Motorsports FanHouse

FanHouse Warmup: Homestead

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: Ford 400

Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Time: Sunday 3:15 PM ET
TV/Radio: ABC, MRN Radio
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mostly sunny, High 60s
Distance: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2008 Winner: Carl Edwards

The Storylines

Like Jimmie Johnson or not, and like the Chase or not, should Johnson go on to win his fourth career Sprint Cup championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway it would be completely worthy of every bit of the praises gien and the historical references noted.

In doing so, Johnson would join his teammate and mentor Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty as the only four drivers in NASCAR Sprint Cup history to secure four career championships. Additionally, Johnson would take sole possession of the NASCAR record for most consecutive championships -- a record he shared this season with Cale Yarborough at three.

In order for that to happen, Johnson has to first start the race to lock out Gordon from a championship effort and then finish just 25th or better to keep Mark Martin from having a chance at the title. He'll do so in a car that's got a nice winning track record in 2009.

Johnson's No. 48 will be Hendrick Motorsports chassis No. 48-553, the same machine Johnson won with at Indianapolis and California earlier this year.

Jeff Burton appears to be heading towards the off-season with a nice bit of hope that 2010 will be drastically different and hopefully drastically more successful than the 2009 season he and his Richard Childress Racing teammates endured.

Last week at Phoenix, Burton drove to a second-place finish -- his best of the season and just his fourth top-5 effort -- and Saturday afternoon at Homestead he paced the final practice session for Sunday's race. He'll line up 26th on the grid for the green flag in a brand new race car that has yet to see track time.

Kyle Busch is finally a champion in a NASCAR national series.

Busch, who won nine races in 2009 and finished 2nd 11 times, took home the Nationwide Series championship Saturday night by winning the last Nationwide Series race of the year -- though Carl Edwards made a crazy move on the last lap and nearly got by Busch.

Kevin Harvick and his wife Delana had a pretty good Friday night at Homestead.

Ron Hornaday, driving for Kevin Harvick Inc., won the Camping World Truck Series title -- his fourth title in that series -- while Harvick drove to victory lane in his self-owned truck. The result? A pair of burnouts on the frontstretch that produced enough smoke to rival a small wildfire.

FanHouse Warmup: Homestead originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Childress Racing Continues to Search for Answers

Holly Cain — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:36:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress wore the expression of someone who's learned to operate "in the big picture" as he calmly, thoughtfully answered the tough questions about how his mighty racing organization has endured the struggles and frustration of a winless 2009 season.

Lost in all the Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin championship storylines, and the Dale Jr. non-championship hysteria, is the quiet dismay at RCR, which had three cars in the Chase for the Championship a year ago and not a single one of its now four-car stable qualify this fall.

Lead driver Kevin Harvick has publicly declared his intention to leave the team as soon as his contract expires in 2010, though veteran Jeff Burton has analyzed and rationalized and professed his optimism about next year. Clint Bowyer, who came closest to making the Chase, is still kicking tires in frustration.

And there's this real sign of the times: Childress said last week in Charlotte that he doesn't have full funding for his fourth car, the No. 07 Chevy driven by Casey Mears, and that he even considered -- but ultimately decided against -- making it a start-and-park operation. It may still end up a part-time entry without full-time sponsorship.

When times are tough at the six-time champion RCR operation, times are tough.

"All of a sudden, we fell off the wagon,'' Childress said. "We will get back on it though, I promise you.''

You want to believe Childress -- and you have to believe him.

The latest in a series of major organizational changes comes this week, as RCR announced it's swapping Burton's and Mears' crew chiefs and giving Scott Miller the position of RCR's Director of Competition -- removing the interim tag from Miller's title. Todd Berrier will start calling the shots for Burton's No. 31 Chevy and Doug Randolph will handle the job for Mears.

"I said previously that RCR would continue to adjust our team lineups in order to have the right personnel in place, and this is the next step in that process,'' Childress said.

NASCAR also needs RCR to collect itself or the Sprint Cup Series essentially becomes a Hendrick Motorsports in-house show -- something many argue already exists -- which is a worst-case scenario for a sport where legitimate competition elevates it from other forms of racing.

Richard Childress Racing was Hendrick Motorsports before Hendrick Motorsports was Hendrick Motorsports.

And Childress only needed one driver to be class of the field -- the late Dale Earnhardt, who drove RCR's black No. 3 to six of his seven Cup titles, dominating the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, when the shift to multi-car teams started changing the game.

Earnhardt won 37 races, four championships and finished runner-up in the championship between 1986-1991. And when he had a down season -- by his standards -- in 1992 (one win and 12th in championship) everyone started doubting driver and owner.

Earnhardt and RCR responded with the 1993 championship and a six-win year. He won four races in 1994 and that championship, too.

The cycle would repeat itself, and Childress said last week, if nothing else, the experience has helped him be better prepared today.

"In 1988, we had a real bad year, then we came back won in '90 and 1991,'' Childress recounted. "Then 1992 was a tough year, really a tough year and we came back won a couple more (titles).

"That's your peaks and valleys and you have it in life as well. And we can see the crest up there.''

Unlike Earnhardt, who fostered a close relationship with Childress, RCR's current stable of drivers has been more candid about their frustration with the team, more willing to vent publicly -- particularly Harvick, the 2007 Daytona 500 winner who hasn't won a Cup race since.

Rumors have persisted this season that Harvick was trying to buy out of the last year of his contract. And just two weeks ago, he told ESPN that he's ready to close the book on his career at RCR. The team has maintained that Harvick will fulfill his 2010 obligation to RCR.

"No one is happy when you aren't running well,'' Childress said. "I'm not happy, no one is. We just try to control it as well as we can. Kevin's a driver that really wants to go out and run well and win. I don't blame him for being upset when we don't. We just try to work through it as good as we can.

"I can remember one of those years ... maybe 1985 or '86, we didn't have a very good year. Dale was telling me, 'It has just got to be me.'

"I kept telling him, 'Dale, it's not you, we don't have the equipment you need' -- And he worked through it. It is just different times, and people look at things different.''

Childress acknowledged last week that the company has struggled at times mastering the COT. Burton was encouraged by what he sees as more emphasis on the engineering and aerodynamic sides of the team. The organizational changes are creating a better accountability -- including on the part of the drivers -- according to Burton.

The four RCR drivers not only are winless this season, but their combined nine top-five finishes are less than five other drivers' individual tallies. Tony Stewart has a series-best 14.

Championship leader Jimmie Johnson has led nine times the number of laps (1,716 laps) that the four RCR drivers have combined (188 laps).

RCR has gone winless only two seasons since 1982.

"One of the hardest things to do when you're having success is to change,'' Burton said. "We were the only team in the sport to put all their cars in the Chase over the last three years. We followed that up with putting nobody in the Chase which shows that we didn't act quickly enough.

"We will catch up, but we are behind at the moment.''

Richard Childress Racing Continues to Search for Answers originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Pepsi 500

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:54:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

Race: Pepsi 500
Where: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.
Time: Sunday 3 p.m./EST
TV/Radio: ABC, Motor Racing Network
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mid-70s, Clear
Distance: 250 laps (500 miles)
Pole Winner: Denny Hamlin
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson

The Storylines

A nice bout with the flu has Kyle Busch reeling this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Busch was leading yesterday's Nationwide Series race when he came to pit road under caution to have Denny Hamlin relieve him of his driving duties.

