Sprint Cup News - Source: Scene Daily

NASCAR has offered to implement a "wide-open" testing policy for the Sprint Cup Series in 2009, series director John Darby said Saturday afternoon.

Darby held a meeting with the Sprint Cup crew chiefs at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and addressed reporters afterward, saying NASCAR offered teams anything from maintaining the current testing policy to going to one with no limits.

Crew chiefs will take his proposal back to their car owners and meet with Darby again in a couple weeks, when they will provide feedback.

Currently, teams can test as much as they want at tracks that do not hold Cup races but can only test at Cup-sanctioned tracks during a select few open test sessions that are voted on by the crew chiefs prior to the season.

"NASCAR is the policy maker, but if there's one thing that's really reliant on the teams' input, it's what we test, how many times we test and where we test," Darby said. "In the past, it's just been a matter of ‘Here, select your race tracks and let's go.'

"This year, I felt it was time that we just sat down with everybody and said, ‘Look, we're open to whatever suggestions you have, from leaving our testing policy exactly like it was in '08 all the way to what I'm going to call wide-open testing: No limits, any week, any track, any time, as many times as you want to go.' And we're prepared for either way."

Darby said there was a "gasp of air" in the room when he unveiled the proposal, as teams feared they would suddenly have to test 38 weeks per year.

But Darby urged them to compare their current testing policy (many teams already test during the majority of the weeks anyway) to what an open testing policy would be like, and figure out if it was truly a major difference.

Darby said Goodyear was "flexible" and could provide all the tires needed for testing if NASCAR implemented a wide-open policy.

He said the proposal will not be put to a vote ("We're still not a democratic society yet," he noted) but that NASCAR would closely listen to the teams' feelings on the subject.

Additionally, Darby insisted the new policy had nothing to do with the struggles of NASCAR's new car, which has proved tough for teams to handle.

"This piece, honest to God, doesn't have any relevance to the new car," he said. "This is something we would have headed toward regardless. Not that what we're doing today is broken, but testing should be at the needs of the competitors in the garage, and the only way we know what best suits them is ask them."

One idea Darby ruled out was banning testing completely. That has proven to be too hard to police, he said, and even if NASCAR prohibited teams from testing, a major team could still buy or even build its own track to skirt the rules.

"Us having the absolute ability to say nobody's going to test, period, is just not realistic," he said. "So what you try to do is manage a policy that satisfies the needs of the majority of the garage but still isn't just so insanely crazy that it's going to put people out of business."

Darby said the remaining open test for this season, at Charlotte in September, would go on as planned.

DIRT Motorsports WoO Sprint Series News

New Richmond, WI - Donny Schatz has had a lot of strong months during his career with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, but never had he won more than five A-Feature events with the series during a single month. That all changed on Sunday night, as he picked up third consecutive win and sixth in the month of June, as he was victorious at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin to wrap up the month for the series.

The win was the first in Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series competition for Schatz at the high-banked 3/8-mile. He now has 79 career A-Feature victories with the series, including a series-best nine this season, and is just two wins out of the fifth spot on the all-time win list. He pocketed $10,000 on Sunday night, as he also extended his streak of being the only driver that has finished in the Top-10 in all 24 events this season.

"It was a good last week and a very good month," said Schatz, the two-time defending series champion. "I'm glad to put the Armor All machine in victory lane again tonight and cap off three in a row. We have things rolling so to speak. These guys are on top of their game and we are where we need to be at the right time. The hard part is trying to continue that."

The race began with Kerry Madsen taking the lead from Schatz who started on the pole, as the pair charged into the first turn. Madsen used the momentum he found on the high side of the speedway to quickly jump to a four- car length advantage. Also on the opening lap, Joey Saldana gained a spot and moved into third, with Steve Kinser and Jac Haudenschild just behind him battling for the fourth spot.

Madsen entered lapped traffic just four laps into the 30-lap event, with Schatz gaining ground as the pair negotiated the slower machines. While in heavy traffic on the seventh lap, Schatz looked high off the fourth turn for a way around Madsen and then dove to the low side of the second turn on the next lap. Madsen retained the lead for another lap, before Schatz powered his way to the lead exiting the third and fourth turns on the 10th laps, using the high side of the track.

"Kerry (Madsen) has been doing a very good job and he was setting a good pace," said the Schatz. "I didn't know what the race track was going to do. My car wasn't any good on the bottom and his car rolled around there. We had to play it cool. That is where all of these races are won and lost, in lapped traffic. You have to make the right decisions and I am glad that I made the right one and got around him. It's fun to race in lapped traffic. I feel like I have an advantage when I get to it, and can get my car to go wherever I need to go. It really helps me."

Once in the lead, Schatz quickly pulled away with Madsen keeping ground in second. At the same time, Steve Kinser and Joey Saldana were entrenched in an epic battle for the third spot. Kinser would take that position on the 18th lap. Jason Meyers who was running fourth gained some ground on the pair at this time as well.

As Schatz continued to slice through traffic in the Armor All J&J, the Top-Five began to get strung out a bit, before the first caution of the night flew on the 18th lap. The restart saw Schatz maintain his lead over Madsen, while Saldana again battled Kinser for the third spot. Just two laps after the restart, the leaders were in lapped traffic, with Madsen right on Schatz.

The caution flag flew once more on the 22nd lap, setting up a final eight lap shootout for the win. Schatz again used a strong restart to open about a four-car length lead over Madsen.

"I had a really good car on the restarts," noted the North Dakota native. "It would stick when the tires cooled down. You could feel the extra heat in the surface tonight. That caused everything to get hot, the rear end, the driveline, even the seat. I knew that as long as I kept the tires underneath me and kept them cool and didn't spin them that I was going to be in good shape."

With five laps remaining, as the leaders were yet again in heavy traffic, Madsen tried a slide job on Schatz in turns one and two and nearly took the lead, coming up just a couple feet short. He slipped up the track a little bit, allowing Kinser and Saldana to get around him. With two laps to go, Kinser tried everything he could to track down Schatz, but ran out of laps.

"Championships are won and lost on nights that you don't win on," shared Schatz. "We try to win everything. We are pushing for the tracks that we have not been good at it. I have started up front here in the past and given some races away and this kind of makes up for that tonight. Now we don't have to come back to Cedar Lake ( Speedway ) and say that we have never won an Outlaws race here."

