Johnson win All-Star race: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, for his 4th All-Star race win. Johnson finished 15th, 5th, 3rd & 3rd in the four segments which meant he had the 4th best average finish of the drivers, so he went in 4th for the madatory 4-tire pit stop before the fifth and final segment, #5-Kahne came out 1st, followed by Johnson, #18-Busch, #22-Logani and #78-Busch. #78-Busch won segments 1 & 4 and led 29 laps and #18-Busch won segments 2 & 3 and also led 29 laps. Johnson led 10 total laps, all of the final segment. Johnson now has the most All-Star wins of any driver with 4.
#22-Logano finished 2nd, followed by #18-Busch, #5-Kahne, #78-Busch, #11-Hamlin, #88-Earnhardt Jr., #1-McMurray (the Showdown winner), #20-Kenseth and #99-Edwards.
See race results, each segment finish, average of the four segments, links to pdf for results and more on Jayski's Sprint All-Star Race Info page.(5-18-2013)

added pages for the 2013 Sprint All-Star Race schemes and the 2013 Sprint Showdown paint schemes

Sprint All-Star Race Notes:
#48-Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, his record breaking fourth victory in 12 starts in the annual non-points race
Johnson broke a tie for the all-time all-star race wins lead with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt. Johnson also won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in 2003, 2006 and 2012.
Johnson becomes the second driver to win back-to-back all-star races. The first was Davey Allison in 1991-92.
This is Johnson's eighth top-five finish in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
#22-Joey Logano finished a career-best second in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. This is his third top 10 in three all-star race starts.
#18-Kyle Busch finished third, his third consecutive top-five finish in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. (NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(5-18-2013)

TV graphic mistake leads to fan confusion: A television graphic incorrectly showed #48-Jimmie Johnson should have entered pit road 11th instead of fourth on the mandatory four-tire stop before the final segment of Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race. It started a social media outcry for those who didn't know the facts. It grew louder when Johnson left pit road second. It grew even louder when the five-time Sprint Cup champion won for the second straight year and a record fourth time overall, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt and future Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. "People just want to hate," Johnson said with a laugh inside the media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "That's fine. I'm just lucky. NASCAR rigs the races and whatever they want to believe. I'm going home with a cool trophy and a big check and we all really know what happened. So whatever."(ESPN)
NOTE: Johnson coming in 4th for the pitstop was correct, see the averages of the four segments and the order of pit road entry on my Jayski's Sprint All-Star Race page.(5-19-2013)

McMurray dominates the Sprint Showdown: #1-Jamie McMurray won the Sprint Showdown Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, leading all 40 laps to transfer to the Sprint All-Star race. #17-Stenhouse Jr. finished 2nd and will also transfer to the All-Star race. #31-Burton finished 3rd followed by #27-Menard, #56-Truex Jr., #42-Montoya, #43-Almirola, #93-Kvapil, #10-Patrick and #13-Mears. After segment 1, #13-Mears was the only driver not to pit and started segment 2 first, but McMurray quickly retook the lead as his team changed two tires and he came out to start segment 2 second. #42-Montoya sped on pit road and started segment 2 from the rear. After the Sprint Showdown was over, NASCAR called #56-Truex Jr., #47-Labonte and #10-Patrick to staging area after the race. It will be one of those three as the Fan vote winner.
Fan Vote Winner: it was announced that #10-Danica Patrick won the fan vote and will race in the Sprint All-Star race.
See results for each segment on Jayski's Sprint All-Star Race Info page.(5-18-2013)

Kahne says he and Kyle Busch are good: Despite three on-track incidents between them in just 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races this season, #5-Kasey Kahne told SPEED.com that he doesn't have a problem with #18-Kyle Busch. Prior to Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kahne told SPEED.com that he and Busch talked things out and are OK going forward. "Yes, it's over. I thought it was over before Darlington," said Kahne. Kahne said Busch called him earlier in the week. "We talked about & it was just hard racing. We were both going for the lead."(SPEED)(5-19-2013)

