Sound & Speed Date Set
The stars of country music and NASCAR will converge on Nashville, Tenn., Jan 11-12, 2008 for the third annual Sprint Sound & Speed presented by SunTrust. The event, which raises money for Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Country Music Hall of Fame, will be in and around Nashville's Sommet Center and will include a concert extravaganza headlined by Alan Jackson on Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. CST.

During Friday's announcement of next year's event, Kyle and Pattie Petty compared the event to the old Winston Preview that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. produced each January in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Preview gave the fans time to spend with their favorite drivers and view the cars' new paint schemes. Tickets for the event go on sale Nov. 9. They will be available through TicketMaster and on the Web site, www.soundandspeed.org. Tickets are $39.50 for the concert, $20 for the festival, or $54.50 for both.

Biffle On Atlanta Pole
It's been a long time since Greg Biffle has sat on a Nextel Cup pole, since May of 2006 to be exact. It is Biffle's first pole of the 2007 season and the fourth of his 183 race career. Biffle turned a lap of 28.807 seconds around the 1.5-mile high-banked Atlanta Motor Speedway for a speed of 192.453 mph. Biffle became the 16th different driver to win a pole this year. Biffle will now be eligible for the Shootout in February at Daytona International Speedway. "They're just giving me good cars to drive and that's all a guy can ask for," said Biffle, after learning that his run was good enough for the pole. "I normally don't ask for them this good. I just want a good racecar, but this thing is excellent."

Biffle's former teammate, Kurt Busch will start on the outside of the front row in Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500 and Dale Jarrett will start third after a great qualifying effort. Kasey Kahne, who led the first practice session, rolls of in the fourth spot followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, David Stremme, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Elliott Sadler to round out the top-ten. Juan Pablo Montoya, who starts 21st, was the highest qualifying rookie.

The Chase drivers didn't fare well in qualifying, only three, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, were able to crack the top-ten. Five drivers failed to qualify, David Reutimann, Burney Lamar, Sam Hornish Jr., Ward Burton and Mike Skinner. This is the seventh race that Sam Hornish Jr. failed to make a Nextel Cup race. Michael Waltip and Dale Jarrett made the race but teammate Reutimann was unable to duplicate the feat and made the trip home.  ...Daily Headlines
For Full Starting Lineup...     (Insider Racing News)

Ganassi Hires Steve Hmiel
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today Steve Hmiel, former director of technical operations at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., has accepted a new position with the organization to serve as manager of competition of its Concord racing operation.

”I have said many times in reference to drivers that when good ones become available you owe it to your organization to make a run at them, well the same is true for leaders,” said Team Owner, Chip Ganassi. “Steve became available and I got him. I couldn’t be happier. He brings over 30 years of hands-on NASCAR experience with him and a skill set that perfectly complements those of John Fernandez.”

Fernandez will continue to manage the long-term strategic direction of the CGRFS race operations while Steve will focus more on the competition management and preparation – including race engineering. Both Hmiel and Fernandez will report directly to Ganassi.

“I really couldn’t be happier about this move,” said Hmiel. “I knew that the next role that I would accept would have to be in the perfect situation and this one is. Chip and Felix have an organization that is on the verge of great things and I really look forward to helping take them to the next level.”

Hmiel’s move to CGRFS follows what was already a stellar career in NASCAR. He began working in NASCAR over 30 year ago with Petty Enterprises and promptly helped Richard Petty win Cup championships in 1975 and 1979 as car chief and the Daytona 500 in 1979 and 1981. He would then go on to win another championship in 1984 as the crew Chief for Terry Labonte and Bill Hagan Racing.

In 1987, he along with NASCAR executive Robin Pemberton, helped Jack Roush and Ford step up from Trans-Am racing to NASCAR to form the foundation of Roush Racing as their first general manager. From 1989-96 he helped to create a racing dynasty, as Roush never finished out of the top-six in points during that span. In 1998 he left Roush for Dale Earnhardt Inc. and that same year brought home both their first Craftsman Truck and Busch titles. He would go on to work closely with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. while helping him win 17 Cup races including the 2004 Daytona 500.

Hmiel and his wife Lisa reside in Pleasant Garden, NC and have two sons, Shane and Tyler. He is originally from Syracuse, NY.

Carpentier To Run Last Two Races
Open-wheel veteran Patrick Carpentier will take over the driving duties of the Valvoline Evernham Racing No. 10 Dodge for the final pair of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races.

"We appreciate the contributions that Scott [Riggs] has made as the driver for Valvoline Evernham Racing over the past two seasons," said co-owner James Rocco. "This is simply a move to prepare our program for next season."

Prior to the announcement, team CEO Ray Evernham talked about how impressive Carpentier has been in his appearances with the team. The Canadian driver has made two Busch Series starts and one Cup start this season as he learns the ropes of stock-car racing.

"We're going to work real hard to give Patrick what he needs," Evernham said. "We are going to try to get him in a car more and more this year. We're trying to get him in some races. We're trying to surround him with veteran people. We have talked to people like Kenny Schrader. We have a lot of great plans. "The neat thing about it is that we have a guy that really, really appreciates the opportunity. He is a home run with the media. ... Patrick has brought a little bit of spark to the organization. And we're happy."

