BREAKING NEWS: Caterpillar To RCR In 2009

With AT&T set to leave the sport at the end of the season, Richard Childress Racing has wasted little time finding a replacement.

RCR announced today that Caterpillar will serve as primary sponsor for the #31 Chevrolet and driver Jeff Burton, after signing a multi-year contract earlier this week. Caterpillar has been a major sponsor in NASCAR for 17 years; most recently with Bill Davis Racing and the #22 Toyota driven by Dave Blaney.

Burton has made the "Chase for the Championship" in each of the past two seasons, finishing seventh in 2006 and eighth last year. He is currently second in points with one win, four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.

Newman Says Performance Must Improve: Ryan Newman said yesterday that he will revisit his latest contract offer from Penske Racng later in the season, but will not return to the team unless the performance of his #12 Dodge improves significantly.

Newman began the season in encouraging fashion, winning the season-opening Daytona 500. But the team has struggled since then, managing only four more Top-10 finishes, and finishing outside the Top-30 four times, as well.

“It’s a performance issue,” said Newman, who is reportedly in the running for the new, fourth entry at Richard Childress Racing next season. He could also be a candidate to replace Tony Stewart at Joe Gibbs Racing, if Stewart opts out of the final year of his contract.

Speaking of Stewart, his longtime crewchief, Greg Zipadelli, contnues to keep the uncertainty surrounding his driver at arm’s length. Zipadelli has said he believes Stewart already knows where he will race next season, but that he has not shared that decision with anyone.

The two-time champion crewchief said he is trying, "not to get wrapped up in…questioning about the unknown. When that comes, I'll worry about it. Right now, I need to worry about me, my guys, my family, this race team and being in the Top-12 in points."

Zipadelli’s contract with JGR would allow him to accompany Stewart to another team, but sources say he may elect to remain with Gibbs, opting for the security of a long-term contract with an established, championship-caliber team.

Harvick On COT: Kevin Harvick had some pointed comments last weekend for drivers who continue to complain about the comparatively ill-handling Car Of Tomorrow.

"Sure the car doesn't drive like it (did) a couple of years ago,” he said. “But this car was not intended to drive like the ones a couple of years ago. We were supposed to put more of the driver capability back in (their) hands. If you go back a year and a half or two years ago, a lot of the guys just wanted to keep putting downforce in the car…so they could hold the thing wide open. That's never been what NASCAR racing is all about. If they want something they can hold wide open, they need to go race IndyCars and ride around in a pack like that."

Smith: I Know Where Kentucky Cup Race Will Come From

Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith admitted Monday that if he wants a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway, he will likely have to move it from one of his other tracks.

Smith also revealed that he has already decided what track that race will come from, but would not name it. SMI currently hosts 12 Sprint Cup events; two each at Texas, Charlotte, New Hampshire, Bristol and Atlanta Motor Speedways, and one each at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Infineon Raceway. Widespread speculation is that the race will come from either Atlanta or New Hampshire, but prior to this week, Smith has insisted that he has no plans to take a race away from any of his tracks.

NASCAR has repeatedly stated that there will be no Cup race at Kentucky next season, but Smith said he hopes he can change the sanctioning body’s mind. “I am not arguing (with) NASCAR," he said. "I would like to see them cooperate, and maybe be flexible.”

He said he believes an important factor in the negotiations will be the status of the lawsuit filed by Kentucky Speedway's current ownership against NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation.

“If the lawsuit could go away today, I think I would stand a pretty good chance of getting (a race) there in ’09," he said. "NASCAR, a few years ago, gave us the freedom of moving an event from one speedway to the next.”

Smith said that while he has an option to back-out of the purchase of Kentucky Speedway if he cannot acquire a Cup race, he has no plans to do so. In fact, he said he is already planning to redesign the track’s garage area.

“It must be a nightmare for (NASCAR) to try to control what’s going on in those garages,” he said. “They’re so far apart, you need to call a cab to go over to the next one. That’s one thing I saw that I want to do. I will duplicate what we did in Vegas – we’ll create another Neon Garage there.”

BREAKING NEWS: Army Looking Elsewhere For 2009

The U.S. Army is examining it options for 2009 and beyond, and could leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc., for another team.

The Army sponsorship is a year-by-year affair, and is renegotiated at the end of each season for the next year. Sources close to the situation tell Sirius Speedway that while the Army could still return to the DEI camp next season, officials are talking to at least one other Sprint Cup Series team, including one from the Toyota camp.

Mark Martin has steered the US Army Chevrolet to a pair of Top-5 and five Top-10 finishes this season, and stands 24th in points despite running only 12 of the 15 races to date. Aric Almirola has made the other three starts in the car, with one Top-10 finish.

Kyle Kutting Back: Kyle Busch’s tripleheader weekends are apparently over. Busch said yesterday that he will not take part in this weekend’s Nationwide Series race at the Milwaukee Mile, concentrating on the Sprint Cup Series event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. He blamed the long miles involved in getting back and forth between venues, and also the fact that he is out of contention for the Nationwide championship. Busch did not rule out more Nationwide Series racing this season, but said he will also skip the October Nationwide event at Memphis Motorsports Park; the same weekend of the Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

No Full-Time Cup For Logano In `09: Joe Gibbs Racing is planning to enter Joey Logano in a handful of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races before the end of the season, but has no plans at present to move him to the senior series in 2009.

Team owner Joe Gibbs confirmed those plans yesterday, saying, "We would like to get him in some Cup stuff towards the end of the year. We want to make sure it's the good stuff, and the right way."

Gibbs also said there are no plans to move Logano to full-time Cup competition next season, saying it is already too late to start a field a fourth Cup entry in 2009. He declined to comment on the possibility of Logano replacing Tony Stewart if Stewart opts out of the final year of his contract, saying, "I don't think we've gone in that direction yet. We're still trying to work things out.”

Fellows To #01 At Infineon: Road course ace Ron Fellows will replace Rookie Regan Smith in Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s #01 Chevrolet in the Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 22th.

Smith is currently the top-ranking Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender, but currently stands 30th in owner points, just 30 away from falling out of the Top-35. DEI said the move is being made with an eye toward earning maximum owner points in the event, with Smith set to return to the ride the following weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Fellows has made 17 career Cup starts, with best finishes of second at Watkins Glen in 2004 and seventh in 2003 at Infineon. Both of those finishes came in DEI cars.

Verizon Purchase Likely Means End of Newman's Alltel Sponsorship

Verizon Wireless has announced plans to purchase Alltel Corp for $28.1 billion, including an estimated $22.2 billion in debt. Verizon spokesmen say the deal would create savings of $1 billion in the second year, with closing projected for the end of this year, pending regulatory approval.

Industry insiders say Verizon will likely discontinue the Alltel brand, and NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed yesterday that the sanctioning body’s contract with title sponsor Sprint will not allow Verizon to re-brand Penske Racing’s Alltel Dodge, driven by Ryan Newman.

The contract allows Alltel to remain in the sport, as long as it does not change teams or brand names. AT&T challenged that same grandfather clause in federal court last year, in an attempt to rebrand its sponsorship of the #31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet from Cingular to AT&T. A settlement was reached last September, allowing AT&T to use its trademark through the end of this season, before withdrawing from the sport.

All This For Only $3.79 A Gallon!

Motorists who pulled into the Sunoco gas station at 1227 S. Main Avenue in Scranton, Pa., yesterday morning received a surprise greeting from the Allstate Safety Patrol and members of Elliott Sadler’s No. 19 Gillett-Evernham Motorsports pitcrew.

