Weekend NASCAR Television Times All Times Eastern * Subject To Change
NSCS Dodge Challenger 500 Practice Friday, May. 09 12:30 p.m. Speed
NSCS Dodge Challenger 500 Qualifying Friday, May. 09 02:30 p.m. Speed
NNS Diamond Hill 200 Qualifying Friday, May. 09 04:00 p.m. Speed
NSCS Dodge Challenger 500 Practice Friday, May. 09 05:30 p.m. Speed
NNS Diamond Hill 200 Race Friday, May. 09 07:00 p.m. ESPN2
NSCS Dodge Challenger 500 Race Saturday, May. 10 07:00 p.m. Fox
NSCS= NASCAR Sprint Cup Series / NNS=NASCAR Nationwide Series / NCTS=NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Darlington Goodyear Tire Notes
With the complete re-pave of Darlington Raceway since last season, Goodyear has tested extensively at the track and brought a new combination of left- and right-side tires for teams to race on this weekend -- Goodyear ran it's first two-day test at Darlington with drivers Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman in mid-March, and settled on it's right-side tire recommendation during that session -- the tire manufacturer scheduled a one-day continuation test with the same drivers for early-April, and confirmed it's left-side recommendation at that session -- Darlington is the only track at which NASCAR teams are scheduled to run this specific combination of left- and right-side tire codes this season -- however, teams will run this right-side code (D-4130) with a different left-side code at Charlotte later this month -- teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same tire codes this weekend -- as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Darlington -- air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. ...Daily Headlines
Edwards Joins SPEED Crew
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standout Carl Edwards will once again join the SPEED announce crew during the broadcast of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXIV (May 17; 7 p.m. E.T.) live and in high definition from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. -- Edwards, who has also co-hosted SPEED’s The Chase is On with Steve Byrnes the previous two seasons, will reprise his role as a pit road reporter during the preliminary NASCAR Sprint All-Star Showdown. Last year, he just missed the All-Star Race when he finished third in the Showdown, opening an opportunity for SPEED to use Edward’s off-track talents to cover the All-Star Race nightcap. ...More
Fuel Cost Affecting Teams
As gas prices soar across the country, the thought of paying $6.25 a gallon would make any consumer cringe. Yet that's what it costs in NASCAR, where race teams use a special Sunoco 260 GTX unleaded fuel to fill their cars. Although the gas is free -- part of Sunoco's agreement as NASCAR's official fuel supplier -- it doesn't mean car owners and drivers aren't feeling the pain at the pump. "It affects all of us, anybody that's in business," said car owner Richard Childress. "Getting our cars to the racetracks costs a ton in gas money for the haulers. Bringing our people to the tracks, the rising costs of jet fuel. It's very, very expensive to do what we're doing." Childress, owner of a highly successful race team, isn't complaining. Nor are the drivers who pull in multimillion dollar salaries and don't flinch at $85 fill-ups on their luxury SUV's. But no one in NASCAR is immune to the weakening economy and rising costs on fuel. Just because they can afford it, doesn't mean they aren't feeling the pinch. ...More
Hendrick Museum Reopens
Check out Rick Hendrick's first Chevrolet. Watch a dissected Impala SS "Car of Tomorrow" being pieced together. See the cars and memorabilia of Casey Mears, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. These are just a few things visitors can do now that Hendrick Motorsports has reopened its museum. The 15,000-square-foot facility, which was closed the last four months for renovations, pays tribute to nearly 25 seasons of Hendrick Motorsports history and offers fans the latest in team-related apparel and merchandise. Admission to the museum is free of charge. Throughout the year, the museum will exhibit a rotating stable of famous Chevrolets -- such as an original All-Star Racing entry, multiple Daytona 500 champions and the inaugural Brickyard 400 winner. Featured currently are cars driven by Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, Ken Schrader and Ricky Hendrick, among others. Visitors will be met at the entrance by the Monte Carlo SS that Johnson drove at Homestead-Miami Speedway to clinch the 2007 Sprint Cup Series title. ...More
Mears Set For 2009
