Villeneuve set for Nationwide debut

Former Formula One and CART champion Jacques Villeneuve will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Saturday on a very familiar track.

The Canadian driver will be at the wheel of the No. 32 Braun Racing Toyota at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, named for his late father, another F1 star.

"Knowing the track as I do is obviously a big advantage, but I do worry about the Formula One habits that I have already formed," said Villeneuve, who hoped to run full-time in Sprint Cup this season before a lack of sponsorship cut short his effort. "My biggest worry is my brake lines. I will have to constantly remind myself not to use the Formula One brake markers that I am accustomed to."

Villeneuve, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner, last raced in Montreal in 2006 with the BMW Sauber F1 team. His best finish at the track on Notre Dame Island near downtown Montreal was sixth in 1996 while driving for Team Williams.

Villeneuve made seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts and ran two Cup races last season.

He tested the No. 32 Braun Camry last week on a road circuit in South Carolina.

"The test went really very well; almost better than I expected," Villeneuve said. "Driving the Nationwide cars on the (road) course was a big surprise to me. It's very different than the other cars I have driven. It was a great learning experience.

"The Braun Racing team was excellent to work with and, as the car became more familiar to me and we got into a rhythm as a team, it was a lot of fun. After the two days of testing, we got the car setup so that we should be very competitive this weekend."

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MORE ACTION: Jimmie Johnson, coming off his victory in last Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, has added a pair of races to his 2008 schedule.

In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Johnson will drive the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet fielded by Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 9.

The two-time reigning Sprint Cup champion will also make his Truck Series debut in the No. 81 Kobalt Tools Silverado fielded by Randy Moss Motorsports at Bristol on Aug. 20.

In Nationwide, Johnson has made 88 starts, with his only victory coming in 2001 -- his second and final full season in the former Busch Series -- at Chicagoland.

"Watkins Glen and Bristol are two tracks where I really want a win," Johnson said. "I enjoy racing (on the road course) at Watkins Glen and, for some reason (I) always seem to be a little better there than Sonoma. We've had some top-fives so, hopefully, this will put us in the win column.

"As for the trucks, I am really looking forward to that. I have never run a truck race, so it should be fun. Heck, my brother Jarit has run more than me. But it's going to be a good time."

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CHARITY WORK: For the first time since 1997, the August race at Pocono Raceway has a title sponsor -- and it's one that can make a difference.

Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race will be called the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.

"Pocono Raceway admires and respects the work of the Red Cross and wanted to help support its mission and the great work they do for families in Pennsylvania," said track president Brandon Igdalsky.

As part of this partnership, Pocono Raceway will donate 10 percent of the ticket revenue generated by online ticket buyers who use the promo code REDCROSS to American Red Cross Chapters in the area. The first 1,500 ticket buyers using the promo code also receive a free prerace Pit/Paddock Pass, a souvenir program and commemorative die cast car.

In addition, the track has added a donation collection site on its Web site, will donate a portion of the proceeds from T-shirt sales and provide the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter the opportunity to collect donations at the race.

The Red Cross is also receiving a percentage of the proceeds from a charity walk hosted by the NASCAR Foundation on Saturday.


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Harvick takes hit in Chase standings

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- When Kurt Busch wrecked out of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he just might have taken Kevin Harvick's championship hopes with him. A victim of Busch's slip, Harvick finished 37th and fell to 13th in the Chase for the championship.

Of course, he's been out of the top 12 before this season, and he's well within striking distance now at just two points out of the final qualifying spot.

At the same time, there are just six races to go to decide the field and Harvick and the rest of the drivers on the bubble can't afford any more slip-ups.

Harvick, who was on the bubble last year and still made the Chase, won't let his precarious spot change his strategy.

"It doesn't really matter -- you just race as hard as you can every week," Harvick said. "We have had some really good cars since Sonoma, but haven't been able to capitalize every weekend. We have had some bad weeks that have been out of our control. I am very confident in my team and I think we will do everything we can do to make the Chase."

If the Chase began this weekend, the field would consist of Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Clint Bowyer.

But the standings are so close from seventh to 15th that the field could change weekly between now and the Sept. 6 "regular season" finale at Richmond.

For example, Hamlin used a third-place finish last week at Indianapolis to move off the bubble and gain a bit of breathing room. Ranked 12th before Indy, he moved up four spots to eighth.

Kahne gained two spots and moved up to ninth. Now he heads back to Pocono with the same car he won with in June, intent on solidifying his spot in the Chase.

"We saved the same car. The car was brand new for the first Pocono race and it's been waiting to go back," he said. "I don't see why we can't have a shot at another win. As good as it was the first race, if we do the right things, we should have another shot."

Bowyer was the beneficiary when his Richard Childress Racing teammate fell out of the top 12. Bowyer is now in the final qualifying spot, albeit with a mere two-point advantage over Harvick.

Kenseth was the biggest victim of the tire problems that plagued Indianapolis. He blew a right rear fairly early in the race, and the explosion tore a chunk of the quarter panel off his Ford before it went spinning through the grass.

He finished 38th and dropped three spots in the Chase standings to 11th. He's only six ahead of Harvick now, in position to fall out at any time.

"Last weekend was a huge disappointment for us," he said. "We unloaded pretty good, with high hopes for a good finish. So, blowing a tire like we did and tearing up our car was pretty embarrassing. This weekend we're looking to bounce back at Pocono, which has really been one of our tougher tracks.

"A solid finish at Pocono would go a long way toward gaining some momentum in this stretch run leading up to the Chase."

So who does that leave on the bubble?

Well, Harvick for one. He was in a similar position last year when he hovered at the bottom of the top-12 during the stretch run. Although he grew weary of being asked about strategy, he never changed a thing and earned a spot in the field.

Now he's vowing to do the same.

"I am planning on just going out there and racing as hard as I can," he said. "I mean, you might not take a chance on fuel or a different pit strategy to win a race, but you really don't do much different."

Right behind Harvick is David Ragan, the surprise of the Chase contenders.

The second-year Roush Fenway Racing driver is having a remarkable season considering his rookie year struggles, and he's just 56 points out of 12th.

But Pocono could be the make-or-break race for Ragan, who has qualified 30th or worse in his three starts there and has never finished higher than 24th.

"I've struggled," he admitted. "But we've had some good runs recently, so hopefully we can build off of that momentum. We need to go there and get a good run -- it's all about points and having solid finishes at this point in the season."

Behind Ragan is Brian Vickers, who is 132 points out after engine issues in Indy led to a 42nd-place finish. But Vickers can make some ground when the series returns to Pocono and Michigan over the next month. He was second at Pocono in June and followed it with a fourth-place finish in Michigan.

Beyond Vickers, the last driver with a chance -- albeit an outside one -- is Ryan Newman. The Daytona 500 winner is 16th in the standings with significant ground to make up.

He's also got to deal with finding a new job for next season: Newman said two weeks ago he's leaving Penske Racing at the end of the year, and he's believed to be the top candidate to join Stewart's new team.

But Newman, who finished 13th in Indy, also wants a strong close to his Penske career.

"We had a really good points day at Indianapolis, and that's what we need right now," he said. "Our goal is to get the No. 12 Dodge into the Chase, and to do what we can to have solid runs without any issues for the next several races. We have to take that mentality and the momentum we have into this weekend's race and have another good one."


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Jimmie Johnson to make truck debut for Moss

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson, coming off his victory in last Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, has added two races to his 2008 schedule.

In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, the two-time reigning Sprint Cup champion will make his Truck Series debut in Bristol on Aug. 20 -- driving for NFL star Randy Moss. Johnson will drive the No. 81 Kobalt Tools Silverado fielded by Randy Moss Motorsports.

Johnson also will drive the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet fielded by Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 9.

In Nationwide, Johnson has made 88 starts, with his only victory in 2001 -- his second and final full season in the former Busch Series -- at Chicagoland.

"Watkins Glen and Bristol are two tracks where I really want a win," Johnson said. "I enjoy racing (on the road course) at Watkins Glen and, for some reason always seem to be a little better there than Sonoma. We've had some top-fives, so, hopefully, this will put us in the win column.

"As for the trucks, I am really looking forward to that. I have never run a truck race, so it should be fun. Heck, my brother Jarit has run more than me. But it's going to be a good time."


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NASCAR apologizes for Indy tire fiasco

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR apologized Tuesday for the tire fiasco that ruined its prestigious race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and vowed to avoid a repeat.

A durability issue with the tires Goodyear brought to Indy forced NASCAR to call cautions every 10 to 12 laps on Sunday to slow the action and force teams to change their tires before they failed. The longest run under the green flag was 13 laps, and Jimmie Johnson claimed the victory at the end of a seven-lap sprint to the finish in the second-slowest race in the 15 years NASCAR has competed at the Brickyard.

The drivers were disgusted, fans were frustrated and NASCAR is still trying to figure out why things went so wrong.

"I can't say enough how sorry we are and it's our responsibility being NASCAR that we don't go through this situation again," said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition.

"The race didn't come off like we had hoped, the fans didn't get what they exactly wanted and we'll do everything in our power -- it won't happen again, I can tell you that much."

NASCAR must first figure out why Goodyear's tires struggled so mightily at Indianapolis. The only thing that is certain is that the tire compound Goodyear selected was not strong enough when combined with NASCAR's current car.