Crew chief Kevin Manion's fight with gout: There's a reason why flip-flops are Kevin "Bono" Manion's favorite shoes. There's a reason why the crew chief of Jamie McMurray's #1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet would cut holes in the toes of his work shoes before venturing into the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage. Manion, 40, has suffered from gout for the past 10 years, and lately he's also been fighting the mistaken perception that gout afflicts elderly persons who drink too much alcohol. At age 30, Manion began to suffer the symptoms of gout, a severe form of arthritis caused by high uric acid levels. At times, the pain was unbearable. "I've broken some bones, I've stubbed my toe, I've cut myself wide open and had plenty of stitches," Manion told the NASCAR Wire Service during an interview in the #1 team's transporter on Friday. "I've had my front teeth replaced, but (gout) is the most painful. You know when you've got it. There's no question. Literally trying to sleep at night, you're fine unless you have to put a cover on, because a bed sheet will make you scream like a baby. That's how painful it is. There's no thought of putting a sock on. I basically have cut the big toe out of my shoe so my toe wouldn't touch anything at a track over a weekend."
Manion may have known he had goutdespite one early misdiagnosis as turf toebut he was reluctant to acknowledge it because of the stigma associated with a disease that afflicts eight million Americans. "For two years, I was just stubborn more than anything, a guy that (said), 'Surely it wasn't goutit couldn't be,' being my age of around 30," Manion said. "I always heard (gout afflicts) old people that drink a lot of liquor, and I don't do that. Occasionally, I'll have a beer or two, but I'm not the guy that drank too much or ate too much red meat. I'm not that old guy&You always hear, and I've heard it before, 'Oh, he's got the gouthe's a drunk.' By no means did I ever think that was what it was. I just thought I had sprained my toe. I heard it was turf toe from one doctor. Finally, it hurt so badand I honestly thought it was broken, that's how bad it hurtand the doctor said, 'No, if you broke your foot, it wouldn't hurt that bad; what you have is gout.'"
At this point, Manion has done more than just accept the reality of the disease. He is working with Takeda Pharmaceuticals to heighten awareness of the disorder and to alter the conventional wisdom about its nature and causes. "Simply, it's just a severe form of arthritis," Manion said. "If you say you have arthritis, people don't look at you funny. When you say you have the gout, people kind of look at you funny. It's the same thing. It's just a form of arthritis. The only thing I can recommend is to go to your local physician and get on a plan to manage it." Manion also encourages gout sufferers, and those who think they might have it, to visit www.gout.com, a web site that provides comprehensive information about the condition.(NASCAR Wire Service)(5-19-2013)

Getting married at All-Star race: When John and Monica Russell decided to get married, they knew exactly where to do it. As diehard race fans, there was really no other option. "I thought, 'Well, let's get married at a race track,'" John Russell said. "Why not get married on the biggest stage (in racing)." The couple met online in October, and three days later they were engaged. "It was his wedding," said Monica, who has been married once before. "I said, 'What do you want, baby?' So here we are. I haven't actually been to a race here since 1994, so I am loving it." Both diehard Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, the bride and groom wore #88 T-shirts for the ceremony, which took place Saturday morning at the start/finish line of Charlotte Motor Speedway They took their wedding photos in Victory Lane and will be featured live on the Speed Stage at 4 p.m. The Russells, from Bethune, S.C., spent the week before the wedding taking a NASCAR-themed pre-honeymoon in the area, checking out Victory Junction Gang Camp, Stewart-Hass Racing Wednesday, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Whisky River, Victory Lane (go-kart racing), Roush/Fenway Racing and the NASCAR R&D Center.(CMS)(5-18-2013)

