Add Robert Yates Racing to the ever-expanding list of Nextel Cup Series owners actively courting investment partners. RYR president Doug Yates said Saturday that he and his father have been pursing investors for six months. They’ve gotten some inquiries but nothing solid, Yates said.

Japan-based Toyota may not be the only Asian car maker in NASCAR in the coming years. DaimlerChrysler hasn’t sold its U.S. Chrysler division yet, but indications are two more major offers could be put on the table in the next few days.

Pos, Car #, Driver, Manu, Time secs, Speed mph, Fast Lap, Laps Run 1 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevy 20.235 93.580 11 56 2 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Chevy 20.255 93.488 21 76 3 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy 20.295 93.304 16 51 4 36 Jeremy Mayfield 360 OTC [...]

Could Evernham Motorsports have company in courting Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett? Richard Petty, owner of Petty Enterprises, was an invited guest of Gillett at Tuesday’s Rangers-Canadiens game at the Bell Centre, Journal de Montréal reported this week. Kyle Petty didn’t shed much light on what his father and Gillett talked about Friday.

Kyle Busch says he took no heat from NASCAR officials after he disparaged the car of tomorrow after winning the new model’s debut last week at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 21-year-old Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver emerged from his car in victory lane and immediately began to criticize the new model. He said he said he [...]

Matt Kenseth refused to take the blame for an accident involving Dale Jarrett last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, despite some heated comments from Jarrett after the race. Friday at Martinsville Speedway, Kenseth said he understood Jarrett’s anger but has yet to talk to Jarrett this weekend.

Denny Hamlin won the pole for Sunday’s Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Nextel Cup race at the Martinsville Speedway. Driving the “Car of Tomorrow” for the second week in a row the No.11 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet circled the 0.528-mile Virginia short track in 19.911 seconds (95.103 m.p.h.). The pole victory was Hamlin’s first of the [...]

Drivers are expressing concern with the front splitter on the car of tomorrow, saying the aerodynamic device may have some unintended consequences. Reigning Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said the splitter, a shelf that sits close to the race track on the nose of the car, could cut easily down tires of other competitors.

Court documents can say the most amusing things. What’s wrong with this sentence? “We can only view AT&T’s and Cingular’s continued attempt to jeopardize NASCAR’s relationship with NETEL [sic] as tortuous [sic] interference with this agreement.” Here you’ve got two big corporations, AT&T and NASCAR, going at it in a federal lawsuit with maybe $1 [...]

1 1 Martin Truex Jr. 19.905 95.132 19 34 —.— —.— 2 24 Jeff Gordon 19.923 95.046 21 21 -0.018 -0.018 3 29 Kevin Harvick 19.968 94.832 33 35 -0.063 -0.045 4 96 Tony Raines 19.975 94.799 34 36 -0.070 -0.007 5 12 Ryan Newman 19.987 94.742 23 30 -0.082 -0.012

JIMMIE JOHNSON: “It’s been a great track for us and we had a great set-up with the old car. With the new car going back the set-up is completely different. There is nothing we can take back to that track and have it apply. I have a rhythm and a line that I use that [...]

* Round 2: Short-Track Racing, COT Debut Continues * Jeff Gordon Leads Points For First Time Since February ’05 * Carl Edwards Regaining 2005 Form * David Ragan Returns To Martinsville With New Respect