Auto Racing Sports

NASCAR To Offer Regional Touring Division Radio Broadcasts Online In 2011

2011-02-24T21:31:00.001-08:00

NASCAR To Offer Regional Touring Division Radio Broadcasts Online In 2011

Posted: 24 Feb 2011 06:23 PM PST

NASCAR announced Wednesday that its NASCARHomeTracks.com website will feature live radio broadcasts of 32 regional touring series events in 2011.

The live broadcasts will be handled by a group from Speed51 Radio.

The first broadcast of the season took place Thursday for the K&N Pro Series West division season opening event at Phoenix International Raceway.

Events on the K&N Pro Series East and West Series, along with the Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen Southern Modified tour will be featured on the radio broadcasts, including season ending events for each of those divisions.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to bring the racing action at our short tracks to fans across North America," George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing operations said in a release. "There is no substitute for being at the race track, but this is yet another avenue for fans to follow their favorite drivers and series wherever they may be."

Eight of the 16 Whelen Modified Tour events this season will be broadcast. The first Whelen Modified Tour broadcast will take place at Stafford Motor Speedway on May 1.Other events to be broadcast include New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 16), Riverhead Raceway (July 30), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Aug. 13), Thompson International Speedway (Sept. 11), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 24), Stafford Motor Speedway (Oct. 2) and Thompson International Speedway (Oct. 16).

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Shannon McIntosh to Compete for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing in USF2000

2011-02-17T21:28:00.001-08:00

Shannon McIntosh to Compete for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing in USF2000

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 01:20 PM PST

ST. PETERSBURG, February 17, 2011: Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing announced today it has signed 21-year-old USAC product Shannon McIntosh to drive in the 2011 Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda. McIntosh will pilot the No. 2 Mazda for the 12 USF2000 race events.

"We are excited to have Shannon join the team," team principle Dominic Cape said. "We knew when we tested with her she had the skills, maturity and passion to compete for the championship. We are looking forward to a great season and positive results from Shannon."

McIntosh, a Miamisburg, OH native, tested with a host of teams including Juncos Racing and JDC Motorsports before deciding on Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. The Cape brothers, Dominic and Nicholas, have won five championships, three rookie-of-the-year honors and amassed 54 wins and 68 pole positions in the USF2000, IMSA Lites and Cooper Series. The Capes have worked with many drivers including NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne, open-wheel standout JR Hildebrand and 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona class winner Andy Lally.

They have also fielded a team every year since the series' inception in the early 1990's, placing second in the 2010 USF2000 National Championship Series points' battle, capturing six podium finishes and two race-wins. McIntosh will team with Finland native Petri Suvanto former European karting stand out and 2010 Formula BMW scholarship winner.

With more than 100 race wins over the course of her 16-year racing career, St. Petersburg, FL-based McIntosh competed in the USAC Midget regional series in 2010 under the guidance of Bob East, capturing four top-10 finishes, which included two podium and three top-five results in only four races.

"I'm so honored to have the opportunity that Dominic Cape and Wayne Taylor are giving me," said McIntosh. "We put a lot of thought into running either USF2000 or Star Mazda in 2011, and we felt I would benefit greatly from progressing through the entire Mazda Road to Indy program from the first step. I have to thank all of my partners, investors and especially the fans for all the support I have been given over the course of my career. I look forward to the road ahead."

As a five-year-old, the brunette McIntosh began her quest to one day compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series and attempt to qualify for the famed Indianapolis 500. McIntosh must first complete a three-step developmental ladder system, designed to bring up-and-coming drivers to the forefront of American open-wheel racing. She'll make her debut in the 'Mazda Road to Indy' program in 2011, which also includes the Star Mazda Championship and Firestone Indy Lights, as part of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver program.

In preparation for the USF2000 season-opener on March 17 at Sebring International Raceway, McIntosh and Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing will continue a rigorous off-season testing platform. The schedule continues with 11 additional race-events held in conjunction with the IZOD IndyCar Series, American Le Mans and USAC.

Glass Hammer Racing (www.beatbyagirl.org) and the book Indy 500: An American Icon have teamed to support McIntosh's No. 2 USF2000 Mazda entry for 2011 in addition to Arai Helmets.

For more information, please visit www.ShannonMcIntosh.com, www.CapeMotorsports.com, or www.USF2000.com.

About Shannon McIntosh

Shannon McIntosh is a 21-year-old autoracing driver who competes in INDYCAR's 'Mazda Road to Indy' USF2000 National Championship Series for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. McIntosh began her racing career at age 5, and has amassed over 100 combined victories through Quarter Midgets and USAC Midgets. She was the highest-ranking female on pavement in the Midwest in 2006. Was named "DARF Asphalt Driver of the Year" in the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series. Some of McIntosh's other accolades include being awarded the coveted Kara Hendrick Memorial Scholarship while attending the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program as well as being named a recipient of the 2010 Pitfit scholarship.

Williams Formula 1 Team May Sell Shares to Stay Competitive in Racing

2011-01-21T21:24:00.001-08:00

Williams Formula 1 Team May Sell Shares to Stay Competitive in Racing

Posted: 21 Jan 2011 04:30 AM PST

Frank Williams said, we "are examining this option closely and, if the environment is propitious, we may act in the near future." Photographer: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

The Williams Formula One team's founder is considering selling shares to the public to shore up its long-term future.

Frank Williams, 68, said in a statement today he intends to retain a controlling stake in the nine-time champion team even if the share sale goes ahead. Patrick Head and Toto Wolff are also shareholders.

We "are examining this option closely and, if the environment is propitious, we may act in the near future," Williams said in the statement.

The team, founded in 1977, would become the first in the world's most-watched auto racing series to list on the stock exchange. Several U.K. soccer clubs including Manchester United listed in the 1990s.

Grove, England-based Williams is investigating in which European country it would be best to hold the share sale, team spokesman Claire Williams said by telephone.

Williams won the last of its Formula One titles in 1997 and was the sixth-ranked team in last year's championship, which won by Red Bull GmbH's squad. The team, whose former drivers include Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, relies on sponsorship and prize money for most of its revenue.

Net income fell 50 percent to 4.5 million pounds ($7.2 million) on sales of 108 million pounds in 2009, the company's latest published accounts show. The team also made a profit last year, Chairman Adam Parr said in the statement.

The last two years it diversified into developing energy- saving flywheel for road cars, collaborating with Porsche SE and Tata Motors Ltd.'s Jaguar Land Rover.

The project could be worth "many tens of millions" of pounds in the next three to five years, Parr said in an interview last year.

Williams, the owner, was paralyzed in a 1986 car crash. He said he wants the team "to go on racing long after I am gone," adding he remains in good health.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Duff in Madrid at aduff4@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at at celser@bloomberg.net

Joey Logano Headlines Frank Maratta Auto Show And Motorsports Expo Next Weekend In Hartford

2011-01-20T21:22:00.001-08:00

Joey Logano Headlines Frank Maratta Auto Show And Motorsports Expo Next Weekend In Hartford

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 09:15 AM PST

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular and Middletown native Joey Logano will be appearing Sunday Jan. 30 at the Frank Maratta Auto and Cycle Show and Motorsports Expo at the at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford.

Logano, who in 2009 became the youngest driver ever to win a Sprint Cup Series event, will be signing autographs from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Town Fair Tire display at the show on Jan. 30. Logano, who competes for Joe Gibbs Racing, is preparing for his third full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series in 2011.

Logano is just one highlight of a packed three-day show at the Expo Center running from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30. The motorsports expo section of the show will displays from numerous local tracks.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Lime Rock Park will host a pit crew challenged on Jan. 29. NHMS will pay $500 to the winning crew in the event with second and third place prizes being awarded by Lime Rock Park.

For more information check out the show website.

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Tom Bowles: Robby Gordon's future, Hornish vs. MJ, JJ's struggles, more mailbag

2010-12-16T21:53:00.001-08:00

Tom Bowles: Robby Gordon's future, Hornish vs. MJ, JJ's struggles, more mailbag

Posted: 15 Dec 2010 10:12 AM PST

Robby Gordon has struggled on the NASCAR circuit and he may switch to IndyCar in 2012.

John Harrelson/Getty Images

While working on another story, I got a chance to speak with legendary NASCAR car owner Larry McClure last week about the state of the sport. McClure's No. 4 Chevy won three Daytona 500s in the '90s, but has lied mostly dormant for the last three years without sponsorship to compete, the prime example of a single-car team who died a slow, painful death courtesy the multi-car Cup revolution. In talking about the pitfalls of finding sponsorship these days -- he's trying to locate funding for 2011 despite losing his number to Kasey Kahne and Red Bull Racing next season -- he said something about stopping the recent downturn that stuck with me:

"People used to say, well, if Morgan-McClure was running in the back, they were still getting TV time. They still had fans, and were so important to the sport. We've got to have the last-place car just like we have the first-place car. I think that's the thing we've forgotten about, the last-place cars are as important -- the whole field is important in NASCAR."

It didn't take long for those words to make a connection in my own life. Just hours after a Friday piece that had a snippet evaluating Robby Gordon's Cup future, I was deluged with as much fan "mail" and criticisms as if I was doing an article on Danica Patrick or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. By the time it was all said and done, I easily had one of the better E-mail responses to any article I did all year based on a few short sentences alone.

Certainly, with the offseason you never know what fans will read certain articles on what day and latch onto them, but the passion and persistence behind Gordon's base was striking. Here's an owner/driver who's scored five top-5 finishes in the last six years at the Cup level, was talked about on TV but a handful of times this season and whose program at one point was start-and-parking due to lack of funds. Yet those who follow him remain just as strong and passionate as those who get busy celebrating five-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

It's an important reminder about what makes this sport different, an obsession over a 30th-place finisher easy to forget in a culture where we're taught second place is the first loser. Gordon's always had an outspoken, independent, fiery personality; well before "Boys, Have At It," he was making contact with Jeff Gordon en route to scoring his first career oval stock car victory at New Hampshire in 2001. At one point, an on-track brouhaha with Marcos Ambrose at Montreal three years ago actually got him suspended from a Cup race. It's a type of non-Chase, but pro-independent personality the sport needs, a man so passionate he even got former sponsor Jim Beam to lead a protest over a fine NASCAR issued him in 2008 (can you imagine if Clint Bowyer's group did the same this Fall?). So who cares that he'll never make the playoffs? Keep in mind this sport was never developed on any sort of playoff concept; an even-keeled field of 43 destroys that idea no matter how much the Chase tries to turn it into some type of stick 'n' ball elimination contest for the fans.

As the wheels of change gear up this offseason, the prevailing school of thought is NASCAR remains desperate for some new blood. There hasn't been a first-time Chaser since 2008, this year's rookie award winner was virtually invisible on-track except for his "lengthy" sponsor and everything from the Cup Series champion to the series' Most Popular Driver Award is riding some sort of extended streak at the top. No question, different ideas and people to focus on are needed to turn this sport around for the long-term.

But maybe the first step is to recognize ALL the people already there -- even if they're not running up front every week.

OK, time to get going. Per usual, tbowles81@yahoo.com and @NASCARBowles are your connections to me this holiday season. Christmas presents are always accepted if you're up for it ...

Hey Tom, I really enjoyed your NASCAR article Friday except for the part about Robby Gordon. I'm sure someone already told you, but Robby opted out of his contract renewal/option with Monster to pursue his own energy drink. As for full season of Indy for him in 2012, I hope so but highly doubt it. Off-road is his passion and seems to be the way he is headed.
-- Nick, Fonthill, Ontario

Nick's was the nicest of a number of emails assailing me re: Robby Gordon. Let's clarify the Monster Energy deal first, because I can see where you misinterpreted Friday's article. A sponsor for Gordon in both off-road and the Cup level this year, multiple sources told me from midsummer it was the Monster deal which kept Gordon hanging around in NASCAR and financially afloat while pursuing one, then two different lawsuits for non-payment from partners (BAM Racing, then Extenze once the season concluded). Without that company in 2010, the No. 7 would have scarcely existed, the owner no longer interested in full-time competition behind the wheel while that side of his business struggled to remain financially viable. At the time, Monster wanted additional NASCAR exposure and Robby gladly gave it to them, although he's spurning their Cup support in 2011 in favor of hawking his own energy drink -- supported by investors -- and doing a potpourri of driving in a variety of different series next year.

We'll get to why Robby's interest in Cup has waned in a second. First, let's talk his short-term future. Aligned with GM over in SCORE's off-road series, where he's a seven-time champion and three-time Baja 1000 winner, a contract extension has locked him in with that manufacturer over the long-term. On the record with an interest in switching to Chevy for NASCAR, that deal makes sense as his current one with Toyota is "eh" at best. Putting your race teams under one manufacturer in all series is the right move over the long-term.

Add in GM's return to IndyCar in 2012 and it's another perfect fit for the former open-wheel veteran to consider a permanent switch. The schedule isn't as vigorous as NASCAR's -- about half the races -- and the new rules plus fewer monopolies and cheaper operating costs mean he could be much more competitive as an independent. It also still allows him to run off-road, possibly devoting more time to that effort depending on what he'd like to do with the NASCAR team past 2011. For now, the Indy 500 is likely the only open-wheel race he'll compete in next year, with Honda power, but if I were a betting man I'd say that's far from the last one he'll run in that series over the next few years.

Robby is a very diverse driver and you should be giving kudos to his efforts for the Dakar Rally - one of the very few that does not have corporate manufacturing support for this endeavor. He does it on hard work and determination and whatever he can to raise the funds to support his employees and race. Robby is a success in spite of the odds in NASCAR which has become all about the mighty dollar and has practically wiped out the little guys; another step to making NASCAR the WWF of autoracing and the only place where someone with no talent and money can race.
-- Karen, Aiken, SC

Karen, I think Gordon's Dakar dedication is exemplary, especially after losing a reported $4.5 million in 2008 when the African race was canceled at the last minute. There's no question Gordon is a superstar in off road, deserving of the kudos he gets in that series. But in NASCAR, he's on the way out. Consider:

- Two lawsuits remain of the three mentioned Friday (a logo dispute over Specialized Bicycles has been settled without costing Gordon a ton of money). The other ones, versus BAM and Extenze, are irrelevant in terms of courtroom victories: screwed out of money, you can't collect when neither party you're fighting has the cash you want them to give up, right?

- Gordon claims he's switching to a part-time schedule in 2011, running the first five and then "fun" races while utilizing investor support and money collected from SPEED Energy. Not the first time we've seen a product launched through NASCAR, but most of the energy drinks we've seen do it (Wave, START, MC2 ... the list goes on and on) were based on a percentage of sales from distribution, which fell flat and never really resulted in proper funding. Sure, SPEED tastes good but it's not exactly challenging Red Bull for top of the line just yet; rest assured there's not $20 million, top-dollar support behind this sponsorship. Did people suddenly forget Gordon's team "start-and-parked" a half-dozen times to simply stay afloat last season (something the 40-year-old said he'd "never do"); what do you think happens in 2011 when there's no money?

- Nothing describes the man's current state of mind than Homestead's season finale. With a top-35 spot seemingly assured in his mind, a 115-point cushion technically left the door open -- but he wasn't worried about a miracle. In fact, the owner didn't bother to return from off-road in the Baja, leaving struggling rookie Kevin Conway with the surprise of driving the car all weekend. Gordon went MIA, one of a handful of instances he didn't even show up to the track during a race weekend, then sued Conway's Extenze backer shortly thereafter.

Look, I'm not after Robby. I think the intro makes it clear how much his personality is good not only for NASCAR but racing in general. That said, this owner/driver's been around in Cup a long time, and he knows his competitive goose is cooked except for the road courses. The way the gap between rich and poor has widened, the No. 7 team doesn't have the technology, the funding, or the personnel to pull off more than the occasional top 20 finish on ovals. Fair or no, for eight of nine months out of the year Gordon's NASCAR career has become virtually irrelevant, a non-factor in a world where his model is increasingly outdated and pushed towards extinction.

So, of course we should salute him for Dakar. That's where he's successful, it's where he's talented and ultimately it's where he'll focus while figuring out the next stage of his career. But unless NASCAR makes rule changes to help his team close the gap, it's hard to see this Californian ever running full-time in stock cars again.

OK, enough of Robby. Let's move on...

Tom,

You really need to lighten up on the start and parks. Yes, for some it may be a strict, make money only model. However for most I bet you would find owners and drivers that would race the entire race if it made some economic sense. But with the price on tires, engines, crews, etc. it is the only way for these people to survive. The small purses they make hardly pay for travel, parts, building the cars, paying the rent and shop employees. The only solution to this "problem" is to increase the purses for the lower half of the field or reduce the size of the field to 35 or so. I don't think that Tommy Baldwin or Joe Nemechek are becoming wealthy under the current system.
-- Bob, California

Sure, they're not making Bill Gates money Bob; but it's still a pretty good living, and consider they're mooching off you. What about your hard-earned money these teams are using up when you're sitting in the stands? Could you imagine if all 43 teams pulled off the "start-and-park" model, running slowly single-file before pulling in after 50 of 200 laps to collect a check? Would you come to watch the races then?

I understand the motive of some of these teams; it gives crewmen jobs while sustaining the organization as they look for sponsorship. But can you name me one car that went from a start-and-park model to a successful top-10 contender? How in the world can you court sponsorship when you run cautiously off the pace, you're not shown on TV and pull the car in before the first pit stop?

It's unfortunate that great people are out of work because of NASCAR's poor economics. But fans attend a race to see great competition, not serve as a charity to help keep one-quarter of the starting field employed. When a baseball free agent is out of work and nobody signs him, there's not a 31st team formed just so these players can keep collecting a paycheck, right? For me, the whole system just doesn't make sense.