Kinser who has five career wins with the World of Outlaws at Cedar Lake Speedway and has finished in the Top-10 in all but one of his 23 career starts at the track finished a very solid second on Sunday night. It was eighth Top-Five finish of the season, as he moved to within four points of the Top-Five in the championship standings aboard the Q Oil Maxim.

"We used the car that we ran well with in Pennsylvania here tonight," said Kinser, the 20-time series champion. "It's a car that I feel comfortable in. We just need to get a little more smoke in this thing, but the chassis was working pretty good tonight. We had a good night tonight. Whether we cured anything or not, I don't know. I have always felt good in this race car and hopefully we'll get going faster, because the big stuff is coming up."

Saldana earned the final podium position after battling Kinser for most of the 30-lap contest to finish third. For the second generation driver, it was 14th Top-Five finish of the season driving the Budweiser/Open Joist Mopar-powered JEI for Kasey Kahne Racing. He gained a spot late in the race as Madsen slipped high as he attempted to take the lead.

"It was a good solid run for us," said Saldana. "I thought on that restart the bottom was better than what it was and cost myself a spot. At the end, Kerry (Madsen) was working on Donny (Schatz) pretty good and Steve (Kinser) and I were able to get by him. At least we got that spot back.  We're still struggling, but if we keep doing what we are doing, we are learning and getting better. If we can continue to run in the Top-Three hopefully we can get some more wins."

Madsen led the first nine laps of the event on Sunday night, as he was in contention for a win for the second consecutive race. He would wind up fourth to earn his second Top-Five finish of the season and his 15th Top-10, as he continues to close in on his first win of the season in the TK Concrete Maxim.

"We are happy to be running this well right now," said Madsen. "I zigged when I should have zagged. We had a shot and I didn't get the slide job cleared. I didn't catch the best breaks in traffic and didn't do what I should have and dropped a couple of spots. Overall it was a great night for us. The car worked excellent and the team worked great. If we can keep running like this, we'll get some wins for sure."

Jac Haudenschild was fifth in the Owens-Corning Fiberglass Maxim. Jason Meyers began the night by setting fast time in time trials and came home sixth in the A-Feature aboard the GLR Investments KPC. Brooke Tatnell was seventh in the Leading Edge Repair Maxim. Craig Dollansky came from the 17th starting spot to finish eighth in the Snap-on Tools/Auto Value Parts Stores Maxim, earning the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award in the process. Paul McMahan picked up his first Top-10 finish in just his second start behind the wheel of the Casey's General Stores Maxim for car owner Lonnie Parsons, as he finished ninth, after turning the second quickest lap in time trials. Chad Kemenah rounded out the Top-10 in the Kantor Oil Company Maxim.

Kinser started the A-Feature in third and lost that spot to Saldana on the opening lap, before battling him for the remainder of the race. The native of Bloomington , Indiana used strong restarts after both of the cautions to gain ground. He also picked a spot when Madsen slipped high up the track, though he was right on Madsen for a number of laps after the halfway point of the race.

"For the first 10 laps wherever you came off the second corner is where you were running, until the track slicked up a little bit," explained Kinser. "They it went back to the top. It got pretty racy over the lap few laps with the lapped cars in there. I would have liked to have had that all the way through the race. You never know though, it could have benefited us or hurt us. The main thing is that we got around there pretty good tonight."

While he was pleased with his third-place performance, Saldana wondered what might have been if the race had been longer. His car was handling very well in lapped traffic and he did not want to see the two cautions on Sunday night, especially not the one with just eight laps to go.

"You get going and get in lapped traffic and that can do a lot of things," he said. "If this had been 40 laps things probably would have gotten pretty interesting. It was 30 laps tonight and we'll take a third and go on to Huset's (Speedway)."

The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action on Thursday, July 3 at Huset's Speedway in Brandon , South Dakota.

A-main (30 laps) - Starting Position [#]

1) 15-Donny Schatz[1] [$10,000]
2) 11-Steve Kinser[3] [$5,500]
3) 9-Joey Saldana[4] [$3,200]
4) 55-Kerry Madsen[2] [$2,800]
5) R19-Jac Haudenschild[6] [$2,500]
6) 14-Jason Meyers[5] [$2,300]
7) 34-Brooke Tatnell[8] [$2,200]
8) 2-Craig Dollansky[17] [$2,100]
9) 6-Paul McMahan[7] [$2,050]
10) 8K-Chad Kemenah[9] [$2,000]
11) 21-Daryn Pittman[14] [$1,500]
12) 20-Kraig Kinser[19] [$1,200]
13) 5-Danny Lasoski[18] [$1,100]
14) 24-Terry McCarl[11] [$1,050]
15) 56-Davey Heskin[16] [$1,000]
16) 7S-Jason Sides[21] [$900]
17) 5C-Chad Hillier[15] [$800]
18) 18-Tony Bruce Jr.[20] [$800]
19) 17B-Bill Balog[22] [$800]
20) 9K-Brent Kronfuss[23] [$800]
21) 63-Jerry Richert Jr.[13] [$800]
22) 29-Leigh Thomas[24] [$800]
23) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[12] [$800]
24) 83-Shane Stewart[10] [$800] SCR

Sprint Cup News

The 2004 series champion decided to keep his No. 2 Dodge on the track as the leaders pitted with less then 30 and it paid off in a big way.

Busch was able to use that strategy and win the rained shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Hew Hampshire. The race was called 17 laps short of the scheduled distance after the shies that had threatened bad weather all weekend finally opened up.

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

Michael Waltrip was also able to play pit strategy to his advantage; by staying out under the last caution Waltrip was able to bring his No. 55 Toyota across the line in second, Waltrip's best finish of the season.

J.J Yeley who has missed has missed the past couple of races was in the right spot when the rains came, he finished third.

Martin Truex Jr. and Elliott Sadler rounded out the top five.

Tony Stewart who was leading when the last caution came out had held off a charge from Jimmie Johnson before the caution as it looked as if those two had the cars to beat.

Stewart came in and took two tires under the last caution and Johnson took fuel, neither move paid off as Johnson finished ninth and Stewart 13^th.

