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2008 Team Scouting Reports

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Petty Enterprises hasn't won a race since 1999, and owner Richard Petty had to do something dramatic to turn things around. So in the off-season he moved the operation from his tiny family shop in Level Cross, N.C., to a sprawling complex in Mooresville, N.C., the hub of the sport. Petty hopes the new digs will help him recruit top talent, and it's already working out that way: He lured Jeff Meendering, the former car chief for Jeff Gordon, to be crew chief for Bobby Labonte.... Another underfunded team that will struggle to finish in the top 20 in points this season is Robby Gordon Motorsports. Gordon is the only full-time independent owner-driver in the series, and while he had two top 10 runs last season, he also finished 30th or worse 13 times.... Red Bull Racing Team, on the other hand, is flush with cash and has the man, Brian Vickers, who led more laps (106) than any other Toyota driver in 2007. Still, because their outfits are inexperienced, Vickers and teammate AJ Allmendinger are at least two years away from competing for a spot in the Chase.

-- Lars Anderson