Busch said after getting out that as the car was heating up, he was having difficulty concentrating. He did say that he felt like he could have finished the race if needed, but felt it was more in his interest to conserve energy for Sunday's race. According to SPEED's pre-race programming, though, Busch is still under the weather.

Not helping the issue was a blown engine during a Friday practice session. As a result, Busch will drop to the rear of the field for the start of Sunday's race. David Gilliland, slated to drive a fourth Joe Gibbs Racing car in a few Sprint Cup races this season, will be on standby in the No. 18 pit should Busch need to get out.

JGR's J.D. Gibbs said Sunday afternoon that its likely that Busch will be getting out of the car early in the race.

Tom Logano probably embarrassed his kid Joey quite a bit on Saturday at ACS.

Again.

Joey, of course, took home the checkered flag after snaking his way through a wreck between Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle and then making a heckuva restart on the ensuing green flag. But controversy from a lap 50 incident when it appeared that Biffle intentionally shoved Logano into the outside backstretch wall left his father seething after the race.

The older Logano apparently confronted Biffle on pit road after the race and NASCAR officials didn't seem to like it. Tom Logano had his hard card credential pulled by an official, meaning he'll have to apply each weekend for a credential until the hard card is restored.

It's not Tom Logano's first run-in with another driver, either. Back at Daytona in February, Logano wasn't happy with Robby Gordon after a wreck in the Budweiser Shootout that involved son Joey, and the pair had words.

Joey's just got to love the impression that his dad is the one that fights his battles, right?

It appears that Kevin Harvick's run with Richard Childress Racing is heading for an ending point in the near future -- though after the mismanagement of such rumors earlier this season, it's not exactly surprising.

In a story that's running on the Charlotte Observer's NASCAR site, NASCAR beat writer Jim Utter is reporting that Harvick is leaving quite a few doors open during an interview that will air during Sunday's pre-race show on ABC. The interview, by ESPN's Marty Smith, reportedly has Harvick talking about closing a book in reference to his time at RCR.

Harvick, who took over the team driven by the late Dale Earnhardt in 2001, has had a miserable 2009 season with 3 top-5's and just 5 top-10's. He's currently 21st in points.

The Bakersfield, Calif., driver has 11 wins in the Sprint Cup Series to his name -- including wins in the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 -- but went through a round of rumors this summer that he had asked for his release from Childress at the end of 2009. RCR categorically denied the claims, but it took weeks for Harvick and Childress to issue a press release that denied such a request had been made.

Needless to say, the future for Harvick at RCR looks a little rocky. It's a safe bet, though, that he'll be in the No. 29 for at least 2010.

NASCAR made a rule change involving the "wave-around" cars for this weekend's action.

During last week's Nationwide Series race at Kansas, Carl Edwards was penalized for going too fast on pit road during a green flag stop. The penalty under green flag conditions is making a pass-through of pit road, which generally means losing a lap.

A caution came out right after Edwards' penalty and it prevented him from coming to pit road to serve the penalty. Edwards, already with fresh tires and fuel, didn't need to pit. He then became eligible to pass the pace car due to being in between it and the race leader, giving Edwards a lap back. He then served the penalty as if it were issued under caution by starting at the end of the pack.

Well, NASCAR made a change this week that says any driver under penalty at the point of caution will not be eligible for the wave around, or getting a lap back by not pitting while the leaders do under caution.

Fair, if you ask me.

Enjoy the race.

FanHouse Warmup: Pepsi 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Richmond

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:44:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Elliott Sadler, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kevin Harvick, Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400

Where: Richmond Int'l Raceway
Time: Saturday night 7:30pm/EDT
TV/Radio: ESPN, Motor Racing Network
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mid-60s, Partly Cloudy
Distance: 400 laps (300 miles)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson

The Storylines

25 races and 9,706 miles of racing in 2009 boils down to a 400-lap shootout Saturday night that will make the season for the 12 guys who secure a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. And for the guys that don't, well, just consider it to be the wrong end of a make-or-break scenario.

Four drivers have clinched an entry prior to the green flag, while 8 spots and 11 eligible drivers will steal the show Saturday night in Richmond. A scramble it will be.

Pressure? What Pressure? Four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon is one of those four drivers that have nothing but a race win to battle for on Saturday night thanks to scoring enough points to earn a stranglehold of a guarantee on a Chase spot.

He's done it rather quietly, though, and he couldn't be happier with how that's worked in favor of his team heading into the 10-race scramble that follows Richmond.

"There's enough pressure from inside your team and on your own shoulders that you don't want anything adding to that," said Gordon on Friday when asked about if the reduced outside pressure to make and win the Chase is a good thing. "I'm just happy going into it. I've been on both sides of it. As close and as tight and competitive as this series is right now with these cars, I'd prefer to have that. If we had the dominate car that was just going to go wax everybody then I'm fine having the bulls-eye on my back, but that's not the case these days."

The newest expecting father in the Sprint Cup garage wasn't exactly having a good day on Friday while trying to get his No. 19 Dodge tuned up for practice and qualifying.

"We just have a demon in the car right now with our brakes," said Elliott Sadler. "We're not sure what's going to tell you the truth. We've been fighting them all day long and can't get it resolved. It's frustrating. At a track where brakes are most important, we're having brake issues."

Sadler will start 34th on Saturday night, and announced earlier in the week that he and his wife were expecting their first child in March. Kudos, sir.

If Kevin Harvick's confidence means anything for Saturday night, the Bakersfield, Calif., driver just might be stringing together two of his best weekends of 2009 together after Saturday night's race.

Harvick took second place last week at Atlanta for his best finish of what has been a struggle of a 2009 season for the No. 29 group, and from all accounts in both his quotes and Twitter posts, Richmond should be decent as well.

"We're breaking in a brand new car this weekend, and we were pretty good in race trim in practice today," said Harvick after qualifying 19th.

Earlier, he posted to his Twitter account that both his Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series cars were good (he finished 2nd in Nationwide on Friday) and it "should be a fun weekend."

Just two weeks ago, Harvick and team owner Richard Childress confirmed they'd still be working together in 2010 and perhaps that bode of confidence to the team has lit a fire for an end-of-season positive swing.

Carl Edwards, broken foot and all, won the Nationwide Series race at Richmond on Friday.

Strangely, it's not the foot that's been hurting him the most.

"My foot is good," said Edwards. "It's better than my arm pits from these crutches."

Juan Pablo Montoya, currently 8th in points and looking to earn his first ever entry in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, led the pack Friday afternoon in the second and final practice for Saturday night's race. He'll line up 14th on the grid, though.

Montoya's qualifying run put him sixth on the grid of the 11 drivers in contention for a Chase spot. Knowing that, here's how each of those drivers can make a run into the Chase at the end of the 400-lapper -- courtesy of NASCAR statistical services:

#99-Carl Edwards is currently 105 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 24th or better
-- 25th and leads at least one lap or
-- 27th and leads most laps.

#9-Kasey Kahne is currently 96 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 21st or better
-- 23rd and leads at least one lap or
-- 24th and leads most laps.

#2-Kurt Busch is currently 95 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 20th or better
-- 22nd and leads at least one lap or
-- 24th and leads most laps.