Reed Sorenson had a strong run at Hew Hampshire finishing sixth.

Casey Mears, Denny Hamlin, Johnson and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top 10.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. who had run in the top 10 all day was hit from behind by Jamie McMurray on lap 271 as Earnhardt was coming to the pits. This was the wreck that brought out the final caution before the rains came.

After the wreck Earnhardt came home in 24^th and McMurray had a 41^st place finish.

The series points leader Kyle Busch did not have a great day he finished 25^th and had a run in with Juan Pablo Montoya on the last caution. One in which Montoya spun Busch out.

Busch left New Hampshire still with the points lead. He leads Jeff Burton by 64 and Earnhardt Jr. sits third 144 markers back. SCR
Matthew Blaylock
Photo: James S. Langley

Craftsman Truck Series News

Ron Hornaday Jr. won his third race of the season Saturday at Memphis and picked up the points lead with the win. Hornaday led the final 129 laps and pulled away from second place finished Erik Darnell on a green/white/checker finish to take the win. Following Hornaday and Darnell in third was Matt Crafton. Rick Crawford and David Starr rounded out the top five. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

USAR Pro Cup News

Salem, Ind. - How wild was the finish of the Lucas Oil 200 presented by Touchstone Energy at Salem Speedway? Well, consider this, Benny Gordon was running third and figured he was in the right place on a restart with four laps remaining.

"I really thought they were going to wreck each other and I was going to get a win," said Gordon.

Gordon was referring to leader Allen Purkhiser and rookie Mikey Kile, who were both searching for their first Hooters Pro Cup wins and leaving nothing on the table.

Gordon premonition proved incorrect, but just barely.

With two laps to go, Purkhiser carried the lead into Turn 1 before slipping up the track, allowing Kile to close within a car length. On the final lap, Kile closed enough to nudge Purkhiser up the track in Turn 2, slid past and inched away from Purkhiser to win his first Pro Cup event in his fifth start.

"There was a lot of give and take, and a lot of good racing between us," Kile said of his battle with Purkhiser. "I didn't want to get into him, but I was fighting for the win. I would've expected the same out of him."

Though the last lap battle went into overtime as the two bounced off each other the entire cool-down lap, Purkhiser agreed.

"That was just hard racing," said Purkhiser, driver of the No. 68n Bill Ellis Barbeque Ford. "If I was in his position, I would have done the same thing."

Purkhiser actually did the same thing on Lap 174. After catching Kile for the lead, Purkhiser bumped Kile high, moved to the point with 25 laps remaining and began to pull away from the field. But the late-race caution on Lap 194 changed that.

"It was good thing for us that we got that last caution, or I wouldn't have caught him," said Kile, who took home $11,800 for the win. "I was able to cool the tires off and make run at him. It looked like his car got a little tight on the restart and I was able to get under him, then it was drag race down to Turn 3."

Purkhiser tried to close on Kile in the final turn, but he came up .170 seconds shy of his first Pro Cup win.

Benny Gordon, driver of the No. 66n Samuel Metals Ford, held onto finish third.

Gary St. Amant and Mike Hampton completed the top five.

The Lucas Oil 200 featured eight lead changes among five drivers and was slowed eight times for 46 laps of caution.

Unofficial Results

1.      Mikey Kile
2.      Allen Purkhiser
3.      Benny Gordon
4.      Gary St. Amant
5.      Mike Hampton
6.      Brandon Ward
7.      Travis Miller
8.      Tyler Young
9.      Tim Bainey Jr.
10.     Ray Love Jr.
11.     Danny Jackson
12.     Michael Kidd
13.     Matt Merrell
14.     Jeff Agnew
15.     A.J. Frank
16.     Brett Butler
17.     Derek Kale
18.     Derrick Kelley
19.     Ronnie Souders
20.     Tim Kerr
21.     Sam Fullone
22.     Joe Harrison Jr.
23.     Jay Fogleman
24.     Jason Sarvis SCR

Nationwide Series News

Tony Stewart took the white flag and Greg Biffle spun guaranteeing a 22^nd straight different winner at New Hampshire in the Nationwide Series. The streak of no repeat winners at the track dates back to 1990. Finishing second was Stewart's Sprint Cup Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin who was driving the No. 32 car painted black for Braun Racing; the car was painted black in honor of team owners Todd Braun's mom passing away earlier this week.

NASCAR's hottest driver Kyle Busch was able to come home third, the third Joe Gibbs Sprint Cup driver in the top three. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards rounded out the top five. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

CONCORD, N.C. - Hendrick Motorsports and driver Casey Mears will part ways following the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

"We've put a ton of emphasis on the No. 5 program," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "It's been a total team effort, and Casey has worked as hard as anyone to help us improve. We've tested more than we ever have, but the results just haven't come.

"None of us, Casey included, have been satisfied with the situation this season. But he's confident there are other options out there for him in 2009, and we feel like Hendrick Motorsports will have some opportunities, too."

Mears will finish the 2008 Sprint Cup campaign in Hendrick's No. 5 Chevrolets.

"I know the effort has been there, but we haven't had the finishes to show for it," Mears said. "I've never tested this much or put more energy into racing. But for whatever reason, we just haven't been able to make it click. It's certainly not for lack of dedication on anyone's part.

"I'll talk to people about opportunities and get my 2009 plans wrapped up soon, but I'm also focused on the next 20 races and finishing 2008 on a positive note. We ran well the second half last year, and I know we can do it again. I want to close this season the right way."

Hendrick Motorsports will announce its 2009 plans at a later date. SCR

Sprint Cup News

Sprint Cup Series rookie Patrick Carpentier won his first career pole Friday at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Carpentier waited out a rain delay before turning a speed of 129.776 mph to take the pole for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301.

Starting second Sunday will be Bobby Labonte who turned a top speed of 129.059 mph, Labonte and Carpentier were the only two drivers to crack the 129 mph mark.

Scott Riggs will roll off third followed by Kevin Harvick and dale Earnhardt Jr. in fourth and fifth.

Reed Sorenson, rookie Dario Franchitti, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth and A.J. Allmendinger will roll off in positions six through 10.

Tony Raines will miss another race as he and Marco Ambrose failed to qualify. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

Loudon, NH - Greg Biffle with stay with Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) for another three years Biffle announced this morning.

