2014 Aaron's Dream Weekend at Talladega Weekend Schedule

Friday, May 2
1:00 - 1:50 PM Aaron's 499 PRACTICE (FS1)
2:30 - 3:25 PM Aaron's 499 FINAL PRACTICE (FS1)

Saturday, May 3
10:00 AM (ARCA) 2014 International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 (FS1)
12:10 PM Aaron's 499 QUALIFYING (IMPOUND) (FOX)
2:00 PM 2014 Aaron's 312 (ESPN)

Sunday, May 4
12:00 PM 2014 Aaron's 499 (FOX)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

Montoya confirmed for two NASCAR starts at Michigan, Brickyard 400

As was hinted at earlier this week, Juan Pablo Montoya will be back in NASCAR for at least a couple of Sprint Cup races in the 2014 season.

The Colombian will drive Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford at Michigan June 15 and the Brickyard 400 July 27. SKF will sponsor the entry at Michigan with the sponsor for the Brickyard TBD; Greg Erwin serves as crew chief.

“Juan is a proven winner in multiple racing disciplines and he is one of the most versatile racecar drivers competing today,” Roger Penske said in a team release. “Michigan and Indianapolis are two important races for Team Penske. We know Juan has the ability to race for wins in both of those events while still focusing on his full-time program in the Verizon IndyCar Series.”

Montoya, who failed to win an oval race during his seven full-time seasons in NASCAR before coming back over to IndyCar this year, always ran very well at these particular two ovals but often ran out of luck.

“It has been a good start to the season with Team Penske in the Verizon IndyCar Series and it will be fun to get back behind the wheel of the Cup car,” said Montoya. “It’s hard to believe, but Roger Penske has never won the Brickyard 400. I think that Brad, Joey and I will give Roger and Team Penske a great opportunity to check that off the list and we should be strong at Michigan as well.”

The No. 12 is also scheduled to roll out for Penske development driver Ryan Blaney, Kansas in May and Talladega in October, also with Erwin as crew chief. (NBC)

NASCAR Penalizes Drivers Marcos Ambrose And Casey Mears

NASCAR has penalized drivers Marcos Ambrose and Casey Mears for their involvement in a post-race altercation in the garage area following last Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. Ambrose, driver of the #9 Ford, and Mears, driver of the #13 Chevy, were found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing), and 12-4.9 (Behavioral Penalty; involved in an altercation in the garage area after the race) as outlined in the 2014 NASCAR rule book. As a result, Ambrose has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until May 28, while Mears has been fined $15,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until May 28.(NASCAR)

Vettel: F1 “still not completely safe” 20 years after Senna’s death

As Formula One and the racing world prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of legendary driver Ayrton Senna, its reigning World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, has noted that while F1 has made increased safety advances since the tragedy, the sport is still not immune to another disaster.

Senna lost his life in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix on May 1, 1994, and he remains the last driver to die in an F1 Grand Prix. A day earlier, Austrian competitor Roland Ratzenberger had been killed at Imola in a wreck during qualifying for the race.

Since that dark weekend, F1 and the sport itself has undergone a safety revolution that continues to this day. Stronger chassis, wheel tethers, bigger runoff areas at tracks, and head and neck restraints are now the norm.

But even with all of that progress – and all of the progress to come in the future – the danger remains.

“Formula One is safer today but it is still not completely safe because there is still so much that can happen,” Vettel said according to a report from Australian news agency AAP. “…Unfortunately, it always took accidents and negative events for us to learn the most.”

A series of commemorations for Senna and Ratzenberger are scheduled to take place over a five-day span at Imola this week. The Associated Press reports that following a memorial mass on Wednesday, an F1 safety symposium will be held the next day – the exact anniversary of Senna’s death.

Vettel has recalled that moment as an event “where you exactly remember where you’ve been [and] what you’ve done.”

“I remember that I was watching television with my father and obviously as a child, you don’t really understand what’s going on, but just by the reaction of my father, I obviously got to understand that it was very serious and a big loss for Formula One,” Vettel told the AP.

“I think only later on and probably the last couple years, I managed to understand how big the loss was for the sport because I got to work with people that used to know him, [and worked] with him. He was the reason why my father decided to follow Formula One.”