The new car is a heavier model that puts significantly more stress on right-side tires, and Goodyear's inventory last weekend couldn't hold up to the pressure.

"It's obvious that we didn't go there with the right car-slash-tire combination," Pemberton conceded.

The problem was exposed in a Saturday afternoon practice session, when some cars couldn't make it three laps without the tire wearing down to the cords. A second practice session was only slightly better, when the runs stretched to about 10 laps before tires began to falter.

Goodyear shipped in an emergency batch of 800 tires it had earmarked for this weekend's race at Pocono, and NASCAR pulled all the crew chiefs together hours before Sunday's start to discuss a strategy for staging a safe race.

Officials decided to throw a "competition caution" 10 laps into the race to examine the tire wear, and promised to continuously monitor throughout the race. With Pemberton patrolling pit road, it became clear the tires wouldn't last much past the 10-lap window unless the abrasive Indy surface began to pick up rubber that would help the tires' traction and extend their wear.

It never happened, as the surface became the equivalent of a cheese grater and the rubber turned into a black dust that made the track even slicker -- forcing NASCAR to take control of the race.

"We have to run the race and we have to run the safest race possible, and when we're in situations where we have to take control under adverse circumstances, that's what we do," Pemberton said. "To get ahead of it and have the safest race possible, we had to take control and that's what we did -- run 10 to 11 laps at a time and let the cautions fly."

Goodyear plans to return to Indianapolis later this year to conduct another tire test. The first was held in April when Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers participated in a controlled test session for the manufacturer.

NASCAR did not have an open test at Indy this year -- something it has done in previous years -- because the crew chiefs did not select it when polled late last season on where they wanted to test.

NASCAR is currently working on a new testing policy that would give teams more testing dates and freedom to choose the tracks.

NASCAR officials spoke Tuesday morning with both Goodyear officials and Indianapolis president Joie Chitwood, as all parties tried to move forward. Track chairman Tony George was adamant in an interview with The Indianapolis Star that the surface was not a factor in Sunday's debacle.

"The problem is solely (NASCAR's), and by that I mean it's theirs to figure out," George told The Star. "It's not going to come with anything we do to the track. Figuring it out will only come with getting the car and tire combination right, and that requires actually spending the time and effort to do something about it.

"The track won't change next year, so if they want to come back, they better figure it out because I don't think the fans want to come back and see that."

Pemberton agreed there is nothing wrong with the track, and in admitting NASCAR is deeply affected by the fiasco, vowed the issue will be corrected before next year's return.

"It hurts us whenever we have a weekend like we had," Pemberton said. "There's nothing worse than coming away from a race and knowing the result was ... it wasn't even close. It wasn't even in the 25th percentile of what we're capable of doing and what we do week in and week out.

"When we go back to Indianapolis next year, we'll probably have the best Brickyard we've ever had."


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NASCAR mandates cautions to monitor tires

Petty to use 3 drivers in No. 45 in next 3 races

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Petty Enterprises will use three different drivers in the No. 45 Dodge over the next three races as it continues to evaluate the slumping team.

Chad McCumbee will attempt to qualify the car this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Kyle Petty will try to qualify the car the next week at Watkins Glen, and Terry Labonte will drive it at Michigan.

"Chad, Kyle and Terry will be competing at places where they have all had success in the past," said Robbie Loomis, vice president of race operations. "That should put the No. 45 team in the best position possible to gain points on the teams in front of us in owner points.

"Everyone at Petty Enterprises is committed to doing whatever it takes to get this team back inside the top-35. That is one of our highest priorities as an organization."

The No. 45, which is typically driven by Petty, is currently 41st in car owner standings and 273 points out of the top 35.

Petty has not raced the car since Lowe's Motor Speedway in May. He took a six-race hiatus to join TNT during its portion of the NASCAR broadcast schedule, and has given up seat time this season to both McCumbee and Labonte.

He'll get back in the car at Watkins Glen, where he has one victory and four top-10s in 20 career starts.

"He has been a great road course racer throughout his career," Loomis said. "I know he is looking forward to it as well so we are going up there with a lot of confidence that we will have a solid run."

McCumbee takes over the car this weekend, when he'll attempt to make his first Sprint Cup start of the season. He made the first series start of his career at Pocono last season when he finished 25th while filling in for Petty. He also won the ARCA race on that track last season.

Labonte, who has competed in seven races in the No. 45 this season, returns to the car at Michigan on Aug. 17.


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In the pits: Tire troubles ruin Indy race

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Yes, the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a debacle. No point in denying it.

But don't be so quick to castigate NASCAR, which was faced with the unenviable task of trying to salvage a race that was destined to look like stalled, rush-hour traffic.

When it became obvious in Saturday's practice sessions that the tires Goodyear brought to Indy had a serious durability issue, there was only one option for NASCAR a day ahead of the green flag: figure out how to stage a safe race. Option No. 2? There wasn't one.

Formula One and Michelin learned that at Indy in 2005, when three-fourths of the field refused to compete in the United States Grand Prix because of tire concerns. Indy took a hit, the race never recovered and F1 isn't currently racing in this country.

"The difference between NASCAR and Formula One is Formula One thinks of it as a business -- they don't think about the fans, they don't think about the show," said Juan Pablo Montoya, the only driver to participate in both tire fiascos.

"Here they do. NASCAR will do whatever is possible to put the show on in the best way possible."

And that's exactly what NASCAR tried to do, relying heavily on deliberate caution flags that slowed the pace of the 400-mile race and forced teams to change tires every 10-to-12 laps. It meant a record 52 of the 160 laps ran under caution, with the longest green-flag run a mere 13 laps.

The victor Sunday was decided by one final heat race, a seven-lap sprint to the finish that saw Jimmie Johnson win the race off pit road then hold off Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin to grab his second Brickyard title in three years.

To call it horrible racing is an understatement, and the participating drivers didn't mince words.

"It's embarrassing and it's disappointing. I've never seen anything like this," four-time Indianapolis winner Jeff Gordon said.

"Didn't see much of a race," Matt Kenseth echoed.

"It's just unacceptable at this level," Brian Vickers offered.

But their ire wasn't aimed square at NASCAR. Across the board, everyone understood NASCAR did the best it could with what it had to work with.

Goodyear tested the tires it brought to Indy back in April, when Vickers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch experimented with several different compounds to help the tiremaker find a match for Sunday. Although the tires in that two-day stretch seemed to last somewhere around 15 laps a run, Goodyear wrongly believed their durability would improve once the full field took to the track and began laying rubber on Indy's abrasive surface.

Where Goodyear went wrong was underestimating the effect of NASCAR's current car, a heavier new model that puts a ton more stress on right-side tires than last year's car.

The tires at Indy couldn't hold up to the pressure, and the rubber Goodyear had assumed would stick to the track never happened. Instead, the surface became the equivalent of a cheese grater, turning the rubber into a dust that never settled onto the surface.

With tires worn down to their cords, failures were almost certain every 10 laps.

So NASCAR stepped in with competition cautions, which didn't give teams a chance to push their tires to the limit. Given the opportunity, teams certainly would have raced through the durability window -- a situation that likely would have created multiple tire failures and many wrecks.

It was a decision based on experience. Durability issues at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2005 produced record cautions and dangerous racing conditions, when tires began popping like balloons. All NASCAR could do to stop it was a mid-race mandate on air pressures.

"Hindsight is 20/20," said vice president of competition Robin Pemberton, who patrolled pit road during the race so he could examine the tires up close and help the officials in the tower decide how to proceed.

Using a different tire wasn't an option, either. Although Goodyear shipped in an emergency allotment of tires it had earmarked for this weekend's race in Pocono, at least one manufacturer ran a simulation on that compound and determined the reserve tires would have been a dangerous 2 seconds faster per lap than the Indy tires. It would have created a major speed change not adaptable to the gear ratios and rev limits programmed for Indy.

NASCAR doesn't get a total pass on the Indy debacle.

The sanctioning body whiffed in failing to hold an open test session at the track, something that's been consistently done in past years.

Once the tires started failing during the test, and Goodyear saw the tires weren't laying any rubber on the track, there's no chance the company would have brought the same compound to Sunday's race.

Without the luxury of a full test, Goodyear had to guess a bit in preparing for Indy. Sometimes you guess right, and sometimes you guess wrong. In this case, Goodyear was clearly wrong.

As the only tire supplier in NASCAR, the company is not subjected to competition from other makers. Goodyear has the NASCAR market cornered, and every team needs its tires to turn even one lap. Its position as the only player in the game means its even more important that Goodyear avoids the blunders it made coming into Indy.

It's not NASCAR fault Goodyear wasn't prepared, and top officials did the best they could to salvage a dangerous situation. Now it's up to them to make sure it never happens again.


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NASCAR mandates cautions to monitor tires

NASCAR mandates cautions to monitor tires

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- NASCAR ordered competition cautions for Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to address concerns about the tires Goodyear brought to the Brickyard.

Drivers and crew chiefs complained after practice Saturday that the tires wore down too quickly on the 2.5-mile track -- some teams couldn't make it more than three laps without wearing out the rubber -- and that raised questions about whether there were enough tires on hand to complete the 400-mile race.

So Goodyear shipped in about 800 tires it uses at Pocono Raceway to have on reserve, and NASCAR said it would throw a yellow flag 10 laps into the race so teams can make a mandatory pit stop to examine the tire wear.

NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said the tires used during the first run will then be tested to check the wear. At least one more competition caution will be called.

NASCAR took similar measures during last year's Indy race.

"We anticipate that it will fix itself," Pemberton said. "This is not anything that we don't go through leading up to the race, primarily early in the event."

Crew chiefs quietly fretted that the tires won't even make it to the first assessment.

The problem with the tires stems from an inability to lay rubber on the track, which typically occurs when the tires warm up and a small amount of rubber is laid on the surface. It creates racing grooves that act as a buffer between the tire and the surface.

That didn't happen during the first practice run on Saturday, with some cars burning through tires so quickly drivers were forced to pit every five to six laps. There was improvement in the second practice, when Juan Pablo Montoya said he was able to run over 10 laps at a time. But, the tires typically last 30-plus laps at Indy.

If the situation doesn't improve, there is some concern teams could burn through their entire tire inventory, though Pemberton said when the entire field is on the track Sunday afternoon getting rubber down should be easier.

There was also concern that the decision by NASCAR and Goodyear to not reclaim tires from teams that drop out of the race could create a free-for-all on pit road with teams frantically trying to purchase the extras from other crews.

If the tire allotment runs out, or the Indy tires begin to fail, NASCAR could order the teams to switch to the Pocono tires.

Chad Knaus, crew chief for pole-sitter Jimmie Johnson, said the problem stemmed from the Car of Tomorrow's debut at Indy. The new model car has a heavier right-side load than the old model and don't stick to the track as easily.

"It's not the tire," Knaus said. "It's the same tire we used last year. The problem is the lack of downforce on this car. If the car had more downforce, we wouldn't be sliding all over the track. So it's not solely Goodyear's fault."

NASCAR isn't the first racing circuit to have tire troubles at the nearly century-old track. The 2005 U.S. Grand Prix, run by Formula One, fielded only six drivers after seven teams pulled out of the race because of problems with the Michelin tires.

Montoya was an F1 driver at the time and decided not to run in the race due to safety concerns. He's not as worried about NASCAR's tire problem.

"I will race because they are conscious about it, they are going to bring enough cautions to study it," said Montoya, who was second in last year's NASCAR Indy race. "Are you looking forward to it? No. It happens. This is where we are, you've got to make the most of it."

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AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report.


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In the pits: Tire troubles ruin Indy race

Tire problems dredge up bad memories for Indy fans

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indianapolis racing fans expected more than a parade of caution periods Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Given the tire situation, they ended up with a series of short sprints won by Jimmie Johnson and left the largest attended race on the NASCAR circuit mostly dissatisfied .

"My wife wanted a souvenir. I should have bought her a caution flag," said Max Guillozet of Rossburg, Ohio.

The subject of tires is a sensitive subject in Indianapolis, site of the Formula One fiasco in 2005. Back then, 14 of 20 starting drivers pulled off the track, citing safety concerns, before the green flag waved and fans threw beer in disgust.

Nothing like that happened Sunday, but the loud cheers normally associated with passes and chases were muted and some fans heard others complaining about NASCAR's decision to throw six competition cautions, turning the race into a series of short sprints none longer than 12 consecutive laps.

"I think there were a lot of disappointed fans because I heard it in the stands," said Alan Wood of Pendleton, Ind., who also attended the F1 debacle. "I hope (speedway president) Joie Chitwood will demand Goodyear never do this again."

Chitwood later issued a statement saying that the track surface hasn't changed since 2005 and that it was not the race the speedway wanted to have for the largest crowd on the circuit.

Despite the problems, it was a record-setting day. Sixteen drivers led the race, breaking the previous mark of 13 set in 1994 and matched in 1996, and there were a record 26 lead changes. There were 21 in 1994. Nine drivers led the race for the first time, the most since 13 held the lead in the inaugural event of 1994.

And not everyone walked away angry -- including some who were not Johnson fans.

Illinois residents Stephanie Sheehan, who wore a Jeff Gordon shirt, and Christina Boer, donning a Dale Earnhardt Jr. shirt, considered it one of the better Indy races they had attended.

"It was pretty good, there was a lot of battling," Sheehan said.

But the race will be remembered most for its deliberate pace. It was the second longest Brickyard in 15 years, taking 3 hours, 28 minutes, 29 seconds, and produced the most laps ever run under caution (52). The old record was 47 in 2004.

And although most fans believed they watched a legitimate race and saw a legitimate winner, most do not want to watch a recurrence next year.

"I always said I wanted a shootout," Wood said. "I'm not so sure any more. I think Goodyear should have learned from Formula One. I'll give NASCAR credit for this, the show went on."

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POINTS HIT: Three of the drivers who entered the day ranked among the top 12 points fell to early trouble, and Kevin Harvick dropped out of Chase for the championship contention.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who started the day second in points, had to pit on lap 26 because of a flat right front tire. Harvick was caught up in a crash with Kurt Busch on lap 14, and Matt Kenseth had much of the metal peeled off from the right rear quarterpanel when a tire blew.

"I just got caught up in my mess," Busch said. "I was trying to make it so we could pit at the next caution, and it snapped loose on me. I guess I got caught behind in the steering."

Earnhardt was the only one of the three to get back into contention, finishing 12th.

Harvick, however, finished 37th, 12 laps behind Johnson. It dropped him four spots in the standings, to 13th. Only the top 12 drivers after the 26th race of the season make the Chase.

Kenseth was 38th, 16 laps back, dealing at least a temporary blow to hold onto their tickets to race for the title in the final 10 weeks of the season. He fell three spots in the standings to 11th.

"We had a great car today; it was just harder to run right rears than other people," Kenseth said. "There wasn't really anything we could about it."

Another driver to take a hit was Brian Vickers, who is trying to make his first Chase. He had an engine problem, finished 42nd and dropped a spot in the standings to 15th.

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SMALLER CROWD: For the third straight year, attendance dropped at the Brickyard.

An hour before the race started, when seats have typically been filled, the stands were only about half-full. By the start of the race, most seats were full, but there were still empty spots in the lower part of the front straightaway and in the turns around the 2.5-mile oval.

Race organizers, who do not give out attendance figures, blamed the decrease on the economy.

"But it's still the second largest sporting event in the world," speedway spokesman Fred Nation said, referring to the attendance.

Speedway officials call their signature event, the Indianapolis 500, the world's largest attended sports event.

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FIRST-TIME OBSERVER: Motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden has been making regular trips to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year was back Sunday for the NASCAR race.

Surprisingly, it was the first time the Kentucky native had ever witnessed a Cup race in person.

"I had the weekend off, so I didn't have an excuse not to do it," Hayden said. "I'm from Owensboro, Ky., so it's hard not to be Waltrip fans. It is their hometown, so I like them. I like Dale Earnhardt Jr. too."

Waltrip's hopes were dashed quickly when he spun in the second turn, brushing former Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. and then getting pushed into the wall by Paul Menard on the fourth lap.

Hayden will be return to the historic speedway in September when he's expected to compete in the track's third event of the year, the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

"The whole paddock -- not just me -- is excited about coming to the Brickyard," Hayden said.

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NATIONWIDE SCHEDULE CHANGE: NASCAR's Nationwide Series race in Mexico will be replaced on next year's schedule by another American race, The Charlotte Observer reported Sunday.

"This was never about a single event. The big idea was to strengthen motorsports in Mexico," NASCAR vice president Robbie Weis told The Observer.

Weis would not say which track would add the race, but The Observer cited sources saying it could go to Iowa, a track seven eighths of a mile long that already hosts IndyCar and NASCAR Camping World East series events.

The NASCAR Corona Mexico series ran its first points race this season during the April weekend the Nationwide series held its race in Mexico City.

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ONE CHANCE: Actor John C. McGinley, who stars in the NBC television show "Scrubs," waved the green flag for Sunday's race.

Since it was the first time he had the honor, McGinley was given specific instructions about what to do: Hold on to the flag. Otherwise, he joked, he wouldn't get a do-over.

"I think they throw you off the tower if you drop it," he said. "That's the new McGinley Rule: If you drop the flag, we kick you off the tower."

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PIT STOPS: When four-time race winner Jeff Gordon took the lead on lap 24, it marked the first time he led the field at Indy since 2004. He has now led in a record 10 races on the 2.5-mile oval. ... Jeff Burton is the only driver who has completed all 15 races at Indianapolis. ... Only four drivers have started all 15 races -- Gordon, Burton, Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte. ... Former NFL offensive lineman Matt Elliott and his 8-year-old son, Max, met with one of Elliott's former coaches, Joe Gibbs, before the race. Elliott was the final player picked in the 1992 NFL draft and spent two seasons with the Washington Redskins. ... Students from Evansville Mater Dei High School spent race day with the Shell Oil Company after winning the 2008 Shell Eco-marathon. The vehicle entered the by the school set a record for fuel efficiency, getting 2,843 miles per gallon.


Lots new as IndyCar returns to its shortest oval
Katz considering an Oilers car for Indy?
Blake wins another close one at Indy

Gibbs says 4 teams not likely for 2009

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Joe Gibbs probably won't field a fourth team next season because he's running out of time to put a proper expansion package together.

