NASCAR considing streamlining licensing business

NASCAR and the sport's top teams are discussing ways to rescue their troubled licensing business by bringing all of the team and driver rights under one banner, marking the first major step toward creating NASCAR Properties. Those rights currently are splintered from team to team, which means a licensee might visit five teams to acquire five licenses. A centralized agency such as NASCAR Properties would make all of those licenses available from one entity like the other professional leagues do. The groundwork for NASCAR Properties was set Sept. 24 during a day-long meeting at the governing body's new office in Charlotte. Paul Brooks, NASCAR's senior vice president and a driving force behind the idea, said officials from his office have been meeting with teams individually since the summer, but the summit at NASCAR's office brought all of those executives together for the first time. "We are exploring the potential benefits of a unified industry approach to licensing," Brooks said. "The ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders has been very positive and collaborative, and that is truly encouraging." (Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service/SportsBusiness Journal)

Penske deal for Saturn from GM is off

General Motors Co. said Wednesday it would shut down its Saturn brand after an agreement with Penske Automotive Group Inc. to acquire it fell apart. Penske, citing concerns of whether it could continue to supply vehicles after a manufacturing contract with GM ran out, ended talks with GM Wednesday to acquire the brand. GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in statement that Saturn and its dealership network will be phased out. In a statement, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based auto retailer says an agreement with another manufacturer to continue producing Saturn vehicles after GM stopped making them fell through, leading Penske to terminate talks with GM. Penske said it negotiated terms and conditions to make Saturn cars with another manufacturer, but that company's board of directors rejected the agreement. Penske spokesman Anthony Pordon would not identify the other manufacturer. In June, GM and Penske agreed to take over the Saturn brand and related dealerships, although GM would produce the vehicles for a limited period of time. GM said Saturn vehicle owners can still go to their Saturn dealer for service and would be able to go to a certified GM dealer for service once Saturn dealerships are closed. It was expected that GM would announce the completion of Saturn's sale to Penske in the coming days. (ABC/AP)

JTG/Daugherty join the start and park teams

Activity in the Nationwide Series garage this weekend saw JTG Racing's #47 car being attended to by not their own team, but the crew of MSRP Motorsports' #90 and #91 entries. After Coleman Pressley damaged the right side of his Camry during NNS qualifying on Saturday morning, no less than three MSRP crew members were seen doing the repair work to his quarterpanels. Jodi Geschickter, the longtime Nationwide owner confirmed that MSRP was helping them with their Nationwide car. According to Geschickter, the lack of funding that forced the team to stop racing its #47 car also forced them to lay off their Nationwide crew. With several former members of the JTG crew now working with MSRP, and MSRP having their start-and-park efforts down to a near science, JTG has now got the best in that business working on their entry. "We told our [NNS] guys at the start of the year that we only had funding to run half the races," said Geschickter, who gave his team the choice between spreading their races throughout the 2009 season or running the first half of the year, hoping to secure additional dollars. "We kept them up to date month-to-month regarding the funding that we had." Said Geschickter of the team's current effort, the plan is to keep the #47 in the top 30 in owner points, as they are confident that the team will be able to secure "enough funding to run at least half the season" come Daytona in 2010, just as the team managed to do the first half of 2009 with Michael McDowell behind the wheel. Geschickter confirmed that JTG remains committed to Coleman Pressley, who has driven a number of start-and-park races for the team in the second half of 2009, as their next development driver to put in the seat. (Frontstretch)

Nationwide races for Kligerman

Penske Racing development driver Parker Kligerman will make his Nationwide Series debut at Kansas Speedway next month. Kligerman will drive the #22 Penske Racing entry, a team that will lay the groundwork for Brad Keselowski's full-time squad in 2010. "There are a lot of talented people out there and we are looking at all of our options," said Jonathan Gibson, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Penske Racing. "For a while now, we have been working to assemble a championship caliber Nationwide organization for both of our cars in 2010. Justin has had a terrific season this year and our intention is to hit the ground running with both of our teams in 2010." Kligerman, who turned 19 last month, is currently tied for the lead with Justin Lofton in the ARCA Re/Max Series championship. He tops the leaderboard with seven wins to his credit earned on both asphalt and dirt. (Fox Sports)

Menard says he will not be going to #07 car

Paul Menard denied speculation that he is a candidate to replace #07-Casey Mears in the fourth car [Chevy] at Richard Childress Racing next season. Reports this past weekend from Dover International Speedway had Menard, sponsored by his father's company, touring the RCR facility in Welcome, N.C. He supposedly is unhappy with the merger between Yates and Richard Petty Motorsports and is looking for a new home. (ESPN Insider)

Kevin Hamlin's Cup debut

Kevin Hamlin will attempt to qualify for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in the Front Row Motorsports #37 Long John Silver's Dodge. Bob Jenkins, owner of the Front Row Motorsports entry, has given the thirty year old driver his first opportunity to compete in motorsport's top series for Sunday's Price Chopper 400. The #37 Dodge Avenger is currently in 45th in owner points. Hamlin must qualify the Long John Silver's Dodge in on time to make the race. "For Mr. Jenkins to give me this opportunity is a dream come true. Front Row Motorsports has made huge strides this year with the dedication that Jerry Freeze and the entire Front Row team has put towards it, and hopefully we can get the car in the show. I look forward to working with Peter (Sospenzo) and appreciate the confidence he has in me. I like Kansas, it's where I got my first truck start in 2005," noted Hamlin. He has two previous starts at Kansas Speedway, both in 2005, in the Craftsman Truck Series and the Nationwide Series.Crew Chief Peter Sospenzo is looking forward to working with Hamlin at Kansas and California, "We're real excited about Kevin being in the car for Kansas and California. We have to qualify in to race, but Kevin can do it. He has experience in a truck and Nationwide car at Kansas, and his experience testing in the Cup car will really be beneficial for his first time in a Cup race. Kevin's a young guy with a lot of enthusiasm and he has a great attitude." Hamlin is no stranger to Front Row Motorsports, he can be found during most Sprint Cup races spotting for FRM's John Andretti. Hamlin has also practiced and qualified the team's Nationwide Series entry driven by Tony Raines on non-companion race weekends when Raines had conflicts traveling between a Sprint Cup and Nationwide track. During the week Hamlin is a test driver for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, putting in laps on various tracks and straight line testing for the team's Sprint Cup program. Hamlin was heavily involved in testing during the development of the Car of Tomorrow. (Rising Star Management)

NASCAR confirms Nationwide COT schedule

NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton confirmed Friday what the other races with the new Nationwide Series car will be in 2010. In addition to the previously announced July 2 race at Daytona International Speedway, the Nationwide car of tomorrow will be used at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 14, Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 10 and Lowe's Motor Speedway on Oct. 15. Nationwide teams had told NASCAR they wanted a rollout of one race a month, and NASCAR consented. The car is scheduled to be used full time in 2011. NASCAR plans on holding a test of the new car after the Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway in early November. Pemberton said the test next year will likely be limited to bringing teams in a day early for the Daytona, Michigan, Richmond and Charlotte venues. (SceneDaily)

Goodyear to test larger tire

Goodyear will test a new larger NASCAR tire on October 6th at Richmond International Raceway. The 17-inch tire - which is an inch-and-a-half wider and higher - will provide a larger contact patch on the track and is expected to offer better handling and more grip. "The longitudinal grip improves the forward and back motion while the lateral grip helps with cornering," said Greg Stucker, Goodyear Director of Race Tire Sales. "We'll be looking at what performance gains it gives us and what it allows us to do. Roush Fenway Racing is providing the car and driver for the test. Stucker said the car had to be modified for the test. Goodyear will also test a car using the current 15-inch tire to use as a baseline to compare the two tires. Goodyear will also return for further testing at Daytona International Speedway on Nov. 2. Stucker hopes to entice at least 20 to 25 cars to offer the full feel of the draft. (Fox Sports)

Limited schedule for Ryan Truex in 2010

Ryan Truex's brother, Martin Truex Jr., hopes that Ryan can split time with him in one of Michael Waltrip Racing's Nationwide cars next year. MWR is helping operate the East team for Ryan Truex, which is owned by Martin Truex Jr. "I hope to run five or eight [Nationwide] races [next year], trying to put a deal together where I could run some and maybe, hopefully, get my brother moved up and run a few races to get his feet wet," Truex Jr. said earlier this month. "We're working on all that right now. I really enjoy the Nationwide Series. & We're going through sponsors right now, and they're working hard on it, so hopefully we can put something together to run some races." Ryan Truex said the season he has had in the East series has prepared him, but he's sure going to Nationwide will be tough. (SceneDaily)

Robby Gordon says team will continue

Robby Gordon lost one of his bigger sponsors this week, but the driver/owner has several sponsors that should help him handle the departure of Jim Beam. Gordon said Jim Beam was the primary sponsor for 12 races this year and a to-be-announced sponsor has committed for four of those, leaving him eight to replace from that sponsorship next year. Menards and Mapei are returning, and Gordon said he has a good opportunity for other sponsors such as Polaris, Monster and Camping World to return. Gordon said he can generate a lot of exposure through his various racing avenues, which includes offroad racing. He said he is still not interested in merging with another team. One thing that could help Gordon is if the Indianapolis 500 starts earlier next year, allowing a driver to do both that race and the Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. "I have a sponsor that I talked to today that said they would take Indy and Charlotte at the right dollars today," said Gordon, who has extensive experience in open-wheel cars. "They've already told me that. If Indy changes, I think you can count me in it - with a new sponsor, a different sponsor that's not on my car today." (SceneDaily)

Mears uncertain of 2010

With the announcement this week that Jack Daniels will not continue as a sponsor for the #07 Chevy, Casey Mears finds himself in a predicament for 2010. "I don't know what we're doing yet," Mears said. "I do know that Richard (Childress, team owner) is working hard to secure sponsorship for the fourth team." According to team sources, several potential sponsors toured the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, N.C. this week. Possible driver/sponsor combinations for the fourth team could include a deal with Hall of Fame Racing/Ask.com or Paul Menard with the Menards brand. Another name that continues to be mentioned is Bobby Labonte. Childress admitted on Friday that there has been interest from sponsors, but would not elaborate on specifics. Mears signed a three-year deal last August that locked him in for 2009. The final two seasons were contingent on performance and Mears said that he is "just short" on the stipulations. (FoxSports)

Full season for Finch in 2010?

How desperate is NASCAR to fill the Cup field in 2010? They've asked James Finch to run the full season. Finch has always provided competitive superspeedway cars - Brad Keselowski proved the strength of the #09-Phoenix Racing cars at Talladega earlier this season - but his team has never run a full Cup season in 16 years of competition (1990-96, 2001-present). The problem is finding a competitive driver that can remain up on the wheel without overtaxing the fab shop. Certainly, Finch will have his choice of candidates as the driver lineups shake out at the end of this season. Finch has attempted all the races so far this season. (FoxSports)

Ryan Truex Wins Camping World East Series Championship

Dover International Speedway has been a special race track for the Truexfamily through the years, and today it became even a little more special. Ryan Truex finished off his rookie season in the NASCAR Camping World East Series by claiming the series championship with an eighth-place finish in the Sunoco 150 at Dover on Friday afternoon. Truex, 17, driver of the #00 NAPA Toyota, did so two-and-a-half years after his older brother Martin won his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup series race at the Monster Mile, which the family from Mayetta, N.J., has long considered their home track. Brett Moffit claimed the Sunoco 150 in what he called "the best win so far" in his young career. Moffitt, driver of the #44 Red Line Oil Chevy, led the majority of the race. Truex came into the race 30 points ahead of Eddie MacDonald and ended up winning the championship by 36 points. MacDonald finished in ninth, four seconds behind Truex. (Dover Speedway PR)

Allmendinger drove for free; in Fords by Talladega?

Richard Petty Motorsports' Executive Director of Race Operations Robbie Loomis says the team could field a Ford before the end of the 2009 season. Loomis told FoxSports.com's Lee Spencer, "I don't want to talk about things that are pure speculation, but I don't think it would surprise anybody if we did." A spokesperson for RPM told Sirius Speedway today that there are no plans to field a Ford before 2010, but off the record, sources inside RPM say that the team has already built at least one Ford Fusion, installing a Ford powerplant in an existing RPM chassis. Initial plans were to have #44-AJ Allmendinger debut the car at Kansas Speedway next week, but that timetable was pushed back when Roush-Fenway Racing's Jack Roush expressed reservations about the quick ramp-up. Now, tentative plans call for Allmendinger to drive a Richard Petty Motorsports Ford at Talladega Superspeedway on November 1, with additional outings possible -- though not certain -- at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami Speedways. Calls to Richard Petty Motorsports seeking comment were not immediately returned. Loomis also confirmed today that #43-Reed Sorenson is not the first RPM driver to race for free, saying that Allmendinger also waived his paycheck for a time, in order to remain on the racetrack. "AJ and all the employees at Richard Petty Motorsports made sacrifices in order to continue being a four-car team," he said. "When those guys stepped up, it really said a lot to me about the character of Reed Sorenson, AJ Allmendinger and everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports." (Sirius-Speedway)

Danica staying in Indy Car, for three years

Danica Patrick is now, officially, staying in the IndyCar Series. Patrick signed a three-year contract to remain with Andretti Green Racing during last weekend's event at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan. She will continue to drive the #7 car with a Motorola-based sponsorship. Patrick could not be reached for comment Thursday night, but it is believed she has not resolved her options for driving a stock car in the future. Tony Stewart told reporters during last week's Sprint Cup Series race in Loudon, N.H., that he has "not made an offer'' to Patrick. Past reports said that Patrick would drive in the Truck and Nationwide series on off weekends in Indy Car. This news only adds to the story, if she's driving part time in the Nationwide and truck series, then she's only going to race about 20 races. She does this for three years she's going to get good at it and by the time her Indy Contract is up in 2013 she's good to go full time cup racing in 2014.(Indianapolis Star)

NHL star retires; wants NASCAR career now

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois retired Thursday, ending his 18-year NHL career with plans to drive on NASCAR's Canadian series. The 38-year-old Brisebois spent 16 seasons with the Canadiens, retiring in third place on the franchise list for games by a defenseman (896), fourth for goals by a defenseman (87) and fifth in points by a defenseman (371). On March 14, he became the 11th player to play 1,000 games for the Canadiens. Brisebois said he's seeking sponsors to fund the next phase of his career, as a driver in NASCAR's Canadian Tire Series. "It's a great team sport, like hockey," Brisebois said of auto racing. "Your mechanic is kind of like your coach, and there's a game plan, race strategy, so it's a bit like a hockey team. I'm going to try and go as far as I can in auto racing. I'd love to be able to move on to the Nationwide or Sprint series, but it's going to be very tough. Another dream of mine would be to do the 24 hours of Le Mans." (Associated Press/ESPN.com)

Kahne still driving for Braun in 2010

Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne will still be able to compete in eight NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2010 for Braun Racing, despite a manufacturer conflict between RPM and Braun, team owner Todd Braun says. Braun, who fields Toyotas in the Nationwide Series, confirmed that Kahne can still run for him next year, despite RPM's recent announcement of a switch to Ford for next season. "That's what they're telling us," Braun said. Braun Racing announced in July that Kahne would drive in eight races in the team's #38 Toyota in 2010, helping fuel speculation that RPM would switch to Toyota, but the Petty team will instead field Fords next year. (SceneDaily)

Braun Racing to compete in five Cup races in 2010

Team owner Todd Braun said his Braun Racing team will attempt five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races next year, including the season-opening Daytona 500. Braun, which fields three teams in the Nationwide Series [#10-, #32, & #38], entered a Cup car for two races in 2005. The team plans to run a Toyota in 2010 while determining plans for 2011. "We're going to run some Cup races next year," Braun said. "What it holds on our future, we don't know. If I want to long-term survive in this sport, I'm going to have to go Cup racing at some point. I don't think I can maintain forever being a Nationwide-only guy unless something happens in the series that I don't see right now. I wish I could." Braun said he was happy with his team in the Nationwide Series but could need to move to Cup to survive financially. The driver will be determined, though Braun said his current Nationwide driver, Jason Leffler, is a candidate. Other candidates, he said, could be Reed Sorenson, Bobby Labonte or Jamie McMurray, depending on available Cup rides next year. Braun said he has a sponsor for the five Cup races, though he didn't name the company. He also prefers to hire a crew chief with experience working with the new model Cup car.(SceneDaily)

#8 team returning in 2010?

The folks at Dale Earnhardt Inc. are working at bringing the #8 car to both the Nationwide and Cup series next year. The plan would be for Jeffrey Earnhardt, grandson of Dale, to drive the #8 car in the Nationwide series and have that team based out of the DEI shops in Mooresville, N.C. If sponsorship can be found, the #8 car would return to Cup and be based out of the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing shop in Cocord, N.C. "We do have plans to bring the #8 car back for next season,'' Jeff Steiner executive VP and general manager at DEI, told me [Dustin Long] Wednesday afternoon. "We are working with a number of sponsors. It's not a for sure deal. We haven't announced that we are officially bringing it back. .. I don't think we would see anything with the #8 car at the Sprint Cup level in 2009. I think based where we're at with sponsor discussions, I don't foresee that happening this year, but it is one of our aspirations to get that car back on the track together with the #1 and the #42.''So, would the #8 come back fulltime or would it be acceptable to bring it back part time in 2010?"I think we would consider something part time,'' Steiner told me. "In today's economy and today's NASCAR, we need to look at all potential opportunities to get either young developmental drivers or other people out on the track and if we have an opportunity to do that and get the #8 back on the track in 2010, I think we would certainly consider that.As for Jeffrey Earnhardt: "That would be something we would be looking at running him in an #8 fulltime in the Nationwide level,'' Steiner said. "We're still working on sponsorships. Our intention ... having him in a family number. I think we're hopeful (of a fulltime schedule for Jeffrey). We're pretty bullish on that potential for 2010." (Roanoke Times)

New chassis for Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch doesn't believe the new chassis he'll use in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway is a risk. The 2004 Cup champion said the chassis has been ready since the Atlanta race on Labor Day weekend, "but we didn't want to change our program... because of how the car raced there in March when we won." The Penske Racing team picked Dover because it has similar characteristics to Atlanta. "The aerodynamic numbers of chassis 700 showed up to be the same for what we ran in June, and June was a great finish for us at the Monster Mile where we finished fifth," said Busch, recalling the first Dover race. "We ran competitively all day and so the body being a given... we can really understand what this new chassis is going to bring to us. If you rely on your engineering department, everybody behind the scenes at Penske Racing, they'll tell you that it's better," he said. "It's lighter, it's faster, so we can't be wrong in bringing it." (ESPN Insider)

New Testing Policy For Top Three

NASCAR announced its 2010 testing policy for its three national and two regional touring series. The policy will again prohibit testing at tracks which host NASCAR national series events, by teams in the following series: NASCAR Sprint Cup; NASCAR Nationwide; NASCAR Camping World Truck; NASCAR Camping World East; and NASCAR Camping World West. In 2010, however, testing will be allowed at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks that host a regional touring event but do not host a national series event. Based on this season's regional tour schedules, the following tracks would be eligible to host tests next year: Greenville-Pickens Speedway; Tri-County Motor Speedway; South Boston Speedway; Thompson International Speedway; Music City Motorplex; Adirondack International Speedway; Lime Rock Park; Thunder Hill Raceway; All American Speedway; Madera Speedway; Douglas County Speedway; Toyota Speedway at Irwindale; Portland International Raceway; Miller Motorsports Park; Colorado National Speedway. (NASCAR PR)

Tire Testing at Daytona Wraps Up

Five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers wrapped up a two-day Goodyear tire test on Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway. In between rain showers, drivers shook down tires for Goodyear in advance of the 52nd annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 14. "I think the Goodyear tires the last year or two have been pretty competitive," #6-David Ragan said after the first day of testing. "We haven't had any issues with them. It's just a deal where Goodyear tries to fine tune on their tires and combinations to make it right. I'm sure this won't be the last (test) before the Daytona 500 in February." Ragan participated in last September's Goodyear tire test at Daytona while #20-Joey Logano and #47-Marcos Ambrose were among a group of drivers who tested tires in May. "We tried a lot of different tires," Logano said. "I think we had about five or six different ones that we put on, just trying different things that Goodyear has come up with. We had some good ones and some that weren't as good. You pick what you want and I'm sure they'll change a few things. I know they are going to come back here again and do some drafting." The test gave Brad Keselowski his first opportunity to work with his new #12 team for the 2010 season. Keselowski, who competes for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will join Penske in 2010 for his first full Sprint Cup Series season. (DIS PR)

#18 Car too Low in Post Race Inspection

Kyle Busch, who missed making the Chase by just eight points, finished 5th in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But the left front of the #18 M&M's Toyota was too low in post-race inspection. NASCAR has issued penalties to the #18 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a result of a rule infraction found last Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The #18 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.8 1B (the height of the car at the left front fender did not meet the required specification; too low in post-race inspection) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. Crew chief Steve Addington has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Driver Kyle Busch and car owner Joe Gibbs have been penalized 25 championship driver and 25 championship owner points, respectively. A statement from Joe Gibbs Racing: "The situation was caused when the left front spring became dislodged. This resulted in the left front corner of the car to be lower and resulted in a change to the car's handling which had to be compensated for during the race. Consequently, the car measured low during post-race inspection. We accept NASCAR's ruling on the issue today." (ESPN/Associated Press)

NASCAR asks for Examinations on Mayfield

NASCAR asked a federal judge Monday to order a mental and physical examination on suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield to determine if he has a substance-abuse problem and/or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The filing in U.S. District Court includes three affidavits and one deposition from four different people who claim to have witnessed Mayfield using methamphetamines multiple times since 1999. The deposition is from former brother-in-law David Keith, who testified he witnessed Mayfield snort methamphetamine in his house, garage and car from 1998 through 2000. The deposition was taken Aug. 19, with attorneys for NASCAR and Mayfield in attendance, and Keith testified the drivers' drug use escalated to daily usage. NASCAR suspended Mayfield for failing a random drug test collected May 1 and said he twice tested positive for methamphetamines. Mayfield has denied using the illegal drug. He is now suing NASCAR, alleging his positive test result from May 1 came from the mix of the prescription drug Adderall for ADHD and the allergy medication Claritin-D. NASCAR asked U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen to order Mayfield to report for a psychiatric, neuropsychological and physical examination in November. NASCAR selected the physicians it wants to examine Mayfield. Mayfield did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. The affidavits are from three friends of Mayfield's who know him from Kentucky. Barry Lee, Michael Buskill and Steven Russelburg all testified to witnessing Mayfield use methamphetamine. Lee said he first witnessed Mayfield use methamphetamine in 1999 in the garage, at his home and on his boat, and saw the driver use at least 50 more times through 2000. His affidavit said Mayfield was driving him to Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1999 when he pulled over, said "you want to hit one?" and snorted methamphetamine off a mirror. Ruskill, who said he lived on Mayfield's property from 2006 to 2007, also claimed to have witnessed Mayfield use methamphetamine. "During that time, I frequently saw Jeremy use methamphetamine, almost on a daily basis," Russelburg said. "Most of the time this occurred at a barn on the property that had been converted to a shop." He also testified that Mayfield stated he did not want his wife, Shana, to know about his drug use. A previous motion filed by NASCAR included an affidavit from Mayfield's estranged stepmother, Lisa. She also claimed to witness the driver using methamphetamine on several occasions. She has since filed a defamation of character suit against Mayfield, while he recently filed a Sept. 4 wrongful death lawsuit against Lisa Mayfield over the 2007 death of his father. (AP)

Broken Crankshaft cause of Kahne's blown engine

The conspiracy theorists are out in force, and this time their focus is #9-Kasey Kahne and that Richard Petty Motorsports engine that blew up last weekend at New Hampshire. Certainly everyone at RPM would deny that the engine was the victim of sabotage. They see each other work hard every day and wouldn't be able to fathom that anyone they call a friend or a colleague would do such a thing. That's the way Bill Pink, who directs RPM's engines at the track, thinks. But he says there's more than just the feeling that no one would do something to hurt the engine. He says the engines were built and done and ready for New Hampshire before the announcement of the merger Sept. 7. And he says that the crankshaft has been broken five times in tests, just never in a car on the track, and that everyone in the engine shop has known that the crankshafts were ticking time bombs. "We all know these cranks do not work," Pink says. "But we got painted into a corner where we had to use them [with the R6 engine]. ... Unfortunately, we've got more of them just like it sitting here. Everybody was saying this was going to happen sooner or later. Fortunately, it happened later because we got in the Chase. We've been all holding our breath. And if the [team owners] Gilletts wouldn't have announced [the merger], the crank still would have broke." In fact, Kahne will use the old R5 engine at Dover this week until some new, stronger crankshafts that have been in the process of being made are ready. (SceneDaily)

NASCAR says no major rules changes for 2010

NASCAR officials told Sprint Cup crew chiefs Saturday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that the moratorium on testing at sanctioned tracks is expected to extend through the 2010 season. In an attempt to cut costs, NASCAR announced last November that instead of having official NASCAR scheduled tests throughout the year, there would be a one-year moratorium on series-wide testing and teams also would be prohibited from testing at any track that sanctioned a race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Truck and East and West series. Previously, teams could not test on their own at tracks of the series they competed in. In a meeting with crew chiefs Saturday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials said teams should not expect any major rule changes for 2010, including no change to the current testing moratorium, sources familiar with the meeting said. (SceneDaily)

Crew chief changes at Roush?

