Austin Dillon to run a majority of Xfinity season

Two-time NASCAR Champion Austin Dillon will return to the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Rheem Manufacturing Company as primary sponsor on Richard Childress Racing's #33 Chevy for a majority of the 2015 season. Dillon, the 2013 XFINITY Series Champion, will drive the #33 Rheem Chevy under the RCR banner during the 2015 season while maintaining a full schedule in RCR's #3 Chevy SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is a two-time XFINITY Series race winner, 10-time pole winner and holds the record for most consecutive poles in series history. Rheem Manufacturing Company has a long history of success with RCR having participated as a primary or associate sponsor since 2007 in various NASCAR series. Rheem has been the official heating, cooling and water heating provider to RCR for more than eight years and was the co-primary sponsor with Realtree of Ty Dillon's Sprint Cup Series debut this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(RCR)

Cheez-It returns as sponsor at Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen International and Kellogg Company announced Cheez-It renews its place as the title sponsor of The Glen's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. WGI's marquee event, Cheez-It 355 at The Glen returns August 6-9. This will be the company's third-consecutive year as the race's entitlement sponsor, while the iconic snack brand's parent company, the Kellogg Company, has been involved with NASCAR since 1991. "NASCAR provides a great way for Cheez-It crackers to reach our fans and Watkins Glen provides an amazing venue that is unlike any other," said Melissa Pawlowicz, senior director of integrated promotions for the Kellogg Company. "Cheez-It is proud to be associated with 'The Glen' and to play a role in bringing the excitement of the Cheez-It" 355 to life."(WGI)

Kahne signs 3 year extension with Hendrick

Hendrick Motorsports and Kasey Kahne have agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep the driver with the #5 Chevy SS team through the end of the 2018 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

"It's extremely gratifying to work with a driver like Kasey," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "I think the world of him both as a driver with championship-level talent and an overall terrific young man. Our whole organization has a great deal of respect for how hard he works, the professionalism he displays with our partners and the way he carries himself every day. We're committed to winning races and competing for titles with him for many years to come."

Kahne, 34, originally signed with Hendrick Motorsports in April 2010 and officially joined the team's four-car stable for the 2012 season. Over the past three years (2012-14), he ranks among the top-10 drivers in Sprint Cup wins (5), pole positions (4), top-five finishes (26) and laps led (1,177). The Enumclaw, Washington, native has 17 career wins in NASCAR's top division.
"I've found a home at Hendrick Motorsports," said Kahne, who since 2012 has earned at least one victory each season while securing three consecutive Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berths. "We have incredible people and partners supporting us, and I couldn't be more excited about the direction we're headed as a team and a company. It's the right place for me, and I'm looking forward to being here for a long time." Kahne's contract with Hendrick Motorsports was set to expire following the 2015 NASCAR season.(Hendrick Motorsports)

Matt Borland Named Vice President of Technology for Haas F1 Team and Stewart-Haas Racing

Veteran motorsports engineer Matt Borland has been named vice president of technology for Haas F1 Team and Stewart-Haas Racing. In this role, Borland will serve as a liaison between the two organizations - Haas F1 Team in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Borland will oversee the transfer of Formula One technology to Stewart-Haas Racing while providing Haas F1 Team with deep engineering resources. Concurrently, the highly-respected Borland will serve as a gatekeeper, ensuring the privacy of proprietary information respective to each team. Borland joined Haas CNC Racing, the precursor to Stewart-Haas Racing, in May 2007. He has served in numerous capacities, including crew chief, competition director, technical director and, most recently, vice president of engineering, where he oversaw all of the team's technical initiatives and research and development projects. Borland came to Haas CNC Racing with significant NASCAR experience, first with Team Penske from the end of the 1999 season through 2006 and then with Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007. Prior to coming to NASCAR, Borland was the race engineer for driver Mark Blundell at PacWest Racing in Champ Car and before that, Borland was at Pi Research, a well-known engineering organization specializing in motorsports.(SHR)