Amidst rumors that Casey Mears was off to Ginn Racing a year ago, he captured his first Sprint Cup win in the CocaCola 600 last season and quieted the critics. Alas, Mears finds himself in the same position again this year. But with reassurance from bossman Rick Hendrick, the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet hopes to keep trudging ahead. "We're solid for next year and definitely focused on moving forward," said Mears, who is currently 23rd in points. "Rick has stated that several times, that things are where they're going to be, and we're moving forward for next year. We're just getting started again. It's kind of an unfortunate thing, but it seems like I'm in this situation almost every year a little bit, just because I'm constantly changing teams and I'm constantly spending the first half of the season just trying to grow and learn with that new team. I think the biggest thing that obviously we need to see happen with the 5 team is that it stays consistent, obviously get this full year under our belt." ...Daily Headlines
Franchitti Returns In Two Weeks At Coke 600
NASCAR rookie Dario Franchitti is wearing a carbon-fiber walking cast on his broken left ankle. The 2007 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion was injured during the April 26 Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. He missed the Cup races at Talladega and Richmond and will miss the upcoming race at Darlington Raceway. Sterling Marlin will drive Franchitti's car at Darlington, then stand by for the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where Franchitti is expected to return to action. ...Daily Headlines
Motor Racing Network will handle the radio broadcast of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races June 28-29 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, spokesman Wes Harris of MRN parent company International Speedway Corp. said Tuesday afternoon. Motor Racing Network, owned by the France family-controlled ISC and rival Performance Racing Network are involved in lawsuits over the radio broadcast rights stemming from PRN parent company Speedway Motorpsorts Inc.'s purchase of the track in January. PRN typically broadcasts the Nationwide and Cup races from SMI tracks. ...More
Gil Martin Wins Crew Chief Award
Gil Martin, crew chief of the No. 07 BB&T Chevrolet driven by Clint Bowyer, has been named the WYPALL Wipers’ “Crew Chief of the Race” in Saturday’s Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Some say it was being in the right place at the right time, but cautious instruction from Martin is what empowered Bowyer to drive the No. 07 BB&T Chevy to victory in Saturday night’s race. After starting deep in the field, (31st) Bowyer carved his way up to 16th on lap 129 resulting from a successful pit stop by the Martin-led team. Increasing track position and then maintaining that spot was Martin’s main concern, coaching Bowyer to be patient as he steadily made his way to the front. Bowyer eventually took over the lead following a collision between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch with two laps to go and sailed to the victory. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. ...More
Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience Opens In Fall
Along with three-time NASCAR Cup Champion and FOX Sports analyst Darrell Waltrip and fellow motor sports veteran Jeff Hammond -- announced today key components of the Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience, scheduled to open in fall 2008 at Belle Island's themed development, located in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The new $5 million, 27,000-square-foot racing-themed attraction promises to place visitors in the driver's seat with diverse and highly interactive components showcasing the racing experience from all vantage points of today's motor speedway. ...More
UPS Says No Deal
UPS officials released a statement Monday saying the company is not currently in negotiations with any specific Sprint Cup team or driver. UPS currently sponsors Michael Waltrip Racing and the No. 44 Toyota driven by David Reutimann. MWR Vice President Cal Wells has said that UPS has had preliminary discussions with six teams about what cars and drivers they would have open for 2009 and "UPS is doing exactly what they should be doing. We either earn the business back or we won’t." But to say that UPS has started negotiations with any team is not accurate, according to a company official. ...More
Hamlin Injured In Basketball Game