Kyle Busch discusses Kasey Kahne: from a Toyota Racing press conference transcript:
Q) How will you race Kasey Kahne?
Busch "You race him (Kasey Kahne) just has hard as you race him any other week. The first two instances were a mistake, just misjudgment. Kasey admitted it, he had to get on the brakes in Daytona and checked up a little bit and I ran over him. You couldn't really see through the cars in front of you to see what was happening. Daytona I just misjudged, I wanted to pull out and thought last second that I was going to stay in line and push Kasey. I turned him sideways when I was coming back in line. Last week was just hard racing. You're in the last three laps and you're past the last pit stop and it's all about track position. For us, we were racing as hard as we could. He pulled a huge slide job on me in turn three and I got back to his inside and I had been running down there on the flat all night and had been passing lapped cars down there and some of my restarts were even that low on the race track. I didn't think there was going to be a problem and when I got down there I just got tight and pushed up a little bit. Whether or not we touched, I think that's insignificant because I'm not racing to wreck Kasey Kahne, but Kasey Kahne did crash because of me so it's a part of hard racing at the end of the race and I hate that it keeps being the same guy, but if it were a Matt Kenseth on a Tony Stewart we probably wouldn't see a story."
Q) Have the incidents occurred with Kasey Kahne due to both of you racing up front?
Busch "It's got some merit to it sure. Being up front racing with a guy, Kasey (Kahne), he won Bristol and I think we finished second to him there and then obviously he ran well at Vegas and he ran well at Kansas. We were up front at Vegas with him and running well there, but you run up front and you try for wins in the last 30 laps and you have to give it everything you've got. You're not there to rollover and let a guy go. Even the Darlington piece, if I would have let him go, I don't know that I could have got back by him. It was a little difficult to pass and he did seem to have a good car on the long runs so I knew that protecting my spot was what I needed to do at that particular point. Racing up front, racing hard I'm sure there would be a moment where it could come back on me and I expect it, it's fine. I just told Kasey, I said, 'Just don't make it hurt too bad."
Q) Are you expecting retaliation from Kasey Kahne?
Busch "I don't think Kasey (Kahne) is that kind of guy, but if it happens I'll understand."
Q) Have you communicated with Kasey Kahne?
Busch "We have communicated."(Toyota Racing)(5-18-2013)

NASCAR slips in money race: It's race month in Charlotte, but yet another indication of NASCAR's diminished fortunes can be seen in a new ranking of the highest-paid American athletes. Just one driver from stock-car racing  Dale Earnhardt Jr.  ranks among the top 50 and he just made the list at No. 49. Sports Illustrated compiles the list each year, known as The Fortunate 50. Boxer Floyd Mayweather ranked first among U.S. athletes, earning $90 million. NBA players LeBron James ($56.5 million) and Kobe Bryant ($46.9 million) ranked second and fourth, respectively, while NFL quarterback Drew Brees ($47.8 million, third on the list) and golfer Tiger Woods ($40.8 million) round out the top five.
The magazine bases its rankings on analysis and estimates of contracts, winnings, bonuses and endorsements. Earnhardt Jr. earned a combined $18.4 million last season, according to SI. Endorsements accounted for $12.6 million and race winnings $5.8 million. The magazine notes Earnhardt Jr. failed to crack the top 10 in NASCAR driver winnings but still lapped the field in total income because of his pitchman roles for Chevy, Nationwide Insurance and the National Guard, among others.
In 2012, four NASCAR drivers ranked in the magazine's 50 highest-paid athletes list. Jeff Gordon ($23.9 million, 18th), Tony Stewart ($22 million, tied for 29th) and Jimmie Johnson ($21 million, 33rd) were all included last year, along with Earnhardt Jr., who ranked eighth at $28 million. Earnhardt Jr.'s endorsements fell by almost half in the span of year. Fan interest in NASCAR peaked in 2005 and the sport has also been battered by the recession, harder hit than other sports because of the near-collapse of the car industry several years ago.(Charlotte Business Journal)(5-18-2013)

Roush to run triple Fastenal Ford's in the Coca Cola 600: Fastenal Racing will be on #16-Greg Biffle, #17-Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and #99-Carl Edwards Ford Racing Fusions for the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend.(Roush Fenway Racing Facebook)(5-18-2013)

Sad News - Dick Trickle: Retired race car driver Richard "Dick" Trickle, 71, died Thursday from an apparent self inflicted gun shot wound, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. The incident occurred at 12:02 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Highway 150 East in Boger City. The Lincoln County Communications Center received a call apparently from the victim that "there would be a dead body and it would be his." Communications Center workers tried to place a return call to the number but did not get an answer. The first emergency units arriving on the scene located the body lying near the victim's pickup truck. Trickle was a Lincoln County resident and had lived there since the early 1990's.(wbtv.com)
Trickle was the 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year, started 303 Cup races with 15 top-fives [with a best finish of 3rd, five times), 36 top-tens and 1 pole (Dover 1990).(Racing-reference.info)(5-16-2013)
more info and full obituary at warlickfuneralhome.net.(5-18-2013)

NASCAR legend makes south Georgia' teen's wish come true: A south Georgia boy's wish will come true this weekend when he meets a NASCAR legend. 16 year-old Jacob Entrekin from Sumner lives with a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He left for Charlotte Wednesday where he will attend the NASCAR All-Star race as a special guest of Richard Petty Motorsports. Jacob will get to meet Petty and driver Marcos Ambrose. The Make a Wish Foundation helped make the trip possible.(WALB)(5-18-2013)