Brian France: 'like a grand slam in the ninth inning'

NASCAR Chairman/CEO Brian France didn't think Kevin Harvick just hit a home run Sunday in winning the first Sprint Cup championship under the new elimination format. No, with the dramatic way Harvick took the lead on the closing laps and then held on for his first-ever Sprint Cup championship, it was much more in France's mind. "It might have been a grand slam in the ninth inning," France said Monday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "I really thought that in past times and late in the season - I go back to Tony Stewart when he not only had to beat Carl Edwards and win (2011 championship), and some other performances - I really thought whoever was going to come away with the championship was going to need a win."
"It was amazing," France said. "The amount of excitement and drama, watching that, even for long-time fans like myself, that has you on the edge of your seat, who's going to do this thing. That's the beauty of this format." It's unlikely there will be any further major revisions to the format, although some minor tweak(s) may still occur once NASCAR reviews all elements of how the Chase played out in the next month or so. Certainly, having sold-out venues at the final two tracks - Phoenix and Homestead-Miami - ended the Chase on an especially high note. And then with Harvick's dramatic push to the front, the race win and ultimately the championship, France and NASCAR look forward to more of the same kind of excitement and drama in subsequent editions of the Chase to come. "As we go down the road, that's going to be the Chase," France said. "If you go back through (this year's edition of) the Chase, there were plenty of big moments where teams stepped up to move on - (Brad) Keselowski when he had to do it at Talladega, for example. I think the teams like that environment. I know it's stressful for them, but at the end of the day, they get excited and elevated themselves."(NBC Sports)

Harvick wins at Homestead and is the 2014 CHAMPION

Kevin Harvick won the FORD EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for his 5th win of the season. Harvick is the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, beating Ryan Newman by 1 points in the first ever Championship Race. #11-Hamlin finished 7th which placed him 3rd in the Chase and Joey Logano suffered a poor pitstop late in the race to finish 16th and 4th in the Chase. Newman finished 2nd followed by Keselowski, Menard, McMurray, Hamlin, Bowyer, Johnson and Gordon. Pole winner Jeff Gordon dominated most of the race, leading 161 of 267 laps until pitting late in the race and finishing 10th.

Busch Has Yet To Speak With Law Enforcement, Congresswoman Chastizes NASCAR For Handling

Driscoll said Busch grabbed her face and repeatedly smashed her head against the wall in his motorhome at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, leaving her with severe pain, difficulty breathing and bruising on her neck. Since those allegations were made public last Wednesday, Dover Police public information officer Cpl. Mark Hoffman said his department has interviewed a number of witnesses associated with to the case, but not Busch.

In his words, “We would like to speak with him, obviously. We're working with Mr. Busch and his legal team to schedule an appointment that we can sit down and talk with him. Whether that's in person or by videophone, we're not completely sure yet. It's just going to depend on their availability at this point.”

Hoffman said the department’s willingness to accommodate Busch’s schedule is not related to "who he is or what he does for a living," adding that the case is complicated by Driscoll’s decision to wait approximately six weeks to file a police report. Driscoll has said her delay stemmed from an ongoing dispute with her ex-husband over the custody of their son.

Busch’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said last week that his client “will fully cooperate with (the) investigation and expects to be vindicated when the entire truth of the situation comes to light.’ He called Driscoll’s allegations “a complete fabrication by a woman who has refused to accept the end of a relationship.”

In a related story, a member of the United States House of Representatives has criticized both NASCAR and Stewart Haas Racing for failing to suspend Busch from competition until the case is resolved.

SI.com is reporting that Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), wrote to NASCAR president Mike Helton and Stewart Haas owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas this week, calling NASCAR and SHR’s response “totally inadequate.