#42-Juan Pablo Montoya is currently 88 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 18th or better
-- 20th and leads at least one lap or
-- 21st and leads the most laps.

#39-Ryan Newman is currently 81 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 16th or better
-- 17th and leads at least one lap or
-- 19th and leads the most laps.

#5-Mark Martin is currently 69 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 12th or better
-- 14th and leads at least one lap or
-- 15th and leads the most laps.

#16-Greg Biffle is currently 68 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- 11th or better
-- 13th and leads at least one lap or
-- 15th and leads the most laps.

#17-Matt Kenseth is currently 20 points ahead of 13th place. Regardless of any other driver's finish, he will clinch if he finishes:
-- Second and leads at least one lap.
-- Third and leads the most laps.

#83-Brian Vickers currently sits 13th, 17 points ahead of #18-Kyle Busch. He would need to gain 21 points on Kenseth and stay ahead of Busch to clinch a Chase spot. Busch, 37 points behind 12th, needs to gain 17 points on Vickers and 37 points on Kenseth to clinch.

#00-David Reutimann, 132 points behind Kenseth, has an outside shot at clinching. He would have to gain 133 points on Kenseth. A maximum of 161 points can be made up in a given race.

The Storylines

Geoffrey Miller: Kyle Busch

FanHouse Warmup: Richmond originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kahne Rockets Up Standings With Win

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Chase for the Sprint Cup

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) -- Four guys are in the Chase for the Championship. Ten others are sweating it out.

On to Richmond!

Kasey Kahne greatly improved his chances of making the season-ending Chase with a victory Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, pulling away from Kevin Harvick after a fortunate yellow flag late in the race.

More Coverage: Race Results | Sprint Cup Standings

Kahne leaped five spots in the Sprint Cup standings -- from a tenuous 11th to more comfortable sixth -- but he's not ready to count himself in just yet.

The 12-driver NASCAR playoff field will be finalized Saturday night at Richmond, and those are the only ones who'll have a shot at the Cup over the final 10 races.

So far, only Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have clinched a spot in the Chase. The next 10 spots are separated by a mere 122 points.

"It's going to be intense," Kahne said. "From fifth to 14th is going to be really intense at Richmond next week."

Kevin Harvick, who won the Nationwide race at Atlanta, was in position for a weekend double until teammate Clint Bowyer spun with 15 laps to go, bringing out the final caution of the night. Kahne got Harvick on the restart and pulled away to an easy 1.766-second win.

Harvick knew he was in trouble as soon as the yellow flag came out. So did his crew chief, Gil Martin, who swung his arms in disgust when he saw Bowyer's car sliding through the grass in the trioval

"We had a great car tonight," Harvick said. "I knew we were in trouble there at the end because it took our car 15 or 20 laps to get going."

He held on for second, matching his best performance in a disappointing season. Juan Pablo Montoya finished third and solidified his odds of making the Chase for the first time.

"Kevin was the best on the long runs," said Kahne, who picked up his second win of the year and 11th of his career. "We just got them. We had a really good car for about 10 laps."

Hamlin became the fourth driver to clinch a spot in the Chase with a sixth-place showing. Stewart, Gordon and Johnson were already in.

There was no change among the top 12, though there was some shuffling in their order. Stewart still leads the points after an 11th-place finish, followed by Gordon, Johnson, Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Kahne, Kurt Busch, Montoya, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Brian Vickers will go to Richmond 20 points behind Kenseth, with Kyle Busch 37 points out of a return to the Chase.

Montoya, the former IndyCar champion and Formula One driver, is hoping to make it for the first time in his three-year NASCAR career. As soon as he climbed from his car, he searched out a computer to see where he was in the standings heading to Richmond.

"It just makes life easier," Montoya said.

Harvick has no chance of winning a championship. He's 23rd in the points and has spent more time this season answering questions about his future with Richard Childress Racing.

"That's a long way from where we've been," said Harvick, whose other runner-up finish this season came way back in February at the season-opening Daytona 500.

The first scheduled race under the lights at Atlanta and the new Labor Day weekend date was a big hit with the fans. An estimated 111,000 turned out on a warm night after years of declining attendance at the 1.54-mile track.

Johnson, trying to become the first driver in Cup history to win four straight championships, slipped from second to third in the standings after finishing 22 laps behind in 36th place.

He was running second when he lost control of his No. 48 car coming out of turn two. He managed to avoid the inside wall and get back to the pits for another set of tires, but the mishap knocked him all the way back to 19th.

Johnson was on the verge of getting back into the top 10 when a broken axle during a pit stop forced him back to the garage for repairs. With all chances of winning gone, he had to go back to the garage one more time to fix a balky gear box.

"We had trouble with the rear of the car," Johnson said. "It was just an unfortunate night for us."

Edwards hobbled out to his car on crutches after breaking his right foot playing frisbee a few days earlier. His pedal foot didn't give him any problem, but his race was ruined by a hole in his radiator. He had to go to the garage for lengthy repairs and wound up just behind Johnson in 37th.

Edwards won this race a year ago, one of nine victories on his way to a second-place finish in the season standings. He has yet to win this year but maybe that's for the best - there's no way he can do his customary victory celebration, a backflip off his No. 99 car with his ailing foot.

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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Latest NASCAR Photos

HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge hits the wall in turn four during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kurt Busch

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Dupont Chevrolet, leads a line of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Pedigree Toyota, Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #1 Guitar Hero 5 Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Farm Bureau Toyota, race through turn one during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Martin Truex Jr.;Jimmie Johnson;Kasey Kahne;Denny Hamlin

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Pedigree Toyota, and Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #1 Guitar Hero Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Martin Truex Jr.

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Clint Bowyer (33) just misses the spinning car of Joey Logano (20) after Logano hit the wall in Turn 4 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pep Boys Auto 500 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Kasey Kahne (9) passes Kevin Harvick (29) for the lead during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Pep Boys Auto 500 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, leads the field during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Reed Sorenson, driver of the #43 Air Force Dodge drives to pit road after an incident in turn four during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Reed Sorenson

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Juan Pablo Montoya

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 06: Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 6, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kasey Kahne

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Kahne Rockets Up Standings With Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Harvick Gets Past Dale Earnhardt Jr. Late to Win Nationwide Race

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Nationwide Series

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a late gamble on gas, but that wasn't enough to overcome Kevin Harvick's dominance.

Harvick led most of the race and then passed Earnhardt with two laps left to regain the lead and win the Degree V12 300 Nationwide Series race on Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Harvick and Kyle Busch each went into the pits for gas and four tires with 14 laps remaining. Earnhardt and Brad Keselowski stayed on the track, gambling they had enough gas to finish the race.

More: Nationwide Race Results | Check Standings

Earnhardt and Keselowski had enough gas, but were still passed by Harvick and Busch, who finished second. Earnhardt was third, followed by Keselowski and Jeff Burton.

"I would have been glad to steal a win," said Earnhardt, who said the decision to remain on the track when the leaders stopped for gas was his only chance to beat Harvick.

"We had a pretty good chance of making it and that was our only real shot of getting a win. It didn't work out in our favor but that was the best call to make for us."

Harvick led 131 of the 195 laps. He led Busch by about 7 seconds and Earnhardt by about 15 seconds when Harvick and Busch made the late pit stops.