The Allstate Safety Patrol was on the lookout for safe drivers who were wearing their seatbelts, and rewarded them with a $20 gas card. Motorists filling up with fuel received a VIP ‘pit stop’ from Sadler crew, including a complimentary windshield cleaning and tire glossing. The initiative helped promote Allstate’s Safe Driving Bonus Check, which allows customers an opportunity to earn a check of up to five percent of their premium for every six months of accident-free driving.

Vickers Still Questioning Dover Pit Road Speeding Penalties

Brian Vickers says he is still puzzled by the two pit road speeding penalties he received Sunday at Dover International Speedway. Vickers pitted in the third pit stall, and said he didn’t have enough time or space to exceed the speed limit before exiting the measured part of pit road. And yet, he was busted for excessive speed during green-flag stops on Lap 235, and again during a caution period just 11 laps later.

"I can't explain it," said Vickers this week. "(NASCAR) called us for speeding twice on pit road, but you know as well as I do, when you're in the last couple of boxes on pit road you can go as hard as you can, and can't speed. The second time they called us was under caution, (when) I wasn't even racing anybody. I was still in first gear, puttering along. I don't know if there's something wrong with their timing and scoring, but unfortunately it cost us a good finish."

Jeff Gordon had similar issues at Dover a year ago, and Red Bull Racing GM Jay Frye said Gordon's crewchief, Steve Letarte, offered a possible explanation for the problem.

"There's a line (at the end of pit road), and there's one more loop there at the end. You're obviously hammering it because you're gone, you think. But you're not. You're still inside that thing. We lost two laps because if it, (and) that doesn't help anything.”

Ratings Remain Strong: Sunday’s Dover race on FOX earned a 4.2 rating and a 10 share, to rank as the top-rated event of the weekend. Last year's race was rained-out and rescheduled for Monday afternoon, posting a 2.2 rating and a 7 share. Discounting the Dover race – since last year’s edition ran on Monday – NASCAR Sprint Cup racing has averaged a 5.2 rating and an 11 share through the first 13 races, even with last year’s average through 12 events.

JV Still Looking: Montreal’s La Presse says we may not have seen the last of Jacques Villeneuve, after all.

The French-language newspaper is reporting that the former F1 champion has joined with former CART team owner Barry Green and Canadian Grand Prix promoter Normand Legault to seek a sponsorship to bring him back to NASCAR. Villeneuve failed to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500 in a Bill Davis Racing Toyota, before being released by the team due to a lack of sponsorship. The new partnership remains in need of financial backing, and is reportedly looking to align itself with another Cup team, possibly Ganassi Racing.

It's Only June, But Silly Season Is Already Well Underway

NASCAR Silly Season ramped up another notch this weekend in Delaware, with published reports of possible moves involving as many as four drivers, and multiple teams.

The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter is reporting that Jamie McMurray will not return to Roush Fenway Racing next season. McMurray’s representatives have reportedly begun contacting other teams to talk about his availability in 2009 and beyond, after he finished 10th in the Best Buy 400 at Dover yesterday; his second Top-10 finish of the season.

Roush-Fenway is said to be working to put sponsor Crown Royal together with Greg Biffle next season, while Biffle continues to negotiate his own contract extension. McMurray is now 22nd in championship points -- 259 out of the Chase – and if he does depart, it would drop Roush-Fenway from five teams to four; one year ahead of NASCAR’s mandated four-cars-per-team limit. Biffle, meanwhile, said he has submitted a detailed contract offer to Roush Fenway, and is awaiting their reply.

Martin Truex Jr. says he wants to sign a long-term deal with Dale Earnhardt Inc, but admitted that negotiations surrounding the new contract are now becoming a distraction.

DEI exercised its option on Truex’s contract in late April, but the New Jersey native told Sirius Speedway shortly afterward that a number of details had yet to be negotiated. "It's a pain,” said Truex Saturday at Dover. “It's a big pain. That's why I try not to talk about it. We're just working on some stuff, (and) we'll see what happens. We'll get it done, and when it's done, everybody will know.”

DEI President of Global Operations Max Siegel has said that signing Truex to a long-term contract is a top priority for the team.

Published reports also have Reed Sorenson on thin ice at Ganassi Racing. Sorenson finished 24th in the points during his rookie season two years ago, and 22nd last season. He has tumbled to 30th in points this year, with just one top-five finish. He is in the final year of his three-year contract with Ganassi, and admits that he hears the rumors of IndyCar star Dan Wheldon’s interest in jumping to NASCAR as soon as next season.

Sorenson told Yahoo Sports this weekend, "I'm making sure I concentrate on (this year) before I get too carried away with next year. If I can run good here for a little while, then it will take care of itself."

There is speculation that Juan Pablo Montoya could also leave Ganassi for Joe Gibbs Racing, if Tony Stewart exits the Gibbs stable at the end of the season. Montoya has expressed unhappiness with a pair of recent crewchief changes at Ganassi, and rumors have begun to circulate that he is high on Gibbs’ list of possible replacement drivers.

And finally, Dodge’s Director of Brand and SRT Marketing Communications Mike Accavitti commented yesterday on recent speculation about a possible partnership between Ganassi and Penske Racing, or even a buyout of Ganassi’s NASCAR operation by Penske. Accavitti called the reports, "absolutely preposterous," and called a partnership between the two, "like putting the Hatfields and McCoys together."

Message Delivered With Haas-CNC Rulings

NASCAR sent a clear message to the Sprint Cup Series garage yesterday, handing down the harshest penalties in the history of the sport to Haas-CNC Racing.

Crewchiefs Robert “Bootie” Barker and Dave Skog, and carchiefs Derick Jennings and Thomas Harris all received six-week suspensions yesterday, after illegal rear wing mounting brackets were discovered on the cars of Scott Riggs and Johnny Sauter last weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Carchiefs have never before been held accountable by NASCAR for rules violations.

In addition, both teams were docked 150 owner and driver points – the most in NASCAR history – and fined $100,000. In addition, NASCAR announced yesterday that it will not return the involved cars to Haas-CNC Racing, the first time the sanctioning body has permanently confiscated an offending racecar.

Last season, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s team received a six-week crewchief suspension and 100-point penalty for an identical violation, proving that NASCAR has not wavered in its vow to escalate penalties for Car Of Tomorrow violations, until conduct improves.

As a result of the penalties, Riggs’ team drops from 26th to 34th in owner points, just five ahead of 36th-place Sam Hornish Jr. The No. 70 team plummets three positions to 43rd in points, and is now 346 points out of the all-important Top-35.

Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said late yesterday that NASCAR's message was intentionally strong, and will continue to be so in the future.

“The whole point is to make the garage area and all the competitors that compete in our sport understand very clearly,” he said. “We have many, many drawers in the toolbox, full of tools they can work with. But the stuff that is NASCAR’s, let it be NASCAR’s. Do not mess with it.”

“The rules are very clear, the inspection process is very clear. The message that was sent to the teams before the car ever came out (was) that we don’t want these processes messed with. I think that message has been delivered fairly clear. The overwhelming storyline of the new car is that it is black and white. It’s not gray. It’s a rule violation, and we’re going to do what we have to do to not only stop but prevent future rule violations.”

Haas CNC Competition Director Matt Borland declined to comment on whether the team will appeal.

Pocono Off SMI’s List, Dover Next: Pocono Raceway co-owner Dr. Joe Mattioli made it crystal clear again yesterday, telling Sirius Speedway that Pocono Raceway is not for sale, and will not be in this lifetime. Now, Bruton Smith’s attention has turned to Dover International Speedway.