“Despite the severity of the criminal allegations against Mr. Busch,” wrote Speier, “I am disappointed to see that NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing have not taken any action.” She said NASCAR’s refusal to suspend Busch and driver Travis Kvapil – who received two years’ probation and community service as part of a deferred domestic assault prosecution agreement in October of 2013 – “calls into question the enforcement policies exercised by NASCAR.

"NASCAR would rather let Mr. Busch drive for the remainder of the racing season than take a stance on violence against women," wrote Speier. "While he rounds the track, the legal processes for his domestic violence charges race forward as well. Until his legal proceedings end, NASCAR should put Mr. Busch's car in park. The charges are horrifying, and NASCAR's inaction sends a clear signal to drivers that owners do not take these violent actions seriously."

She called for NASCAR and SHR to “suspend Mr. Busch from his weekend’s Championship and adopt a policy going forward in all domestic violence cases to suspend drivers until criminal proceedings end, or there is a clear lack of evidence.”

She also requested that she be included in all of internal investigations conducted by the sanctioning body or race team, and requested “a history of sanctions levied by NASCAR and racing teams for domestic violence incidents brought to your attention over the last five years.” (Dave Moody Godfather Blog)

Haas F1 Team NBC Interview

2014 Ford EcoBoost Championship Weekend Schedule

Friday, November 14
12:30 - 2:00 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Practice (FS1)
2:45 PM Ford EcoBoost 200 QUALIFYING (FS1)
6:15 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Qualifying (ESPN2)
8:00 PM 2014 Ford EcoBoost 200 (FS1)

Saturday, November 15
12:00 - 12:50 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Practice (FS1)
1:15 PM Ford EcoBoost 300 QUALIFYING (FS1)
3:00 - 3:50 pm Ford EcoBoost 400 Final Practice (FS2)
4:30 PM 2014 Ford EcoBoost 300 (ESPN2)

Sunday, November 16
3:00 pm 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

Larson Comments on Newman's Move

Kyle Larson called Ryan Newman's last-lap actions Sunday "a little upsetting" but said he understood Newman's desperation and "can't fault him for being aggressive there.'' Needing to pass Larson to secure the final spot in the championship round, Newman dive-bombed the rookie on the last lap at Phoenix International Raceway. Newman's car slid up the track and hit Larson's car, sending it toward the wall. That allowed Newman by, giving him a shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. By advancing, Newman eliminated #24-Jeff Gordon from title contention. "Coming to the finish, there were a lot of cars racing really hard,'' Larson said in a statement provided to Motor Racing Network by Chip Ganassi Racing. "I knew (Newman) was right around me and knew he needed to gain some spots to keep from getting eliminated from the Chase. It's a little upsetting he pushed me up to the wall, but I completely understand the situation he was in and can't fault him for being aggressive there. I think a lot of drivers out here would have done something similar if they were in that position."(Motor Racing Network)

Statement from Dover Police on Kurt Busch Investigation

"The Dover Police Department can confirm that an investigation is being conducted based on an allegation of domestic assault that is alleged to have occurred in the City of Dover involving Mr. Busch. These allegations were brought to the Dover Police Department on Wednesday, November 5th at 2:00PM. At this time, the department is still investigating the victim’s claims and will not have any further comment on this matter in order to preserve the integrity of the case. The Dover Police Department will release further information as it becomes available. We appreciate the public’s and media’s patience in this matter and are confident that the department is taking the proper investigative steps to ensure the case is resolved appropriately."(Dover Delaware Police Department)