Biffle has been with RFR since 1998 and has 46 wins with the organization in NASCAR's top three series. Biffle also has a Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series Championship with the organization.

"I'm extremely happy and relieved to have this contract complete," said Biffle.  "I have a team that can contend for the championship this season and for future seasons as well.  3M has been an incredible partner for several years now and having them on board made the decision even easier.  All the elements are in place: the resources of Ford and Roush Fenway, the excellent team, the outstanding cars and having a great primary sponsor like 3M for the next few years."

With the contract extension Biffle will be with RFR through the 2011 season. SCR
Matthew Blaylock
Photo: James S. Langley

NASCAR News

Sunday's Outside the Lines (ESPN 9:30 a.m. ET; ESPNEWS noon) will examine how NASCAR is being affected by today's struggling economy.

Transporting equipment and personnel cross country has never been costlier due to escalating fuel prices, which have also impacted fans traveling to races. The economy has made sponsors more vital, yet hard to secure, prompting long-time team owners to seek outside investors:

Boston Red Sox owner John Henry became co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing (2006); Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillette became primary owner of Gillette Evernham Motorsports (2007); Boston Ventures, an equity firm, took control of Petty Enterprises (May 2008). Mike Massaro reports.

From Sunday's Outside the Lines:

"We could see six or so teams shut down if they are not funded. Nobody is going to run this out of their own pocket for too long, myself included, so it is a serious situation." -- Doug Yates, owner of Yates Racing

"Before, let's say five years ago, a top echelon team, you were looking at $10-15 million. All of a sudden, now,  I'm told, because of driver salaries and all the other factors that affected the cost of going racing, that top tier team now is $24-30 million" -- Larry Camp, motor sports marketing expert

"I know this is a sports story, but this is not a sport anymore, except on Sunday afternoon from about 1-to-5 in the afternoon. It's a business six days a week."  - Kyle Petty, driver for Petty Enterprises and son of NASCAR legend Richard Petty

"We are committed to getting through this year, but I got to be able to see into '09 something a little more positive than I see today. I think we'll make it, but the economy and the struggles the other teams are seeing are the same as ours. It is a tough, tough world out there right now in NASCAR." - Doug Yates SCR

Sprint Cup News

DEARBORN, Mich. - Brian Wolfe, a 26-year Ford veteran who has held a series of management positions within Ford's powertrain operations, has been named the new director of Ford Racing Technology, the company announced today.

Wolfe will replace Dan Davis, who has overseen the company's racing efforts the past 11 years. Davis will retire after 32 years with the company on Aug. 1.

"Dan has done a great job for the company and its racing program, and he's going to be a tough act to follow," said Wolfe. "I look forward to the challenge of taking the program forward and continuing the record of success he brought to us."

Wolfe, 47, has been director, Powertrain Calibration and Controls, Product Development, since 2002.

In his most recent job, Wolfe had global responsibility for all powertrain computer control software applications and powertrain calibration, including drivability and emissions.

He began his career at Ford Motor Company in 1982 and has held various positions within Ford's powertrain development area, including a stint as manager of Ford's Advanced Engine Group for North America, where he helped oversee the development of the Aston Martin V-12 engine.

Wolfe received bachelor's and master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan-Dearborn.

He's an avid amateur drag racer and still owns the 1969 Fairlane CobraJet he bought at age 15.

Wolfe lives in Plymouth, Mich. He and his wife, Nancy, have two daughters and a son.

"For me, a kid from Michigan whose father idolized Henry Ford, there was never any doubt where I was going to work," Wolfe said. "To have this opportunity now to take the racing program forward is a dream come true."

Under Davis' leadership of Ford Racing Technology, the company captured three NASCAR Sprint Cup driver's titles and four manufacturer's titles. In addition, he helped with the formation of Roush-Yates Engines, the premier engine supplier to Ford NASCAR, sports car and USAC racing programs.

In NHRA, the company captured eight consecutive Funny Car championships, and Davis led development of the new Ford BOSS 500 nitro engine, the first new nitro engine in drag racing the past 40 years.

Davis also led major safety initiatives in both Champ Car racing and NHRA, where use of Ford Blue Box data recorders is now mandatory.

He also led a resurgence of Ford customer programs in road racing, where the Ford Mustang FR500GT, Mustang FR500C and now Mustang FR500S race cars are sold through Ford and compete in road racing circuits in North American and Europe.

Davis also will be known for starting the Clorox/Ford Women's Driver Development Program in USAC, the first partnership of a consumer sponsor and auto manufacturer to try and develop women for professional racing.

He also expanded Ford's grassroots racing programs, helping start the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series, which has grown nationally as a cost-effective way for youths to enter racing. SCR

DIRT Motorsports WoO Sprint Series News

Pevely, MO - The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event originally scheduled for Saturday, July 5, at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., has been postponed due to the recent flooding in the Midwest that has left the access road to the track impassable.

Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws officials and the staff at I-55 Raceway are working to reschedule the event after the ground begins to dry around the facility.

In the series' first visit of the season to the high-banked, 1/3-mile oval on April 5, Jason Meyers won a thriller by mere inches at the checkered flag over Craig Dollansky.

The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action Friday night, June 27, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks , N.D. , for the first round of the Gerdau Ameristeel Northern Tour. If you can't be there in person, make sure to tune into the Dirt Radio Network at DIRTVision.com. SCR

Nationwide Series News

MOORESVILLE, NC - Yesterday afternoon Braun Racing lost one of its most beloved members of its team.  Linda Braun, lovingly known as Mama B, mother of NASCAR Nationwide Series owner, Todd Braun, passed away suddenly of natural causes in her hometown of Winamac, Indiana.

As a tribute to "Mama B" both Braun Racing entries, the No. 38 Toyota driven by Jason Leffler and the No. 32 to be driven by Denny Hamlin, will go entirely black, void of all sponsor decals, in Saturday afternoon's Camping World 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

"Linda Braun has been an integral part of the Braun Racing team since the very beginning and one of our greatest supporters," said TJ Puchyr, Director of Marketing, Braun Racing.  "She was a loving and generous woman whose family was of the utmost importance to her. One of her greatest passions was racing and she rarely missed a chance to come to the track on the weekends and root for the team owned and operated by her son. Her absence leaves a void within our organizations that will never be filled.

