Earnhardt to join Gordon, Johnson at Hendrick

Earnhardt to join Gordon, Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports

Well, it looks like Dale Earnhardt Jr. will replace Kyle Busch in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports!

In choosing Hendrick's, Earnhardt chose an organization that has won 10 of 14 races this season, including last week's rain-shortened victory by points leader Gordon at Pocono.

Earnhardt and Gordon as teammates will be an interesting mix. Although the two get along, Gordon has been the driver most Earnhardt fans love to hate going back to his rivalry with the late Dale Earnhardt.

It is unknown whether sponsor Budweiser will follow Earnhardt to Hendrick. Budweiser officials are expected to release a statement Wednesday saying the company wishes Earnhardt well and that it will begin exploring its relationship with Earnhardt after the announcement. Hendrick Motorsports does have a history with Budweiser as a sponsor in the 1990s with Ricky Craven and Wally Dallenbach Jr.

Busch Slapped Hard by NASCAR - Drops to 17th Place

Kurt Busch was docked 100 driver points Friday, fined $100,000 and placed on probation until the end of the year for reckless driving and endangering a crew member on pit road.

Car owner Roger Penske also was penalized 100 owner points because of Busch's infraction.

"We felt like we got everybody's attention," said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition. "We felt like the 100-point penalty, the $100,000 was substantial."

NASCAR placed Busch on probation until Dec. 31. With the penalty, Busch fell from 11th to 17th in the Chase standings. The top 12 drivers are in the final 10 races for the title.

Busch apologized on Monday and said he regrets his behavior on the track.

"It's a bit surprising, but safety on pit road can't be compromised," Busch said outside his hauler. "I understand that. To me, it's a matter of making sure everyone is safe on pit road."

Busch and Tony Stewart were both running in the top 10 in Monday's race at Dover International Speedway when Busch clipped Stewart as he went to make a pass in lap 271. Busch nosed into the wall and Stewart was sent hard into the SAFER barrier on the outside retaining wall.

While Stewart's team checked out the damage to the No. 20 Chevrolet in the pit stall, Busch pulled next to Stewart's car, forcing jackman Jason Lee to jump back and onto the hood.

NASCAR parked Busch and he finished 42nd. Pemberton said there was some consideration to parking Busch for Sunday's Pocono 500, but that NASCAR was "fairly happy" with its decision.

"Safety is one of our big issues," Pemberton said. "Accidents do happen, and we don't want to put ourselves in a position to allow an accident to happen like that."

Busch said he didn't deserve to be parked for another race because his car never touched Lee.

"I had my car under control when I stopped next to Tony's car next to pit road," he said.

Busch reached out to Lee and Joe Gibbs racing team president J.D. Gibbs, though he had yet to talk to Stewart. Busch told Lee it was never his intention to put him in danger and that his beef was strictly with Stewart.

Stewart called Busch a "bad apple" after the Dover race.

"The incident between Tony and I still needs to be discussed," Busch said. "The guy thought I didn't race him with enough room and I felt like he didn't race me with enough room and it hurt us both in points, so that's the tough part."

"We each need to give each other a bit more room on the track," Busch said.

Earnhardt Docked 100 points, Crew Chief Fined, Suspended

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was docked 100 points Tuesday, and his crew chief was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races for an illegal part at Darlington Raceway.

The penalty, for illegal modifications to the rear wing on Earnhardt's Car of Tomorrow, is a significant setback in his team's bid to win a Cup title before racing's most popular driver leaves after the season.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. will appeal, team president Max Siegel said. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who is also Earnhardt's cousin, is expected to work Saturday night's All-Star race because suspensions do not begin until the appeals process is heard.

"We are not disputing the ruling," Siegel said. "But we are appealing the severity of the penalty because the penalty itself is not spelled out in the rule book."

NASCAR, however, sent a March 21 memo outlining penalties for specific infractions on the Car of Tomorrow and specifically listed fines of $100,000, points deductions and suspension.

NASCAR Pleased With Car Debut

NASCAR was pleased with last weekend's debut of the Car of Tomorrow, and said Friday that several problems (including exhaust failures that exposed drivers to carbon monoxide) can be easily fixed.

Several drivers finished the race with a "carbon monoxidey feeling," some after their exhaust systems failed during the race, Nextel Cup director John Darby said.

Brian Vickers suffered second degree burns to his feet, and needed oxygen after Sunday's race because of his exposure to the carbon monoxide.