NBC announces pit reporters for 2015 TV team

NBC Sports Group has reached agreements with motorsports reporters Dave Burns and Mike Massaro, who will join NBC's multiplatform NASCAR coverage in 2015. In addition to covering pit road during Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series action on NBC and NBCSN, Massaro and Burns will contribute to NASCAR AMERICA on NBCSN, as well as handle assignments throughout various NBC Sports properties. The appointments of Massaro and Burns follow previous NBC Sports NASCAR on-air announcements for analysts Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, race announcer Rick Allen, pre- and post-race host Krista Voda, and fellow reporters Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast.
Burns has more than 25 years of motorsports experience, having covered everything from NASCAR Sprint Cup to Sports Cars at LeMans, Daytona and Sebring, to SuperBikes, Formula cars and Legends. His on-air career began as a hobby, announcing American Speed Association stock car races. Radio and television roles with the ASA led to his first NASCAR coverage of their truck series on ESPN, where he developed the skills that led to his appointment as one of NBC Sports' NASCAR pit road reporters in 2001. His success in that role contributed to NBC Sports' Outstanding Live Sports Series Emmy Award for NASCAR coverage in 2006. In 2007, Burns re-joined ESPN, where he has handled NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage as both a reporter and announcer over the last eight years. Burns lives in Charlotte, N.C., with his wife and daughter.
Massaro also joins NBC Sports from ESPN, where he has been handling motorsports coverage and other assignments since 2001 as a reporter during live events and contributing to properties such as SportsCenter and Outside the Lines. Over the past eight years, Massaro has been working alongside Burns on pit road during ESPN's NASCAR Sprint Cup series coverage. Previously, Massaro served as a reporter for RPM2Night, and as host/reporter for ESPN2's NASCAR Now. In his first announcing duties, he handled the public address system at Stafford Motor Speedway in upstate Connecticut. From there, he joined MRN Radio, which led to increased exposure as a reporter for Inside NASCAR on TNN, and assignments on pit road for NBC and TBS. In 2000, he earned a National Motorsports Press Association and Russ Catlin Motorsports Journalism Award for a feature on the late Dale Earnhardt. To date, Massaro has won three Russ Catlin Motorsports Journalism awards, and four from the NMPA. Massaro lives outside of Hartford, Conn.(NBC)

Watkins Glen International Set to Repave in 2015

Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup announced Wednesday that the historic track will conduct a repaving project in the summer of 2015. It is the first time the track will be repaved since 1998.

The repave will begin with “The Boot” in July, followed by the short course immediately following the Cheez-It™ 355 at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend in August. The repave is slated for completion in advance of the 2016 race season.

“This is a significant project for Watkins Glen International, our competitors, fans and track rental customers,” Printup stated. “The repave is a tremendous undertaking and next summer is the right time to begin this historic project and prepare The Glen for the future.”

Asphalt specialists and engineers conducted a thorough evaluation of The Glen’s entire circuit and recommended the current timeline. Further details and project specifics will be released at a later date.

As a result of the repave, the Glenora Wine Cellars U.S. Vintage Grand Prix presented by Welliver will take place July 24-26. Information regarding renewals and ticket sales will be shared with customers in the coming weeks.

Fans will be able to witness the project from the Fans R1st Viewing Area in the Argetsinger Grandstand. That area will continue to be free and open to the public through the end of October. Fans will also be able to follow the progress of the project via Facebook, Twitter and www.TheGlen.com.

2014 Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 at Phoenix Race Weekend Schedule

Thursday, November 6
5:30 pm Casino Arizona 100 K&N Pro Series West Race(Airs 11/12 on FS1)

Friday, November 7
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Practice (FS1)
2:45 PM (4:45 PM) Lucas Oil 150 QUALIFYING (FS1)
4:45 pm Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Qualifying (ESPN2)
6:30 PM (8:30 PM) 2014 Lucas Oil 150 (FS1)

Saturday, November 8
9:30 - 10:20 am Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Practice (FS2)
10:45 AM (12:45 PM/ET) DAV 200 Honoring America's Veterans QUALIFYING (TV Coverage TBA)
12:30 - 1:20 pm Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Final Practice (FS2)
2:00 PM (4:00 PM/ET) 2014 DAV 200 Honoring America's Veterans (ESPN)

Sunday, November 9
1:00 pm 2014 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO TRACK

NASCAR Penalizes Crew Members And Crew Chiefs From The No. 5 and No. 24

NASCAR has assessed penalties to crew members from the No. 5 and No. 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams for their involvement in post-race incidents on Nov. 2 at Texas Motor Speedway. In addition, the crew chiefs from those two teams also have been penalized.