The Speedway Motorsports, Inc., chairman said yesterday that he has spoken with Dover officials, and that the track is "more or less for sale." Dover Motorsports, Inc., President and CEO Dennis McGlynn had little to say on the matter, citing the company's publicly held status for his inability to comment. He did say that moving one of The Monster Mile’s races to another track – as Smith would almost certainly do – makes little sense financially.

"Whether we remain the way we are, or are sold, the markets don't change," said McGlynn. "We're the only track in NASCAR that serves four market; Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New York."

Kerr To JTG: Former Robby Gordon Racing crewchief Frank Kerr will climb atop the pitbox for JTG Racing, serving as crewchief for driver Marcos Ambrose in four Sprint Cup races this year, and to assist with the team’s Nationwide Series operation.

Ambrose is scheduled to run at Indianapolis, Kansas, Atlanta and Homestead this season, and could also make a start or two in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racng Ford.

Mattiolis Say Pocono Not For Sale

Pocono Raceway co-owner Dr. Rose Mattioli told The Associated Press yesterday that her family has no plans to sell their Pennsylvania speedway to Bruton Smith, or anybody else.

Smith recently said that his Speedway Motorsports, Inc., would be interested in purchasing the Pennsylvania tri-oval – if it were for sale – but Mattioli put that speculation to rest, saying that she and her husband, Dr. Joe Mattioli, have entrusted the track to their grandchildren, and that there will be racing there "as long as our grandkids live." She added, "It never was available; it never will be available. My husband has stated that over and over again. That's it."

Dr. Joe Mattioli will join us on Sirius Speedway today (Wednesday) with more on the story.

A total of 64 cars took part in the opening day of a two-day test session at Pocono yesterday, paced by David Gilliland’s Yates Racing Ford at 164.408 mph. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second, followed by Kyle Busch, Martin Truex, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. The test was scheduled to run until 7 p.m., but ended at 4:30 due to rain.

Speeds are down about six mph from last June's pole speed of 170.062 mph, set by Ryan Newman.

France Says It Again; No Cup Racing At Kentucky Speedway Next Year

NASCAR Chairman Brian France left little doubt yesterday that the Sprint Cup Series will not race at Kentucky Speedway next season. France said, “We've been very clear about Kentucky. In terms of 2009, the schedule is being completed. We have no intentions right now of having a Cup race there in 2009.”

While France confirmed that NASCAR is considering moving some dates around next year, no new tracks are expected to be added. Sources tell Sirius Speedway that a three-way deal is in the works to move move Atlanta's fall race to Labor Day weekend, with the current Labor Day event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, moving to the early October slot now filled by Talladega Superspeedway. Talladega would inherit Atlanta’s date later that month.

Riggs Ratted Out: The wing mounts on Scott Riggs' #66 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet were confiscated Saturday by NASCAR officials, triggering a debate over whether they had been on the car all along.

Crewchief Bootie Barker said the mounts have been on his racecar all season. He insisted that the mounts had passed two NASCAR inspections Thursday, but that somebody in the Cup garage dropped a dime to NASCAR Saturday, ratting out Riggs and teammate Johnny Sauter.

Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby insisted that the mounts had been changed, saying, "The mounts were not in the same place as they were Thursday morning when they went through inspection."

Expect penalties to be announced tomorrow or Wednesday (due to the Memorial Day holiday), similar to what Dale Earnhardt Jr's team received for a similar violation last season at Darlington; 100 points and a $100,000 fine and six-race suspension for Tony Eury Jr.

More Discord At Ganassi: Chip Ganassi said Sunday that former crewchief Jimmy Elledge’s dismissal was not due to a lack of performance, but because of a heated argument with Competition Director Steve Hmiel during the Sprint All-Star race.

Ganassi said, "We had an employee step over the line. I'm sorry it happened because I like Jimmy personally, but it had to be done."

Juan Pablo Montoya has expressed unhappiness with the move, and his frustration boiled over after he time-trailed 47th out of 48 cars in qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600. Ganassi said he understands that Montoya feels like he “comes out on the short end of this deal. I apologize for that, but unfortunately it was unavoidable collateral damage." Montoya finished 30th in last night’s 600.

Franchitti Returns: One month after breaking his left ankle in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega, Dario Franchitti says he hopes to climb back behiind the wheel of Ganassi’s #40 Dodge in tomorrow’s Sprint Cup test at Pocono. The team has lined up Jeremy Mayfield to drive the car next weekend at Dover, but Franchitti said he hopes a solid, pain-free performance in the two-day test tomorrow and Wednesday will prove that he is ready to return to competition.

Smoke Update #712 (And Counting): J.D. Gibbs talked about the negotiations to extend Tony Stewart's contract beyond 2009 this weekend, saying, "We're still just trying to feel out exactly where he is and exactly how he feels. We want him to be here. I want him to be here for a long period of time.” Gibbs repeated his intention to hold Stewart to the final season of his contract, saying, “At the end of the day, all we can control is through next year."

Coca-Cola 600 Pit Notes: Kasey Kahne snapped a 52-race winless streak in points races dating to October 2006, becoming the sixth driver -- joining Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Darrell Waltrip -- to win both the All-Star race and the 600 in the same year. His take for his eight-day CHarlotte run was just under $1.5 million.

Speaking of winless droughts, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is now 0-for his last 73 races, after losing a right rear tire while leading Sunday. He hit the wall, then was hit by J.J. Yeley, before hustling to pit road for repairs. NASCAR penalized him a lap for speeding past safety workers, then rescinded the penalty after further review. He eventually finished fifth, prompting this reporter to wonder how a guy can pit while pit road is closed, speed at least twice while doing so, and not be penalized in the end?

And Finally: For those "Black Helicopter" pilots who insist that last week's purchase of Kentucky Speedway by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., signals the advent of a new, Bruton Smith-backed breakaway series to challenge NASCAR's dominance of American stock car racing, I have just one syllable to utter in response...

HA!

Bruton's breakway series -- were it to happen -- would follow in the footsteps of such notable franchises as the XFL and USFL (remember them?), the National Sprint Car League -- which lasted half a season after wooing most of the top talent away from the World of Outlaws -- and TRAC, the much-ballyhooed brainchild of Cale Yarborough, television executive Robert Wussler and former college football coach Danny Ford; which issued a truckload of press releases prior to its promised 2003 debut, then failed to sanction even a single lap of competition.

Friends, it ain't gonna happen.

ANALYSIS: Bruton's Gamble, NASCAR's Call

Yesterday’s announcement that Speedway Motorsports, Inc., has acquired Kentucky Speedway sets the stage for some interesting wrangling over the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

SMI Chairman and CEO Bruton Smith said yesterday that he hopes to host a Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway next season, but NASCAR’s willingness to approve such a move remains in serious doubt, as does Smith’s willingness to move a race from one of his other properties.

NASCAR Managing Director of Corporate Communications Ramsey Poston said today that while Smith may want a Cup race in Kentucky, he may not necessarily get one. “There are certainly some hurdles there,” said Poston, alluding to NASCAR’s longstanding contention that the Sparta, KY, oval is too close to Indianapolis, Bristol, Chicagoland and Talladega, and would further saturate an already overserved NASCAR market.

Simply put, a change in the ownership of Kentucky Speedway does nothing to solve the track’s location issues.

Even if Smith is able to gain NASCAR’s approval for a 2009 race at Kentucky Speedway, there is are questions about where that race will come from. NASCAR has said repeatedly that it will not add dates to the 36-week championship schedule, while stressing that SMI is free to shuffle dates between its speedways, if it chooses to do so.