"The exhaust failure is the first thing we went to work on," Darby said before practice at Martinsville Speedway, where the Car Of Tomorrow (COT) will race again this weekend.

NASCAR determined teams used a thinner metal for their exhaust systems in the COT's than they typically use in the cars, and the heat generated during the race caused several of the pipes to break. Some also misapplied the padding designed to shield other components from the heat, and that caused other parts to fail, Darby said.

AT&T Sues Nascar Over Logo

Telecommunications giant AT&T filed a motion Monday, asking that its logo be added to Jeff Burton's car immediately.

The motion was filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, where the company also filed its lawsuit against NASCAR. A hearing on the motion has not yet been scheduled.

Burton is sponsored by cell phone service provider Cingular. AT&T recently took full ownership of Cingular as part of its recent merger with BellSouth and intends to eliminate the brand name.

AT&T sued NASCAR on March 16 after racing series officials refused to allow AT&T to put its logo on Burton's car because of NASCAR's deal with Nextel, which sponsors NASCAR's top series -- the Nextel Cup.

"We must bring this issue to resolution," John Burbank, vice president of marketing for AT&T, said in a statement. "The season is well under way and so are our rebranding efforts. This filing is a logical next step for us in the process, and one we must pursue so that we can simply move forward with our paint scheme -- something our agreement with NASCAR allows us to do."

NASCAR's Nextel deal forbids teams that race in the series from signing new sponsorship agreements with competing telecom companies. The deal does contain a provision that allows teams with existing telecom sponsorships -- such as Richard Childress Racing, the team Burton drives for -- to keep their sponsors.

NASCAR officials said that even with the restrictions, the Nextel sponsorship -- along with similar deals with fuel supplier Sunoco and tire supplier Goodyear -- benefits every team. Money from Nextel, for example, goes toward the drivers' year-end points fund.

"While it is unfortunate that there is a matter in litigation, it is important to know that NASCAR is defending every driver, team and track by protecting a sponsor that benefits everyone," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said.

Nascar: Martin Skewers His Own Hopes!

NASCAR at Statleader.com:

Mark Martin was bubbling with enthusiasm Sunday after his fourth straight top 10 finish since leaving longtime employer Jack Roush for Ginn Racing.

In past seasons, there would be considerable speculation about the four-time NASCAR Nextel Cup points runner-up finally winning that elusive championship.

Not this year.

Despite the best start of his long career and being in the points lead, Martin confirmed Sunday that he will sit out the races next week at Bristol and the following week at Martinsville, ending a string of 621 consecutive starts.

It's the reason he changed teams after 19 years with Roush, the opportunity to run a partial Cup schedule, race only when he wants to and to have more time with his family and for himself.

Nascar Official Pizza: Why the big deal?

Nascar Official Pizza:

Excerpts from a 2005 press release: ANN ARBOR, Mich., -- Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery and the Official Pizza of NASCAR, today announced it will extend its partnership with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).

"We continue to be a proud sponsor of NASCAR, and feel our brand has been enhanced by this partnership," says David A. Brandon, chairman and CEO of Domino's Pizza. "As the number one choice for pizza among NASCAR fans, we feel we have been rewarded for our connection to this exciting sport."

By focusing its marketing and advertising efforts on promoting Race Day is Domino's Pizza Day, Domino's has increased sales consistently across the country on race days by promoting the Race Day 555 Deal. When NASCAR fans are preparing to watch a race, ordering pizza from Domino's is becoming part of their race day ritual.

"Domino's is a brand category leader and we are always looking for ways to reach our consumers, just as NASCAR is always looking for ways to reach its fans," said Brandon. "Our research tells us that NASCAR fans are 6 times as likely to order Domino's because we are its Official Pizza."

The road ahead is promising. Domino's Pizza is the title sponsor of the upcoming Domino's Pizza 250 NASCAR Busch Series race on August 20 at Michigan International Speedway (TNT 3 p.m.), and the primary sponsor of driver Michael Waltrip's No. 99 Domino's Pizza car. Taken together, Domino's NASCAR activation through its official status and its team and track relationships allow for the best fan exposure.

NASCAR Commentary: Nascar Official Pizza must be quite a title to hold - There were 398,447 searches last month for "nascar official pizza" according to Yahoo - that is more search requests than "NASCAR!" Do we all really like Domino's that much? It is a mystery to me...

NASCAR: Fans Ready To Push Mark To Race?

A column by Jerry Bonkowski for Yahoo Sports suggest that NASCAR fans should let Mark Martin and Ginn Racing know just how much they think Martin should stay behind the wheel.