I get what you were saying on Friday about Sam Hornish, Jr. and Michael Jordan. But if you look back at the improvements Jordan made while in the minors, plus how well he was actually playing during the Winter AA ball, had it not been for the 1994 baseball strike he probably could have made the majors in his second year of baseball. He was, of course, a much better basketball player, but he was such a great athlete that he was actually becoming a good baseball player. Unlike racing, there is not a huge difference in physical shape between Indy and NASCAR drivers: you just need to be in shape. But, there is a major difference between baseball and basketball. Once Jordan got in baseball shape, he actually was improving quickly. Bottom line, we haven't seen the performance improvements from Hornish as we saw from Jordan in baseball.
-- John, Washington, D.C.

Jordan's baseball numbers from the minors (AA): 127 games, .202 average, 3 HR, 51 RBI. Sorry, friend, we'll agree to disagree; hard to believe you'd be able to make a major-league jump from that so quickly.

On Hornish, I do think you're right on the money, even more of a reason he'll be so much happier once he's forced to go back to open-wheel. I give him so much credit for sticking in there -- the only real failure in life is the failure to try -- but there comes a point where enough is enough.

Regarding your recent mailbag article, there are many J.J./No. 48 fans out here, and I am one of them! I hope J.J. wins one or two more in a row, though I don't think he will. Actually, I'd like to see someone else win one and then see J.J. come back and win the next year or so.
-- David Harding, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Appreciate your readership and your passion for the sport, David. But as a Johnson supporter, didn't you just prove my point? When even the fans of the No. 48 want someone else to win the title in '11, you know this reign of dominance isn't catching on with the public...

The only reason Danica's around is because it's politically correct. She could not have competed in open-wheel racing were it not for the lack of the qualified racers from CART in the "bush league" Hulman's grandson created. Can you imagine what A.J. Foyt would have done to her if she came down the pit lanes and threatened him; not to mention what would have happened on the track with Foyt, the Unser brothers, Mario, Rick Mears and the rest. She's a joke! I really doubt she's going to push around Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Johnson, Biffle and the rest in today's NASCAR either.
-- Don Hann, Rochester, Minn.

Pushing around Jeff Gordon? Whew! Some high expectations there; let's just see her get a top-10 finish in the "AAA" Nationwide Series first. Those in the know have told me Patrick's car was being given "Cup level" support financially in 2010, a number that was virtually unmatched except for maybe Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski. All that money ... for just one top 20? Fo' shame.

It just goes to show you even with a tint towards engineering, not driver talent, money still can't buy you everything in NASCAR. But before we start piling on Patrick, the best move JR Motorsports ever made is putting her in contact with Mark Martin. The man has a future as a driver coach, and if there's anyone that can make Patrick a weekly contender, it's his guiding hand.

As for Foyt? I shudder to think what might have happened. I'll say this much: Danica would have ended up in the wall at some point...

When did Jeff Gordon ever have pink on his car? Oh I remember... NEVER!
-- Chuck Johnson, Boiling Springs, SC

Sure he has! If you don't feel the early-to-mid 1990s version was pinkish enough, then try out this September paint scheme on for size. That's what happens when your three-year-old daughter is allowed to design the car ... although not quite as cool as the Sponsafier Seals scheme Kyle Busch ran at Richmond this Fall. THAT's a pink car we can all live with...

And finally, our "out of left field" email of the week has a musical tint...

Tom,

Thanks for keeping us updated during the offseason with solid NASCAR news.

Next time you see Mr. Gordon, you should let him know to check out an old song called "Candy Apple Red" by the Robbin Thompson Band from the late 70's (He used to play in a few early bands with Springsteen before going out on his own; maybe not such a good decision in hindsight). It would fit in very well with his new paint scheme.

Have a great holiday season.

Consider the man publicly informed, and feel free to listen to the song here. I'll be honest, though; not really sure how the lyrics apply. Feel free to write back and explain...

On another note, this album was recorded in 1980, one year before I was even born; thanks for giving me the holiday gift of reminding me how young I still am!

Before we take off, a reminder: Goodyear tire testing at Daytona is this Wednesday and Thursday, drivers testing out the new pavement extensively for the first time. And since we've got all the Robby Gordon angst going on, let's go with this week's offseason trivia question: Who's the last single-car team to win a Cup race? This one should be a piece of cake, and it comes with a reward, too: the first one to get it right gets their name in the Mailbag next Tuesday!

Trivia Answer From Last Week: Geoff Bodine lapped the field during a 1994 race at North Wilkesboro, the last time anyone has won a Cup race by a lap or more.

Tweet of the Week: "@nascar attendance is a lot better then America's #1 sport. Game is going on. You tell me #nascar #nascarwearsfire http://twitpic.com/3fcqx4"
-- Josh Jones (otherwise known as @mother_function), Kevin Harvick's business manager snapping shops from Bank of America stadium (Carolina Panthers) while trying to prove a point that every sport can suffer from empty seats

2010-09-23T21:43:00.001-07:00

Posted:

en Yahoo! News 5 144 18 http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/rss_news_logo.gif false Tue, 21 Sep 2010 06:55:09 -0700 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:35:38 -0700 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:17:37 -0700 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:32:45 -0700 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 08:17:34 -0700 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:12:32 -0700 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 07:42:32 -0700 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:12:32 -0700 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:27:33 -0700 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:16:27 -0700

“NASCAR Warns RCR About Bowyer's Winning Ride” plus 1 more

2010-09-22T21:13:00.001-07:00

“NASCAR Warns RCR About Bowyer's Winning Ride” plus 1 more

NASCAR Warns RCR About Bowyer's Winning Ride

Posted: 21 Sep 2010 06:55 AM PDT

The Associated Press

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. September 21, 2010 (AP)

NASCAR warned Richard Childress Racing that Clint Bowyer's car came close to failing inspection after his Chase-clinching drive at Richmond.

Clint Bowyer holds up a lobster in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cups Series auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010.(AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

(AP)

NASCAR scheduled a Tuesday meeting with RCR officials to go over the No. 33 Chevrolet and determine if the team had not made a mistake in its own calculations.

"They were in the box, but getting close to some of the tolerances and we asked them to come in to see if they aren't getting off on one of their build sheets," NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton told The Associated Press.

"We have had their cars in quite a bit, and they were always spot-on. This one just seemed to be different, and we felt we owed it to them to make sure they just aren't off in one area."

Bowyer's car was chosen by NASCAR for random inspection following his sixth-place finish at the Sept. 11 race. The run gave him the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which began Sunday in New Hampshire.

Bowyer won the opener to vault from 12th in the standings to second, and he's in the thick of the championship hunt.

But as his team celebrated the victory, rival teams began to gossip about a potential problem with Bowyer's car from the week before. NASCAR on Tuesday confirmed that once the car got back to its North Carolina research and development center, it was discovered that the back end of the Chevrolet was very close to the mandated tolerance levels.

NASCAR still has the car in its possession, and won't give it back to RCR until the team meets with the sanctioning body.

But Pemberton shot down speculation that RCR was given a pass because NASCAR didn't want to spoil the build up to the Chase opener.

"If there was something more to this, we would move the car under the dark of night and hide it in a crypt somewhere where nobody can see it," he said. "We're going to get criticized for everything we do anyway. People are through here all the time (R&D Center) and can see what's here. There are no shenanigans."

NASCAR warns RCR about Bowyer's car

Posted: 21 Sep 2010 07:35 AM PDT

CBSSports.com wire reports
Sep. 21, 2010

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR warned Richard Childress Racing that Clint Bowyer's car came close to failing inspection after his Chase-clinching drive at Richmond.

NASCAR scheduled a Tuesday meeting with RCR officials to go over the No. 33 Chevrolet and determine if the team had not made a mistake in its own calculations.

"We have had their cars in quite a bit, and they were always spot-on. This one just seemed to be different, and we felt we owed it to them to make sure they just aren't off in one area."

Bowyer won the opener to vault from 12th in the standings to second, and he's in the thick of the championship hunt.

NASCAR still has the car in its possession, and won't give it back to RCR until the team meets with the sanctioning body.

But Pemberton shot down speculation that RCR was given a pass because NASCAR didn't want to spoil the build up to the Chase opener.

"If there was something more to this, we would move the car under the dark of night and hide it in a crypt somewhere where nobody can see it," he said. "We're going to get criticized for everything we do anyway. People are through here all the time [R&D Center] and can see what's here. There are no shenanigans."

Even if Bowyer's car had failed inspection, it wouldn't have changed the Chase field.

The penalty for failed inspections runs anywhere from 50-to-100 points, and Bowyer had a 142-point cushion over Ryan Newman at the end of the Richmond race.

Pemberton also said Bowyer's situation was not similar to last year, when NASCAR warned Hendrick Motorsports about the cars Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson drove to wins in the first two Chase races.

In those instances, Sprint Cup Series director John Darby indicated the Hendrick teams were intentionally creeping close to the limits and left themselves "no room to breathe."

"We've not seen anything like this from [RCR] this year, and sometimes you can get something off in a particular shop," Pemberton said. "We are trying to be proactive and we want to compare their numbers to ours."

RaceTrax: Dover International Speedway NASCAR entries, schedule

2010-09-20T21:09:00.001-07:00

RaceTrax: Dover International Speedway NASCAR entries, schedule

Posted: 20 Sep 2010 03:17 PM PDT

SPRINT CUP

Friday, September 24

11:30 am – 1:00 pm – First practice

3:10 pm – Qualifying

Saturday, September 25

12:30-1:15 pm – Second practice

1:50-2:50 pm – Final practice

Sunday, September 26

1:15 pm – Green flag for the AAA 400 (400 laps, 400 miles)

NATIONWIDE SERIES

Friday, September 24

1:05–3:00 pm – Final practice

Saturday, September 25

10:35 am – Qualifying

3:30 pm – Dover 200 (200 Laps, 200 Miles)

Note: all times ET

“Mike Hillman Jr. Hoping To Make NHMS Truck Race Following Injury During K&N Pro Series East Event At NHMS” plus 1 more

2010-09-17T21:12:00.001-07:00

“Mike Hillman Jr. Hoping To Make NHMS Truck Race Following Injury During K&N Pro Series East Event At NHMS” plus 1 more

Mike Hillman Jr. Hoping To Make NHMS Truck Race Following Injury During K&N Pro Series East Event At NHMS

Posted: 17 Sep 2010 06:12 PM PDT

LOUDON, N.H. - Mike Hillman Jr. is hoping an injury sustained Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway won't hinder his ability to lead the efforts of Germain Racing's points leading Camping World Truck Series team Saturday in Loudon.

Hillman is the crew chief for series points leader Todd Bodine in the Truck series. He was injured on pit road during the K&N Pro Series East New Hampshire 125 Friday. Hillman was serving as a tire carrier for driver Zach Germain in the K&N Pro Series East event. It's unclear if Hillman was hit by a car on pit road.

Hillman was taken to the track's infield care center and then transported to a local hospital.

"Mike Hillman Jr. is awake and alert and undergoing tests at a local hospital to determine the extent of his ankle injuries," read a statement from Germain Racing delivered to a NASCAR official. "If Hillman has his say, he feels the garage opening time tomorrow will be an early wakeup call. He is very hopeful he can be with the Germain.com Tundra team tomorrow for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway."

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Fueled Up Track: Good Morning From A Slowly Waking New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Posted: 17 Sep 2010 07:42 AM PDT

LOUDON, N.H. - The rain has subsided and the track is dry at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the question now is does anybody really want to use it?

Today's on track schedule at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was scheduled to kickoff with Camping World Truck Series practice, though it's been a slow trickle of teams heading from the garage onto the 1.058-mile oval.

Word is that the jet dryers have left some diesel fuel on the track surface, leaving Truck teams tentatively testing the waters.

Fifteen minutes into the Truck practice here and six teams have headed out on the track. It's kind of an interesting sort of game of chicken going on.

Oh and word has it the Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship has begun, at least that's what all the drivers are talking about rolling in here.

Wait, maybe it's time to check that Truck entry list, maybe there's really only six teams here?

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“3-Wide: Carl Edwards enters NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup on hot streak” plus 2 more

2010-09-16T21:08:00.001-07:00

“3-Wide: Carl Edwards enters NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup on hot streak” plus 2 more

3-Wide: Carl Edwards enters NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup on hot streak
Danica Patrick is adding an East series race to her busy schedule
Danica Patrick Set To Compete In K&N Pro Series East Event Next Week At Dover International Speedway

3-Wide: Carl Edwards enters NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup on hot streak

Posted: 16 Sep 2010 10:32 AM PDT

NASCAR on FOX's own Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds invite you to listen in as they chat about drivers, crews, tracks and even local flavor.

On today's menu ...
• Listen in as the guys discuss what's on driver "To-Do" lists
• Can Tony Stewart steal the Chase?
• Watch Miss Universe contestants try to name the color of race flags
• And check out our preview of Richmond, and what that race means to Chasers.

Danica Patrick is adding an East series race to her busy schedule

Posted: 16 Sep 2010 08:17 AM PDT

Updated Sep 16, 2010 10:52 AM ET

Danica Patrick will be driving for JR Motorsports in an upcoming NASCAR K&N Pro Series race, according to an item on her Web site.

Patrick, who is driving a limited schedule for the NASCAR Nationwide Series team this season while also competing full time in the IndyCar Series, will compete in the Sept. 24 race at Dover International Speedway in preparation for the Dover 200 Nationwide race.

Patrick is making her initial foray into NASCAR this season. In six Nationwide starts, she has a top finish of 24th, which came at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway.

Danica Patrick Set To Compete In K&N Pro Series East Event Next Week At Dover International Speedway

Posted: 16 Sep 2010 09:12 AM PDT

LOUDON, N.H. - Matt Kobyluck, meet Danica Patrick.

One of the most recognizable names in motorsports in the country will be taking the track with the drivers of the K&N Pro Series East next week at Dover International Speedway.

Patrick has announced that she will compete in a JR Motorsports owned car in the K&N Pro Series East Sunoco 150 next Friday at Dover. It will mark her debut in the NASCAR developmental division. Kobyluck, of Montville, was the 2008 champion in the division.

The Dover event marks the season finale for the division.

Patrick, who competes full-time in the IZOD IndyCar Series, has been competing part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series throughout the 2010 season for the JR Motorsports, the owned by Sprint Cup Series star Dale Earnhardt Jr. She is scheduled to run the Nationwide event at Dover next Saturday.

Patrick has started six Nationwide events this season, with an average finish of 30.5.

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Triple Duty Awaits Eddie MacDonald This Weekend At New Hampshire Motor Speedway

2010-09-14T21:33:00.001-07:00

Triple Duty Awaits Eddie MacDonald This Weekend At New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Posted: 14 Sep 2010 01:27 PM PDT

Rowley, Mass. driver Eddie MacDonald will be a busy man when he heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for this weekend's Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 racing card.

MacDonald is on the entry list for Friday's K&N Pro Series East New Hampshire 125 and Saturday's Camping World Truck Series TheRaceDayRaffleSeries 175 and the second American-Canadian Tour Invitational.

MacDonald, who won both the K&N Pro Series East event and the ACT Invitational on last September's card at NHMS, is looking to make his Camping World Truck Series debut.

The weekend will start Thursday for MacDonald with qualifying for the K&N Pro Series East event. The K&N Pro Series East event is scheduled to run at about 5 p.m. on Friday.

Qualifying for the Truck Series race will be at 10 a.m. The Truck Series event is schedule for 3 p.m. with the 60-lap ACT Invitational to follow immediately after the conclusion of the truck race.

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Vin Esposito Wins In Late Models At Waterford; Jeff Smith Punches Ticket To New Hampshire With Third

2010-09-11T21:39:00.001-07:00

Vin Esposito Wins In Late Models At Waterford; Jeff Smith Punches Ticket To New Hampshire With Third

Posted: 11 Sep 2010 07:42 PM PDT

WATERFORD - Vin Esposito held off Bruce Thomas Jr. and Jeff Smith over the last stages to win the 30-lap Late Model feature Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

It was the second victory of the season for Esposito of Seymour. His first victory of the year came on May 29. Thomas, of Groton, was second and Smith, of Old Lyme, third.

Smith had said earlier in the evening that as long as he got through the feature without wrecking he would accept his invitation to compete in the second American-Canadian Tour Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The 60-lap event is scheduled for next Saturday at NHMS as part of the Sprint Cup Series weekend card at the track. It will mark Smith's first competitive action at NHMS.

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“Edwards wins Richmond pole” plus 1 more

2010-09-10T21:20:00.001-07:00

“Edwards wins Richmond pole” plus 1 more

Edwards wins Richmond pole

Posted: 10 Sep 2010 06:16 PM PDT

Published: Sept. 10, 2010 at 9:08 PM

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Carl Edwards, winless in his last 61 Sprint Cup Series races, won the pole Friday for Saturday's running of the Air Guard 400.

The race will determine the 12 drivers who will take part in the 10-event Chase for the Championship, which begins next week in New Hampshire.

Edwards turned in a lap of 127.762 mph around the Richmond International Raceway for his second pole of the season and the sixth of his career.

Juan Pablo Montoya was .051 of a second slower around the three-quarter mile oval and will start on the outside of Edwards.

A.J. Allmendinger qualified third and Clint Bowyer was fourth. Bowyer is in the 12th and final qualifying spot for the championship chase but he has a comfortable 117-point cushion over Ryan Newman. If Bowyer can finish among the top 28 Saturday he will make the chase no matter what Newman does.

The top 10 in the points standings have clinched their spots in the chase and Greg Biffle, who is 11th, is all but assured of being a part of the race for the Sprint Cup season title.