Dale Earnhardt Day 2014

Dale Earnhardt Inc. and The Dale Earnhardt Foundation announced the 2014 Dale Earnhardt Day on Tuesday, April 29th, at the DEI Corporate Headquarters on Hwy. #3, Mooresville, NC. Doors will open at 10:00am/et on Tuesday morning, and the annual event in celebration of The Intimidator's birthday is free and open to the public. This year will mark the 11th anniversary of the first Dale Earnhardt Day, held on April 29th, 2003. The DEI Showroom will be opening its' newest exhibit on Dale Day, which shows how the company founded by the seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion carries on his legacy, how DEI and the Dale Earnhardt Foundation continue to support the causes that Dale held dear, and how the divisions of Dale Earnhardt Inc. continue to grow the business that Dale and Teresa founded. The Grand Showroom will also be open to the public, with a special display of Dale Earnhardt Inc. vehicles. The Grand Showroom is occasionally opened to the public, and this special event gives fans a rare opportunity to see these remarkable vehicles up close. The DEI Archives will be giving presentations at 11am and 2pm, showing how they preserve and protect Dale's trophies and other special mementos. Fans will also be treated to a theatre-style showing of "DALE - The Movie" in Dale's own Grand Showroom. Cupcakes will be served in the afternoon....an annual tradition on Dale's birthday celebration. Owners of customized Dale Earnhardt vehicles are invited to bring their personalized cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles for display in front of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. Corporate Offices. Dale Earnhardt Day will run from 10am until 5pm, on Tuesday, April 29th.(DEI)

NASCAR will look at Ambrose, Mears incident

NASCAR will investigate a post-race incident that resulted in both #9-Marcos Ambrose and #13-Casey Mears being punched, but Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said "we don't think it was anything too severe." FOX caught the incident after Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. The network's video shows Ambrose and Mears talking to each other when Mears shoves Ambrose. Ambrose responds with a right cross to the left side of Mears' head. Ambrose is pulled away while Mears pursues. Then Ambrose is sucker-punched by someone else. Pemberton said that series officials did not meet with either driver after the race. Series officials met with Ambrose's crew chief, Drew Blickensderfer, and Sammy Johns, director of competition at Richard Petty Motorsports. Pemberton said officials watched footage of the incident. Pemberton said they would continue to investigate the situation. He was unaware of anything on the track that would have precipitated the confrontation. "We'll get all the footage that we can and look at it and see what happens from there," Pemberton said. "We've got to take our time and do everything. Sometimes there's things for us to look at that we don't have available right now, so to make any kind of statement or call on it (at this point), we'd be wasting everybody's time."(Motor Racing Network)

Joey Logano cements Chase spot with hard-fought win at Richmond

Joey Logano was penciled into a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Now you can write his name in indelible ink.

Capitalizing on beating and banging among competitors in front of him during the final nine-lap run, Logano surged from the fifth starting spot on the final restart to his second victory of the season in Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Logano’s victory was his first at Richmond and the fifth of his career. Jeff Gordon came home second and retained the series lead by five points over Matt Kenseth, who ran fifth after tangling with fourth-place finisher Brad Keselowski while battling for the win in the closing laps .

On fresh tires after a late pit stop, Kyle Busch drove from 16th to third in the final run.

It was a race that had everything, from a spin by polesitter Kyle Larson in the first corner of the first lap (after contact from Clint Bowyer’s Toyota), to right-side tires that corded under stress and turned the wheels into flame throwers, to fiery tempers that continued after the checkered flag.

Keselowski and Kenseth swapped sheet metal and exchanged pleasantries on the cool-down lap. Casey nineteenth-place finisher Casey Mears shoved 18th-place Marcos Ambrose after the race—a carryover from a late racing incident—and in return took a right hook that wobbled him.

Logano, on the other hand, could barely contain his elation as he climbed from his car in Victory Lane.

"I had a terrible restart the one before the last one (on Lap 382), and then we had a good one (on the final restart on lap 392), but the 88 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) in front of me didn’t have the best, and once we started racing there were three cars in front of me and I thought I had a shot still," Logano said. "The 20 (Kenseth) started blocking the top because the 2 car (Keselowski) was so fast up top for the first 10 laps of a run, and eventually I had enough room to turn up underneath him and get enough clean air on the car to take off.

"This isn’t a very good race track for me in the past, but we had a really good Shell Pennzoil Ford today, and we were able to put it in Victory Lane. This is so cool to win two races already this season, and it’s just going to be one heck of a season, and I can’t wait to get to the race track next week."

Earnhardt, who finished seventh after experiencing late brake problems, won a race off pit road under caution for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s fiery right front tire and led the field to green on Lap 305. One lap later, however, Logano passed Earnhardt for the top spot and pulled out to a lead of more than a half-second, with Penske teammate Keselowski in tow.

But Gordon won a drag race against Keselowski through Turns 3 and 4 to grab the second spot on Lap 332. Six laps later, Gordon passed Logano for the lead as the No. 22 Ford began to fade.

