Associated Press

Greg Biffle performs a burnout during Pennzoil Platinum Victory Challenge before the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, May 17, 2008. Biffle won the competition. (AP Photo/Jason E. Miczek)

CONCORD, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. no longer discounts the idea about moving his Nationwide team to Cup.

Earnhardt says that with the Nationwide series expected to switch to the Car of Tomorrow next year, expenses in switching the cars over to the newer models will almost make it worthwhile to be in Cup instead. That has him rethinking previous statements that he had no plans to move his team to Cup.

"It's harder to get sponsorships,'' Earnhardt said.

"And the COT program is going to be too expensive for me to justify creating a whole new program with COT stuff, so I'd just as soon go into the Cup Series or get out of the Nationwide Series altogether."

Earnhardt admits he could make the move as early as next season.

"Yeah, maybe,'' he said. "If the right opportunity comes along with the right sponsorship and driver, we'd love to do it.''

Earnhardt was asked if his team made such a move would it go after his friend, Martin Truex Jr.

"No,'' Earnhardt said. "Why would he want to come drive for me? He's in good stuff now, and he's going to have great opportunities from other people. For the first year coming out of the box, man we'll struggle.''

No new age limit

NASCAR officials won't alter the minimum age limit for drivers in the Cup series for next season.

Series officials talked before the season about possibly raising the minimum age limit from 18 to 21 but decided against it.

Time tested

Kyle Busch admitted that it took until Christmas for him and his brother to get over their crash in last year's All-Star race.

Running side-by-side they made contact in turn 1 and both crashed, ending their race. The brothers didn't get along too well the rest of the season.

"Grandma asked for a Christmas present that we both get along and go to Christmas dinner together, so that was her present," Kyle Busch said.

"Thanksgiving we didn't have because (Kurt) was in Virginia Beach. I was with the parents though. I was the good son. (Christmas dinner) was a little bit edgy to begin with because that was about the first time we'd ever sat down together. The more it kind of went, the more it kind of got back to normal and friendly. By the end of the night we were playing games.''

Back in the saddle

Car owner Chip Ganassi says the team looks to have Sterling Marlin drive in place of Dario Franchitti next week in the Coca-Cola 600 as Franchitti continues to recover from the broken ankle he suffered last month at Talladega.

All-star test

Joe Gibbs Racing used its engines in the all-star race as opposed to the engines it receives from Toyota Racing Development.

The team plans to go back to TRD motors for the Coca-Cola 600.

Since the all-star race is a non-points race, it provides teams a chance to test equipment without fear that a failure will hurt them in the points.

Burnout champ

Greg Biffle won the burnout contest before the events, beating Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. Biffle earned $10,000 for his charity.

Biffle said next year he'd like to for the contest to allow competitors to bring their personal cars for the burnout.

"I would bring my Shelby GT500 car,'' he said. "It's got a lot of power and it would look cool out there laying down some rubber and some smoke.''