Jeff Gordon Joins Forces With Gleaners: #24-Jeff Gordon visited Detroit to kick off a month-long food drive in conjunction with Gleaners Community Food Bank and Quicken Loans. The #24 Drive To End Hunger is focused on the elderly. "You know, I feel fortunate that I was made aware of this, because I had no idea," Gordon said during his stop in the Motor City on Thursday. "I had no idea that more than 9 million (people) 50 and older are having these type of issues in this country. Gordon said when he was first approached with the idea of his spearheading the drive  he immediately signed on. "It's brought me to cities all over the country to places like Gleaners here, that do amazing work gathering the food, sorting the food, packaging the food, and then distributing the food," Gordon said. Gleaners says that for every dollar that is donated they'll be able to feed three hungry senior citizens.(CBS Detroit)(5-18-2013)

NASCAR Hall of Fame's Newest Exhibit, "Lights. Camera. NASCAR.": The NASCAR Hall of Fame introduces its newest and largest exhibit in its three-year history, "Lights. Camera. NASCAR." opens to the public May 17. A never before seen look at NASCAR, the exhibit chronicles how the industry has influenced films, how NASCAR has promoted movies through sponsorship and how film has portrayed the sport's legends over the years. With more than 40 artifacts on display, box office favorites represented include "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," Disney's "Cars," "Days of Thunder," "Greased Lightning," "Herbie Fully Loaded" and much more.
The new exhibit, located in the Great Hall within the NASCAR Hall of Fame, is just in time for the excitement accompanying the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 18 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "Lights. Camera. NASCAR." opens Friday, May 17 and runs through mid-October. Extended hours for the NASCAR Hall of Fame will take place through May 27 to accommodate fans visiting for the May races and attending the Food Lion Speed Street 600 Festival. More info at nascarhall.com.(NASCAR Hall of Fame)(5-17-2013)

Johnson goes Patriotic at CMS: Jimmie Johnson will drive the #48 Lowe's "Patriotic" Chevrolet SS in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The car will be painted red, white and blue and ringed in stars. Lowe's and its #48 team have a long history of supporting the military and honoring the nation over the years. In 2001, Johnson's first Sprint Cup race came at Charlotte in the Lowe's Chevrolet, which was specially painted to honor the country. In 2009, crew chief Chad Knaus helped create a patriotic-themed car that carried the names of more than 12,000 Lowe's employees who are military veterans or reservists.(Team Lowe's / HMS), see an image of the scheme on the #48 Team Schemes page.(5-17-2013)

CAMCAT Returns for All-Star Race Saturday Night: For the first time since this year's Daytona 500, FOX Sports and SPEED bring CAMCAT back to the track, as the 85-mph, high-tech camera suspended above the race track by a pair of gigantic cranes positioned outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway adds a strong element to SPEED's signature coverage of the 29th NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 18 (7:00pm/et). With $1 million-to-win from Sprint, and another $1 million available to any driver that can win all five segments, this 'anything goes' event showcases the sport's biggest stars. A special three-hour All-Star edition of NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco begins at 4:00 PM ET with hosts John Roberts, Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds leading into live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. NASCAR Race Hub hosts Steve Byrnes and Danielle Trotta handles driver introductions.
Mike Joy, NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and McReynolds call the action once live racing begins with the Sprint Showdown, the final opportunity for drivers to race their way into the main event. SPEED's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on-air team also includes Chris Myers from the famed Hollywood Hotel, Jeff Hammond, Krista Voda, Byrnes and Matt Yocum. In addition, Hall of Fame broadcaster Keith Jackson narrates a pre-race All-Star retrospective. Jackson called NASCAR's first three All-Star events, including Dale Earnhardt's famous "Pass in the Grass" win in The Winston in 1987.(FOX)(5-17-2013)

Pit Crew change for the #48 team: The pit crew of the #48 Lowe's Chevy of Jimmie Johnson has been together for nearly 3 years and done a good job on pit road. Over the last few weeks the team is moving in another direction and has made 3 changes. Moving forward on the #48 will be Front Changer Cam Waugh, Rear Changer David Mayo and Rear Carrier Ryan Patton. Cam Waugh pitted the #51 Cup car last year and has been in the HMS developmental program for a while. He will get his chance on the front. David Mayo was changing for the #2 car at Penske Racing last year and was hired as a back up for HMS this year. Ryan Patton was on the #7 NNS team this year and will get his chance as the rear carrier. As of now, all the other crewman on the #48 that were replaced are traveling as back ups with HMS.(Pittalks)(5-17-2013)

