Hamlin wins pole for Coca-Cola 600

  by Pete McCole
Denny Hamlin is out to prove he’s not giving up on making the Chase for the Sprint Cup, looking to score some victories to qualify for a wild card spot in the 12-driver Chase field. Hamlin took a big step toward his goal by winning the pole for Sunday’s Coca Cola 600 during Thursday night’s qualifying session at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson wins 4th All-Star race

  by Pete McCole
Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson became the first four-time winner of the Sprint All Star race, leading the final eight laps to score a million-dollar payday Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Kyle Busch finished third, followed by Kahne and Kurt Busch. Johnson passed his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne with eight laps to go and then easily beat out Joey Logano by nearly half-a-straightaway to secure his fourth victory in the winner-take-all event.

Busch rallies to win truck race in Charlotte

  by Pete McCole
Kyle Busch rallied from a late-race penalty to charge back to the front of the field and score his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win of the season with a victory in Friday night's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch passed race leader Miguel Paludo following a restart with nine laps to go and then held off a late charge from Brendan Gaughan before finally sealing the victory – his first in his last seven truck series starts.

Edwards wins pole for All-Star race

  by Pete McCole
Carl Edwards gave Dick Trickle one last ride around Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night, and for the first time since 1990, a car with Trickle’s name on it will sit on the pole as Edwards raced to the top spot in qualifying for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All Star race. Edwards, the 2011 winner of the all star event, completed two laps and a four-tire pit stop in a time of 111.297 seconds to earn his first career all star pole.

Kenseth wins Southern 500 at Darlington

  by Pete McCole
What a week it’s been for Matt Kenseth. After starting the week staring down the barrel of one of the harshest penalties ever handed out by NASCAR, Kenseth and his Joe Gibbs Racing team found out the best way to get back on track toward a championship – by racing to victory in Saturday night’s Southern 500 Sprint Cup series race at Darlington Raceway.

Sponsor needed, Kurt Busch wins pole position

  NASCAR Tming and Scoring
As happens so often in NASCAR when a team is in need of a sponsor, Kurt Busch set a new track record at Darlington Raceway during today’s qualifying session for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race with a blistering speed of 181.918 m.p.h. in 27.03 seconds in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/Serta Chevrolet SS. This marked his second pole at Darlington, and credited him as the 26th driver to score multiple poles on the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval. He also won the top starting spot in 2001.

Busch Pumped After Successful Indy Car Test

  IndyCar
Check off one more motorsports' bucket list for Kurt Busch. The 2004 NASCAR champion and driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS in the Sprint Cup Series drove an Andretti Autosport Indy car Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) where he completed 83 laps on the famed 2.5-mile oval and reached a top speed of 218.210 mph.

David Ragan weathers storm at Talladega

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
In the type of stunning victory that has typified racing at Talladega Superspeedway since its inception, David Ragan led an extraordinary 1-2 finish for Front Row Motorsports, which had never won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race before Sunday. David Gilliland pushed Ragan, his teammate, to the lead on the final circuit in a green-white checkered-flag finish that took Sunday's Aaron's 499 four laps past its scheduled distance of 188 laps. Gilliland came home second, followed by pole sitter Carl Edwards, Michael Waltrip and series leader Jimmie Johnson.

Smith avoids last lap wreck to win

  Nationwide Series in Talladega
The irony of Regan Smith's victory in Saturday's Aaron's 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway wasn't lost on the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. With a push from teammate Kasey Kahne, Smith roared out of the pack during the final 400 yards of a green-white-checkered-flag finish and won a race decided when NASCAR called the seventh and final caution an instant before the four cars battling for the win crossed the finish line.

Harvick wins in Richmond

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
Kevin Harvick sped away on fresh tires to win Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 in a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway, leaving a group of drivers with widely divergent emotions in his wake. Harvick beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line by 0.343 seconds to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season, his third at Richmond and the 20th of his career. Joey Logano ran third, Juan Pablo Montoya came home fourth.