Busch's pit stop was faster than Harvick's, but Harvick had the advantage of the big lead before the stop.

Harvick's advantages of fresh tires and the faster car enabled him to pass Keselowski with six laps left before catching Earnhardt with two laps left.

"I cut it a little bit closer than I would like to at the end," Harvick said.

It didn't look so close to Busch.

"Harvick was gone," Busch said. "What a non-race that was, but hopefully it was a show at the end. ... Man that 33 was great. Flawless."

Harvick claimed his second Nationwide Series win of the season with the race team he built with his wife, Delana. He also won in Bristol, Tenn., in March.

Carl Edwards, racing for the first time since breaking his right foot playing frisbee with friends Wednesday, finished seventh.

Busch, Edwards and Keselowski have combined for 12 Nationwide Series wins this season, including six by Busch.

"It's tough when those guys are winning so many races," Harvick said. "We felt like we had been able to run with them a couple of times but hadn't been able to close the deal. Tonight we were able to close the deal."

Busch recorded his 22nd top-10 finish of the year. He is 221 points ahead of Edwards in the standings. Harvick is 15th in the points standings.

Harvick qualified 18th on Saturday for Sunday night's Pep Boys Auto 500 and is 24th in the Sprint Cup standings.

Harvick is winless in the Sprint Cup Series since winning the 2007 Daytona 500.

Owner Richard Childress said Monday that Harvick will remain with the team next season.

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout following his win of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet celebrates with wife Delana, in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick;Delana Harvick

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Race winner Kevin Harvick (center), driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, is congratulated in victory lane by Kyle Busch (R), driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, after the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick;Kyle Busch

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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Driver Kevin Harvick poses with the trophy after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)

Driver Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Saturday, Sept. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kyle Busch (L), driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (R), driver of the #5 Degree V12 Chevrolet, come in for pit stops during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 05: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, holds the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5, 2009 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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Kevin Harvick Gets Past Dale Earnhardt Jr. Late to Win Nationwide Race originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Pocono Qualifying Rained Out

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup

Being the points leader in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has its advantages. During the 2009 season, there has been more to this than usual.

Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway is the 21st race on the 36-race slate this year. On Friday, the scheduled qualifying runs were called off by rain for the fifth time this season. It can be quite the annoying theme, unless you're the points leader.

Because of the washout, points leader Tony Stewart will sit on the pole for Sunday afternoon's race. It's the fourth time this year Stewart will start from the pole without running a qualifying lap. Since he took the points lead, qualifying has been rained out at Pocono's first race, as well as the June race at New Hampshire, and the July 4 Coke Zero 400.

The rest of the front of the field for the start of Sunday's race will be Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Carl Edwards fifth. Because there were only 43 cars entered for the race, there were no "go or go home" drivers for qualifying. Sterling Marlin, Scott Speed, David Gilliland, Joe Nemechek, Dave Blaney, Patrick Carpentier, Mike Wallace, and Tony Raines will bring up the rear.

Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway -- the first time the series has run at that track -- should not have any weather issues. There is a chance of rain late Friday night, but skies should be mostly sunny by the time cars hit the track for qualifying Saturday. Points leader Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Kevin Harvick are the only Cup drivers pulling double duty for the weekend.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Pocono Qualifying Rained Out originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Childress: Kevin Harvick at RCR in 2010

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:17:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Sprint Cup

The story that will keep us talking until next weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- well, at least not the Jeremy Mayfield one -- took a new turn Wednesday.

Richard Childress Racing denied a report from Sports Illustrated and said that both Kevin Harvick and the sponsor of his No. 29 Chevrolet will return in 2010 per their contracts, rather than head to Tony Stewart's Stewart-Haas Racing as was originally reported.

Still muddy though was the report that Kevin Harvick had asked for his release from RCR thanks to the driver foregoing comment so far and his spokesman issuing a "no comment" about the situation.

His team owner Richard Childress, however, wasn't so tight-lipped when the organization released its statement on Wednesday:

"Richard Childress Racing has a multi-year contract with Shell-Pennzoil that includes the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Shell-Pennzoil remains a great partner for RCR and Kevin Harvick as well as our sport overall. RCR also has a multi-year contract with Kevin Harvick that includes the 2010 season. That said, Shell will be the sponsor and Kevin will be the driver of RCR's No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet Impala SS in 2010."

Shell Oil Company serves as the primary sponsor on Harvick's ride -- as it has since the 2007 season when the Bakersfield, Calif.-driver scored a win in the Daytona 500 -- and issued a statement saying that it was "pleased to be sponsoring the No. 29 in 2010" and it had no "further news or information regarding the rumors."

The original report from SI said that Shell-Pennzoil would be leaving at the end of the 2009 season from Kevin Harvick's ride, and that he was looking to switch Chevrolet teams by moving to the Tony Stewart-run operation.

Harvick has struggled mightily in 2009 with just 2 Top-5 finishes to show and a 25th-place postion in the Sprint Cup point standings.

Those struggles are likely a huge part of why Harvick's name has started to get tossed around in NASCAR's silly season, as the low finishes are highly out of character. The next stop for Harvick and the Sprint Cup Series in Indianapolis is a spot of good memories, though, as Harvick won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 2003.

Childress: Kevin Harvick at RCR in 2010 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Kevin Harvick Asks for Release

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:39:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

The struggles for Richard Childress Racing don't appear to be going away, and they -- as well as potential sponsorship issues -- might be causing the team's longest-tenured driver to be heading for the exits.

Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site Tuesday that Kevin Harvick has asked to be released from his current contract with RCR effective at the end of the season, despite the agreement lasting until the end of 2010.

And just to make it a little more juicy, Harvick has reportedly been in discussions with Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing to race a third car for the team in 2010.

While this may well be an off-the-wall rumor, it has numerous aspects that seem to be making sense for everyone involved in the possible proceedings.

For starters, Harvick's sponsorship from Shell-Pennzoil for his RCR Sprint Cup ride is up for negotiation at the moment thanks to it ending after the current season. RCR, SHR and even Hendrick Motorsports have been rumored to be linked to those discussions, and with the latter two's winning ways of 2009 one would think the tides might turned in their direction.

Next up in consideration is the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series organization that both Harvick and his wife Delana run. Just last month, the company, Kevin Harvick Inc., announced that General Motors would be dropping its support of the program in 2010 -- in addition to numerous other teams -- and that has had to have a big impact on the company.

If indeed Harvick does move to SHR in 2010, a possibility would open up for KHI to merge with the JR Motorsports Nationwide program run by co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick. SHR is very tightly knit with Hendrick Motorsports because it receives Hendrick engines and chassis for its race teams.

For Harvick, though, 2009 has been a test in patience.

Harvick was the fourth-place finisher in last fall's Chase for the Sprint Cup despite not winning a single race all season. Instead, he took notes from the book of his oh-so-consistent teammate Jeff Burton and finished on the lead lap 30 of 36 times in addition to scoring 19 Top-10s and 7 Top-5s.

The current season has seen him finish in the Top 5 just twice -- a second-place at Daytona in February and a fourth in Atlanta -- en route to what is currently a 25th-place rank in the season point standings. He hasn't won since his thrilling Daytona 500 victory over Mark Martin to start the 2007 campaign.

