Last call for NASCAR's hard-liquor ban?

Jim Utter in the Miami Herald reports that NASCAR is set to rescind its ban on hard-liquor sponsorships beginning next season.

The move should bring an influx of new sponsorship money into the sport. Several Nextel Cup teams – Roush Racing and Richard Childress Racing among them - are primed to sign sponsorship deals with hard-liquor companies, including Diageo and Jack Daniels, sources said.

On Friday, NASCAR officials insisted they had not made a final decision.

"We are currently evaluating the policy we have in place regarding liquor sponsors but no official decision has been made at this time in regard to any changes," NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said.

NASCAR has allowed beer companies to sponsor cars and its Busch series has been sponsored by Anheuser-Busch since 1982.

In recent years also has allowed hard liquor companies to advertise their malt beverage products. For instance, Smirnoff vodka is not allowed, but Smirnoff Ice is allowed as an associate sponsor on Matt Kenseth's No. 17 Ford.

Several other racing series already allow hard liquor advertising. Crown Royal began sponsoring the International Race of Champions series this season.

NASCAR will likely provide several guidelines overseeing the marketing of the hard liquor sponsorships, but is not expected to alter its 18-year-old minimum age requirement for its three national series - Craftsman Trucks, Busch and Cup, sources said.

NASCAR Approves New Ford Cylinder Heads

Jim Utter of The Charlotte Observer reports that NASCAR has approved Ford Motor Co.'s new cylinder head for competition in the Busch Series beginning in the 2005 season, officials confirmed Thursday.

The cylinder head was approved for use in Nextel Cup competition this season, but it took several months before Ford teams worked get the cylinder head performing up to speed.

Ben Leslie, interim field manager for Ford Racing, said he doesn't expect such problems in the Busch Series next season.

"From the Cup end of it we started from nothing. We had to do all the research and development for power and but also durability tests," Leslie said.

"We already have the lion's share of that done. Granted, the Busch cars are a little bit different. But as far as durability, we're a long ways down that road. Power-wise, we might have to tailor that because of the different carburetor, but we're not starting from scratch."

Robert Yates Racing and Roush Racing combined forces this year to build Ford engines in Cup competition. Leslie said it was too early to tell if such an arrangement would take place in Busch as well.

Newman Wins Pole with Track Record

Newman knows a victory Saturday night would go a long way toward closing the gap and getting him back in the race for the title. Newman will start first in the UAW-GM Quality 500 after shattering the track record with a lap at 188.877 mph.

Newman's lap beat the track record of 187.052 that Jimmie Johnson set here in May - a lap that erased the record Newman had held.

"I told my wife I wanted it back," he said.

The Parade Continues - Martin is Leaving a Winner

NASCAR great Mark Martin will stop racing full-time on the circuit after next season. Martin is currently fifth in the "Chase for the Nextel Cup," 150 points off the pace.

"I think the biggest thing in my career right now is that I don't want to go out on the decline," said Martin, who has won nearly $45 million driving stock cars.

Martin made his announcement Thursday, preparing for this weekend's UAW-GM 500.

"I told Jack that the best times that we had, we didn't know we were having them at the time," Martin said. "Those 17 years that we have been together have been the most incredible years of my life."

Martin has been synonymous with NASCAR since joining up with Roush Racing in 1988. He has 41 career poles and 34 wins, although the sport's biggest prizes have escaped him. Martin never has won the Daytona 500 and also has finished second in the championship standings a staggering four times - in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002.

Over the last few years, Martin has watched Roush Racing move its emphasis away from him. Ironically, teammate Matt Kenseth won the series title last year and teammate Kurt Busch leads the standings this year.

"There hasn't been a bigger influence on my career in the Cup series than Mark Martin," Kenseth said. "He's the one that talked to Jack Roush about me and kind of took me under his wing and made sure I had a home here at Roush Racing. I owe my success to Mark."

Martin intends to run a full schedule in 2005 and transition to a much shorter slate in 2006 - perhaps on the Craftsman Truck series.

"In 2006, I'll still be in the driver's seat," he said. "I just don't know exactly what seat that will be just yet."

Gibbs adds third Cup entry for 2005

Joe Gibbs Racing's third cup entry next year in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series will piloted with Jason Leffler behind the wheel.

Team president J.D. Gibbs said Wednesday that FedEx would sponsor Leffler's Chevrolet. Leffler will be a teammate to former series champions Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte.

The deal with FedEx came together through team owner Joe Gibbs, who returned to the NFL this season as coach of the Washington Redskins and whose team plays at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

The 29-year-old Leffler has competed in all three of NASCAR's top divisions as well as the 2000 Indianapolis 500.

Leffler's first Busch Series victory was in June at Nashville Superspeedway and has made 33 Cup starts, including 30 for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2001.

Dave Rogers, race engineer for Stewart, will be Leffler's crew chief on the No. 11 car.

Labonte Exits on His Terms

Terry Labonte officially announced today that he is retiring at the end of 2006.

"The Iceman" is moving to a limited schedule in 2005 and 2006 - running in only 10 races a year. Labonte will drive the No. 44 Chevrolet for car owner Rick Hendrick beginning next season.

"44" is a special number to Labonte - the No. 44 was the car Labonte drove when he won his first NASCAR title in 1984. His younger brother, Bobby, used that number when he won the Busch series title and his son, Justin, was in the No. 44 when he won his first Busch race this season.

The highlight for the Labonte family came in 1996 when Terry won the title in the season finale at Atlanta - the same day Bobby won the race. Terry and Brother Bobby became the only brothers to win a series title when Bobby won the 2000 championship.

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