Keselowski holds off Harvick and Busch

  NASCAR Nationwide Series
Polesitter Brad Keselowski held off Kevin Harvick in a 12-lap run to the finish to win Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Keselowski passed Kyle Busch to the lead with nine laps left, with Harvick following into second place a lap later. Keselowski crossed the finish line .718 seconds ahead of Harvick with Busch rolling home in third. The victory was Keselowski’s first of the season in the Nationwide Series and the 21st of his career. Brian Vickers finished fourth, followed by Regan Smith.

Toyotas to start 1-2 for Toyota race

  NASCAr Sprint Cup
What a comeback.  What a story. Less than a week after winning the STP 400 from the pole at Kansas Speedway -- only to draw a NASCAR penalty of epic proportions for an underweight connecting rod in his engine -- Matt Kenseth is back on top at Richmond International Raceway in his Toyota in a race sponsored by Toyota. And a Toyota will start in the other front row spot.  What a comeback.  What a story.

Kenseth wins STP 400

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
Matt Kenseth likened his victory in the STP 400 to a game of musical chairs -- you had to be leading when the music stopped. If you looked at statistics alone, you'd say that Kenseth dominated Sunday at Kansas Speedway in the eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season. After all, Kenseth won the event from the pole and led 163 of the 267 laps. The victory was Kenseth's second at Kansas, his second of the season and the 26th of his career. The driver of the No. 20 Toyota has won both races at Kansas since the track was repaved last year.

"Danica Alert," A new NASCAR Party game

  by Dave Grayson
Over the course of several decades, Americans have found ways to turn their favorite social habits into competitive party games. From old fashioned beer chugging contests at college fraternity houses to highly organized happy hour contests at neighborhood sports bars, competitive libation has always been somewhat of a national past time. A perfect example of this trend is the creation of a game called Beer Pong. This extremely popular contest combines the elements of ping pong with all of the elements that made Milwaukee famous.

Kenseth wins pole in Kansas

  NASCAR Sprint cup
Matt Kenseth did no favors for old friends Friday at Kansas Speedway. With a track-record lap at 191.864 mph (28.145 seconds), Kenseth knocked former Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards off the provisional pole at the 1.5-mile intermediate track and held the top starting spot for Sunday's STP 400. Edwards watched in disbelief as Kenseth, the next-to-last driver to make a qualifying attempt, bettered Edwards' time by 0.017 seconds to win his first Coors Light pole award in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the ninth of his career.

Memories of a middle-aged racing fan

  by Dave Grayson
I've been a fan of NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series since its inception back in 1995. So, needless to say, I was perched in front of my television to watch the series' race at the legendary Rockingham Speedway. I thoroughly enjoyed watching young Kyle Larson score his first NASCAR national series win during the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. I was glad to see a good sized crowd of fans which supported my long time theory that said this series deserves more stand alone events on their schedule.

Sometime's NASCAR's sense of justice is complicated

  by Dave Grayson
Following a weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway that was loaded with story lines, NASCAR Chairman Brian France turned up the following Monday morning at the Fox Business Network, (FOXB), for a live television interview with network journalist Dagen McDowell. Also known as an avid fan of NASCAR racing, McDowell presented a well prepared interview and didn't pull any punches with her questions. Referencing reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski's surprise media tirade against NASCAR officials, following Saturday night's NRA 500 at Texas, France was asked if NASCAR had plans to levy a fine against the driver.

Open Wheel ace Kyle Larson serves notice on NASCAR

  by Pete McCole
Open-wheel ace Kyle Larson has put all other NASCAR drivers on notice: he’s coming, and he isn’t slowing down for anyone. On Sunday, Larson held off a furious charge from Sprint Cup veteran Joey Logano in a three-lap green-white-checker finish to score his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in just his fifth series start, winning the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Rockingham Speedway. Brendan Gaughan was third, followed by Johnny Sauter and Chase Elliott.

NASCAR and Congressional Blackmail

  by Stephen Cox
Auto racing has once more been turned into a political circus by a politician who apparently has so little actual work to do that he must fill his time by advocating media censorship. As you've no doubt heard by now, a U. S. congressman tried to convince the Fox network to censor last weekend's NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway because the facility is conducting business with an organization that openly supports federal law.