Most observers believe that Kentucky Speedway’s race date will come from either New Hampshire or Atlanta Motor Speedway, but the presidents of those two tracks say they are confident that they will continue to host two races in 2009, and beyond. NHMS President Jerry Gappens and Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Ed Clark say they plan to finalize their 2009 sanction agreements with NASCAR today, and that both tracks will host the Sprint Cup Series twice next season.

“Bruton has not given me any indication at all that he's looking to change anything," said Gappens, while Clark said, "I'm tired of people bringing that up. You can go ask Bruton, you can ask me. There is no chance (of losing a race). It is not going to happen."

Gappens hinted that there could be a more complicated deal in the works to bring NASCAR’s top series to Kentucky, without taking a race from New Hampshire or Atlanta. In his words, “I think there's more to the puzzle that (Bruton) has got to finish, to do some of the things he's thinking." Sources say that plan could involve the purchase of yet another track; either Dover International Speedway – owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. – or the Mattioli family’s Pocono Raceway.

However, time is short for Smith to forge such a deal. NASCAR is in the process of finalizing its 2009 sanctioning agreements right now, making the timeline for moving a race extremely tight. Sources say SMI will have to submit a plan to NASCAR in the next two weeks, outlining which of its tracks will give up a race to put Kentucky on the 2009 schedule.

Even then, NASCAR has the final say on whether the change will take place.
Clearly, Smith would not have purchased Kentucky Speedway without a concrete plan to bring Sprint Cup Series racing to the track in the near future. Equally clear, however, is the fact that Kentucky Speedway’s fate does not lie solely in Smith’s hands.

Will NASCAR allow SMI to transfer a race to Kentucky, ignoring its longstanding concern with market saturation? Or will the sanctioning body stand on principle, denying Kentucky a spot on the Sprint Cup calendar and leaving Smith holding the bag on a multi-million dollar gamble gone wrong?

Only time will tell.

SMI To Announce Kentucky Acquisition?

A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET today in Concord, NC, where Speedway Motorsports, Inc. is expected to announce the full or partial purchase of Kentucky Speedway.

The track is currently owned by a group headed by Jerry Carroll, and while the details of this afternoon’s announcement are still unclear, it appears to involve a sale of the speedway – in full or in part – to SMI. SMI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer O. Bruton Smith is scheduled to address the media at this hour in the Media Center at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and Sirius Speedway will take you there live as soon as the press conference begins.

In addition to adding an eighth NASCAR track to SMI’s portfolio, the sale of Kentucky Speedway to SMI would also impact the antitrust lawsuit filed against International Speedway Corporation and NASCAR for allegedly conspiring to prevent the speedway from getting a spot on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. Lawyers for the track are appealing a decision handed down in early January by a United States District Court judge to dismiss that lawsuit for lack of evidence.

In order to host a Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway, SMI would presumably have to move one of their existing events from another track. SMI also owns Lowe’s, Texas, Atlanta, Bristol, Las Vegas and New Hampshire Motor Speedways, as well as Infineon Raceway in California.

JPM "Frustrated" With Changes: Juan Pablo Montoya is pulling no punches in expressing his unhappiness with a pair of crewchief changes for his team in the last few weeks.

In late April, Ganassi swapped crewchiefs between two of his teams, sending Jimmy Elledge to the Montoya team, and Donnie Wingo to the Reed Sorenson camp. Elledge was released by the team Tuesday after less than a month on the job, replaced by Brian Pattie. Montoya said of the move, “I am pretty frustrated. They told me 'We are thinking of getting rid of Jimmy' and I said 'Don't do it.' Next thing I knew, they did.” He said he was satisfied with the direction Elledge was taking the team, and has expressed his frustration to team owner Chip Ganassi several times in the last 24 hours.

Crab Eradication: NASCAR has issued a memo limiting adjustment of the rear axles on the new Sprint Cup Series racecar. The rule takes effect next weekend Dover International Speedway, and pieces like the one used last week by Sam Hornish Jr. in the Sprint All-Star Race will be outlawed, effective immediately. The new rule allows a maximum of one degree of rear toe, and Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said 98-percent of teams are already running within the limits of the new rule. The rest are at 2 degrees.

Big Buck Duck: Roush Fenway Racing announced yesterday that Aflac Insurance will serve as primary sponsor on Carl Edwards' No. 99 Ford beginning next year. Today’s edition of Sports Business Daily reports that the deal is a three-year pact worth $26 million a year; second only to the $30-million per year Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team receives from Amp Energy Drink and the National Guard.

Helio Says No: Helio Castroneves is denying published reports that he plans to leave the IRL IndyCar Series for a career n NASCAR. said Wednesday he doesn't plan to leave the IRL's IndyCar Series for NASCAR any time soon. A story in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times said Castroneves was interested in following former IRL stars Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti to NASCAR, as soon as next season, but the former Indianapolis 500 champion said today that his comments were taken out of context. In his words, "My English is apparently getting worst. I did not understand much of what they wrote. They definitely took it out of context." Castroneves will start fourth in Sunday's 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500.

Off The Top Rope

Former Sirius Speedway producer Ryan "El Ryno Grande" Horn mugs for the camera during the recent NASCAR Nationwide Series excursion to Mexico City. Clearly, the locals were extremely impressed!

Boo Who? Burning Busch Tempered By The Flames

Kyle Busch has taken a lot of heat lately.

Since crashing Dale Earnhardt, Jr., out of the lead with just over a lap to go at Richmond International Raceway last Saturday night, NASCAR's most controversial driver has baked in a crucible of public scorn. That kind of heat does one of two things to a person. Either they melt, or they become tempered to a strength they could never have imagined.

Kyle Busch is tempered.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver overcame loose lug nuts, numerous bouts with the wall, and challeges froma handful of determined competitors to conquer the legendary Darlington Raceway Saturday night; his third Sprint Cup win of the season and his eighth of the year in NASCAR's top three series'. The fans boooed lustily as he cut his requisite victory donuts, then amped it up another notch as he emerged from his battered Toyota in Victory Lane. It got seriously loud when he delivered a flourishing, exaggerated bow to the packed Darlington grandstands, saying that the louder they hooted, the faster he would drive.

"I don't care (about the booing)," he said. "I'm here to win. If I win, it just makes them more upset and crying on their way home. Somebody threw a beer can at me. Next time, just make sure it's full so I can enjoy it out there."

Busch is equal parts Cassius Clay, John Rocker and a young Darrell Waltrip; dominating the competition the way very few ever have, then spouting off with a reckless abandon seldom (ever) seen in today's squeaky clean, sponsor-friendly NASCAR. Love him or hate him -- and there are plenty of folks on both sdes of that particular fence -- it's difficult to deny his talent, or ignore the impact he has made on the sport. His eight victories are far and away best of any NASCAR driver this season. He has won in something -– from Late Models to Trucks to Nationwide to Sprint Cup -– in each of the last six weekends, and that streak does not appear ready to end anytime soon.

Kyle Busch is hot, like it or not.

All Labonte, All The Time: If the sponsors approve, it looks like Petty Enterprises could field an all-Labonte team next month, with Terry Labonte joining brother Bobby in a Petty Dodge when Kyle Petty heads to the TNT television booth for the midsummer stretch.

Petty will drive in next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, with Terry Labonte and Chad McCumbee then splitting time in the car over the next seven races. McCumbee is tentatively scheduled to drive the car at Dover and Chicago, with Labonte handling the other five races.