During that green-flag run, however, Kenseth began to assert himself, driving from sixth on the Lap 305 restart to the lead on Lap 362. Five laps after Kenseth wrested the top spot from Gordon, Jimmie Johnson’s tire issue in Turn 2 caused seventh caution and brought the field to pit road for fresh rubber.

Kenseth was first out of the pits for a restart on Lap 367, but on the restart lap, Denny Hamlin spun in Turn 3 to bring out caution No. 8. After two more cautions, Logano came from fifth to first after the final restart to win the race.

After the checkered flag, Keselowski was quick to express his displeasure with Kenseth.

"The 20 car ran me off the race track, so I made sure to give him a bump, and that was what Joey needed to win the race," Keselowski said. "I’m happy for his team and everybody at Team Penske. I wish it could have been us, but that was the way it goes."

For his part, Kenseth made no apologies for trying to win the race.

"He was mad because I ran into him a little bit getting into (Turn) 3, but we’re going for the win," Kenseth said. "I ran him up to the third groove or so, but I’ve witnessed him racing that way a lot, like I think he did to Jimmie (Johnson) at Texas a few years ago.

"I thought once we got to the straightaway I left him enough room, unless I wasn’t clear—I need to re-watch it. I guess he’s upset about that, and we were all going for the win. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing."

Notes: AJ Allmendinger posted a season-best sixth-place finish… Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, said the sanctioning body would review the Mears/Ambrose incident during the week but indicated he didn’t think it was anything "too severe."

Harvick dominates in seventh Nationwide Series win at Richmond

As soon as Kevin Harvick took the lead in Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway, it was over.

Harvick passed polesitter Brian Scott for the top spot on Lap 48 of 250 and led all but one lap thereafter in cruising to a dominant victory over JR Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who fell one position short in his bid to win three straight races.

In an event that was delayed more than three hours by rain, Harvick led 202 laps in posting his series-best seventh win at Richmond, his first of the season and the 41st of his career.

Kyle Busch ran third, followed by Kyle Larson and Scott. Elliott extended his series lead to 19 points of over Regan Smith, who finished eighth.

The victory was the fourth in eight NNS races for JR Motorsports and the first 1-2 finish for the organization. Harvick credited his teammate for pushing him.

"Honestly, Chase is a good kid, and he knows how to drive a race car," Harvick said. "He pushes us to be better by trying different things (from what we’ve been doing) through the years. The groove getting into in Turn 1—I had to change my groove tonight and change my car because it was different.

"He’s as good as they get and a lot of fun to be around."

Elliott, however, chided himself for not giving Harvick more of a battle after a restart on Lap 204.

"We were just a little tight right in the middle of the corner," Elliott said. "I think he just outdrove me a little bit. Honestly, I felt like some of it was me. I just let him get a little too far out in front of me there on the first few laps.

"I’ve just got to get up on the wheel a little harder the next time we’re in that situation."

During a green-flag run that lasted 104 laps after a competition caution called on Lap 41, Harvick built a lead of more than eight seconds, and advantage that was reduced to slightly more than four seconds after a long cycle of green-flag pit stops.

A caution on Lap 151 for debris in Turn 4, however, reset the field and gave all lead-lap cars (15 at the time) to come to pit road for tires and fuel. First out of the pit after the stops, Harvick led the field to green on Lap 162 with Elliott second and Scott third.

Harvick pulled away after the restart, with Elliott in close pursuit, and those two drivers ran less than a half-second apart until contact from Ryan Reed’s Ford sent Dylan Kwasniewski’s Chevrolet into the Turn 4 wall to bring out the fourth caution of the night.

Harvick and Elliott were 1-2 off pit road for a restart on Lap 197, and though another quick caution on the restart lap—when Regan Smith tangled with Elliott Sadler in Turn 2—slowed the field for the fifth time, Harvick was just as dominant after a restart on Lap 204.

Gradually, Harvick pulled away from his teammate during the final 47-lap green-flag run and arrived at the finish line 2.069 seconds ahead of Elliott. (NASCAR Media)

