NASCAR has scheduled a "competition update" on Jan. 21 with NASCAR president Mike Helton and vp for competition Robin Pemberton as part of the "Preseason Thunder" Sprint Cup test session at Daytona International Speedway, where the sanctioning body is expected to announce that drivers in NASCAR's three national series will have to elect a single championship to chase in 2011. This would eliminate the ability of drivers such as Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards – who ran both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series full time last year – to claim two titles in the same year.

NASCAR has not confirmed the change, deferring questions until the Jan. 21 media briefing, but Kenny Wallace told NASCAR.com that the one-championship specification, which has been rumored to be in the works for some time, was true.

"The brand-new license forms that are out, there's a box and in it, it states that you have to mark – put an X – what championship you're running for," Wallace said. "'A driver will only be permitted to earn driver championship points in one of the following three series: NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide or NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Please select the series in which you would like to accumulate driver championship points. Choose one.'"

Defending Nationwide Series champion Brad Keselowski has also complained via his Twitter feed about eligibility rules changes for both the Budweiser Shootout and the three national touring series.

"Needed a good laugh tonight after being ruled ineligible for both Shootout and NW championship in one loooong week," the Penske Racing driver Tweeted. "Thanks for the support!"