Edwards wins pole for Saturday night at Richmond

Posted: 10 Sep 2010 04:47 PM PDT

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Fall guy
Dale Jr. tired of his performance being a joke.
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- 3-Wide: What's on driver to-do lists?
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Leading off
Where will your favorite take off from at Richmond?
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- Meet the Chasers and the wannabes
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Dream pursuit
Win race. Win Cup championship.
- 3-Wide: Watch out for Tony Stewart
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- Owens: Missing Chase hurts pride, wallets
- /nascar/story/Missing-NASCAR-Chase-hurts-drivers-pride-and-wallets

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It's all good
Forget the Chase, McMurray's focusing on the big picture.
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- Atlanta highlights
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Here's your champ
Is the winner already clear?
- Owens: Missing Chase hurts pride, wallets
- /nascar/story/Missing-NASCAR-Chase-hurts-drivers-pride-and-wallets
- Owens: Chase format still confusing
- /nascar/story/NASCAR-Chase-for-the-Sprint-Cup-points-system-still-confusing-083110

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One last test
Richmond promises to be a pre-Chase battle.
- 3-Wide: Watch out for Tony Stewart
- http://msn.foxsports.com/video/shows/3-wide?vid=bd04d541-c433-44b1-b463-fe72de0a7545
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- Video
- McReynolds: Richmond is Chase prep race
- /nascar/story/NASCAR-Chase-for-the-Sprint-Cup-drivers-look-for-momentum-at-Richmond-International-Raceway-090810

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3 Wide: Richmond Posted: Sep 10, 2010
Will the Chase field change? The 3 Wide gang discusses, plus hear their takes on...

Under the Hood: Chase locked? Posted: Sep 07, 2010
FOXSports.com's Lee Spencer on who will make the chase, what's up with Ryan Newm...

3 Wide: Smoking hot Posted: Sep 09, 2010
Tony Stewart has momentum on his side after his Atlanta win. The 3 Wide crew on ...

Martin pushes forward Posted: Sep 08, 2010
Mark Martin talks about his rough year, how the No. 5 team is still continuing t...

3 Wide: Nothing to Lose Posted: Sep 10, 2010
There are drivers with nothing to lose now that the Chase field is pretty much s...

“Watkins Glen dropped from 2011 IndyCar schedule” plus 1 more

2010-09-09T21:19:00.001-07:00

“Watkins Glen dropped from 2011 IndyCar schedule” plus 1 more

Watkins Glen dropped from 2011 IndyCar schedule

Posted: 09 Sep 2010 08:38 AM PDT

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- The IndyCar Series is not returning to Watkins Glen International next season.

Watkins Glen International president Michael Printup says it was "a joint business decision" between track officials and the IndyCar Series. It also dropped Homestead from the 2011 schedule, which will be released Friday.

Printup says Watkins Glen will keep the door open for discussions with the IndyCar Series beyond 2011.

Watkins Glen has been a mecca for open-wheel racing, hosting Formula One's U.S. Grand Prix from 1961-80 and CART IndyCar events from 1979-81.

The IndyCar Series began racing at Watkins Glen in 2005, the track's first open-wheel event in 24 years.

Keith Rocco Looking To Clinch Second Stafford Motor Speedway SK Modified Championship Friday

Posted: 09 Sep 2010 04:12 PM PDT

With the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship already clinched in August, Keith Rocco goes looking to clinch another 2010 title Friday night at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Rocco, of Wallingford, needs to finish 12th or better in the 40-lap SK Modified feature at Stafford to clinch his second SK Modified championship at the track.

"We weren't really paying attention to that, I guess that will be a nice bonus if we can finish in the top-12 on Friday," Rocco said.

With three events remaining this season, Rocco takes a 122 point lead over Woody Pitkat into Friday's event.

Rocco has nine victories in 17 races this year at Stafford with 14 top-5 finishes and 16 top-10's.

"You always have high expectations at the beginning of the year, but we never figured on winning nine times this year," said Rocco, who also won an SK Modified division title at Stafford in 2008

Rocco is also slated to compete in the Shark Cycle 100 Friday at Stafford, which will makr the first appearance at the track for the Modified Racing Series

"Stafford is one of our home tracks and hopefully it will work out to our advantage having a lot of laps at Stafford," Rocco said. "We've been struggling with the chassis on that car the couple of times that we've ran it this year, but we'll get it."

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“AP Source: Homestead off 2011 IRL schedule” plus 1 more

2010-09-08T21:06:00.001-07:00

“AP Source: Homestead off 2011 IRL schedule” plus 1 more

AP Source: Homestead off 2011 IRL schedule

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 01:29 PM PDT

CBSSports.com wire reports
Sep. 8, 2010

MIAMI -- Homestead-Miami Speedway is off the 2011 Indy Racing League schedule, a decision that some of the series' top drivers are not thrilled about.

A person with knowledge of the IRL's 2011 plan told the Associated Press on Wednesday that Homestead is not among the venues selected to host a race next year. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because IndyCar officials do not plan to release the full schedule for the coming season until Friday.

Homestead was IRL's traditional opening site for much of the past decade, hosted the series championship-deciding finale in 2009 and will be where the final race of this year takes place on Oct. 2.

"For me, obviously, I don't know the logistics of what happened so it's hard to criticize one part or another," driver Tony Kanaan told the AP. "To me, it's a shame. It's like losing my home race. It's the race all my friends get to see. It's the only race a lot of people here can afford to go see. It's the only opportunity I have to invite people to watch."

Kanaan, who said he was previously made aware of IndyCar's decision about Homestead, is one of 10 IRL drivers with homes in South Florida.

"It's a shame," Kanaan said. "That's my personal view. It's a shame."

Other drivers, including reigning IRL champion Dario Franchitti and longtime Homestead visitor Scott Dixon, said earlier this week they were hopeful South Florida would remain on the series schedule. It's been widely expected for several weeks that Las Vegas will replace Homestead as site of the 2011 IRL finale, but there were talks about Homestead occupying another date on next year's calendar.

"I'll be sad if we don't come back here," Franchitti said Monday during a visit to Homestead.

Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matt Becherer told the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce at a Wednesday luncheon that the track generates $331 million annually for the South Florida economy, saying $250 million of that came directly from NASCAR's annual championship weekend.

Operated by International Speedway Corporation, Homestead hosts the finales for all three of NASCAR's series, and Becherer said there was a "very real" threat made earlier this year by rival track owner Bruton Smith to lure the Sprint Cup championship to his facility in Las Vegas.

"He wants our race badly. Very badly," Becherer told the Miami chamber Wednesday. "There's going to come a time where we're going to have to respond to these threats. What's at stake is simply too high."

Becherer did not mention anything about the IRL's plans for 2011 and beyond at Homestead in his 12-minute address Wednesday.

Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., said last weekend that Homestead, about a 30-minute drive south of downtown Miami, isn't a worthy site for championship events. He referred to the track's location as "North Cuba" and indicated that he expected the IRL finale to be in Las Vegas for at least 2011.

"I've worked really hard to promote the Homestead race," Kanaan said. "I've seen the growth of the public there. We announced the unification of the series there in 2008. It's part of the new history of the new league and it's a track that I heart a lot. We're not filling the place like the Cup guys do, but it's increasing."

Kanaan is hopeful something can be worked out for 2012.

"I will do whatever it takes," Kanaan said. "I work for my team and I work for the league, but if there's something that can be done, I'll be the first one to do it."

Big names like Martin won't make Chase for reason

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 05:21 PM PDT

The field for this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup is all but decided, with only two spots in the 12-driver lineup officially up for grabs.

But unless Greg Biffle gets kidnapped before Saturday night's race in Richmond and Clint Bowyer's car breaks down on the pace lap, the final two berths are also sewn up.

Many believe the dozen who will compete for this year's championship beginning next weekend in New Hampshire make up one of the closest title fields since the format was introduced in 2004. I'm not going as far as to say it will be a wide-open race to win the crown, but in my mind there are at least a half-dozen drivers who have a legitimate shot.

But what about those who were expected to be in this year's Chase and will instead simply watch the championship be decided over the final 10 races? The Chase Class of 2010 will be missing several drivers who looked like locks when the year began in Daytona.

There is a variety of reasons some of the biggest names in the sport won't have a chance to compete for a title this season:

Mark Martin

In many ways, Martin not making the Chase is the biggest shock of the season. After a storybook 2009 in which the popular veteran driver came within an eyelash of his first career Cup crown, Martin seemed like a slam dunk to return for another chance this season. But even the vaunted Hendrick Motorsports camp is susceptible to disappointment, and Martin hasn't been able to show anything close to the consistency he had on nearly a weekly basis last year. Frustration seemed to mount within the Martin camp during the summer months, and the wheels came off completely. Martin will likely fall way short of the elite 12.

Ryan Newman

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver still holds out hope of making up a 117-point deficit and catching Bowyer for the final Chase spot, but it would take extraordinary circumstances for that to happen. Like Martin, Newman came into the campaign riding high from a stellar 2009, his first driving for Tony Stewart's team. Crashes and mechanical issues have plagued Newman, who, despite winning at Phoenix in April, has rarely been in contention for Victory Lane.

Juan Pablo Montoya

Last season's Chase darling has fallen on hard times and was never a serious contender for a playoff berth. Montoya and crew chief Brian Pattie put together a perfect, if conservative, regular-season plan in 2009 that earned a spot in the Chase field. The reins came off when the playoffs started, but Montoya faded from contention late in the title run, a trend that unfortunately followed into the start of the new season.

Kasey Kahne

The bright spot at Richard Petty Motorsports last season, when be brought The King two wins, was the center of controversy from the beginning of 2010. Kahne made rumblings about his unhappiness with RPM's direction early in the year, which snowballed into a much-ballyhooed parting of the ways and tug-of-war with team owner Rick Hendrick, who signed Kahne to a deal that wouldn't start until 2012. Speculation and discussion about where Kahne would spend his limbo season next year, ultimately winding up at Team Red Bull, took the focus off the matter at hand with the No. 9 Ford, and Kahne is doing his best to finish his reign with Petty in the top 20.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Year 3 of the "Great Dale JR Mystery" rolls on at Hendrick Motorsports, with Earnhardt no closer to being a Chase contender than he was at the end of his DEI tenure. Earnhardt sniffed a Chase berth around the midway point of the regular season but fell back into a string of inconsistent performances and poor finishes that will once again keep the sport's most popular driver out of championship contention. Although team owner Hendrick once again gave Earnhardt and crew chief Lance McGrew a vote of confidence a few days ago and vowed not to tinker with the team's chemistry, unless there's marked improvement over the course of the final 10 races, I'd expect Mr. H to change his stance during the offseason.

Garage Chatter

• Walmart continues its negotiations with NASCAR about a potential marketing and merchandising partnership to begin in 2011. The company had been in negotiations with Hendrick about potentially sponsoring Jeff Gordon's entry but those talks have ended. Speculation is the world's largest retailer will enter into a licensing agreement with the sanctioning body to carry collectibles and other souvenir merchandise.

• Also on the sponsorship front, Tony Stewart is close to picking up Mobil 1 backing to fill the void left on his Cup entry by the departure of Old Spice. And Quaker State has signed a four-race deal to adorn Mark Martin's ride in 2011.

• An open test will take place at Daytona International Speedway January 17-19 as teams get an opportunity to run on the track's newly installed asphalt surface. NASCAR is also considering a return to some form of limited testing perhaps allowing teams to participate in five or six open sessions held at various facilities throughout the season. Should that policy be put into place, NASCAR would limit organizations from private tests held at non-sanctioned tracks like Georgia's Gresham Motorsports Park, Virginia International Raceway, Rockingham Speedway or The Milwaukee Mile.

• Speaking of Milwaukee, the historic track will find its way back onto the IZOD IndyCar schedule in 2011. An official announcement is planned for Friday at which time the entire series slate will be unveiled. Milwaukee had been off the IndyCar slate for two years due to financial issues at the Wisconsin State Fair facility. Chicagoland Speedway will join Kansas, Watkins Glen and Homestead as tracks on this year's schedule dropped by the series.

• A 20-race 2011 Formula One Series schedule was announced this week which includes a new stop in India. The lone North American stop remains in Canada on June 12 but plans are still in place for the United States Grand Prix to return in 2012 at a state-of-the-art facility being built in Austin, Texas.

Mann becomes 2nd woman to win Indy Lights race

2010-09-04T21:12:00.001-07:00

Mann becomes 2nd woman to win Indy Lights race

Posted: 04 Sep 2010 06:54 PM PDT

CBSSports.com wire reports
Sep. 4, 2010

SPARTA, Ky. -- Pippa Mann became the second female driver to win an Indy Lights race, dominating the 100-mile event at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday night.

Mann started from the pole and led all 67 laps to pick up her first career win, beating James Hinchcliffe by 6.83 seconds. Series points leader J.K. Vernay was third.

The 27-year-old Mann joins Ana Beatriz as the only female drivers to win in IndyCar's main development series. Beatriz won at Iowa and Nashville in 2009.

Mann nearly won at Chicagoland last week but was nosed out at the finish by Hinchcliffe.

Danica Patrick is the only female driver to win an IndyCar race, taking the checkered flag at Motegi in 2008.

Veteran Tracy to drive for Dreyer & Reinbold

2010-08-31T21:27:00.001-07:00

Veteran Tracy to drive for Dreyer & Reinbold

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 10:29 AM PDT

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 31, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar veteran Paul Tracy has signed a two-race deal to drive for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. He will drive the No. 24 car at Kentucky on Saturday and in the race in Motegi on Sept. 18.

Tracy has competed in three races this year, including a 14th-place finish driving the No. 24 at Watkins Glen in July. He will drive for Mike Conway, who is recuperating from injuries at the Indy 500 in May.

The 41-year-old Tracy has 31 victories in major open-wheel series but has not raced regularly since 2007. He finished sixth in his last IndyCar start in Edmonton on July 25.

Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about heading to Atlanta

2010-08-30T21:10:00.001-07:00

Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about heading to Atlanta

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 11:47 AM PDT

Updated Aug 30, 2010 2:50 PM ET

August 30 news and notes

From the editors' desks ... — Noon ET

The NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers enjoyed a rare off weekend, but there was plenty of action for fans.

The Camping World Truck Series headed to Chicagoland Speedway, where the racing turned into a hot contest with a familiar face in Victory Lane.

Kyle Busch pushed his recent surge to four wins in a row after battling points leader Todd Bodine and taking the win. With the victory, Busch proved why the FOX Sports team of Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond say NASCAR needs this guy.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series took the show to the road course Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. While defending race winner Carl Edwards and road-ace Marcos Ambrose enjoyed some laps at the front, this race became a duel of road-course specialists. In the end, Boris Said held off Max Papis to take the win. ( Highlights)

And where were the Cup drivers and teams? Waltrip, McReynolds and Hammond discussed how vital proper usage of this final off weekend could be to Chase teams.

On the news front, Indy Racing League CEO Randy Bernard said that the organization would be open to allowing suspended NASCAR driver Shane Hmiel compete in its ranks.

Now, the Sprint Cup teams turn their attention to Atlanta Motor Speedway and the pair of races remaining before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins.

Can Hendrick Motorsports get back on track? Is Kevin Harvick the Chase favorite? And who will lock into the field at Atlanta?

What will happen next? Stay logged on to FOXSports.com all week long – we've got you covered.

— Jorge A. Mondaca and Rea White

IndyCar boss Bernard opens up about future, Hmiel and more

2010-08-29T21:13:00.001-07:00

IndyCar boss Bernard opens up about future, Hmiel and more

Posted: 29 Aug 2010 01:17 PM PDT

Lee Spencer is senior NASCAR writer for FOXSports.com. She also is a correspondent for "Around the Track" on FOX Sports Net.

Updated Aug 29, 2010 3:24 PM ET

FOXSports.com recently sat down with Indy League Racing CEO Randy Bernard to discuss a variety of topics.

Bernard, 43, took part in a Texas Motor Speedway announcement on August 17 along with track president Eddie Gossage and NASCAR Chairman Brian France. Along with IndyCar's 2011 TMS race dates, Bernard unveiled his plan to run two races, crowning two separate winners in one day – a concept that's been dormant for nearly two decades.

Prior to assuming his new post with the IRL, Bernard spent 15 years as the CEO of Professional Bull Riders, Inc. Bernard humbly admits he's still getting acclimated to his new job.

FOXSPORTS.COM: How has your time been with the Indy Racing League so far?

BERNARD: It feels like five months, going on five years (laughs). It has been fantastic. It's just a huge learning curve. I've spent so much time wanting to learn the sport and you're not going to learn it overnight. My job is, first and foremost, to be a marketer. This event that Eddie announced played right into that. We have to be able create brand identity that allows fans new and different reasons to travel down to Texas or want to make sure they're in front of the TV set when this comes on TV. That's our biggest goal right now is to create brand identity at specific events and create compelling storylines.

To wrap my tenure up, it's been a remarkable time – very educational. The fans have been so welcoming. It's been so heartwarming to me to see so many fans. Everybody just wants to see it grow -- that's the big thing. Maybe I shouldn't say everybody – there have been a lot of critics out there. But most of the people that send me emails want to see this sport take off.

FOXSPORTS.COM: For the past three years, NASCAR has been touting a "Back to Basics" approach to racing. You announced that IndyCar will bring back a two-races-in-one-day deal that hasn't been run in open wheel for 19 years when Roger Mears won both races while driving for Roger Penske. Why is it important to take a step back and embrace the fans that might have been loss along the way?

BERNARD: I know we lost 15 to 20 million fans in the mid-90s, especially during the divorce (when Tony George resigned from the CART board of directors in 1994 and formed the IRL). We know they didn't die. They're out there. In my opinion, that's low lying fruit. It's my job to make sure that those are the first ones that we can go back and get. We need to make sure we give them a reason to come back and want to watch our sport. We have to make it entertaining. We have to make it competitive and exciting.

The other thing we've seen even before the split, we saw CART alienating a lot of American fans by bringing so many Europeans in and going to the road courses. It's very important for us to make sure we reach the Americana crowd and go back to our roots with traditions just like this and reach out to the USAC and dirt tracks and create some roads up our ladder system that also helps us bring up sprint and USAC drivers. That's important. Everyone comes to me and says we need more American drivers. My point is, "Yes, that's great. But as a sanctioning body we need the best drivers in the world. Period." If they're from Brazil, so be it. Our top priority is that we have the best. That's how we promote it. That's what we need the perception to be. Now what we need to do is go out and make sure we have a ladder system that allows Americans to a way to come up here instead of going to other series around the world.

FOXSPORTS.COM: NASCAR is no longer an option for Shane Hmiel, who failed three drug tests and is banned for life. But he is one of the young hot kids in USAC and he's looking for another chance. Is IndyCar a place where he could make his mark?

