Special scheme for Edwards at Atlanta

At the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the #99 Aflac Ford will sport a colorful new look inspired by the creative imagination of a 13-year-old cancer patient from the Aflac Cancer Center. In support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Aflac invited children at the Aflac Cancer Center to "Color Carl's Car," inspiring the design of the car Carl Edwards will drive at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on September 6. It will also mark the beginning of a month-long fundraising campaign whereby Aflac is asking NASCAR fans to help in the fight against childhood cancer.The paint scheme, inspired by 13 year old Jody Lawrence of Greensboro, Georgia, will feature an array of colors and a crayon-sketched look. Edwards will wear a matching fire suit and a white helmet signed by patients of the Aflac Cancer Center. The remaining 54 paint scheme submissions will be featured throughout the concourse of Atlanta Motor Speedway for viewing by race attendees and will adorn the pit wall banner for the #99 race team. Jody, who is battling neuroblastoma cancer, receives treatment at the Aflac Cancer Center. To extend the program beyond the track, Aflac has created a text donation program to coincide with the paint scheme launch. Running throughout the month of September, the donation program gives the NASCAR community an easy method to contribute to the Aflac Cancer Center. Fans can simply text "GoCarl" to 90999 using any carrier, to donate $5 per text, with charges appearing on customers' wireless bill.As an additional program element, Aflac has teamed up with Motorsports Authentics to create a special die cast car, featuring the special paint scheme, to sell through QVC. As part of the initiative, five percent of all profits from the die cast sales will be donated to the Aflac Cancer Center. All cars sold through QVC will be personally autographed by Edwards. (Aflac Racing)

Wave Energy Sponsoring #36 TBR Toyota

Wave Energy Drink, LLC announced today that it will sponsor Tommy Baldwin Racing’s No. 36 Toyota and driver Patrick Capentier in six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season. Wave Energy Drink branding will appear on the No. 36 for the following six races: Atlanta, Richmond, New Hampshire, Dover, Kansas and California. “The partnership between Wave Energy Drink and Tommy Baldwin Racing will provide the brand with immediate access to a significant number of the core target audience vital to the brand’s success,” said Jason Wolter, V.P. of Marketing for Wave Energy. “The partnership will help us turbo-charge Wave Energy’s upcoming consumer launch. We are also excited about our involvement with a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team that has a loyal following like TBR. In addition to consumer awareness, Wave Energy Drink sees this as a great opportunity to reach interested franchise owners. This is a great way to get started in your own business to be a part of one of the fastest growing categories, energy drinks. There are protected territories available across the country.” Unlike typical energy drinks, Wave Energy Drink has no bad after taste, no funky smell and no artificial flavoring. Wave Energy Drink is made with lower caffeine levels than other energy drinks and has added loads of healthy B Vitamins in its place. With high quality ingredients and B Vitamins, Wave Energy Drink gives you the power and energy and taste you won’t find in any other energy drink. Wave Energy Drink is one of only a few energy drinks to use all natural flavors on the market today. (WaveEnergyDrink)

Harvick Returning to #29 in 2010

Kevin Harvick will drive Richard Childress Racing's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy in 2010 for his 10th season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series despite rumors to the contrary. "Rumors about Kevin not driving for RCR next season have been flying around the garage area and in the media," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "We want to put the rumors behind us by stating together that Kevin will drive RCR's #29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. RCR continues to work on the overall performance of the No. 29 team, like we are with all of our teams, and the plan is to end the season on a high note. Kevin and the No. 29 team are also preparing for next season with the goal of making a run at the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship."(RCR PR)

Erik Darnell Replacing Bobby Labonte for 7 Races

Yates Racing, announced that former NASCAR Camping World Series Rookie-of the-Year and current NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Erik Darnell will be behind the wheel of the #96 entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for seven races this season. Darnell will make his Sprint Cup Series debut Labor Day weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the #96 Academy Sports & Outdoors Ford Fusion. He also is slated to pilot the #96 at Loudon, Kansas, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead. Darnell will carry the familiar colors of Northern Tool + Equipment for the Loudon and Kansas races. Academy Sports & Outdoors will be Darnell's primary sponsor at Atlanta, Talladega and Texas. Bobby Labonte will continue to race the#96 Ford under the Hall of Fame Racing banner with Ask.com and DLP as his primary sponsors at Richmond, Dover, Fontana, Charlotte and Martinsville. "This is a move that will be beneficial to Yates Racing surviving this difficult economic time," said Bobby Labonte. "Of course, I'm disappointed that the sponsorship environment is so challenging right now, but I intend to make the most out of the remaining races that I'm behind the wheel for Ask.com, DLP and Hall of Fame Racing." Hall of Fame Racing would like to keep Bobby Labonte as its NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and likely will not be affiliated with Yates Racing next year, team co-owner Tom Garfinkel said Monday. The organization signed Ask.com as a sponsor and Bobby Labonte as a driver in January for the 2009 season and then landed a deal with Yates Racing for Yates to field the cars. Seven of the final 12 races were unsponsored, and Yates Racing has opted to put Erik Darnell in the #96 Sprint Cup car instead of Labonte. Garfinkel, in a phone interview, said his organization is still in discussions with Ask.com for next season but doesn't anticipate the Yates Racing relationship to continue. The organization is looking for other teams to partner with and is in discussions with other sponsors as well, Garfinkel said. (SceneDaily)

IndyCar Owners Support 500 Start Time Moved Up

The Indianapolis 500 will return to its more traditional start time -- 11 a.m. -- if some influential IndyCar Series team owners have a say in it. The leaders of Team Penske and Andretti Green Racing said Saturday they support a change back to the earlier start time to help the event attract NASCAR drivers, which they figure would boost television ratings for the 500. Currently, the 1 p.m. start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway does not allow enough time for drivers to complete the 500 miles and then fly to Concord, N.C., for the Sprint Cup Series night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Team Penske president Tim Cindric brought the subject up in an owners meeting held with Indy Racing League officials prior to the race at Chicagoland Speedway. "It's worth one (ratings) point, at least," Cindric said after the meeting. (Indianapolis Star)

My Take: International Racing

Will We See a Cup Race North of The Boarder Soon?