Kyle Busch sweeps Texas

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
The record book will say that Kyle Busch won the NRA 500 on Saturday night. Yes, Busch capped a perfect weekend when he took the checkered flag 0.508 seconds ahead of runner-up Martin Truex Jr. But Busch’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Texas, his second of the season and the 26th of his career started with a pole-winning run on Friday and then followed that up by winning the Nationwide race that same night.

Busch's dominates for third straight Nationwide win

  Texas Motor Speedway
Kyle Busch continued to celebrate his return to Joe Gibbs Racing's NASCAR Nationwide Series program on Saturday night, winning the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. The victory was Busch's record sixth at Texas and his record 55th in the Nationwide Series. Brad Keselowski ran second, 2.272 seconds behind the winner. Austin Dillon was third, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick.

Busch Brothers to start 1-2 in Texas

  Kyle wins pole over Kurt in NASCAR Sprint Cup
Kyle and Kurt Busch will start on the front row for Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Younger brother Kyle took the pole from Kurt seven cars after Kurt's run, as the setting sun led to cooler temperatures on the TMS asphalt. Aric Almirola will start third while Marcos Ambrose and Martin Truex rounded out the top-5.  NASCAR's biggest star, Danica Patrick will start next-to-last.

Johnson wins for 8th time at Martinsville

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
Jimmie Johnson pulled away on a late-race restart to continue his Martinsville Speedway mastery Sunday afternoon, prevailing in the STP Gas Booster 500 for his second victory of the season. The victory was Johnson's eighth at the 0.526-mile track and 62nd in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He led 346 of 500 laps and regained the lead in the series standings from teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was 24th, two laps down.

Jimmie Johnson wins Martinsville pole

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
So what else is new? Jimmie Johnson, who won last fall's race at Martinsville Speedway from the top starting spot, continued his mastery of the paper-clip-shaped track during Friday afternoon's time trials. In the first competitive appearance of NASCAR's Gen-6 race car at Martinsville, Johnson blistered the vaunted short track in 19.244 seconds (98.400 mph) in winning the pole for Sunday's STP Gas Booster 500, as the top six drivers in the field topped the former track record of 98.084 mph established by Tony Stewart in October 2005.

Racing Royalty - Maybe, the problem isn’t them, but us

  by Brian Carroccio
Maybe, the problem isn’t them, but us. Who is the “them,” I speak of, you may ask? Second and third generation racing drivers; currently men such as Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. See, with such individuals we seem to be constantly waiting for them to "break out.” We forecast when they are finally going to justify their supreme genetic composition, and “live up” to the family name. If said break out doesn’t occur, we willing label them "underachievers," or suggest they are products of nepotism. And understandably, we’re not inclined to sympathize with those we believe to be products of privilege and nepotism.

Busch sweeps Fontana as Logano and Hamlin wreck

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano knocked each other off the race track on the final lap of Sunday’s Auto Club 400 -- allowing Kyle Busch to steal the win -- but it was Tony Stewart who was fighting mad after the race. Yes, it was Busch’s 25th victory in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series. Yes, Busch broke a 31-race drought. Yes, Busch gave Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota their first victory at Auto Club Speedway.

Hamlin wins third pole for Toyota at Fontana

  Three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in top five
Denny Hamlin edged Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski for the top starting spot in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, but of the three top qualifiers, Hamlin will be the only driver starting at or near the front of the field. Overcoming an early draw, Hamlin toured the 2-mile track in 38.410 seconds (187.451 mph) to win the 13th Coors Light pole award of his career and his third at Fontana.

NASCAR Fontana Preview

  by Dave Grayson
The elite of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has arrived at the "left coast" again. This latest version of NASCAR's western swing has the teams in Fontana-California, the home of the Auto Club Speedway. The Sprint Cup teams will be taking on the challenge of this speedway's mammoth two mile oval for Sunday's running of the Auto Club 400.