"You wouldn't say never, but it doesn't look right now that it will happen for us next year," Gibbs told The Associated Press before the start of Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Gibbs has been intent on pushing his program to four teams, but doesn't want to rush into it and said he's closing in on a deadline that would make 2009 impossible.

"I think we want to be real cautious, we always have been, we've gone slow and I think everything has to be in place," he said. "I'd say right now everything is not in place. You've got to have the right driver, the right sponsor and I'd say we're pretty close to not being able to do that in time for next year."

That would seemingly indicate that 18-year-old phenom Joey Logano will indeed be promoted to replace Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Toyota.

Stewart is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season, and team officials are very high on Logano and have not said anything that would infer Logano won't be in the ride.

There had been some speculation that Ryan Newman, who announced last week he's leaving Penske Racing, was in talks with Gibbs. But if there's no fourth team, there doesn't seem to be room for Newman or any other free agent.

Gibbs was deliberate when the organization went from one car to two, properly putting Tony Stewart's team together so that he was competing for wins immediately. But the expansion to three teams was not as smooth, as the No. 11 entry struggled through its 2005 debut season.

Jason Leffler ran 19 races before he was replaced by a combination of Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley. Hamlin took the ride over for good at the start of the 2006 season, won two races and made the Chase for the championship.

"We definitely do not want to rush it," Gibbs said. "The startup things, it's hard to get something off and running with that many people. Used to be, the first year we had 17 people and that's what you needed to start a race team. Now it's more like 70, it's a lot to get done and a lot to get done the right way.

"We did learn lessons from what we did before, and it's always good not to underestimate and think 'we did this, it won't be that hard' because it is very, very hard."


Panthers sign first-round pick Stewart
Veteran Gibbs assistant retires for health reasons
Gibbs Racing says so long to Stewart

Johnson survives tire debacle at Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson celebrated his second victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a burnout.

Appropriately, one of his tires exploded.

He was lucky he made it that long.

Tire troubles derailed one of NASCAR's crown jewel events Sunday when Goodyear's product wasn't durable to withstand more than 10 or so laps at a time. It created a chaotic and confusing caution-filled race that ended when Johnson outran Carl Edwards in a seven-lap sprint to the finish.

"Every lap. Every lap I was concerned about it. Every corner, for that matter," Johnson said. "As a group, we all knew we couldn't push the envelope. I knew at the end, a seven-lap shootout, I could blast it off in there and I'd be OK."

Johnson was indeed OK, earning the right to "kiss the bricks" for the second time in three years.

Goodyear and NASCAR were not OK, left to explain why the 400-mile race at the Brickyard became a debacle.

The tire issue cropped up early Saturday, when drivers learned during the first practice they could only last anywhere from three to 10 laps before the rubber wore down to the cords. NASCAR and Goodyear hoped the conditions would improve -- as it has in years past -- once enough rubber was laid down on the track.

But the first-time use of the Car of Tomorrow prevented any improvement because of the lack of downforce on the car, combined with its higher center of gravity, created conditions that made it very hard on the right side tires. No matter how much rubber was laid on Indy's notoriously abrasive surface, the tires still weren't strong enough to last more than about 10 laps.

"We came with the best tire we had for the conditions and we fell short. We'll try to get it right," said Greg Stucker, director of race tire sales for Goodyear.

"I don't think anybody likes to race like this, us included. We'll do what we can to make it better."

There were 11 total yellow flags, and NASCAR had to throw six competition cautions to force teams to pit and change their tires.

It meant the longest green-flag run was an embarrassing 12 laps, causing teams to fear both tire failures and a possible supply shortage. Goodyear shipped in 800 tires earmarked for use next week in Pocono before the race, but they ultimately weren't needed.

It was little consolation as drivers feared going full speed and crew chiefs were forced to gamble on tire strategy. No one was certain when NASCAR would call a caution, or if the sanctioning body would eventually decide to let the drivers go as long as they wanted.

"It was a pretty crazy day," said winning crew chief Chad Knaus.

NASCAR never chanced it, calling cautions every 10-to-12 laps as vice president of competition Robin Pemberton spent the race on pit road, examining tires and talking to frustrated crew chiefs.

After, he defended the job NASCAR did in staging a safe race.

"Not every race is a barnburner," Pemberton said. "If you are a good fan, and you didn't get what you wanted, it's OK to be disappointed and we can be disappointed right along with you. We're here to put on the best races we can, and we do a damn good job of it most of the time. Everybody inside these walls works real hard to do that."

Johnson fretted the final two stops, unsure what the right strategy would be. He took two tires on his final stop to emerge from pit road as the leader, then held off Edwards and Denny Hamlin over a final seven-lap green flag run to the finish line.

"I was worried the stop before that maybe we had to go two less to win this thing," Johnson said.

Edwards, sympathetic to NASCAR's plight, said he raced at 100 percent over the final run but couldn't catch Johnson.

"That's a long day. I know everybody's trying to do their best," Edwards said. "I just, personally, (want) to say to the fans, everybody's doing their best to make that race, at least we got to run at the end."

Hamlin, who led late but gave the lead up during the frenzied final sequences of pit stops, said he never got a feel for how good his car was because of the tire concerns.

"I don't think anyone could push their car as hard as they would have liked to, today," said Hamlin. "I was patient as I ever was in any other race. When I wanted to run hard, I could look like I was 20 mph better than anyone else, but I knew I was going to pay for it in the end."

NASCAR started the day with a scheduled competition caution to check tire wear after 10 laps, but it didn't even get that far as Michael Waltrip spun on the fourth lap to bring out the first yellow. Some of the teams decided to pit then, including 12th-place finisher Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"I liked it, because it was less work," Earnhardt said. "It was kind of fun, little 10-lap sprints, little heat races, getting new tires every 10 laps, it was great."

NASCAR pushed back the lap 10 caution to 14, but again the field didn't make it. Kurt Busch wrecked into Kevin Harvick on that lap to bring out another yellow. Because Earnhardt had already pitted, he stayed out and assumed the lead with the intention of trying to run to the next planned caution on lap 30.

But his tire started to fade four laps short of the stop, dropping him off the pace and a lap down when he had to pit under green.

Still, Earnhardt defended NASCAR.

"The truth of the deal is that was the best show we could put on today, NASCAR did everything right," he said. "It's all we could do aside from loading up and going home and not running at all. Yeah, it wasn't quite the race everybody expected, but shoot it was better than some of the races you've probably seen here."

Juan Pablo Montoya soon lost a tire, as did Matt Kenseth, who spun through the grass when his failed.

"It's a really, really, really disappointing situation," said Kenseth, who finished 38th. "This is one of the two biggest races of the year ... I feel bad for the fans -- we're running three-quarters speed because we're worried about the tires blowing out. They got blown out every eight laps."


Jimmie Johnson wins Brickyard pole
Kyle Busch edges Johnson for 7th Cup victory
Bengals’ Johnson to have surgery on both ankles

Newman, Wallace clash over Penske departure

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ryan Newman's long goodbye to Penske Racing isn't going quite as smoothly as planned.

Two weeks after Newman and team owner Roger Penske announced the current Daytona 500 champion would not return next season -- a decision Newman called "mutual" -- former Series champion turned commentator Rusty Wallace said Newman was fired.

"He didn't leave. I've read many, many stories that said that," Wallace said. "Roger Penske called Ryan Newman up to his offices and said 'I don't need your services next year.' Ryan Newman didn't come to him and say 'I'm leaving."'

Newman brushed aside the claim by his former Penske Racing teammate.

"I don't know what Rusty's grounds are, what he's trying to prove by saying that. That wasn't the case," Newman said. "Roger and I decided mutually to not continue, and it was more my decision I would say. I said our goals didn't aline and for that reason, and that reason alone we decided to not continue after 2008."

Newman said Wallace's comments may have been residue from their frosty relationship while driving for Penske before Wallace's retirement following the 2005 season.

"It doesn't matter to me," Newman said. "I know Rusty and I know his personalities, plural, and everybody's different."

Newman enters Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 16th in the season standings and is in danger of missing the Chase for the championship for the third straight year and has been critical of the Penske program recently as it struggles to compete against powerhouse teams like Joe Gibbs Racing.

"We've been good, we haven't been great," Newman said. "Good gets us close to the chase. Great gets us in it."

Newman said he's still sorting through his options for 2009, though he is considered a leading candidate to join Tony Stewart at the newly formed Stewart-Haas team. He has no timetable on when he'll get a deal done next season, though he admits the longer it drags out, the more distracting the process could become.

"I feel bad for the guys with the Alltel Dodge because I don't want to take away from them from a performance standpoint," Newman said. "I don't think it is when I'm inside the racecar, but when I'm outside the racecar it takes some effort to manage the situation."

------

MONTOYA'S MOOD: A year after finishing second to Tony Stewart in last year's Indy race, Juan Pablo Montoya isn't planning on puckering up to the bricks on Sunday afternoon.

"This year in the big tracks, we've struggled," he said. "If you look at the bigger picture, there is nothing to say we're going to go out here and win."

Montoya's inconsistent second season in the series has been plagued by a revolving door at crew chief and symptomatic of the struggles of Chip Ganassi Racing, which shuttered Dario Franchitti's No. 40 team due to sponsorship problems.

"I think being realistic, our main goal is get ourselves better," said Montoya, who is 20th in the points race. "The whole Ganassi organization right now is in a little bit of a hole and we know that but I think we've started to understand what we need to do and where we need to go."