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Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 11, 2009 in Joliet, Illinois.

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ST. LOUIS, MO - JULY 12: NASCAR driver Carl Edwards (R) talks with Ozzie Smith and Rollie Fingers in the dugout during the 2009 XM All-Star Futures Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday, July 12, 2009. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB Photos via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ozzie Smith;Rollie Fingers;Carl Edwards

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ST. LOUIS, MO - JULY 12: NASCAR driver Carl Edwards (R) talks with Whitey Herzog, Ozzie Smith and Rollie Fingers in the dugout during the 2009 XM All-Star Futures Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday, July 12, 2009. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB Photos via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Whitey Herzog;Ozzie Smith;Rollie Fingers;Carl Edwards

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Former Formula One champion and Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve heads for the pits after crashing his car in the second turn of the first lap of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Tide 250, Sunday, July 12, 2009, at the Autodrome in St. Eustache, Que. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

Former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve (7) crashes his car during the second turn of the first lap in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Tide 250, Sunday, July 12, 2009, at the Autodrome in St.-Eustache, Que. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

Former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve drives his Ford Fusion on his way to qualifying 10th for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Tide 250 at the Autodrome in St-Eustache, Que., Sunday, July 12, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

Former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve, center left, poses for pictures with fans before the NASCAR Canadian Tire Tide 250 at the Autodrome in St-Eustache, Que., Sunday, July 12, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

Mark Martin drives during the NASCAR LifeLock.com 400 auto race at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Saturday, July 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Warren Wimmer)

Mark Martin cresses the finish line after winning the NASCAR LifeLock.com 400 auto race at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Saturday, July 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Warren Wimmer)

Jeff Gordon (24) drives during the NASCAR LifeLock.com 400 auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Saturday, July 11, 2009. Gordon finished second. (AP Photo/Tim Stewart)

Report: Kevin Harvick Asks for Release originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreck

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, David Gilliland, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Scott Riggs, NASCAR Crashes, Sprint Cup

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) --The "Big One" hit early at Talladega Superspeedway.

A massive 13-car accident just seven laps into Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway took out race favorites and left it open for an unlikely winner to emerge from the field.

The accident started just seven laps into the race near the front of the field when Matt Kenseth appeared to make contact with series points leader Jeff Gordon.

The bump made Gordon's car slide toward the top of the track, and the drivers running around them couldn't avoid the wreck.

"It was a little bit of aggressive driving, but everybody's jockeying for position here in the early laps," Gordon said. "I got squeezed and didn't have anywhere else to go. I saw an opening, went for it, and it closed up in a hurry."

Six of the drivers caught up in the wreck are Chase for the championship contenders. They are Gordon, Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin, winner of last week's race at Phoenix.

"It's Talladega. You expect it," Gordon said. "You just hope to survive it."

Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Scott Riggs, AJ Allmendinger, David Gilliland, and Brian Vickers were also involved.

"How could it not happen," Martin said. "It's not guys losing control of their cars. It's so many in such a wad that you can't help but move up or down on each other and it starts a wreck."

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LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches as Mo Williams #2 takes a shoe to the face by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a steal in the closing seconds of the first half at The Quicken Loans Arena on February 8, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images)

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Brazil's Diogo (L) vies for the ball with Paraguay's Hernan Perez during their U-20 South American Championship football match in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on February 8, 2009.(Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images )

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A Dalmatian looks at its handler as a judge goes to touch the dog during the first day of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show in New York February 9, 2009.(Lucas Jackson, Reuters)

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Denver Nuggets forward Chris Anderson touches his head during a time out in the first half of their NBA basketball game with the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey February 7, 2009. (Ray Stubblebine, Reuters)

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Margarita Marbler, of Austria, skis to a bronze medal finish the ladies moguls freestyle FIS World Cupskiing qualification at Cypress mountain in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP)

Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP

West Virginia guard Darryl Bryant (25) is fouled by Providence guard Jeff Xavier (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. West Virginia won 86-59. (Don Wright, AP)

Don Wright, AP

Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT

David Clarkson #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights Erik Reitz #4 of the New York Rangers during their game on February 9, 2009 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Al Bello, Getty Images)

Al Bello, Getty Images

Driver Patrick Sheltra (60) begins to spin coming out of the fourth turn during the ARCA 200 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

Darryl Graham, AP

Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives serves the ball, in this multiple exposure, to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic during their Fed Cup tennis match in Brno February 7, 2009.

Petr Josek, Reuters

NASCAR issued a stern warning before the race, telling the drivers to avoid aggressive driving, which is common at Talladega but policed heavily for safety precautions.

Race director David Hoots warned drivers at the prerace meeting to show caution on the track.

"If you're thinking you're getting ready to get too close to crossing over this line then draw back," he said.

Several teams were in the garage trying to repair the cars and get them back on the track and get in more laps in the 500-miles race. Others, like Martin, had already called it a day.

Harvick returned about 50 laps later. Gordon, the points leader, and Kahne also returned.

"Everyone's trying to position themselves," Harvick said. "I don't think it's anybody's fault."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Talladega Marred by Early 13-Car Wreck originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shakeup at Richard Childress Racing

Holly Cain — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:43:00 EST

Filed under: Casey Mears, Kevin Harvick, Pit Crews, Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears gave all the right answers in deferring to the boss' orders, but clearly neither driver was exactly overjoyed by Richard Childress' decision this week to swap their two crews.

"Everybody's positive about it,'' Harvick said, walking quickly to his team trailer after NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday.

"When you own the company you have to make the decisions you think are right.''

More Coverage: Montoya Wins Talladega Pole | Holly Cain Chat Wrap

Harvick didn't stop to answer reporters questions, but when he was asked if Childress consulted him before taking the extreme action, Harvick shook his head, then turned and said, "no he didn't'' over his shoulder. Mears said he was not part of the decision process either.

Childress said he had been thinking of making a major change to his four-car team since last month's race at Bristol, Tenn. He ultimately pulled the trigger on the move this week while sitting on a mountain on a trip to Montana "to clear my head.'' The entire teams -- from crew chief to tire changer -- have swapped between Harvick's No. 29 Chevy and Mears' No. 07 Chevy.

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Scott Speed, driver of the #82 Red Bull Toyota, gets out of his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scott Speed

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Scott Speed, driver of the #82 Red Bull Toyota, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scott Speed

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #96 Ask.com Ford, signs autographs during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bobby Labonte

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #33 BB&T Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Clint Bowyer

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: David Gilliland, driver of the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Gilliland

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, waits by his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Michael Waltrip, driver of the #55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Waltrip

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Dewalt Ford, waits by his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Kenseth

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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 25: Kasey Kahne (L), driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, and Reed Sorenson (R), driver of the #43 US Air Force Dodge, talk during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25, 2009 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kasey Kahne;Reed Sorenson

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"We owe it to our sponsors and our fans to run better than we are and I felt these were the two teams right now that were the weakest,'' Childress said. "Sometimes a little chemistry or sometimes a little change makes a big difference.''

Childress hopes the jump start will come sooner than later. Harvick is ranked 16th in the points standings with three finishes of 30th or worse since a runner-up effort in the season-opening Daytona 500. He's 77 points out of the 12-driver cutoff to make the Chase for the Championship. Mears is 22nd in points and still looking for his first top-10 finish in his first season with RCR since moving from Hendrick Motorsports.