There is supposedly a meeting planned at Roush Fenway Racing featuring General Manager Robbie Reiser and representatives from Ford. Could crew chief changes be in RFR's future? One rumor circulating NHMS Sunday morning had veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig connecting with former Roush racer Jeff Burton at RCR. Not so, Fennig said. "After 13 years with Jack, my goal is to retire from Roush Racing," Fennig said. "But I'm getting too old to be on the road." Another scenario places Fennig in a research and development role. Fennig says testing suits him just fine. (FoxSports)

Cup Recap: New Hampshire

Martin Wins Chase Opener as Some Chasers Fall Off

Unbelievable. That's the only word to describe it. Ageless Mark Martin, 50, held off a tremendous charge by Juan Pablo Montoya and Denny Hamlin with three laps to go to win the Sylvania 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Hamlin finished second and Montoya third in a race full of action. Three-time champion Jimmie Johnson was fourth and Kyle Busch finished fifth. His brother Kurt was next, followed by Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers. Four of the top five finishers are in The Chase for The NASCAR Sprint Cup. The younger Busch did not qualify for it this season. The stage for the wild-and-wooly finish was set with less than 10 laps remaining when Marcus Ambrose bumped AJ Allmindinger from behind, sending AJ around. It created a down-to-the-wire dash in which Martin jumped ahead of Montoya by just a few feet. Hamlin was awarded second when a final-lap spin brought the caution out before the cars got back to the start-finish line. Hamlin was ahead when he and Montoya crossed the last scoring line before the caution fell. Dale Earnhardt Jr., having his best run in many a race (he was running third), was tagged from behind by David Reutimann on Lap 283 and crashed into the outside retaining wall. Tony Stewart wound up 14th after making a lengthy pit stop to repair a loose axle cap on a left rear tire. It was Martin's first victory at this track and the popular Arkansas native was beaming afterwards. He is truly "living the dream" in running for a championship in a Rick Hendrick-owned Chevrolet, a championship that is about the only thing he has not won in his career. There has never been a more gorgeous day for racing, and the pole winner, Montoya, streaked away to a solid lead when the green flag waved. Hamlin quickly moved into second ahead of Stewart and the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup was on. The 75-degree temperature and solid blue sky lent itself as a serene backdrop for 43 screaming stock cars around this one-mile New England speed palace. Montoya was flying and it appeared he would check out on the field but Stewart seemed to be able to keep up. At 25 laps, it was Montoya, Stewart, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Gordon, Stremme, Truex, Edwards and Johnson in the top 10. By Lap 35, Stewart was on Montoya's bumper and Kurt Busch was gaining on both in third position. Stewart took the lead on Lap 37 and Busch hooked himself to Montoya's bumper. At 50 laps, it was Stewart, Montoya, Busch, Gordon, Hamlin, Edwards, Johnson (all Chase contenders), then Stremme, Kahne ( another Chase contender) Truex, Reutimann and Martin, the points leader coming into the Loudon race. Four-time champion Gordon moved into third on Lap 65. Kasey Kahne brought out the first caution of the afternoon with a blown engine on Lap 66. It was tough luck for the Richard Petty Motorsports team, which has a car in the Chase for the first time. Montoya beat everyone out of the pits and was in front again when the race restarted on Lap 75. Stewart and Hamlin mixed it up for several laps before Stewart took over. Another caution, this one for debris, slowed the field again at Lap 86. Montoya maintained the lead as none of the front-running cars pitted. Hamlin got into the left rear of Stewart's Chevy and sent him sliding high on the Lap 92 restart. The contact shuffled Stewart back to fifth. It was Montoya, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Johnson, Stewart, Martin, Earnhardt, Edwards, Newman and Stremme at 100 laps. Busch passed Montoya for the lead at Lap 124. Another caution fell on Lap 141 and created a mad scramble the pits. Once again, Montoya came out of the pits first but Hamlin jumped into the lead. At the halfway point, Hamlin and Montoya raced side by side for several laps before Montoya took over again. (NascarMedia)

Tryson shut out at Penske Shop

Penske Racing crew chief Pat Tryson says he's only welcome at the race shop for the once-weekly debrief meeting. Because Tryson is moving to Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of this season, the team does not want him present during any preparations for 2010. "They want me to focus on this year's stuff and they've got stuff going on at the shop for next year, so they're going to work on that," Tryson said before Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "I'll be communicating by e-mail and phones, and I'll be in there for driver debrief on Tuesdays. Tuesday is the only day I'm welcome." It could make things difficult as Tryson and driver Kurt Busch attempt to win the championship this season. But Tryson says he's still committed to the #2 team, and can do a lot of his planning from home. But Penske vice president of operations Mike Nelson said the team is striking the right balance by involving Tryson in this year's planning and keeping him from the shop during preparations for 2010. "It really breaks down to 2009 vs. 2010. He's not there for the discussions that we have about 2010. That's a lot of what we're doing at the shop right now," Nelson said. "The 2009 stuff - that's something that he needs to be involved with and there's no change in his involvement with Kurt. That's the meeting that Kurt comes in for on Tuesdays. We're trying to leave that part of it seamless. We're trying not to affect anything for 2009, it's just that it doesn't make any sense for him or for us to sit down and discuss what we're doing in 2010." Tryson said he does not have permission to be at MWR the other days of the week so he can prepare for being Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief next year. "I'm still working for Penske, and that's all I'm worried about," Tryson said. "I'm just worried about winning the championship. You can do a lot of it via e-mail, so it's not that big a deal. The biggest thing is the lack of communication with the guys, seeing the guys." (Associated Press)

Truck Recap: New Hampshire

Busch wins race as KHI duo battles behind him

Kyle Busch didn't have the fastest truck on Saturday, and he had barely enough fuel to make it to the finish line. Neither circumstance prevented him from winning his third straight start in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series and his fifth race of the season. Busch took the checkered flag in the Heluva Good! 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, as points leader and runner-up Ron Hornaday Jr. and his team owner and third-place finisher, Kevin Harvick, battled for position behind him. Harvick believed Hornaday's failure to move over in favor of Harvick's faster truck in the closing laps -- which Harvick attributed to lack of communication between crew chiefs and spotters -- cost Kevin Harvick Inc. the victory. Busch took on four seconds' worth of fuel during a splash-and-go on Lap 172 of 200 and got back on track ahead of Hornaday, whose stop on Lap 170 had lasted almost twice as long. A debris caution on Lap 189 helped Busch conserve enough gas to get to the end of the race. His fuel cell hit "empty" as he approached victory lane. "They told me we were going to be about five (laps) short (after the final stop)," said Busch, who finished .560 seconds ahead of Hornaday. "I was like, 'You're kidding me! We just stopped and filled this thing.' It barely made it. It ran out coming into victory lane there." Matt Crafton finished fourth, followed by series rookie Johnny Sauter. Stacy Compton, Brian Scott, Mike Skinner, Colin Braun and Rick Crawford completed the top 10. Harvick expressed his displeasure after the race. "The communication between the spotter and the crew chief wasn't relayed to the driver very clear," Harvick said. "I felt like one of the two trucks should have won the race. I felt like we were a little bit better truck, but you can't put yourself in position to do something underneath him (Hornaday) that would be detrimental to his championship chase. "It's just some things internally that we probably need to work on there. Second and third today is still a good day, a good day for (Hornaday) in the championship race, but I feel like we didn't do what we needed to do." Hornaday, who extended his lead in the series standings to 217 points over Crafton, said he wasn't aware of the problem until after the checkered flag. "It was a good day -- until after the race," he said. "He (Harvick) got up to me three or four times and I backed off. He ran underneath me. I don't know if he was getting loose or whatever underneath me. I had older tires. I didn't have fresher tires. But I'll take second. I'm going to talk to him right now. I don't know what I done wrong." The victory was Busch's 14th in 65 truck series starts. (NascarMedia)

Biffle's House Fire, Caused by Gas Leak

The fire Friday [9-18] at the Mooresville, NC home owned by #16-Greg Biffle was caused by a gas leak according to the driver. According to the Iredell County Sheriff's Department, firefighters were called to the home after police responded to a burglar alarm call. When they arrived at the home on Doolie Road, deputies thought the alarm had been set off by a lightning strike from a line of thunderstorms that had just passed through the area and noticed damage in the front of the home. Deputies contacted the fire department who responded around 6:30 a.m.. Fire fighters spent about 30 minutes getting the fire under control. No injuries were reported but officials Friday put the damage at about $20,000. Biffle who is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series preparing for Sunday's Sylvania 300, said that the fire was apparently started by a leaking gas fixture.(NASCAR Examiner)

Sorenson currently racing for FREE

When Richard Petty Motorsports announced last week a merger with Yates Racing, most considered #43-Reed Sorenson the big loser, since it appeared he was left out of the 2010 driver lineup as a result. He in fact wasn't. He was already gone by that point. Multiple RPM sources confirmed to ESPN.com that team executives approached Sorenson during the summer with a pair of options: (1) Race the remainder of the season for no salary; or (2) take a buyout and go away. Conflicted, frustrated, shocked and confused, Sorenson chose the former. In NASCAR, out of sight is out of mind. And out of mind is out of work. "The decision I made was to keep racing. The reason I did that is I thought it would help me find a job next year," Sorenson said. "And any race car driver that has the choice to sit at home or race is probably going to choose to race, unless they're at the end of their career. I'm 23 years old. I want to have a long future in the sport. I didn't figure sitting at home was a good option to do that." Sorenson would not divulge specifics of his agreement with RPM but did say he was never given a true reason for the development. "They didn't really have much justification for it," he said. "They basically just said, 'This is the deal we have, but you've done nothing wrong. We feel bad.' But it sucked. I don't really get it. It never made sense when it was going down, and it doesn't make sense now. I definitely didn't envision them coming to me halfway through this year and saying this. I felt like I was moving to a team where I could make a home and work with new teammates and maybe be there for five years or whatever it might be. I didn't even get halfway through the year, and this comes up. Then I was told I haven't done anything wrong at the same time. So that's the most sickening thing about it."Sorenson's agent, Jeff Dickerson from Mooresville, N.C.-based Motorsports Management, also would neither confirm nor deny that Sorenson was given an ultimatum. He did agree, though, that when he speaks with other team owners and managers about Sorenson's future, the driver's level of desire to compete is often broached. "If people knew the sacrifices he has made to stay on the racetrack, they wouldn't ask that question anymore," Dickerson said. "He's been a great teammate both on and off the track. He stood up for the guys that work on these cars and their families and refuses to let that team be shut down. People think a guy that drafts with you is a good teammate. I think Reed rewrote that definition in this situation."Asked for comment for this story, RPM spokesman Drew Brown wrote in an e-mail that "it wouldn't be fair to comment on internal matters relating to Reed's contract. I will say that all of us have had a blast with Reed this season and wish he could be part of us next season, but it's a numbers game." Sorenson will use the final 10 races of the season as an audition for 2010. There are few Sprint Cup rides available, so the hope for Sorenson is a part-time Cup program to supplement a full-time Nationwide ride. "If I have to run full-time Nationwide and part-time Cup to wait until the economy gets better and I get a good full-time ride again, then that would be the best-case scenario," he said. "I just want to race. I don't want to sit around and wait." (in part from ESPN.com)

GoDaddy.com to Sponsor #5 and Martin thru 2011

GoDaddy.com has signed an agreement to be the primary sponsor of Hendrick Motorsports' #5 Chevys in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The world's leading registrar of Internet domain names will adorn the hood for 20 races annually, including the season-opening Daytona 500, beginning in 2010. Terms will remain private. Driving the #5 GoDaddy.com Chevys will be current Sprint Cup Series championship points leader Mark Martin, who has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with Hendrick Motorsports fulltime through the 2011 NASCAR season. "Mark Martin is the consummate professional and a very exciting driver, to say the least," said GoDaddy.com CEO and founder Bob Parsons. "He's the sentimental favorite for this year's Sprint Cup championship, and we're stoked to have him driving for Go Daddy next year." Additional sponsorship for the #5 Chevys will be announced at a later date. (HMS)

Miller Lite issues challenge to Budweiser

MillerCoors issued a "Beer Car Challenge for Charity" to Anheuser-Busch Inbev, in which the #2 Miller Lite Dodge of Kurt Busch and the #9 Budweiser Dodge of Kasey Kahne would race for their respective charity during the 10-week NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup. Both cars secured their spots in the Chase last weekend at Richmond. In MillerCoors' proposed challenge, the higher finishing beer car in each race will win $2,500 for its charity, and the higher finisher in the final Chase standings will win $25,000 for the same charity. The #2 Miller Lite Dodge has already announced that, should AB InBev accept the challenge, they will be running for Operation Homefront, an organization that helps military families in need. (Tom Roberts PR)