NASCAR Bristol Postscript

  by Dave Grayson
From the racing is rubbing on the track to the near misses on a very narrow pit road, the Bristol Motor Speedway lived up to its reputation and the Food City 500 delivered an extremely entertaining Sunday afternoon in Tennessee's Thunder Valley. The unique Bristol, "have at it boys". mentality began the moment the green flag fell on the 43 cars and continued well past the end of the race with a good old fashioned skirmish that resembled a World Wrestling Entertainment pay per view. Now that was entertainment.

Kahne wins in Bristol

  NASCAR Sprint Cup
Kyle Busch swept Saturday in true Rowdy fashion but it wasn't enough to beat Kasey Kahne on Sunday. He led both Cup practices and won the Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300. For Sunday’s Food City 500, Busch sat on the pole after setting a new track record during Friday’s Coors Light Pole qualifying. Kasey Kahne, who led most of the race last week at Las Vegas, started outside of Busch. Rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and David Ragan had to start at the rear for an engine change.

Busch outduels Larson in Bristol

  Clearly Larson is next open wheel star to shine in NASCAR
Kyle Busch caught a glimpse of the future, and it was in his rearview mirror coming to the final turn of Saturday’s Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Larson, making his fourth Nationwide start, trailed Busch by five car lengths with 10 laps to go but went high around lap traffic and traded paint with Busch as the two crossed the finish line 0.023 seconds apart, making it the second-closest finish ever at Bristol.

Busch breaks Bristol record

  Nine drivers break 15-second barrier; pole is first at Bristol for Busch
Across the board, drivers marveled at the speed of NASCAR’s Generation-6 cars during qualifying for Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.  None more so than Kyle Busch, the fastest of nine drivers to break the 15-second mark on their qualifying lap. Prior to Friday, only three drivers (Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon) had turned a Sprint Cup qualifying lap in less than 15 seconds.

NASCAR Las Vegas postscript - Happy Birthday Matt

  by Dave Grayson
Viva Las Vegas and happy birthday Matt Kenseth. During the NASCAR weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway we watched Sprint Cup veteran Matt Kenseth collect some very nice birthday presents, we watched Kasey Kahne's display of power, we watched evidence that said you can indeed make a competitive pass in the new Generation Six car and, somehow, Danica Patrick got hit in the head with a rock.

Jeremy Clements: Another Witch Hunt Gone Bad

  by Stephen Cox
I wanted to let the dust settle on this story and see public reaction before writing on it. And after doing so, I've come to a startling conclusion: America isn’t following the script anymore. Instead, Clements became an overnight sensation thanks to the blundering, heavy-handed way in which his statement was mishandled. The story goes like this: Clements spoke words that NASCAR didn't like. The carefully prepared script now tells us to dismiss Clements as a leper until he completes some Sovietesque indoctrination class with a shrink designed to re-program his thoughts for public acceptance.

Kenseth holds off Kahne in Las Vegas

  Third win at Las Vegas comes on Kenseth's 41st birthday
Matt Kenseth’s car was superb for the third time in three races this season. This time, the No. 20 team saw it pay off in the final standings. Kenseth piloted his Dollar General Toyota to a win Sunday in the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- on his 41st birthday, no less -- holding off a hard-charging Kasey Kahne in a final 30-lap duel. Rounding out the top five were Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.

Sam Hornish Jr. runs away with Vegas Nationwide race

  Brings victory for Wurth
Sam Hornish Jr. drove an absolutely dominant car to victory Saturday afternoon, streaking away from Kyle Busch during a seven-lap dash to the finish in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The win was Hornish’s second in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series and his first since Nov. 12, 2011 at Phoenix. It was the first Las Vegas victory for Penske Racing in any NASCAR series and the first Nationwide triumph for crew chief Greg Erwin, a winning Sprint Cup crew chief who signed on with Penske during the offseason.

NASCAR Las Vegas Preview

  by Dave Grayson
The elite teams of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be once again heading west for their third points race on the 2013 schedule. This time the scene of the action will be the 1.5 mile oval at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the running of the Kobalt Tools 400. There's a sense of something special when NASCAR races at Las Vegas. Everyone, from the drivers to the fans, has been saying for years that there should be a second Sprint Cup date at this track. The city really rolls out the red carpet for the fans during the NASCAR weekend.