Kenseth & Johnson Winless in 2014

Here’s a stat that properly illustrates how weird this Jimmie Johnson/Matt Kenseth “drought” is: The last time neither won any of the first eight races, Johnson wasn’t even in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series yet.
The year was 2001. Johnson was in his second full season of NASCAR Nationwide Series competition. Kenseth was in his second full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and battling a bit of a sophomore slump. He went winless and finished outside the top 10 in the final championship standings.
Few would’ve predicted they’d combine to win seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships over the next decade and a half, or win a combined 96 races.
The point: Though an eight-race drought doesn’t constitute as a panic situation, it can certainly be categorized as bizarre. Last year at this time, they each had two wins.
But the wait likely won’t last too much longer. Though Richmond might be the place, tracks beyond this weekend may provide a slightly better opportunity.
Though Johnson has three wins at Richmond, the last was in 2008 – and he’s finished outside the top 10 in each of the last three Richmond races. Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three Richmond races, but hasn’t won a race at the Virginia short track since 2002.
The four points races that follow – Talladega, Kansas, Charlotte and Dover? Wheelhouse City.
Kenseth’s restrictor-plate prowess has been well documented. In 2012’s four restrictor-plate races – which includes Talladega and Daytona – Kenseth won twice, averaging a finish of 2.0. And last year, Johnson became the first driver since 1982 to sweep at Daytona.
Kenseth is the defending winner of the spring Kansas races, and is tied with Johnson (and Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart) atop the track’s wins list.
Johnson shares the all-time Charlotte wins lead with NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip. And at Dover, Johnson owns eight wins, more than any other driver.
So, if it doesn’t happen at Richmond this Saturday night, it’ll probably happen at Talladega. Or Kansas. Or Charlotte. Or Dover. Eighteen races remain in the regular season – plenty of time for two of the best drivers in the sport’s history to lock up their spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Richmond Weekend Schedule

Thursday, April 24
1:00 PM-2:00 PM ToyotaCare 250 PRACTICE
2:30 PM-4:00 PM ToyotaCare 250 FINAL PRACTICE

Friday, April 25
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Toyota Owners 400 PRACTICE (FS1)
1:00 - 2:00 PM Toyota Owners 400 FINAL PRACTICE (FS1)
3:10 PM ToyotaCare 250 QUALIFYING
5:10 PM Toyota Owners 400 QUALIFYING (FS1)
7:00 PM 2014 ToyotaCare 250 (ESPNEWS)

Saturday, April 26
7:00 PM 2014 Toyota Owners 400 (FOX)

Swan Racing Restructures

Swan Racing announced it has successfully restructured the company by finding solutions for the #26 and #30 teams in an attempt to save the jobs of the crews, the drivers, and to keep those teams competing throughout the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. As a result, Anthony Marlowe has merged his ownership of the #26 team into BK Racing, effective immediately. Cole Whitt will remain behind the wheel of the #26. The #30 team has been sold to John Cohen of XxxTreme Motorsports, which will operate the team going forward and intends to compete with veteran driver J.J. Yeley. Stephen "Bones" Lane will serve as crew chief and be joined by several other former Swan Racing crewmembers. Driver Parker Kligerman remains under contract with Swan Racing, which will seek to identify options for him to get back on track. Team owner Brandon Davis issued the following statement:
"I want to first thank our employees, fans, and others in the NASCAR industry for their patience and understanding over the past several days while we work out the future of Swan Racing. As previously stated, the team is restructuring due to a lack of additional funding. However, over the past couple weeks we worked tirelessly to find an alternative to ending operations. Fortunately, we were able to find a home for the #26 team and the #30 team thanks to Anthony Marlowe and Jonathan Cohen respectively. "Anthony and Jonathan are both young and ambitious NASCAR enthusiasts. It is important to keep them in the sport for the long term. I am very relieved to know that the #26 and #30 teams will be in good hands and will continue to compete the remainder of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Most importantly, most of the team members have the opportunity to continue their employment in the sport and to support their families. This was critically important to me. Swan Racing is exploring any and all options to keep Parker Kligerman on track throughout the season. We are encouraged by the response we have received from interested parties. Parker continues to be one of the most talented young drivers in NASCAR. He brought this racing team one of its strongest results in his first race with us, and we are certain of his success in the future.(Swan Racing PR)

Kurt Busch to undergo Indy 500 rookie orientation

It's been 14 years since Kurt Busch was last called a rookie. And even though Busch has a Sprint Cup championship trophy at home, he's still a rookie open-wheel driver as far as the Indianapolis 500 is concerned. That's why Busch and four other drivers will take part in the rookie orientation or veteran driver refresher course to be eligible to compete in the May 25th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the track announced Tuesday. Busch will join four other drivers - Mikhail Aleshin, Martin Plowman, Jack Hawksworth and 1995 Indy 500 winner and former CART and F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve - for the three-pronged orientation and driving program on Tuesday, April 29th and Monday, May 5th. Villeneuve will only have to complete the final two phases of the three-phase program to be recertified to race in the 500 because of his prior experience there. The orientation/refresher is designed that all five drivers can potentially complete all three phases in one day. If they are able to do so, the second day would be for practice - or if they need more instruction.(NBC Sports)

Construction worker on grandstands suffers head injury at Daytona International Speedway

A construction worker suffered a head injury early Saturday morning while working on the grandstand renovation at Daytona International Speedway.