Denny Hamlin looked beaten and bruised Monday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, gingerly stepping through the garage with a grimace on his face. Already dealing with the mental pain and heartbreak of perhaps the most disappointing night of his career, Hamlin took a hard fall during a Sunday night basketball game and slammed to the ground on his left hip. It’s safe to say the last few days haven’t been the best of times for Hamlin. Watching Hamlin limp around, one might have thought he sustained his injury by kicking something following the flat tire that robbed him of what seemed to be a sure victory Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, his home track. But during one of his usual basketball games with friends, Hamlin jumped in the air and ended up tumbling over another player’s shoulder. He fell straight to the ground and landed on his hip, which he said popped and has caused so much pain that he couldn’t sleep on it Sunday night. ...More
Joey Logano Wins Rockingham Opener
At one point, Logano had lapped the entire 50-car field with the exception of the second place driver. Only varying pit stop sequences and the Aaron’s Lucky Dog award got more machines back on the lead lap for the chance to challenge in the final stages. Logano, who earned the SIM Factory Pole Award on Saturday with a new ARCA RE/MAX Series one-lap track record (146.645 mph), also posted the Accel Fastest Lap of the Race with a top speed of 140.812 mph. Logano’s crew chief Billy Venturini won the Cometic Crew Chief of the Race honors. Chad McCumbee finished sixth in the Danco Electrical Contractors Chevrolet in front of Austin Dillon, who finished seventh in his career-first series attempt in the Garage Equipment Supply Chevrolet. Current ARCA RE/MAX Series point leader Matt Carter finished eighth in the Stine Seed-NuSouth Lemonade Ford. Tom Hessert III finished ninth in the Maaco Auto Painting-Boudreaux’s Butt Paste Ford, moving to a tie with Stenhouse for third in series points. Frank Kimmel finished 10th in the FordDriveOne.com-ECC Ford. Most say that Rockingham Speedway is one of the toughest, most challenging tracks on anyone’s tour. However, someone forgot to tell ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Joey Logano, who made his victory in Sunday’s Carolina 500 look simple. Logano, in the no. 25 Venturini Motorsports-prepared Joe Gibbs Racing Oil-Gresham & Associates Chevrolet, led 257 of 312 laps to conquer the “Rock” in his career-first ARCA RE/MAX Series start. Logano also earned the Aaron’s Lap Leader award for leading the most laps. ...More
Toyota Won't Get Involved In Contract Talk
Toyota officials don't want to lose Tony Stewart to another manufacturer, but they won't get involved in negotiations to keep the two-time Sprint Cup champion at Joe Gibbs Racing after his contract expires in 2009. "We're not a company that gets in the middle between owners and drivers," Lee White, the general manager of Toyota Racing Development, said before Saturday's race at Richmond International Raceway. "If there is a manufacturer out there that is spearheading or brokering or promoting an activity like this, I can promise you it will not be Toyota. ...More
Bowyer Wins At Richmond
CIA Stock Photo
Clint Bowyer Celebrates
In his 83rd Sprint Cup race, twenty-eight year-old Clint Bowyer held off Kyle Busch and Mark Martin to win the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night. It was Bowyer's first series victory of the year and the second of his career. He also won at New Hampshire in 2007. Bowyer took over the lead with two laps to go -- while running in the third position behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch. The pair were running side-by-side for the lead and contact was made between the two. Earnhardt spun and smacked the wall but the caution set up a green-white-checkers finish. On the restart Bowyer got a good jump on the field and held on to win the event.
It was pole sitter Denny Hamlin's race to lose. He had a fast racecar and led a record 381 laps of the 410 that were run but succumbed to a right front flat tire and then to make matters worse, Hamlin stopped on the track to bring out the caution and was penalized two laps for intentionally bringing out the yellow flag. Tony Stewart finished in the fourth spot and Martin Truex Jr. brought his Chevrolet home in fifth. Ryan Newman garnered sixth place followed by Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne to round out the top ten. The Sprint Cup Series moves to Darlington Raceway next Saturday May 10th, 2008, for the Dodge Challenger 500. The race is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM / Eastern Time on Fox.