The Nationwide series took to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada this last weekend and during the broadcast one thing came up that Nascar has wanted to do for years, a cup race North of the US boarder. During the Nationwide race, Ambrose was in the lead and in control when NASCAR called the eighth caution of the afternoon after a shower hit the racetrack as the cars were working Lap 59. Two laps later, NASCAR ordered the cars to pit road and red-flagged the race for five minutes while crews mounted rain tires and installed wipers (like you find on your stock Chevy)and lights (break lights inside each of cars so the other drivers could see the car slowing down and where the car is on track). This was the second year in a row that the Nationwide guys had to use the rain tires, and for the second year in a row, the treaded tires put on a great show. Yes, there were a record number of cautions but it was due to driver overdriving there cars and slaming into other cars, not the rain. Do I see a cup race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve any time soon? Yes. Nascar wants to see three more years of sell out races with the Nationwide races until they give the track a cup date and it will happen. The fans keep coming out see some of the best racing in the world at the track and the best racers in the world, it's time we gave them the ALL of the best racers in the world. The cup series needs a third road-race and it needs to be in the chase. International racing is the best thing for the sport because it opens the rest of the worlds eyes to this racing and it breaks the idea that Nascar is just in the south and "for rednecks." The sport has grown so much that it needs to grow out. But why dose it only have to be a road race? Why can't it be a short track or Superspeedway that gets a race on the other side of the boarder? Can Nascar go to other countries such as Japan or even Italy? Its a lot of questions but for right now I think that Nascar needs to stay in this part of the world and start with moving into Canada and Mexico then once they have a few races in Mexico and Canada each year for at least a few years they can think about going over seas. I know what your thinking, where are the race dates coming from? Simply put I don't know. But the racing that was seen by fans all over the world from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday was a sign of things to come. Nascar will race in the race on regular basises, Nascar will hold races more than once a year on the other side of boarder and the Cup series will race internationally with in the next five years. Don't beieve me? Just wait and see.

Nationwide Recap: Montreal

Carl Edwards Steals The Win In The Final Corner, Huge Disappointment For Ambrose

Swear out a warrant. On second thought, break out the champagne. Carl Edwards’ grand larceny Sunday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ended with a back flip and a celebration, not a jail term. With a pass for the lead on the final corner of the final lap of the Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200, Edwards capitalized on the only mistake Marcos Ambrose made all day to win his first road-course race in one of NASCAR’s top three divisions. Running on rain tires after a mandatory change for the entire field on Lap 61, Edwards hounded Ambrose for both laps of a green-white-checkered-flag finish and made the winning pass after Ambrose’s car got airborne over the curbing and lost momentum in the final turn of Lap 76. In collecting his third Nationwide Series victory of the season and the 23rd of his career, Edwards gave Roush Fenway Racing its first road-course win in the series. “The two laps, Andrew Ranger (who finished third) and I went side by side into Turn 1 (on Lap 75),” said Edwards who trimmed the series points lead of 10th-place finisher Kyle Busch from 248 to 192. “He pinched me off into the grass—which I probably would have done if I was him, too—and I just drove into his door, and we came off of Turn 2 banging doors. “It was wild, and I thought the whole time Marcos was going to get away with this thing. I broke away from Andrew, and I just gave it everything I had on that last lap, and Marcos just made that one mistake through the curves at the end and gave me the chance to get by.” Former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve ran fourth to the delight of partisan Quebecers in the packed grandstands. Brad Keselowski came home fifth and tightened his hold on third place in the points standings. Ambrose, who has finished seventh, third and second in the series’ three races at the 2.7-mile course was despondent at not closing out Edwards after leading 60 laps. “I just made a mistake at the end there and lost the race,” Ambrose said. “Any other lap, any other corner, I would have got it straight back. It just happened to be the last corner of the race. We had a drag race coming off the hairpin. Carl got position on me, and I had to try to make sure I (outbraked) him. “I feel pretty devastated, because I let my boys down. We came here to win, and anything less than that was a disappointment.” Ambrose was in the lead and in control when NASCAR called the eighth caution of the afternoon after a shower hit the racetrack as the cars were working Lap 59. Two laps later, NASCAR ordered the cars to pit road and red-flagged the race while crews mounted rain tires and installed wipers and lights. After refiring the engines, the field took the green flag double-file on Lap 64, with Ambrose in the lead and Ranger beside him on the front row. Ambrose held the top spot through three more cautions before Edwards, who led three times for three laps, made his move in the final corner. (NascarMedia)

Truck Recap: Chicagoland

Kyle Busch Wins Inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event at Chicagoland Speedway

Kyle Busch won his second straight race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, passing Todd Bodine with 19 laps remaining to take the inaugural EnjoyIllinois.com 225 on Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. It was Busch's fourth win of the season in 10 starts in the Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota. Busch also made Chicagoland the fifth track in which he has won a race in each of NASCAR's three national series. He won the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races there last season. "It was a fun night," Busch said. "My parents are from just outside Chicago and my girlfriend is from just over the border in Indiana, and it was cool to come back and win before the home folks in the Midwest." Busch also has won in all three national series at Phoenix, the Auto Club Speedway in California, Dover and Bristol. "It's definitely an accomplishment," Busch said. "I'd love to get some more." Bodine finished second, .580 seconds behind. It was his first top five in the last six races. "Second is pretty good after the last two months," Bodine said. "We'll take it." Bodine took the lead on Lap 98 of 150 when Busch made his final pit stops for tires and fuel, on consecutive laps. Busch was fifth for the restart with 50 laps remaining. Bodine then pulled out to a commanding lead. Busch steadily climbed and passed Timothy Peters for second just before a caution came out on Lap 122. "Bodine had the race won until that caution came out," Busch said. Busch wasn't able to overtake Bodine on the next restart, but there was another caution three laps later. The restart was on Lap 132, calling for it to be single-file. It left the bottom of the 1.5-mile track open for Busch. "I got too good a restart," Bodine said. "This place is so much like Daytona and Talladega and he was able to get a draft on me and drafted past me." Busch stuck to the bottom through Turns 1 and 2 and passed Bodine going into Turn 3. "I didn't have that good a restart, but I got through (Turns) 1 and 2 really good," Busch said. "I pulled low on the back straight and alongside to break his momentum a little bit. He gave me room going into Turn 3, raced me clean. If he hadn't, it could have gotten ugly." Colin Braun was third, followed by Rick Crawford and Johnny Sauter. Points leader Ron Hornaday Jr. finished 11th, but still gained points on second-place driver Matt Crafton, who finished 14th. Hornaday leads Crafton by 220 points with nine races remaining. Mike Skinner ran 13th and is 316 points back in third. Hornaday and Crafton were trapped a lap down just past the halfway point. Busch, Bodine, Braun and several others pitted on Lap 22, and a 62-lap green flag run forced Hornaday and Crafton to pit twice under green. A caution on Lap 97 put those two a lap down. Hornaday didn't get back on the lead lap until the final caution that fell on Lap 139. (NascarMedia)

Nationwide COT to Run 4 Times in 2010

NASCAR Nationwide Series teams will run the new car in four events in 2010, beginning with the July race at Daytona International Speedway and then race it about once a month in a slow debut for the model. Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash says that series officials handed teams the rule book for building the new car following a recent series of meetings with owners and fabricators. Balash said those meetings helped the sanctioning body finalize some steps of the process, while others are still in the works. The series will use tapered spacers at all events, abandoning the usage of restrictor plates to harness horsepower at superspeedways. A tapered spacer serves the same purpose as a restrictor plate, but it is a thicker device. "We still have to finalize a couple of things on the overall schedule before we can announce what tracks we'll be on, but our goal is to have the teams race the new car once a month for four months and then we'll stay away from that last month with the last three races leading into the championship for the Nationwide Series," he said. Balash added that the four events will all be on ovals, but that it will be a diverse group to help the teams. (SceneDaily)