Morgan-McClure Motorsports Shop for sale

Due to a lack of sponsorship, the once familiar #4 Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevy has been absent from the NASCAR game since the end of the 2007 season. And the latest news involving Southwest Virginia's team is reflective of the grim economic climate in the sponsor-driven sport. The entire 18-acre MMM complex, located just off Interstate 81, has been listed for sale with Barnett Commercial Realty of Martinsville, Va. The listed price is $8.5 million. According to team co-owner Tim Morgan, MMM fans still have reason for hope. In fact, Morgan continues to search out potential sponsors for a return to the track to the Sprint Cup Series. "We're working on a couple things in terms of sponsorship and we're looking into different avenues," said Morgan, in a phone interview. "We want to race, but we don't have unlimited funds to where we can wait forever." Thanks to the financial backing of Abingdon-based Alpha Natural Resources, the Morgan-McClure team reunited for the Aug. 22 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Alpha is the third-largest coal producer in the United States. Relying on a mix of former and current crewmen, veteran driver Scott Wimmer beat long odds by earning the 26th starting position in the #4 Chevy. With many longtime MMM fans cheering the team on, Wimmer adapted to the track and finished 29th in his Sprint Cup race event 2007. Morgan said the foundation remains in place at Morgan-McClure. In addition to four full-time employees, MMM has six updated race cars and 20 race-ready engines. "We would have no misgivings about trying to make another race," Morgan said. "We just have to make those business connections."According to a listing on the Barnett Commercial Realty Web site, the MMM Motorsports complex is comprised of three buildings totaling nearly 94,000 square feet. The main building includes first and second floor offices, a second floor fitness facility, and auto shop with multiple diagnostic rooms. The grounds also include a 4,500 square foot body shop, and a 14,400 square foot museum building that includes a showroom, gift shop area and storage space. (Bristol Herald Courier)

Discount Tires moves to Penske

Just days after announcing his move from JR Motorsports in 2010, Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing have signed Discount Tire as their sponsor for 26 Nationwide Series races next year. Keselowski will drive the #22 Dodge full time in the Nationwide Series next year along with a full-time Sprint Cup schedule. Discount Tire will also be an associate sponsor on #12-Keselowski and teammate #2-Kurt Busch's Sprint Cup Series cars. Additionally, the company will have a presence on all three Penske Racing cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A full announcement is expected later this week. Discount Tire currently sponsors David Ragan's #6 Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide Series ride. The partnership has been in place since the start of the 2007 season. (FoxSports)

JR Motorsports Signs Bires To Two-Year Deal

Rising talent Kelly Bires has signed to drive a full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series entry for JR Motorsports in 2010-11, general manager Kelley Earnhardt announced today. A native of Mauston, Wis., Bires has frequented the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series since 2006. In 66 career Nationwide Series starts, Bires has earned three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He tallied two of his top-fives this season with a career-best finish of fourth at Nashville Superspeedway on April 11 for Kevin Harvick Inc. and fifth at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1 for Braun Racing. “Kelly is a talented young driver, and we want to give him the opportunity to showcase that talent,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner of JR Motorsports. “Our whole premise at JR Motorsports from the beginning has been to take up-and-coming drivers, give them the chance to drive good equipment, and help them reach the next level. Kelly has a lot of promise. I noticed his potential earlier this year, and we are glad to have him at JR Motorsports.” JR Motorsports fields the Nos. 88 and 5 teams in the Nationwide Series. It has not been determined which of the two Bires will drive in 2010, as JR Motorsports is still in the process of securing sponsorship for next season. “I can’t thank Dale Jr. and Kelley enough for this opportunity,” Bires said. “JR Motorsports is a quality organization. They win races, and they contend for championships. As a driver, that’s all you can ever ask for. They have a tremendous infrastructure of support with Rick Hendrick and Tony Eury Sr. These are people who know how to win races, know how to win championships, and know what it takes to be successful.” Bires got his NASCAR start in 2006 in a Camping World Truck Series entry for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing (now JTG-Daugherty Racing). He was scheduled to tackle a partial truck schedule in 2007 but was promoted to the team’s Nationwide Series entry after just seven races. In 2008 – his first full-time Nationwide Series attempt – Bires finished 13th in the point standings with six top-10s. Like many of today’s racers, Bires started early. By the age of 17, he had already secured two regional karting championships and two national titles. He entered the Allison Legacy Car Series at the age of 15. In his first season, he captured Rookie of the Year honors. In his second season, he was crowned series champion. Bires made the move to late models in 2002, and in his first season in the ASA Late Model Series, he earned eight wins, four poles, and 15 top-fives. He finished no worse than 10th in each of his 17 starts. (JR Motorsports PR)

300 Awards Ceremony Tix allocated to teams for fans

For the first time in NASCAR history, fans will have the opportunity to join drivers, team owners and industry leaders to celebrate the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. This year's awards ceremony is scheduled to be held at Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009.Approximately 300 tickets will be made available to the top 12 teams and drivers, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series track operators and NASCAR partners to utilize for fan promotions. Fans will make up about 25% of the audience as they join drivers, team owners and industry officials for the awards ceremony. The available tickets will be used as part of sweepstakes, contests or promotions."Making tickets available provides the teams, tracks and partners a truly unique opportunity to reach out to the fans like never before," said NASCAR CMO Steve Phelps. "We're looking forward to seeing creative promotions for the limited number of tickets. We've worked very hard over the past four months to iron out details for the awards ceremony and the fan element was top priority."In coming weeks there will be additional announcements about the events planned for "Champion's Week" in Las Vegas. Specifically, more details will be provided about the Top 12 Victory Lap Parade, entertainment and other fan event opportunities. (NASCAR)

Red Bull Racing re-ups with Toyota

Red Bull Racing Team has extended its partnership with Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The agreement continues a three-year relationship where Toyota has supported Red Bull Racing Team's progression from a start-up organization to a berth in the championship- deciding Chase. "Our partnership with Toyota has been a critical element to the success of Red Bull Racing Team," said Jay Frye, RBRT vice president and general manager. "Both Red Bull Racing Team and Toyota share a common goal of being a championship-contending team. Toyota has supplied the engine and technical support we need to get our teams into victory lane and now the Chase for the Championship. We look forward to the future with Toyota." Toyota has been an integral part of the team's success as both an engine supplier and manufacturer. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with Red Bull Racing Team  a member of our 'freshman class' in 2007 when Toyota joined the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a manufacturer," said Lee White, president and general manager for Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A. We are extremely proud of the team's and Brian's accomplishments, including their first victory and qualifying for the Chase." (RBRT)

