market and is available in state ABC stores. In making the announcement Junior stated, "I have always been accused of being in the moonshine business. Here I sit with legal moonshine today. It's kindly ironic with the experience. I got involved with this, and saw the company, and how they made it, and then invested in it. I am really proud to own part of this company. It's a different deal than it was back then. We have tried to make the best product we can."

Johnson then unveiled the "car of yesterday" which is a replica of the 1940 Ford moonshine running cars that were actually hauling illegal liquor back in the day. Johnson will also drive the car in the pre-race parade lap prior to next Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.