Jeff Green replaced Mike Bliss in the No. 66 (formerly No. 0) car, which left Petty Enterprises' No. 43 Dodge open for former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte to step in. His new teammate/team owner Kyle Petty brought sponsorships from Wells Fargo, NTB, and Schwan's to the No. 45 car, with Schwan's moving from the No. 49. Competitive Edge Motorsports ceased operations, and Marathon Petroleum Company sponsored Kyle Petty. J. J. Yeley took over for Labonte in JGR No. 18 Chevrolet. Denny Hamlin, after scoring three Top 10 finishes at the end of the previous season, raced full-time in their newly entered No. 11 car, and he claimed rookie of the year honors, two checkered flags (both at Pocono Raceway, the first rookie to sweep both races in a single season) and third in the Championship standings.