Inaugural NASCAR Hall Of Fame Class to be Announced October 14

NASCAR announced that "Voting Day" for the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be Oct. 14 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 29 others representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major race track ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives, will meet in a closed session to deliberate and vote on the 25 candidates eligible for this first class. The vote will be followed by a press conference announcing the inaugural class of 2010. The class will be chosen from the 51 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote  which ends Sept. 27  conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young will preside over the tabulation of the votes. The hall's inaugural class will consist of five members and are scheduled to be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May 2010. (NASCAR)

Click here to Cast YOUR Vole for the naugural NASCAR Hall Of Fame Class

Wendell Scott Remembered

Wendell Scott, a Danville native, was the first black man to win a race in the Grand National/Winston Cup series, the equivalent of today's Sprint Cup series. On Saturday, "Wendell Scott Recognition Day" was observed at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. "I was very happy with the way it turned out," said Michael Scott, the youngest son of the late Wendell Scott. "A lot of people came out and showed support. It turned out to be very nice." More than 50 people attended the event, including Brian Donovan, author of Scott's biography, "Driving Hard: The Wendell Scott Story: The American Odyssey of NASCAR's First Black Driver." NASCAR historian Buzz McKim, state Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, Martinsville Vice Mayor Kimble Reynolds Jr., Tony Millner, president of the local NAACP chapter, and fans and friends of the late pioneer also attended. The event offered a wealth of information, including first-hand stories about the driver, a video which included statements from NASCAR legends such as Richard Petty and Ned Jarrett, and displays with newspaper articles, pictures and other racing memorabilia.Donovan read the prologue of his book and explained that Scott's biography is "a story of one of the courageous racial pioneers that helped make our country a better place in a time when that could be very dangerous." McKim said information about Scott will be a part of two permanent displays in the Charlotte, N.C., NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is currently under construction. One of those will include a "biographical paddle," while another will be dedicated to the diversity of NASCAR's drivers. There will also be a larger display dedicated soley to Scott in the hall of fame when enough articles of his racing career can be located, McKim said. "I think today was a big step in the right direction," said Donovan of his hope that Scott will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "We got a commitment today explicitly from Buzz McKim of the NASCAR Hall of Fame that there will be an exhibit featuring Wendell Scott. I think he's a logical candidate for nomination, and I hope he (McKim) does, too." (Martinsville Bulletin)

Tryson Named #56 Crew Chief for 2010

Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced that veteran crew chief Pat Tryson will lead Martin Truex Jr. and the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry beginning in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.Tryson successfully earned his fifth Chase berth as crew chief on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway and will join MWR upon the conclusion of the season. Tryson joins MWR after a successful run with #2-Kurt Busch, where Tryson guided the former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion to two Chase appearances, four victories and 35 top-10 finishes since 2007 with Penske Racing. Tryson is only one of three crew chiefs (Robbie Reiser and Chad Knaus) who qualified for The Chase during its first three years. (MWR)

RPM & McArdie part ways

The deal between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing already has cost one top official his job. Richard Petty, the minority owner of RPM, said on Saturday that Mark McArdle, the vice president and managing director of competition at RPM, was fired on Friday after a heated confrontation with team co-owner George Gillett Jr. at Richmond International Raceway. Petty would not speculate on how many others in the engine and chassis department might lose jobs if RPM uses Roush-Yates engines and Roush Fenway chassis as planned. Petty said RPM is moving from Dodge to Ford because Dodge could not offer financial support for 2010 and beyond. Yates already has a financial commitment for two Ford teams, and Petty hopes that will increase once the economy is restored. (ESPN.com)

JGR hopes to re-sign Busch; no 4th team in 2010

Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs said "there's no timetable" on re-signing #18-Kyle Busch, but as far as he's concerned, "the sooner the better." Busch's contract expires after next year [2010]. Gibbs added the organization will not race four full-time cars in 2010. When it came to potential sponsorships, Gibbs said there was nothing JGR "felt was appropriate" to properly run a four-car operation. With the way driver contracts fall, 2011 will have a better pool of candidates, namely #9-Kasey Kahne and #29-Kevin Harvick. Gibbs admits that Kahne "is awesome" but indicated a package deal with Budweiser, given the family's religious convictions, "would be hard." (FoxSports)

Roush hopes to find a New Owner for the #26

The deal between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing has put Roush Fenway Racing in the position of looking for a new owner to take over the #26 car in 2010. Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith said the RPM-Yates deal has him looking for somebody to take ownership of the #26 car currently driven by Jamie McMurray. Smith was working on a deal to move the #26 to Yates Racing to get Roush Fenway to the NASCAR cap of four cars. With four cars in the RPM stable -- Paul Menard from Yates, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and A.J. Allmendinger from RPM -- there no longer is room for expansion. Smith hasn't completely given up hope on keeping McMurray in the #26 with another owner using Roush Fenway engines and chassis, but said the only way that could happen was for full sponsorship to be found. Most of the speculation has McMurray going to the #1 at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, but that car isn't fully sponsored for next season [Bass Pro Shops for 20-23 races]. Smith said Erik Darnell, who is driving seven races for the #96 at Yates/Hall of Fame Racing entry this year, also could be a candidate for the 26 if ownership and sponsorship is found. "The Jack Roush pressure, on me in particular, is we don't want any person that came to work for us to lose their job because of a business decision or shrinkage," Smith said. "We want to keep the 26 alive however we can." Smith added that Roush Fenway has not had serious discussions with RPM officials about using its engines and chassis even though Petty said that was the plan. But he admitted it would be financially beneficial for Roush Fenway to supply eight teams vs. five to six. Petty said details of the deal with Yates are 80% complete and should be finalized over the next two weeks to a month. (ESPN.com)

Eury Sr. recovering from car accident

JR Motorsports crew chief Tony Eury Sr. is resting comfortably after being involved in a two-car accident Sunday afternoon near China Grove, N.C. Eury Sr. was treated overnight at Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast for minor injuries and is scheduled for release today. Eury Sr. is the crew chief of the #88 JR Motorsports Chevys driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. (JR Motorsports PR)

RCR going truck racing in 2010?

During SPEEDtv's Speed Report broadcast, Ray Dunlap reported that it appears that the #3 RCR Chevy truck, driven by Austin Dillon [grandson of Richard Childress], will be returning to the series in 2010. Dunlap reported word in the garage has it that Richard Childress Racing has ordered six brand new trucks. (Jayski)