Kurt Busch was just 0.001 seconds faster than Jimmie Johnson, but it was enough to capture the pole for Sunday evening’s Sharp Aquos 500 Nextel Cup race at the California Speedway. The No.2 Miller Lite Dodge driver circled the two-mile oval in 39.474 seconds (182.399 m.p.h.). The pole victory was Busch’s first of the season [...]

UPDATE: Kyle Busch confirmed that he has been told that Joe Gibbs Racing will race Toyotas next season. Busch said he is comfortable with the switch, which is expected to be announced next week by the team. Mark Cronquist, the team’s head engine builder, is expected to spearhead the work on the engine.

Caterpillar, Inc., has been making motorsports sponsorship news on a couple of fronts this week with the renewal of its Nextel Cup contract with Bill Davis Racing and the announcement of a new 2008 sponsorship, along with dealer groups, of an NHRA Top Fuel dragster. The contract with BDR is a multi-year deal, said Caterpillar [...]

Morris Metcalfe, one of NASCAR’s longest serving officials and a member of the organization’s timing and scoring department in five decades, died Thursday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Metcalfe, who retired as Chief of Timing and Scoring following the 2002 Daytona 500, was 81.

The U.S. government has asked a judge to rule in its favor over the actions of air-traffic controllers in connection with lawsuits from three widows of the 2004 Hendrick Motorsports plane crash in Martinsville, Va. The government blames the Hendrick pilots, Richard Tracy and Elizabeth Morrison, for the accident, and asks that the judge rule [...]

We’re joined by Quebec native Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, the 1995 Cart Series Champion, and the 1995 Champion of the Indianapolis 500. Jacques will be running the final seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races of this season for Bill Davis Racing. That is in preparation for running in the NASCAR Nextel [...]

Goodyear will conduct a tire test with theCar of Tomorrow Sept. 18-19 at Daytona International Speedway, a Goodyear spokesman said Wednesday.

Three-time IndyCar series champion Sam Hornish Jr. tested a Car of Tomorrow car twice this week as he prepares to compete in five COT races later this season. Hornish, who is considering a move to Nextel Cup next year driving a third car for team owner Roger Penske, tested Monday and Tuesday at Memphis and [...]

In or Out — Will Dale Jr. Make the Chase? Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 158 points outside of the 12th and final position in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, but if anyone can make a comeback and earn a spot, it’s Earnhardt Jr. Currently 13th in the standings, he’s not only chasing Kurt [...]

NASCAR announced today that Greg Tester, crew chief of the No. 71 Chevrolet driven by Ron Young in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been fined and penalized due to rule violations at Michigan International Speedway.

J.J. Yeley, Nextel Cup’s latest free agent, has said he is in conversation with four teams, which he would not disclose, but Robert Yates Racing [Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing] president Doug Yates is happy to report his team is extremely interested in hiring Yeley. RYR will have a vacancy now that veteran Ricky Rudd has announced he [...]

Team owner Bill Davis (right) said last week that he doesn’t expect 360 OTC pain relief products to return as a sponsor of his #36 Nextel Cup entry next year. There could be a possible reason: The company that distributes 360 OTC, Rockford-Montgomery Labs, is involved in its third lawsuit concerning motorsports sponsorships.