The 43-year-old worker, who was not identified, was operating a scissor lift about 94 feet above ground when his head was compressed between the lift and a steel beam, said Lt. Larry Stoney, Daytona Beach Fire Department spokesman.

The injured man was rescued by his co-workers before firefighters arrived on scene, Stoney said. Firefighters had to immobilize and carry the worker from the third floor to an ambulance. He was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in serious but stable condition.

The Speedway is undergoing a $400 million renovation of the grandstands, expected to be complete by the 2016 Daytona 500. The design-build firm overseeing the project is Barton Malow.

Construction activities were recently ramped up at the site, once the Speedweeks and Bike Week events were completed. More than 300 workers are working on the project, including the erection of the new steel components that will comprise the new grandstands.

Barton Malow issued a statement about the incident on Monday, saying it was “happy to report” the worker is “doing well and on his way to recovery.”(Daytona Beach News-Journal)

NASCAR Names Two New Hires as part of Growth Segment Marketing

NASCAR announced two new hires as part of the company's commitment to implementing strategic growth plans for several critical segments, including youth, millennial and multicultural. Peter Jung joins NASCAR as Senior Director of Growth Segment Marketing, reporting into Managing Director of Brand and Consumer Marketing Kenny Mitchell. Jung, most recently from MasterCard International, served as vice president of global consumer marketing, responsible for youth segment strategies and programs designed to drive a greater preference for the MasterCard brand. In this role, he oversaw the delivery of global consumer insights, innovation and marketing plans that supported youth segment priorities in the U.S. and several international markets.
Nicole Smith will serve as Director of Growth Segment Marketing at NASCAR, reporting directly to Jung. Smith joins NASCAR from her most recent post at the San Diego Padres, where she served as Director of Brand Development. At the Padres, Smith was responsible for leading all marketing and branding activities with a focus on growing sales and attendance among key demographics including youth and multicultural segments. Smith previously worked at Hewlett-Packard where she explored international business models and the impact of digital innovation, and The Walt Disney Company, where she focused on marketing and branding initiatives. Smith holds a B.A. from UCLA and an MBA from the University of Michigan.(NASCAR)

Whitt Looking for Ride for Richmond

Cole Whitt, a Sprint Cup rookie who is fourth among the 2014 rookie class at 33rd in the overall standings, is scrambling to find a ride for this weekend's race at Richmond. A representative for Fuel Sports Management Group confirmed that as of Monday morning, Whitt did not have a ride for Richmond. (Sporting News)

Sprint Fan Vote

It's time again for fans to vote their favorite Sprint Fan Vote-eligible driver into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 17 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Voting opened March 16 and closes at 7:00pm/et on Friday, May 16, one day before the green flag. Through the Sprint Fan Vote, fans can cast their ballots an unlimited number of times to help determine the starting lineup for the prestigious race. The driver receiving the highest number of votes will earn a starting spot in the annual event worth a $1 million payday, courtesy of Sprint. For the first time in its history, the Sprint Fan Vote will include a sweepstakes awarding one lucky voter a trip for two to any 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race of his or her choice, among other instant prizes.

Zippo renews sponsorship of Nationwide race at Watkins Glen

Zippo Manufacturing Company recently signed their multi-year renewal of the Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series entitlement at Watkins Glen International. Zippo has been a premier partner of The Glen since 1993, and is currently the longest continuous sponsor of Watkins Glen International. Now in its tenth year, the Zippo 200 is the third longest running Nationwide Series race under the same name and sponsorship. This season marks the 10th anniversary of Zippo's entitlement of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race during The Glen's traditional NASCAR race weekend in August. Zippo Manufacturing Company is located in nearby Bradford, PA, approximately two hours to the southwest of the historic racetrack. Zippo has unveiled many of their new products at WGI during the NASCAR weekends, including the award-winning Zippo refillable handwarmer.(WGI)

NASCAR birthplace Streamline hotel sold and to be renovated

The Streamline Hotel, the 1940s-era beachside inn known as the birthplace of NASCAR, has sold, and the new owner plans to renovate the property. Eddie Hennessy, son of cosmetic company Pevonia International founders Phillippe and Sylvie Hennessy, bought the property at 140 S. Atlantic Ave. late last month for $950,000. He intends to restore the art deco building and turn the hotel into an upscale South Beach-style boutique inn. "My goal is to clean up the hotel, the block, the drug stuff going around," Hennessy said. "We're bringing the hotel back to its original state, only more modern." Since buying the hotel, Hennessy has installed new management and has started some work on the facelift. He said he doesn't yet know when the major renovation work will begin, but added he looks to get started "as soon as possible." Hennessy said he plans to start the restoration with the hotel's rooftop bar, which is where in 1947 Bill France Sr. met with race drivers and track owners to form NASCAR. The hotel has a second bar on the ground floor that Hennessy said he intends to turn into a NASCAR-themed lounge. The Streamline will stay open while renovation work is done, Hennessy said. After renovating the rooftop bar, Hennessy will start work on the lobby, the hotel's ground-level bar, then the guest rooms. He said he isn't yet sure how much he will invest in the hotel's renovation.(Daytona Beach News Journal)

Future of Swan Racing in Question

Swan Racing issued the following statement about the future of the team.