BERNARD: You bet! I'm excited to see Shane compete with us. Everyone says he's a great driver and we're going to give him a chance. I think that's very important. Everyone deserves a chance and we're committed to making sure that he has that opportunity. He's exactly what I'm talking about. He's a dirt track, short track, Americana and if he makes it over here it's going to be a great storyline. And that's the type of thing that we need to develop, the embrace him and give him the opportunity to succeed.

FOXSPORTS.COM: There's been recent talk of a drivers association developing in IndyCar with your champion (Dario Franchitti) at the forefront. What are your thoughts about that?

BERNARD: I think it's great. They came to me before the big meeting, met with me in Watkins Glen and asked my opinion. I said, "Look, I love it. Twenty-four minds are better than one." When you get together, there are going to be some great things about it and some not such great things about it. What we have to do as a sport is to look at what is in the best interest for us going forward long term.. At the same time, if you bring us great ideas, there's no reason why we'd turn them down. If we can create better relationships with the drivers, it's a win-win.

I encouraged it. The Bull Riders did the same thing and it worked very well. This isn't about my ego or our ego as a property and we make the rules and that's how it's going to be. My philosophy is "Hey, if we can be better, let's fix it." If they come up with something that's great, let's make changes and do it right away.

FOXSPORTS.COM: Did you have an open door policy with the Bull Riders?

BERNARD: I had a very big open door policy. I didn't come from the Bull Riding world either so that was totally new to me. I learned real quick that there's a lot of experts. You learn real quickly who the ones are that you can trust and who you have respect for, have great ideas and are in it for the best interest of the sport and some of them are selfish and have their own hidden agendas behind it. It's very important to bounce it off enough people that you have a solution that will help that sport grow. There are times when you're going to have to tell people, "No" and that you respect any way.

FOXSPORTS.COM: Have you had a chance to spend time with Brian France?

BERNARD: Brian and I have been friends for a long time. We did business together back around 2002 with his company in L.A. and a guy named Robert Hollander (vice chairman of Brand Sense). I have tremendous amount of respect for Brian.

Good gosh, with all of Brian's responsibilities to see that sport grow, I don't know how he sleeps at night. He's always been very fair to me, very direct and very honest. I've always enjoyed working with him.

“Milwaukee Mile Could Return to IndyCar” plus 3 more

2010-08-28T21:08:00.001-07:00

“Milwaukee Mile Could Return to IndyCar” plus 3 more

Milwaukee Mile Could Return to IndyCar
Franchitti rolls dice to earn victory at Chicagoland
Franchitti claims Chicagoland IndyCar win
IndyCar CEO: Milwaukee might return to schedule

Milwaukee Mile Could Return to IndyCar

Posted: 28 Aug 2010 03:55 PM PDT

The Associated Press
Post a Comment

By CHRIS JENKINS AP Sports Writer

JOLIET, Ill. August 28, 2010 (AP)

A race fans walks past a Danica Patrick advertisement before the IRL Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 auto race at ChicagoLand Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

(AP)

One of the country's most historic auto racing tracks might be making a comeback, as IndyCar officials are talking to potential promoters about getting the Milwaukee Mile back on the schedule.

Milwaukee could replace Chicagoland Speedway as an IndyCar venue, although it remains unclear whether a deal can be put together for next season — and, if so, when the reconstituted race would be held.

Speaking to reporters before Saturday night's race at Chicagoland, IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said "several" promoters are interested in bringing the series back to Milwaukee.

"I want that event bad," Bernard said.

The track withdrew from hosting major racing events this year after previous track promoters ran into financial problems and the Wisconsin State Fair Park board of directors could not find a suitable replacement.

The Mile began hosting auto racing events in 1903, and has held IndyCar and the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck series in recent years. It is most closely linked to Indy-style racing, traditionally hosting a race the weekend after the Indianapolis 500.

"I think that we have a tremendous fan base that feels like we left them behind, and I think that this is a step forward to make sure tradition stays a part of IndyCar," Bernard said.

At this point, Bernard doesn't seem to be counting on any financial help from the state of Wisconsin.

"The state would like to help us," Bernard said. "The state's in a pickle in their own mind. I never want to be a parasite to any state. I don't think that's fair to the state, (and) I don't think it looks good upon IndyCar. But it has to be viable. So right now, we're trying to figure out how we make this event viable with what we have to work with."

Bernard also has held meetings with representatives from track ownership group International Speedway Corp. about IndyCar's future at Chicagoland, but he didn't sound optimistic on Saturday.

Franchitti rolls dice to earn victory at Chicagoland

Posted: 28 Aug 2010 07:07 PM PDT

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 28, 2010

JOLIET, Ill. -- A strategy gamble put Dario Franchitti in position to win. And thanks to an uncharacteristic pit stop blunder by Team Penske for points leader Will Power, Franchitti still has a chance at the championship.

Franchitti's crew saved time on their final pit stop by choosing not to change tires, putting him out in front for a late-race restart. The driver did the rest, holding on to win Saturday's IndyCar series race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Power still had a shot at the win -- until he started running out of fuel with five laps to go and had to make an extra pit stop. He finished 16th, opening the door for Franchitti in the championship race.

"It's going to be a fight," Franchitti said. "I think it's going to be a fight to the wire."

Power came into Chicagoland leading by 59 points with four races to go. Going into next Saturday's race at Kentucky Speedway, Franchitti has whittled Power's lead to 23 points.

"It's going to be interesting, these last three," Franchitti said.

Dan Wheldon finished second, followed by Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan.

Danica Patrick finished 14th.

Power's crew apparently didn't get enough fuel in the car to make it to the end of the race during their last scheduled pit stop. It almost certainly cost them a top-three finish, and now his team has to hope it doesn't end up costing them the championship.

"That was just a mistake that we couldn't afford," Power said. "This obviously makes things tougher for the championship, but we're still in front and we proved how competitive we can be on the ovals. We'll move on and we will work harder next week at Kentucky."

Beginning with Chicagoland, the final four races of the season all are on oval tracks, and Power is considered a stronger driver on road courses than he is on ovals.

So he was encouraged by his strong driving performance on Saturday, even if it didn't get him a good finish.

"I never thought I could race ovals like that," Power said in a postrace television interview.

But when it comes to racing on ovals, Power might still have some respect to earn among fellow drivers. Wheldon admitted he spent more time working with Franchitti because the veteran was more predictable in the pack.

"It was difficult to drive with Will," Wheldon said. "He was not giving me any room at all."

Franchitti appreciated Wheldon's help.

"Dan was great," Franchitti said. "Just pushed me along a little bit."

Power hardly was racing conservatively to protect his points lead, going three-wide for the lead with Wheldon and Andretti with about 50 laps to go.

With Power in the lead and Andretti stuck to his rear wing, Alex Lloyd spun out with 31 laps to go, bringing out a caution. That allowed all the leaders to make their final pit stop.

Franchitti's crew gambled by only taking fuel and opting not to change tires, gaining eight spots in the pits and sending him out in the race lead. Franchitti didn't know what his crew had planned when he went on to pit road, and said his crew didn't make the call until he was a few pit stalls from stopping.

Power had a quick stop, but his crew knew right away that they might not have put enough fuel in the car to make it the rest of the way. Now Franchitti senses he has a shot at the title.

"It's far from over," Franchitti said.

Patrick was one of five female drivers in the race.

"I just didn't have enough speed to stay with the lead pack," Patrick said. "It's tough to end the event like this because we were really competitive and I thought we'd have more out there tonight."

It was a strong outing for Sarah Fisher, who briefly led near the race's halfway point and was able to hang in the top five for several laps - something Franchitti's crew might have noted before they decided to stay out on old tires. She slipped back in the pack when she had to make a pit stop on lap 113 and finished 15th.

Milka Duno finished 19th, Simona De Silvestro finished 23rd and Ana Beatriz finished 24th.

Franchitti claims Chicagoland IndyCar win

Posted: 28 Aug 2010 08:25 PM PDT

Published: Aug. 28, 2010 at 11:07 PM

JOLIET, Ill., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Dario Franchitti took a late lead and then held on Saturday to claim the Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Franchitti took a big stride toward defending his IZOD IndyCar Series title with the victory, during which he opted not to take on new tires amid a late-race round of pit stops under caution.

He held off challenges from Dan Wheldon and Marco Andretti in the last 25 laps and collected his third victory of the season.

Current points leader Will Power had to pit unexpectedly for fuel with four laps left and ended in 16th place. He saw his lead over Franchitti trimmed to 23 points with three races to go.

Wheldon finished second, Andretti ended up in third, Ryan Hunter-Reay came in fourth and Tony Kanaan claimed the fifth spot.

IndyCar CEO: Milwaukee might return to schedule

Posted: 28 Aug 2010 03:29 PM PDT

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 28, 2010

JOLIET, Ill. -- One of the country's most historic auto racing tracks might be making a comeback, with IndyCar officials talking to potential promoters about putting the Milwaukee Mile back on the schedule.

Milwaukee could replace Chicagoland Speedway as an IndyCar venue, although it remains unclear whether a deal can be put together for next season -- and, if so, when the reconstituted race would be held.

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said before Saturday night's race at Chicagoland that "several" promoters are interested in bringing the series back to Milwaukee.

"I want that event bad," Bernard said.

"I think that we have a tremendous fan base that feels like we left them behind, and I think that this is a step forward to make sure tradition stays a part of IndyCar," Bernard said.

At this point, Bernard doesn't seem to be counting on any financial help from the state of Wisconsin.

"The state would like to help us," Bernard said. "The state's in a pickle in their own mind. I never want to be a parasite to any state. I don't think that's fair to the state, [and] I don't think it looks good upon IndyCar. But it has to be viable. So right now, we're trying to figure out how we make this event viable with what we have to work with."

Bernard also has held meetings with representatives from track ownership group International Speedway Corp. about IndyCar's future at Chicagoland, but he didn't sound optimistic on Saturday.

"ISC has their primary objectives and IndyCar has their primary objectives, and I'm not sure if we're all on the same page right now," Bernard said. "But we still have a great relationship with ISC going forward, and we're still trying to figure out what that would be."

Chicagoland is moving its NASCAR Sprint Cup series race to September to kick off the season-ending championship Chase next year, making it unlikely that the track would host another major event in late August.

And given the proximity of the markets, Bernard isn't sure the IndyCar series needs to be in the Chicago area and Milwaukee.

"It would most likely be Chicago or Milwaukee possibly," Bernard said. "I mean, I don't know if we need both."

The full 2011 IndyCar schedule could be announced in the next few weeks.

Briscoe slips

Ryan Briscoe dominated the first half of Saturday's race and wound up leading 113 laps on the night. But the Team Penske driver said he lost a few spots on the final round of pits stops and finished 11th.

"That was a wild night," Briscoe said. "The Team Penske car was great running out front and I was able to run fast on my own. After that last stop, we lost a little track position. I tried everything that I could, but my car was just not as good in traffic."

Briscoe had a frightening crash at Chicagoland early in his career, but it is turning out to be one of his best tracks. He came into the weekend as the defending race winner, then took pole position in qualifying on Friday - this third straight pole at the track.

Car concerns

Bernard was dealing with other issues Saturday, meeting with IndyCar team owners to listen to concerns about the series' long-term switch to a new chassis design.

"I think that when you invest this type of money into a series, every one of these team owners have millions and millions of dollars invested," Bernard said. "They have sponsors, they have drivers, they have fan bases. ... Combine all those factors, you're going to get a tremendous amount of emotion and passion, and I expect this."

Team owner Dennis Reinbold said owners are committed to working with IndyCar on their concerns, many of which are related to what it will cost to run the new chassis.

"There's a lot of concern from the owners that we've got a shot here to really build our series and keep the momentum going, so we wanted to get our heads together," Reinbold said.

Spark plugs

James Hinchcliffe won the Indy Lights series race on Saturday afternoon while wearing a lighthearted good luck charm on his racing shoes. One shoe had the word "stop" written in marker on a small piece of duct tape, and the other said "go." ... Bernard is scheduled to take a trip to Europe, meeting with several automakers and other automotive industry companies about the possibility of participating in the series down the road.

Briscoe wins Chicagoland pole

2010-08-27T21:28:00.001-07:00

Briscoe wins Chicagoland pole

Posted: 27 Aug 2010 06:55 PM PDT

Published: Aug. 27, 2010 at 9:43 PM

JOLIET, Ill., Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Ryan Briscoe won his third Chicagoland Speedway pole in as many years Friday and will start out front in Saturday's 300-mile race.

The IndyCar Series debuted its new qualifying procedure for oval-track races, in which the competitors turn in two laps to determine an average speed.

Briscoe's average was 216.346 mph, giving him his third pole of the season and the 11th of his IndyCar career. All three poles this season have come on 1 1/2-mile ovals -- Kansas, Texas and Chicagoland.

Briscoe won this race last year and was third in 2008.

Defending series champion Dario Franchitti qualified second, followed by Will Power, Helio Castroneves, Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal.

Power is the current points leader and is coming off his victory last week in the final road race of the season in Sonoma, Calif.

Time off ahead of Chase perfect timing for Cup series

2010-08-25T21:28:00.001-07:00

Time off ahead of Chase perfect timing for Cup series

Posted: 25 Aug 2010 07:45 PM PDT

The Sprint Cup Series enjoys its final off weekend of the year before a stretch of 12 consecutive weekends that will include the Chase and season championship race at Homestead the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

The respite will only be a memory at this time last year when the schedule calls for the Cup division to run 17 straight weeks from the end of July to the middle of November. That's probably why it's no coincidence the majority of drivers and teams are on extended vacations this week hoping to enjoy the precious downtime.

But the wheels of the rest of the racing world roll on with a number of stories and situations:

• The Nationwide Series heads north of the border for the fourth time in Sunday's NAPA 200 at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In a short time the Canadian stop has grown into one of the circuit's most popular and successful events with the historic track expected to host a crowd in excess of 75,000 on Sunday. The good news -- at this point -- is the weekend weather forecast appears to be dry and the God awful experiment of racing stock cars in the rain won't be repeated. As always there's an interesting mix of veterans, young drivers and road racing specialists in the field including the likes of Max Papis, Patrick Carpentier, Boris Said, Jacques Villeneuve, Ron Fellows and Andrew Ranger on the entry list. Many of that group have the benefit of being in competitive equipment including Papis with Kevin Harvick Inc., Villeneuve with Braun Racing and Fellows in a JR Motorsports entry. The possibility of a road racer stealing the spotlight on Sunday is very strong.

• Nothing is confirmed but NASCAR appears closer to announcing its Nationwide Series policy next season regarding the participation of Sprint Cup regulars. While drivers from the sport's top division will not be limited in their number of Nationwide races, they most likely won't be eligible for the series championship. Carl Edwards proclaimed his intention of running a full-time Nationwide slate again in 2011 even if he were banned from a title run. It will be interesting to see the level of other Cup drivers' involvement once a final decision is made. Some prominent team owners including Kelly Earnhardt of JR Motorsports aren't sure what the impact will be. "We obviously have Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. run our car, and we leverage his participation on our team a ton and I know other teams do," Earnhardt said of Cup drivers. "I don't think a quick decision on that is necessary. I think it's something we need to really think about strategically that we can make the series more healthy for the long haul and not just the short term."

• Nationwide teams will have the challenge of running the next generation car for the full schedule in 2011 and do so with less prize money on the line. NASCAR announced plans to cut Nationwide race purses by 20 percent next season as a means of making events more profitable for track owners and operators, many who are finding it harder to generate revenue hosting stock car racing's second most popular division. Over the last few years such series staples as Memphis Motorsports Park, Gateway International Raceway and the Milwaukee Mile have dropped the series because of financial issues.

• The Camping World Truck Series hits the track on Friday night at Chicagoland Speedway, part of a weekend in the Windy City with the IZOD Indy Cars Series. Last week's historic Bristol winner Kyle Busch will be back to defend his Chicago victory of a year ago and it will be interesting to see what kind of reception he gets from the crowd. Busch didn't endear himself to many people after his run-ins at Bristol including his celebrated Nationwide tangle with Brad Keselowski as well as his incident with unheralded truck driver Jennifer Jo Cobb. Busch ran into the rear tailgate of Cobb on his way to last Wednesday night's Bristol truck victory, a move that has sparked some strong comments from fellow competitors. "I have absolutely no respect for him," series point leader Todd Bodine told Sirius NASCAR Radio.

• Busch wasn't the only one who was the target of pointed comments this week. Former championship-winning crew chief and current television analyst Ray Evernham took aim at Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his woes with Hendrick Motorsports. Evernham believes Junior's communication with crew chief Lance McGrew is the root of the issues on the No. 88 team. "In the end, sometimes a person has to decide whether they're committed to something or not," Evernham said of Earnhardt. "That's just the bottom line. He's talented enough to win races. He's talented enough to win championships. But you just can't be aggravated all the time. You just can't be ... For him not to be winning is a shame."

• The Sprint Cup Series garage will shrink by two cars next year with the revelation Richard Petty Motorsports plans to run only a pair of entries out of its stable in 2011. A.J. Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose are slated to be the RPM duo as Paul Menard takes his family sponsorship to Richard Childress Racing and Kasey Kahne departs first for Team Red Bull before finally landing at Hendrick. That leaves Elliott Sadler the odd man out and the veteran Virginia driver is reportedly eyeing a full-time Nationwide or Truck Series ride possibly with Kevin Harvick's team.

• More talk about the creation of a 24-hour NASCAR television network has started again with the sanctioning body's next TV package possibly including the creation of a channel similar to what the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball run.

“Ky. Busch makes history at Bristol with weekend sweep” plus 1 more

2010-08-21T21:06:00.001-07:00

“Ky. Busch makes history at Bristol with weekend sweep” plus 1 more

Ky. Busch makes history at Bristol with weekend sweep

Posted: 21 Aug 2010 08:23 PM PDT

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 21, 2010

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Kyle Busch made NASCAR history Saturday night with an unprecedented sweep of three national races in one week, completing the trifecta with a victory in the Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Busch hoisted a broom in Victory Lane, where he made his third visit in four days. He also won the Nationwide race Friday night, and the Trucks race Wednesday night to become the first driver to complete the sweep in the 14 years since NASCAR has had three national series.