SHR extends partnership with Atlas Copco Compressors: Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has extended its partnership with Atlas Copco Compressors, and the Rock Hill, S.C.-based company will also serve as an associate sponsor of the #39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS of driver Ryan Newman during the Oct. 10-12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Atlas Copco Compressors has served as SHR's official compressed air supplier since the team's inception in 2009. As part of this continued relationship, Atlas Copco Compressors is installing its new SmartLink technology into SHR's headquarters in Kannapolis, providing 24/7 remote monitoring of the team's compressed air system to ensure continuous uptime and peak performance. This year marks Atlas Copco's 140th anniversary, and when Atlas Copco Compressors serves as an associate sponsor of Newman's #39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet at Charlotte in October, one lucky Atlas Copco employee will have their name printed on the side of Newman's car.(SHR)(5-17-2013)

Truex Jr raises $60k: #56-Martin Truex Jr. He raised $60,000 for charity Wednesday night when his foundation held its fourth annual Catwalk for a Cause presented by Toyota on Wednesday at MWR. The fashion show sold out with more than 450 in attendance including several drivers and NASCAR celebrities. All of the monies raised benefit the Martin Truex Jr. Special Needs Fund at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte.(MWR)(5-17-2013)

Final Darlington TV Ratings: Airing in primetime against stiff competition this past Saturday night, NASCAR on FOX Sprint Cup racing from Darlington emerged as the highest-rated and most-watched sports event of the day. Head-to-head, NASCAR on FOX delivered a 3.8/7 (5.9 million viewers) +11% on viewership versus ABC's Knicks-Pacers NBA playoff game (3.5/7, 5.3 million viewers). Saturday night's Darlington 500 was flat with last year's race. Season-to-date, NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing on FOX is averaging a 4.9/10 with 7.9 million viewers, flat with last year (FOX). See past races for 2013 and 5-year comparison chart on the 2013 NASCAR TV Ratings page.(5-16-2013)

Richard Childress Receives Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from UNOH: In a ceremony held at Sapona Ridge Country Club in Lexington, NC, legendary NASCAR team owner Richard Childress received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) on Wednesday, May 15. With more than 100 people in attendance, including his wife Judy, daughter Tina Dillon, son-in-law Mike Dillon, and grandsons Austin and Ty Dillon, the 14-time championship race team owner was bestowed the honor by Dr. Jeffrey Jarvis, president of UNOH. Dr. Jarvis presented the degree based on Childress' achievements in the high performance/motorsports industry, his commitment to assist in the school's goal of achieving educational excellence and his lifetime achievements in the field of auto racing.(RCR)(5-16-2013)

NASCAR does not plan to change rules on communicating with suspended crew chiefs: While teams continue to expand communications with suspended crew chiefs and crewmen, NASCAR does not plan to change its rules on teams communicating with personnel not allowed at the track. Last weekend, pit crew members were using FaceTime and other methods of communicating with suspended crew members. Both Joe Gibbs Racing and Penske Racing had crew chiefs that were suspended for rules violations and there were texts messages and even video being sent to those crew chiefs either at home or in the race shop. NASCAR President Mike Helton said Wednesday that no changes in the rules are planned. NASCAR's rules keep those suspended off track property and off team radios. "The teams' depth today & are so deep now that I'm not sure we're suspending crew members to hurt the performance of the team," Helton said. Helton said NASCAR understands there will be communication between the team and suspended personnel throughout a race weekend. (Sporting News)(5-16-2013)