“Swan Racing is in the process of reviewing its current situation and the ability to continue to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The team has been unable to secure the kind of sponsorship required to effectively operate the team. As a result, the team management is exploring every available option. We hope to be in position to provide a detailed update in the near future.”

Swan Racing co-owner Anthony Marlowe tweeted on Thursday afternoon: "My mission is to ensure @ColeWhitt races in every #NASCAR Sprint Cup event this season."

Team employees were reportedly informed today that the team is suspending operations, and many of them are already seeking employment with other teams. Sources say there is a possibility that Whitt's #26 Toyota could be absorbed into the existing BK Racing operation, if Swan Racing is unable to continue.

2014 After Eight Races

The 2014 season had a lot of excitement coming in. NASCAR announced a new Chase format & had announced knockout qualifying. This was in addition to Jimmie Johnson coming into the year as the reigning Sprint Cup Champion once again & the usual driver/crew/team swaps that occur every off season. The year started off strong for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he won the Daytona 500 for the 2nd time in his career. Kevin Harvick came in to the year with a lot to prove. After spending 12 years with Richard Childress Racing following the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. he now drives the no. 4 Budweiser Chevy for Stewart Haas Racing. Harvick noted that he was disappointed with the performance in later years at RCR. He has came out very strong with victories at Phoenix and Darlington, securing a spot in this years Chase. A major talking point at this point in the season is the absence of Jimmie Johnson or Matt Kenseth from victory lane. Both drivers were very dominant during the 2013 season & battled for the Sprint Cup last year. However despite strong runs, both drivers have not been able to close & win this year in a season where winning is a priority with the new chase format. This has been the most consistent start to a season for veteran and 4 time Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon, he has been a front runner and in contention to win every week so far. As we race throughout the spring into the summer it will be interesting to see how this year shapes up & if Gordon, Johnson or Kenseth can see the success they have had in previous years.

Elliott’s Rookie Campaign Is A Magical Ride

If things continue to play out the way they have so far through the first two months of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be one happy owner come November.
After scoring his second consecutive win of the season Friday night at Darlington Raceway, JR Motorsports driver Chase Elliott is doing plenty to turn heads, including his team owner Earnhardt. Elliott became only the fourth driver to win in his first national series start at the 1.366-mile track. When he won the previous week at Texas, Elliott became the second-youngest driver in series history to post a win at 18 years, four months and seven days. Seven days later, however, he became the youngest driver to capture his second victory in any of NASCAR’s three national series.
In addition to his two wins, Elliott has six top-10 finishes in the first seven races of 2014. His only non-top 10 was a still-respectable 15th in the Daytona season opener. Going into the Easter break, Elliott leads the points standings by 13 over his teammate Regan Smith, who hasn’t been too bad either. Smith has started the season with seven straight top 10s, including a victory at Daytona.
As it stands right now, it looks like JRM’s Elliott and Smith are the drivers to beat. One of the two drivers has led the drivers’ standings after each of the season’s first seven races. Smith led the points after the first five races before handing over the reins to Elliott, who also holds a 22-point advantage over Ty Dillon in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year race.
Speaking of the rookie competition, Elliott has simply setting the bar high for everyone else. Dillon is having a stellar year in his own right and would be enjoying a healthy lead in the rookie standings most other years, having already compiled seven finishes of 11th or better.(NASCAR Media)

Don't expect to see Stewart-Haas drivers in F1 car

Now that her car owner has a Formula One team, could Danica Patrick ever race in the worldwide racing series? Gene Haas doesn't think so. Nothing against Patrick, he just doesn't think any of his NASCAR drivers could jump in a car for Haas Formula, a new F1 team that will begin fielding two cars in 2015 or 2016, and succeed. Haas actually has three drivers with IndyCar experience in his NASCAR stable. Tony Stewart was the 1997 IndyCar championship, Patrick spent seven years on the circuit and Kurt Busch is competing in the Indianapolis 500 this year after completing rookie orientation last year. But Haas isn't looking from within for a future F1 driver. "I'd certainly never expect any of our current lineup of drivers to want to be able to do that," Haas said during a news conference Monday. "It would be really impossible to accomplish that and survive. ... Just the thought of jumping into a Formula One car from a Cup car would be very, very difficult." Haas said the cars are so different, that Formula One drivers would have a difficult time competing in NASCAR. And he certainly doesn’t think a NASCAR driver could just get into a Formula One car without much preparation. “Those guys are working every weekend, and I don’t see how you can be in NASCAR and also be in Formula One,” Haas said. “Formula One has half the races, but the technical expertise of going to the races is just very, very demanding. “What intimidates me the most is the steering wheel. In a Cup car, you have got a round wheel with a button on it. In a Formula One car, you’ve got buttons on the front, on the side, in the back. They’ve got eight paddle shifters. You don’t learn that in a day.”(Sporting News)