Rain Tires at Montreal (Again)

Goodyear has brought 600 wet weather tires, should NASCAR deem that conditions warrant . . . this tire is new for 2009, but was brought for use by Nationwide Series teams at Watkins Glen earlier this month . . . this tire was tested by Juan Pablo Montoya at the Goodyear proving grounds in San Angelo, Texas this past November . . . this is a new tire code (D-4215), and introduces the use of carbon fiber technology into NASCAR . . . the carbon fiber helps reinforce the tire's sidewalls for enhanced handling and contact with the course . . . this tire also features a different tread pattern from last year's wet weather tire that was run at Montreal . . . a road car version of the tread pattern is featured on the Goodyear Eagle F1 All-Season high performance car tire. (Goodyear PR)

Evernham & Crocker get married

Sometimes stories have happy endings. Let me introduce you to Erin Crocker Evernham. That's right. The once-controversial first couple of NASCAR is married. Ray Evernham and Erin Crocker exchanged vows Wednesday night in a Las Vegas hotel in front of immediate family members and friends. Three years ago, Ray was sole owner of what was then Evernham Motorsports. When he began dating Erin, his company's developmental driver, it became a story. Ray brought that up during a Tuesday night rehearsal dinner. We laughed about it then, how he actually fingered me in the chest at a Chicago race and in very stern words suggested I shouldn't be digging into his personal life. That's not an issue anymore. Evernham sold most of his Sprint Cup organization to Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett. He's now an analyst for ESPN, the owner of a small dirt track near Charlotte, N.C., a part-time karaoke singer (more on that later) and the proprietor of Ray Evernham Enterprises, which includes an automotive museum and houses a stable of sprint, modified and late-model race cars. And he's a husband. A very happy one. Ray and Erin aren't a soap-opera story for NASCAR anymore. Erin drives sprint cars, and in lieu of the honeymoon, she will spend the weekend racing in Knoxville, Iowa. But on Wednesday she was a beautiful bride, proud to be walking down the aisle to the man of her dreams. Racing and all that the couple endured a few years ago were well in their rearview mirror. The loving smiles they exchanged said all anybody needed to know. Before this gets sappy, let's get back to the karaoke singing. Ray occasionally takes the microphone from a small stage in his museum that has a restaurant designed after a 1950s diner. He loves Motown music and loves to sing it. As he said at some point during the night, he'd rather be reincarnated as a Motown singer than win another Daytona 500. Like most who indulge in karaoke, Ray believes he can sing. His wedding band, The Next Movement, allowed him to partake in a version of "Under the Boardwalk." The vocals were a bit pitchy, and Ray has a ways to match the band's slick arm and dance movements. (ESPN)

Keselowski Won't Return to JR Motorsports

Brad Keselowski declined to comment on reports he'll drive in the Sprint Cup Series for Penske Racing next year, but he did indicate Thursday to Sporting News he won't be back in JR Motorsports' Nationwide car next season. Asked whether he expected to return to JRM, Keselowski said, "At this time, no," during a boat tour of the Old Port in Montreal. Kelly Bires reportedly is the leading candidate to replace Keselowski in the #88 JRM Chevy. "I heard that, too," Keselowski said when asked about the possibility of Bires driving for JRM. "It's hard to tell. I know they've talked to a number of drivers, and I wish them the best on whoever gets in there, and I expect big things from them, as I'm sure the team does. "I look forward to seeing somebody get the opportunity that I got." Keselowski's departure from JRM lends credence to reports, which surfaced last week at Bristol, that he'll join Penske Racing [with the #12 team]. Team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has said if Keselowski were to drive a car make other than Chevy in the Cup Series, that would preclude him for driving for JRM's Nationwide program.(Sporting News/NASCAR.com)

Diverse Field at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Race

More than a quarter of the drivers on the entry list for Sunday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve aren’t from the United States. Twelve of the drivers hail from outside the U.S., including nine from the race’s home country of Canada. With Sprint Cup stars Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch also entered, the race has taken on an international flair. Phoenix Racing’s Max Papis is from Italy, JTG Daugherty Racing’s Marcos Ambrose is from Australia and Day Enterprises Racing’s Victor Gonzalez Jr. is from Puerto Rico. But the majority of “foreign” drivers are from Canada:

• JR Motorsports’ Ron Fellows, the race’s defending champion, is from Windsor, Ontario. He’s a road-racing ace who drives Corvettes for General Motors all over the world.
• CJM Racing’s Andrew Ranger is from Roxton Pond, Quebec, and won last year’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race in Montreal. He’s a former Champ Car driver who has turned to stock cars.
• R3 Motorsports’ Jean-Francois Dumoulin is from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. He has raced in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
• Rick Ware Racing’s Daryl Harr is from St. Albert, Alberta, and has a background driving stock cars north of the border.
• Braun Racing’s Jacques Villeneuve is Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and is perhaps the most decorated driver in the field. He’s a former Formula One world champion and Indianapolis 500 winner.
• Kevin Harvick Inc.’s J.R. Fitzpatrick is from Cambridge, Ontario. Fitzpatrick’s background is racing stock cars in Canada.
• Specialty Racing’s D.J. Kennington is from St. Thomas, Ontario. Kennington is a Canadian stock-car driver who has been trying to make it in the U.S. for the past several years.
  MacDonald Motorsports’ Alex Tagliani is from Montreal. Tagliani has turned to the Canadian Tire Series after racing Champ Cars.
• Michael Waltrip Racing’s Patrick Carpentier is from Ville Lasalle, Quebec. The former open-wheel driver has finished second the last two Montreal races.

Why so many Canadians? “It's a big opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of an international audience,” Fellows said. “… It's a tough place to race these cars. I think guys that have some experience on the track, it plays to their favor. It's an unusual road circuit. It's more like a temporary street circuit. “It's one of the biggest racing events in Canada. I'm sure that's the reason for it, is to be able to showcase what they can do.” And it’s a chance for them to prove their worth against many of the United States’ best drivers. “I think it’s great they get the opportunity to race with us once a year,” Richard Childress Racing’s Stephen Leicht said. “They know how to get around this road course and enjoy helping series regulars learn the track better. They do have the home-track advantage on their side, especially with the fans in attendance, but I intend to give them a run for their money and have a solid finish.” Besides being a big deal to Canadian drivers, it’s also important for race fans in Canada. NASCAR drivers took particular notice of the spectators in Montreal last year, when they sat through rain to watch the race. “After being there last year and watching all the fans hang out in the rain for two hours to watch the race, you have to know that they are die-hard NASCAR fans,” RAB Racing’s Boris Said said. And while they’ll support nearly every driver, the Canadian drivers will hear the biggest cheers. “To race with Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Carpentier in front of my hometown crowd is something very special for me,” Ranger said. “I won at Montreal last year in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and almost won there the year before. Great track and great people. To have an opportunity to race in the Nationwide Series race is a great feeling. We’re going up against the best stock car drivers in the world.” (SceneDaily)