Jeremy Fuller, a crew member with the No. 5 team, along with Dwayne Doucette and Jason Ingle, crew members with the No. 24 team, each have been fined $25,000 and suspended from NASCAR through the completion of the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points races. All three were found to be in violation of:
· Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
· Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty – involved in a post-race physical altercation with a driver on pit road

Dean Mozingo, a crew member with the No. 24 team, has been fined $10,000 and suspended from NASCAR through the completion of the next three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points races. He was found to be in violation of:
· Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
· Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty – involved in a post-race physical altercation with another crew member on pit road

Kenny Francis, crew chief of the No. 5 team, and Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 24 team, have each been fined $50,000 and placed on NASCAR probation through the completion of the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points races. They were found to be in violation of:
· Section 9-4A: Crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his team members
· Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
· Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty

"While the intensity and emotions are high as we continue through the final rounds of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the actions that we saw from several crew members Sunday following the race at Texas are unacceptable," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president, competition and racing development. "We reviewed the content that was available to us of the post-race incident along pit road, and identified several crew members who crossed the line with their actions, specifically punching others."

"We therefore have penalized four crew members as well as their crew chiefs, as they ultimately are responsible for members of their team per the NASCAR rule book," Pemberton continued. "A NASCAR championship is at stake, but we can’t allow behavior that crosses the line to go unchecked, particularly when it puts others in harm’s way."(NASCAR)

'Game-Changing' K&N Pro Car Unveiled

LAS VEGAS -- The K&N Pro Series is set to show off the hottest new body on the Las Vegas Strip and NASCAR is convinced that it’s hit the jackpot thanks to the model’s curvaceous collaboration of substance and speed.

In fact, the sport is betting that drivers and crew chiefs alike will be unable to keep their hands off the sleek and sexy lines of their show-stopper that will be unveiled Tuesday by NASCAR President Mike Helton during the SEMA automotive specialty products trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“This car is not only a pretty good-looking piece, it’s a game changer,” said NASCAR Touring Series Managing Director Brad Moran of the new body, sporting panels made from a state-of-the-art composite laminate blend that are bolted together with a revolutionary 12-flange design.

Built with aerodynamics, safety and cost-effectiveness in mind, the body will replace existing steel-shelled K&N cars with a design that’s 35 pounds lighter and miles ahead of the competition when it comes to ease of repair.

Previously seen only by a handful of racing officials outside the Turner Motorsports shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, the Las Vegas car is painted to replicate 2014 K&N Pro Series East champion Ben Rhodes’ current Chevrolet Impala SS. Equipped with a Robert Yates spec engine, the Vegas model is white with blue, green and red stripes along the side. It carries the number 41 as well as the name of Rhodes’ sponsor, Alpha Energy Solutions, on the quarter panels and hood.

“I don’t get too excited to debut too many new cars, but this one, with a red chassis and the white body looks like a show car,” says Mike Greci, K&N East Series Director for Turner Motorsports, whose team was responsible for assembling and prepping the display vehicle. “Tony Glover (NASCAR Touring Series Technical Director) and Brad Moran suggested that we should just take it right to Barrett-Jackson and run it right across the auction block. It’s that pretty.”

But the true beauty of the new K&N racing machine extends beyond its flash to its behind-the-scenes sensibilities.

“In the long run, it’s going to save teams a bunch of money,” Greci says.

Those savings should come primarily in the man hours needed to prepare and repair damaged race cars. Greci estimates that prep and repair costs should easily be cut in half.