To read the full article...(Insider Racing News) For full final race results...(Insider Racing News) For top-40 Nextel Cup drivers points...(Insider Racing News)
Next Nationwide Series Race * Darlington Raceway * Darlington, South Carolina * Friday, May 9, 2008
Nationwide Series Will Test Next Week
The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway in preparation for the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 on Saturday night, May 24. The test are scheduled for May 12-13; with May 14 as a rain date. During both days of testing, Lowe's Motor Speedway's frontstretch grandstand will be open free of charge and fans should enter through Gate 5A, located next to the main ticket office. ...Daily Headlines
Martin In No. 5 At Darlington
Go Daddy is looking for another big auto racing win Friday when Mark Martin races the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet on NASCAR’s toughest track – Darlington Raceway. Martin is considered one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers and is the all-time leader in Nationwide Series victories. He’s ready to drive the GoDaddy.com sponsored car for the first time this season at South Carolina’s fabled Darlington Raceway. The No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet was designed by GoDaddy.com spokesman Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and is a sleek black, orange and green Monte Carlo SS. Earnhardt was the first to drive the car at the Texas Motor Speedway Nationwide Series event last month. ...More
Larry Gunselman Released
Larry Gunselman said Friday that he did his best to slow his car down and avoid hitting Dario Franchitti in the door last week in an accident at Talladega Superspeedway that broke Franchitti’s left ankle. Gunselman was driving for MSRP Motorsports, a team that is more or less starting and parking this year. He said he was released from the team after the accident. Although he was released from the infield care center following the wreck, Gunselman said he started feeling nauseated and was taken to a hospital for observation. He had a CAT-scan and X-rays to his elbow and was released. He said he is still sore from the wreck. ...More
Hamlin Wins Nationwide Race
Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR
Four New Tires Makes Difference
With ten laps to go in the race, Virginia native Denny Hamlin took four fresh tires under caution while leader Kevin Harvick stayed on the track. When the race resumed Hamlin blew past Harvick and never looked back. The Lipton Tea 250 Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway ended on a green-white-checkers situation but Hamlin had newer tires and no one challenged him in the final laps. Hamlin finished .790 seconds ahead of Harvick, who fell just short in trying to win his first race, in his own car. Harvick, who finished second to Hamlin, has 32 victories in the series but never in his own equipment. "When those guys stayed out, I knew it was our race to win," said Hamlin. "We had a third-place car there at the end, and the circumstances just worked out for us. This is my biggest win by far."
Harvick's crew chief, Wally Rogers called for a pit stop for four tires but at the last moment, Harvick made the decision to stay on the track. "I've been caught on both sides of that, but it only cost us one spot," Harvick said of the outcome of the race. "I was pitting, until I saw the 60 (Edwards) and the 1 (Bliss) behind him stay up. I figured more cars would stay out."
The win gave Hamlin his first Nationwide Series trip to the Winner's Circle this year and the sixth career victory. It also was the third consecutive win for the No. 20 with three different drivers, Hamlin, Kyle Busch at Mexico, Tony Stewart at Talladega. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have won seven of the eleven Nationwide events this year. Kyle Busch, driving for all he was worth, rebounding from a lap down to finish third. Busch traded paint and sheetmetal with Steve Wallace on the final lap but finished in the third spot. David Ragan drove past Wallace on the final lap to finish fourth while Wallace held on to fifth position.
Following the race Kyle Busch confronted Wallace and they were discussing the finer art of cooking when Wallace grabbed Busch's helmet. That infuriated Busch but cooler heads prevailed and broke up the confrontation. "He's a boy trying to play it in a man's sport," Busch said to the press after he walked away from Wallace. "If you grab the bull, you're going to get the horns," -- "If he's going to say stuff like that, he can come and say it to my face," said an angry Wallace. David Stremme, Carl Edwards, Mike Bliss, Clint Bowyer and Scott Wimmer rounded out the top ten.
For full final race results...(Lipton TEA 250 Results) For Nationwide Series Points...(Points After Lipton TEA 250)
The Next Craftsman Truck Race * Lowe's Motor Speedway * Charlotte, North Carolina * Friday, May 16, 2008
Randy Moss Forms Truck Team
Fresh off a record breaking NFL season, New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss announced the formation of Moss Motorsports, LLC with its intended participation to begin in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Moss anticipates that the team will debut at some point in the second half of the 2008 season and run selected races through the conclusion of the year. The partial schedule is a prelude to a full-time campaign in 2009. Sponsors and manufacturer alignments will be announced at a later date. ...More
Hornaday Wins At Kansas Speedway
CIA Stock Photo
Hornaday's 1st Win This Season
Ron Hornaday won the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 in overpowering fashion Saturday at Kansas Speedway, starting from pole and leading 136 of 167 laps. It was Hornaday's first win of the season and extended his all-time lead in the Craftsman Truck Series to 34. He also took the lead in the points by 61 over Rick Crawford. Hornaday surrendered the lead three times during yellow-flag pit stops and impressively drove the Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet back to the front in a few laps on each occasion. He was fourth following his final pit stop on Lap 108, regaining the lead in five laps and holding it for the final 55 around the 1.5-mile circuit (watch video).
KHI teammate Jack Sprague bounced back from a mid-race mistake that put his Chevrolet at the back of the field to finish second, one truck length (.149 seconds) behind following a restart with two laps remaining. Hornaday pulled away to a two-truck length advantage and was in control heading onto the backstraight. Sprague made a strong run going into Turn 3, but wasn't able to get alongside Hornaday and followed him to the checkered flag.Sprague, also driving a new truck built by KHI, pitted out of sequence on Lap 74 and steadily gained positions. He passed rookie Colin Braun on the outside in Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 155 to take third and moved up to second one lap later when second-running Todd Bodine spun in Turn 3 and hit the outside wall.
Braun, in his Roush Fenway Ford, finished third, but angered veterans Sprague and Matt Crafton. Braun rammed Crafton's Chevrolet in the bumper and turned him into the Turn 4 wall, ruining a strong race. Crafton confronted Braun on pit row after the race, and Braun took responsibility for the mistake. Sprague was attempting to pass Braun on the inside on the frontstretch when the rookie moved to his left. "He came down on me and I could have let him crash," Sprague said. "I went around him on the outside. I told him, 'That was a gift, but don't mess with me again.' He has to stop running into people. If he wants to win, he has to have respect." Bill Davis Racing teammates Johnny Benson and Mike Skinner finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in their Toyotas. ...Daily Headlines
Key Motorsports Rehires Hooper
In a bold move to try and improve the performance of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race trucks and team, owner Curtis W. Key has announced that former driver and now Crew Chief Lance Hooper has been hired to assume that position with the Key Motorsports organization. Hooper succeeds veteran Gary Showalter who had held the Crew Chief’s position at Key Motorsports and the team’s #40 Chevrolet Silverado race trucks since May of last season. “Our performances have not been where I had hoped they would be at this time, and I know that I have better equipment than what we have shown to this point in the 2008 season,” Key explained. “When a team struggles, changes can be made in various areas in an effort to get better. I just felt that at this stage of the season, and after evaluating everything, that we needed someone different to oversee our truck racing program, so I have brought Lance back,” Key added. Hooper had been Crew Chief for the #13 ThorSport Motorsports team before being released just before the Martinsville race late last month. ...More
Visit Our Open Wheel Site -- Presented By Insider Racing News
Welcome to our Open Wheel news and commentary site called "Speed News Now". We'll cover the highlights of CART, Now called Champ Car World Series, and the Indy Racing League and time permitting -- maybe some Sprint Car or World of Outlaw action. Listed below are some of the items currently in the news:
Last Race 5-3-27-08
1 Kyle Busch 1495
2 Jeff Burton 1477 -18
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1391
4 Clint Bowyer 1372
5 Kevin Harvick 1350
6 Denny Hamlin 1349
7 Jimmie Johnson 1318
8 Tony Stewart 1297
9 Greg Biffle 1269
10 Carl Edwards 1230
11 Ryan Newman 1212
12 Kasey Kahne 1162• More
2008 Nationwide Series Points
Last Race 5-2-08
1 Clint Bowyer 1561
2 Carl Edwards 1560 -1
3 Kyle Busch 1553
4 David Ragan 1429
5 Mike Bliss 1424
6 David Reutimann 1407
7 Brad Keselowski 1382
8 Jason Leffler 1342
9 Mike Wallace 1294
10 David Stremme 1173
11 Bobby Hamilton Jr. 1167
12 Kelly Bires 1154• More
2008 Truck Series Points
Last Race 4-29-08
1 Ron Hornaday 775
2 Rick Crawford 714 -61
3 Todd Bodine 704
4 Dennis Setzer 666
5 Johnny Benson 666
6 Kyle Busch 645
7 Matt Crafton 639
8 Chad McCumbee 633
9 Jack Sprague 629
10 Ted Musgrave 627
11 Mike Skinner 624
12 David Starr 621• More
Insider Racing News: 8 years on the Internet - 38 years in Racing All original material published on this site becomes and remains property of Insider Racing News
