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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jason Leffler, like every other racer, understood the risks of his profession.
BROOKLYN, Mich. - Greg Biffle raced to his second straight Sprint Cup victory at Michigan International Speedway, easily holding off Kevin Harvick after points leader Jimmie Johnson smacked the wall in the final laps Sunday. It was the 1,000th victory for Ford across NASCAR's three national series - Cup, Nationwide and Truck. It was Biffle's first win since he overtook Johnson to win at MIS in August.
BRISTOL, Tenn. - John Force ended a 31-event winless streak Sunday in the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, beating Cruz Pedregon in the final round. The 64-year-old Force raced to his record 135th career victory and fourth at Bristol Dragway. He powered his Ford Mustang to a 4.148-second run at 305.29 mph, while Pedregon's Toyota Camry shut off approaching the finish. "If you can't compete you are just mentally out of
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Matt Hagan has the physique of a linebacker, the eyes of a fighter pilot and the determination of a mountain climber. Those are big reasons why the Christiansburg resident is such an effective competitor on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Entering this weekend’s Ford Thunder Valley Nationals, Hagan leads the Funny Car point standings with two victories in four final round appearances. During a media
BROOKLYN, Mich. — A year ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally snapped his long losing streak. He left Michigan International Speedway with hopes of more victories to come — maybe even a Sprint Cup championship. He hasn’t won since. “We want to win more races. We want to win numerous races and multiple races in a season,” Earnhardt said. “We want that to be the norm. We want that to be
Jeb Burton and Chase Elliott could have saved a stamp. Turned out, the best spot to send Father's Day cards in auto racing these days is Victory Lane. Burton, the 20-year-old son of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward, raced to his first NASCAR Truck Series victory Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Elliott, the 17-year-old son of 1988 Cup champion Bill, followed the next day with a win in the
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Tony Stewart opened his remarks with a few words about his relationship with Jason Leffler. Moments later, he offered a brief plea amid growing safety questions about Leffler’s death at a dirt-track race earlier this week. “I’d be grateful if you guys would understand that what happened this week wasn’t because somebody didn’t do something right with the race track. It was an accident. Just like if
BROOKLYN, Mich. - Carl Edwards topped qualifying for the first time this season with a lap of 202.452 mph at Michigan International Speedway on Friday. Edwards was given the pole in May at Talladega as well, but that was because qualifying was rained out and the field was set by practice speeds. He's second in the Sprint Cup standings. Kurt Busch was second in qualifying, followed by Kasey Kahne. Points
LONG POND, Pa. - Jimmie Johnson walked into the media center holding his daughter's hand, his pregnant wife right behind them. Their second child is due in September, right around the time of the final race before the Chase field is set. With an automatic berth in NASCAR's playoffs secured, Johnson has permission to skip the race for the big birth. "If Chani goes into labor early, I don't have
LONG POND, Pa. - AJ Allmendinger will replace Bobby Labonte next week at Michigan International Speedway for JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger could drive even more Cup races for the struggling race team. Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, is 28th in the Sprint Cup points standings and hasn't finished better than 15th in a race. With the team scuffling along, JTG Daugherty Racing decided it was time for a change in
LONG POND, Pa. — Tony Stewart ducked through a tarp-covered tent in the garage and was off to the No. 14. “Make it two in a row, Tony!” a fan yelled as Stewart hustled through the Pocono Raceway garage. With a second practice session on tap, Stewart had little time Saturday to dissect why his car is suddenly one of the ones to beat. But it sure is. Stewart is
LONG POND, Pa. - Toyota Racing Development has had the kind of success most manufacturers would love to boast about in the Sprint Cup garage. Five wins and eight poles in the first 13 races should have TRD riding high. Instead, a few high-profile engine failures has drivers frustrated and TRD looking for answers in time for Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway. So it was time for a team meeting.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Juan Pablo Montoya has had 218 chances to win on an oval in NASCAR. He coughed up two legitimate opportunities to win at Indianapolis, and probably never had a realistic shot at Victory Lane in the others. Until now. Montoya is finally running consistently well at tracks other than road courses and putting himself in position for that breakthrough victory on an oval. It’s made his two
DOVER, Del. - With one big move, Tony Stewart put Juan Pablo Montoya and a sluggish season well behind him. After a mundane start, Stewart is back in Victory Lane - and in the thick of Chase contention. Stewart's outside pass on Montoya with three laps left was enough to win Sunday at Dover International Speedway and snap a 30-race winless streak. "Our guys at our shop have been digging,"
DOVER, Del. - AJ Allmendinger is set to drive in two NASCAR Nationwide Series races for Penske Racing. Penske Racing announced Saturday it plans to put Allmendinger in road course events at Road America on June 22 and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 17. "With his stock car experience and his road course experience, we think this is the perfect opportunity for him and for the team," team
DOVER, Del. - Denny Hamlin has another top spot in his comeback from a back injury. He'll need to turn poles into checkered flags if he wants to make a serious run at a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Hamlin turned a lap of 157.978 mph Friday to win the pole at Dover International Speedway. He won the pole last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway and
LONG POND, Pa. — Danica Patrick left the first racing rough patch with boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the track. At home, the relationship is still smooth sailing. Patrick and Stenhouse escaped for some relaxation on a boat after their first dust-up on the track since the NASCAR rookies announced in January they were dating. NASCAR’s power couple rubbed each other the wrong way during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 after Stenhouse
CALLAWAY — Wild and woolly. That was the only apt description of Langley Austin’s first show as promoter at Franklin County Speedway on Monday. On an evening that already had produced a major post-race scuffle between Tunerz division crew members and a delay for a lights failure on the back straightaway, Hillsville’s Steve Dalton held on during a crash-filled final lap to capture the featured Late Model Stock race. The
CONCORD, N.C. — Kevin Harvick had already made a loud statement in winning his second Coca-Cola 600. He had another, just as important one to make about his focus in his final season with Richard Childress Racing. Childress, the only Sprint Cup boss Harvick has known, was asked about his driver’s dedication as the two part ways after the year. That’s when Harvick stepped in and took the microphone. “It’s
CONCORD, N.C. - Fox Sports said on Monday it still had not determined why an overhead TV camera cable snapped during the Coca-Cola 600. The network says a full investigation is under way and use of the camera is suspended indefinitely. Earlier, NASCAR said it would wait for Fox Sports to conclude its review before deciding if such technology would be used in the future. Charlotte Motor Speedway said 10
CONCORD, N.C. - Kevin Harvick pulled away from Kasey Kahne on a restart with 11 laps left to win the Coca-Cola 600 for the second time in three seasons, a race stopped for nearly 30 minutes Sunday night when a TV camera support rope snapped. Kahne led 156 laps and appeared to have the strongest machine in NASCAR's longest race. But Harvick took the low line following the last of
CONCORD, N.C. — Charlotte Motor Speedway said 10 fans were injured Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 and three of them were taken to the hospital after a nylon rope supporting a Fox Sports overhead television camera fell from the grandstands and landed on the track surface. According to CMS spokeswoman Danielle Frye the three people taken to the hospital had “minor injuries that are not life threatening.” She said seven