"I've been trying to do this since I got to NASCAR," said Busch, who has tried for a three-race sweep five times in his career.

"I love Bristol and I love winning. And to do it for the first time ever in NASCAR, to sweep the weekend, man, that's pretty awesome."

The Cup victory, his third of the season and third in the last four at Bristol, was drama-free after another round in his ongoing feud with Brad Keselowski.

Busch admitted to intentionally wrecking Keselowski late in the Nationwide race, and he celebrated that win by mockingly rubbing his eyes like a crying baby as the crowd showered him with boos. Keselowski vowed revenge over the public address system, to the delight of the Bristol crowd.

The barbs continued all the way up to the start of the Cup race. As Busch was booed in pre-race introductions, he sarcastically told the crowd, "Aw, you're so loving."

Keselowski was introduced moments later, taking the microphone and earning a thunderous cheer by saying, "I'm Brad Keselowski ... Kyle Busch is [a jerk]."

There was almost no chance of an on-track altercation, though, as the two hardly raced near each other for most of the night.

Keselowski did make it hard for Busch to pass him late in the race, when Keselowski was fighting hard not to go a lap down, but Busch made a clean move around him in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after several attempts.

"Great job," his team radioed after the pass.

"I know," Busch replied. "I have more class."

Crew chief Dave Rogers reiterated that after Busch completed the victory.

"Some wise guys got introduced behind him, and he raced like a champion and handled it with class all day," Rogers said.

David Reutimann rallied from a bout with food poisoning to finish second in a Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, and Jamie McMurray was third in a Chevrolet for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.

Clint Bowyer rallied from an early pit-road speeding penalty to finish fourth in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, and he moved a step closer to locking down the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Mark Martin, who started the night 35 points Bowyer in 13th place, finished 23rd.

Kasey Kahne was fifth in a Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports, and Ryan Newman was sixth in a Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Juan Pablo Montoya, McMurray's teammate, finished seventh despite damage to his car from contact that wrecked four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson. The pole-sitter, Johnson finished 35th.

Greg Biffle was eighth in a Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing, Penske Racing's Kurt Busch was the highest finishing Dodge, and RFR's Matt Kenseth rounded out the top 10.

MOTOR SPORTS / Franchitti sets up for repeat

Posted: 21 Aug 2010 05:47 AM PDT

David Crigger / AP

Kasey Kahne wrecks during the Nationwide Food City 250. Kyle Busch won the race.

Dario Franchitti picked up right where he left off at Infineon Raceway, posting the fastest time in practice Friday at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Franchitti, who won last year's event after starting on the pole, turned the 12-turn, 2.3-mile circuit at 105.889 mph to take the top spot.

"The car's not bad, but we have a little bit of work to do," Franchitti said. "Everybody's going to be quicker (today), and we've got to keep up and try to take advantage if we can."

Franchitti was followed in practice by Will Power, who leads the IZOD IndyCar Series championship point standings. Power averaged 105.884 mph. Franchitti sits second, 41 points behind.

Alex Tagliani was third at 105.526, Scott Dixon fourth (105.472) and Justin Wilson fifth (1:05.459).

Franchitti, a 37-year-old Scotsman, is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and has a second straight IndyCar Series within reach.

Two seasons removed from an unsuccessful NASCAR turn, Franchitti has matured into a superb all-around driver, equally adept at the run-it-flat racing of ovals and the feather-the-throttle style needed on road courses.

Franchitti captured his second series championship last season after winning five races, then took the checkers at the Brickyard this May for his second Indy 500 win. He won two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio to narrow Power's lead.

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson won the pole for tonight's race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. The four-time defending NASCAR champion turned a qualifying lap at 123.475 mph.

-- Kyle Busch moved one step closer to sweeping the weekend at Bristol, winning the Nationwide Series race to give him two wins in two races at Bristol. He won the Truck Series race this week and will try to win the Sprint Cup Series race tonight.

-- Carl Edwards said he has committed to racing the full Nationwide Series schedule next season. He will drive the full season in NASCAR's second-tier series even if he's not eligible to race for the Nationwide championship.

-- JR Motorsports expects to field a Nationwide Series car next season for Danica Patrick. JRM co-owner Kelley Earnhardt said she's waiting for the IndyCar schedule to be released to determine how many races Patrick will drive in NASCAR.

Sprint Cup standings

With three races remaining before the Chase. The top 12 qualify:

1. Kevin Harvick	3,400
2. Jeff Gordon	3,107
3. Denny Hamlin	3,047
4. Tony Stewart	3,020
5. Jimmie Johnson	3,014
6. Carl Edwards	2,986
7. Jeff Burton	2,986
8. Kyle Busch	2,975
9. Matt Kenseth	2,961
10. Kurt Busch	2,935
11. Greg Biffle	2,913
12. Clint Bowyer	2,755
13. Mark Martin	2,720
14. Ryan Newman	2,652
15. Jamie McMurray	2,650
16. Kasey Kahne	2,629
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr	2,626
18. David Reutimann	2,590
19. Juan Pablo Montoya	2,582
20. Martin Truex Jr	2,548

This article appeared on page B - 9 of the San Francisco Chronicle

“Bristol Feeling Economic Pinch in Selling Tickets” plus 3 more

2010-08-20T21:17:00.001-07:00

“Bristol Feeling Economic Pinch in Selling Tickets” plus 3 more

Bristol Feeling Economic Pinch in Selling Tickets
Kahne-to-Hendrick Motorsports arrangement defies logic
Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about going into Bristol
Harvick's win emblematic of RCR turnaround in 2010

Bristol Feeling Economic Pinch in Selling Tickets

Posted: 20 Aug 2010 01:10 PM PDT

The Associated Press
Post a Comment

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

BRISTOL, Tenn. August 20, 2010 (AP)

NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, left, looks to the leader board during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway Friday, Aug. 20, 2010, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

(AP)

Rob Stiens won two tickets to Bristol Motor Speedway as his company's employee of the month. Unable to find affordable lodging close to the track, and unwilling to stay in a hotel three hours away, his seats will go empty Saturday night.

Once the toughest ticket in NASCAR, Bristol is now just like every other track that's struggling to attract fans in a tough economy. The track's streak of 55 consecutive sellouts was snapped during its March race, and Saturday night's event — one of the most beloved on the schedule — will also fall short of capacity.

"My last race at Bristol was the spring race (in 2009) and we decided that it's just too much money to continue going," said Stiens, a Fayetteville, Ohio, milkman who gave up his season tickets to Bristol Motor Speedway last year after 14 years.

"I got these tickets from my company two weeks ago, tried to find somewhere reasonable to stay, and the nearest place was $189 a night," Stiens said. "Anything cheaper was in Knoxville, and that's about three hours away. It's easier to just watch it on TV at home."

There won't be a full house at Thunder Valley on Saturday night when the speedway celebrates its 100th Sprint Cup race, and anything less than capacity was unheard of during a massive growth spurt in the 1990s, when track officials had a lengthy waitlist and ran ticket sales much like the NCAA does for its annual basketball tournament. Fans signed up for a package of four, and if something came available, names were picked through a lottery.

Now, with 160,000 seats and only about 6,000 hotel rooms in the immediate Tri-Cities area, Bristol officials are having to launch creative marketing strategies for the first time in over two decades. The sellout streak began in 1982 when the track had just 30,000 seats.

"I don't think anyone is immune," said five-time Bristol winner Jeff Gordon. "It's just like a top team is not immune to sponsorship negotiations, and a race track is not immune to the economy and whatever decision-making is going on out there among fans as to what races they choose to go to and what obstacles lie in their way to get to those tracks.

Kahne-to-Hendrick Motorsports arrangement defies logic

Posted: 18 Aug 2010 03:00 PM PDT

It's hard to disagree with anything Rick Hendrick has done as a team owner. After all Hendrick Motorsports remains the gold standard of Sprint Cup Series organizations with nine series championship trophies on display at team headquarters.

But Hendrick's decision to sign Kasey Kahne to a deal that doesn't begin until 2012 still is a head-scratcher.

You can understand why Kahne is considered a hot commodity in the NASCAR garage area. He has 11 career victories and most agree the potential is there to add to that total given the right situation. He's still a young enough talent at age 30 to warrant consideration for any team. In addition to his driving ability, Kahne is marketable, popular and in many ways a sponsor's dream.

So when Richard Petty Motorsports and Kahne decided to part ways at the end of this season, Hendrick swooped in to lock up the driver. Never mind the fact there wasn't an open seat on the team, Hendrick was confident he could work something out.

However, all Hendrick has done is upset a lot of people and possibly the inner workings of his organization.

Kahne's signing led to speculation Mark Martin would be the odd man out, despite the fact he had a contract through 2011. Since Kahne was earmarked to take over the Hendrick No. 5 ride in next season, most thought the veteran Martin would slide out of the seat to make way.

Martin took offense at that line of thinking and vehemently denied he was going anywhere before the end of his Hendrick deal. But many media members continued to question Martin about the situation until things boiled over at Indianapolis. Martin, who later apologized for the outburst, scolded the assembled media for perpetuating a story that simply was not true.

The soap opera seemed to affect Martin's performance on the track as well with the frustration level very apparent in the weeks surrounding the story.

Turns out Martin was vindicated when Kahne inked a deal to pilot a Team Red Bull Racing Toyota for next season, sort of a limbo deal before coming aboard at Hendrick in 2011.

While Kahne has a chance to drive for a team capable of competing for victories and a possible Chase position, it is a case of strange bedfellows.

Kahne is under contract to Hendrick but will drive for another team in the interim. Imagine the Yankees signing Prince Fielder to a 2012 contract even though he has another year on his deal with Milwaukee. Awkward is an understatement.

Throw in the facts Kahne will drive for a different manufacturer than the Chevrolet he'll drive for Hendrick and is now privy to a great deal of behind-the-scenes info from a future competitor and it's an uncomfortable arrangement.

The once mighty Hendrick group has looked pretty mortal of late. While Jeff Gordon still is running strong but can't fine Victory Lane, Jimmie Johnson has been pretty mediocre most of the summer. However, the possibility exists that Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus are planning for the Chase by trying set-ups and strategies in the closing stages of the regular season. But there's something to be said for coming into the title race with some momentum which the 48 team clearly does not have right now.

Martin has upped his game some in recent weeks, although his early race brush with the wall at Michigan on Sunday ended any chance of winning. His poor finish dropped him 35 points behind Clint Bowyer for the final Chase spot with three races to go. It will be interesting to see if Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson can perform when the pressure is on.

And then there is the continuing mystery of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had his own meltdown at Michigan, letting loose with some choice words on national television about his performance. Earnhardt's winless streak has reached 80 races and he will need a miracle to rally from a 129-point deficit to make the Chase. His third year at Hendrick likely will be remembered as another disappointment.

Perhaps Hendrick had the right answer to solve all his problems right under his nose. Despite the obvious sponsorship and marketing dollars and initiatives that Earnhardt brings to the table, severing ties would have been the better decision in the long run.

It's clear the marriage between Earnhardt and Hendrick is not a fit. In nearly three years with the team, only a fuel-mileage win at Michigan in 2008 has given the team reason to celebrate. More often than not discussions about crew chief and driver communication, bad strategy decisions, ill-handling race cars, and yes, a little bit of bad luck along the way have been the norm.

For the betterment of the team, parting ways with Earnhardt and opening the door for Kahne to take a ride with Hendrick next season was the sensible thing to do. Trading in short term dollars for long-term success would have positioned Hendrick Motorsports to remain a powerhouse in the sport. Right now there are some chinks in the armor that have the potential to get worse before they get better.

Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about going into Bristol

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 09:02 AM PDT

Updated Aug 20, 2010 12:08 PM ET

August 20 news and notes

Several drivers try to lock into Chase — 11 a.m. ET

Several NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are in position to lock up a spot in the championship-determining field this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Chief among them is Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon, who currently sits second in the series standings.

Gordon heads into Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race with a 387-point advantage over 13th place. To secure a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, he needs to leave the race with a 391-point advantage over that position as there will only be two races remaining before the championship segment of the season begins.

If he leaves the track with an advantage of 323 points, he needs only start the two following races to clinch his berth. Fortunately, running well at Bristol might not be all that difficult for Gordon. In 35 starts at the track, he has five wins as well as five pole positions. He has 20 top-10 finishes, 14 of them top-fives, and last won there in the 2002 night race at the track. Still, Gordon isn't overly confident.

While he has a pair of recent top-10 finishes at Bristol, he doesn't seem as comfortable at the track since it was reconfigured following the 2007 early race there.

"We've struggled here ever since they changed the track," Gordon said in a team release. "I just feel like I had a knack for the old configuration – a groove and a feel and a setup that really worked well for us.

"Ever since the change, none of that has seemed to work. It's about reinventing myself as a driver – trying to find a different groove that works and giving good feedback to the team to get the car to work the way we need it to."

Perhaps his points advantage is a source of comfort this weekend. After all, Gordon certainly knows just how quickly things can take a downward turn at Bristol.

"With 15- and 16-second laps and with the banking you have at Bristol, and then with 43 big, heavy stock cars out there on a track that is a half-mile in length, you're going to run out of real estate," he said. "Even though they've made changes and made the track have wider grooves, it's still not enough.

"You are going to run out of patience, and that causes a lot of tempers to flare."

— Rea White

Bristol president continues treatment, will miss race — 11 a.m. ET

Bristol Motor Speedway President and general manager Jeff Byrd continues a steady recovery after being sidelined recently by illness, according to a track release. He will not be on hand for this weekend's NASCAR events at the track.

Byrd recently "recently completed another round of treatments and is making remarkable progress, according to his doctors," the release stated.

"Our race fans, who are the best in the sport, know how much I want to be there this weekend, especially with it being our 100th Cup race," said Byrd, who has continued to go to his office between treatments, in the released statement. "We thought at first, the treatment calendar was going to work, but then we realized it wasn't. Believe me, not being able to be there to see all my friends is disappointing. It's what we work so hard for all year — and what (Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman) Bruton (Smith) pays us to do."

Byrd added that he has a lot to "be thankful for right now" and that his recovery is going well.

"If all the fans could continue to keep me in their prayers I would be grateful," he said. "I just want them to have a great weekend while they soak in the amazing Bristol experience. That's the best medicine I could ask for."

—Rea White

August 19 news and notes

Jimmie Johnson looks to return to top form - 1:45 p.m. ET

Jimmie Johnson is the most recent NASCAR Sprint Cup winner at Bristol Motor Speedway – and no doubt he's hoping to return to top form at the track this weekend.

Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team haven't looked as dominant on the track in recent weeks as the four-time Cup champion did earlier this season. While speculation has centered on whether the team is testing new concepts that could boost its performance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the fact is that Johnson is generally a fixture among the top 10 week to week.

Recently, that just hasn't been the case. He has just one top-10 finish in his last six races and has only two runs of 12th or better during that time. The other four finishes – all of 22nd or worse – have left outsiders wondering what is going on in that camp.

Now, Johnson prepares for a return to Bristol where he won in the spring. Does that give him more optimism concerning this weekend?

"We ran so well there in the spring, even last year, we had a great spring and fall race," Johnson said. "That night race has always been one of my favorites. We look forward to being competitive and hopefully going back to Victory Lane there. It's a great race track; I've always loved watching races there. I'm glad to actually enjoy racing on that track now."

Johnson, who remains fifth in points, would like a win not only for the 10 bonus points it will award a driver once the Chase field is reset – with five wins, he'll currently trail no one in terms of points when that happens – but he's also looking to put together a consistent string of outings in the trio of races heading into the Chase.

"The bonus points, that's kind of the obvious one that all the drivers want and as a team, the momentum from a win would be very important and helpful," Johnson said. "But from our standpoint, not just this year but others as well, we felt the consistency going into the Chase was really important. We've had some races in the last four or five weeks where we've been competitive and didn't finish well.

"We've had races where we weren't competitive and didn't finish well. I think we're looking more for a consistent run here leading into New Hampshire before we start the Chase. If we can get 10 points, obviously that's what we need and what we want. But I think the momentum and the confidence that comes with four or five strong races is really important."

— Rea White

Kyle Busch wins No. 76 — 10 a.m. ET

Kyle Busch joked that he was happy to be the first winner interviewed in the new media center at Bristol Motor Speedway Wednesday night – and that he hoped to spend more of the weekend there.

Busch is continuing his winning ways, racking up yet another career victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol. For Busch, that's career win No. 76 – a tally that is impressive by any standard, but even more so considering Busch is in only his seventh full season of competition in any of NASCAR's three major touring series.

For Busch, who was driving for his own Kyle Busch Motorsports, this one came the hard way. He qualified in the pole position for the race, but then dropped to the rear at the start after making a mechanical adjustment while the trucks were impounded. He carefully worked his way through traffic on the tight .533-mile track, though, then saved fuel as much as he could, sputtering to the line as the race ended.

Now, Busch has two more chances to add to his win total over the course of the weekend. He's competing in both Friday night's Nationwide Series and Saturday night's Cup race at the track.

Can he really be the only winner at Bristol this weekend? Time will tell.

— Rea White

Annual NASCAR Pets Calendar on sale now — 10 a.m. ET

The 2011 NASCAR Pets Calendar goes on sale today.

The calendar features 11 Sprint Cup drivers with their pets as well as a month featuring the trio of Miss Sprint Cup representatives with their pets. The fifth edition of the popular calendar is a fund-raiser for The Greg Biffle Foundation, created by Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle and his wife, Nicole. The foundation is an advocate for the well-being of animals.

The calendar can be purchased at www.gregbifflefoundation.com or at the Food City Race Night in Bristol tonight. Biffle will be on hand to sign the calendars from 6:15 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. All proceeds from the calendar go to the foundation.

— Rea White

August 18 news and notes

Edwards hoping to keep momentum going — 1:30 p.m. ET

Carl Edwards and his Roush Fenway Racing team are on a roll, continually gaining ground in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings with a strong stretch of performances.

