PracticeMode

Four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was caught up in a wreck Wednesday in practice for Sunday's Daytona 500. Thursday drivers race in a pair of 150-mile qualifying races.

By JENNA FRYER

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Busch has been known to enjoy New York City and the ample opportunities it offers young, rich superstars.

And after a dream regular season, the kid who has seemingly won everything this year had plenty of reason to run wild during NASCAR's two-day tour through the city to promote the upcoming Chase for the championship.

Instead, the celebration seemed uncharacteristically subdued for Busch, the Las Vegas driver who usually has no trouble finding the latest hot spots. He did his media obligations and squeezed in shopping and sightseeing with his girlfriend, but bowed out when the party roared into the early morning hours.

"I've been low-key all season," he insisted.

Maybe. But isn't New York your kind of town?

All work, little play as Busch begins title hunt....

By JENNA FRYER

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Yes, the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a debacle. No point in denying it. But don't be so quick to castigate NASCAR, which was faced with the unenviable task of trying to salvage a race that was destined to look like stalled, rush-hour traffic.

When it became obvious in Saturday's practice sessions that the tires Goodyear brought to Indy had a serious durability issue, there was only one option for NASCAR a day ahead of the green flag: figure out how to stage a safe race. Option No. 2? There wasn't one.

Formula One and Michelin learned that at Indy in 2005, when three-fourths of the field refused to compete in the United States Grand Prix because of tire concerns. Indy took a hit, the race never recovered and F1 isn't currently racing in this country.

"The difference between NASCAR and Formula One is Formula One thinks of it as a business — they don't think about the fans, they don't think about the show," said Juan Pablo Montoya, the only driver to participate in both tire fiascos.

"Here they do. NASCAR will do whatever is possible to put the show on in the best way possible."

NASCAR not to blame for tire fiasco at Brickyard....

By JENNA FRYER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — If Ryan Newman is indeed in line to join Tony Stewart's new team next season, neither driver is saying.

Stewart said Tuesday he's still trying to fill the two-car lineup at Stewart-Haas Racing, while Newman joked the only new offer he's received was to drive for one of Stewart's sprint car teams.

All kidding aside, Newman is believed to be the top candidate to drive for Stewart next year. The Daytona 500 winner announced last week he'll leave Penske Racing at the end of the season, a decision that makes him the top current free agent.

Newman, Stewart play coy on potential partnership....

By Motorsport.com staff writers

Ryan Newman visited the media at Chicagoland Speedway last Saturday, July 12, before he, along with the other 42 racers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, ran the first race under the lights on the Joliet, Ill. oval. After is comments, it appeared that indeed, the handwriting was on the wall and Newman would leaving Penske Racing.

His comments came two days after Tony Stewart confirmed the formation of Stewart-Haas Racing. The Joe Gibbs Racing long-time star and two-time Cup champion will be back in a Chevrolet next year as a driver and team co-owner. One of the drivers showing up in the rumor mill was Stewart's friend and rival, Newman.

Newman leaves Penske, looks for new opportunity....

By RICK GANO – 5 hours ago

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — Kyle Busch passed Jimmie Johnson after a restart on the next-to-last lap Saturday night to win his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season.

Johnson had gone by Busch with 17 laps remaining in the LifeLock.com 400. But on the restart after the ninth caution, Busch went high on the track at Chicagoland Speedway and got by Johnson and held on for yet another victory.

Busch has 14 victories this season, spanning NASCAR's three series. He won a Nationwide Series race on the same track Friday night.

And the 23-year-old Busch showed again why he leads the Sprint Cup points race with some great driving at the end.

Busch passes Johnson late to take Chicagoland race....

By Associated Press

JOLIET, Ill. - NASCAR's BAM Racing team has presented Barack Obama's presidential campaign with a potential sponsorship deal in the Sprint Cup series, but an Obama car won't be burning rubber on the track.

BAM team spokesman Rhett Vandiver told the Associated Press yesterday that the team has made a sponsorship proposal to the Democratic presidential hopeful's campaign, and has made similar proposals to the campaign of Republican John McCain and at least one third-party candidate.

Late last night, the Obama campaign said there would be no sponsorship.

Team loses on bid for a presidential race....

By Reid Spencer

JOLIET, Ill. -- Tony Stewart answered the big question Thursday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway, but at the same time, he ensured that the slow unveiling of his future plans will continue for at least a few more weeks.

Having made a deal Stewart described as a merger with Haas CNC Racing, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion has acquired 50-percent interest in what will be called Stewart-Haas Motorsports next year. Beginning in 2009, Stewart will drive one of the cars for what will remain a two-car team.

Still unanswered after the press conference, at which Stewart appeared with Haas CNC general manager Joe Custer, is the question of sponsorship. Office Depot, currently the primary sponsor of Carl Edwards' No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, reportedly will move to Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2009 season. Stewart's current sponsor, Home Depot, will remain with the team Stewart is leaving, Joe Gibbs Racing.

Stewart announces formation of Stewart-Haas Racing....

By JENNA FRYER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — After 10 years and two championships, Tony Stewart appears set to end his relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing to pursue an opportunity to buy his own NASCAR team.

Stewart's contract with JGR runs through 2009, but the team was expected to announce Wednesday that it will release him from his contract at the end of the season. Team owner Joe Gibbs has been trying to sign Stewart to an extension for almost a year, but the popular driver was slow to commit and eventually decided to explore free agency.

Numerous options were presented to Stewart, including buying the fledgling two-car team of Haas-CNC Racing and driving for other organizations. It gave Stewart options Gibbs couldn't match, and likely forced the team to grant him his release despite an initial unwillingness to do so.