Montoya saw signs of progress during an 18th-place finish in Chicago two weeks ago, when he was able to stay on the lead lap through two pit cycles despite not having a particularly fast car. Running in the top half of the field at Indy would be another step in the right direction.

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EYEING THE CHASE: Kasey Kahne enjoys the technical skill required to navigate the 2.5-mile track at Indy, though at this point in the season Kahne and several other drives admit they keep one eye on the track and another on the points standings.

Kahne enters Sunday's race 11th in points, just inside the Top 12 that qualify for the Chase for the championship. While he'd love to win, Kahne knows the possible rewards might not be worth the potential risk.

"If you take too many chances, you can get offline and kill your speed, get sideways, spin out or whatever," Kahne said.

Denny Hamlin knows how costly one bad race can be. He dropped from seventh to 12th in the points after finishing 40th in Chicago two weeks ago now just holds a tenuous 27-point lead over 13th-place Clint Bowyer. Hamlin said his team will be mindful of how the drivers around him in the standings are doing during the race.

"We look at the standings enough to know that a guy 13th or 14th in the points just got in a wreck so we need to preserve a good finish, we don't need to finish back there where he's at, we need to open that gap," Hamlin said. "You always are aware, but you try not to let it overtake what you do on the track."

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HELPING HANDS: Nationwide Series regular Brad Coleman will have a few helping hands with him when he heads to the track for Saturday night's Nationwide Race at O'Reilly Raceway Park.

Coleman's No. 27 Ford will have a paint scheme featuring a total of 63 names and hand prints with the slogan "Making a difference, HAND in HAND." The prints are from dozens of hands of patients and their parents/guardians at Riley Hospital for Children.


Newman to leave Penske Racing
Katz considering an Oilers car for Indy?
Newman, Stewart play coy on potential partnership

Jimmie Johnson wins Brickyard pole

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Mark Martin picked Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the spot he plans to end his 97-race winless streak.

Then he announced it to all of NASCAR, an uncharacteristic burst of boldness that literally raised eyebrows.

"When Mark said that, I looked at him ... because Mark never is optimistic about things," said two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson. "The fact that he was so confident about it, I couldn't believe it was Mark Martin.

"I think that's a huge statement."

Was it ever.

Martin turned a lap Saturday at 181.393 mph in his Chevrolet to beat everyone in qualifying except Johnson. His lap of 181.763 gave him his first pole at the Brickyard, and an up-close look at what Martin has in store for the field in Sunday's race.

"He's a much better racer than he is at qualifying, so I would assume he's going to be one of the guys to beat," said Johnson, winner of the 2006 race here. "Of course, I'm very optimistic about our car and what we're doing. But for Mark to go out and say that type of comment, he's got something in store for us."

Martin, as is his manner, downplayed his alleged guarantee after qualifying. Made in June at Pocono Raceway, the veteran said he didn't mean to sound so certain victory was his to take.

"I didn't feel like when I made the statement, like (it was) Babe Ruth pointing. Maybe it was, but I didn't mean it that way," Martin said. "But I did mean that we were going to come here and be strong and I feel like no matter what happens tomorrow I can halfway save face on that because Top 10 in both practices and we've qualified second, so I feel that prediction is coming true."

Ryan Newman qualified third in a Dodge and was followed by Kasey Kahne and four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon. He was followed by Elliott Sadler and Kurt Busch, then the Roush Fenway Racing Fords of Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth.

Defending race winner Tony Stewart had the highest-qualifying Toyota at 14th and teammate Kyle Busch, the series points leader, was 19th.

Failing to qualify were Bill Elliott, the 2002 Brickyard winner who had appeared in all 14 previous races here, Johnny Sauter, Stanton Barrett and Tony Raines.

Although Martin likes his chances, he'll most certainly have his hands full with Johnson, Gordon and the Hendrick Motorsports fleet. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start 11th, and the three Chevrolets have been the best in nearly every practice session.

Johnson and Gordon went 1-2 in Happy Hour, and Gordon paced Saturday's first session.

For Johnson, it was the pickup he needed after losing to Kyle Busch two weeks ago in Chicago. Johnson erred on the final restart, giving Busch the opening he needed to grab the lead away en route to his series-best seventh victory.

For most of the past three years, it's been Johnson who did that to opponents. So messing up in Chicago was particularly hard on the champion.

"I was really mad at myself. There was no one to blame but myself for losing that race," he said. "For days after that I kicked myself. Then as I knew I was coming to Indy and getting my mind ready to come race here, I started kicking myself again.

"So that was my fault. I apologized to my team over and over. They're tired of hearing it, but we should have had that trophy. That was our race."

Strong practice sessions and the pole have helped Johnson move past the blunder and gain some of the swagger back that's seemingly been missing this season. A routine visitor to Victory Lane, Johnson has just one win this season and is fifth in the points standings.

"Every time you're on track, it kind of erases what went on before," Johnson said. "But, God, I hope roles are reversed at the end of this thing. I want to get back the same way, and that is out of respect for him. He got me."

But the Brickyard has never been particularly kind to Johnson, who ended a stretch of horrible runs here when he won in 2006. His reward? A fiery wreck last season that resulted in a 36th-place finish -- the third time in seven races he's finished 36th or worse.

The great equalizer could be a tire problem that popped up during Saturday's practice sessions.

NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said the unique surface at Indianapolis has historically been troublesome for tiremaker Goodyear, and teams grew concerned when cars could only manage a handful of laps on a fresh set of tires because the rubber wasn't sticking to the track.

"It hasn't gotten better as quick as they had hoped, it's a little bit slow to get the rubber down for whatever reason," Pemberton said. "It's the same or very similar to what we had last year."

Pemberton said NASCAR is considering increasing the tire allotment for the 400-mile race, though he added that things should get better when the full field is on the track because drivers will run on multiple grooves and even out the surface.

Goodyear director of race tire sales Greg Stucker recommended NASCAR call a competition caution early in the race so teams can check the tires, and NASCAR officials said they likely would.


Texans’ Johnson to miss workouts after surgery
Hot Kyle Busch wins All-Star race pole
Nats’ Johnson likely out for ‘08 after wrist surgery

McMurray: I'll be back at Roush Fenway in '09

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Jamie McMurray said he isn't going anywhere, no matter what team owner Jack Roush said, or didn't say.

While running down Roush Fenway's future plans Friday, the owner left McMurray off the list but made sure to mention fellow Roush drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, David Ragan and Greg Biffle.

Though he called McMurray "important" to him, Roush expressed disappointment in McMurray's performance this season. The 32-year-old is 22nd in the season points race and all but assured of missing the Chase for the championship for the third consecutive year.

Asked about it after qualifying eighth for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis, McMurray called Roush's comments no big deal.

"I can't control what Jack says and sometimes Jack will go off a little bit and it maybe gets out of control," he said. "If you look at the results (we) haven't been as good as the other four teams, so Jack is just kind of stating the obvious."

McMurray has just three Top 10 finishes this season, hasn't won in over a year and is below his four teammates in the season standings.

"I can give you a long list of things that if it would have been just a little different, we would have had some really good finishes," McMurray said. "So I'm optimistic with all that, so we'll just have to move on."

Perhaps to another team. There has been speculation that McMurray, whose contract with Roush Fenway runs through 2009, could leave to join Richard Childress Racing, rumors that McMurray flatly denied.

"There's no truth to that," McMurray said. "Richard is looking for a driver and I'm somewhat flattered to have my name on a list that another owner would want you, but I will be in this car and not at Richard Childress Racing."

------

TICKED OFF TOYOTA: Toyota is still smarting over NASCAR's mandate to cut down its horsepower in its Nationwide Series engines, an order top official Lee White called "draconian" and punishment for the manufacturer's success this season.

NASCAR changed the size of the spacer that's used in all Nationwide motors, a move that targeted Toyota's dominance and is expected to squeeze 15 horsepower out of its engines.

Toyota has dominated the Nationwide Series, winning 14 of 21 events heading into Saturday night's race at O'Reilly Raceway Park. All but one of those wins have been done with a Camry fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing.

Bowing to complaints from other teams, NASCAR changed the parameters earlier this week even though it allows that Toyota was within the rules.

"This is about too much success to soon and we understand that," said White, president of Toyota Racing Development. "We don't have to like it, but we understand it."

White said testing under the new guidelines showed that Toyota motors had fallen to the back of the pack in horsepower, but the rule change would not deter their focus on technology and advancement.

"We're going to be here. If we have to race armadillos, we're still going to be here cranking on armadillo horsepower and racing," White said.

Kyle Busch, who has picked up five Nationwide wins this season, doesn't think the rule change will make much of a difference on the track.

"I think that was a bad decision on NASCAR's part," Busch said. "I think it was just a lot of whiney complainers that got their way and hopefully we can go out there and whoop their (butt) again."

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PENSKE RIDE: With Ryan Newman leaving Penske Racing at the end of the season, there has been plenty of speculation about possible replacements in the No. 12 Dodge.

Roger Penske, with his IndyCar team in Edmonton for Saturday's race, said the process to find a new driver for the team's third car has just begun.

"A number of people have called us," Penske said. "We've got options to take a look at."

Penske expects to take the next few weeks going through the process after sitting down with sponsors to discuss driver options, though he stressed he's still focused on helping Newman finish the year strong.