Now, Edwards heads to Bristol Motor Speedway riding a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes. Edwards brings renewed confidence and momentum into the race, as well as the knowledge of how to win this difficult night race. Edwards won the fall race at the track in 2007 and 2008.

Still, Edwards says one can't just count on turning that into a good finish, especially not as contenders continue to adjust to the resurfacing done at the track a few years ago.

"Now there are three lines and you can run anywhere on the racetrack," Edwards said. "It used to be everyone was fighting for the bottom of the racetrack and now everybody can run side by side. It makes it more competitive in that you just can't get away from somebody. They can always hound you."

Edwards said that it's different, too, trying to move people out of the way. That's a product of a combination of the resurfacing, NASCAR's new car – and perhaps just the competitive nature of the contenders.

"It is a lot different race because of the multiple lines and the way the bumpers line up," Edwards said. "You see a lot more aggressive racing because a little bump here or there doesn't lift the car up in front of you off the ground. The double-file restarts and everything makes it all very wild. They drop the green on those restarts and both lines are doing the same speed, bumper to bumper, it is pretty insane."

He said that leads to even more aggressive racing "because a little bump here or there doesn't lift the car up in front of you off the ground." Drivers are also more aggressive as they deal with the double-file restarts and the pressure to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

And that Chase, Edwards said, is something everyone needs to keep in mind.

"Bristol is the battle, but the war is the Chase," Edwards said. "We need to be in the Chase."

- Rea White

August 17 news and notes

Town Hall meeting addresses Nationwide issues — 6 a.m. ET

NASCAR President Mike Helton and Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash met with a variety of owners, general managers, crew chiefs and drivers in a town hall style meeting for the sport's second-tier series on Monday.

Sources that attended the Nationwide meeting at the Technical Center in Concord, N.C., called the exchange of ideas between league officials and competitors productive. Although teams were offered the most recent version of the NNS schedule -- that included 34 of 35 races locked in for 2011 -- the focus appeared on cost cutting measures.

Considering the sanctioning body informed competitors the plan to decrease purses by roughly 20 percent next season due to declining attendance, discussions on ways to save money could not have come at a better time. While teams at the front of the garage -- the Penske Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing operations -- find balance with the resources from the Sprint Cup Series, the independents are struggling to get by.

And even though Sprint Cup drivers bring sponsors and fans to the sport, independent Nationwide teams point to the advantage the Cup drivers have with the additional track time they enjoy running both practices prior to qualifying and racing. There is also the desire for NNS specific teams to have a full-time Nationwide champion to further draw attention to the sport.

Several changes to the truck series, such as limiting the number of competitors on the road, have been discussed as possibilities for the NNS. However, there appears to be split philosophies on shrinking the schedule. Certainly, some teams would rather compete in a limited number of races but there are other teams that rely on the purses for survival. Teams that can only afford payroll February (Daytona) to November (Miami-Homestead) may benefit from eliminating salaries, but also lose the consistency of building a team in the process.

-- Lee Spencer

August 16 news and notes

Petty set for big announcement Tuesday — 5 p.m. ET

Richard Childress Racing won't be the only team making news Tuesday.

Richard Petty Motorsports just announced that they will be hosting a media event on Aug. 17 at 1p.m. ET to announce a new driver and sponsor for 2011.

The organization has up to three vacancies to fill in 2010 with current drivers Kasey Kahne (Red Bull) and Paul Menard (RCR) signing deals with other teams for the future. Elliott Sadler, the team's third departing driver, does not have plans solidified as of yet.

The odds-on-favorite for an RPM ride is Marcos Ambrose, but other drivers currently out of a ride in 2011 include Aric Almirola, Scott Speed (although he insists he has a contract with Red Bull through next year) and Landon Cassill.

Who will it be? Stay logged on to FOXSports.com for updates.

— Jorge A. Mondaca

From the editors' desks ... — 9 a.m. ET

It was a weekend of excitement, anxiety and anguish across the sport, depending on which driver and which situation one viewed.

Todd Bodine continued his run through the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, taking the win at Darlington Raceway. The veteran is building what will soon be a virtually insurmountable lead in the series standings.

In the Nationwide Series, Brad Keselowski battled – cleanly this time – with Carl Edwards and held on for the win at Michigan. While the pair enjoyed strong outings, Danica Patrick struggled in her return to the series. (Highlights)

On the Sprint Cup side, points leader Kevin Harvick made a statement with his victory at Michigan International Speedway. (Highlights) Meanwhile, young Joey Logano drew the ire of veteran Ryan Newman.

There doesn't seem to be as much news on the horizon heading through this week, not after the hustle and bustle of track/schedule and driver news of last week. Richard Childress Racing is expected to confirm that Budweiser is joining Kevin Harvick's team in 2011 and Texas Motor Speedway will unveil its 2011 schedule on Tuesday, but otherwise is could be a relatively quiet week on the news front, comparatively speaking.

That allows more time to focus on this weekend.

It's time to turn attention to the upcoming night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. It could be a devastating race for those trying with a tenuous hold on a berth or trying to break into the Chase for the Sprint Cup field. Anything can happen at this short track. Action kicks off early with the Truck race Wednesday night, followed by the Friday-Saturday night Nationwide-Cup double header.

Stay logged on to FOXSports.com all week long – we've got you covered.

—Jorge A. Mondaca and Rea White

Harvick's win emblematic of RCR turnaround in 2010

Posted: 15 Aug 2010 04:24 PM PDT

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- This season's magic question has been: What has turned Richard Childress Racing around?

Kevin Harvick has a very simple answer.

"I think the reason for it is [that] we were so damn bad last year. That's probably the reason," Harvick said, laughing after his win Sunday in Michigan.

There was nothing to laugh about, at this time a year ago in the RCR camp. Harvick and teammates Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer all were struggling and the turmoil had reached a boiling point.

Harvick had threatened to leave the team and owner Childress seemed to be grasping at straws to keep his foundering organization afloat.

But he did. ... and then some.

Childress not only pulled the team together, he put things in place that has made RCR a Sprint Cup Series powerhouse, a near-miracle feat in little more than a year's time.

"For everybody to know that and work towards getting better, it all started in Indianapolis last year," Harvick said. "Everybody in every department, and Richard was on 'em pretty hard, along with everybody else.

"So I think it's just a matter of everybody was embarrassed last year. We've really been running pretty well since probably the last six or eight weeks of last year. It didn't just happen today."

Harvick believes that last year's frustration helped bring the team closer, providing an overall benefit.

"One of the best things that we all went through last year was the fact that I realized everybody didn't like losing as much as I did and we all wanted to achieve the same goals," he said. "We were headed in the right direction to do those things."

Now Harvick could be headed to his first Sprint Cup championship and is enjoying the journey, something that certainly couldn't be said at this time a year ago.

"It's a lot of fun to come to the racetrack right now," Harvick said.

Winning will do that to a driver and his team.

Fast Five

Sunday's race may have been the most entertaining at Michigan in more than a decade. The wide and smooth track provides opportunities to race three and four wide, but that doesn't always lead to great racing. However, on Sunday there was some kind of side-by-side-by-side battle on nearly every one of the 200 laps. Double-file restarts once again proved to be one of NASCAR's best decisions and the crowd of 100,000, a turnout made even more impressive considering the economic plight of this area, was treated to one of 2010's best events.

While Kevin Harvick's win and the continued turnaround for Richard Childress Racing was the headline from Michigan, the performance of Roush Fenway Racing should not be overlooked. Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth gave RFR three of the first five positions, and David Ragan ran up front in the closing stages before finishing 11th. There was a time when numbers like that were commonplace for the Roush stable when Michigan rolled around. But the team has fallen on lean times of late. It sure looked like old times Sunday, though, which surely made Roush smile in his emotional return to the track from injuries he received in a plane crash a few weeks ago.

You can also see the Ford resurgence in the Richard Petty Motorsports effort, although the finishes weren't of Roush caliber. Kasey Kahne won the pole but faded during the race, finishing 14th. A.J. Allmendinger notched a 17th and Elliott Sadler, in one of the coolest looking cars on the track Sunday, had his Fusion near the front of the field late before settling for ninth. There still are many unknowns for RPM in 2011 but there are signs of life.

It's not looking like there will be a multi-driver scramble to get into the Chase when at the final cut-off race at Richmond in three weeks. Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer flip-flopped out of the final spot again Sunday but the gap behind the 13th place driver grows a great deal once you get to Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Speaking of the Chase, now that the schedule questions of 2011 have been answered by track announcements last week (NASCAR plans to unveil its three national division slates on Aug. 18), talk of Chase changes for next season are heating up. Nothing has been set in stone, but get ready for some kind of modification to the format that may mean expansion of the field from 12 to 15. The "impactful changes" promised to the schedule weren't much, so maybe the Chase will only see a tweak or two rather than an overhaul.

Speed SoundsM

"I'm frustrated. Everybody is frustrated. You do what you can. My guys ain't going to quit.'' -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief Lance McGrew

"It's disappointing. I thought we had a good shot, but something went wrong there." -- Kasey Kahne

"I was just wondering why he races everyone so hard every week ... I tried talking to him about it but it didn't go anywhere." -- Joey Logano on his post-race discussion with Ryan Newman

"We're going to go down swinging...and that's what we did today." -- Mark Martin

Charging Ahead

Carl Edwards: Coming back to life and knocking down consistent finishes to solidify himself in the Chase while bringing Ford back to contention.

Tony Stewart: Summer is slipping away and we haven't seen "Smoke's" patented hot weather winning streak. But coming home with top-10 runs every week is building the confidence level at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Juan Pablo Montoya: Last week's Watkins Glen winner looked like he was headed for a 30th-place or worse finish in the early going with an ill-handling car. But team kept making adjustments all afternoon and Montoya wound up with a top 10.

Downshifting

Mark Martin: Tagged the wall hard early in the race and damaged his nosepiece and front splitter to take him out of contention. He dropped out of the top 12 in points again and trails Clint Bowyer by 35 for the final transfer spot with three races to go.

Kurt Busch: Stellar third-place Michigan run in June is a distant memory after blowing his engine early Sunday and ending his day after only 31 laps.

Jeff Gordon: Made a strong charge from the rear to the front only to cut a tire making contact with Jeff Burton and then suffering another tire issue later in the race to finish 27th.

Sneak peek

One of the season's most anticipated races is on tap next Saturday night when the Sprint Cup Series visits Bristol Motor Speedway for 500 laps under the lights at the high-banked Tennessee short track.

2010-08-19T21:07:00.001-07:00

Posted:

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Kahne-to-Hendrick Motorsports arrangement defies logic

2010-08-18T21:22:00.001-07:00

Kahne-to-Hendrick Motorsports arrangement defies logic

Posted: 18 Aug 2010 03:00 PM PDT

But Hendrick's decision to sign Kasey Kahne to a deal that doesn't begin until 2012 still is a head-scratcher.

However, all Hendrick has done is upset a lot of people and possibly the inner workings of his organization.

The soap opera seemed to affect Martin's performance on the track as well with the frustration level very apparent in the weeks surrounding the story.

Turns out Martin was vindicated when Kahne inked a deal to pilot a Team Red Bull Racing Toyota for next season, sort of a limbo deal before coming aboard at Hendrick in 2011.

While Kahne has a chance to drive for a team capable of competing for victories and a possible Chase position, it is a case of strange bedfellows.

“Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about going into Bristol” plus 1 more

2010-08-16T21:20:00.001-07:00

“Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about going into Bristol” plus 1 more

Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about going into Bristol

Posted: 16 Aug 2010 09:02 AM PDT

Updated Aug 16, 2010 5:19 PM ET

August 16 news and notes

Petty set for big announcement Tuesday — 5 p.m. ET

Richard Childress Racing won't be the only team making news Tuesday.

Richard Petty Motorsports just announced that they will be hosting a media event on Aug. 17 at 1p.m. ET to announce a new driver and sponsor for 2011.

Who will it be? Stay logged on to FOXSports.com for updates.

— Jorge A. Mondaca

From the editors' desks ... — 9 a.m. ET

It was a weekend of excitement, anxiety and anguish across the sport, depending on which driver and which situation one viewed.

That allows more time to focus on this weekend.

Stay logged on to FOXSports.com all week long – we've got you covered.

—Jorge A. Mondaca and Rea White

Harvick's win emblematic of RCR turnaround in 2010

Posted: 15 Aug 2010 04:24 PM PDT

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- This season's magic question has been: What has turned Richard Childress Racing around?

Kevin Harvick has a very simple answer.

"I think the reason for it is [that] we were so damn bad last year. That's probably the reason," Harvick said, laughing after his win Sunday in Michigan.

There was nothing to laugh about, at this time a year ago in the RCR camp. Harvick and teammates Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer all were struggling and the turmoil had reached a boiling point.

Harvick had threatened to leave the team and owner Childress seemed to be grasping at straws to keep his foundering organization afloat.

But he did. ... and then some.

Childress not only pulled the team together, he put things in place that has made RCR a Sprint Cup Series powerhouse, a near-miracle feat in little more than a year's time.

"So I think it's just a matter of everybody was embarrassed last year. We've really been running pretty well since probably the last six or eight weeks of last year. It didn't just happen today."

Harvick believes that last year's frustration helped bring the team closer, providing an overall benefit.

Now Harvick could be headed to his first Sprint Cup championship and is enjoying the journey, something that certainly couldn't be said at this time a year ago.

"It's a lot of fun to come to the racetrack right now," Harvick said.

Winning will do that to a driver and his team.

Fast Five

Speed SoundsM

"I'm frustrated. Everybody is frustrated. You do what you can. My guys ain't going to quit.'' -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief Lance McGrew

"It's disappointing. I thought we had a good shot, but something went wrong there." -- Kasey Kahne

"I was just wondering why he races everyone so hard every week ... I tried talking to him about it but it didn't go anywhere." -- Joey Logano on his post-race discussion with Ryan Newman

"We're going to go down swinging...and that's what we did today." -- Mark Martin

Charging Ahead

Carl Edwards: Coming back to life and knocking down consistent finishes to solidify himself in the Chase while bringing Ford back to contention.

Downshifting

Kurt Busch: Stellar third-place Michigan run in June is a distant memory after blowing his engine early Sunday and ending his day after only 31 laps.

Jeff Gordon: Made a strong charge from the rear to the front only to cut a tire making contact with Jeff Burton and then suffering another tire issue later in the race to finish 27th.

Sneak peek

Danica supports drivers association in IndyCar

2010-08-13T21:28:00.001-07:00

Danica supports drivers association in IndyCar

Posted: 13 Aug 2010 06:16 PM PDT

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Danica Patrick is optimistic that the formation of a drivers association in IndyCar racing will give competitors a stronger voice in the sport.

Patrick says IndyCar drivers met at Mid-Ohio last weekend and talked about a formal alliance to give them more input on safety, competition and other issues in the sport.

"We got together as drivers and think it's a good idea to have a voice and be more professional and unified on what we want," Patrick said Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

But Patrick, who is preparing for Saturday's Nationwide series race at Michigan, wisely sidestepped a question about the need for a similar organization in NASCAR. Drivers' past attempts to form something similar to a union in NASCAR have led to conflicts with the sport's leaders.

In 1961, officials banned Curtis Turner for life after he tried to organize a union, but the ban was lifted after a few years. A subsequent attempt to organize a drivers association and boycott a race at Talladega over safety issues in 1969 fizzled out.

"I definitely don't have enough experience over here to know whether you need one or not," Patrick said. "I definitely don't want to say anything about this side of things until I have much more time under my belt."

So far, Patrick's early exploits in NASCAR have shown just how tough it is for drivers to make the transition to stock cars from another form of racing.

In five Nationwide starts this season, Patrick's best finish was 24th at Chicagoland last month.

She's maintaining humble goals, hoping to finish inside the top 20 on Saturday.

"I think my expectation levels for this race will be similar. I'm hoping for top-15, -20 finishes. I didn't quite get into the top 20 last time. I think the expectation level stays the same for this weekend, and we'll see what we can do."

Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about going into Michigan

2010-08-10T21:12:00.001-07:00

Garage chatter: What everybody's talking about going into Michigan

Posted: 10 Aug 2010 08:47 PM PDT

Updated Aug 10, 2010 11:50 PM ET

August 10 news and notes

Hornish gets vote of confidence — 10 p.m. ET

Sam Hornish Jr.'s transition from open-wheel racing to NASCAR has been bumpy to say the least.

For all of his success in the IndyCar Series (three series championships, 2006 Indianapolis 500 win), he's had almost as many failures in the Sprint Cup ranks (14 DNF's vs. just seven top 10s in 94 career starts).

Add in those poor results with the fact that his primary sponsor, Mobil 1, is set to leave after the season, and you can imagine why the rumors have been flying about his status.

Forget it, says team owner Roger Penske.

"We've said publically that we want to run Sam next year (in NASCAR); he's not going back to open-wheel racing," Penske said Tuesday during a media teleconference. "He's going to be in NASCAR racing. It's a matter of us getting the sponsorship stuff together.

"As you know, budgets are tight. We've got a number of opportunities out there that we're working on. That's a decision that we'll make as we get toward the end of the season and we'll make it transparent to everyone."

Will this put an end to the rumor mill? Probably not – especially with Penske's Nationwide Series driver Justin Allgaier putting up impressive numbers (one win, five top fives and 12 top 10s in 22 starts this season).

But for now, Sam's the man at Penske.

—Jorge A. Mondaca

Kahne, Red Bull speak up about deal — 3 p.m. ET

After months of speculation, Red Bull Racing made it official today that Kasey Kahne will drive for them in 2011 before heading to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

Below are some of the interesting moments from the media Q&A session with Kahne and Red Bull team president Jay Frye earlier this afternoon:

Question: Kasey, tell us how this opportunity came about. How much of it did you have a say or did Rick (Hendrick) tell you this is what you are going to do?