Phoenix Nationwide race postscript

  by Dave Grayson
Kyle Busch overcame some early race adversity to  put on a stunning display of dominance in the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Dollar General 200, presented by AmeriGas, at the Phoenix International Raceway. Then we watched  Sam Hornish Jr overcame a seemingly terrible day to leave Phoenix with a share of the series' points lead. We also observed another reason why taking a short cut at the Phoenix International Raceway is not necessarily a great idea.

'Subway' car wins 'Subway' race in Phoenix

  Edwards beats Johnson and Hamlin
Everything happens in NASCAR for a reason they say and today the Subway sponsored car of Carl Edwards won the Subway Fresh Fit 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race on the 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway.  Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson banged fenders with Denny Hamlin's Toyota coming off the 4th turn to take 2nd by a mere 6 inches around the outside.

Busch dominates at Phoenix for 52nd Nationwide win

  Nationwide at Phoenix
Nothing was going to keep Kyle Busch out of Victory Lane on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway. Not a pit road speeding penalty. Not a spate of cautions that kept bunching the field. Not Brad Keselowski, who in the past has found magic out front on old tires. The prohibitive favorite in the Dollar General 200—after he won the pole in a laydown earlier in the day—Busch overcame a speeding penalty that dropped him to 22nd position for a restart on Lap 44.

Old Man Martin wins pole in Phoenix

  54-Year Old Martin awards sponsor Aarons with a pole
Mark Martin may not be the oldest driver to win a pole in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series -- yet -- but with his top qualifying effort Friday at Phoenix International Raceway, the seemingly ageless driver owns positions two through seven on the list. Martin, 54, was the only driver in time trials for Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 to top 138 mph. Martin’s lap at 138.074 mph, a record for the spring event at PIR, was good enough to edge Kasey Kahne (137.862 mph) for the top starting spot.

Daytona 500 postscript

  by Dave Grayson
The ending to the 55th annual running of the Daytona 500 turned out to be pretty exciting. It just took 180 laps to get to that point. We watched a five time champion become a two time Daytona 500 champion and then watched him wreck his car during the post race victory burn out. Oh yeah, Danica was there and her presence loomed larger than usual during Speedweeks.

There were some positive aspects to horrible wreck

  by Dave Grayson
We all watched in horror as a multi car crash, on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona, unfolded. We saw Kyle Larson's Chevrolet become airborne and hit the catch fence. We saw debris, including a tire with wheel and suspension parts attached to it, fly into the grandstands. A total of 28 hurt by the flying debris with two patients in critical condition requiring surgery. Believe it or not, despite the severity of the accident and the sustained injuries, there were some positive aspects to this very intense situation.

Danica and Daytona: So It’s 2005 All Over Again

  by Stephen Cox
July 23rd, 2005 was just another pleasant, sunny Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee until several IndyCar drivers committed the Unpardonable Sin. They dared to openly protest the fact that Danica Patrick – then an IndyCar driver – was being promoted by the series far more than her male counterparts. Of course, this was no secret to anyone. Danica was, in fact, being promoted more than any other driver in IndyCar.

Jimmie Johnson wins 2nd Daytona 500

  by Pete McCole
What a difference a year made for Jimmie Johnson. After failing to complete two laps in last year’s Daytona 500, Johnson lit a fire on his bid for a sixth championship with his second-career victory in the “Great American Race”, beating out Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to capture the season-opening event for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Johnson held on through a final five-lap charge facing down Greg Biffle, Earnhardt, Jr. Mark Martin and pole sitter Danica Patrick

28 injured as debris flies into Daytona Grandstand

  by Pete McCole
Tragedy marred Saturday’s season-opening race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona International Speedway after several spectators were seriously injured when debris from a last-lap crash was hurled into the grandstands on the frontstretch. According to officials from the speedway, at least 28 people were treated for injuries, including 14 taken to area hospitals - at least one with critical injuries.