Labonte would be the most recent former champion not in the Top 35 in owner points, guaranteeing him a starting spot in all five events. The Labonte Brothers have run as teammates once before, when Terry ran five races for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005.

No Rest For The Weary: The NASCAR Nationwide Series is off this weekend for only the second time since Daytona, but a majority of the teams will spend the week testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway. More than 40 drivers from 20-odd different teams are expected to participate in the fourth scheduled Nationwide Series test of the year.

In other testing news, Goodyear has scheduled a tire test at Daytona International Speedway tomorrow and Wednesday, in preparation for the 50th Annual Coke Zero 400 on Saturday night, July 5th. Defending race winner Jamie McMurray will join Mike Skinner and Elliott Sadler as test drivers. No Chevrolet team will take part in this test, as part of Goodyear’s regular manufacturer rotation.

And Finally... If you’re in town for All-Star week at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, you might want to check out the NASCAR Collector Memorabilia Show presented by the Racing Collectables Club of America, Saturday at the Embassy Suites, just down the street from Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

The show features collectors from all over the country; buying, selling, trading and display everything from die-cast cars and trading cards to racecar sheet metal and more. The show runs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is open to the public. Tickets at the event are $10, but free tickets can be printed at goracing.com.

A number of NASCAR stars are scheduled to appear, includng Kasey Kahne, Rusty Wallace, “Humpy” Wheeler, Junior Johnson and Terry Labonte. Sirius NASCAR Radio’s NASCAR Collector will originate live from the show from 7-9 a.m., with hosts Mike Storms, Buzz McKim, Tim Trout and Howard Hitchcock. Yours truly and The Morning Drive’s Mike Bagley will emcee the live events throughout the day, so come on out and say hello.

Stewart Says Short Track Deal Does Not Signal Unhappiness With Toyota

Tony Stewart commented yesterday on the rumors surrounding his possible departure from Joe Gibbs Racing, and his alleged dissatisfaction with JGR’s offseason move from Chevrolet to Toyota.

The two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion appeared at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Wednesday to help Chevrolet introduce its new midget engine, and while admitting that Chevrolet’s support of his various short-track teams constitutes a personal endorsement of sorts, he scoffed at the suggestion that he is unhappy driving a Toyota for JGR.

"It wasn't weird when we started the (short track) program…and it's not weird now,” he said. “When we started our program, Mopar provided us with engines, and both sides understood."

Stewart once again confirmed that he is talking with other teams about leaving JGR when his contract expires at the end of the 2009 season, and that he has broached the topic of terminating his deal with Gibbs a year early, if the right offer comes along. He also discussed his longtime dream of winning the Indianapolis 500, saying that he doesn’t see a return to Indy happening in the near future.

"I don't know if I'll ever get in an IndyCar again,” he said. “But if that happens, it's going to be a long way down the road, because I have a lot of commitments on the NASCAR side. There's a part of me that thinks running at Indy and in IndyCar is a chapter of my life that is closed. Then there’s the emotional part of me that says, 'Never say never.'”

Stewart said he is not interested in a one-off Indy 500 bid, adding, “I don't want to…show up for the month of May. If I am going to do it, I need to start (in the season opener) at Homestead. I need to run all of the races leading up to the month of May, to really feel like I am being fair to the team and being fair to myself. As long as I'm driving a stock car, that basically takes that part of it out of the equation."

Notes From The Cup Garage

Jamie McMurray topped the speed chart in last night’s final Sprint Cup Series test session at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. His fast lap of 185.720 mph was slower than the 186.245 recorded by Elliott Sadler on Monday night. Ryan Newman was second fastest last night, followed by A.J. Allmendinger, Scott Riggs and rookie Patrick Carpentier. Nearly 50 teams took part in the two-day test.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed his Chevrolet during the session, dong enough damage to force his retirement for the night. Regan Smith and Kurt Busch also scraped the wall in separate incidents, doing only minor damage.

Park The Black Copter: Denny Hamlin said yesterday that the conspiracy theorists are wrong. Hamlin said his decision to stop on the racetrack after cutting a tire while leading Saturday night at Richmond was made to save his racecar, not to help teammate Kyle Busch. Hamlin said, “I didn't want to risk tearing up the car where we couldn't finish the race. I knew I had to stop, or else we were going to get a DNF. I didn't even know where Kyle was out on the racetrack. For all I know, he was leading the race."

Woods Go Retro: Wood Brothers Racing will field a special 1971 Mercury paint scheme on its #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion in Saturday night’s Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington. Bill Elliott will drive the car, outfitted with the same candy apple red and white paint and gold numbers that David Pearson drove to five wins and eight poles at Darlington. Pearson recently turned a few laps in the original car, restored to race-ready condition by Leonard Wood after it sat for more than 30 years on display at the Darlington Raceway Museum.

Marlin Back With Ganassi: Sterling Marlin will drive Chip Ganassi Racing’s #40 Dodge Saturday night, while Dario Franchitti continues to recover from the broken left ankle he suffered at Talladega Superspeedway last month. Marlin tested the car Monday and Tuesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Franchitti was fitted for a carbon fiber brace last week, but will sit-out for at least one more week to give the ankle more time to heal. His status will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

Sorry Kenny: A late change has Johnny Sauter behind the wheel of the #70 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet this weekend at Darlington. The original entry list had Ken Schrader driving, and that was confirmed by last weekend by Competition Director Matt Borland. But an updated Sprint Cup Series entry list for Saturday night’s race now lists Sauter as the driver. He drove for the team at Phoenix and Richmond, qualifying for both races before finishing 37th and 33rd after being swept up in a pair of accidents.

Pot Outbreak In The Cup Garage

There was a whole lot of pot running around the garage Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, and it had nothing to do with NASCAR's embattled substance abuse policy. Rather, it was a case of two "pots" calling the kettle black, in their rush to condemn the late-race actions of Kyle Busch.

"Pot #1" was old friend Jimmy Spencer, who blasted Busch on SPEED's weekly post-race program. As winner Clint Bowyer sprayed champagne in the background, the analyst formerly known as "Mr. Excitement" laid Busch out in lavender, saying the Joe Gibbs Racing driver "made a major, major mistake. He drove in the corner too hard, and he took out Dale Junior. That is...disrespect for your fellow competitor. He did not respect Junior enough to back down a little bit."

Spencer also took the NASCAR On FOX broadcast team of Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds to task, accusing them of "political correctness" for categorizing the Busch/Earnhardt incident as a simple racing accident.

With all due respect to Spencer, I'm old enough to remember just about all of his racing career. I watched Jimmy race modifieds around the northeast, before he got the call to the upper echelons of NASCAR. I also saw virtually every race of his Nationwide and Cup Series careers. Nowhere in that 25-year span do I recall Jimmy Spencer ever "backing down" from a battle for the lead, especially with less than two laps to go.

The Jimmy Spencer I remember would rough you up, push you aside, even spin you out if that was what it took to win. He'd also blacken your eye in Victory Lane if you cared to discuss it further. It wasn't "disrespect" with Jimmy. It was good, hard, testosterone-rich racing; something Spencer did as well as anybody out there in his day, and something Kyle Busch is pretty good at today.

"Pot #2" was Michael Waltrip, who blasted Busch with both barrels on Monday night's This Week In NASCAR. "You can't just be that irresponsible," said Waltrip, as footage of the Busch/Earnhardt crash rolled. He called Busch's actions "unacceptable behavior," adding, "You can't just run over the leader and wreck (him)."

Amazingly, this is the same Michael Waltrip who had been thrown out of the race by NASCAR just hours before, for intentionally crashing Casey Mears.

