Truex's DEI Deal Still Not Done

Martin Truex, Jr., said yesterday that he is unsure whether he will sign a contract extension with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Truex said he and the team continue to discuss the details of a deal, but that he is unhappy with some of the racecars he has been given to drive this season. In his words, “there are some things going on with our racecars… and other teams that I'm not quite sure (about). The performance hasn't been as good… this year for whatever reason. We've run really well at times, and we've run not so well at times. For me, it's just trying to get comfortable (with) what they're doing and the direction they're headed for the future, so I can make sure that we can be together for a long time.”

He said talks are ongoing on a daily basis, but there is no timetable for him to make a decision.

Kentucky Suit Delayed: The August 11 deadline for all sides in the Kentucky Speedway lawsut to submit their final briefs to the court has been extended to October 27th, meaning that the U.S. Court of Appeals will probably not rule until next year on whether the track has enough evidence to continue the suit.

The delay means that a hearing cannot be held until at least a month after the October 27 filing deadline; and likely more. Kentucky Speedway alleges that NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation illegally conspired to prevent them from obtaining a spot on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. NASCAR and ISC have denied the claims, and a district judge ruled in January that there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

The track’s former ownership group – led by Jerry Carroll – has appealed that decision, and ignored a request by new owner Bruton Smith to either drop or settle the lawsuit.

If It Rains At NHMS: Only 45 cars are on the entry list for Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The forecast for Friday calls for cloudy skies with a 20% chance of rain, and if qualifying is rained out, only two drivers -- Johnny Sauter and Tony Raines -- would fail to make the field.

Drivers on the “Go Or Go Home" list who would make the race in the event of rain are Patrick Carpentier, Marcos Ambrose, Dario Franchitti, Terry Labonte, (Past Champion Provisional), Scott Riggs, Joe Nemechek, A.J. Allmendinger and J.J. Yeley. Sauter would miss the race as a result of being 44th in owners points –- last among all teams with 16 qualifying attempts this season -- while Andretti would miss out because his team has made only 14 attempts.

Saturday’s forecast calls for a 30% chance of showers with a high temperature of 76 degrees, while Sunday will be cool – temperatures in the low to mid-60s – with a 60% chance of showers.