"It would be to the benefit of Ryan, our team, everybody to get him in the Chase," Penske said.

Newman, who will start third on Sunday, has plenty of work to do to get into NASCAR's postseason. The Daytona 500 champion is 16th in the points, 189 behind Denny Hamlin, currently holding down the 12th and final Chase-eligible position.

Former Penske driver Rusty Wallace, now a TV commentator, made some waves earlier this week when he said Newman had been fired. Newman denied it on Friday and Penske followed suit Saturday.

"(Newman) made a decision, we made it together that he'd move on," Penske said. "There was no issue between the two of us. There's some reports that there was and that's not the case."

Newman, who made several jokes at Wallace's expense on Friday, took the high road after being vindicated by Penske.

"The bottom line is what (Wallace) said wasn't true and we'll move on," Newman said.

------

GIVING UP THE KEYS?: Mark Martin laughed off questions Saturday comparing him to Brett Favre, saying that unlike the NFL star, Martin has never used the word retirement.

The 49-year-old Martin, who qualified second for Sunday's race, will run full-time on the Sprint Cup for the first time since 2005 next year when he joins Hendrick Motorsports. The two-year deal to replace Casey Mears means Martin will put off -- again -- his postracing career.

Martin admits the decision to retire -- whenever it comes -- will be a difficult one. He likened the decision to the difficult process of watching his father take away the car keys of his grandfather, Clyde Martin. His grandfather was around 90 at the time, but the family decided to take away his driving privileges after striking someone on a bicycle with his car.

"That was a really hard day you know," Martin said. "At some point in time you have to meet those kinds of things all through life. I think for a professional athlete that is pretty good at what he does, that comes earlier in life."

Just not yet for NASCAR's fast old man.

----------

AP Auto Racing Writers Jenna Fryer in Indianapolis and Mike Harris in Edmonton contributed to this report.


Ravens’ Martin cited on drug charge in Cleveland
Toyota ordered to weaken Nationwide cars
Katz considering an Oilers car for Indy?

NASCAR-Craftsman Trucks-Power Stroke Diesel 200 Lineup

After Friday qualifying; race Friday

At O'Reilly Raceway Park

Clermont, Ind.

Lap length: 0.686 miles

(Car number in parentheses)

1. (09) Bobby East, Ford, 108.602 mph.

2. (2) Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 108.506

3. (99) Erik Darnell, Ford, 108.444

4. (33) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, 108.321

5. (6) Colin Braun, Ford, 108.316

6. (13) Shelby Howard, Chevrolet, 108.065

7. (14) Rick Crawford, Ford, 107.951

8. (23) Johnny Benson, Toyota, 107.928

9. (5) Mike Skinner, Toyota, 107.913

10. (18) Dennis Setzer, Dodge, 107.767

11. (88) Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 107.763

12. (51) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 107.692

13. (60) Terry Cook, Toyota, 107.617

14. (30) Todd Bodine, Toyota, 107.570

15. (10) Brendan Gaughan, Ford, 107.547

16. (22) Michael Annett, Toyota, 107.509

17. (7) TJ Bell Jr., Chevrolet, 107.071

18. (9) Justin Marks, Toyota, 106.891

19. (15) Marc Mitchell, Toyota, 106.863

20. (4) Stacy Compton, Dodge, 106.803

21. (16) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 106.595

22. (8) Chad McCumbee, Chevrolet, 106.467

23. (11) David Starr, Toyota, 106.425

24. (71) Donny Lia, Chevrolet, 106.101

25. (12) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 105.901

26. (21) Keven Wood, Ford, 105.742

27. (40) Chad Chaffin, Chevrolet, 105.624

28. (81) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 105.399

29. (0) Johnny Chapman, Chevrolet, 105.345

30. (08) Jason White, Dodge, 104.996

31. (07) Sean Murphy, Chevrolet, 104.631

32. (59) Ted Musgrave, Toyota, 104.370

33. (74) Derrike Cope, Dodge, 104.014

34. (73) Nick Tucker, Dodge, 103.957


Toyota ordered to weaken Nationwide cars
Busch falls short of history in trucks race
Johnny Buzhardt dies; pitched for Chicago’s teams
WOODS AND MEDIATE FACE PLAY-OFF

Foyt happy to share number with Stewart

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Tony Stewart has always talked about being a big A.J. Foyt fan, and it turns out the feeling is mutual.

"Tony and I have been friends for a lot of years. I think it's an honor for me to have somebody like that run No. 14," Foyt said in reaction to Stewart's announcement Friday in Indianapolis that he will use Foyt's traditional number on the NASCAR Sprint Cup car he will field for his new team next year.

"You know, I've had a lot of fun with that number through the years, and so have a lot of people," added Foyt, whose IndyCar Series team is in Edmonton for Saturday's race. "I think it will be great, great, great."

There are a lot of similarities between Foyt and Stewart.

Both are known for hot tempers, saying what they feel and winning on the racetrack.

Stewart is a two-time Cup champion, a former IndyCar Series champion and two-time winner of the NASCAR race at Indianapolis. Foyt, long retired from the cockpit, won races in open-wheel -- including four Indy 500s -- sports cars and stock cars, including a Daytona 500, in a driving career that spanned nearly 40 years. He also became a team owner at age 30, about seven years younger than Stewart.

"What's going to make it easier for Tony being a car owner, he's still a driver and he's still competitive," Foyt said. "So he'll know what he wants, the crew that he needs. So that makes it a lot easier instead of just a guy going in and not knowing what to do."

Darren Manning drives the No. 14 IndyCar for Foyt, who said he first adopted the number in 1966.

"I just decided I wanted a number that people would remember me by," Foyt said. "Even after I won the (open-wheel national) championship in '67, I still went back for 14. Everybody was asking, "Why didn't you want (No.) 1?' I told them I just wanted to stick with one number."

Foyt also pointed out another tie-in to Stewart, who currently drives the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

"No. 20 used to be my father's old midget number years back ... back when I was a little baby," said Foyt, the first four-time Indy 500 winner. "I'm just glad to see him have two of the numbers we've run through the years with the Foyts."

Foyt said he had a phone conversation with Stewart earlier Friday and Stewart asked him to be at Daytona next February for his debut as the owner-driver of Stewart-Haas in the No. 14 Chevrolet.

"I told him I'd definitely be there and I think he's going to hold me to that," Foyt said, laughing.

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GETTING IT RIGHT: Bruno Junqueira's Dale Coyne Racing crew got less than two hours of sleep Thursday night, working on the Brazilian driver's spare car until 5 a.m. Friday.

Junqueira slid off the track during Thursday's final practice, damaging his primary car.

"The car was loose and got a little air under it," Junqueira said. "It slammed down so hard it cracked the tub. We had to go to our older backup car, which is 30 pounds heavier. The team did an incredible job, staying through the night to get the car ready for practice and qualifying."

They switched the tub and had to change it from an oval setup to a road course setup, changing the bell housing, gears, suspension and fuel pump. The crew of Mario Moraes, Junqueira's teammate and countryman, stayed until 2:30 a.m. to help.

The work paid off as Junqueira made it through the first of three rounds of qualifying Friday and nearly made it into the final round, earning the seventh starting position for Saturday's race.

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SUITS ME: Tony Kanaan's race-day uniforms are special-ordered from Italy, complete with the name of that week's race embroidered on the side. After each race, that's week's uniform is auctioned off for a charity.

On a normal week, the uniform arrives on Friday or Saturday, in plenty of time for the Sunday race.

This week, however, the race is on Saturday and the blue design of Frank's Energy Drink has replaced the green of Kanaan's regular sponsor, 7-Eleven, as primary sponsor on his No. 11 Andretti Green Racing Dallara and on his uniform. Somehow, with those changes, the delivery has not gone smoothly.

Kika Garcia-Concheso, Kanaan's associate, said she called to find out where the uniform was before leaving their home base in Miami on Thursday and was told the uniform for the Rexall Edmonton Indy was still in Italy.

She asked the uniform be shipped overnight to Edmonton. When she checked Friday, the box was in Canada, but was being held by Canadian customs officials because there was duty due.

"I gave them a credit card number and that should have been enough," Garcia-Concheso said. "But, when I called to see when it would be delivered, I was told, "Monday.' Obviously, that won't work."

It cost another $150 to change the delivery time to Saturday morning, about five hours before the race.

"It's going to arrive at our hotel, which is right down the street, by about 10 o'clock," Garcia-Concheso said. "I'll hop on my scooter and dash over there and get it. Now I just hope it goes to the right hotel."


Stewart to use Foyt’s No. 14 for next season
Titans sign RT Stewart to multiyear extension
Simmons to race in Freedom 100 and Indy 500
Rollercoaster ride with happy ending

Stewart to use Foyt's No. 14 for next season

spld/jaminerva sptd/SButtar

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Tony Stewart has spent his entire career emulating A.J. Foyt, his childhood hero who dazzled the young racer with a tough-guy bravado and swashbuckling style.

So when given a chance to pay Foyt the ultimate compliment, Stewart didn't hesitate: He'll use the No. 14 next season in honor of the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner.

