Jimmie Johnson will qualify in a backup car for Saturday’s Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway after hitting the Turn 1 wall on the third lap of Friday’s morning practice session. Continue reading ‘Johnson crashes in Friday practice, will qualify backup car’

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a message for all those on the Internet and around office water fountains comparing Kyle Busch to his father after Junior’s run-in with Busch last weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

Yes, they are similar on the track with their aggressive styles.

Off the track?

“Personalitywise, they’re totally opposite,” Earnhardt said Thursday between practices at Darlington Raceway. “Give me a break. You know my dad better than that. Give my dad a little more credit.” Continue reading ‘Dale Jr on Kyle comparisons to Dale Sr.: ‘Give my dad a little more credit’’

Carl Edwards will join the Speed announcing crew during the broadcast of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race May 17 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Continue reading ‘Carl Edwards joins Speed broadcast team on all-star weekend’

Practice 3 (Friday):

Rank, Car #, Driver, Manu, Laps Run, Speed mph, Time secs, Ave Speed

1 5 Casey Mears Chevy 25 177.685 27.676 172.305
2 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 31 176.759 27.821 172.423
3 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 12 176.746 27.823 169.561
4 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 25 175.817 27.970 170.720
5 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 18 175.509 28.019 172.484 Continue reading ‘Sprint Cup Practice Times: Darlington’

The “Grand Opening” of the new Kurt Busch Superdome at the Victory Junction Gang Camp is set for Tuesday, May 20 at 2:00pm/et. The project was announced in May 2006, with Kurt announcing the donation of the initial $1 million in support of the project. Continue reading ‘Kurt Busch’s Superdome at Victory Junction opens soon’

Check out Rick Hendrick’s first Chevrolet. Watch a dissected Impala SS “Car of Tomorrow” being pieced together. See the cars and memorabilia of Casey Mears, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. These are just a few things visitors can do now that Hendrick Motorsports has reopened its museum. The 15,000-square-foot facility, which was closed the last four months for renovations, pays tribute to nearly 25 seasons of Hendrick Motorsports history and offers fans the latest in team-related apparel and merchandise. Continue reading ‘Hendrick Motorsports reopens museum’

On Friday, May 23 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Penske Racing is opening its doors to all NASCAR, Indy car and American Le Mans Series fans for a special celebration surrounding race weeks at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Many exciting events are being planned for Penske Racing fans, including a special autograph session with NASCAR stars Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr. and Ryan Newman. Continue reading ‘Penske Racing opens doors to fans’

Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 along with other notable drivers, going into the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 10.

1– Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.4

2008 Rundown
*Two wins, six top fives, seven top 10s
*Average finish of 9.1
*Led seven races for 398 laps Continue reading ‘Sprint Cup top 12 and beyond heading into Darlington’

Belle Island Village – along with three-time Cup Champion and FOX Sports analyst Darrell Waltrip and fellow motor sports veteran Jeff Hammond – announced key components of the Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience, scheduled to open in fall 2008 at Belle Island’s themed development, located in the heart of Pigeon Forge, TN. Continue reading ‘Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience to open in Fall of 2008′

The topic of a possible return to the Indianapolis 500 is never far away when five-time Indy starter Tony Stewart returns to IMS. Two-time Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner Stewart visited IMS today to help Chevrolet unveil the new Midget engine that will power Tony Stewart Racing driers Tracy Hines and Levi Jones in USAC events, and he also discussed “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

TONY STEWART: “There’s part of me that thinks running at Indy and in IndyCar is a chapter of my life that is closed, and then there is the emotional part of me that says, ‘Never say never.’ Continue reading ‘Tony Stewart on returning to IndyCar Series: “never say never”’

They celebrated Dale Earnhardt’s birthday last week, and I mention this only because they’re not celebrating much else at DEI. You have to look pretty hard before you find a driver from the Dale Earnhardt Inc. camp in the Sprint Cup points standings. Continue reading ‘DEI’s losing the race to stay relevant’

Back in 2005, one of Darlington (S.C.) Raceway’s two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series dates was moved westward to the two-mile oval in Fontana, Calif. For die-hard NASCAR fans, it was hard to believe that an event in racing’s heartland — on NASCAR’s first and oldest superspeedway no less — could be jettisoned to a land where David Hasselhoff is better known for his driving prowess than David Pearson.

Darlington Raceway was being forsaken for something bigger and better, and when its lone remaining date was placed on Saturday night of the hallowed Mother’s Day weekend, obituaries for the 1.366-mile oval were already being drafted.

But a funny thing happened. Lights were installed, and instead of roasting in late-summer mugginess, fans were treated to a crisp and comfortable night race in early May. And with the race on Saturday, Mom still had her day in the spotlight. Since 2005, the night race at Darlington has been a sell-out.

While Darlington is steeped in tradition, history had shown the track’s leaders that holding too tight a grip on that history could make the venerable, egg-shaped oval obsolete.

Late last August, Darlington underwent an extreme makeover that involved far more than just a nip and a tuck. The Lady in Black, as Darlington is commonly referred to, got a new surface that eliminated its numerous bumps and sometimes problematic drainage issues thanks to 15,000 tons of new asphalt. Also added was a mammoth tunnel beneath turns three and four that can fit the modern-day transporters used by race teams. Freshly paved pit roads and newly installed concrete pit walls completed the track’s transformation. Continue reading ‘Stewart hoping new Darlington surface will change his luck’

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spent the seven years since his father’s death learning how to live without him. In the cover story for ESPN The Magazine, “All Grown Up”, Dale Jr. talks in depth publicly for the first time about the pain of losing his dad, who was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001.

Writer Marty Smith reveals that since Junior left the family business, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (and affiliation with Dale Sr.’s third wife Teresa Earnhardt), for NASCAR juggernaut Hendrick Motorsports this season, he’s finally feeling like himself again. Continue reading ‘Dale Jr. opens up about his grief, growth and new gig in ESPN article’