Bonkowski writes "With just one race left – this Sunday at Atlanta – before he makes good on his plan (or threat, in some people's eyes) to skip Bristol and turn over the No. 01 Chevrolet to rookie Regan Smith, now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their country, er, driver."

"It's time to let Martin, team owner Bobby Ginn and everyone else associated with Ginn Racing know just how much they want the current points leader to make a full run at the championship. Can you say write-in (or call-in) vote?"

"Grab the closest piece of paper and a pen. Fire up your computer and start typing an email. Pick up the phone and start dialing (Ginn Racing's contact info can be found on the team's Web site). "

NASCAR Commentary: Mark Martin has had a "hall of fame" career - let's give him an excuse to change his plans and focus on the Nextel Cup. If you love Martin - having him conquer his last hurdle and win the Cup is a fan's dream... If you hate Martin - then having him win the Cup may finally get him to retire for good! Either way, its a win-win! See you in Bristol Mark!

See "Mark your ballots" for the full text of Bonkowski's article.

Jimmie Johnson Takes NASCAR Vegas DaimlerChrysler 400

Johnson defended his Sin City title for a second straight year by winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

It was the first victory this season and the 24th career for Johnson, the reigning series champion who won this event for the third consecutive season.

Johnson struggled early Sunday, dropping back to 25th at one point and bobbling coming off a turn.

But a green-flag restart with 12 laps left saw Johnson leading Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon and Daytona 500 runner-up Mark Martin.

"All I was thinking was no more cautions," Johnson said. "I didn't need a crazy debris caution at the end."

After leading by over five seconds, Johnson quickly pitted on lap 80, signaling the beginning of another round for the lead contenders.

Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch nearly collided into each other one lap later coming down pit road, with older brother Kurt locking up his brakes to avoid hitting his younger brother. The near-incident began when Martin slowed down to avoid a speeding violation.

By the time the sequence cycled through, Johnson's Chevrolet Monte Carlo was back in the lead.

Johnson defeated Gordon by 1.999 seconds. Second-year driver Denny Hamlin was third to complete a 1-2-3 finish for Chevrolets. It was the 150th win for Hendrick Motorsports.

Matt Kenseth's Ford Fusion was fourth, followed by Martin's Chevrolet.

Martin continues to lead the point standings by six over Gordon, but that will change because Martin does not compete at Bristol Motor Speedway in two weeks. Martin announced last year he was running a limited schedule.

Johnson's dominance was the end result of overcoming adversity. He led four times for 89 laps, while Gordon led the most - three times for 111.

Las Vegas "Screwed Up" According to Stewart

"I thought they screwed up a really nice race track," Stewart said Wednesday. "They had a track that every year was getting better and better, and the racing was getting better and better." Apparently, Tony Stewart doesn't like the changes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The two-time NASCAR champion thinks they were unnecessary and will make for a boring race this weekend.

During reconstruction of the 1 1/2 -mile oval since the Nextel Cup race there last March, the banking was increased from 12 to 20 degrees. The pit lane was moved closer to the front stretch grandstands, making for a smoother transition from corner to straightaway.

Las Vegas officials contend the reconfiguration will create more side-by-side and competitive racing.

There's no question that the Las Vegas track is now faster. Elliott Sadler turned a lap of 188.772 mph during testing five weeks ago, significantly higher than Greg Biffle's pole speed of 172.403 mph last March.

With the new surface and harder tires, however, Stewart expects the field to separate when all 43 cars are on the track.

"We could go down and it could be the best race NASCAR has ever had in their existence, and I could be 100 percent wrong," Stewart said. "But from what I saw in the test, it's not going to be a very fun race."

Commission Upholds Penalties

NASCAR:

An appeals committee upheld penalties levied against Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne after NASCAR caught their teams cheating at the Daytona 500.

The crew chiefs for both drivers were suspended four races and fined $50,000 each, while both drivers were docked 50 points.

Roush Fenway Racing appealed the severity of the fine against Robbie Reiser and the deduction of points from Kenseth, while Evernham Motorsports appealed only the docking of points from Kahne.

The deduction of points before the season started was unprecedented for NASCAR, which had been reluctant to have a team begin a season in negative standing.

In denying the appeals Monday, the three-judge panels agreed that the penalties assessed were "severe by the standards of a year or more ago." But NASCAR officials argued to the commission that they had warned teams last summer that penalties would be ramped up from previous benchmarks for serious violations.

In all, five teams were caught cheating during preparations for the season-opening 500.