"It was pretty easy to decide on the number that my all-time hero had," Stewart said Friday before revealing the two Chevrolets -- one sponsored by Office Depot, the other by Old Spice -- that he'll drive next season when he leaves Joe Gibbs Racing to move into an ownership role at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Foyt, who was with the IndyCar Series in Edmonton, couldn't be on hand to see Stewart reveal the honor at his beloved homestate track. But in true Foyt fashion, he poked fun at his protege for an altercation Stewart had Thursday night with a USAC official at O'Reilly Raceway Park.

Stewart is believed to have knocked the headset off an official as they argued over a call made against Tracy Hines, who drives for Stewart.

"I talked to him early today and said, 'Just because you've got No. 14 don't mean you had to act like me at (ORP) last night and jerk the headphones off of the steward," Foyt said. "I said, 'Tony, that ain't helping the reputation of 14. That's just living up to it.' "

Foyt's had his share of altercations over the years, which is one of the things that attracted Stewart to him when he was searching for a favorite driver. He loved Foyt for his grit and machoism, and was wowed when he saw the driver get out of his car during an Indianapolis 500, bang on it with a hammer, then resume the race.

Similar in temperament, style and size, many believe Stewart has morphed into a younger version of Foyt.

"A.J. and I, we always like to stir everybody up," he said. "We like to do things the people say can't be done and we're definitely not going to be spokesman for Jenny Craig anytime soon."

Foyt said it's their similarities that have enabled the duo to forge such a strong friendship over the years.

"We call a spade a spade. If you like it, fine. If you don't, we don't care. But we're going to tell the way it is," Foyt said. "Tony shoots from his hip like I do. You never know what he's going to do tomorrow, you never know what I'm going to do.

"A lot of people (say) 'We can't figure you out Foyt.' I'm quite sure that's what they say about Tony. I think that's one reason we've been great friends and why we get along so good."

It was lost on no one that Stewart chose beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway to reveal his cars for next season. He grew up in Columbus and traveled to Indy with his father as a child, dreaming of someday winning the 500.

As a struggling racer, he took a job as a tow truck driver and had to pass by the track and he traveled down 16th and Georgetown, wondering "Man, what it would feel like to be 150 yards inside that fence running 200 mph?' "

When he finally got the chance, in Indy cars, the track tormented him as he came tantalizingly close to victory so many times before they were all snatched away.

He finally got his win long after he'd moved to NASCAR, getting his chance to kiss the bricks with a 2005 victory. He added a second Brickyard win last season.

Notching those victories has enabled Stewart to relax when he returns to Indy. He still wants to win on Sunday, but the maddening desire and pressure has finally abated.

"Every year that I went there, whether it was an IndyCar or a stock car and had not won there yet, that pressure just kept building," he said. "The first year (2005) it was more of just a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. We had accomplished a lifelong dream.

"Last year it was a chance that we really got to enjoy it with our team ... vs. just the emotional drain of just finally accomplishing a goal like the first time. Each time that you've won here, I think it makes it easier. I don't want you to confuse the desire of winning vs. the pressure of winning. The pressure goes away, but the desire is still there."

With his car announcement completed and sponsors lined up for his new team, Stewart was able to enjoy Friday at the track. He was the very last driver to sign into the garage, making it just two minutes before the first practice session began.

He then ducked into the NASCAR hauler for a brief conversation with president Mike Helton before finally making his way to his car to start the session.

"A kid in a candy store right now, literally that's how I feel," Stewart said. "Once we got the first win in 2005 and being able to win a second one last year. It's so much pressure off coming into this weekend."


Titans sign RT Stewart to multiyear extension
Foyt happy to share number with Stewart

Toyota ordered to weaken Nationwide cars

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR tried to even out the competition in the Nationwide Series on Wednesday by ordering all teams using Toyota motors to squeeze down their horsepower before this weekend's race in Indianapolis.

Toyota has won 14 of 21 races this season in the Nationwide Series, and all but one came in a Camry fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. The exception was JGR driver Kyle Busch's victory at Charlotte in May in a car fielded by Braun Racing.

NASCAR ordered all the Toyota motors to use a smaller spacer that will knock down 15 horsepower in the motors.

Lee White, president of Toyota Racing Development, said he was "extremely disappointed" and found no justification for NASCAR's decision, arguing the Nationwide teams have been successful this season because of hard work and not technical advantage.

"Despite this setback, we will continue to work diligently to keep our Nationwide teams competitive," White said. "Our hope remains that a Toyota team or driver will be rewarded with a championship at the conclusion of this year."

Technically, the new guidelines aren't directed solely at Toyota: the bulletin distributed to teams did not even mention the manufacturer.

But because the automaker is working with a brand new engine and has access to the latest technology, Toyota teams have gained an advantage over the manufacturers using older engine models.

If the other manufacturers should reach the stage Toyota is currently at, they would be subject to the horsepower guidelines NASCAR mandated Wednesday.

Chevrolet has been pushing to use its new engine in the Nationwide Series, and many believe that model is on par with the Toyota motors.

Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition, said the Toyota motors are legal and in line with previous guidelines. But NASCAR is responsible for maintaining a level playing field, and because Toyota is new to the sport and working with new designs, the manufacturer has gained an advantage over Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford.

"We are not punishing Toyota, but the end result is we have to try to maintain a competitive balance," Pemberton said. "Toyota has the newest, latest greatest parts and pieces -- no other company has had new engines in the Nationwide or Truck Series in I don't know how long.

"It can be debated whether this is a small or medium change, but we felt it was just enough to put (Toyota) back to where everybody was almost on par with the competition."

NASCAR recently sent 10 motors for testing, and found that David Reutimann's Toyota was the best with an estimated 3 percent horsepower advantage over the competition. JGR's No. 18 car -- which Busch drove to victory at Chicago right before the motors were tested -- was second.

Roush Fenway Racing's Nos. 16 and 17 Fords were next, followed by JGR's No. 20 car, which has won nine races with four drivers this season.

JGR builds its own motors for its two Nationwide Series cars. The rest of the Toyota engines in that series and the Craftsman Truck Series come from Triad Racing Development, a Bill Davis-owned company that leases engines.

White worried that NASCAR's tweak to the Toyota motors would stretch beyond immediate on-track performance.

"Unfortunately, the decision by NASCAR could be more far-reaching than simply mandating Toyota to adjust its Nationwide engine," he said. "The real impact will be felt by the Toyota teams as they adjust to the change, work to remain competitive for the remainder of this season and attempt to line up their sponsorships for next year."


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Newman, Stewart play coy on potential partnership

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- If Ryan Newman is indeed in line to join Tony Stewart's new team next season, neither driver is saying.

Stewart said Tuesday he's still trying to fill the two-car lineup at Stewart-Haas Racing, while Newman joked the only new offer he's received was to drive for one of Stewart's sprint car teams.

All kidding aside, Newman is believed to be the top candidate to drive for Stewart next year. The Daytona 500 winner announced last week he'll leave Penske Racing at the end of the season, a decision that makes him the top current free agent.

Stewart, who is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to become part-owner of what's now known as Haas-CNC Racing, said he's still looking at who is available.

"There are a lot of drivers in the running right now," he said. "It's not narrowed down to just one driver right now."

But Stewart does have a list of criteria he'd like his future teammate to meet, and among the things he's looking for is the commitment to help the new team drive from the back of the NASCAR field and start contending for wins and championships.

"We definitely want somebody that you feel like is dedicated to what we're trying to do and realizing that we're taking an organization that's not had the success that it wants, and has the foresight to look forward and see what we're trying to accomplish," Stewart said.

"You want a driver that has that same attitude with what they do every weekend. You don't want a guy that's just content to run in the Top 15 or Top 20. You want a guy who has every intention every year and a realistic intention of saying, "I expect to make the Chase."'

Based on that description, Newman sounds like his guy.

Newman is in his seventh full season driving for Penske, where he's won 13 races and 43 poles. He's finished sixth in the standings three times, but has not qualified for the Chase since 2005. Although he won the season-opening 500 this year, he's got just seven top-10 finishes and heads into Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend ranked 16th in the standings.

He cited Tuesday his continued performance drop-off since 2005 as his reason for leaving Penske.

"The stats speak for themselves, but going back to 2003 ... we were a dominant race team. Eight wins, 14 poles," Newman said. "That's awesome and we have been dominant, we just aren't dominant right now and that cycles.

"Roger Penske always says, it says right on his Web site -- "Effort equals results.' If you're not getting your results, then you question the effort."

But Newman said he's committed to finishing the season strong in the No. 12 Dodge for Penske, no matter where he ends up driving . He said he's not set a timeline for figuring out his future.

"Maybe it's like being in high school and having a bunch of girls, and if you get an opportunity to date one or the other. And you don't know the timeline of how everything's going to go, you don't know when you're going to get a date," he said.

"It just happens. Maybe on a Friday night you go out and think "Maybe that's how things are going to work out for me."'

Stewart, meanwhile, said he'd like to fill his second seat sooner rather than later. He's expected to announce this weekend in Indy the sponsors for his car, and Haas-CNC has applied for a trademark on the No. 14 for certain souvenirs -- an indicator that Stewart will use childhood idol A.J. Foyt's longtime number on his new team.

But he needs to work out those details on a second car, and finding a driver is the first part of the puzzle.

"As soon as we can get a driver signed, I want to announce it right away," he said. "That will be key in being able to attract sponsors to the second car. We're still working on that. I feel like that is a big key in this whole program being successful next year, is having the right teammate. I definitely want to get that done as soon as possible."