Sauter wins Daytona Truck Race, 100th for Toyota

  by Pete McCole
Johnny Sauter was bound and determined not to let history repeat itself in the season-opening race for the Camping World Truck Series.  It was just one year ago in this race that Sauter found himself leading the race in a green-white-checkered shootout just a hundred feet from the white flag when he got turned into the wall by eventual winner John King.

NASCAR Daytona Duels postscript

  by Dave Grayson
The February 21st Budweiser Duels qualifying races gave us considerably more to talk about than just setting the final line up for the Daytona 500. The 150 mile twin events gave us a detailed look at the performance capabilities of NASCAR's new Generation-Six race cars under very stringent competitive levels. We also enjoyed the drama that comes with qualifying for one of the most prestigious races in the world that pays approximately $250,000 for finishing last.

Labor of love resurrects 1963 Daytona 500 winning car

  Wood Brothers No. 21 driven by Tiny Lund
Len and Eddie Wood will never forget the moment they saw the 1963 Ford Galaxie with No. 21 on the side in their rearview mirrors, exactly where they never thought it would be. As it rolled by, they could see it was obviously a replica, with chrome wheels and Hoosier tires where Firestones should have been. It was at this precise moment, as the Woods sat in the infield of the Brickyard waiting for the garages to open in July 2011, the spell was cast.

Tiny Lund and the Wood Brothers’ '63 Daytona win

  Ford’s First in the 500
The Daytona 500 wasn’t always the first race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. In NASCAR’s formative years, the schedule often started at places like Concord and Champion Speedway in North Carolina, and sometimes made a quick west coast stop at Riverside International Raceway for a road course race before landing in NASCAR’s backyard. That was the case in 1963 when the season actually kicked off in November of 1962 with three races.

NASCAR Sprint Unlimited postscript

  by Dave Grayson
The Sprint Unlimited: it was an invitational event for NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers who won Coors Light poles on qualifying day in 2012 plus past race champions. At the end of this 75 laps free for all was major bragging rights and a check for $200,000 for the winner. During the course of this evening we watched an alleged "Lame Duck" walk all over the competition. We witnessed the big wreck in the race that every driver in the race warned us about.

Danica Patrick makes NASCAR history

  She is a star - first woman to win Daytona 500 pole
With conspiracy theorists having a field day, Danica Patrick has won the pole position in her Go-Daddy Chevrolet for the Daytona 500 for a series that has been suffering declining TV ratings and declining attendance.  It was just what the doctor ordered for NASCAR to milk the popularity of Danica Patrick in the hope they can reverse the decline.  Jeff Gordon locked up the outside front row in his Hendrick Chevrolet with Trevor Bayne third for Ford.

Harvick dominates The Sprint Unlimited

  by Pete McCole
Call Kevin Harvick what you want, just don’t call him a lame-duck driver. Driving in his final season for Richard Childress Racing, Harvick delivered RCR their eighth win in the season-opening non-points race reserved for the previous-year pole winners, holding off final-lap pass attempts by Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, going high and low across the track score his third victory in the season-opening non-points event.

Brisk trading on the NASCAR Stock Exchange

  by Dave Grayson
So, once again a NASCAR team has found a way to bolster their potential status by acquiring owner's points from another team. This latest round of commodity trading involves Stewart-Haas Racing and their driver Danica Patrick. This particular deal is interesting due to the fact that some a new NASCAR rule change, going into effect beginning with the Daytona 500, may actually impact the value of acquiring those owner's points. Here's the highlights from this deal.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Welcomes Class of 2013

  by Pete McCole
Two-time NASCAR Champions Herb Thomas and Buck Baker were among the class of five men in the Class of 2013 inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night. Joining them in the Hall were legendary crew chief Leonard Wood, driver and championship-winning car owner Cotton Owens and 1989 NASCAR Champion and broadcaster Rusty Wallace.

