Jane Miller: Junior's leaving the No. 8

Dale Earnhardt Jr. definitely will not be in the No. 8 car next year, an official at Hendrick Motorsports said Wednesday.

"We've been working hard to secure the No. 8 for Dale Jr.'s car number next season," Marshall Carlson, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, said in a press release. "Obviously, he has a tremendous history with that number, and we know how important it is to his fans. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach a point where the terms made sense, and now we have to move forward with other options."