We would like to thank our entire lineup of sponsors for giving us this weekend to pay tribute to "Mama B. This weekend is about paying tribute to a wonderful woman and to honor the life she had."

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made on behalf of Linda Braun to the Dove House Children Advocacy Center.

Funeral arrangements will be posted on the Braun Racing website, www.braunracing.com, once plans are finalized. SCR

Sprint Cup News
 

DAYTONA BEACH , Fla. - Three-time Daytona 500 champion and founding member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family Dale Jarrett has been named Grand Marshal for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, July 5 Speedway officials announced today.  Outback Steakhouse President Jeff Smith will serve as Honorary Starter.

Jarrett captured a victory in the Independence Day classic in 1999 and will give the starting command "Gentlemen, start your engines" for Coke Zero's inaugural sponsored race at "The World Center of Racing." Jarrett, who won the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, recently retired from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition as the driver of the No. 44 UPS Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Smith, who will wave the Green Flag to get action started, began his career in 1989 at the original Outback Steakhouse restaurant on Henderson Boulevard in Tampa , Fla.   Outback Steakhouse was one of the first restaurants to serve Coke Zero across its national operations. SCR

Sprint Cup News

LOUDON, N.H. - When Michael Waltrip reminisces about people who have had a positive impact on his career, Dick Bahre and his family are at the top of his list. Thanks to Bahre taking a chance on a 22-year-old originally from Owensboro , Kentucky in 1985, Waltrip made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) debut and over the years became an accomplished driver, a two-time Daytona 500 winner and an owner himself.

To show his appreciation, Waltrip will run a special decal on two Michael Waltrip Racing cars at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 this weekend in honor of the Bahre family.

"We want to say thanks to the Bahre family and show our gratitude by placing decals on Michael McDowell's #00 Champion Mortgage Toyota and the #55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota ," Waltrip said.

Still today, Waltrip gives credits where credit is due to the Bahre family for his big break in NASCAR on the Cup level.

"There are a hundred people that will tell you, I would not be here if it were not for them, but my list is shorter and Dick Bahre is right at the top of it," Waltrip continued. "Dick, Bob and his son Gary, and the entire Bahre family have played an integral role in my racing career. I made my first Cup start in 1985 when I started driving for Dick Bahre. He was my car owner all the way up through the heart of my racing days. He made so many sacrifices for me so that I could race his car. To this day, he's dear to my heart and a special friend. Dick's been battling an illness here in North Carolina . My heart goes out to him."

Looking back, Bahre's brother Bob independently purchased a motorsports park in 1989 turning it into a mile track in Loudon the next year. He attracted the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to the New England area in 1993.

"They are special people and they put their heart and soul into the New Hampshire track," Waltrip said. "Dick helped build it with his own hands. All the work that went into that place was his passion to help his brother. The Bahre family brought racing back to the Northeast."

Before building New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Bahre's intense interest began with the purchase of Oxford Plains Speedway.

"That track attracted late model competitors from all over and the Oxford 250 was a prestigious event," Waltrip said. "I was able to race there and so did my brother Darrell, Harry Gant and so many others. In 1987 during the Daytona 500, I was able to run the Oxford Plains Speedway car and that was pretty special. Because of what Bob witnessed at Oxford Plains, he wanted to build a bigger track and so he did."

Now a new chapter begins as the torch has been passed.

"A chapter has now turned since Bruton Smith has bought the track," Waltrip said. "I love what he's done for the sport and I am looking forward to seeing what he has in store for the facility. But, when I go to New Hampshire each time, I will have a smile on my face knowing that's the place Bob built." SCR

Sprint Cup News

Tony Stewart is set to move to Haas CNC Racing according to an ESPN.com report. According to the report one source close to the situation said that discussions have happened about making Ryan Newman, current driver of the No. 12 Penske Dodge as the second driver for the team.

Sponsorship for the team could come from Old Spice and Office Depot, Office Depot will not be sponsor on the No. 99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards after this season and Old Spice has a long time relationship currently in place with Stewart.

Nothing is a done deal because according to Joe Gibbs Racing (JG) officials Stewart has not asked for a release from JGR, Stewart still has a year remaining on his current contract.

Update: Have heard that Stewart has been offered up to 70% ownership in the Haas CNC team if he leaves JGR. SCR
Matthew Blaylock
Photo: James S. Langley

Sprint Cup News

ESPN is reporting that Mark martin will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the season and go drive the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports (HMS). If Martin takes the No. 5 ride currently driven by Casey Mears it would leave Mears as a free agent heading into the 2009 season. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

After a couple of weeks of less than stellar finishes the No. 18 team and driver Kyle Busch turned it around the Infineon Speedway Sunday by dominating on way to winning the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

Busch, who had a bad qualifying, started 30^th and steadily moved his way through the field picked up his fifth win of the season after passing Juan Pablo Montoya on an early race restart and staying on point the rest of the day.

To take the win Busch had to hold off a strong run from David Gilliland and Jeff Gordon in a green/white/checker finish.

Gilliland had a career best finish of second followed by Gordon in third. Clint Bowyer got stronger as the race went on and was able to come home fourth as Casey Mears rounded out the top five.

Montoya finished sixth as ha had some damage from an earlier run in with Marcos Ambrose who was making his Sprint Cup debut.

Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart rounded out the top 10.

Ambrose, who ran in the top five all day, ended up finishing 42^nd. He broke a gear box while shifting at the same time he was spun by Elliott Sadler. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

SONOMA, Calif. - Hall of Fame Racing officials announced today that the logo of the team's primary sponsor, DLP HDTV, will appear on the No. 7 car of Robby Gordon during Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the 1.99-mile road course in Sonoma.

The appearance of the DLP logo on the No. 7 car is only for the Toyota/Save Mart 350k.

"We appreciate the effort of Hall of Fame Racing to ensure that DLP HDTV will have a presence in Sunday's race at Sonoma ," said Dave Duncan, sponsorship marketing manager, DLP Products, Texas Instruments.  "We wish Robby the best of luck on Sunday and look forward to supporting J.J. Yeley and the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota next week at New Hampshire." SCR

 
NHRA News

NHRA Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta was killed Saturday after an accident while qualifying in for an NHRA event in Englishtown, New Jersey.