Mike Arning, a spokesman for Stewart, said an announcement concerning Stewart's future would be made Wednesday. ESPN.com reported late Tuesday night he would be released from his contract.

Tony Stewart set to be released from JGR....

By JENNA FRYER – 12 hours ago

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Busch fell a lap down at Talladega and came back to win. So when a steering problem dropped him to the back of the field at Daytona, he didn't panic. He simply settled in for the long drive back to the front. And back to Victory Lane.

Busch bested Carl Edwards in a door-to-door drag race Saturday night that ended under caution with Busch earning his Sprint Cup Series-best sixth victory of the season.

"That's him," crew chief Steve Addington shrugged.

Say what you want about Busch, the driver NASCAR fans love to hate. But the kid doesn't quit, not when a checkered flag is on the line.

Busch nips Edwards to win under caution at Daytona....

By David Newton
ESPN.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Tony Stewart has a few obstacles left before he officially can become a Sprint Cup team owner, but sponsorship isn't one of them.

The two-time Cup champion has reached an agreement that would make Office Depot a primary sponsor on his car if he finalizes a deal with Haas CNC Racing, a source close to the negotiations said on Thursday.

Sources said an announcement could be made as early as the weekend of the July 27 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is located about an hour from Stewart's hometown of Columbus.

But before anything can happen Stewart would have to be released from the final year of his contact with Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR president J.D. Gibbs said on Friday at Daytona International Speedway that he remained in negotiations to extend Stewart's deal past 2009.

Source: Stewart secures sponsor for potential Cup team....

ESPN.com news services

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- Co-owner Chip Ganassi has shut down Dario Franchitti's race team because of a lack of sponsorship.

The 2007 Indy 500 winner and IRL Series champion has struggled in his first NASCAR season driving Ganassi's No. 40 Dodge.

Longtime sponsor Coors Light left at the end of last season, and Ganassi was unable to secure funding for Franchitti.

Franchitti ranks 41st in the points standings.

Lack of sponsorship forces Ganassi to shut down Franchitti's team....

By MIKE HARRIS

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) — Former series champion Kurt Busch stayed on track when the leaders pitted late in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire and the strategy paid off with a win when the race was cut 17 laps short by rain.

It is the first victory for the Penske Racing driver since September at California Speedway and it came on a day when two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart dominated, only to see his hard luck continue and his winless string increase to 31 races.

"These guys made an awesome call," Busch said. "Sometimes you just don't win 'em the right way, I think we can honestly say that, but we had a lot of work and a lot of effort put in today and we'll take it."

Stewart, who led a race-high 132 laps on the 1.058-mile oval, held off a challenge from two-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson late in the 301-lap race and appeared on the way to his first victory since August at Watkins Glen, N.Y. But Stewart and most of the other drivers who had been racing at the front of the pack did not have enough gas to get to the end.

On lap 271, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had been in the top 10 all day, started toward pit road and was hit from behind by Jamie McMurray, who then spun into David Ragan, bringing out a caution.

Kurt Busch gets rain-shortened victory....

By Jim Peltz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Casey Mears, who struggled as the fourth member of Hendrick Motorsports' "dream team" in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, will be released after this season, the two sides announced Friday.

His replacement was not immediately named.


Casey Mears to leave Hendrick Motorsports....

LOUDON, N.H. — Greg Biffle reached an agreement on a three-year contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing.

"Certainly I'm very excited to announce that we've done a multiyear extension with Roush Fenway," the driver of the No. 16 Ford said Friday. He said the long-anticipated deal includes primary sponsorship by 3M for the next three years.

"3M has stepped up," said Biffle, whose contract was to expire at the end of the year. "They had a multiyear deal to start with, but they came and re-upped, so to speak, recommitted to being on the car for those races."

The extension has been a long time coming, with Biffle apparently looking at other opportunities before deciding to put his major effort into finding a way to stay with the team co-owned by Jack Roush and the Fenway Sports Group.

Biffle gets three-year contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing....

By Curtis Pashelka
Bay Area News Group

SONOMA - He conserved enough fuel for the two-lap sprint to the finish. He hit his marks. He ran consistent lap times to stay comfortably ahead of his pursuers.

And he nailed restart after restart, including the most crucial one of the day.

Kyle Busch said he hardly considers himself to be a "road-course ace" at this point in his promising career. But Busch certainly had the look of one during a dominant performance Sunday at Infineon Raceway.

"Today," Busch said, "we were just in the right positions at the right times."

Busch, 23, was flawless during a green-white-checkered finish to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Toyota/Save Mart 350 in only the seventh road-course start of his Cup career. David Gilliland finished 1.716 seconds behind in second, and five-time race winner Jeff Gordon was third.

Busch, who started 30th, led 78 laps, including the final 42 for his fifth Cup victory of the season. He has won 11 times this season including his work in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series. He won the Nationwide Series road race in Mexico City in April.

Kyle Busch wins Sonoma NASCAR race....

by JORGE A. MONDACA

Want to find out who is the best pure driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition? Follow along with all the action this weekend.

For the first time this year, NASCAR's top stars will be forced to make left- and right-hand turns as they do battle at the 1.99-mile Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Who will win? Road course races usually come down to strategy and pure skill, so every facet of a team will come into play this weekend.

"These races aren't just an anomaly," said Bobby Labonte. "They are important to the season. A good season can take a turn if you don't run well on the two road courses, so teams take them very seriously."

Who has momentum going into the weekend? Here's a look at the top performers so far this year.

Power Rankings: Busch holding on