Carpentier will replace Scott Riggs, who has signed to drive for Haas CNC Racing in 2008, at Phoenix and Homestead. The No. 10 team is outside the top 35 in owners points and must qualify for each race based on qualifying speed. Carpentier will test with the team in the NASCAR-sanctioned test at Atlanta Motor Speedway Monday and Tuesday.(scenedaily.com)

Reutimann Wins Busch Series Destruction Derby
It was painful to watch. It wasn't a race, it was a joke. Was it a full moon or just stupidity that drove the Busch Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park on Saturday? NASCAR should have impounded the purse and returned the money to the fans who sat through the ridiculous display of non-driving and the twenty-five cautions (117 laps). The old yellow flag record at Memphis was 16 but that mark was shattered just barely past half way in the Sam’s Town 250. And through it all 37 year-old David Reutimann managed to retain his composure in the crash marathon to win his first ever Busch Series race. It was Reutimann's 63rd start in the series. Reutimann led three times for 194 of 250 laps.

“The guys gave me a great car. I'm glad it is over with," said Reutimann. "Mike (Bliss) ran me clean there on the last restart. I know there were a lot of yellows today, but everybody that I raced with raced me clean. They could have gone in there and jacked me up, but they didn't and I appreciate that. We were solid and I'm glad we got this win.”

Mike Bliss had to settle for second place after getting up along-side Reutimann in the closing laps but couldn't complete the pass. Rookie David Ragan finished third and pole sitter rookie Marcos Ambrose was fourth. Jason Leffler brought his Toyota home in the fifth spot followed by Scott Wimmer, Jamie McMurray, Jason Keller, rookie Brad Keselowski and his brother Brian Keselowski to round out the top-ten.

Carl Edwards was looking to wrap up a Busch Series title but one of the many wrecks got in his way. Edwards crashed on lap 130 but the team put the car back together for Edwards. He clawed his way back to the lead lap and 10th place but was caught up the last lap crash, finishing 25th. “It was a very frustrating race but I feel good. The silver lining is that David Reutimann won the race and he’s a [heck] of a guy. So, that’s good for him," said Edwards. "We got caught up in some stuff. We had a great race car, I think we had the fastest car on one of the runs that we made once we got five or six laps at a time. Still, we had a fast car and that’s how it goes. All we do is the best we can do. We did everything we could today and that’s what we ended up with. It’s not a fair thing, you can’t count on anything until it’s done. We’ll keep racing.”

Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti had a rough debut in the Busch Series. Franchitti had some brake troubles, running into the back of Brandon Miller on lap 192, causing damage to the right front of his Chip Ganassi Dodge. NASCAR held Franchitti one lap for rough driving and requested his presents in the NASCAR trailer after the race. Franchitti was involved in another accident before the race was over and finished 35th. The Busch Series moves to the Texas Motor Speedway next Saturday night, November 3rd, 2007.

Joey Logano Will Move Up
Busch East Series champion and winner of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown Joey Logano will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut May 31 at Dover, just one week after turning 18, it was announced Friday in the Atlanta Motor Speedway Media Center. NASCAR requires drivers competing in the series to be at least 18 years old. Also during Friday's announcement, Motorsports Authentics President and CEO Mark Dyer said the company had created a licensing program for the 17-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver from Middletown, Conn. -- a first for a driver not in one of NASCAR's top-three series apparel line.

The new program includes Motorsports Authentics producing a 1:24 scale replica of Logano's Busch East Series championship car. A 1:24 scale Action Racing Collectibles die-cast replica of Logano's 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series car will be produced. Through the Chase Authentics apparel line, Motorsports Authentics will produce a series of T-shirts, hats and other apparel as demand dictates between now and Logano's trek toward Sprint Cup [now NEXTEL Cup]. Logano's championship die-cast will come with a Sam Bass print and a piece of race-worn tire from his series-clinching car.

Veteran motorsports artist Sam Bass presented Logano with an original print celebrating his historic run to the Busch East Series championship during the press conference. Also during the press conference, it was announced there would be a “Countdown to 'The Dream'” on goracing.com. The Web site will have a clock that will allow the fans to count down the days, hours and minutes until Logano's debut in the Nationwide Series [this year's Busch Series.]

Logano's championship was the fourth for Joe Gibbs Racing, with the racing organization's other three being NASCAR NEXTEL Cup titles with Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.

Kyle Busch Wins Truck Race
Kyle Busch, as usual, drove the wheels off of his truck to win the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday. It was the fifth career victory in the Craftsman Truck Series, his second at Atlanta became the first Nextel Cup regular to win in the series in 2007. Busch also became the first repeat winner in the series at Atlanta. “I had to go somewhere and those guys ran the middle the first part of the corner, then went to the bottom. I just kept it up on the middle and got a run on the outside,” said Busch. “I never lifted after that. That’s what you got to do to get around this place fast.”

Busch got a big break with 22 laps to go - his window net had come loose and he was holding the device with one hand and driving the truck with the other. He was holding it for 12 laps. Just as NASCAR noticed what he was doing, he was black-flagged and called into the pits to fix the net. But the caution came out as he was preparing to come in. He was able to get the problem fixed under yellow, rather than going down a lap by pitting under green, but had to restart further back in the field. It didn't take Busch long to drive back to the front and he took the lead for the final time with seven to go. “Having to hold the window net made my arm a little tired,” he said. “I was on my last couple of laps of being able to hold it up," Busch said. "I kept trying to keep it inside the pane of the windshield. As soon as the caution came out I said, ‘Thank goodness.’ I just let it fall after that. I didn’t care.”