Kalitta was a two-time top fuel champion in 1994 and 1995. He made his NHRA racing debut in 1982 at the track that took his life in New Jersey. He is survived by his wife Kathy and two sons. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Nationwide Series News

Roush Fenway Racing made a crew chief change for the No. 60 team and driver Carl Edwards and it paid big dividends Saturday night at Milwaukee. Drew Blickensderfer who was named crew chief for the No. 60 team replacing Pierre Kuettel made the calls and Edwards picked up his first win in the Nationwide Series in 2008.

Edwards bumped Clint Bowyer out of his way with 38 laps to go to get his first win in the series since June of 2007. Bowyer slipped to third as Joey Logano in only his fourth start in the series finished second. Bowyer came home third, and he was followed by a pair of David's, David Ragan and David Reutimann in fourth and fifth.

Positions six through 10 went to Scott Wimmer, Mike Bliss, Brad Keselowski, Jason Keller and Jason Leffler. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

DIRT Motorsports WoO Sprint Series News

Dodge City, KS - There are not too many tracks on the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series schedule that two-time defending series champion Donny Schatz has not won at. One those places just happened to be Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas, where the World of Outlaws competed in the Boot Hill Showdown this weekend. When the dust settled in the finale of the event on Saturday night, Schatz found himself in the winner's circle at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile, to earn his seventh A-Feature win of the season, with the cameras from SPEED capturing all of the action before a standing room only, sellout crowd.

Schatz took the lead from Daryn Pittman on the 27th lap on the high side of the second turn, after Pittman was held up by a lapped machine. Schatz nearly took the lead the lap before as he went to the high side of turn four.

The North Dakota native lined up sixth for the 30-lap event and picked up two spots on the opening lap, getting around Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Joey Saldana. He powered his way around Shane Stewart on the third lap to move into third, next setting his sights on Craig Dollansky, who he would overtake on the next lap.

"It was fun tonight," said Schatz, after climbing from the Armor All J&J. "I can't say enough about this whole team. These guys definitely had the Armor All shine tonight. I didn't know what it would be like when it took rubber. When he slowed down on the bottom and I was running second, I had nothing to lose. I just tried smoking around the top and just barely had enough tire to do it. There was plenty of race track left up there. It was pretty challenging, but we got it done."

During his career with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, Schatz has won at 46 different tracks, including three in the state of Kansas . He has 77 career A-Feature wins, including a series-best seven this season and is just four triumphs short of breaking into the Top-Five on the all-time win list. He picked up $10,000 for his win on Saturday night.

"It always means something to come to a place you have never won at and win," he noted. "I have really never felt that good racing here. I have qualified well several times and have the track record. To come out and win tonight after not having that great of a race car last night feels good. We found it in time for the feature tonight."

Schatz nearly took the lead from Pittman on the 10th lap as the pair was entering lapped traffic. He was even with the leader and had a run on him when the caution flag came out, putting him in second for the restart. Pittman pulled away on the ensuing restart, but the caution flag would fly again on the 16th lap, bunching the field up and giving Schatz a couple of more chances to battle for the lead.

"It was my job to figure out how I was going to pass him," explained Schatz. "I knew I wasn't going to pass him on the bottom in the rubber and I had not choice. I had everything to gain and nothing to lose. I come here to win and if I can't win, I'll go down trying."

While most of the leaders including Schatz did not have much left on their right rear tire, he was more focused on doing whatever it took to give himself a shot at winning the race than worrying about his tire. He remains the only driver that has finished in the Top-10 in every World of Outlaws event this season.

"There was a couple of laps at the end when I slid it in and didn't grab the corner much," Schatz shared. "I knew I had used my tires up. When I rode it in high, I smoked it in there pretty hard and probably used more tire up there than any other time. It worked and got the job done."

Pittman led 26 laps on the night en route to the runner-up finish in the Titan Garages Maxim. He had a couple of healthy advantages over the course of the 30-lap contest, one that was negated by a caution and another that shrank when he was held up by a lapped machine. For Pittman, the second-place performance matched his season-best finish.

"I could sit here and complain about finishing second, but I won't do that," said Pittman. "My hat is off to those guys. When you are leading in rubber and there is a question of another line, second-place is the spot to be. I'm disappointed, but my crew told me that I did nothing wrong and we just got beat."

While he would have liked nothing more than to have won at Dodge City Raceway Park for the second consecutive season, Pittman was pleased with his finish on Saturday night, after a rash of bad luck that his team has endured during the early portion of the 2008 campaign.

"Our car was good and we know that our car was good enough to win," he said. "That's a big encouragement because we have been struggling. We think we have found some stuff and can hopefully get this thing going in the right direction. Hopefully we can get better from here. It's a Top-Five finish and that is hard to complain about."

Joey Saldana backed up his win on Friday night in the opener of the Boot Hill Showdown with a strong third-place run on Saturday night. The native of Brownsburg , Indiana started third in the Budweiser/Open Joist Mopar-powered JEI and fell back to sixth on the opening lap, before dropping another position on the fourth circuit. He then steadily worked his way back to the front.

First, he got around Chad Kemenah on the fifth lap, before working his way past Steve Kinser and Shane Stewart. He was back up to third by just the 10th lap, and would try several times to run down Pittman.

"The start really hurt us," explained Saldana, who won on Friday night at Dodge City . "We were back to about seventh. I think we were a little tight getting into the rubber and wore our tire out. I was running the top and got to third, but then was just too tight to run up there. I think (Donny) Schatz moved up there because of that. You could make some speed up there. That's the way it goes and we got a good solid finish. It was a good run for us and we didn't fall out."

Craig Dollansky earned his seventh consecutive Top-Five finish as he was fourth in the Auto Value Parts Stores Maxim on Saturday night. The Minnesota native started fourth and moved into third on the opening lap, before taking the runner-up spot from Shane Stewart just two laps later. He ran second for a couple of laps before Schatz got around him.

"I felt best when we were running the top and were second to Daryn (Pittman)," said Dollansky. "I felt comfortable there and thought we may have had a car good enough to win the race. When the rubber came in, Donny (Schatz) got underneath me and I knew that the rubber was there. I dropped down into the rubber groove and that is where I ran to finish the race off."