The secret is in performance and durability of the bolt-together flange design, which eliminates the need to cut and weld together body panels or entire body segments. When a panel is damaged, teams simply bolt on a new one. Those panels will come to teams pre-dyed on the inside with pre-molded mounting points, pre-cut glass and a built-in cowl for air induction.

“The way it bolts together, cars will be much friendlier to repair, either in tact or by reattaching panels,” Greci says. “The way the flanges work, they either butt up at a seam or overlap a seam. But there are no exposed bolts. Everything is inside. Our car for Las Vegas is painted, but if you wrapped it instead of painting it, you wouldn’t even see the seams.”

Although an entire body – be it designed for Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota – weighs only 120 pounds, Moran emphasizes that design emphasis came from a safety-first perspective.

“First of all, it’s made from flame-resistant material,” he says. “The greenhouse is very well constructed. There are tethers to keep the hood from flying off, insets for windshield center braces, really a lot of safety improvements.”

The Las Vegas car is actually the second prototype built for the K&N Series utilizing the composite laminate materials and 11-panel design. The first car was built in a cooperative effort between body component supplier Five-Star Racing and the NASCAR Research and Development team under the watchful eye of Glover, a three-time Daytona 500-winning crew chief.

That car went through wind tunnel testing, where the new model, designed to resemble current Sprint Cup cars, compared favorably to its Sprint Cup brethren.

Given the technical numbers, although the new body won’t actually see the race track until the first weekend of the 2015 season, Feb. 6-7 at New Smyrna, Fla., K&N Series officials are confident about performance and durability.

“Based on our tests, I don’t know if the new car will really go faster, but it does look more modern,” Moran says. “It’s a big leap forward for the series in terms of aesthetics.

“By elevating the quality of the car with a look that’s more up-to-date – more what you see on the street and with a look that’s almost identical to the Sprint Cup body that fans see racing on Sundays. – I think it elevates the entire series.”

The new K&N Pro Series body is one of three NASCAR vehicle attractions on display at the SEMA Show, which runs through Nov. 7. The 2015 No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry of Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch and the track-drying Air Titan 2.0 highlight the NASCAR area on the show floor.

The display also includes a Mazda Prototype race car from the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, which is sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), a company within the NASCAR Holdings Group.

Fans following the event from their computer, tablet or mobile device can watch driver interviews live on Fanschoice.tv.

Executives from NASCAR and IMSA are being featured as part of the SEMA Show’s Technology Briefing Seminars. Scott Atherton, president of IMSA, discussed the importance of technology and innovation in growing the series during the Racing and Performance Forum. Gene Stefanyshyn, senior vice president for Innovation and Racing Development, was a featured panelist on the Powertrain Forum and talked about NASCAR’s efforts to maximize fuel economy and Dr. Mike Lynch, NASCAR vice president of Green Innovation, discussed the sport’s focus on driving sustainability at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo on Nov. 3.(NASCAR)

Waltrip eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars"

Michael Waltrip's ballroom dancing career has come to a close on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" as he was eliminated from the show Monday night. Week eight's theme was "Dynamic Duos" and Waltrip and partner Emma Slater performed a foxtrot as Tarzan and Jane to "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins. Waltrip and Slater received a score of 25 out of 40.(ABC)

NASCAR to review the Brawl

NASCAR will study film of the post-race fight [at Texas Motor Speedway at the end of the race] involving Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and a host of crew members, but according to Robin Pemberton, the sanctioning body's senior vice president of competition and racing development, NASCAR has no issue with the incident that caused it. "I think it was hard racing, and this is a contact sport," Pemberton said of Keselowski's up-the-middle attempt pass on the next-to-last restart, a move that left Gordon with a cut tire and diminished championship chances. "You look at what drivers are trying to do. We had a couple shots at a green-white-checkered finish, and everybody was going for it. Nobody was leaving anything behind." The brawl itself is a different story. NASCAR will review the incident in its entirety and decide if penalties are warranted. Keselowski already is on probation from post-race actions three weeks ago at Charlotte. "We knew the (new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) format was going to put a lot of pressure on people to perform and make aggressive moves and decisions out there on the race track," Pemberton said. "You could see the result of that after the race. We're going to take our time. We've got a lot of film to review and things like that. The important thing is to make the right decision at the end of the day." Pemberton says NASCAR draws the line when drivers and crew members come to blows. "You shouldn't punch somebody," he said. "Everybody gets together, and when you're holding onto each other and grabbing and this, that and the other, that's one thing. When punches are landed, that's a different scenario...We have a lot of work to do this week."(NASCAR Wire Service)