Irwin Tools Leaving Roush

Irwin Tools appears to be ending its relationship with Roush Fenway Racing. In a release discussing the company's new title sponsorship of the August race at Bristol Motor Speedway  the Irwin Tools Night Race  the company stated that it was time for a "new chapter" for the company. The company has been a mainstay in the sport since 2003, serving as a primary car sponsor for Roush Fenway Racing. During that span, drivers Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray both won races in company-sponsored Fords while Busch won the NASCAR Cup championship with that sponsorship in 2004. McMurray has been sponsored by Irwin this season. "It's been a great ride with Roush Fenway Racing," said Eric Pinkham, Newell Rubbermaid's Vice President, sponsorship and event marketing. "They clearly helped us put Irwin Tools on the map, and we appreciate what they've done for the Irwin brand. Now it's time for a new chapter for Irwin." (SceneDaily)

Burton puts final touches on MIS suite demolition

The final piece of the Michigan International Speedway suite building came down in thrilling fashion on Wednesday, courtesy of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton. Burton, with the help of equipment from his sponsor Caterpillar (CAT), finished off the old suite building to make room for a new and improved suite/media center building, scheduled for completion in June 2010. Despite having CAT as the primary sponsor for his No. 31 Chevrolet, Burton has had few opportunities to operate a piece of CAT equipment before. With the assistance of Clark Construction, who is overseeing the $17 million project, and instruction from equipment operator Ron Reinke of Blue Star Demolition, Burton tore down the last remaining piece of the infield structure. “I’ve had very few opportunities to operate a piece of CAT equipment and that was sure a lot of fun,” Burton said. “I can’t say enough for MIS and other racetracks in NASCAR who do such a wonderful job of continuing to invest money into their facilities to make them the best possible venues for our loyal NASCAR fans.” With current MIS suite holders, CAT employees, MIS fans and local media looking on, Burton put on a good show for his first demolition project. “It’s not as easy as it looks that’s for sure,” Burton said. “After a little practice I was getting the hang of it. I enjoyed it.” Demolition and construction of the infield redesign began immediately following the track’s Show Me the CARFAX Race Weekend on August 14-16. Track fire crews and staff spent the night of the race and the next day to complete move-out of the 27-year-old building. The new two-story suite/media center building calls for 31 corporate suites that span the second floor of the structure. A number of the suites will include movable walls so areas can expand or decrease based on partners’ needs, building upon MIS’ philosophy to tailor custom packages to each partners’ business goals. The suites will sit atop a state-of-the-art media, technology and meeting center. Print, radio and TV journalists, including their photographer counterparts from across all news mediums, will have ample space to work and cover MIS’ popular events. Separate rooms for large press conferences and competitor meetings will also be housed on the first floor, near a new kitchen and press dining area. The scope of Phase One of the project also includes modifying pit road and the current fire lane. The speedway’s fueling station in the garage area will also be moved, and the pedestrian tunnel will be expanded. Phase One of the master plan redesign of the infield is just one piece of an ongoing transformation at MIS. In all, MIS will have spent more than $55 million since 2005 on various capital improvement projects. (MIS PR)

Fastenal sponsoring Edwards in 2010

Roush Fenway Racing announced that they have signed Fastenal to a multi-year contract to sponsor Carl Edwards in the Nationwide Series beginning in 2010. Fastenal, North America's largest fastener distributor and one of the world's fastest-growing full-line industrial suppliers, will appear on the #60 Ford for 15 races in 2010. Fastenal was with Jr. Motorsports this season but running only a number of racing with different driver. (Roush Fenway PR)

Trent Owens Fined For Rules Violation At Bristol

Trent Owens, crew chief for the No. 32 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been fined $5,000 for rule violations committed last week at Bristol Motor Speedway. Owens violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR Officials that the race equipment does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20A-12A (mounting points on the axle housing must be evenly spaced and welded to prevent movement: mounting points were not evenly spaced) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book.The infraction occurred during opening day inspection on Aug. 20. (NascarMedia)

Changes at RCR?

Changes are coming at Richard Childress Racing. "We're getting ready to make a lot of changes to hopefully change [the performance]," Team owner Richard Childress said last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. He wouldn't get any more specific, but those close to the situation said there will be some major restructuring announced early this week that hopefully will improve performance. The organization already has made some changes within the teams to put the best at-the-track personnel with Clint Bowyer, the only one of RCR's four drivers with a shot at the Chase. Bowyer is 15th in points, 112 points out with two races remaining before the field is set. Jeff Burton is 18th, Casey Mears is 20th and Kevin Harvick is 24th. Childress has already switched the crew chiefs of Harvick and Mears in an attempt to improve performance, so any further changes likely will come in a shakeup of managerial or engineering structure. (ESPN)

Kelly Bires in the #88 Nationwide Car in 2010?

JR Motorsports President Kelley Earnhardt confirmed that Kelly Bires is on the list of possible replacements for Brad Keselowski should the company and the driver part ways. Many in the garage have called Bires, who turns 25 Tuesday, the front-runner for the No. 88 Nationwide Series ride. Keselowski is rummored to the #12 in 2010 and if so, he would leave the #88 team he currently drives for because the two teams are different car makes. (#88 Chevy, #12 Dodge) (FoxSports)

200th Pit Pass Post and Review

This is thepitpass.net's 200th post. It's been a great year of racing and the site will be around for years to come. The show will be on the audio8ball.com for Season 2 real soon. The date and time slot will be posted on the site and on Audio8ball.com. There a number of stories that I want to go back and talk about that are stories of 2009 that the Nascar World will remember for years to come and some stories that are my personal favorites:

• Pure Racer: This article compairs the life of an "Average Joe" to that of local short track racer. It has a lot of heart and opens your eyes to what the local racers have to go through on a daily basics, it give you a whole new respect for your local short track racer.
• NASCAR Announces “Double-File Restarts – Shootout Style”: Something that Nascar needed to do years ago. This changed the race forever. This announcement not only make the restarts even more entertaining but it make the racing better and will for years to come. Soon after Nascar made this rule change in the Nationwide series, Nascar has yet make this rule change in the truck series but it will happen, it's not a question of if, its only a question of when.
• Nominees Announced For Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction: Nascar will have it's Hall of Fame, the only question is who will be in it? There are 25 nominees for the inaugural induction and they will be announced in October and honored next May at the new Hall of Fame facility in Charlotte, N.C.
• NASCAR Moving Year-End Awards Banquet to Vegas: Something that needed to be done for the fans. Now because of the move, fans can attend the Banquet and it means a better venue for the Sport as a whole.
• Ford to run Mustang in Nationwide: The Nationwide needed a COT and to break away from the Cup Series even more, this fills that need. It gives a whole new look to the Nationwide Series and makes the cars different in many ways and makes for better, SAFER racing.
• Police called to Mayfield house: Mayfield was suspension for failing a random drug test and in turn, sued NASCAR. Then his ex-stepmother got involved and more lawsuits were handed out. This is just the latest chapter in the saga between Mayfield, Nascar and his former step-mother. But at least the new drug testing pollice works?
• Changes at Watkins Glen Underway: After a really bad crash, Watkins Glen is getting safer. Parts of the track were really unsafe and needed to be updated. The track is currently working on the track to make it safer.
• Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2010: There are permits for a 60,000 square foot "Kyle Busch race shop" in Iredell County records. Something big is happening with Kyle Busch for 2010, the question is what?
• My Take: The New Kyle Busch: My Take is a new weekly article about anything in Nascar that I have an opinion on. This week Kyle Busch won the Bristol night race and we saw a different Kyle get out of the car.
• Great Marketing Minds: When Nascar wouldn't let you put your name on a car, simply paint the same paint job on it and change the team logo to make it look like yours. At least that's what Verizon and Penske did for the #12.

