What's in store for NASCAR in 2010?

The 28th annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway will provide many answers to the activities that occurred in the offseason.

But what truly lies ahead for the sport in 2010?

NASCAR will detail what immediate rule changes are planned for Speedweeks at Daytona as well as modifications to the current car. As FOXSports.com first reported, the addition of a spoiler will come following a test in late March. Other decisions will be finalized as discussions with competitors are completed this week.

Certainly, NASCAR’s town hall meetings last season and continued open dialogue in the new year is indeed refreshing — and necessary, particularly as the sport fights to recover from the tremors of corrections in 2009.

“The hope is to modernize the process because the sport is more complicated today,” NASCAR President Mike Helton said. “The stakeholders have obviously a lot at stake.

“We are working with modern issues with the economy and with the technical side of the sport as well. So it’s a new way for us to communicate to the industry — particularly the garage area.”

With greater freedom of speech among the competitors, the fans will gain a better perspective as to the direction that NASCAR is moving. Could it be the iron fist of the benevolent dictatorship is loosening its grip?

We’ll continue to monitor NASCAR’s communication progress throughout the season along with other hot topics that will be discussed on the media tour.

1. THREE’S A CHARM — It’s hard to believe that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is starting his third season behind the wheel of the No. 88, likely because the first two years Junior spent at Hendrick Motorsports were far from memorable: One win and one appearance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. With a new crew chief and changes to the squad, Rick Hendrick is standing by his word to provide NASCAR’s most popular driver with all the necessary resources to be successful. Now, it’s up to the driver

2. THE CAR — Who will benefit from the changes in the car? Which drivers will return to square one? Yes, the cream rises to the top of the speed chart but even the best racers struggled the last time NASCAR changed cars.

3. WHICH WAY WILL THEY GO? — The driver merry-go-round will be on overdrive in 2010. Although Joe Gibbs Racing apparently has Kyle Busch signed, sealed and delivered, there are plenty of other contracts remaining to be reviewed, renewed or dissolved. Among the blue chippers, Kasey Kahne tops the list. If Budweiser stays the course with Kahne, he’ll be driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2011. J.D. Gibbs has made it clear that an alcohol sponsor would not be welcomed at JGR, but Kahne would. Other drivers on the radar include Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, AJ Allmendinger and Elliott Sadler.

4. MEET THE NEW GUYS — How will Brad Keselowski adapt to primetime at Penske Racing? After playing second fiddle to an all-star cast at Roush Fenway Racing, will Jamie McMurray prove you can go home again? Martin Truex Jr. is the new kid on the block at Michael Waltrip Racing and should provide a spark to ignite his teammates.

5. JIMMIE JOHNSON: THE FIVE-PEAT? — Ask any of the Chase contenders what it will take to win the title and the answer is the same — beat Jimmie Johnson. Not an easy task. Mark Martin proved in equal equipment that he could come close to the No. 48 Lowe’s team, but unless late-night feedings rattle Four-Straight when the new little Johnson arrives this summer there will likely be 42 drivers chasing the defending champion.

6. THE DANICA FACTOR — Soon the wait will be over. We’ve been spoon fed the plot, the characters and part of the timeline. Now, we’ll see if there’s a happy ending.

7. SPONSORSHIP DILEMMA — Mark Martin finishes second in the point standings, reignites the core fan base and still lacks a handful of funded races to complete the full season. Martin is not alone. Jeff Gordon was in a similar dilemma. The Roush Fenway group still had inventory to sell. And after Richard Childress Racing debuted a fourth full-time car in 2009, the loss of Jack Daniels returned the operation to a three-car squad. Certainly, the economy has impacted NASCAR and its teams tremendously and the tremors will continue to be felt throughout this season. However, if by mid-summer business doesn’t pick up, expect corrections within the teams.

8. CHANGES IN THE FRONT OFFICE — NASCAR recently announced promotions of four key employees to senior vice president, including CMO Steve Phelps, VP of Racing Operation Steve O’Donnell, General Counsel Gary Crotty and CFO Todd Wilson. O’Donnell has taken on a greater role in the last several years on the competition front. When it comes to key decisions on what occurs on the track, O’Donnell will be a key player.

9. ROUSH FENWAY RACING — After February, it was a miserable season for the Roushkateers. Matt Kenseth came out strong with consecutive wins at Daytona and California but then started his descent with an engine failure at Vegas and ultimately missed the Chase. Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle qualified for the Chase but never contended. David Ragan ran out of steam after a solid rookie year and Jamie McMurray collected the company's only other victory in his swan song season. The partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports should benefit RFR tremendously if everyone works well together.

10. THE MANUFACTURERS — Can a three-car Dodge stable compete against the newly expanded Ford camp? Will the other Chevrolet teams catch up with Hendrick Motorsports? And will Toyota stay the course in NASCAR or will this be just another stop on its racing tour?

11. TRACKS AND THE 2011 CALENDAR — Phoenix International Raceway just expanded its spring race to 375 miles. Auto Club Speedway just decreased its Chase race to 400 miles. What other changes can fans expect with the distances and start times of races in the future and will there be two Cup races at ACS if Kansas Speedway gains a second date in 2011? And now that the former owners of Kentucky have dropped their appeal, does that open the door for Bruton Smith to finally have a Cup date in the Blue Grass State? Will Atlanta Motor Speedway sacrifice its spring fling to accommodate the move?

12. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS — This NASCAR juggernaut provided the talent and technology to sweep the top three positions in the Sprint Cup standings and shows no signs of slowing down. With the sanctioning body introducing modifications to the cars in the coming weeks, Hendrick Motorsports will have an advantage in expediting the learning curve with its drivers and resources.