Steve Kinser finished fifth in the Q Oil Maxim, after being fastest in time trials for the second consecutive night. The 20-time series champion lined up eighth and picked up three spots on the opening lap.

Shane Stewart finished sixth in the Roth Motorsports KCP, with Jac Haudenschild in seventh aboard the Owens-Corning Fiberglass Maxim. Jason Meyers was eighth in the GLR Investments KPC, while Sam Hafertepe Jr. was ninth in the G.H. Plumbing J&J. Kraig Kinser rounded out the Top-10 in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim.

Chad Kemenah was running seventh in the Kantor Oil Company Maxim before a mechanical problem ended his night just past the halfway mark of the race. He and his team had to change an engine during the Crane Cams Dash, thus forcing him to miss that event, in which he was scheduled to start second. He started 10th in the A-Feature and gained several spots early in the race.

The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action on Friday, June 28 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks , North Dakota for the first round of the Gerdau Ameristeel Northern Tour.

A-main (30 laps) - Starting Position [#]

1) 15-Donny Schatz[6] [$10,000]
2) 21-Daryn Pittman[2] [$5,000]
3) 9-Joey Saldana[3] [$3,000]
4) 2-Craig Dollansky[4] [$2,700]
5) 11-Steve Kinser[8] [$2,500]
6) 83-Shane Stewart[1] [$2,200]
7) R19-Jac Haudenschild[7] [$2,000]
8) 14-Jason Meyers[11] [$1,800]
9) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[5] [$1,600]
10) 20-Kraig Kinser[12] [$1,450]
11) 7-Tim Shaffer[13] [$1,300]
12) 55-Kerry Madsen[18] [$1,200]
13) 1-Jason Martin[17] [$1,100]
14) 5C-Chad Hillier[16] [$1,000]
15) 7S-Jason Sides[19] [$950]
16) 18-Tony Bruce Jr.[15] [$900]
17) 24-Terry McCarl[9] [$850]
18) 15K-Kerry McAlister[23] [$750]
19) 8K-Chad Kemenah[10] [$725]
20) 6-Mike Wagner[14] [$700]
21) 81-Jon Freeman[24] [$700]
22) 33-Kris Miller[25] [$700]
23) 1X-Dennis Park[21] [$700]
24) 24X-Glen Saville[20] [$700]
25) 97-Brian Herbert[22] [$700]
26) 69-Justin Chaffin[26] [$700] SCR

Sprint Cup News

Kasey Kahne stayed on his recent hot streak by capturing the pole for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Kahne had a speed of 92.153 mph making right and left hand turns and besting Jimmie Johnson on his way to capturing the pole. Johnson will roll off second and Kurt Busch will start third. Bobby Labonte and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five.

Elliott Sadler qualified sixth and Marcos Ambrose in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford will roll off seventh. Robby Gordon, Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle rounded out the top 10.

J.J. Yeley was one of four drivers that failed to make the field. This was the third straight race that Yeley has failed to qualify for. Other drivers that missed the Infineon include Scott Riggs, Dario Franchitti and Brandon Ash. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Caterpillar have agreed to a multi-year partnership for Caterpillar to sponsor the No. 31 Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton in 2009.

Burton who currently sits second in points will loose his current sponsorship from AT&T after the current season due to Sprints primary sponsorship of NASCAR's top series.

"To represent a well-known global brand like Caterpillar is an honor," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. "Cat products have played a big part over the decades in construction projects at RCR, Childress Vineyards and Yadkin River Angus. Jeff and I look forward to meeting the Cat dealers and customers who loyally follow NASCAR racing."

Caterpillar comes to RCR from Bill Davis Racing where it has sponsored the No. 22 fielded by BDR for the last 10 seasons. Caterpillar has been a sponsor in NASCAR for 17 years overall. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

The No. 7 Dodge driven by Robby Gordon will carry the "back in black" paint scheme this weekend at Infineon Raceway. This will be the second time this season that Gordon has gone with the "back in black" due to not having a sponsor for the race.

Gordon will carry and in-car camera for the TNT race broadcast and his front tire changer, Bobby Burrell will carry a crew cam. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

HIGH POINT, N.C. - Bill Davis Racing (BDR) announced today that Caterpillar, the team's sponsor for the past 10 seasons, will not return as primary sponsor of the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team following the conclusion of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

"Caterpillar and Bill Davis Racing have enjoyed a long and successful partnership throughout the last 10 seasons, and we are proud of everything we've accomplished together, including wins in both the Daytona 500 and Southern 500," stated Team Owner Bill Davis. "This is an exciting time for our team, and we are looking forward to the future."

The No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team continues to impress on the track, and the team remains in the 29th spot in the Sprint Cup Series Owners' point standings. The team, led by veteran crew chief Tommy Baldwin, picked up 10 championship point positions over the course of five events and has posted two top-10 finishes and six finishes of 22nd or better in the past eight races.

An announcement regarding the second Bill Davis Racing car for 2009, the No. 23 Sprint Cup Toyota, will take place in the coming weeks. SCR

USAR Pro Cup News

Myrtle Beach, S.C. - When people think of Myrtle Beach, images of sand, surf, golf and restaurants are usually the first things to come to mind. But before the sleepy coastal town blossomed into big business, stock-car racing was the main attraction.

Dating back to the 1950s, fans of stock car racing have watched Richard Petty, David Pearson, Donny and Bobby Allison, and Ned Jarrett race around along the Grand Strand's half-mile track.

Three generations of Earnhardts also raced at the track. Ralph, Dale Sr. and Dale Jr. all made their way to Victory Lane at MBS. Other racing families like the Pearsons, Pettys and Jarretts spent many a Saturday night chasing checkered flags in Myrtle Beach. But after the BUSCH (now Nationwide) Series opted for bigger venues following the 2000 season, some fans feared the heyday of short-track racing had passed in Horry County. Well, that's not the case.

The Hooters Pro Cup Series event at Myrtle Beach Speedway has turned into one of the largest sporting events in the county. Upwards of 10,000 fans crowd every nook and cranny of the finicky layout every June to watch the best of the best put on a show that reminds race fans of the roots of racing: short track and short tempers.