FOX Sports moves Talladega qualifying from FS2 to FOX

NASCAR ramped up its pre-race excitement level for the 2014 season, making qualifying more relevant and much more entertaining by introducing a highly competitive "knockout" system, beginning with 43-plus race cars on the track at the same time at tracks 1.25 miles or longer. NASCAR on FOX, which covers the first 13 NASCAR Sprint Cups Series of the season, is showing its enthusiasm for the new system, moving the (Saturday) May 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway from FOX Sports 2 to FOX, marking the first time a non-Daytona qualifying session has aired on FOX. "This move is a direct result of the double-digit ratings gains NASCAR's new knockout qualifying format is delivering every weekend," said Bill Wanger, EVP of Programming, Research & Content Strategy. "We are thrilled to be able to highlight this new format on FOX, and what more exciting place to do that than Talladega Superspeedway." The new qualifying system, which moves away from single-car qualifying and is supported by double-digit, year-to-year ratings growth, allows for all cars to qualify collectively for up to 25 minutes, with the top 24 based on fastest laps advancing for a subsequent 10-minute session. The top 12 from that group advance to the final, five-minute round. The 90-minute Talladega qualifying session begins on FOX on Saturday, May 3 at 1:30 pm/et(FOX).

Bojangles' Southern 500 Fast Facts

Kevin Harvick won the 65th Annual Bojangles' Southern 500, his 25th victory in 474 NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series races.

This is his second victory and third top-10 finish in 2014.

This is his first victory and seventh top-10 finish in 18 races at Darlington Raceway.Harvick becomes the first driver to win from the pole at Darlington Raceway since Dale Jarrett in 1997.

With two wins, Harvick is now guaranteed to be among the top 15 winners - virtually guaranteeing a
spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (second) posted his ninth top-10 finish in 20 races at Darlington Raceway. It is his
fifth top-10 finish in 2014.

Earnhardt's runner-up finish is his career-best at Darlington Raceway. His previous best was fourth
(March 17, 2002 and May 10, 2008)Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 16 races at Darlington Raceway.

Kyle Larson (eighth) was the highest finishing rookie.

Jeff Gordon leads the point standings by 1 points over Matt Kenseth.

Joey Logano passes Jeff Gordon on final lap for Texas win

Joey Logano's "Final Four" at Texas Motor Speedway had nothing to do with the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship set for Monday night in nearby Arlington.

Logano and crew chief Todd Gordon's decision to pit for four Goodyear Dual Zone tires during the final caution period of the rain-delayed Duck Commander 500 propelled the Team Penske star to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of 2014.

"We've been in contention every race this year to win, and I'm proud to be a part of that," said Logano, who extended a streak that has produced seven different winners in as many Sprint Cup races. "I felt very confident about this race. For some reason I told Todd, I said, 'We're going to win this week' and I was mad when we didn't get the pole. But I felt like we had a car that could win today."

Logano, 23, scored his first career victory on TMS' 1.5-mile quad-oval and fourth in 190 career Sprint Cup starts at the expense of four-time series champion Jeff Gordon under a green-white-checkered-flag finish that extended the race to 340 laps from the originally scheduled 334.

Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil / Hertz Ford Fusion, passed Gordon via a crossover move on the inside heading into Turn 1 on Lap 340 en route to margin of victory of 0.476 seconds. Kyle Busch finished third with Brian Vickers and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Kyle Larson rounding out a top five that was shuffled by the day's seventh and final caution on Lap 333.

Logano was working on a 3.053-second lead over teammate Brad Keselowski when Kurt Busch, winner of last week's race at Martinsville Speedway, brushed the outside wall in Turn 2. During the ensuing pit stops, Logano and Keselowski opted for four tires and fuel. Gordon, of Hendrick Motorsports, and Vickers, of Michael Waltrip Racing, opted for right-side rubber only and exited pit road 1-2.