This is just the beginning for the site, bigger thing are coming and the show will be bigger than ever this season. To all the fans, thank you for choosing thepitpass.net for your Nascar News. The Pit Pass is your personal pass to everything Nascar!

Hendrick Working on Fuel Injection For NASCAR?

Sources have told FOXSports.com that Hendrick Motorsports is working on the fuel injection project for NASCAR. If NASCAR opts for fuel injection engines in the near future, it will likely increase production costs by $15,000 to $20,000. One engineer also quipped, "It will be more fuel efficient, but also provide teams with an easier platform to cheat." NASCAR is researching the possibility of moving from engines with carburetors to fuel injection. Officials met with top engine builders from organizations earlier this month to discuss the move of that technology and others that would make cars more fuel efficient and more like cars on the manufacturer showroom floor. Manufacturers switched fully from carburetors to fuel injection in the 1980s. No timetable has been set for when fuel injection could be used. (FoxSports)

Danica Patrick Staying in Indy At AGR

Danica Patrick pretty much confirmed Saturday that not only was she staying in the Indy Racing League, she's also staying put at Andretti Green Racing. Just two days after Michael Andretti announced he was taking charge of the racing team Patrick has been with since 2007, IndyCar's biggest star acknowledged she was happy with the changes and wants to be part of solution. "Every team has its pitfalls and people who are difficult but I like some of the changes being made for this team and that's good for me," said Patrick, who is fifth in the point standings and having her best season with Andretti calling her strategy. This is a great team and it's won a lot of races and there's no reason to think we can't do it again. Michael has so much passion and is such a good leader. My deal isn't finalized but things are going well and clearly moving forward and that's good." Andretti said he was getting close to re-signing Patrick and happy with the progress. It's assumed the new deal will be announced this week at Chicago, the home of Motorola and where IndyCar races Saturday night in Joliet. Asked about the possibilities of switching to NASCAR, Patrick said: "I think at the end of the day, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know." (SPEEDtv)

Hendrick Says Keselowski Won't Go Far in 2010

Rick Hendrick does not plan to let Brad Keselowski stray far from his organization. Keselowski is believed to be headed to Penske Racing next season, in part because Hendrick Motorsports has no room in the lineup to promote him to the Sprint Cup Series. But the team owner says wherever Keselowski ends up, "he'll always be close enough for me to bring him back." Keselowski is the hottest prospect right now in NASCAR, but wants to move up from the Nationwide Series to the premier Cup level. He wanted to stay with a team affiliated with Hendrick, but there is no scenario for 2010 that would work. Keselowski turned down the No. 12 for Penske last season. David Stremme got the ride. (Associated Press)

Kleenex to Partner with JTG Racing in 2010

Kimberly-Clark (Kleenex) announced a partnership with JTG Daugherty Racing for the 2010 season, making it a sponsor of the #47 Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car driven by Marcos Ambrose. The partnership will commence with the Daytona 500 in February and mark the 16th season Kimberly-Clark has been active in NASCAR. As sponsor, Kimberly-Clark brands will be present on the #47 for the entire 2010 season, serving as the primary sponsor on paint schemes for five races, including Daytona. The move to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series brings to end one of the longest-standing team/sponsor relationships in the Nationwide Series. "Kimberly-Clark has partnered with Baker Curb Racing and that organization for a long time," Kimberly-Clark's Don Quigley said. "We certainly wish that team the best of luck and expect it to continue finding success. We also hope nothing but the best for Jason Keller in his endeavors both on and off the track. As we graduate up, we will certainly remain fans of the Nationwide Series." (Kimberly-Clark)

My Take: The New Kyle Busch

By: Alan Bailey

In case you haven't heard Kyle Busch held off 50 year old Pole sitter Mark Martin on Saturday night at Bristol for his Fourth win of 2009. Kyle took his time getting out of the car and as he did so it was the New Kyle Busch did so. A "kid" that needed to grow up has Finally started doing that. The first thing he said after he took the checkered flag was "thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." He didn't have the same old "ya I won" attitude, he was humble in his win. Yes, all drivers are and Kyle Busch has been humble with his wins in the past but this was different. He even took a moment to give the checkered flag to one very lucky Kyle Busch fan. Would the old Kyle Busch do this? Would the old Kyle Busch even had seen the fan? Look back to Friday's Nationwide race, a dramatic wreck on Lap 52 ended Busch shot at a win. Yes, Busch climbed from his car and disappeared into his transporter. Some 10 minutes later, it was a kinder, gentler Busch who emerged and nothing said in the interview was negative to the driver that wreaked him, Chase Austin. You can bet that in those 10 minutes in the transporter someone was talking him down and telling him to talk to world and tell them what happened, good or bad. The old Kyle Busch would have NEVER done this. This race also marked the start of Busch and crew chief Steve Addington's new relationship. Earlier this week they sat down in a closed door meeting and came out of it better. They agreed that Kyle would give more information to Steve during the race and not give short answers over the radio. In term it would lead to better runs and therefore, more wins. Less than one week after this new relationship started he wins the Bristol night race and moved to 13th in the points, only 34 points behind the cutoff with two races to go. Will Kyle Busch make the 2009 Chase of the Cup? Who knows, but if he dose he will be tied for the lead when the chase starts and right now he has one thing that most driver don't have, momentum going into the chase. The New Kyle Busch is better for fans off the track, but his the same old Busch on the track, so keep an eye on Kyle, because he'll make sure you get your money's wroth.

Cup Recap: Bristol

Kyle Busch Holds Off Mark Martin For his Fouth Win of 2009. Johnson and Gordon in the 2009 Chase for the Cup.