Kurt Busch and Trevor Bayne top 211 mph at MIS test: #78-Kurt Busch and #21-Trevor Bayne spent the past two days at Michigan International Speedway testing NASCAR's Gen-6 Car for their respective Furniture Row Racing and Wood Brothers Racing teams. The drivers have been preparing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 on June 18 and the Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 18. The speeds were once again fast as both teams continued to work on the setup of their cars on the two-mile oval, continuing MIS as NASCAR's fastest track. Busch's top average speed around the two-mile oval was 195.865 mph with a top speed of 212 mph down the back stretch. Bayne was nearly as fast on the second day of his test. He clicked off a lap at 193.500 mph with a top speed of 211.500 mph. Michigan International Speedway became NASCAR's fastest racetrack in June 2012 when Marcos Ambrose qualified at 203.241 mph for the Quicken Loans 400. It was the 11th-fastest pole-winning speed in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history and the first time the pole winning speed was faster than 200 mph at a track other than Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway. MIS is once again host to a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2013. The top series comes to the Irish Hills for the Quicken Loans 400 on Sunday, June 16, and returns just two short months later for the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday, August 18. Tickets are on sale at MISpeedway.com or by phone at 800-354-1010.(MIS)(5-16-2013)

State Water Heaters Partners with Stewart-Haas Racing: State Water Heaters, a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters, has joined Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the title-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team co-owned by three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart. Effective immediately, State Water Heaters will be an associate sponsor of the #14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy driven by Stewart and the #39 Quicken Loans Chevy driven by teammate Ryan Newman. Additionally, State Water Heaters will serve as the primary sponsor of Newman and the #39 team during the Goody's Fast Relief 500 Sprint Cup race weekend Oct. 25-27 at Martinsville Speedway.(SHR)(5-16-2013)

Latest on the Run Smart Hauler Challenge: Each year Freightliner, the Official Hauler of NASCAR, hosts the Run Smart Hauler Challenge. This challenge puts the Team Freightliner Hauler Drivers to the test. With grand prizes for the top 4 drivers on the line, the hauler drivers will do whatever it takes to win and this year they need your help. After each round, you will be able to save one hauler driver and vote him back into competition. More info at freightlinerhaulerchallenge.com.(5-16-2013)

Body of missing race fan found: Talladega County Sheriff Jimmy Kilgore said in a statement that "no foul play" is suspected at this time in the death of Georgia man Nicholas "Nick" Bower, whose body was found today after a search of more than a week. Bower disappeared May 4 after being seen the night before the race at Talladega Superspeedway. Kilgore said Bower's body was found shortly before noon in a creek at the Jackson Shoals area downstream from an old dam. The area is a short distance east from the bridge on Jackson Trace Road. Bower's body was discovered by searchers flying a helicopter over the area along the creek. Talladega County deputies and other law enforcement began an extensive search of the area around the track beginning last week, using boats and aircraft. Kilgore said Bower's body was found in tall grass in the middle of the creek. The body was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy. "Verification of the cause of death is pending," the statement read.(Alabama Live)(5-15-2013)

Testing at Michigan: While they weren't on record pace, NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers #78-Kurt Busch and #21-Trevor Bayne spent valuable time testing at Michigan International Speedway on Tuesday in advance of the Quicken Loans 400 here on June 16. Unlike last April's Goodyear tire test at the newly repaved MIS, when speeds of almost 220 miles per hour were reached by cars diving into Turn 1 on the 2-mile oval, Busch and Bayne were more interested in feedback from their new Gen-6 cars. "Just trying to get a feel for the Goodyear tires and balance of this Gen-6 car, as a lot of little things on the car we didn't have last year. I'm glad we came to test," said Busch, who drives the #78 Chevy for Furniture Row Racing. "If we had to unload (in June) and work in a quick hour and half, we would have been behind." Busch said the car was still very quick heading into the first turn at MIS and he expected speeds to creep up toward Marcos Ambrose's astonishing qualifying record of 203.241 in last year's June Cup race at the track in the Irish Hills. Busch and Bayne were the only Cup drivers to test on Tuesday at MIS. They are scheduled back on track Wednesday. Bayne, who is driving a partial season in Cup for the Wood Brothers and a full Nationwide Series schedule for Roush Fenway Racing, said Tuesday's test session was all about getting to grips with the tires and Gen-6 car.(Detroit Free Press)(5-15-2013)

Speed skipping All-Star race, will race in Spain: It's been a great month for Scott Speed in the Ford Racing world. After driving the OlsbergsMSE Fiesta 'Star Car' to a gold medal in his Global Rallycross debut at X Games Brazil on Apr. 21, he finished a season-best ninth in his #95 Leavine Family Racing Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega on May 5. Speed will be looking to continue his hot streak this week as he misses the annual Sprint All-Star Weekend and travels to Spain for X Games Barcelona.(see interview at Ford Racing), Michael McDowell will drive the #95 Leavine Family Racing Ford in the Sprint Showdown.(5-15-2013)