"We make the trip from Florence every year," said Bryan Blackwell. "You won't see a better race anywhere than the Hooters Pro Cup race at Myrtle Beach."

This year's event, the Greased Lightning 250 presented by Black's Tire & Auto Service, is scheduled for a green flag at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 21.

While it used to be known as a one-groove track, Myrtle Beach Speedway has aged into a racer's dream as well. Drivers can run the top or the bottom of the track, resulting in fantastic side-by-side racing.

"Myrtle Beach is one of my favorite tracks," said short-track racing legend Gary St. Amant. "The [abrasive] surface puts the race in the driver's hands. You have to take care of your tires and make sure you're there at the end of the race. I wish more tracks were like that."

Fellow competitor Caleb Holman agrees.

"Somebody said that they needed to repave the track, and I told them they were crazy," he said. "If they do repave, they need to find some pavement just like this and put it back down. Every track in the country needs pavement like this. What's the fun in running around on tracks where you can just put the pedal to the floor? I mean, are you really driving?"

But even with the ample opportunities for passing, Pro Cup drivers aren't against rubbin' a little when the time calls for it. And that was certainly the case in last year's event at MBS.

After a late-race caution set up a green-white-checkered finish, Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 29 Dale Earnhardt Inc./Chevy Racing Chevrolet, went from fourth to first in the final two laps at Myrtle Beach Speedway to win the Mark Brooks Memorial Bi-Lo 250 presented by Black's Tire and Auto Service on Saturday, Oct. 6.

"These green-white-checkers have been good to me," said Bayne. "I was kinda worried, though. There were two guys [Ben Stancill and Mike Garvey] right in front of me that had brand new tires on. Keith [Hinkein], my crew chief, told me to stay calm and we could do it."

Bayne did it, but he wasn't exactly calm.

With leader A.J. Frank on old tires, Stancill, Garvey and Bayne lined up behind Frank for the restart. Stancill made it past Frank before Turn 1. In a bold move, Bayne did too.

Bayne split Garvey and Frank to take second right after the restart and bounced his way past Stancill on the final lap to take his second win of the season.

"We went three-wide for second and caught [Stancill] for the lead," said Bayne. "We made a clean pass for the win. Amazing! Overall, it was a real clean race tonight."

Mike Garvey, driver of the No. 17 Jani-King Ford, came home third, but he didn't agree with Bayne's assessment.

"Those last few laps were ridiculous," said Garvey. "Trevor could've wrecked us all with a move like that. We could have raced like we're supposed to, not like cavemen. I don't like people blasting off everyone like that. But he won."

But isn't that what racing is all about? In the Hooters Pro Cup Series, it still is.

With its old-school feel, Myrtle Beach Speedway is a perfect fit for the series, and a perfect place to remember the heyday of racing while watching its future. SCR

Craftsman Truck Series News

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - Red Horse Racing is pleased to announce their selection of  Raybestos® brand brakes as their new Exclusive Brake Supplier and Technical Partner for the remainder of the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season and continuing through the 2010 season. Seeking a performance advantage at the track, the Red Horse team has decided to equip their No. 11 Toyota with the entire Raybestos NASCAR brake package, including calipers, rotors, hats, hardware and racing friction.

"We are very excited to have Raybestos brakes on board our No. 11 Toyota Tundra," said crew chief Jamie Jones. "Raybestos produces high-quality brakes that will help make our operation even better. Brakes are absolutely critical to success at so many tracks that we race at and it's nice to know and trust that our Tundra will have the best brakes in the garage."

"Raybestos values its product and technical partnerships with many teams across multiple series, competing at the highest level of professional motorsports, and we're thrilled to add Red Horse Racing to that list,"  stated Josh Russell, VP of Marketing, Affinia Under Vehicle Group. "Red Horse Racing team owners Tom DeLoach and Jeff Hammond run a first class organization and we are proud to have them represent our brand."

"Raybestos® brand brakes are produced by the Affinia Under Vehicle Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems and components for the transportation industry. The line includes everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts. Affinia Under Vehicle Group is at the forefront of research and development in brake technology and operates manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout North America.

Raybestos® brand brakes are the Official Brakes of NASCAR. The NASCAR relationship also includes annual sponsorship of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award, which is presented to the top rookie in each of the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck racing series. Raybestos is also the Preferred Road Course and Street Brake for IndyCar® Series and Firestone® Indy Lights competition. For more information about Raybestos® brand brakes, visit www.raybestos.com. SCR

Nationwide Series News

Kenny Wallace will make his 400^th career start in NASCAR's number two series this weekend at Milwaukee. Wallace will pilot the No. 28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing. SCR
Matthew Blaylock

Sprint Cup News

CONCORD, NC - Yates Racing announced Tuesday that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 28 entry with driver Travis Kvapil for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Infineon Raceway on June 22nd.  The No. 28 California Highway Patrol Ford will feature a paint scheme similar to that of the CHP's patrol cars along with the website www.chp.ca.gov.

"I think this is a very cool sponsorship for us this weekend," stated Kvapil.  "The California Highway Patrol (CHP) works to keep everyone in California safe and I'm honored that they chose to partner with out No. 28 Yates Racing team this weekend at Sonoma.  I'm really looking forward to making them proud, as well as the state of California proud, on Sunday with our No. 28 California Highway Patrol Ford.  The paint scheme for our car this week is very unique and we hope to provide the CHP with a solid performance at our first road-course race of the season."

"The goal of this unique one-race sponsorship is to help publicize the California Highway Patrol and the career paths that are available to those qualified candidates interested in a career in law enforcement," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.

Kvapil is currently 18^th in the driver point standings for the Sprint Cup series as he enters this weekend's race at Infineon Raceway.  The Cup series race at Sonoma will be broadcast on TNT Sunday, June 22^nd with television coverage beginning at 3:30 pm EST and radio coverage provided by PRN.

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California. SCR

Nationwide Series News

Concord, N.C. - Roush Fenway Racing announced today that effective immediately, Drew Blickensderfer will assume crew chief duties with the No. 60 Nationwide entry with driver Carl Edwards. Pierre Kuettel assumes crew chief duties with the No. 17 Nationwide entry to be driven by Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray. SCR