"With the point structure like it is, you've got to make changes to make The Chase,'' Childress said. "We have only so many races before the Chase.

"In today's environment you can't wait sometime half-way through the season.''

And, Childress added, "I'm not above making more changes if that's what it takes.''

Shakeup at Richard Childress Racing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harvick Wins Truck Race; Busch Fumes

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Camping World Truck Series

For for the first time in 2009, Kyle Busch left a race weekend without a race-winning trophy in hand and didn't appear a bit pleased with the way that happened.

Kevin Harvick nudged Busch's No. 51 in turn four at Martinsville Speedway and passed him for the lead with 10 laps to go in the rain-postponed Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 to win the event, but not before Busch fell deep in the field.

While trying to straighten out a fender by brushing the infield wall under caution, Busch crossed the pit road commitment line and earned a penalty for not pitting. Busch was relegated to a 17th-place finish in the Kroger 250, and afterwards, dashed directly towards the track's exit to the motor home lot.

Harvick's pass -- the finish nearly was a reversal of Busch and Harvick's 1-2 finish at Atlanta in the series' last outing -- probably wasn't the reason Busch wasn't in the mood to talk as it was a typical short track move. Instead, he probably wasn't happy about NASCAR's commitment line penalty, though his move was a direct violation of the rule.

Following Harvick to the line on a day that saw 14 cautions was his teammate Ron Hornaday with Mike Skinner third, Johnny Benson fourth and pole-winner Rick Crawford in fifth. The race was postponed from Saturday thanks to rain showers.

In case you missed today's action because of commitments like, say, work, here's the final 20 laps thanks to the wonders of Youtube -- complete with Kyle Busch's penalty.

Harvick Wins Truck Race; Busch Fumes originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harvick Races Own Car to Victory Lane

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Bristol Motor Speedway, Nationwide Series

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Kevin Harvick proved just how strong his organization is Saturday by winning the Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in his own race car.

Harvick led 44 laps in his Kevin Harvick Inc.-owned Chevrolet, his first victory in a car fielded by the race team he built with his wife.

"It is very emotional, he's tried so hard, so long in his own stuff," Delana Harvick said in Victory Lane. "Today was his day."

Although Harvick has won three times in a KHI-owned Truck - in 2002, '03 and '08 - he'd yet to win a race in the more prestigious Nationwide Series. Tony Stewart won twice for him in that series, and Bobby Labonte once.

At Bristol, though, it was finally Harvick's turn and he had a clear shot at the win after Kyle Busch was taken out of contention by a penalty on the final pit stop.

"It feels pretty good to get our car into Victory Lane," Harvick said. "Finally we got this out of the way. Delana and I built this company from basically dirt. It started as a hobby. It's been a tremendous amount of pressure that I've put on myself ... but it was well worth the reward today."

Harvick said his alternator failed during the race, making his cockpit almost unbearably hot as he rolled to the checkered flag.

Carl Edwards finished second and Clint Bowyer was third, and both credited Harvick for winning in his own car.

"To win in something that you build, I can only imagine what that feels like. That's pretty special," Edwards said.

Bowyer congratulated his Sprint Cup Series teammate, but also took a playful jab at the accomplishment.

"It's been a long time coming," Bowyer said. "Obviously, Kevin is qualified to win races. I knew it was only a matter of time. But forget him, I'm bummed I didn't win."

So was Busch, who led a race-high 157 laps but was taken out of contention when his crew let a tire slip away during the final pit stop. NASCAR sent Busch to the tail end of the longest line as punishment, and he was 14th on the restart with 41 laps to go.

"Ahhh, man, that's frustrating," Edwards said of Busch's penalty.

"Was he mad?" Bowyer deadpanned.

Was he ever.

Although he rallied to finish sixth, he appeared furious after the race when he stopped his car in Turn 3 and walked directly to the pedestrian tunnel to leave the track.

"We just got a gift with Kyle getting that penalty," Edwards said. "That's a great points day for us."

Edwards' lead in the Nationwide Standings was stretched to 114 points over Harvick and 124 over Busch, who still gained two spots in the standings despite the setback.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Harvick Races Own Car to Victory Lane originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LMS Adds 'Flair' to All-Star Lineup

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:55:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Lowes Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup

Chalk this one up as a homage to those nitwit NASCAR conspiracy theorists who think every race has a predetermined outcome, that Dale Earnhardt Jr. always gets the biggest restrictor plate and that every good racing story is a carefully scripted work of Daytona Beach's France & Family.

Yep, Lowe's Motor Speedway announced Friday that Hall of Fame wrestler Ric Flair will not only be on hand for the Sprint All-Star Race pre-race activities, but he'll serve as "honorary race director".

Somebody cue the black helicopters.

The track held a press conference Friday to introduce both Flair's at-track position (for first-time race fans, he doesn't actually do anything important involving the race, he's just more of a "Hey, guess who was at the race track this week?" type of guy) and that he'll be taking part in some upcoming advertisements for the race.

Of course, some (i.e. the people I described with my, uh, bitter opening) will find terrific irony in the fact that the "Nature Boy" of America's top scripted sports entertainment venue will be on hand for a sport that has seen its share of rigging accusations. For reference, just remember the cronies yelping after Dale Earnhardt Jr. won in dominant fashion at Daytona in July of 2001 -- the first race at the track after his father's death.

Snapshots of WWE Stars

Get ready for a figure four leg lock, NASCAR fans. Lowe's Motor Speedway has announced that wrestling legend Ric Flair will serve as the honorary race director at the Sprint All-Star Race in May. Click through to see photos of other World Wrestling Entertainment stars.

Jason Merritt, FilmMagic

WWE Superstars, MVP, and Maria attend an in store autograph signing at Kmart storE 4135 in Augusta, Ga., Saturday, March 7, 2009. (Brett FlashnickAP Images for KMart)

AP IMAGES FOR KMART

WWE Superstars, MVP, and Maria attend an in store autograph signing at Kmart stor 4135 in Augusta, Ga., Saturday, March 7, 2009. (Brett Flashnick/AP Images for KMart)

AP IMAGES FOR KMART)

LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 12: WWE Wrestler and actor John Cena poses with the Los Angeles Police Department medal of valor winners before a game between the Calgary Flames and the Los Angeles Kings on February 12, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Wendi Kaminski/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** John Cena

NHLI via Getty Images

WWE wrestler John Cena and TV personality Bindi Irwin arrive at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids

Serge Thomann/WireImage.com

WWE wrestler John Cena arrives at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids

Serge Thomann/WireImage.com

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 11: WWE wrestler John Cena poses with the award for Fave Sports Star backstage at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards 2008 at the Hisense Arena on October 11, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia. This year's event, now in its sixth year, was held in Melbourne for the first time in its history. (Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** John Cena

Getty Images

After all, (start sarcasm) it's quite easy to coordinate 43 cars, drivers and pit crews and know that a tire, radiator or any $4 part will stay intact for the length of a Sprint Cup race, right? (end sarcasm)

Back on the All-Star Race side of things, you've got to admit that LMS is tossing in some pretty amusing marketing ploys thanks to Flair's appearance. In the press release from the speedway, track president Marcus Smith even said "I have to admit, none have been stylin' and profilin' like the 'Nature Boy' will be at the 25th NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race."