Titans sign RT Stewart to multiyear extension
Newman to leave Penske Racing
Gibbs Racing says so long to Stewart

Kevin Harvick wins Maine's TD Banknorth 250

OXFORD, Maine (AP) -- NASCAR's Kevin Harvick stayed an extra day and then raced to victory in the rain-delayed TD Banknorth 250 on Monday night.

Harvick built a comfortable lead before turning back a late challenge by Glen Luce of Turner as he upstaged the field of local and regional drivers at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Heavy rain on Sunday postponed the race for only the third time in 35-year history of the race. Racing finally got under way Monday night after more rain.

Harvick, ninth in the Sprint Cup standings, took advantage of NASCAR's weekend off to race at Oxford Plains Speedway. His idea of a vacation is racing.

"It's got to be fun," Harvick said before the race. "It's an off weekend from my normal job. That's the first priority, to have fun."

The TD Banknorth 250 hasn't always been kind to NASCAR's elite drivers.

Matt Kenseth had a third-place showing in 2004. Kyle Busch was a contender both years he raced, finishing sixth his first year and challenging for the lead before his second attempt ended with a blown engine.


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Analysis: Silly Season well under way

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The biggest domino in NASCAR's free agency season fell when Tony Stewart decided to bolt from Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the year. It opened up a seat in the coveted No. 20, a ride loaded with a two-time championship winning team that will stay behind crew chief Greg Zipadelli.

Yet despite the promise and potential in the latest job opening, top-name drivers aren't exactly jockeying for the seat.

Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle re-signed with Roush Fenway Racing before Stewart's exit became official, and long before he muddied any potential relationship by tangling with JGR star Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya reconfirmed his support of slumping Chip Ganassi Racing.

Matt Kenseth is under contract, Kasey Kahne isn't available, Richard Childress has his talent under contract and the stars at Hendrick Motorsports aren't going anywhere.

So where does that leave Joe Gibbs Racing?

With Joey Logano, of course.

Gibbs officials have done nothing to dispel the notion that their 18-year-old phenom will fill the seat next season, and Stewart himself has endorsed the promotion.

"Of all people, he could do it. He's been a proven product in anything that he's driven," Stewart said on his Sirius Satellite Radio show. "I definitely think that Joey Logano has the talent that whenever -- and I would say he's going to be in the Gibbs system a long time -- so whenever the Gibbs family decides to put him in a Cup car that he'll be ready."

Zipadelli, who so patiently nurtured Stewart over the past decade, already has faith in Logano based on the few years the teenager has been in JGR's developmental system. He's tested with the kid, and based on feedback and on-track performance, is quick to argue Logano is far ahead of his age.

But with just five Nationwide Series starts to his career (albeit he's scored two poles and a win in that span), Zipadelli also admits there still are questions surrounding Logano.

"Experience is priceless," Zipadelli said. "It's one thing to do it in other divisions, but when they feed you to the sharks out here (in the Sprint Cup Series) on Sunday, you're going against the best in the world that have tons of experience. There's a lot to this sport ... mental, physical ... and that all comes with time.

"I think what we've seen so far, I think he has as good of a chance as any 18-year-old to come into this sport and succeed."

With everyone so high on Logano, only the sudden availability of an A-list driver should block his imminent promotion into Stewart's seat.

That means Stewart's departure shouldn't create the big shuffling of rides that was widely anticipated -- though there's still going to movement.

Perhaps as early as this weekend, Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman could announce his next job.

The Indiana native has long been expected to choose Indianapolis Motor Speedway, site of Sunday's race, to reveal where he's headed. All signs have pointed to Stewart's new venture at Stewart-Haas Racing, and Newman waited just a few days after Stewart's deal was complete to announce he's leaving Penske Racing at the end of the year.

It's plausible that Gibbs could swoop Newman up and put one of NASCAR's greatest qualifiers in Stewart's old seat. Richard Childress could potentially persuade Newman to jump into his expanding fourth car. But all signs point to all-Hoosier lineup at Stewart's new team.

With Newman's seat available, that could be filled by David Stremme. Out of the Cup Series all season, Stremme smartly declined opportunities to get in sub-par seats, a decision that landed him a deal as Penske's test driver this spring.

When Dario Franchitti broke his foot, opening up Stremme's old seat at Ganassi, he was unable to secure permission to fill in beyond a one-race emergency substitution. It raised questions about what kind of contract Stremme had agreed to with Penske.

Why would a guy in search of a full-time Cup ride agree to a test contract that didn't have an out if a seat became available? Because he already had a job lined up, of course.

Casey Mears is on the market now that Mark Martin has nabbed his ride at Hendrick, and Martin Truex Jr. has yet to come to terms with Dale Earnhardt Inc. on his 2009 option year. One of the two could end up in Childress' No. 33, a ride loaded with potential but also with risks because it will start next season outside the top 35 in points. Because it will have to qualify for the first five races of next year, many top names weren't interested in the job, making it possible that a second-tier driver will get a chance in No. 33.

It could be Mears, who also is rumored to be in the running for a seat at Gillett Evernham Motorsports, while Truex might ultimately sign a long-term extension with DEI. That Truex still hasn't locked anything else up is good news for DEI, but the company has been plagued with sponsorship and stability questions that likely have Truex still scouring the market.

Assuming Stewart overhauls his new team and does bring Newman in, Scott Riggs will be out of a job and forced to join the flock of third-tier drivers that bounce from ride to ride. He could end up in a job with Petty Enterprises, particularly since David Reutimann has confirmed his commitment in sponsor-troubled Michael Waltrip Racing.

With all the seats filling up, Reed Sorenson will probably end up re-signing with Ganassi. He's not likely to get a better offer than the No. 41 Dodge he currently drives.

The wild card, of course, is the economy. With so many companies struggling to find sponsorship dollars, teams that exist now may fold like Franchitti's No. 40 did last month. That could put numerous drivers out of work, flooding the market with talent willing to drive on the cheap.

One thing is certain, though -- the next month promises to be a busy one, with everyone ready to move now that Stewart is settled.


Titans sign RT Stewart to multiyear extension
Newman to leave Penske Racing
Gibbs Racing says so long to Stewart

Edwards earns victory in Nationwide race

MADISON, Ill. (AP) -- Carl Edwards was in no rush to get to the post-race interview room at Gateway International Raceway.

Edwards passed Jason Leffler with 49 laps remaining Saturday night and cruised to victory at the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250, marking his second win at Gateway in three years in front of a nearly hometown crowd.

"It was so hard to leave victory lane, I didn't want to come down here," said Edwards, who grew up in Columbia, Mo., about a 2-hour drive from the track. "I have so many friends down there, they're taking pictures. It's just really, really special to win here for me."

Joey Logano, the 18-year-old racer in just his fifth race, finished second after starting fourth. Jason Keller took third, followed by Leffler and Brad Keselowski.

Edwards earned his second victory on the Nationwide circuit in 21 starts this year. He has nine Top 5 finishes and 11 in the Top 10. Edwards took advantage of the sixth caution of the 200-lap race. He got four tires and filled his tank, coming out of the pits third. He quickly overtook Leffler and James Buescher and went on for the easy victory.

"When you've got it, you've got it," Logano said. "And (Edwards' team) hit it dead on tonight. It was showing pretty much the whole race. My car wasn't horrible. It was pretty good, but Carl's car was remarkable."

The final caution, caused after David Reutimann got underneath the back of Keselowski, provided one of several pauses during the choppy race.

Landon Cassill, who finished sixth, started a five-car accident that brought out a red flag with 84 laps left. He sent Scott Wimmer into the wall with a tap to the driver's side back bumper, causing a chain reaction that knocked out Wimmer, Mike Bliss, last-year's winner Reed Sorenson and Steve Wallace.

The cars remained under red for nearly 30 minutes as the track was cleaned before driving resumed under caution for five laps with pole-winner Jamie McMurray in the lead.

"When you've got a guy who doesn't want to get passed and a guy who wants to pass, it gets tough," Cassill said. "I was just right on (Wimmer), but it's just hard to give up track position. I saw him bobble and as soon as he bobbled, it was too late. I just nudged him."

The event started despite a partial power outage that darkened about a third of the lights around the track, including the caution lights, the scoring tower and the public address system.

Officials called a competition caution on Lap 22 to practice going through the procedure without the caution lights. The caution was lifted on Lap 25 and all the power was restored almost immediately after the green flag was waived.

However, the caution lights went blank for a second time. That brought out another competition caution on Lap 72.

McMurray, who earned the pole with a speed of 133.101 mph during qualifying, left the race with engine problems after completing 152 laps. It marked the 11th time in 12 events at Gateway that the pole-sitter failed to win. Martin Truex Jr.'s victory in 2004 was the only time the top qualifier has won at Gateway.

Logano led twice for a total of 42 laps and he finished for the second consecutive race and in the Top 5 for the third straight.

In the end, however, it was Edwards' final pitstop that got him the victory.

"There's only been a couple of times I've had a car that dominant at the end of race," Edwards said. "I was just cruising around at the end and the car was so good. I was really proud of the guys for making the adjustments like that. I couldn't believe how fast it was."


Lenhart’s late touch earns Crew draw
Edwards earns victory in Nationwide race