Irresponsible indeed.

Thankfully, Hendrick Motorsports crewchief Chad Knaus was on Monday night's panel as well, and provided a much-needed dose of balance. "Just because (Kyle) has a bit of a cloud around him right now, I don't think you can throw the whole Junior Nation at him," Knaus said.

When the topic eventually turned to Waltrip's own Saturday night transgressions, he attempted to lay the blame on Mears, who triggered Mikey's high-horsepower tantrum by squeezing him into the wall moments before. "What you expect at that level is someone to not make that mistake," sniffed Waltrip, conveniently overlooking the smoke billowing off his rear tires as he pushed a helpless Mears the length of the straightaway.

It wasn't pot smoke, in the literal sense of the word. But it was ironic, in the extreme.

UPS Laying Low For Now: After being linked with a number of different drivers and teams in recent weeks, officials of United Parcel Service released a statement yesterday, saying that they are not currently negotiating with any Sprint Cup team or driver.

Michael Waltrip Racing Vice President Cal Wells said recently that UPS has had preliminary discussions with a half-dozen teams about the 2009 season, and beyond. Roush-Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith confirmed that Saturday, saying that UPS has spoken to a total of six or eight race teams, including Roush-Fenway.

But yesterday, UPS Director of Sponsorship and Events Ron Rogowski said, “As of this date, UPS is not engaged in formal, active sponsorship negotiations with any NASCAR Sprint Cup driver or race team.”

For those of you who don't speak corporat-ese, Rogowski's comments loosely translate to, "Listen guys, we don't want to have to answer questions every two days for the next six months. We're out there, we're looking, and we have talked to a bunch of teams, but we haven't decided what we're going to do yet.

"So please, leave us alone."

Batten Down The Hatches, It's Going To Be A Crazy Week

I spent Sunday afternoon at my favorite local short track; Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT. Before I had made it to the pit gate at 9 AM, a fan asked, "Who do you think was at fault in the Kyle Busch/Dale Jr. crash last night?"

"I don't think it was anyone's fault," I replied. "But I know who's going to get blamed!"

Junior and Kyle said essentially the same thing in their respective post-race interviews. Saturday night's late-race tangle was unfortunate, it was regrettable, and it was a racing accident. That view was echoed by eventual winner Clint Bowyer, who had the best view of anyone in the house, and by every TV and radio commentator on site.

The fan reaction, of course, was completely different.

By the time Sirius NASCAR Radio hit the air with it's Post-Race Show mere minutes after the checkered flag, the indignant inhabitants of Earnhardt Nation were lined up 10-deep to vent their collective spleen. Kyle Busch, they said, was Charles Manson, Adolph Hitler and the Unibomber; all rolled into one skinny, detestable little package. They called on NASCAR to throw him out of Saturday night's race, suspend him for his transgressions, or better yet, take him out behind the trailer and have him shot.

It continued for the remainder of the evening, and ramped up again the moment the phone lines reopened on Sunday morning. I'll bet the mortgage that Mike Bagley and David Poole will fill the Monday morning hours with it on "The Morning Drive," followed by four more hours of venom on "Tradin' Paint" with Steve Post and Chocolate Myers. Then it'll be my turn on "Sirius Speedway."

I know what's coming, and I have prepared myself in advance for it:

Caller #1 will ask (with great indignance) when NASCAR is going to "do something about Kyle Busch."

Caller #2 will announce that he Tivo'ed Saturday night's race, and that after 167 viewings of his personal, super-slow-motion replay, he has determined that Busch intentionally turned right to wreck Earnhardt.

Caller #3 will say he wishes Steven Wallace had decked Busch when Shrubby stuck his head in Wallace's car following Friday night's Nationwide Series race.

Caller #4 will opine that Mr. and Mrs. Busch are horrible parents, since both Kurt and Kyle are immature, egotistical, and the greatest threat to our American way of life since the atomic bomb.

Caller #5 will accuse me of being a Kyle apologist; adding that everyone he knows agrees that Busch intentionally took Earnhardt out, and that I am nothing more than a NASCAR mouthpiece.

I will remain calm, composed and tolerant throughout my four-hour ordeal, understanding that at the very least, this most recent controversy will sell a crapperload of tickets for next Saturday night's race at Darlington Raceway.

God Bless America!

Stewart To Haas-CNC; The Plot Thickens

More information has surfaced on the story we first discussed yesterday; that two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is working on a deal to jump from Joe Gibbs Racing to Haas CNC Racing next season. Both ESPN.com and Sports Illustrated’s website -- SI.com – say Stewart will be given partial ownership in Haas CNC Racing, in exchange for his agreement to drive for the team, beginning in 2008.

Stewart’s contract with JGR runs through the 2009 campaign, making a move before then extremely complicated, if not impossible. Stewart's PR spokesman, Mike Arning, admitted as much yesterday, saying, “He's there this year, and he's there next year. I know for a fact that JGR is interested in retaining Tony for 2010 and beyond. They'd like him to retire at Joe Gibbs Racing. As Tony's said many times, 'Nothing's broke. Why change it?'”

The reports persist, however, saying that Stewart has begun talks with JGR officials to obtain a release from the final year of his contract. Team President J.D. Gibbs made it clear that he expects Stewart to honor his contract to the letter, saying, “The reality is, he's racing here through 2009. There's no ifs, ands or buts about that one. Our stance is he's racing for us through 2009."

The reported deal has Stewart receiving as much as a 50% ownership stake in Haas-CNC Racing, while also being paid to drive one of their two Chevrolets. Haas-CNC General Manager Joe Custer admitted today that he has spoken with several parties about the future of the team, including Stewart's representatives. That admission contradicts the statements of Haas-CNC spokesman Ron Mench, who said yesterday that there has been no communication with Stewart. Custer said that no deal has been reached, but that he would be “interested in discussing a partnership with a driver of (Stewart’s) caliber."

If the move happens, Stewart would return to the Chevrolet camp after a year with Toyota. Many observers point to Stewart’s ongoing relationship with Chevrolet -– which supplies engines to his open wheel midget and sprint car teams -– as a major factor in his decision to bolt JGR. However, Stewart drove JGR Chevrolets for many years, while receiving Mopar engines and financial backing for his short track programs.

COMMENTARY: Sellers Ruling Means Nothing In The Cup Garage

NASCAR stripped Peyton Sellers of his victory in the Camping World East Series race at in South Carolina’s Greenville-Pickens Speedway Saturday night, and nobody seems to be sure what (if anything) it means for the rest of NASCAR.

Both Sellers and team owner Andy Santerre say the violation was unintentional, and Santerre told Sirius Speedway Wednesday that he sold the shock absorber in question -- as part of a set of four -- to a now-defunct Hooters Pro Cup Series team, then bought them back when that team folded a short time later. One of the shocks ended up on Sellers’ car Saturday night, and when NASCAR disassembled it in post-race inspection, they discovered it to be illegal.

“There are two things that could have happened,” said Santerre. “Either we built it wrong in the first place, or something got changed afterward.” Santerre said he does not dispute the fact that the part in question was illegal, but insists that the sanction is unfairly severe. NASCAR has handled similar violations in the past with monetary fines, point penalties and crewchief suspensions, allowing the victory to stand. ASM’s crewchief, H.C. Sellers, was suspended for three races.

