The Group of Eight (G8) is a forum for the governments of eight large economies. (It excludes some members of the actual eight largest, such as China, Brazil and India). The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the Group of Seven or G7 the following year with the addition of Canada. In 1997, Russia was added to group which then became known as the G8. The European Union is represented within the G8 but cannot host or chair summits.

"G8" can refer to the member states in aggregate or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government. The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the six most populous countries within the European Union. G8 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as the G7/8 finance ministers (who meet four times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers.

Richard Crawford (born July 26, 1958) is a race car driver who drives the #73 SUPERSEAL Chevrolet Silverado for Tagsby Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Crawford is the current record holder for the most NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races competed in with more than 325. He is a regular weekly guest on The Morning Drive on Sirius NASCAR Radio, Channel 128. On March 2011 Rick Crawford entered a multi-year contract to be the promoter and manager at Mobile International Speedway, His home track, in Irvington (Mobile), Alabama.

Crawford began his racing career as a short-track racer in the southeastern United States. He won the 1989 running of the prestigious annual short track Snowball Derby race. He also won the track championship at Five Flags Speedway in 1981 and 1984, and won the championship at Mobile International Speedway in 1981, 1982, and 1984. After that, he moved to the Slim Jim All Pro Series, where he collected sixty-one top tens, and earned five victories. In 1993 and 1994, he attempted four Winston Cup Series races in the #84, but did not qualify for any of them.