NBC to pick up TNT's NASCAR races? ESPN to cut back?: NASCAR has signed one contract for 2015-2022, for the first 13 Cup races, with Fox Sports, which includes the new Fox Sports 1 that replaces Speed in August. Fox considered it a priority to get NASCAR as one of its anchor sports for its all-sports Fox Sports 1 network, so it already signed a deal for 2015-2022 (at a 36% rate increase). While the sport might have lost some of its buzz, Fox Sports recognized the loyalty of NASCAR fans to watch its programming. It will eventually put some Cup races on that cable network to boost its profile. The big question now turns to who will televise the remaining 23 races of the season. Right now, TNT has six and ESPN/ABC has 17. NBC is expected to make a run at NASCAR. It could replace TNT for those six races but there's also speculation it could take 12 or 13 races and ESPN/ABC gets the final 10 or 11 events. With Turner relinquishing NASCAR.com to NASCAR, it makes little sense for it to have the six races. It's not enough time to really get in a good flow. The TNT telecasts aren't bad at all, but it's just too short of a bridge from Fox to ESPN for any continuity or for the announcers to get into a groove. If NBC lands races, that would put more Cup events on network television, which is important considering the addition of cable races to the Fox portion of the schedule.(Sporting News)(5-15-2013)

Eleven teams test at Dover: Dover International Speedway hosted its first team testing session of the year on May 14, with six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams and five NASCAR Nationwide Series teams turning laps at the Monster Mile today in preparation for the May 31-June 2, 2013 tripleheader weekend.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams testing included #14-Tony Stewart, #10-Danica Patrick and #39-Ryan Newman, all of Stewart-Haas Racing; #1-Jamie McMurray and #42-Juan Pablo Montoya of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing; and Germain Racing's #13-Casey Mears. NASCAR Nationwide Series teams on track included Austin and Ty Dillon, plus Brian Scott, all of Richard Childress Racing; and Sam Hornish Jr. and Ryan Blaney, both of Penske Racing. The test was the first opportunity for these drivers to try out the all-new Generation 6 car at Dover. All the drivers on site will return for a second day of testing on May 15, with Blaney and Hornish Jr. sticking around for an extra day on May 16. NASCAR returns to Dover International Speedway May 31-June 2, 2013 for the June 2 "FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks" NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the June 1 "5-hour ENERGY 200" NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the May 31 "Lucas Oil 200" NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.(DoverSpeedway.com), no word if testing is open to the public.(5-14-2013)

Crew Members Suspended For Violation Of NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy: Jackson L. (Lee) Dodson II, a crew member in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Frank W. Earnhardt, a crew member in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body's substance abuse policy. On May 9, Dodson was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. On May 10, Earnhardt was found to have violated Sections 12-1 and 19.(NASCAR)
AND Michael Waltrip Racing has fired crew member Lee Dodson after Dodson was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body's substance-abuse policy. Now in its fifth year of random drug testing, NASCAR suspends indefinitely anyone who fails a drug test. Before being reinstated, those suspended must meet with a substance-abuse professional and complete a recovery program based on the professional's recommendation. Dodson had joined MWR this year and had been working on the car of #15-Clint Bowyer. "Michael Waltrip Racing fully supports NASCAR's substance abuse policies and those who complete the Road to Recovery program," MWR said in a statement. "MWR's zero tolerance policy has resulted in the immediate termination of the employee."(Sporting News)(5-14-2013)

Former NASCAR Cafe demolished as part of Sahara renovation: Demolition work continued Friday at the Sahara where workers began dismantling the former NASCAR Cafe. The work was just a small part of the ongoing renovation project, which also calls for stripping down and remodeling two of the property's three hotel towers and demolishing a low-rise hotel building. The 1,620-room property is scheduled to reopen in fall 2014 as the SLS Las Vegas, a rebirth for a storied Strip resort that fell on hard times in the recession and finally closed in May 2011 after punishingly low room rates made it economically viable. Remodeling at the Sahara began in February, after Los Angeles-based owner SBE Entertainment got the final piece of $415 million in financing to overhaul the buildings. When it reopens, the SLS Las Vegas will include restaurants such as Umami Burger and nightclubs including Shelter, as well as seven outlets belonging to Fred Segal, an upscale clothing retailer based in California.(Las Vegas Review Journal)(5-14-2013)