The top-five cars in each Camping World East Series race have their transmissions, rear-end gears and shocks inspected, and Santerre said, “It would be stupid to do something that blatant intentionally when we know it will be checked.” The longtime driver and team owner was critical of NASCAR’s handling of the situation, saying, “The guys that make the decisions like this for our series are not the ones that are at the tracks every week seeing the competitors and how they cooperate. This has a big effect on me in this sport. We’re one of the only developmental teams in the series, and we know that we need to keep a clean reputation. I can’t stress enough how important it is to me to have legal cars that pass tech.” NASCAR has said that the penalty cannot be appealed.

ASM Motorsports Vice President Sue Santerre (wife of Andy Santerre) told Sirius Speedway today, “The decision to strip the win from Andy and Peyton was made by committee from the R&D Center. NASCAR will not reveal who is on the committee. Andy specifically asked (Camping World East Director) Lee Roy if Mike Helton was aware of this decision. Lee instructed us he was the final signature. It is our understanding that Lee Roy and Tech Director, Andy Mitchell have no say in the committee decision.”

The consensus of opinion across much of NASCAR Nation is that last weekend’s decision somehow sends a message to the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series. In this reporter’s opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. My experience –- drawn from more than 30 years of racing at the local and regional levels -- is that NASCAR does not govern its grassroots series’ the way it governs the so-called “big three.” And as a result, the events of last Saturday night at Greenville-Pickens Speedway will likely have no impact on anything that happens this weekend at either Talladega or Kansas.

In a nutshell, NASCAR has one way of dealing with the little guys, and another way of dealing with the big guys. That’s not necessarily wrong, either, since regional racing is -– in many ways -– completely different from what's happening at the top of the NASCAR ladder. No one would argue that a short-track Late Model should be built according to the Sprint Cup rulebook, and the procedures used to govern Sunday’s race at Talladega would result in pandemonium at your local quarter-mile dirt track.

NASCAR’s decision will have wide-reaching impact at the local and regional levels of the sport. But at the top of the ladder, my expectation is that it will be business as usual.

NASCAR's Drug Policy Has It Half Right

NASCAR President Mike Helton was half-right this weekend, when he said NASCAR’s approach to substance abuse issues is working.

NASCAR currently tests its athletes for banned substances only when it feels a need to do so, trusting the judgement of its officials and competitors to detect potential problems in the garage area. Erratic conduct –- on or off the racetrack -– can earn a driver or crewmember a mandatory invitation to be tested, and in Helton’s opinion, the system works.

“The community polices the community,” said Helton in an interview with The Associated Press. “We're different than other sports, where we have multiple layers of independence. We know of car owners that have random testing programs with their employees. Those elements are already there. There's a lot of ways to attack this animal, and a lot of ways to do it, but the shared responsibility between the competitors, the car owners and NASCAR, I think, works.”

Helton hailed NASCAR’s response to proven cases of substance abuse, calling it one of the most stringent in all of sports. "When we do…authenticate the abuse of a substance, it is a severe reaction,” he said. “It's not just a couple of weeks off, it's a very severe, career-changing reaction from us that I think speaks loudly."

On that point, Helton is absolutely correct. NASCAR deals with substance abusers more quickly, severely and publically than any other sport, and it should be applauded for doing so. Unfortunately, its methods for detecting substance abuse are not nearly so laudable.

The sanctioning body’s “If You Do It, We Will Know It” approach to substance abuse dates back to the mid-1980s, when driver Tim Richmond raised red flags from one end of the NASCAR garage to the other. Richmond’s playboy lifestyle, erratic behavior and frequent health problems prompted a number of his fellow drivers to complain to NASCAR about possible drug use, and after a life-threatening case of pneumonia caused him to miss much of the 1987 season, rumors of his alleged drug use ran wild. When he attempted to compete in the 1988 Daytona 500, NASCAR tested him for drugs, discovering high doses of over-the-counter medication in his system. NASCAR refused to let Richmond compete, even after he passed a second test.

Richmond died of AIDS on August 7, 1989, and since then, NASCAR’s substance abuse policy is virtually unchanged. As a result, the vast majority of competitors in NASCAR’s top series’ have never – ever -- been tested for banned substances. That’s an incredible statement in this day and age, and it is a fact that does not sit well with many drivers.

"In the 10 years that I've raced, I've never been drug-tested," said Kevin Harvick last week. "To me, that's not a proper drug policy for a professional sport. We haven't made any headway whatsoever on the drug-testing policy."

Tony Stewart agreed, saying, “I think it should be mandatory to have random drug testing. The (Aaron) Fike situation shows that as an organization, we're not doing a good job of seeing this before it happens."

Clearly, Fike’s admission that he used heroin daily in the eight weeks prior to his arrest – even on days when he competed on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – raises a warning flag about NASCAR’s ability to detect drug abuse in its ranks. Had Fike not been arrested in the parking lot of an amusement park with heroin and drug paraphernalia in his possession, he would have continued to compete, endangering himself and others for at least a while longer.

NASCAR never knew Fike had a problem. Neither did his Red Horse Racing team, which saw nothing to indicate the presence of a drug problem. Fike’s own family – the people who presumably know him best – had no idea that he had descended into the black hole of heroin addiction. If they didn't see it, NASCAR cannot reasonably be expected to have done so.

Yes, the system is antiquated, with loopholes big enough for a heroin addict to pass through undetected. But many of us share the blame, as well. At least two drivers -- Harvick and Kasey Kahne – say they have suspected a fellow driver of drug use in the past, but said nothing about it to NASCAR. Media members and fans have remained smug and secure for far too long, clinging to the misguided belief that drugs cannot invade our sport the way they have infiltrated every other facet of society.

We were wrong.

Aaron Fike’s recent admission proves that NASCAR’s current system of detection does not work. His revelations should shake all of us – Mike Helton included – out of the doldrums once and for all. If someone with a daily crank habit can escape detection while racing at the front of the NASCAR pack, someone with a recreational marijuana or cocaine problem will have no trouble doing the same.

NASCAR’s method for dealing with substance abusers is top-shelf. But its ability to find them needs an immediate and thorough overhaul.

“If I have to pee in a cup 15 times a year, I'm happy to do it,” said Harvick. “I want everybody in the world to know our sport is clean. I want fans and sponsors to know this garage is clean."

Harvicks-Vandergriff To Form Partnership

Kevin and DeLana Harvick will join with veteran Bob Vandergriff, Jr., to field a Top Fuel dragster on the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series next season.

Vandergriff confirmed the project this weekend, saying, “We want to offer the companies aligned with Harvick-Vandergriff Motorsports the chance to use the best of NHRA and NASCAR through the same program.”

He and the Harvicks will begin assembling the team within the next two months, with an eye toward a 2009 debut. The Harvick-Vandergriff partnership should be attractive to potential sponsors, offering exposure in the NHRA, NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’.

Harvick confirmed the project this weekend, saying, "The response from the companies we've spoken to already has been tremendous," Harvick said. “The more we come to understand what is happening in the NHRA, the more attractive it's becoming as a whole.”

Bob Vandergriff, Jr., will join us today on Sirius Speedway to discuss the project.

Stremme To Penske? Published reports this weekend say that David Stremme will join Penske Racing as a test driver, a move that could put him in the drivers seat of the team’s #77 Mobil One Dodge for the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

That car is currently driven by former IndyCar champion Sam Hornish, Jr. But Hornish stands 33rd in points in his rookie season, prompting speculation that he may elect to bypass the Coke 600 in favor of driving Penske’s currently idle #77 IndyCar in the Indianpolis 500.