NSCS Recap: Johnson Wins At Texas; Keselowski And Gordon Brawl On Pit Road

FORT WORTH, Texas—It happens every fall, at least in recent years.

Jimmie Johnson won the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway for the third straight year, holding off runner-up Kevin Harvick and third-place Brad Keselowski after Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 went to two overtimes.

The action in the second race of the Chase’s Eliminator Round was scintillating enough, but it couldn’t match the intensity of a post-race brawl on pit road that left Keselowski and Jeff Gordon bruised and bloodied.

Johnson, who was eliminated from the Chase two weeks ago at Talladega, led the field to the green flag on Lap 340, the second attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish, with Keselowski to his outside. As both drivers rolled through the first two corners wide open, Johnson inched ahead, ultimately clearing Keselowski’s Ford and pulling away.

Harvick passed Keselowski for second place but couldn’t catch Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet, which crossed the finish line .513 seconds ahead of Harvick’s No. 4 car.

But it was the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that caused all the controversy and helped to scramble the Chase standings with only next Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN) left to determine which four drivers race for the series championship Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gordon was the race leader at the time and picked the outside lane for a restart on Lap 335 with Johnson to his inside. Keselowski restarted third and tried to split the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers—in what Harvick would later call "bulldoze mode"—and ran out of room.

Contact from Keselowski’s car cut Gordon’s left rear tire, causing Gordon to spin on the backstretch, which in turn brought out the record 13th caution of the race. Gordon finished 29th and dropped from first to fourth in the Chase standings, just one point clear of 25th-place finisher and Coors Light Polesitter Matt Kenseth in fifth.

"We drove down into Turn 1, and he just decided to body-slam us and cut our left-rear tire," an irate Gordon said after wading through a mass of crewmen to get to Keselowski. "It ruined our night. It ruined our chances, ruined our night, might have even ruined our Chase hopes.

"It’s just uncalled for. I had to show my displeasure. It got ugly down there, obviously, and you know that’s alright. A lot of things are going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

If Gordon had issues with the way Keselowski raced him, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was unapologetic.

"I'm not trying to dish out something that I couldn't take myself," Keselowski said. "But these guys have their own code, and they race differently than that. That's their right. We'll go through these battles. I've gone through them before and come out stronger. I'll go through them again and come out stronger, a better race car driver.

"But what I'm not going to do is back down. I'm not going to get in the spot where I was in 2013 where, you know, I tried to be exactly what they all wanted me to be, because what they want me to be is a loser, and I'm not here to lose. I'm here to win. That means I'm going to have to drive my car, harder, stronger, faster than everybody out there. That's what I feel like I did today."

In Victory Lane, savoring his fourth win of the season, his record fourth victory at Texas and the 70th of his career, Johnson could only shake his head at the unplanned fireworks after the race.

"I saw a little bit on the big screen going down the back straightaway," said Johnson. "I would definitely have to go to the tape and watch and see what happened there. I know that second-to-last restart, I got hit from behind and I know Brad got to my outside, and I guess in the process of running into me and getting to the outside lane he ruffled some feathers.

"Just an exciting night for us. We had a very fast race car, led a lot of laps (191 of 341). Those cautions at the end, one restart would help me, the other would hurt me—and in the end we got it done."(NASCAR Media)