Kyle Busch made a statement Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. So did polesitter Mark Martin, who pressured Busch to the finish line of the Sharpie 500 during a four-lap run to the checkered flag but couldn’t make the pass for the win. Instead, Busch won for the fourth time this season and for the second time at Bristol in 2009. Busch showed emphatically he is not out of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series picture, and Martin strengthened his hold of a spot in NASCAR’s postseason. Busch moved up two positions to 13th, 34 points behind 12th-place Matt Kenseth. Martin likewise gained two spots to 10th in the standings. The top 12 drivers after the Sept. 12 race at Richmond qualify for the Chase. “Mark Martin—what a class act,” said Busch, who won for the 16th time in the Cup series. “He deserved to win this race. I’m sorry he came home in second. I know how he feels. I drove as hard as I could. “He had a chance. He could have done it (moved Busch out of the way). But he didn’t. He raced me clean.” Marcos Ambrose ran third, followed by Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman. Kurt Busch came home seventh, followed by Jimmie Johnson, who recovered from trouble on pit road to salvage a top-10 finish. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished ninth, and Matt Kenseth was 10th. Johnson took the lead from Martin in traffic on Lap 317, as Martin was struggling to put Kasey Kahne two laps down. Johnson passed to the outside and took control of the race—temporarily. The No. 48 team got Johnson out first under caution for a restart on Lap 362, and Johnson stayed out front until the seventh caution of the race on Lap 421 after a light rain started falling. A lengthy pit stop under caution on Lap 423 proved Johnson’s undoing, as his crew had extreme difficulty changing the right rear tire. Johnson left the pits with the tire loose and had to return to pit road. He fell to 22nd position for a restart on Lap 432. Kyle Busch used the opportunity to take the lead, passing Michael Waltrip, who had remained on the track during the caution, on Lap 433. Busch stayed at the point through a multicar wreck on the frontstretch on Lap 438 and a caution for Sam Hornish Jr.’s scrape with the wall on Lap 457. Subsequently, Busch led the field to a restart on Lap 487 after contact from Jamie McMurray’s Ford cut the left front tire on Martin Truex Jr.’s Chevrolet and sent Truex into the Turn 4 wall. Busch held Martin at bay until a violent collision involving Waltrip and Clint Bowyer brought out the 11th yellow on Lap 491. With rain falling, NASCAR red-flagged the race for almost 11 minutes before the restart with four laps to go. (NascarMedia)

Keselowski to Penske #12 in 2010?

Brad Keselowski will drive for Penske Racing in 2010, sources told ESPN.com on Friday. Keselowski would not discuss his future plans. "I'm really not prepared to address any of the rumors about next year," he said. "I'm here to race the Nationwide car and win with it tonight and I am not going to let anything get in the way." Keselowski turned down an offer from Roger Penske last year to drive the #12 Dodge, and the ride instead went to David Stremme. Keselowski's current team, JR Motorsports, does not drive in the Sprint Cup Series and co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has no plans to move that team up to NASCAR's top level. Keselowski had hoped to replace Mark Martin next year in the #5 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports, but Martin decided to keep the seat in 2010. Rick Hendrick on Friday declined to comment on Keselowski's future, and Earnhardt canceled an afternoon media availability. (ESPN.com)

Nationwide Recap: Bristol

Ragan Wins Big, Kyle Busch Wreaks, Point Lead Shrinking.

With a strong restart on a green-white-checkered-flag finish, David Ragan held off Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards in Friday night’s Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ragan led the final 56 laps of the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at the .533-mile speedway, but Edwards was the big winner, as he trimmed Kyle Busch’s lead in the series standings from 339 to 248 points. Busch was the victim of an early accident and finished 28th, 59 laps down. “It was a fun night to drive such a fast racecar,” said Ragan, who chose the outside line for the final restart, as the race went four laps beyond its scheduled distance. “The outside had been great all night. I really struggled passing cars on the bottom. “I raced with Carl—it was fun racing with a teammate—and I was able to pin him behind a lapped car. I don’t think I would have passed him (otherwise), because he was running that middle groove, and I just couldn’t get around him.” The race ended under caution because of a wreck on the final lap that froze the running order with Ragan in the lead. Polesitter Brad Keselowski rallied from an early fender-bender to finish third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. If Edwards had to lose the race, he was glad it was Ragan who beat him. “He played me the way he should have,” Edwards said. “He got me behind a lapped car and got me pinned. … I can’t say enough about David Ragan. He’s a great guy.” Ragan passed Edwards for the lead on Lap 199 of 254 and held the top spot through a caution for debris on the frontstretch on Lap 243. That set up the two-lap dash to the finish. A dramatic wreck on Lap 52 forced Busch to give back much of the gains he made in the Nationwide standings last week when Edwards wrecked on Lap 3 of last Saturday’s race at Michigan International Speedway. Busch had just passed Harvick for the lead and was barreling out of Turn 4 when Bristol rookie Chase Austin, with a tire down on his No. 07 Chevrolet, pulled down the track into Busch’s path. The resulting violent collision sent Busch’s Toyota hard into the frontstretch wall. Reed Sorenson’s Chevy also was collected in the wreck. Busch climbed from his car and disappeared into his transporter, as NASCAR red-flagged the race for more than 15 minutes for track cleanup. It was a kinder, gentler Busch who emerged some 10 minutes later. “I saw a slow car up high, and he came right across the nose, right in front of me,” Busch said. “I didn’t know where to go except where I was going. I had Harvick on my outside, and he was able to miss it. Pretty unfortunate there that we got caught up in that mess. “The (car) was awesome—it was good, it was coming right to the front. Got all the way up there and was taking the lead, but mistakes happen sometimes—I’ve made plenty. We’ll go on and get them next week.” (NascarMedia)

Andretti: Close to Re-Signing Danica

Thursday, Michael Andretti confirmed a split with Andretti Green Racing co-owners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree. They will own and operate the organization's promotional company, currently known as Andretti Green Promotions. Andretti plans to maintain a four-car IndyCar Series team and said he expects to retain popular star Danica Patrick. "Getting close," he said of negotiations. "We've been back and forth a lot, but they want it and we want it. We're just going through the particulars right now. I'm happy with the way things are going." An announcement could come as early as next week. Her car's sponsor, Motorola, is based in Schaumburg, Ill., near Chicagoland Speedway, site of the Aug. 29 race. Patrick's three-year contract expires at the end of the season, which has four races left. (Indianapolis Star)

President Obama Hosts NASCAR at the White House

The South Lawn event on Wednesday included 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and several past champions and special guests. "NASCAR is once again honored to have its drivers recognized by the President of the United States," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. "NASCAR is rooted deep in America's fabric and represents the best of sports and side-by-side competition." Joining Johnson for the celebration will be members of the 2008 Chase field: Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart. (Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth cannot attend due to schedule conflicts). Past champions and special guests in attendance will be: Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Juan Pablo Montoya, Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip. This will be the ninth time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has been honored at the White House since 2000. NASCAR's first official visit to the White House was in 1978 during the Carter administration. Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson had the gas to get to the White House on Wednesday, where President Barack Obama honored the 2008 winner as well as auto racing. "NASCAR is a uniquely American sport," Obama said beneath the South Portico, flanked by most of the 12 drivers who competed last year for NASCAR's top prize. Joining Johnson at the White House were other Sprint Cup drivers and past champions. Special guests included wounded soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and campers from the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C., which NASCAR supports. Johnson's #48 Chevy also was parked on the White House driveway, with the glittery Sprint Cup perched on a table nearby. (Associated Press)

Truck Recap: Bristol

Kyle Busch Wins, Hornaday Win Streak Ends, Extends Point Lead.

