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Welcome to the first installment of Lug Notes, a compilation of various NASCAR reports over the past week. This week, new announcements have been made, setting the stage for the new teams on the block, coming in February at Daytona.

Doug Richert gets Keyed Up: Former NASCAR crew chief Doug Richert has inked a deal to the same position at Keyed Up Motorsports. Owned by Nationwide owner Curtis Key, Key hopes to announce a driver and sponsor for his #90 Chevrolet soon in preparation for the Daytona 500.

Dusty Whitney Moving Up:  Nationwide Series owner Dusty Whitney has shut down his Nationwide team, which fielded two cars for Brian Keselowski and Michael McDowell last year. Whitney instead will be moving his team up to the Sprint Cup level. Whitney will be the proud owner of the #46 Dodge that will be driven by former Camping World Truck Series driver Terry Cook. This team, though will have no connection to Carl Long Racing, the last team to use the number 46.

#26 Back on Track?: The #26 car appears to be on a comeback. According to jayski.com, a Vermont cleaning company named Latitude 43 has purchased the number and 2009 owners points for it from Roush-Fenway Racing as well as forming an alliance with the former home of the #26. The team is rumored to be called Latitude 43 Racing, and will soon announce a sponsor and driver.

New Sponsor for Sadler: Elliot Sadler will not only be sporting the colors of Stanley Tools next year, but will also be showing the colors of Hunt Brothers Pizza. The pizza company signed on to sponsor Sadler in six races in 2010, all to be announced later. The previous two years Hunt Brothers Pizza has appeared on A.J. Allmendinger’s #44 last year, and on the #66 of Scott Riggs in 2008.

Deese Inks Big Splash: Newly-formed Deese Racing already has a deal to field Toyotas next season, but they now have a sponsor to go with it. Bios Life Smart Energy Drinks will be the full-season sponsor of the team, with a driver to be named in the near future.

Three New Drivers With Three Old Teams: Three full-time rides have been filled in the Nationwide Series for next year. Greg Biffle, veteran of all of NASCAR’s nationally touring series, will be piloting Baker-Curb Racing’s #27 Red Man Snuff Ford for a partial schedule, with another driver to be announced soon. R3 Motorsports welcomes back Robert Richardson Jr. and sponsor Mahindra to a partial season. It is expected that multiple drivers will fill up the remaining races, possibly including former R3 driver Ken Butler III. Finally, Michael McDowell will be returning to full-time competition next year with MacDonald Motorsports in the #81 Dodge.

New Sponsor for the Biff:  Greg Biffle may be with a new team in the Nationwide Series, but his Sprint Cup car welcomes a new sponsor. The United States Census Bureau, as apart of their campaign to promote the census, will be sponsoring the #16 Ford of Biffle in select races this coming season. The exact races have yet to be announced.

Braun Confirmed in Part-Time Cup Effort:  NASCAR Nationwide Series owner Todd Braun will be fielding four cars in the Nationwide Series full-time, plus a part-time Cup ride. The #32 Toyota will be sponsored by Dollar General and driven by Reed Sorenson. Sorenson will also drive the #32 Toyota in the Nationwide Series for 23 races. The first race for Braun Racing in the Cup Series is the Daytona 500.