Stewart-Haas Racing will be a team to watch in 2013

  by Dave Grayson
Stewart-Haas Racing will be an organization to watch this year for a lot of reasons. First, there's the boss, Tony Stewart who will be running after his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Second, there's driver Ryan Newman a free agent who will be looking for a great season to shore up sponsors so he can sign a new contract for next year. Third, there's Danica Patrick starting her first full time season in the Cup Series.

NASCAR Notebook for January 31st

  by Dave Grayson
The reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champions have been very busy prepping their team for the 2013 title defense. There's only one major change from last year: the manufacturer. The decal located on the front nose of the car has been changed from Dodge to Ford. The team's move to Ford was based on a decision made by team owner Roger Penske last summer. In fact, it's widely believed that Penske's decision was the catalyst that led to Dodge's departure from NASCAR racing. The MOPAR group simply could not negotiate a deal with another team that had the high profile, flagship, level of the Penske operation.

Scenes from NASCAR Media Tour

  by Rhonda McCole
NASCAR’s top teams laid out the welcome mat last week for the 31st Annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour in Concord, N.C., a four-day press event hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Since 1983, Charlotte Motor Speedway has played host for the annual media event, bringing together hundreds of journalist from around across the globe for the opportunity to speak to some of the sports premiere drivers and team as they prepare for the upcoming NASCAR racing season.  AutoRacing1's Rhonda McCole was there to capture these photos.

Danica & Ricky: At least let them finish dinner first

  by Dave Grayson
So, it's now official that NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr are a fully acknowledged dating couple. Realizing their private lives were on the verge of becoming public, Danica Patrick officially revealed the couple's status during the course of an interview with the "Associated Press."

NASCAR Media Tour - Day 4

  by Pete McCole
The 31st Annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway came to a close on Thursday, wrapping up the annual four-day marathon of press conferences and presentations featuring some of NASCAR’s top drivers and team as they enter the final weeks leading up to the season-opening race at Daytona Speedway on February 24th.Leading off the final day was an event hosted by Ford Racing and some of their top drivers and teams.

NASCAR Media Tour - Day 3

  by Pete McCole

Wednesday marked day three of the 31st Annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, continuing the four-day press event bringing together journalist from around the world to meet with some of the sport’s top teams as they prepare for the upcoming 2013 season. Starting off the show was a morning press conference with Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, of all places, in an aircraft hanger at Concord Regional Airport.

Brad Keselowski, Rock N Roll Radio DJ?

  by Dave Grayson
When he was a youngster, it seems that Brad Keselowski had a personal occupation list of two jobs that he thought would be very cool. The first fantasy job was driving a race car for a living. Obviously, he can check that one off of his list of things to do. He more than earned that right in 2012 when he won the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship for Roger Penske Racing. It seems that Keselowski's second fantasy job involved the broadcast industry: radio DJ to be exact. 

NASCAR Media Tour - Day 2

  by Pete McCole
The 31st Annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway continued on Tuesday with day two of the four-day event. Leading off the second day of the tour was Furniture Row Racing, who made the long trip from their headquarters near Denver, Colo. to introduce their new driver for the 2013, Kurt Busch. 2012 was a whirlwind ride for Busch, who was let go over at Penske Racing following the 2011 season.

NASCAR Media Tour - Day 1

  by Pete McCole
NASCAR’s top teams prepared to lay out the welcome mat this week as the 31st Annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour commenced on Monday in Concord, N.C., kicking off a four-day press event hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Since 1983, Charlotte Motor Speedway has played host for the annual media event, bringing together hundreds of journalist from around across the globe for the opportunity to speak to some of the sports premiere drivers and team as they prepare for the upcoming NASCAR racing season.

Q and A with Jeff Gordon

  At NASCAR Preseason Thunder
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet SS met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway and discussed his thoughts on testing thus far, the off season and other topics. “I feel like right now we’re as good as anybody out there.  I don’t see where anybody has any distinct advantage manufacturer-wise.  There are some pluses and minuses to that.  At one point I think NASCAR wanted to get away from some of that and say, ‘We don’t want to go through that process throughout a year where one has a distinct advantage and one is lobbying and trying to get a little more spoiler.’