Kyle Busch ended Ron Hornaday Jr.’s five-race winning streak, capturing Wednesday night’s O’Reilly 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch took the lead on Lap 124 after a lengthy side-by-side battle with Jason White and was a comfortable 2.721 seconds ahead of runner-up Matt Crafton by the time the checkered flag appeared. “It’s a fun place to race,” Busch said after collecting his third truck win of the season. “I knew we would come here with a fast truck; we’ve been fast every time we’ve come here. … It’s good to be back, finally.” Hornaday, polesitter Ryan Newman and Brian Scott rounded out the top five. “Anytime Kyle and I get together, we know we can win races,” crew chief Richie Wauters said. “We thought about (pitting a second time), but the tires are so hard here, they’re not falling off. … We decided to stay out, and it was the right call.” Wauters replaced Doug George atop the pit box heading into this week’s race. Busch led twice for 82 laps en route to his 12th career win in the series. White led one time for 86. Hornaday, running in the top 10, restarted in 17th after pitting during the night’s first caution. He worked his way back into the top 10 and was safely inside the top five at the finish. After winning five consecutive races, Hornaday said he was “just glad (the streak) is over so you guys will stop asking me about it.” “Bristol is the toughest one. (I) just left a lot out there,” Hornaday said. “Top five is what we needed for points. It’s been pretty cool.” Hornaday remains atop the standings and leads Crafton by 211 points. Mike Skinner, who had to pit late under green, finished 20th and remained third in the standings. (NascarMedia)

1000th NASCAR Start for Martin

On Aug. 22 at Bristol Motor Speedway, #5-Mark Martin will make his 1,000th career NASCAR start. That date will mark his 746th Sprint Cup race. Martin also has competed in 231 Nationwide Series and 23 Camping World Truck Series events. He is the third driver to achieve this mark, behind only Richard Petty and Michael Waltrip. Across all three series, Martin has won 93 points-paying events. Martin also enters Bristol only 12 points ahead of Brian Vickers in the last chase spot, 12th. The 5o year old racer has The most wins in the series this year with four, Martin has two wins at Bristol in 1993 and 1998, both in the spring. (HMS)

Smith To Drive #78 Full Time in 2010

Furniture Row Racing announced that it will run the full 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2010. The race team also announced that Regan Smith will continue to drive the #78 Chevy next season. The decision to return to a full-time schedule was based on the positive effect the race team along with NASCAR's popularity have had on the Furniture Row Companies marketing and advertising programs. The race team, which ran a full schedule in 2006, 2007 and 2008, also stated that it will continue to search for additional sponsorship partners, in the form of primary or associate to help with costs and possibly grow the race team. The #78 Furniture Row team was originally scheduled to compete in 12 races in 2009. Four additional races have been added to the schedule, including Saturday night's race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. According to Garone, there is a good possibility of adding more races. (Furniture Row Racing PR)

Ambrose and Edwards Running Grand-AM?

Marcos Ambrose and Carl Edwards will be on the North Course at Virginia International Raceway Tuesday testing Doran Racing's #77 McDonald's Ford Dallara Grand-Am prototype. No word if the two will be racing the Grand-AM together if at all. Kevin Doran's Daytona Prototype has competed in all nine rounds of the 2009 campaign, with a best finish of fifth at Virginia International Raceway in April. The next race for the Grand-Am Rolex Series will be the Montreal 200 in Canada on Aug. 29 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The race will be the same weekend as the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races at the track. (SpeedTV)

Fuel Injection coming to NASCAR?

When NASCAR Sprint Cup director John Darby, a few weeks ago, raised the issue of 'fuel injected' racing engines in NASCAR, it raised eyebrows. NASCAR Cup engines are some of the most technically advanced engines in racing, except for the antique carburetors. Every other major form of racing, even ASA, uses fuel injected engines. NASCAR has long shied away from things electronically complicated like electronic fuel injection, for fear with goodly reason that the mechanical wizards on these racing teams might figure out a way to put some tricks in that electronic box. However NASCAR officials are raising the issue to team owners of fuel injected engines possibly in the Truck series as soon as next season, according to one scenario and asking how owners think NASCAR ought to police it. "We think fuel injection is just the right way to go in NASCAR," Pat Suhy, Chevrolet's NASCAR field director, says. "And it wouldn't be that difficult. Every other top racing series uses fuel injection. We could put something together in about a week depending on how simple or complex you wanted to do it and then test it for two months or so, and be ready to go."(MikeMulhern.net)

Update:

NASCAR is researching the possibility of moving from engines with carburetors to fuel injection. Officials met with top engine builders from organizations earlier this month to discuss the move of that technology and others that would make cars more fuel efficient and more like cars on the manufacturer showroom floor. Manufacturers switched fully from carburetors to fuel injection in the 1980s. No timetable has been set for when fuel injection could be used, but Toyotas Lee White said his company could be ready to go by the 2010 opener at Daytona if NASCAR gave the go-ahead. "I would vote for it," White said on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. "No question, because everyone right now is spending an absolute fortune on [carburetor technology] that has absolute zero application in real life." White said all manufacturers need to be more conscious about the environment to survive, and he believes NASCAR needs to move more in that direction. "Sit in the grandstands and watch these cars go into Turns 1 and Turns 3 and watch all the fuel belching out the tailpipe," he said. "Thats wasted fuel thats going right into the grandstands in terms of lead poison." White said the transition could be made easily and without great expense. "Its something that could be implemented along with a few other things that could be discussed that could potentially reduce costs and increase the potential audience for the sport," he said. (ESPN)

NASCAR takes Engines to R&D Center

NASCAR has taken the engines of 11 cars in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway to test at its Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. NASCAR periodically takes engines so it can see how much horsepower they produce.The engines taken were from the Chevy's of #24-Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports), #14-Tony Stewart (Hendrick), #33-Clint Bowyer (Earnhardt Childress Racing Technologies), #42-Juan Pablo Montoya (ECRT); Toyota's of: #83-Brian Vickers (Toyota Racing Development), #00-David Reutimann (TRD), #11-Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing); Ford's of #99-Carl Edwards (Roush-Yates Engines), #16-Greg Biffle (Roush-Yates) and Dodge's of: #77-Sam Hornish Jr. (Penske Racing), #19-Elliott Sadler (Richard Petty Motorsports).(SceneDaily)

Cup Recap: Michigan

Vickers Pulls Off Big Win, Johnson and Martin Runout, Martin Almost of Chase.