The track also had a poster drawn up for the race in typical wrestling style, but with NASCAR drivers as the guys to fit the bill. Included were Dale "The People's Champ" Earnhardt Jr., Kurt "Vegas Violator" Busch and "Marvelous" Mark Martin among other drivers with nicknames you've already heard. The track even pitted Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards in a mock matchup (remember October?) and stated that Kyle "Rowdy" Busch was against "just about everybody".

You can check out a photo of the poster from the track's Web site down below, but I think the track is missing out on a cool "bobblehead night"-style of promotion by giving the poster -- with the simulated wrestling body of Tony Stewart and all -- to the first 20,000 people through the track's gates for the All-Star Race.

Or better yet, just ship one out to me.

Go ahead, take a look at the poster -- I promise you'll laugh -- and if you're in the Charlotte region for the race in May, make your way over. It should be a good time for all, even with those darned black helicopters roving the place.

LMS Adds 'Flair' to All-Star Lineup originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harvick's DNF Streak Didn't Have to End

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:19:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

Two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway, Kevin Harvick failed to finish -- snapping a streak of 81 straight races that the California driver had been running at the checkered flag.

Harvick was just three finished races shy of breaking the modern era record until a ruptured oil filter sent the No. 29 "streaking", if you will, into ACS' turn one wall.

This week, though, Harvick was featured on the Performance Racing Network's "Garage Pass" and delivered the news: the streak didn't have to end.

In a moment that'll remind you of the whole Kyle Busch-Dale Earnhardt Jr. ride swap at Texas Motor Speedway in 2007, Harvick and his spotter both left the southern California track after believing the engine had blown on the No. 29 Chevrolet.

Then, they got a call with 15 laps to go.

"The bad part about the DNF streak is that the car was actually functional to go back on the racetrack," said Harvick.
"I thought the motor had blown up. I hit the fence and the oil was running across the racetrack and the oil streak all the way up to the wall and I thought the car had blown up.

"So, I left and the spotter left and then they called and said 'Hey we're ready to go back out' with about 15 laps to go, and I wasn't there."

Now you can't really blame Harvick on this one because all signs -- a heavy trail of smoke and oil, a hard wall impact -- pointed to his night in the Auto Club 500 being over and done with. After all, a ruptured oil filter (can you imagine the kind of oil pressure it takes to rupture a filter?) will spew the slimy stuff all over the hot engine and put plenty of oil on the track for the car to lose traction in.

In other words, the tell-tale signs of a blown engine were clear and present.

Luckily for Harvick, and more importantly his team Richard Childress Racing, his teammate Clint Bowyer is the next driver in line to surpass the 84-race streak after finishing the last 76 races.

Harvick's DNF Streak Didn't Have to End originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pit Road to Riches (or Ruin)

Holly Cain — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Pit Crews, FanHouse Exclusive

The setting for one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' more interesting subplots of the season hasn't been the race track, but on pit road.

Greg Biffle blamed a mistake there with costing him a win at California. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were guilty of miscues Sunday at Las Vegas.

And if not for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s one-lap pit penalty in the Daytona 500, he's not a lap down racing desperately to get around Brian Vickers to earn the Lucky Dog pass ... and maybe the inevitable "Big One" doesn't go down that way but with another cast of characters.

"It just takes one mistake or one circumstance or whatever the case may be, to change everything that you're doing that day,'' Kevin Harvick said this week, acknowledging a run on early season pit road issues.
"All of sudden you're trying to play catch-up instead of trying to keep your track position.''

Johnson agreed, saying it could be in part because track position means more than ever with the new cars. He thinks people are being more aggressive on pit road trying to make up positions they're finding tougher to take on track with the new cars.

"Daytona is always so tough as the first one out of the gate,'' Johnson said Tuesday. "At the other tracks, I think it's just people being aggressive and I'm guilty of that as well.

"We had a little bit of confusion on the radio when I slipped through my stall this weekend. ... I was just going too fast and slipped through.

"So some of it could be just early in the season and guys are making mistakes. I'm guilty of that.''

"I know there were a lot of mistakes on pit road. I think you'll see everybody spending more time practicing their pit-ins next time we're back in Vegas.''

According to NASCAR's race reports there has actually been one less pit road penalty assessed this year in the first three Cup races compared to 2008.

There were 16 penalties handed out at Daytona in February, compared to seven a year ago. Six were issued at California, compared to 20 a year ago.

Of the three tracks, Las Vegas easily leads this category with 28 pit road violations last Sunday and 22 accessed in 2008.

Of course these numbers don't take into account mistakes like missing the pit box and having to drive around again, or simply having a slow stop -- but it is an interesting statistic. And it was certainly a hot topic in driver interviews this week.

What it tells us, however, is that there aren't necessarily any more problems on pit road, but maybe it's just higher profile drivers making the mistakes and getting the penalties.

Last weekend, the three-time champ Johnson, his four-time champion teammate Gordon and two-time champion Tony Stewart committed pit road violations, as did Earnhardt.

"I just keep giving everybody ammunition,'' Earnhardt joked with reporters afterward.

"The problem with speeding on pit road is just trying too hard and that can hurt you just as bad as not trying enough. We've just got to be smart.''

Pit Road to Riches (or Ruin) originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blame NASCAR's Scheduling, Not Weather, for Daytona Finish

Holly Cain — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Elliott Sadler, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Daytona Int'l Speedway

A friend from Denver -- a new NASCAR fan -- called up the morning after the Daytona 500 disappointed and feeling like he got short-changed.

He said stopping the race 48 laps short felt like watching an NFL game being played in bad weather with the referees just deciding whoever was ahead in the third quarter got the win.

As I explained to him -- and as Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth has unfortunately felt obligated to explain on every talk show appearance he's made since earning his first 500 trophy -- everyone knows the game and Kenseth's team simply played it best.

Every crew chief had the same access to the weather reports and knew rain was on the way. And since the race was well beyond the 101 laps (halfway plus a lap) needed to make it official, it was time to mash the pedal.

And that's exactly what Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, A.J. Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Elliott Sadler and the rest of the top-finishing drivers did. It's called strategy.

NASCAR's problem is getting that message out to new fans or those casual observers that tune in to the biggest races such as the Daytona 500, but don't follow the sport regularly.

Could NASCAR have waited out the rain shower and re-started the race?

As one reporter cynically noted, a couple of FOX's biggest hit shows, "The Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" were on deck anyway. And we know modern day NASCAR is all about what works best for network TV. Clearly, a rain delay didn't.

But maybe the point isn't how the race ended, but when races begin.

NASCAR should have the flexibility to start these races sooner. When bad weather is approaching, speed up driver introductions, run fewer pace laps and nix part of the pre-race entertainment or commercial time-outs. Ninety percent of the fans are there by driver intros and TV could shorten its pre-race show.

Ironically, NASCAR may have to deal with this again this week in Southern California, which is getting deluged with rain.

The late starting times are one of the worst moves NASCAR has made in recent years. For decades, fans could count on a 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon start -- and the consistency was vital in building the fan base and audience.
But like the Daytona 500, this week's race in Fontana, Calif. is a 3 p.m. local start -- 6 p.m. EST. Only two of the 36 races will begin before 2 p.m. -- 10 will be night races.