Kahne: "I'm actually really looking forward to working with Red Bull, working with all the guys there. From the start, Rick (Hendrick) told me that we were going to work together, and when it came down to it we were going to work together and figure out exactly what team we wanted to go with this year. When he came up with the Red Bull deal, he was working with (Frye) on that, and I actually thought it was a pretty neat opportunity. I think it's really pretty cool; looking forward to it and yeah, I was definitely involved with Mr. Hendrick and the final decision on where I would actually end up in 2011."

Question: Can you talk about having Kasey in the car? Did you have to pull any strings considering Hendrick has other deals with beverage companies?

Frye: "Obviously 2011 is independent of what's going on with the future for Kasey at Hendrick, which will start in 2012, so there were no issues with that at all."

Question: Will Kenny Francis or other members of Kasey's team be coming over with him? Will Kenny be part of Kasey's team next year?

Frye: "Again, that's part of what we need to sort out over the next month or six weeks. We have good people here that have done good things, so we will know more of that within the next month or so."

Question: Jay – is the plan still for Red Bull to be two-car operation?

Frye: "We have a lot of options being that we're only a two-car team. Right now with Brian (Vickers) we continue to monitor his health, he's doing great, things are looking very, very good with him, but at this point we still don't know — we're only halfway through the process of things he's got to go through. Scott (Speed), we've got a couple of years into that program, it needs to get better. We're working hard to get him better and do what we need to do to get him better. But we have options. ... Is it possible to expand? Sure. We have the ability to do that. Is that what's going to happen? At this point we're unclear."

Question: What do you need to see from Scott Speed and that team over the next month or two to make you feel he will be in that car next year?

Frye: "There's been a lot of progress made. There has been a lot of time invested in Scott. He has been a Red Bull driver and athlete for a long time. We just need to get better. We are going to tracks with him for the third or fourth time and we need to see progress. There are things we are doing as a race team to get better and there are things he can do to get better. It will show over the next month or two of what the future will hold."

Question: Can you comment on the possibility of having Kenny Francis as a possible crew chief option?

Kahne: "I really like working with Kenny. Whether I am happy or we are having a bad race and I am mad, as soon as the race is over, all I want to do is find Kenny and Keith our engineer and talk about how we can be better and what we need to do there. That's really it right now. I really like our relationship. I like what we have accomplished together, and feel like there is a lot more we can accomplish together. I don't know what Kenny is going to do. That is up to him and everyone else. He is definitely one of my main guys — a great guy."

Question: Can you talk about the rest of the season and the driver situation on the No. 83?

Frye: "Reed (Sorenson) will be in the car this weekend in Michigan. He is doing a really good job for us. When you are in this situation, you take it week by week. We don't have any reason at this point to change from Reed. It is possible that he is in the car for the rest of the year. Or there could be some other opportunities that pop up where we do different things with different races, like we did last weekend (at Watkins Glen) with Boris (Said). You kind of take it three races at a time when you are in this situation. So that is where we are right now."

Question: Did you talk to Toyota before signing Kasey and doing this deal? How do they feel about having a driver for a year then being packaged over to Chevrolet?

Frye: "Yes, we did talk to them before and they are in the same mind frame we are — what a great opportunity this is for the 2011 season. They are very excited to have Kasey be a part of the family next season, and they were very supportive of the whole situation."

—Rea White

On this day in history ... — 8 a.m. ET

2003 — Paul Menard finishes 29th in the Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen in his first Cup start. Robby Gordon, Scott Pruett and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finish 1-2-3. Despite starting 43rd, Menard finishes ahead of Greg Biffle (30th), Jeff Burton (31st) and Jeff Gordon (33rd).

— Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

August 9 news and notes

From the editors' desks ... — 9 a.m. ET

It was a weekend of twists and turns this past weekend at Watkins Glen International and Nashville.

Todd Bodine ran away from the pack in the Camping World Truck Series race in Nashville – and he's doing the same in the standings as well.

In Nationwide competition, Marcos Ambrose stayed ahead of a 10-car wreck and dominated the competition en-route to his third-straight series win at the road course ( Highlights)

And in Sprint Cup action, Juan Pablo Montoya ended a 113-race win drought by holding off Ambrose | Highlights

But enough about the past, we've got a jammed-pack week of action ahead of us.

Expect some big news on the 2011 schedule front to come out this week. Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway have each called special news conferences Tuesday (spoiler alert: Kentucky will get a Sprint Cup race, while Kansas will announce a second race). Each announcement will set off a chain reaction, and FOXSports.com will have you covered with senior NASCAR writer Lee Spencer reporting on-site from Kentucky. Make sure to check back often on Tuesday for the latest.

There are also rumblings that we should find out once and for all what the plans are for Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin and Hendrick Motorsports.

And as if all that off-track drama wasn't enough, fireworks should pick up on the track when Cup and Nationwide competitors arrive in Michigan ( Weekend schedule) and the Truck teams show up at Darlington.

Stay logged on to FOXSports.com all week long – we've got you covered.

—Jorge A. Mondaca and Rea White

On this day in history ... — 8 a.m. ET

1953 — Curtis Turner leads all 100 laps of a Cup race at 1-mile Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough, N.C. Herb Thomas finishes second, a half-lap back, and Lee Petty is third, one lap down.

—Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

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“IndyCar vet Ed Carpenter signs with Panther Racing” plus 1 more

2010-08-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

“IndyCar vet Ed Carpenter signs with Panther Racing” plus 1 more

IndyCar vet Ed Carpenter signs with Panther Racing

Posted: 09 Aug 2010 12:44 PM PDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar veteran Ed Carpenter has signed a three-race deal with Panther and Vision Racing.

Carpenter will drive the No. 20 car in Chicago, Kentucky and Homestead. Carpenter hasn't raced since finishing 17th in the Indy 500 in May.

The 29-year-old Carpenter is winless in 100 career IndyCar starts. He narrowly missed his first victory at Kentucky last summer when Ryan Briscoe nipped him by 0.0162 seconds.

Carpenter's full-time ride at Vision Racing was shuttered during the offseason. He spent six seasons as an IndyCar regular, finishing a career-best 12th in the standings in 2009.

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Montoya wins at Watkins Glen to end 113-race skid

Posted: 09 Aug 2010 03:12 AM PDT

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Juan Pablo Montoya finally had a race without a mistake, and he proved invincible.

The hard-driving Colombian erased 113 races of futility Sunday, winning a duel with Marcos Ambrose and the Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International.

"It's about time," Montoya said after celebrating with his crew in Victory Lane. "We've lost a lot of them, gave away a lot of them. It gets frustrating, everybody fighting. There's so many things I have to learn. I still make a lot of mistakes. It's experience. We've just got to learn from it."

Frustration mounted when crew chief Brian Pattie's pit strategy backfired at the previous two races. A late four-tire call likely cost Montoya a win at the Brickyard 400, and he finished 16th a week ago at Pocono after starting second, another questionable pit call the culprit that led to harsh words over the radio.

A prerace talk at Watkins Glen with team co-owner Chip Ganassi helped clear the air. Montoya went out, withstood repeated stalking and challenges from Ambrose and won going away.

Montoya led 74 of 90 laps and beat Kurt Busch to the line by nearly 5 seconds for his second career victory, the other coming on NASCAR's other road course at Sonoma in 2007, 113 races ago. Montoya gave Earnhardt Ganassi racing just its third victory of the season.

Ambrose was third, his third straight top-three finish at Watkins Glen, followed by AJ Allmendinger and pole-sitter Carl Edwards. Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top 10.

It was the first career victory for Pattie, who fought back tears after watching the No. 42 take the checkered flag.

"It's huge," Pattie said. "I still want to win on an oval. He wants to prove his point. The Brickyard was my fault. Hope this makes up for it. Trophies mean a lot. It's pretty cool."

Listen to Juan Pablo Montoya's post-race news conference (21 minutes)

Montoya made the Chase for the Sprint Cup last year, made a strong run early in the 10-race postseason, and finished eighth in points. His chances of making the Chase this year vanished early. He's failed to finish seven of the first 21 races and is well out of contention.

"Last year, we were so hung up on making the Chase that it was all about numbers, it wasn't about being fast or slow," said Montoya, who dominated the 2009 Brickyard 400, only to lose a chance at his first victory on an oval by speeding on pit road. "It was about bringing the car home every week.

"This year, we thought we were going to do the same thing. But by race five, we had three DNFs. Then you've got to be realistic about what's going to happen. I started being aggressive, and a lot mistakes came. I think this will really bring the team together. It's a great thing for the future."

Ambrose won his third straight Nationwide race over the 11-turn, 2.45-mile Watkins Glen layout on Saturday. He was poised to capture his first Sprint Cup victory at Sonoma in June when things went awry. He stalled his No. 47 while leading under a late caution, was unable to keep pace, had to restart seventh when he couldn't get it refired and finished sixth.

He seemed destined to finally break through at The Glen, but the handling on the last set of tires was off and Kurt Busch slipped past him late.

"It hurts," said Ambrose, who announced recently that he was leaving JTG-Daugherty Racing after the season. "It doesn't feel nice."

Montoya was able to pull away on every restart, but each time Ambrose reeled him in. When the race restarted for the final time with 15 laps remaining, Kurt Busch passed Ambrose as Montoya took off again, pulling away as Busch kept Ambrose at bay.

Ambrose got past Busch in the first turn of Lap 77 and began the chase again as it became a two-car contest. This time, Ambrose was unable to cut into the lead as Montoya steadily pulled away, increasing his lead from 1.7 seconds to 4.2 seconds in five laps.

"We lost the handle on it on the last stop," Ambrose lamented. "We tried hard all day. Juan drove a heck of a race. He wasn't giving me anything. I just wore out everything trying to pass him."

Ambrose, who started 11th, steadily made his way through the field after the green flag waved and was second by Lap 24.

Six laps later, he was on Montoya's back bumper and stayed there as Montoya was hard on the brakes, often smoking the tires. They nearly touched on lap 39 and were side by side in the inner loop at the top of the high-speed esses the next time around. Ambrose finally made the pass on the 41st lap in turn one, a hard downhill right-hander, forcing Montoya onto the runoff area with an aggressive inside move.

Both pitted together with 30 laps remaining and Montoya beat Ambrose out before a caution flew for debris.

Montoya held off Ambrose when the race restarted, but two laps later Stewart clipped Boris Said in the exit of turn one, sending Said into the guardrail to bring out another caution.

That erased any worries about fuel in case of overtime. But as soon as the race restarted, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin were involved in a crash, resulting in another caution.

"He's driving a great race," Ambrose said, referring to Montoya during the caution. "He's really hard to pass. It's going to be a big battle. I'm going to see if I can force him into a mistake. I just want to be clean until the end."

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Carl Edwards wins Watkins Glen pole

2010-08-07T21:11:00.001-07:00

Carl Edwards wins Watkins Glen pole

Posted: 07 Aug 2010 11:20 AM PDT

Updated Aug 7, 2010 2:54 PM ET

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP)

A year ago, Carl Edwards started 33rd in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International and finished third. This time he'll start at the front.

Edwards turned a lap of 124.432 mph in 70.882 seconds on Saturday to easily outdistance Jamie McMurray's lap of 123.814 mph in 71.236 secs. It was just the fifth pole in 215 starts for Edwards, his first on a road course in Cup competition, and it was fast. Edwards was just a few ticks off Jeff Gordon's 2003 track record of 124.58 mph in 70.7979 secs.

''Unbelievable! I can't tell you how much that helps our team,'' Edwards said. ''(Crew chief) Bob (Osborne) said P1. I thought he said 21. That's a great lap. We're just enjoying the wave we're riding. We're making a comeback.''

And that should help team owner Jack Roush in his recovery from a plane crash 10 days ago. The 68-year-old Roush, who also received a boost last week with Greg Biffle's win at Pocono, is at the Mayo Clinic and will remain there indefinitely to treat facial injuries.

Edwards has put together four straight finishes of seventh or better, including a second at Chicagoland and a third a week ago at Pocono, to surge to 10th in the points standings with only five races remaining before the Chase for the Sprint Cup title. Only the top 12 drivers qualify for the Chase.

''It feels good,'' said Edwards, whose last pole was two years ago at Bristol. ''You guys know how we've struggled. This last month we've been in going in the right direction. It means a lot to all the folks who stuck with us - Aflac, Ford. Nobody's giving up. If I can just get a good start, keep our car up front, race in clean air, keep the fenders on it, I think the qualifying effort will pay off.''

Juan Pablo Montoya will go off third, followed by AJ Allmendinger and Kurt Busch. Five-time Watkins Glen winner Tony Stewart, Biffle, Scott Speed, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch round out the top 10.

Marcos Ambrose, who finished second to Stewart in last year's race, will start 11th. Gordon, a four-time Watkins Glen winner, qualified 16th and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 41st.

Greg Biffle was fastest in both of Friday's practices. Coming off his win at Pocono, his first of the season, and sitting 11th in the standings, Biffle said he decided to look at the big picture.

''I ran a bit conservative,'' Biffle said. ''Getting up to speed I noticed that the car was a little bit freer than what it was yesterday. I figured if I could back off just a little bit, run a good, solid lap rather than make a mistake, be in the ditch, and have to come from the back. I'm really thinking about the Chase right now.''

The top four cars in the Hendrick Motorsports stable struggled in Friday's two practices despite feedback from Gordon, who took part in a Goodyear tire test in June and thought he had brought some valuable data back to the shop. Only Johnson found enough speed to crack the top 10 in qualifying.

''With the tire test that Jeff was a part of, it's just kind of mind-boggling that we could have been that far off,'' said Johnson, who notched the first road course victory of his career at Sonoma in June. ''Making up ground, I hope we can make up enough before the race.''

Gordon, winless at the storied track since 2001, qualified at 122.783 mph, a vast improvement from practice.

''I felt some real positive things in the car,'' said Gordon, who has made 602 straight Cup starts. ''The car turned a little bit better than I was expecting. I saw some things that have some real potential. I'm very happy about that. It's certainly a big gain from yesterday. I'm excited about that.''

Ambrose, still seeking that breakthrough Cup victory, started from the pole in Saturday's Nationwide race and was confident about Sunday. He finished second to Stewart a year ago in the Cup race and third to Kyle Busch in 2008 after starting last.

''I was a little conservative,'' said Ambrose, who handed that Sonoma victory to Johnson when he stalled his car under a late caution while leading and couldn't get it refired in time to keep pace. ''I got some wheel spin but I'm excited. I feel like we're going to have a good car for Sunday. It's part of the sport. No matter where you are in the field, you've got to go.''

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Kansas Speedway to get second NASCAR race in 2011

2010-08-06T21:16:00.001-07:00

Kansas Speedway to get second NASCAR race in 2011

Posted: 06 Aug 2010 03:29 PM PDT

TOPEKA, Kan. -- A person familiar with the 2011 NASCAR schedule said Friday that Kansas Speedway will get a second race next year.

The person spoke to the Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the schedule hasn't been released. A formal announcement regarding a second Sprint Cup date at Kansas Speedway may come as soon as next week.

A public schedule released Friday for Kansas Lt. Gov. Troy Findley notes that he plans to give remarks regarding a second race during a media event Tuesday at the 1.5-mile speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

A spokeswoman for the governor's office declined to give more details about Tuesday's event.

"We really can't confirm that that's the case," spokeswoman Berry Holston said.

Speedway president Pat Warren said the track was still working with NASCAR officials but that no media events were planned regarding a second date.

"Nothing is final. We're confident things will work out," Warren said.

News of a second race at Kansas follows a NASCAR announcement this week that Atlanta was losing one of its two races in 2011. The track has held two NASCAR events every year since 1960. A source told AP that Kentucky, like Atlanta is owned by Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc., will get a race in 2011.

Securing a second Sprint Cup race fulfills a key promise developers of a casino at the speedway made sought approval from the state for their $521 million project. They cleared the last regulatory hurdle in February, and the casino is expected to open early in 2012.

International Speedway Corp., the track's parent, and Penn National Gaming Inc. of Wyomissing, Pa., are partners in the venture. They'll build and the casino for the Kansas Lottery, which will own the rights to the gambling and the gambling equipment -- and claim a share of the revenues.

The casino developers also promised to build a road course in the current track's infield as a condition of winning the management contract.

Jeff Boerger, president of the casino venture, declined to confirm the second date for Kansas, but said any news about another race for Kansas City "would be good news."

A second race date would be a financial boon to the Kansas economy, which has already seen significant development near the speedway property in the past decade. The area is home to a minor league baseball team and Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards are constructing an 18,000-seat stadium within earshot of the speedway. The stadium opens in 2011.

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Stewart a 'solid' eighth heading into Watkins Glen

2010-08-05T21:07:00.001-07:00

Stewart a 'solid' eighth heading into Watkins Glen

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 09:14 AM PDT

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Tony Stewart is on a roll as the NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to Watkins Glen this weekend.

Stewart, who typically thrives in the heat of summer, has three straight top-10 finishes, including a runner-up last week at Pocono. He's a solid eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings.

He's 189 points ahead of 13th-place Mark Martin, a comfortable cushion as the regular season winds down. Only five races remain before the 10-race Chase for the championship begins, with only the top 12 drivers qualifying.

Stewart has yet to win this year, but he has Watkins Glen circled on his calendar. He's won four of the past six races over the 11-turn, 2.45-mile layout, finishing second the two times he didn't win.

He has a record five victories at the storied track in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

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NASCAR pushing 'reset button' as it tinkers with schedules

2010-08-04T21:21:00.001-07:00

NASCAR pushing 'reset button' as it tinkers with schedules

Posted: 04 Aug 2010 04:44 PM PDT

The impending schedule changes for next year won't be limited to the Sprint Cup Series. When NASCAR announces modifications to its top level of racing for 2011, there will be a ripple effect across both the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

There are indications the Nationwide slate will shrink to as little as 30 races next season, which would be down from the circuit's current 35-event calendar. The Truck Series could also see a race or two chopped from its 25-race schedule.

Dover Motorsports has already announced the company will not bring NASCAR racing back to its struggling Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis, which has hosted both the Nationwide and truck tours for more than a decade.