Penske’s three-car entry for the Indianapolis 500 shows Helio Castroneves at the wheel of the Penske Racing #3, with teammate Ryan Briscoe in the #6. The driver of Penske’s #77 entry is listed as "TBA," prompting speculation that Hornish could run the race on a one-off basis. That move would presumably put Stremme in the driver’s seat of Penske’s Spring Cup car at Lowes Motor Speedway.

Stremme has once again become a hot property in the NASCAR ranks, after being released by Ganassi Racing at the end of the 2007 season. He ranks 13th in NASCAR Nationwide Series points for Rusty Wallace Racing, and has played a major role in turning that team’s fortunes around. He finished tenth in Friday night's Bashas' Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway; his third Top-10 finish in the last four races. Published reports say he has recently turned down at least two offers to return to the Sprint Cup Series.

Rest In Peace, Bree

NASCAR inspector Brienne Davis was killed last night in an automobile accident during rush hour on I-77 North near Huntersville, NC.

Her truck reportedly sideswiped another vehicle near Exit 23, and she was thrown from the vehicle when it overturned. She was airlifted from the accident scene to Carolinas Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the other vehicle was not seriously injured.

Brienne got her start in the sport at age 22, working in the engine shop at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Her initial goal was to become the first female over-the-wall crewmember in NASCAR Cup racing; a goal she had both the determination and physical ability to achieve. She eventually joined NASCAR as an official in 2004, working primarily in the post-race tech line, tearing down the engines of the top three cars.

She also worked as a corner flagger/spotter, and she and I spent plenty of time hanging off the back of billboards together over the last few seasons. She was a free spirit, always good for a laugh and totally at ease in any environment.

I last spoke with her a week ago Sunday, in the parking lot of our hotel in Martinsville. It was 6 a.m., barely 40 degrees, and Bree was firing up her Harley for the ride to the track, wearing just about every item of clothing she owned. She told me that three or four different teams had offered to haul the bike back to Charlotte for her, but that she was determined to ride it home because she didn’t want people to think she was a wimp.

As she spoke, it began to rain. I laughed, “Great idea, Davis, enjoy the frostbite!” She laughed, flipped me the bird and rode away. She was quite a girl, and she will be missed by so many of us in the NASCAR garage. Brienne Davis was just 28 years old.

Rest in Peace, Bree.

Fike Used Heroin On Race Day

Suspended NASCAR driver Aaron Fike has admitted that as part of his long-term addiction to drugs, that he sometimes injected heroin on race days.

In an interview with ESPN, Fike said that at the time of his arrest in early July of last year, he had been had been using heroin for eight months, and had been dependent on painkillers for six years. He said that in the weeks prior to his arrest at the King’s Island Amusement Park, he had used heroin daily, including days when he competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Fike and his fiancee were arrested on charges of possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia, and were were suspended indefinitely by NASCAR. Fike peaded guilty guilty to possession of a drug abuse instrument and a reduced charge of attempted possession of heroin in November of 2007, and was sentenced to two years of probation after agreeing to establish a non-profit anti-drug group.

He has returned to racing on the USAC Midget series, where he is tested upon arrival at the track each week. He said he has spoken with NASCAR officials about beginning the process of reinstatement, but admits that his stock car career may be over. He added that he hopes his admission of racing while under the influence of heroin will prompt NASCAR officials to rethink their drug testing policy.

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the sanctioning body is looking at the more stringent, random drug testing policies recently adopted by Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and NHL. In his words, "Our current policy has served us extremely well. We do have discussions from time to time regarding possible alternatives, so I wouldn't rule those out.”

"Cousin Carl" Got It Right

It’s not hard to find someone willing to complain about NASCAR’s new racecar these days. Shove a microphone under virtually any driver’s nose – sometimes even in Victory Lane -- and you’ll probably get an earful. They’re bulky, balky, reticent in the corners and difficult to handle. They’re demanding and finicky; either too aero-dependent or not aero-dependent enough, depending on who you ask. And the chorus of critics is becoming downright deafening.

"I can't believe how bad these things drive,” said Jimmie Johnson Sunday, just moments after recording the best finish of his troubling 2008 season to date. “These things are terrible to drive in traffic. You would catch people, (but then be forced to) run their pace. I really think we need to look at some changes to help these cars not be so aero-dependent; to have a little more downforce so…there is more grip in the car.”

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon agreed, after finishing dead-last for only the second time in his career. "I can't remember the last time we struggled this bad,” he said. ”We tried every setup we could find. None of them seemed to work. I was just hanging on every single lap. There's some crazy setups going on in these cars right now.”

Kyle Busch, who set the tone by winning the first-ever COT race last season, then calling his winning mount “junk” in Victory Lane, was uncharacteristically closed-mouthed after Sunday’s race, saying, “I am not answering that question. Go to NASCAR to answer that question."

OK, we get it. Even some of the drivers who DIDN’T run like crap Sunday don’t like NASCAR’s new car.

Thank God, then, for Carl Edwards. In his post-race press conference, the Roush Fenway Racing driver stood his ground against the tsunami of COT criticism, saying he has grown tired of the incessant pit road bitching.

"Let me state my position very clearly,” said Edwards Sunday. “A lot of people say it is boring and want something to complain about, saying it's too hard to drive. The fact is, we have the 43 best drivers in the world going 200 miles per hour. That's spectacle. It's auto racing. It's not supposed to be driving down the interstate.”

“I feel like I can make a difference, lap-to-lap (in this car),” said Edwards Sunday. “I can pitch the car a little, and change what the stopwatch says every lap. That's cool. That's what I did on the local dirt tracks in Missouri. I’m tired of hearing people complain. If I was running 15th, I might have a different opinion."

Actually, “Cousin Carl” may be onto something there. Is it just me, or is the ongoing spate of COT griping coming mostly from drivers who are struggling? Johnson, Gordon and Tony Stewart -- who admittedly is focusing his ire more on Goodyear than the COT these days -– all hate to lose. It is uncharted territory for them, and after four hours of embarrassing themselves the way the Fabulous Hendrick Twins did in Las Vegas and Texas, they’re understandly looking for somewhere to vent their righteous anger.

They can’t light up the pit crew, since they’ll be needing them again next week. The same thing goes for the crewchief, the engineers and the fab-shop team. So when a driver needs to purge, there are only two convenient targets; tires and racecars. No matter who gets blamed at the end of the day, the basics of this sport never change. Somebody wins every week, and 42 others lose.

Some days you eat the bear, and some days the bear eats you.

“This is auto racing,” said Edwards Sunday. “There are going to be people that are faster. I like this car, and this type of racing. I have zero issues about it, (and) I'm tired of the media making up stories about how bad it is.”

Edwards is 100% right, except for the part about it being my fault. We media members are guilty of printing and broadcasting the disparaging remarks of disgruntled drivers. But we’re also happy to discuss the possibility that this new car might NOT be the greatest threat to humanity since the bubonic plague.

Some of us are happy to point out that Sunday’s race produced 16 lead changes among six different drivers, while last April’s Samsung 500 -- in the old-style, “twisted sister” car -- saw an almost-identical 14 lead changes among nine drivers.

Some of us are willing to point out that Stewart is traditionally a slow starter, and that his career numbers for February, March and April have never been anything to write home about.

We’re even willing to discuss the fact that Hendrick Motorsports –- which aside from Dale Earnhardt, Jr., can’t seem to find its ass with both hands these days -– was dominating COT competition less than a year ago.

Some of us are even willing to state unequivocally that if Carl Edwards and his currently suspended crewchief, Bob Osbourne, can make their COT run like Jack The Bear, Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus can, too.

You've just got to work a little harder, and get up on that wheel.