NASCAR won't be changing its schedule any time soon, so in the meantime, don't begrudge Kenseth his Daytona win.

There may be a lot more decided this way.

Blame NASCAR's Scheduling, Not Weather, for Daytona Finish originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harvick Snags Wild Bud Shootout Win

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:59:00 EST

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart

Kevin Harvick has found the key to winning the biggest races at Daytona International Speedway: lead as few laps as possible. Harvick, who won the 2007 Daytona 500 after leading just four laps, led just one Saturday night en route to winning his first Bud Shootout.

His improbable win was just the tip of the iceberg on a wild, full moon Florida night as 28 of NASCAR's stars knocked the dust of the steering wheel in the season-opening exhibition.

"I say we have offseasons from November to February every year," said Harvick. "That was the most exciting race I've been a part of in a long time."

Opting to wait out what proved to be a crash-heavy race, Harvick stayed towards the back of the pack during most of the race before charging to the front when it really mattered.

The 75-lap affair under the lights on the high banks of Daytona's 2.5-miles truly lived up to its wild expectations, after an off-season with limited testing, multiple driver moves and an interesting draw for Shootout starting positions left the the events scheduled to take place following the drop of 2009's first green flag with a myriad of questions.

The race -- the longest in the history of the season-opening event thanks to NASCAR's new format for 2009 -- featured a record eight caution flags. The final yellow flag sealed the deal for Harvick as drivers behind him tangled in Turn 3 of the last lap.

The final wreck happened during a two-lap, green-white-checkered finish after Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears made contact entering the second-to-last corner. Johnson's car slammed the outside wall as Mears spun, collecting Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin while fourth-place finisher Jeff Gordon slipped past the carnage. Gordon's move was the second time that the two-time Shootout winner narrowly escaped a crash Saturday night.

The final crash froze the field immediately, per NASCAR's rulebook, after the yellow flag was displayed -- giving Harvick the win and leaving Jamie McMurray second, Tony Stewart third, Gordon fourth and A.J. Allmendinger an impressive fifth. The race finished in a green-white-checkered fashion, thanks to a crash with just three laps to go involving David Stremme and Greg Biffle coming off turn four.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., as is usual at Daytona, looked strong early by leading 24 laps, but the No. 88 got loose underneath teammate Gordon while battling for the lead and fell to the back of the pack. Just laps later, the drop in position cost Earnhardt Jr. after Paul Menard got loose off turn four and slammed the side of the No. 88.

In a measure of just how wild and crazy Saturday night was, of the record 28 drivers who started the event, just 14 finished on the lead lap.

Harvick Snags Wild Bud Shootout Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No More Pit Stops? NASCAR Truck Series Still Looking to Cut Costs

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:55:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR Testing, Camping World Truck Series

In what has to be one of the more unusual -- or, at least, unexpected -- way to save costs for NASCAR's third-tier Camping World Truck Series, one driver acknowledged competitive pit stops might be gone for 2009.

According to an article over at SceneDaily, NASCAR is expected to announce a few more initiatives this week in a bid to help Truck teams stay solvent among one of the toughest sponsorship climates the sport has ever seen.

Pit stops, three-time Truck Series champ Ron Hornaday Jr., says, might be one of the key elements on NASCAR's cost containment chopping block, though the sanctioning body has yet to acknowledge such a possibility.

For Hornaday -- one of the Truck Series' original drivers from its inaugural 1995 season -- axing pit stops not only could save teams a chunk of money, but it's a move that should have been done long ago.

"They should have done it a long time ago," Hornaday said. "You could have the best truck out there, and if you didn't pay that guy a little bit more money or get the best guy or steal him from somebody else, you're going to come out of the pits sixth or seventh and have a chance of not winning the race."

Hornaday's point is that as the NASCAR world has flourished in the past two decades, superior pit crew members have become essential to competetive teams thanks to the incredible difference that a tenth of a second -- much less two or three seconds -- can make in the outcome of a race. And thanks to NASCAR operating as a sport with independent contractors, a crew member has no obligation to remain at one team and instead can head to where the pay is the highest.

Obviously, it stops couldn't be deleted entirely from any race program due to race lengths, but I'd imagine such a process would include yellow flag stops that allow a driver to return to the race in the same spot granted they are under some sort of time limit. Green flag pit stops, though, seem a little tougher to negotiate.

Going without pit stops or some other modification to the basic NASCAR race dynamic isn't completely new for the Truck Series. From the Series' start in 1995 until 1998, the series had an intermission or half time break in its races and prohibited tire changes except when tire wear was a factor.

Of course, the trucks primarily raced on short tracks during that time and have since grown to include Daytona and a plethora of other 1.5-mile and 2-mile speedways.

Taking away pit stops would be quite a drastic change for the series and I'm not completely sure the idea -- while a good one for personnel cost-savings -- would be good for the overall entertainment. Additionally, such a move would lead to a lot of Truck Series crew members either with lower wages or without a job due to their lack of requirements for a team to win.

Perhaps, NASCAR should look into a more devoted short track schedule for the Truck Series because in doing so, teams would have less money dedicated to expensive aerodynamic and downforce work that the bigger tracks necessitate for a high level of competition.

It should, without a doubt, be interesting what NASCAR comes up with for the Trucks in the coming days.

No More Pit Stops? NASCAR Truck Series Still Looking to Cut Costs originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'08 Rear-View Mirror: Clint Bowyer

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:48:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing

Warning: Objects in this post may be the only way to successfully live through the NASCAR off-season. For best results, read rearview mirror early and often.

Driver: Clint Bowyer
Team: No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
'08 Final Standing: 5th (-303)
Best Race: Richmond (1st)
Worst Race:Pocono (39th-place)

Season in a box: Looking back through 2008, Clint Bowyer more than showed that he has quickly become one of the most consistent drivers in NASCAR and hopefully, unlike the trend we talked about in teammate Jeff Burton's season recap, Bowyer can gain on his young success.

The lone win of 2008 for Bowyer came thanks to Kyle Busch after his late-race contact with leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. with two laps to go during the Sprint Cup's May visit to Richmond International Raceway. Bowyer slipped under the spinning Earnhardt and a sliding Busch to grab the lead, and then held off Busch on a green-white-checkered sprint to the finsh.

Remarkably, Bowyer had just three finishes worse than 26th in 2008, and two of them came back to back at Dover and Pocono. In the final 21 races of the season, Bowyer's worst finish was a 23rd with 15 Top-15 finishes.

Through the crystal windshield: In one of the moves seemingly towards the more odd end of the NASCAR spectrum, RCR announced in August that Bowyer would be shifting his driving duties to a new car in 2009 at the team, leaving behind crew chief Gil Martin and the rest of the No. 07 crew.

Taking his spot there would be now ex-Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears while Bowyer takes the reigns of the No. 33 General Mills Chevrolet.

With the success -- or at least, consistency -- that Bowyer has enjoyed at the No. 07, it seems interesting that RCR would be open to moving him away completely from that team. Starting with a new crew chief is never an easy propostion, and for Bowyer, it might lead to some uncharacteristic finishes during the first part of 2009.

Next up: Kevin Harvick

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Clint Bowyer originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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