Despite a solid turnout two weeks ago for what turned out to a Nationwide-Truck Series double-header when an estimated 40,000 filled the grandstands in blazing heat, Gateway -- like another Dover property in Memphis -- was caught in the economic stress of the times.

Look for Nashville Superspeedway, which Dover also operates, to host a pair of Nationwide-truck twin bills in 2011.

But the two Gateway Nationwide events as well as the track's truck race will most likely not find new homes.

Auto Club Speedway is expected to be stripped of one NASCAR weekend when International Speedway Corporation moves a second date to Kansas Speedway. That elimination would erase another Nationwide race from the slate.

And when Speedway Motorsports Inc. shifts the spring Atlanta dates to Kentucky Speedway, another truck date could potentially be lost. Kentucky already hosts a Truck Series race as part of its IndyCar weekend and a more cost-effective alternative, like the ARCA Series, is said to be under consideration for the track's long-coveted Sprint Cup companion.

While we're still at the speculation stage on whatever modifications are being contemplated for any of NASCAR's schedules, president Mike Helton has acknowledged the sanctioning body is indeed considering changes.

"I'd always try to avoid getting out ahead of the announcement of the schedule and let it speak for itself," Helton said this week at Iowa. "I would tell you, there's a lot of movement going on in the three national series this year, trying to sort it all out."

Could that movement include a reduced Nationwide schedule?

"That's been bounced around," Helton said. "Is it necessary to do that? Obviously, there's players that have to be talked to in regards to that, Nationwide, for one, ESPN and other promoters, and the competitors. That level of activity is being talked about."

There is some sentiment in the Nationwide garage area for contracting the schedule with both owners, looking for a reduction in expenses, and even drivers in favor of the condensing the season.

"The owners really want to see the schedule reduced," said Rusty Wallace, who in addition to his television analyst duties owns a two-car Nationwide operation. "It's costing so much money right now."

Wallace's brother Kenny, who pilots a car in the series for the underfunded Jay Robinson Racing team, concurs and believes a reduced slate would also help teams in finding much needed sponsorship dollars.

"We've got too many races, the races are too long," Wallace said. "We need to hit the reset button. We need 30 races, 28 to 32, somewhere in there so we don't have to go ask for $6 million."

The myriad of scheduling questions will be answered by Labor Day weekend when NASCAR is expected to finally unveil the 2011 calendars for all three national series. There are many who believe NASCAR will take the shorter is sweeter approach and perhaps less will be more next season.

Garage chatter

• Kentucky Speedway officials have called a press conference for Aug. 10 when an announcement on the track's inaugural Sprint Cup date next season will be shared. Sources have the race being held on Sunday, July 17, which traditionally has been an off weekend for the Cup Series. If true, that would put Kentucky as part of a string that would be bookended by Chicago and Indianapolis, which could be a challenge as all three tracks target similar geographic areas for ticket sales.

• Elliott Sadler's crash at Pocono was reportedly the hardest in the history of NASCAR. Black box data, which NASCAR does not officially release, was said to exceed over 80 G's when Sadler's car hit a backstretch guardrail and earth embankment at nearly 170 mph.

• Eight drivers are still winless this Sprint Cup Series season after visiting Victory Lane in 2009. Defending Watkins Glen race winner Tony Stewart leads the list, which includes Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin, Joey Logano and Brian Vickers, who is out for the season recovering from blood clots in his lungs and legs.

• A.J. Allmendinger signed an extension to remain at Richard Petty Motorsports and will drive the team's iconic No. 43 for the next three years. Marcos Ambrose will be the next driver to sign with RPM to take the wheel of its No. 9 ride being vacated by Kasey Kahne, although Kahne's crew chief told Sirius NASCAR Radio the possibility of the duo remaining with the Petty organization in 2011 is being discussed. Kahne has signed with Hendrick Motorsports for 2012 but team owner Rick Hendrick is having a hard time finding a home for his new driver next season with all four of his current drivers under contract through 2011.

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Biffle snaps 64-race winless streak, wins Pocono 500

2010-08-02T21:13:00.001-07:00

Biffle snaps 64-race winless streak, wins Pocono 500

Posted: 01 Aug 2010 09:42 PM PDT

LONG POND, Pa. -- As he closed in on the finish line, Greg Biffle knew the only person worthy of dedicating this victory to at Pocono Raceway.

"This one's for Jack!" he said over the radio.

Was it ever.

With Jack Roush recovering in the Mayo Clinic, Biffle raced to victory in an often-delayed Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday to snap a 64-race winless streak and take the checkered flag for his injured team owner.

"I have to tell you, when it got to be five to go, I started thinking about," Biffle said. "I started thinking, this race is meant to be."

Biffle never doubted he would win a Cup race again even as his oh-fer reached nearly two years. He hadn't won since the first two races in the 2008 Chase for the Cup championship. But with Roush in the Mayo Clinic for injuries sustained in a plane crash in Wisconsin, Biffle found Victory Lane.

"We know he's watching," Biffle said. "It's been really tough. We worked so hard."

It was also the first win of the season for both a Ford and Roush Fenway Racing.

Tony Stewart was second and Roush driver Carl Edwards was third. Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, who won the last two Pocono races, rounded out the top five.

Edwards spoke with Roush on Sunday morning and said his boss sounded in good spirits.

"He was Jack," Edwards said. "Don't mess anything up. Don't wreck. He's been through a lot this last week. He really needed that victory. That's pretty cool. I'm sure he's really hard to handle for all those nurses in the hospital."

Roush released a statement calling it a "proud day" for the entire organization.

Listen to race winner Greg Biffle's post-race news conference (24 minutes, 14 seconds)

"They've done a wonderful job and this is just the beginning of the rewards that have resulted from all of their hard work," he said.

Biffle said Roush called him in Victory Lane and the owner said, "he never met somebody that had the will to win like I do."

"I'm glad he thinks of me like that," Biffle said. "No matter how grim the outcome can be, I'll still be digging."

Biffle's crew kept the same car after driving the No. 16 Ford to a season-high third-place finish last week at Indianapolis. That finish put Biffle in 11th place in the points standings and now he's strongly positioned himself with five races for a spot in the 12-driver field for the championship chase. He won Chase races at New Hampshire and Dover in 2008 before falling into this winless drought. Biffle was winless last year for the first full season of his career.

He won't be shut out in back-to-back seasons.

"The whole company needed it," Biffle crew chief Greg Erwin said. "I can't really explain what this means. I know [Roush] is with us. This is a brand new car at Indianapolis and we brought it here because we liked it so much."

The start of the 500-mile race was delayed by rain, then had two lengthy red flag stops that totaled nearly 50 minutes.

Elliott Sadler and Kurt Busch both walked away from scary wrecks that knocked them out of the race.

Sadler and Bush were the beneficiaries of NASCAR's safer Car of Tomorrow after two violent wrecks. Sadler was forced to lay down on the triangle track and suffered a sore chest and stomach after smacking the inside wall. The engine on his No. 19 Ford was ripped from the body and smoldered nearby.

He called it his hardest hit ever in a race car. It came a day after he was the Trucks Series race winner here.

Busch's No. 2 Dodge was hit from behind on a bump drafting attempt by four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson. Busch slammed into the wall, skidded along the grass, and smashed into an infield barrier.

That brought out the first red flag, for 28 minutes, 46 seconds. The second one was for rain and lasted 17:20. The start of the race was delayed 36 minutes by rain.

Biffle was one of the harshest critics of the track in a recent Sports Illustrated story, saying "they're going to kill somebody there."

Track officials have promised changes -- like adding more SAFER barriers along the inside wall -- in time for next year's races. The track was deemed by some unsafe after an accident in the June race involving Kasey Kahne

Jeff Gordon, who was sixth, slammed the track and said improvements can't come soon enough.

"I think there's a time when we've got to step up the technology safety at certain facilities," Gordon said. "We've seen two incidences here this year, and I think it's going to be a wake-up call for some improvement."

Biffle had little to complain about on Sunday.

Biffle had muddled through the season without a win and only three top-fives. He's made the Chase the last two years and was series runner-up in 2005. Before Indianapolis, he finished 16th-20th-35th in his last three races and hardly seemed like a Chase contender.

Not now. He won his 15th career Cup race and joked in Victory Lane he had forgotten how to celebrate.

"We know we have a great team and I know I can do it behind the wheel and we were able to prove it today," Biffle said.

Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

AP Source: Kentucky Speedway to Get Sprint Cup

2010-08-01T21:08:00.001-07:00

AP Source: Kentucky Speedway to Get Sprint Cup

Posted: 01 Aug 2010 12:25 PM PDT

The Associated Press
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By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. August 1, 2010 (AP)

Kentucky Speedway will get a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2011, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The 1.5-mile tri-oval halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati will host NASCAR's top series in early July. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced. A news conference is scheduled at the track Aug. 10.

Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the speedway from the original ownership group in 2008. SMI owner Bruton Smith said his main goal was to bring the track a long-coveted Cup date.

The original owners filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. in 2005, contending they tried to exclude the track from the Cup Series.

Smith called the court case a major stumbling block and was relieved when it eventually ended this year. Smith had no immediate comment, but said before last week's race at Indianapolis that he'd like to have a Cup race at "all" of SMI's NASCAR sanctioned tracks.

The company also owns New Hampshire Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Infineon Raceway.

The only one that lacks a Cup date right now is Kentucky, though Smith said he's optimistic there would be plenty of time to get the facility ready for a Cup race.

Kentucky already hosts NASCAR Nationwide and Truck Series events, as well as an IndyCar race. Plans are already in place to expand seating from 65,000 to around 100,000.

NASCAR officials had no immediate comment, but CEO Brian France said before last week's race in Indianapolis that the series was mulling "impactful" changes to its 2011 schedule.

"There will be some changes as they look now," France said. "That could not quite materialize, but I sense it will and we'll have some pretty impactful changes to the schedule that I think will be good for NASCAR fans."

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Expect domino effect with Blue Grass State on 2011 Cup slate

2010-07-30T09:14:00.001-07:00

Expect domino effect with Blue Grass State on 2011 Cup slate

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 05:32 PM PDT

It only feels like we've been talking about the 2011 Sprint Cup Series schedule since the current campaign began back in February.

Or maybe we have.

Changes to next year's slate were swirling around when Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased Kentucky Speedway and company head Bruton Smith declared his intent to finally bring a Cup date to the Blue Grass State. After much legal maneuvering including a lawsuit brought against NASCAR by the track's original ownership group finally ending, Smith at long last had clearance to petition for re-alignment and move an event from one of his other properties to Kentucky.

Ditto for rival International Speedway Corporation, which after getting the green light on a multi-million dollar hotel/casino complex at Kansas Speedway decided to ask permission in order to shift a date from its portfolio to give a second to Kansas.

NASCAR acknowledged in recent weeks both companies have been granted approval to complete these moves. However, the exact nature of what will eventually transpire is still very much unknown.

NASCAR CEO Brian France addressed the situation last weekend in Indianapolis and although would not release specifics, did identify the 2011 schedule would more than likely have a decidedly different look.

"We'll have some pretty impactful changes to the schedule that I think will be good for NASCAR fans," France said. "It looks like there are going to be some interesting, good changes to the schedule in terms of how fans get to events ... which events they'll attend."

One change that will not take place is ending the season at Daytona as was erroneously reported by some media, with a NASCAR spokesperson saying "it is not even a consideration and never was."

That's good news because despite the fact beginning and ending the season at the sport's most famous venue makes complete sense, determining the Sprint Cup champion on a restrictor-plate track is akin to pulling out numbers at your local church's bingo night. Talladega is already among the 10 tracks that comprise the Chase, which is enough of a lottery factor on the title picture.

However, there does seem to be some momentum on changing the location of the season finale. Homestead-Miami Speedway has held that spot for the last several years, and in fact, has served as the final race venue for all three of NASCAR's national divisions in what's known as "Ford Championship Weekend."

Should ISC decide to pluck one race from Auto Club Speedway to bring to Kansas as is being reported, that second spot on the calendar would open up. NASCAR could move Homestead up into that date and create a three-week Florida race fan destination stretch with the season opening at Daytona for "Speedweeks" and then moving down the road to South Florida for the Daytona 500 follow-up event.

Such a move would open the possibility of taking the last race of the year to Las Vegas, a track Smith and SMI has made no bones about wanting a second race to pair with its traditional March visit. If SMI decides to strip New Hampshire of a weekend and use that to double dip in Vegas, NASCAR could crown its champions in the glitz and glamour of Glitter Gulch.

The final checkered flag could then dovetail directly into the Sprint Cup Series championship celebration that is now held in Las Vegas in early December. Tying that ceremony and activities around the season-ending race would create a full- week extravaganza that would no doubt generate more exposure for the sport than the current format.

But would NASCAR want to carry its championship gala into Thanksgiving week, which unless the schedule is somehow tightened up, is how the calendar plays out after the last race of the season. And with the impending holiday, many fans may opt to stay home near family and friends rather than plan a NASCAR-oriented vacation to Las Vegas.

There are still more questions than answers on the 2011 schedule front but the luxury of time is becoming shorter. NASCAR typically releases the next year's slate around the end of summer but many expect it to take at least two or three weeks longer than usual this time around.

In addition to travel and climate concerns, NASCAR must also figure out how to not over saturate areas of the country with too many dates within a short window or risk cannibalizing ticket sales from one venue to another. For instance, a race in Kentucky would certainly draw fans from the nearby Indianapolis and Michigan markets and potentially damage ticket sales at both tracks.

The same holds true on the west coast where Phoenix, Fontana and Las Vegas need to be given breathing room apart from each track's Cup weekend.

Don't forget the television partners who combined ponied up more than $1 billion for the rights to carry the current NASCAR package. You can be sure FOX, TNT and ABC/ESPN are going to have a say as to what races and markets fall into their perspective broadcast schedules.

I still believe the 2011 NASCAR calendar will have a considerably different look to it. I just don't plan on seeing it for at least a couple of months.

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Alonso gets pass in German GP; Ferrari gets 1-2, fine

2010-07-26T21:23:00.001-07:00

Alonso gets pass in German GP; Ferrari gets 1-2, fine

Posted: 25 Jul 2010 07:17 AM PDT

HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Fernando Alonso won the German Grand Prix on Sunday for Ferrari, but the team was fined $100,000 afterward for orchestrating his pass of teammate Felipe Massa.

Race stewards didn't overturn Ferrari's 1-2 finish, choosing to send the case to the sport's governing body, which could impose more sanctions. Team orders that affect the result of a race are forbidden under Formula One rules.

Alonso had more points in the title race and the team apparently felt it would be better served if he collected the 25 points that go to the winner rather than Massa.

"I don't think I have to say anything to that," Massa said when asked after the race about the instructions. "We work for the team."

There was no immediate comment from Ferrari.

Massa, racing on the first anniversary of a crash that nearly killed him, led the race for 49 of 67 laps before he was passed by Alonso following communications from Ferrari over the team radio. He looked unhappy after the race and the two drivers barely hugged as they climbed out of their red cars.

Stewards said Ferrari was in breach of Article 39.1 of the International Auto Federation (FIA) 2010 sporting regulations.

Article 39.1 says: "Team orders that interfere with race results are prohibited."

Sebastian Vettel of Germany was third in his Red Bull. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren was fourth.

After 11 of 19 races, Hamilton leads the overall standings with 157 points ahead of McLaren teammate Jenson Button with 143. Vettel has 136 points, tied for third with Red Bull teammate Mark Webber. Alonso is fifth with 123 points, 38 ahead of Massa.

"I can't say I am fighting for the championship," Massa said.

Alonso won his second race of the season and Ferrari finished 1-2 for the second time this year.

"In some parts of the race we were fighting very hard for first place, maybe it was a bit dangerous. It's a difficult race to overtake," said Alonso, a two-time Formula One champion who earned his 23rd career victory. "We are professional, we try to do the best for the team.

"I don't know what happened, but at the exit of turn six I saw Felipe a little bit slow. Sometimes you are quick, sometimes you are slow, and in some parts I was quicker than him, so it's very difficult to judge."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Ferrari appeared to impose team orders.

"It was surprising what happened with the Ferraris, it looked to be a team order with the cars switching positions," Horner said. "If so, it's a shame for Formula One and the fans that they were deprived of a race between the two Ferrari drivers today."

The first of two decisive moments in the race took place at the start.

Pole sitter Vettel moved wide to try to block Alonso. Massa, starting from third, used the gap to pass from the outside going into the first corner, where also Alonso managed to slip past Vettel. The two Ferraris stayed in front for the entire race.

Then, on lap 49, Massa appeared to go slightly wide at a corner and Alonso easily shot past the Brazilian driver.

Alonso had been pushing Massa hard for several laps and was heard saying on the team radio, "This is ridiculous."

Alonso then overtook Massa, who had just been told by Ferrari over the radio: "Fernando is faster than you, did you understand that message?"

Having dropped into second, Massa was then told: "OK, good lad. Just stick with him now."

Massa confirmed the radio conversation, but later also said he had been struggling after switching to harder tires.

Massa said Ferrari did not have team orders.

"For sure you always want to win. We don't have team orders. If you can't do the race you want, you have to think about the team. I am professional, and today I showed how professional I am," Massa said.

"Everyone saw that I can win races, that I can be competitive. But I was struggling on hard tires."

Alonso covered the 67 laps -- a distance of 190.5 miles -- in 1 hour, 27 minutes, 38.864 seconds. He finished 4.1 seconds ahead of Massa and 5.1 seconds ahead of Vettel.

Asked about the passing maneuver of Ferrari, Vettel said: "We get the check not from you guys but from the team."

Alonso, in his first season with Ferrari, won the opening race of the season in Bahrain, where Massa took second.

But Ferrari has struggled in recent races and Alonso finished 14th in the British GP two weeks ago.

Massa required surgery for a fractured skull sustained one year ago when he was struck on the helmet by a heavy metal spring that had come off another car during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

He was placed in an induced coma and spent nine days in a Budapest hospital.

Massa returns to Hungary for next week's Grand Prix.

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