Polesitter Brian Vickers ran out of gas at the end of Sunday’s Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It’s a good thing it was on the way to Victory Lane. Jimmie Johnson wasn’t so lucky. Despite a concerted effort to save gas, the reigning and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Johnson ran out of fuel with just over two laps left in the race. When Johnson ducked onto pit road, he handed the lead to Vickers, who had been riding in Johnson’s wake. “That’s what I’m talking about!” Vickers exulted after crossing the finish line ahead of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Great call, guys. Great job.” Vickers’ win was the second of his career, the first for Red Bull Racing and the first for Toyota at Michigan. Vickers, Johnson and Gordon last came to the pits on Lap 149. Earnhardt, on the other hand, stopped under caution on Lap 159 and rocketed toward the front after a restart on Lap 162. Vickers pressured Johnson over the closing laps, and Johnson, who led 165 of 200 laps, ran out of fuel less than five miles short of the finish for the second time this year at the 2-mile speedway. With Vickers just outside the top 12 in the standings — with the top 12 drivers after 26 races qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup — crew chief Ryan Pemberton’s call to keep Vickers on the track in fuel conservation mode was a risky one. In this case, however, the risk paid an enormous reward, moving Vickers to 13th in the standings, 12 points behind 12th-place Mark Martin, who lost his fuel-mileage gamble, running out of gas on the final lap and finishing 31st. “I’ve got to say that, at the moment, it wasn’t what I expected (Pemberton) to do, knowing where we’re at in the Chase — but it was the right call,” Vickers said. “The minute he made it, I had complete faith in it. He hasn’t run me out of fuel yet. “Usually when he tells me that we’re going to be two laps short, if I get him two, we’re good. If he tells me we’re four short, and I get him four, we’re good. I have complete confidence in that, and that takes time to build. We’ve gone through this fuel thing I don’t know how many times for me to prove to him what I can save and for him to prove to me how good he is with his math. “We’ve hit our mark every time. I didn’t suspect it would be any different this time, but I’ve got to tell you, when you’re coming to two-to-go, I’m still sweating bullets.” Despite his third-place run, Earnhardt sounded a cautionary note. “Well, I don’t want to get too excited,” said Earnhardt, who won his last NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan in June 2008. “You want to be up front every week like this. You want to be there the whole race. You don’t want to just come up there through the last 50 laps and surprise everybody. “But we’re getting better as a team. It’s just really, really hard to be patient and be mindful and respectful of everybody and hold your tongue every once in a while. “But we’re working really hard. I’ve never worked so hard to run third. I’ve won races working a whole lot easier than this. But it’s competitive with this car, and there’s not really a real edge for anyone right now.” Gordon saved fuel by turning the engine off and on as he circled the track. “I really felt confident we were going to make it, even though (crew chief) Steve (Letarte) told me we were four (laps) short when we left pit road that last pit stop,” said Gordon, who passed Johnson (33rd Sunday) for second in the standings. “I shut the engine off so much. I felt like I got us six laps. At least with the caution, I felt like I did. Felt pretty confident I didn't have to conserve a whole lot. Junior was pressuring me a lot at the end. I was waiting, to see if the 48 (Johnson) and 83 (Vickers) ran out. One did, one didn't.” (NasacarMedia)

Nationwide Recap: Michigan

Brad Keselowski Wins With Last-Laps Pass as Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers Trade Paint and Words after Race.

Hometown boy Brad Keselowski took advantage of a pitched battle between Kyle Busch and polesitter Brian Vickers — one that continued after Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series' Carfax 250 race — to win for the third time in 2009. With Busch and Vickers battling on the bottom of the track, Keselowski took advantage of the outside line to pass both drivers on the final lap at Michigan International Speedway, with Vickers finishing second and Busch third in a race that stretched Busch’s lead in the series standings to 339 points over Carl Edwards. “I saw ’em bobble in (Turns) 3 and 4 there at the one-to-go, and I had ’em,” said Keselowski, who grew up in Rochester Hills, Mich. “I knew it. I knew I could get to the outside and kill the 32 (Vickers). I wasn’t sure about the 18 (Busch) — I don’t know what happened to him. “Oh, my God, I won at home! I’m speechless. I can’t believe it. I’m terrible here, and to win here is a major accomplishment. … It’s so cool to win in front of your home fans, and I thank all of them that came out tonight.” Vickers led Busch into Turn 3 on the next-to-last lap and slipped in the corner. Busch drove to the inside, and Vickers side-drafted the No. 18 Toyota and forced him down onto the apron as the cars roared out of Turn 4. With momentum to the outside, Keselowski made it three-wide as the cars took the white flag for the final lap. Keselowski crossed the finish line .199 seconds ahead of Vickers, with Busch a close third. David Ragan and Kevin Harvick finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Busch took issue with the way Vickers had raced him on the final two laps and confronted him on pit road after the race. “Oh, man, I am so sorry — I forgot it was the Kyle Busch show,” Vickers said sarcastically, after climbing from his car. “Hell, I thought we were racing for a win. … I thought it was my job to hold him off. Apparently not. He came over to the car after we came in and knocked the fender in, which was unnecessary, and then started crying like a little baby. “I asked him if he’d give me a minute to get out, and we could talk about it like men. If he wanted to fight, that was fine with me. When I got out, he ran off. It’s a shame that it went down like that. We were racing hard. I thought it was a good race. Congratulations to the 88 (Keselowski). He snuck around both of us. I didn’t see him coming.” Busch thought Vickers should have given him room and let the two strongest cars battle for the win. “It’s so frustrating that you can’t have a guy race you clean,” Busch said. “He was on our right rear quarter panel all the way down the front straightaway and gave the win to the 88 car. He slowed us down so much — he had no idea the 88 car was coming, and the 88 just drove right by both of us on the outside, because Brian Vickers was trying to slow both of us down. Just stupid. “If he would have ran his own line up at the top of the track, and I had run my own line down at the bottom of the track, it could have been us two. But, unfortunately, you race with idiots, and I guess you’ll have that sometimes.” An accident on Lap 3 put a damper on Edwards’ 30th birthday celebration. Edwards was three-wide on the outside in Turn 2 with Trevor Bayne in the middle and Brad Coleman on the bottom when contact between Edwards’ Ford and Bayne’s Toyota sent Edwards into the marbles at the top of the track. Edwards fought to regain control, but the cars touched again and Edwards slammed nose-first into the outside wall. The impact eliminated the No. 60 Ford from the race — the first time Edwards has failed to finish a NASCAR Nationwide Series event since May 2008 at Darlington. “I saw the replay, and it definitely looks like I didn’t give Trevor enough room,” said Edwards, who held second place in the standings but lost touch with Busch, the leader. “I drove in and kind of pinched him down.” (Nascarmedia)

Police called to Mayfield house

Catawba [NC] Police have confirmed that they were called to NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield's home for a trespassing call on Saturday. Now, Jeremy Mayfield and his wife confirm to NewsChannel 36 that trespasser is Mayfield's former stepmother, Lisa Mayfield. He and his wife say Lisa Mayfield was drunk, banging on their door, and they claim she even threatened to kill them. This is just the latest chapter in the saga between Mayfield and his former step-mother with whom he has been trading insults and lawsuits for the past few months. Lisa Mayfield has sued the race car driver for slander. Mayfield, on the other hand, tells NewsChannel 36 he is putting the finishing touches on his wrongful death lawsuit against his step mother. Mayfield has said publicly he doesn't believe his father committed suicide, as is listed in a 2007 police report, but that he believes his step mother had something to do with this.(wcnc.com)