Penske engine tuner injured in accident: Virginia State Police have identified the two bicyclists seriously injured in a hit-and-run involving a tractor-trailer Saturday as Jonathan S. Clark [who works as an engine tuner at Penske Racing], 42, of Mooresville, N.C. and Will T. Bagby, 55, of Richmond. The men and two others were riding together on state Route 106 in Charles City County for the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation's eighth Cap2Cap Ride from Richmond to Williamsburg on Saturday morning, a relative of one of the men said. They were headed northbound when the tractor-trailer attempted to pass them, said Sgt. Thomas J. Molnar of the Virginia State Police. After the rig crossed a double solid line into the southbound lane, Molnar said, it swerved back into the north lane to avoid a head-on collision with a Ford pickup truck and hit the bicyclists. The pickup driver ran off the right side of the road to avoid colliding with the tractor-trailer, which did not stop, Molnar said. The men were flown to VCU Medical Center for injuries that were serious but not believed to be life-threatening, Molnar said. Catherine Benson, Clark's cousin, said in an email that she and another bicyclist followed shortly behind the injured pair. She said she attended to her cousin and her brother-in-law assisted his injured friend for 45 minutes to an hour before EMS help arrived. "Both men were very seriously wounded, and (Clark) was in surgery for approximately eight hours," she said. Witnesses described the rig as having a red cab and white trailer. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at (804) 553-3445.(Richmond Times-Dispatch)(5-14-2013)

Sherwin-Williams becomes official sponsor of NASCAR: NASCAR and Sherwin-Williams announced a multi-year partnership designating the nation's largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies as the "Official Paint of NASCAR." Sherwin-Williams, a FORTUNE 500 company, will leverage its new designation for architectural paint and the power of NASCAR's intellectual property to activate at its more than 3,500 stores nationwide and ignite the passion of its customers  many of whom are fiercely brand-loyal fans of the sport
In addition to signing on as an Official NASCAR Partner, Sherwin-Williams also becomes a Contingency Sponsor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Touring & Weekly Series and GRAND-AM Road Racing. The NASCAR and GRAND-AM contingency programs foster strong relationships between competitors and the high-quality, performance-driven brands that are part of the program, by providing prize money for each race and at the end of each racing season. Competitors become eligible for the money by displaying partner decals on their race vehicles. As part of the contingency program, Sherwin-Williams will be title sponsor of the Fastest Lap Award in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.(NASCAR)(5-13-2013)

Who's likely to make the Chase? Want to know who's a lock to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this year? [Here's] six names: #48-Jimmie Johnson, #99-Carl Edwards, #20-Matt Kenseth, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #15-Clint Bowyer and #18-Kyle Busch. Typically, by the time the Cup series leaves Darlington, it's relatively easy to predict most of the Chase field. Last year, 10 of the drivers in the top 12 in the standings after the Mother's Day eve visit to the Lady in Black went on to qualify for the Chase.
The six drivers listed above are locks for two basic reasons. Number one is the point spread between Bowyer in fifth and #5-Kasey Kahne and #2-Brad Keselowski, who are tied for sixth. Bowyer has scored 349 points through 11 races, 23 more than the two drivers immediately behind him. Second, five of the top six drivers (the first five listed above) have shown the sort of consistency necessary to make the Chase with relative ease. If Busch should fall out of the top 10 in points, he'll make the Chase as a wild card.
Beyond those six, however, assumptions are impossible and predictions nothing short of precarious. For one thing, five of the 12 drivers who made the Chase last year -- #24-Jeff Gordon, #16-Greg Biffle, #56-Martin Truex Jr., #14-Tony Stewart and #11-Denny Hamlin -- are currently outside the top 10. Common sense tells you that most, if not all of the drivers in that elite group will make a move in the 15 races before the Chase field is set.
To add to the intrigue, no driver in positions 11-20 in the standings has a victory so far this year. Should that remain the case, #27-Paul Menard and Gordon (currently 11th and 12th) would win the two Wild Card Chase spots by default.
Far more likely, however, is the prospect of such drivers as Hamlin (currently tied for 26th) or Stewart (21st) winning a race or two, cracking the top 20 and grabbing a wild card spot.(NASCAR Wire Service)(5-13-2013)