"When you've got 40-something laps after the last pit stop and a pretty sizeable lead, really, all you're thinking is, 'Where's the white flag?'" Logano said. "Brad was able to catch us a little bit and then you go into Turn 1 and see the No. 41 (of Kurt Busch) up against the wall and you're like, 'Please, no caution.' And, of course -- boom -- it comes out and you're like, 'You've got to be kidding me.' So you get so mad that you can barely control yourself. Really, I was just so mad.

"And then he (Todd Gordon) made a last-minute decision to put fuel in it, gave me better balance for what I needed and the guys made the 'money stop.' I was the first guy out with four tires on."

Similarly, Gordon praised crew chief Alan Gustafson for a "great call" to go with two tires on the final stop given his standing when the yellow flew. "I mean, coming in sixth, you're in that position that you can gamble," said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Axalta / Texas A&M School of Engineering Chevrolet SS. "You're not going to win it with four (tires),you're not going to win it with none. I knew it was going to be hard to hold those guys off.

"I got a pretty good restart, so I was happy about that. Got through (Turns) 1 and 2. I was shocked I was leading off of 2, to be honest. I wish I would have run a little bit higher down (Turns) 3 and 4. I'm sure Joey was going to go wherever I didn't. Probably would have been a little bit better off on the top. He crossed over and got into the back of me pretty good. At that point I was just thinking, 'I want to finish.' Looked out my mirror, those guys were racing hard behind me. A great second-place finish for me."

Kyle Busch, winner of this event last year, said he was looking at solid third-place results before the final sequence. "Of course, the inevitable comes out with the yellow and you have to come down and get tires -- just way too long out there on tires," said Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. "I chose four just because I absolutely killed my stuff about three laps prior to that caution coming out so I knew that was our only chance. Just drove the hell out of it there those last two laps and got all she could and come home third. Good, deserving finish for us here."

Keselowski was poised to give team owner Roger Penske a slam-dunk 1-2 finish behind his teammate when the final caution flew. Keselowski exited the pits fourth with four tires, one spot behind Logano. But he was charged with speeding off pit road -- a miscue that dropped him to 15th.

"That last caution was a shame," said Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford. "I was just trying to get a little too much on pit road and wanted to get us out front to be able to win the race and tried a little too hard. We're in it for wins. We're not in it for finishing second."

Gordon emerged as the new points leader after HMS teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed out of the event on Lap 12, finished 43rd and dropped to sixth in the standings. Gordon holds a four-point (259-255) lead over Matt Kenseth of Joe Gibbs Racing heading into Saturday night's Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.(John Sturbin, NASCAR Wire Service)

Rain postpones race at Texas

The Duck Commander 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, which was scheduled for a green flag start at 3:16pm/et on Sunday April 6th, has been postponed due to rain to Monday, April 7th and is scheduled to air on FOX at 12:00pm/et. FOXSports1 is scheduled to air a 30 minutes pre-race show at 11:30am/et.

Brian France Says "Significant" Engine Changes Are Coming in Future Years

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that modifications to the engines -- which would likely bring a reduction in horsepower -- are the next step in further enhancing the sport's on-track product, although he was unsure if such changes would be in place for next season. "We're going to make that happen, and that's part of the overall rules packages that we design that hopefully control costs, hopefully make the racing better," France said. "The engine is an integral part of that. We also have to be in step as much as possible with the car manufacturers and where they're going with technology and different things. It all has to come together, and that's the next significant part of the rules package. ... The engine will get a significant change. I'm not going to say (for) '15, but we are certainly sizing that up. It's very important for us to get that right."

According to representatives of NASCAR's three manufacturer partners, who took part in a conference call with reporters Tuesday, a potential reduction in engine horsepower is still in the very early stages. Sprint Cup Series engines generate 850 horsepower, and are built by five manufacturer-specific companies -- TRD and Triad Racing Technologies (Toyota), Roush-Yates Engines (Ford) and Earnhardt Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet). Most of the changes made in recent years have focused on the cars, beginning with the rollout of the more brand-identifiable Generation-6 vehicle for the 2013 season, and an aerodynamic package that was further refined before this year.

Duck Commander 500 Weekend Schedule

Thursday, April 3
5:00 PM-6:00 PM O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 PRACTICE
6:30 PM-8:00 PM O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 FINAL PRACTICE

Friday, April 4
3:10 PM (4:10 PM/ET) O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 QUALIFYING
5:00 pm - 6:50pm Duck Commander 500 Practice (FS1)
7:30 PM (8:30 PM/ET) O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 (ESPN2)

Saturday, April 5
9:30 - 11:00am Duck Commander 500 Final Practice (FS1)
2:10pm Duck Commander 500 Qualifying (FS2)

Sunday, April 6
12:00 pm NSCS Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
2:00pm 2014 Duck Commander 500 (FOX)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK