Jeff Gordon's DuPont deal extended

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports agreed to two-year contract extension with Dupont on Thursday that keeps the four-time Cup champion with the only primary sponsor he's had through 2010.

The extension keeps together the long-time active driver/owner/sponsor combination in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series.
"I started my career with DuPont and I hope to end my career with them as my primary sponsor," Gordon said.

DuPont teamed up with Gordon and Hendrick for the final race of the 1992 season with the newly formed No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports race team and have since competed in every NASCAR Cup Series race.

Gordon is a four-time Cup champion and has 81 career victories and 65 poles.

He toured DuPont's global headquarters Thursday in Wilmington, Del., and visited with workers during their annual employee appreciation day. Gordon will drive Sunday in the Cup race at nearby Dover International Speedway.

"We come out here before the spring Dover race each year and spend time with the people who lend their support and make our success possible," Gordon said. "And it was special to be able to announce to the many loyal DuPont employees that we're all going to remain a part of the same team for several more years."


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Briscoe moves on after crash, chat with Danica

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Ryan Briscoe and Danica Patrick actually ended up talking after their much-celebrated run-in at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. Briscoe didn't apologize, and says he and Patrick didn't really hash out their differences.

About the only thing the two drivers agreed on was that it's time to move on.
"It probably wasn't the best time to talk, because it was just a couple of hours after the Indy 500 and we're all a bit emotional," Briscoe said Thursday, in an interview with The Associated Press. "And I was really disappointed, because I was having a good race. But I think the one thing we've agreed on is, we both want to just move on. And I'm happy we've got a race this weekend so we can put that behind us."

They'll get that chance in Sunday's IndyCar race at the Milwaukee Mile.

Patrick was seething after a collision with Briscoe in the pits at Indy, getting out of her car and storming toward Briscoe's crew for what was shaping up as a face-to-face confrontation before track security steered her away.

After the race, Patrick said she expected Briscoe to come talk to her. He did -- but if Patrick was expecting an apology, she didn't get it.

"I didn't feel as though I was in a position where I needed to apologize," Briscoe said. "I'm not pointing fingers or anything, but you look at the replay and you look at the pit stops all day long, and that kind of stuff is going on all day.

"All I know is, I was cleared to go out and I pulled out into the middle lane and then I got whacked. And you look at the replay and see what happened, and really it's just an unfortunate racing incident and we've got to move on."

Moving on, of course, is a vital skill for race car drivers. At speeds in the high triple digits in Sunday's race, there won't be time to dwell on the past.

"We're at the biggest event in the world," Briscoe said. "Both of us probably looking towards a possible top-five finish. Then something happens and we're both out of the race, I'm upset, she's upset. It's human nature. But it is important to move on. You can't dwell on the past."

Briscoe said he met with team owner Roger Penske and president Tim Cindric earlier this week, and both men assured Briscoe that there is plenty of time left in the season to get back in championship contention.

This is Briscoe's first season driving IndyCars for Penske after spending last season with Penske's sports car racing team. It's a unique situation for Briscoe: a second chance at IndyCars with what is perhaps the most successful team in the sport's history.

Briscoe broke into the series with Chip Ganassi's team in 2005, but struggled.

"I knew nothing about oval racing," Briscoe said. "I was in equipment that was inferior. I never really got the chance to shine. I made mistakes. As I said, it's been great to be able to come back now on an even playing field."

Briscoe drove a partial schedule for the lesser-know Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in 2006, with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen. He then moved to Penske to drive in the American LeMans series in 2007, which led to a chance to test one of the team's IndyCars at Milwaukee last year.

Briscoe was nervous going into the test, but it ended up boosting his confidence.

"You always believe in your own abilities and so on," Briscoe said. "But I was like, 'Well, I hope it's not me. I don't think it is. I do believe when I was here the car was just not handling well, but we'll see.' And then I went out and on my third lap in the Penske car, I was like, 'This is awesome. I've never been around the track so fast.' And that was lap three."

Then Penske driver Sam Hornish Jr. decided to go to NASCAR, leaving a seat open for Briscoe with Penske in the IndyCar series this season.

And while the season hasn't quite gone the way he and the team had hoped -- Briscoe has had incidents in three of the first five races of the season -- he says his crew's spirits remain high.

"I've got the best guys on my car," Briscoe said. "So as far as that goes, they've been awesome. Really haven't shown any signs of disappointment or getting down on me, so that's great. So I can't think of anything better at this point than to reward them with some good results."


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Biffle ready to hit Victory Lane

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Greg Biffle poked around the other cars in the garage, considered all his options and knew it was time to make a decision about his driving future.

"I just signed a multiyear deal to go to F-1 racing," said Biffle, smiling.
OK, there's really no reason for Biffle's diehards to renew that passport and follow him to Spain or China. Biffle is staying put in the States -- and he's getting closer to staying put with Roush Fenway Racing.

Amid speculation that Biffle's dragged-out contract talks meant he was ready to test the free-agent market, the driver of the No. 16 Ford said on Friday that a new deal with Roush Fenway Racing could be coming soon.

"That's what I've been working on and still working on, and I think we're making some progress on that," he said. "The ball is sort of in their court right now and we'll just wait and see."

His patience toward closing the deal doesn't apply to the track.

Biffle is coming off a second place finish last week at the Coca-Cola 600, his fourth top-five finish in a season where he's yet to drive his way into Victory Lane. The finish also snapped a skid of middling results that knocked him from second in points all the way to 11th in the Chase standings. Sure, the result was strong but it was just another week where Biffle failed to capture the checkered flag. He's stuck on three wins since 2005 -- the season he won six races, had 15 top-fives and finished second to Tony Stewart for the Cup championship.

Biffle, who won at least one race each of the last five seasons, hasn't qualified for the Chase each of the last two years.

Like his contract talks, Biffle thinks he can close the deal on a victory soon.

"We feel like we had the fastest race car the last couple of races and that's exciting for us," Biffle said. "We know we just need to put the whole thing together to able to win it."

Dover International Speedway might be the track where Biffle gets his first win since September. Biffle turned a lap of 155.219 mph on Friday to win the pole for Sunday's race.

"I was trying to run down Biffle but he ran an incredible lap," said Kurt Busch, who starts second.

Biffle won twice on the concrete Monster Mile in NASCAR's Busch (now Nationwide) Series, then won the June Cup race in 2005. He finished second last September at Dover.

"Normally, Dover is one of the toughest places to qualify," Biffle said. "These guys are making it so easy for me giving me race cars that are this fast."

He showed flashes of promise earlier this season with 3rd-4th-4th place finishes in three straight races. Biffle set the pole record at Darlington Raceway earlier this month and led 95 laps until faulty equipment derailed his run. He finished last and blasted the equipment after the race.

Biffle called the car after Friday's run "perfect."

In 2005, Biffle was a threat to win every week.

A companywide reorganization led to constant shuffling in the pit box, but Biffle seems settled now with crew chief Greg Erwin. Biffle also credited Robbie Reiser, longtime crew chief for Matt Kenseth and now the general manager of Roush Fenway Racing, for helping his team get up to speed on the Car of Tomorrow.

"We knew we were behind and we were able to admit it," Biffle said. "Certainly, we've closed the gap on a lot of our competition."

Biffle has won a Truck Series championship and Busch Series championship driving for Roush and a contract extension would give him more time to add a Sprint Cup Series to the collection. No driver has ever won championships all three of those levels.

Biffle has talked to other teams, but his agent submitted a contract proposal to the team this week and expects a resolution possibly some time in the next few weeks.

"They've got to position themselves with sponsors and all kinds of things," Biffle said. "This thing is kind of complex, but we're moving forward on it and trying to get it done."

Sounds like he might as well be talking about his car, too.


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Logano excited for NASCAR debut

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Joey Logano is done waiting for his shot.

The 18-year-old developmental driver for Joe Gibbs Racing has been touted as NASCAR's "Next Big Thing" ever since Mark Martin pegged him as the future of the sport a few years ago. He couldn't shave, or vote but Logano already had the tools that made him a top prospect.
Logano makes his debut Saturday in the Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway.

He's won races at every level and already there's talk he can win in the No. 20 Toyota in his very first race. There's a lot of hype for the new kid on the track, and so far Logano has handled the pressure like a real veteran.

"Yeah, there's a little bit of pressure, but we're all here for a certain reason," Logano said Friday. "We're all here to go out and win races and do the best that we can. Whether (the media) puts all of the hype on me or whatever, it doesn't really make that big of a difference. Once we go green, it doesn't really make a difference anymore."

Logano was eligible to drive once he turned 18 last week, and JGR immediately put him to work. He's scheduled to run about 18 Nationwide races this year and might be positioned to make the move to the Sprint Cup Series if JGR expands to a four-car team as early as next season.

Having the top car and equipment should help calm Logano's first race jitters. The No. 20 leads the Nationwide Series in owner points and has won six races in 13 starts this season with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart behind the wheel.

"He knows he's in good stuff, and that's half the battle right there," Stewart said. "This is a situation where you know what you're getting into and all you've got to do is do your job. If anything, I think it would make him relax a little bit."

Hamlin said a top 10 finish was realistic.

"He's definitely stepping into a good situation," he said. "He's got a great team."

And if he doesn't finish strong?

"It's a long career, and panic shouldn't set in," Cup driver Jeff Burton said.

Logano won the 2007 Grand National title with five wins in 13 starts and won in his only NASCAR West Series start. Last October, Logano led 87 laps at Irwindale Speedway to beat many of NASCAR's top developmental drivers in the Toyota All-Star Showdown.

Now he gets to show what he can do against drivers such as Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne in the 200-mile race.

"I think it will be fine," Logano said. "I'm going to race everyone the way I want to be raced, and hopefully everyone does the same thing."

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CREW CHANGES: One of the harshest penalties in NASCAR history led to crew chief changes this weekend at Haas-CNC Motorsports.

Crew chiefs Robert "Bootie" Barker and Dave Skog and car chiefs Derick Jennings and Thomas Harris will begin their suspensions for tampering with their Chevrolets' rear wings last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Team competition director Matt Borland will replace Barker as crew chief of Scott Riggs' No. 66, and Steve Genenbacher will replace Skog as crew chief of the No. 70, which failed to qualify Friday.

The team personnel were suspended for six weeks for violating rules with the wing mounting locations. The crew chiefs also were fined $100,000, while the drivers and teams were penalized 150 points.

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FOR SALE? Could Bruton Smith be making a move to buy Dover International Speedway?

Mario Cibelli, the manager of the largest outside shareholder of Dover Motorsports Inc., on Thursday sent a letter to the board of directors urging the company to sell its racing properties. Cibelli wrote that Smith's purchases of tracks in Kentucky and New Hampshire mean it could be the perfect time to sell, possibly to Speedway Motorsports Inc.

"The days of the independent NASCAR track owners have all but passed," Cibelli wrote. "Dover Motorsports will never be able to achieve the operating performance of International Speedway Corporation and Speedway Motorsports Inc. The combined strength of the industry leaders leaves the company at a permanent competitive disadvantage in regards to sponsorship dollars, operating margins and infrastructure."

Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, declined comment on the letter. Earlier this week, he said there are routinely offers for the 1-mile track. He said he didn't expect the Sprint Cup Series to desert Dover, even if the concrete mile were sold.

Smith would like to purchase another track and move a date to Kentucky. The owners of Pocono Raceway said this week their track was not for sale.

Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon said he'd rather see Pocono get the boot than Dover. He called Pocono "outdated" and that the track needed "a ton of upgrades."

"I'm shocked that they've had two races for as long as they've had," he said. "I'd be surprised if it stayed that way in the future."

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FRANCHITTI'S COMEBACK: More than a month after a broken ankle forced him out of action, Dario Franchitti returned to practice for Saturday's Nationwide Series race. Although he tested two days this week at Pocono Raceway, this was the first time he got to prepare for a race. He decided not to wear his protective brace.

"I'm sure after Saturday night, it'll be a little sore, but it's really working well," Franchitti said.

He will not drive in Sunday's Cup race.


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Logano ready for NASCAR debut

Logano ready for NASCAR debut

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Joey Logano better be good. Very good.

Scratch that. He better be great.
A longtime developmental driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, the team had been counting down the days until Logano turned 18 last week. That made the phenom eligible to compete at NASCAR's national level and JGR wasted no time putting their prized prospect in a car.

Logano makes his debut Saturday in the Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway, and his boss clearly expects big things -- now.

"The last time I called him ... I said, 'Hey, no pressure -- we'll take a first or second every time,' " Joe Gibbs quipped.

He was only partly joking.

Gibbs has likely invested several million dollars in Logano in the three years he's been in JGR's developmental system. The team won the race to sign him after veteran Mark Martin raved about the then 15-year-old "real deal" who was cleaning up in everything from legends to late models.

"I am high on Joey Logano because I am absolutely, 100 percent positive, without a doubt that he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR," Martin said in 2005. "I'm positive. There's no doubt in my mind."

Since that ringing endorsement, Logano has won races at every level.

He won the 2007 Grand National title with five wins in 13 starts and won in his only NASCAR West Series start. Last October, Logano led 87 laps at Irwindale Speedway to beat many of NASCAR's top developmental drivers in the Toyota All-Star Showdown.

Then 20 days before his birthday, Logano entered his first ARCA event, winning at North Carolina Speedway and cementing Martin's assessment of him.

"Joey is magic, take my word for it," Martin simply stated last week. "You will see soon."

So it was no surprise to see the Gibbs organization celebrate his birthday Saturday by rolling out a massive 150-pound cake modeled on the car Logano will drive this weekend at Dover. Team officials have shown unbridled enthusiasm about Logano, leading many in the industry to jokingly refer to the kid as "Sliced Bread."

"It was special for us to take Joey out there and kind of work with our East-West guys for a while, do some Pro Cup racing and then when our Cup guys really had some time with him, they were bragging on him and said he was ready now -- and that was last year," team president J.D. Gibbs said.

"That kind of goes back to what Mark Martin told me several years ago when he was still 15, that he could go out there right now and drive these cars. I thought he was crazy at the time, but Mark has good wisdom because he really wasn't that far off."

So exactly how did a kid from Middletown, Conn., become the next big thing?

Truth be told, it wasn't via a conventional path. His father, Tom, owned a garbage business in Connecticut and when Joey turned 4, he bought him a go-kart that his son drove day and night as he shunned the traditional stick-and-ball sports.

A mechanic at Tom Logano's company had a son racing quarter-midgets, creating the idea that Joey should try it. But his racing career didn't take off until the family relocated to Georgia -- not for Joey's racing, but so their daughter, Danielle, could further her figure skating career.

Once in the South, Joey was free from Connecticut's age restrictions and was soon competing in Bandaleros and Legends cars. Three years later, at the age of 12, Joey won the Southeast-based Pro Legends national championship.

His parents knew then they had something special, and nurturing Joey's career became the most important thing. He's sacrificed a ton of his childhood to get to this point, but Logano wouldn't change a thing.

"What would you rather do, go to college or drive race cars? For me, I'd rather drive race cars," he said. "Sometimes you gotta give up something to gain something, and right now this is what I'd love to do the rest of my life. But I still think I'm just your average Joe and a typical teenager despite all this stuff.

"I'm a racer. I wouldn't do anything different, ever, in my life. I wouldn't trade this for anything. All my friends are the same way. Racing is their life and that's the same way for me."

He gets his first shot at the big show in proven equipment at Dover, where he'll drive the No. 20 Toyota that leads the Nationwide Series in owner points and has won six races in 13 starts this season with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart behind the wheel.

The one constant on the car has been crew chief Dave Rogers, who wants to temper the expectations for Logano and from Logano.

"I don't want Joey going to Dover expecting to win," Rogers said. "We're confident that Joey is going to turn a lot of heads this year, even more so than he has in the past. It might take one race, it might take a month, it might take six months, but we feel our equipment is capable now, and we think Joey is capable of winning right now.

"But, so much of this sport is chemistry and getting the communication where it needs to be. That's going to be the variable we will need to work on the most."

And when it all clicks, Logano could be fast-tracked to the Sprint Cup Series.

J.D. Gibbs said the team won't push him, and it had long been assumed Logano was earmarked for eventual expansion into a four-car team. But with two-time champion Tony Stewart testing the free agent market, there's a possibility the team may have a hole in its roster that Logano could fill. Scheduled to run about 18 Nationwide races this year, Logano may get the chance to move up to the next level sooner rather than later.

"I think what's more important for us is that we don't make a decision unless all of our key guys from inside say that we're ready to go," J.D. Gibbs said. "That's the same when it came to hiring Tony Stewart, the same when we hired Denny Hamlin and starting a third and second team. I think everyone is on board at this point and this is where we need to be and we will kind of wait and watch and when that group gets together and says, 'Let's go,' then we'll go as a team."


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Eury Sr. sanctioned for Nationwide scuffle

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Three members of Brad Keselowski's team, including crew chief Tony Eury Sr., were penalized Wednesday for participating in post-race altercation with Denny Hamlin's crew on pit road at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Crew members from both teams scuffled after late race contact between the two drivers in Saturday night's Nationwide Series event. Keselowski ran into the back of Hamlin under caution, and Hamlin retaliated by hitting him back.
The drivers finished second and third in the race, and their crews had to be separated in the impound area.

Eury Sr. was fined $1,000 and placed on probation until June 25.

Michael Sandlin, a team member for JR Motorsports, was suspended one race, fined $1,500 and placed on probation until Oct. 15. NASCAR said Sandlin failed to follow a directive from a NASCAR official and had inappropriate contact with a NASCAR official during the post-race altercation.

Jordan Allen, another JR Motorsports crew member, was fined $1,500 and placed on probation until Oct. 15 for failing to follow a directive from a NASCAR official and inappropriate contact with a NASCAR official.


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Haas-CNC crew chiefs suspended six races each

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR handed down its most severe penalties yet on its new car Wednesday, when the crew chiefs and car chiefs for Scott Riggs and Johnny Sauter were suspended six races apiece for tampering with the rear wings on their Chevrolets last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Additionally, crew chiefs Bootie Barker and Dave Skog were fined $100,000 each. Derick Jennings and Thomas Harris, the car chiefs, were not fined but their suspensions are unprecedented. All four must sit out until the July 12 race in Chicago, and are on probation through the end of the year.
Riggs and Sauter were each docked 150 driver points, penalties that severely hurt the struggling teams. The cars are both fielded by Haas-CNC Motorsports, which was docked 150 owner points for each Chevrolet. Haas general manager Joe Custer is listed as the owner for Riggs' No. 66, and Margaret Haas is listed as the owner of Sauter's No. 77.

The points deduction is the second largest in NASCAR history, only behind the 151 points Jeremy Mayfield and his team were docked for using an illegal fuel additive at Talladega in 2000.

Gene Haas, who actually owns the fledgling two-car team, began serving a two-year prison sentence for tax evasion in January. The team is widely believed to be for sale, and two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart has acknowledged he's received an offer to buy the organization.

This round of penalties should drop the purchase price, as the points deductions are a significant setback to a pair of cars already running at the back of the field. Riggs' No. 66 drops from 26th to 35th in the owner standings, and Sauter's No. 70 falls even further outside the top 35, from 40th to 44th.

NASCAR officials said the Haas organization was ratted out by other teams in the garage following Thursday's qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600. When NASCAR checked on the two Chevrolets, officials determined the brackets on the rear wings had been tampered with in an attempt to move the wing and create an aerodynamic advantage.

The cars were confiscated and Riggs and Sauter had to go to backups and start from the back of the field in Sunday's race. Riggs rallied to finish 28th, while Sauter was 35th.

Sprint Cup Series director John Darby called the penalties "probably the most severe we've had with the new car up to this point." NASCAR has not tolerated any modifications to its Car of Tomorrow, which was phased into competition last year and being used exclusively this season.

"The rules are very clear, the inspection processes are very clear and the message that was sent to the teams before the car ever came out that "We don't want these processes messed with.' I think that message has been delivered fairly clear," Darby said as testing at Pocono Raceway concluded.

"If you look at this penalty and compare it to previous penalties, it is much more severe. The whole point is to make the garage area and all the competitors that compete in our sport understand very clearly that this is a car that we have many, many drawers in the toolbox full of tools that they can work with. But the stuff that's NASCAR's, leave it be NASCAR's and don't mess with it."

Previous penalties had resulted in crew chief suspensions, $100,000 fines and the loss of 100 points. The Haas penalties are the biggest in terms of points deductions and the inclusion of the car chief suspensions.

Darby delivered the news to Haas competition director Matt Borland, Barker and Skog in a 10-minute talk behind the garage after testing was finished at Pocono. Borland declined to discuss the penalties, or reveal if the team plans to appeal.

"Typically when you go through some penalties and there's a rules infraction, you always ask yourself "Why?' " Darby said. "Why should we have to deal with that? It's obviously not good for Haas Racing, it's not good for NASCAR, it's not good for our sport."

------

AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report from Long Pond, Pa.


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Valvoline workers ready for blue Friday

Kasey Kahne's victory last Sunday in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Charlotte means it will be blue day Friday at Ashland/Valvoline's Lexington, Ky., campus.

It's a twist on the "casual Friday" phenomenon, with employees allowed to wear blue jeans on the Friday following a Team Valvoline victory in either NASCAR or the NHRA's Powerade draft racing circuit.
There have been 15 such wins by Valvoline drivers already this season.

Team Valvoline has technical partnerships with Roush Fenway Racing and Gillett Evernham Motorsports in NASCAR, along with Don Schumacher Racing, David Powers Motorsports and Tim Wilkerson of Joed-Racing in NHRA.

Their success in 2008 includes five wins in NASCAR -- three for Roush Fenway's Carl Edwards and two for GEM's Kahne, including a win in the Sprint All-Star Race two weeks ago at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

In the NHRA, Valvoline teams have found the winner's circle 10 times. Don Schumacher Racing has five, led by Tony Schumacher with three wins in Top Fuel. Cory McClenathan has one victory in Top Fuel, while Jack Beckman has one in Funny Car.

David Powers Motorsports has captured three wins in Top Fuel, two by rookie Antron Brown and one by Rod Fuller. Tim Wilkerson of Joed-Racing has two wins in Funny Car.

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MAKING PROGRESS: A career-best 13th-place finish by Sam Hornish Jr. on Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway has former IndyCar champion right on the heels of Regan Smith in the Sprint Cup rookie race.

Hornish, the top-finishing rookie for the fourth time in 12 races this season, goes to Dover this week trailing Smith by just one point, 117-116, the battle for rookie of the year honors.

"Dover is one of the races we attempted last year," Hornish said. "After 20 laps of practice, we were the first car to qualify and didn't make the race. I like the track and feel that we will have better luck in qualifying for the race this weekend.

"I feel that I have really learned a lot over the past couple of months through testing and racing in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. I think this weekend will go smooth. Our teammates Kurt (Busch) and Ryan (Newman) ran well at Dover last year and I think that will help the entire Penske Racing organization have a successful weekend."

Patrick Carpentier and Dario Franchitti, two other former open-wheel stars, are third and fourth with 81 and 72 points, respectively. Franchitti, recuperating after breaking his left ankle during the Nationwide Series race at Talladega, has driven in only seven Cup races this season.

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CYCLE PREVIEW: American Nicky Hayden, who won the 2006 MotoGP championship, took a short demonstration ride around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last Sunday, giving the crowd gathered for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 a brief preview of the inaugural Indy motorcycle race set for Sept. 14.

The Kentucky native turned a lap on the 2.5-mile Indy oval at close to 180 mph, despite having no rear brakes and cold front brakes on his Honda. He and the rest of the MotoGP competitors will race on Indy's 2.6-mile road course.

It will be the first motorcycle race at the speedway since 1909, two years before the first Indy 500.

"In the race, we'll be doing 200 here," Hayden said.

As for riding at Indy, Hayden said, "Really, it is a dream come true. Getting to race MotoGP and race motorcycles is enough of a dream come true for me. But to get to race basically in my backyard and be a part of it is awesome.

"And the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I mean, the tradition and history here is second to none. There's not a more famous place to race a motorcycle or car or line up anywhere in the world. So I think it's a big deal, not just for me but also our sport."


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Kahne capitalizes on Stewart slip to win Coca-Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- For the second time this season, Tony Stewart had victory in sight at one of NASCAR's crown jewel events.

He again came up empty.
But unlike the heartbreak at the Daytona 500, when a last-lap pass left him devastated, Stewart stormed into his trailer kicking at the cabinets after a fluke flat tire with three laps to go stole his Coca-Cola 600 win.

Kasey Kahne, meanwhile, celebrated in Victory Lane for the second straight week.

"Tony Stewart had the win right there, and had a little problem, so we definitely had some help," Kahne said after Sunday night's win at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Stewart used pit strategy to make a run for the win in NASCAR's longest race of the year when his Joe Gibbs Racing team tried to stretch a set of tires the final 100 laps of the race. A later 3-second stop for a splash of gas seemingly locked up the win -- until his tire went flat. He was forced to pit, and Kahne zipped past him for the victory.

Stewart has yet to win the 600 in 10 career tries, an agonizing stretch for a former open-wheel driver who grew up dreaming of an Indianapolis 500 victory. With his focus now on NASCAR, he'll settle for any sort of Memorial Day weekend win.

Instead, he wound up a frustrating 18th and stormed into his hauler without comment. Crew chief Greg Zipadelli was left to answer questions about yet another near-miss for a No. 20 team still searching for its first win of the season.

"It's just stupid. I don't know," Zipadelli said. "We must have run over something, small leak or something. But I'll just say we lost a tire with a 51/2-second lead. I don't even know what to say, I'm so frustrated. I feel bad for everybody.

"All day we did a good job. We knew we needed to keep our car where it was and it would be good at the end and we did exactly that, and we just fell short."

It was the second consecutive defeat in the 600 for Stewart, who led 55 laps here last May only to fall short on fuel and forfeited the lead for a late gas-and-go.

Kahne rode the momentum from last week's All-Star race victory to snap a 52-race winless streak in points events dating to October 2006. In doing so, he became just the sixth driver -- joining Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Darrell Waltrip -- to win both the All-Star race and the 600 in this eight days of racing at LMS.

But unlike last week, when he gambled on pit strategy to win the race, Kahne had a car capable of winning from the start. He acknowledged he needed Stewart's failure to claim the checkered flag, but insisted he didn't back into the victory.

"It wasn't like we weren't fast," Kahne said. "It wasn't like I couldn't run with Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. early in the race or I couldn't lead laps. We were a first- or second-place car at the end of the race, and you know, and Tony was a first- or second-place car and he had problems.

"When luck's on your side ... it's great. Luck is a big part of, I think, everyday life."

Kahne, who led just five laps all season coming into Sunday, had to be voted into the All-Star race by fans last week when he failed to earn a spot in the event through on-track performance. He gambled with a no-tire stop to win the $1 million race, then vowed to carry momentum from the win into the 600.

Car owner Ray Evernham said the team rolled into the 600 on a high from the All-Star race.

"I can tell you that this team has had a much different step since they won that feature, that race here last week," Evernham said. "That momentum is something -- I don't how you measure it in professional sports."

But the team still needed help, and it came in a race of attrition that saw most of the heavyweights drop out of contention during an event that started in the late afternoon, ended in the evening and required both intense mental focus and luck to make it to the finish.

Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Brian Vickers and Kurt Busch all led laps but had parts failures or tire issues that prevented them from winning.

"Dale Jr. fell out, he was awesome. Tony Stewart fell out, he was awesome," Kahne said. "They had us beat at times tonight, and we had them beat at times tonight."

Greg Biffle finished second to Kahne for the second straight week and Kyle Busch, the Sprint Cup Series points leader and winner of Saturday night's Nationwide Series race, finished third despite two battery changes over the course of the race.

Gordon was fourth and was followed by Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards and David Reutimann.

Kahne led 65 laps, but forfeited the lead to Stewart with 16 laps to go when Kahne had to stop for gas. Stewart stopped for gas later, but had a shorter fill-up that cycled him back into the lead.

Stewart was then cruising toward his first win of the season when he smacked the wall, causing his tire to go flat and forcing him to head to the pits and hand he win to Kahne.

Earnhardt mounted a strong bid to snap his 73-race winless streak, leading 76 laps in the latter portion of the evening. But he appeared to lose his right rear tire while running out front, and his Chevrolet slid into the wall and bounced along it until finally coming to a stop. He had additional damage when J.J. Yeley ran into the back of him, and he sped to pit road for repairs.

NASCAR initially penalized him one lap for speeding past the safety workers, but rescinded it after further review. Stewart, who inherited the lead when Earnhardt wrecked and held it after the ensuing pit stops, was baffled by the non-call.

"Now how does that work?" he called.

No one was quite sure, but Earnhardt rallied to finish fifth.

"I thought we were done, and then I got motivated again," he said. "We got lucky. Got gas and made it last."

Johnson, a three-time winner of this race, lost a cylinder in his motor while running second late and failed to finish all 600 miles. He finished 39th.

Kurt Busch led 64 laps early, but hit the wall when he had an issue with his right front tire while running second. He wound up 16th.

Vickers led 61 laps and was running in third right before the halfway point when his left rear wheel broke on his Toyota and the tire bounced across the track as Vickers slammed into the wall. The tire continued its high bounces, over a fence and into the infield, where it ricocheted off the awning of a camper before finally coming to rest amid cheering fans.

Security was sent to recover the tire, but Vickers didn't need to look at it to figure out what happened.

"The last two runs the car was picking up a left rear vibration," said Vickers, who finished 42nd. "The left rear wheel was loose, but it was staying intact. We're not really sure exactly what was causing it, but the last time, we picked up the vibration and the wheel just came off the car."


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Franchitti plans NASCAR return at Dover

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Dario Franchitti ditched the crutches and the cast for a more comfortable fit: his spot in the No. 40 Dodge.

Franchitti returned to the track on Tuesday for the first time since he broke his left ankle in a hard crash at Talladega Superspeedway. Franchitti exhaled as he settled in the seat before he sped away to start testing at Pocono Raceway.
The former Indy Car Series champion now in his first season in NASCAR said he felt no pain or discomfort and planned to drive in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday at Dover International Speedway. Franchitti said he was questionable for the 400-mile Sprint Cup Series race and might return to Cup action in two weeks at Pocono.

Jeremy Mayfield could sub for Franchitti on Sunday.

"So far, it's been tough," Franchitti said.

Franchitti was injured only 10 laps into a Nationwide Series race last month at Talladega. The 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner is 42nd in points, and failed to qualify for the race in Texas. He said he was feeling close to 100 percent, and turned a personal top time of 161.005 mph on Tuesday.

"It's been a tough baptism there," Franchitti said. "Nationwide went pretty well, I thought, until Talladega and the accident."

He said he had no second thoughts about making the leap from Indy Car to NASCAR. Franchitti said he watched like any other fan when Scott Dixon held off Vitor Meira to win the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

"I closed that chapter in my life," he said. "I didn't really miss driving the car and competing in the race. It would be nice to go there and see the spectacle there and not drive. I really enjoyed the race, watching it."

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EX-TEAMMATES SPAT: Jeff Gordon understands why Kyle Busch could be upset with getting bumped from Hendrick Motorsports.

What Gordon doesn't get is why his former teammate was upset with him for some hard racing at the end of the Coca-Cola 600. Busch was angry at Gordon and the two had a brief confrontation at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"He just likes to do things the hard way," Gordon said. "I made him have to earn it and he didn't like it. He didn't like the fact I raced him hard and he wanted to complain about it. I wasn't in the mood to discuss it at the moment."

Busch finished third and Gordon fourth. Gordon said Busch probably has some "bitterness" over the way he parted with Hendrick, a move necessary to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Busch has rebounded nicely at Joe Gibbs Racing -- he leads the points race.

"Look at the situation he's in," Gordon said, laughing. "Shoot, I feel like we did him a favor. He's fast, he's leading the points, he's winning races. He's really got the sport in the palm of his hand right now.

"I think he's not appreciating and respecting that because he could have easily drove by me the other night."

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CHAMP IS HERE: Two-time Cup champion Terry Labonte was bored sitting at home. What better way to shake off the doldrums than return to drive for Petty Enterprises?

Labonte and Chad McCumbee will each drive the No. 45 car while Kyle Petty takes a break to attend his daughter's wedding and broadcast Sprint Cup Series races for TNT. McCumbee will drive Sunday at Dover and at Chicago. Labonte will drive the car in the other three races and got some work in at Tuesday's test session.

"I thought I might as well," Labonte said. "My wife told me the other day I needed a hobby. I thought I might as well do this."

Labonte will be teammates at Petty with his younger brother, Bobby.


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Rookie Lia gets first Truck Series victory

MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) -- Donny Lia became the first rookie in five years to win a Craftsman Truck Series race Saturday, using a last-lap pass to take the Ohio 250.

Lia got by leader David Starr in the second turn of the 250th lap around the 0.5-mile oval. He, Starr and 2006 series champion Todd Bodine ran side-by-side down the backstretch before Lia pulled his Chevrolet ahead to edge Starr by 0.241 seconds for his first victory in his eighth series start.
Starr, who had his Toyota in front since the 80th lap, was bidding to end a 52-race winless streak that dates to 2006.

Lia, NASCAR's 2007 Whelen Modified Tour champion, became the first rookie to win on the circuit since August 2003, when current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor Carl Edwards won in Nashville.

"I used everything I had there at the end and I couldn't have driven it any harder," said Lia, who started 28th -- farthest back of any Mansfield winner. "We just got them on the restarts and got them where we had to get them. We just did everything right today, my crew (and) everybody."

The 27-year-old from Jericho, N.Y., averaged 62.517 mph for the 250-lap, 125-mile race. He became the 10th driver -- and first since 2006 -- to lead only the final lap of the race. Seven drivers exchanged the lead six times as 15 caution periods consumed 80 laps.

Lia won $45,500 from $513,636 in posted awards.

Terry Cook finished fourth behind Starr and Bodine with Mike Skinner taking fifth. Shelby Howard, Jack Sprague, Johnny Benson, Sean Murphy and Stacy Compton completed the top 10.

All but two drivers in the 36-truck field finished the race -- 29 of them on the lead lap.

Bodine assumed the championship lead by eight points over Rick Crawford as previous leader Ron Hornaday Jr. was involved in an accident on lap 47 and spent most of the race behind pit wall as his crew repaired his Chevrolet. The defending series champion was credited with a 35th-place finish, 105 laps behind the winner.

Pole starter Benson led the race's first 45 laps before being passed by Hornaday, whose advantage lasted less than two circuits before a mishap in the fourth turn. Skinner, Howard and Dennis Setzer led during the next 33 laps before Starr -- who'd pitted for fuel early -- cycled back to the front and remained there through multiple restarts.

Bodine made several attempts to pass Starr on several late restarts following cautions, but was unable to make the challenges stick. Lia, who ran as far back as 23rd after making his only fuel stop on lap 38, fought his way into the top five on lap 196, took third on lap 210 and dispatched Bodine's Toyota at lap 228.

The event's final caution, for Brendan Gaughan's spin in the second turn, proved to be pivotal as it erased Starr's five truck-length lead and set up the final-lap dramatics.

"It was just good short-track racing," Starr said. "I guess I left a hole open and he got into me in the left rear. We just drove into Turn 3 on a prayer. (Lia) had the preferred line."


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Penske fails in triple crown bid

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Helio Castroneves was the perfect Penske driver Sunday, patiently waiting to chase down the Indianapolis 500 leaders.

Maybe too patient.
"I remember (team president Tim) Cindric on the radio saying 'Come on, man, we have work to do,"' Castroneves said. "I'm like 'What do you mean buddy? Patience. I have to be patient, so you have to be patient.' "

The patience and precision that define Team Penske's IndyCar dominance backfired when Castroneves failed to give the team its prized triple crown, after Penske teams won the Daytona 500 and Sebring earlier this year.

"Fourth place was definitely not what we expected," Castroneves said. "We tried everything we could."

The race was a frustrating, uncharacteristic ordeal for the Penske team.

It was the first time since 1992 that a Penske driver competed at Indy without leading a lap. Worse, Ryan Briscoe tangled with Danica Patrick coming out of the pit box, ending the race for both drivers after 171 laps. Patrick stomped toward Briscoe's crew before she was led over the wall, eliminating any possible confrontation.

It was that kind of day for Team Penske, prompting team owner Roger Penske to call a team meeting after the race.

"Our team thought the performance was a strong performance," team spokesman Jonathan Gibson said. "But it's disappointing to come here and not win."

The problem was Penske's drivers simply could not keep up with the fastest cars on the track, something that doesn't happen often at Indianapolis.

Briscoe, who started third, steadily slid back, spending the middle of the race in the 20s before finishing 22nd.

Castroneves spent most of the day running in the top 10 but couldn't catch Scott Dixon, Vitor Meira or Marco Andretti, who all finished ahead of him. Dixon beat Meira to the finish line by more than two seconds, and Castroneves wasn't even a factor at the end.

Penske wasn't immediately available for comment.

Usually, Castroneves finds himself closer to the front.

"Unfortunately, it was very difficult to pass," Castroneves said. "We were just trying to keep gaining spots."

Castroneves, the two-time race winner couldn't make up the spots fast enough, and this time, he couldn't rely on fan votes to help him, as he did to win last year's "Dancing With The Stars" contest.

Still, Castroneves has finished in the top five five times in eight Indy starts. He won the race in 2001 and 2002, won the pole in 2003 and 2007, and was a runner-up in the 2003 race.

The Penske team also had some bad luck when debris from Marty Roth's crash on lap 62 bounced up and damaged Castroneves' front wing early in the race.

But Team Penske relies on strategy and execution -- not luck -- to get to Victory Lane. And that sent the team scrambling to figure out what went wrong.

"Neither car was ever put in a situation where they led a lap," Gibson said. "We're a team that's used to leading laps here, and unfortunately, that didn't happen today."


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Humpy Wheeler honored before final race at LMS

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Humpy Wheeler received a standing ovation from Sprint Cup drivers before Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, his final race running Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Wheeler, who has spent 33 years at the track, is considered one of NASCAR's top promoters. He announced his retirement last week after track owner Bruton Smith declined to let Wheeler move to a part-time role.
"Thank you for your contribution to each of us and your contribution to help build NASCAR to what it is today," NASCAR president Mike Helton told Wheeler in the pre-race drivers meeting.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying in this sport, just in a different role," Wheeler told the drivers.

The 69-year-old Wheeler, known for his elaborate pre-race shows, had 1,500 U.S. Army troops take part in a military display that included three helicopter passes and gunners blowing up a house facade.

Wheeler later addressed the crowd before the green flag waved.

"I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to you for buying tickets to this facility through all these years," Wheeler said, while nearby fans erected a sign reading "Thanks Humpy" on the top of a motor home.

Wheeler was considered one of NASCAR's top innovators, introducing lights on a superspeedway and numerous other amenities that helped make Lowe's Motor Speedway one of NASCAR's top tracks.

"I got a little touched in there today," NASCAR chairman Brian France said of the driver's meeting. "He's such a pioneer in the sport, somebody I've dealt with my entire career in NASCAR. He'll be missed but like he said I don't think he's going to go that far away. And you know, maybe he could help NASCAR."

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KENTUCKY RIFT: NASCAR is in no hurry to move a Sprint Cup race to Kentucky Speedway.

Bruton Smith announced last week he planned to complete the purchase of the track later this year. Smith then indicated he would have a Sprint Cup date there next year. A NASCAR spokesman on Friday said it was too far along in the scheduling process to move a race there in 2009.

Before the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, NASCAR chairman Brian France said the track near Cincinnati is in an area that already has plenty of Sprint Cup races.

"It's not a market we have set as highly desirable. It's well served," France said. "We'll look at things as we go down the road, but right now he doesn't own it. We've got to deal with the owners that do have it. We've got Nationwide events and Truck races so we're working on that right now with them."

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BUSCH'S TRIPLE: Kyle Busch seems to win everywhere he goes. In two weeks, he'll seemingly be everywhere.

Busch, who has won nine times this season in NASCAR's top three series, plans to race on three straight days at three different tracks June 6-8.

"I think it's a concern for us if you watch him and he gets tired, or physically run down," said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. "I think where Kyle is right now, being 23, he can run pretty hard."

Busch is scheduled to drive in the Craftsman Truck Series on June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway, in the Nationwide Series on June 7 at Nashville Superspeedway, then in the Sprint Cup race on June 8 at Pocono Raceway. He'll shuttle between the tracks so he can qualify and practice his Sprint Cup car at Pocono on the same days he'll be racing in the other series.

"It'll be a fun weekend," said Busch, the Sprint Cup points leader.

But is it too much?

"I'm sure the plane rides take their toll on you," driver Denny Hamlin said. "As long as you stay hydrated, that's the biggest thing because these races do take a lot out of you."

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YAO'S NASCAR DEBUT: Yao Ming likes cars and drives a specially made SUV that lets him fit his 7-foot-6 frame in the driver's seat.

The Houston Rockets center also knows how to change a tire -- just not as fast as he saw on Sunday.

"It was very cool," Yao said after assisting Kyle Petty's team in a simulated pit stop before the race. "They showed me how to change a tire and refuel a car in what, 12 seconds? That's a little different when you change your own tire. I never saw that."

While Yao's hometown of Shanghai hosts a Formula One race, Sunday was the first time Yao attended an auto race. He took a ride in an SUV around the track -- after he couldn't fit in the pace car.

Yao also shot some hoops with drivers Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip and Petty. It was part of a promotion unveiling collectable Coca-Cola cans bearing the company's logo in different languages ahead of the Beijing Olympics in Yao's home country.

Waltrip, who towers over most NASCAR drivers, came up to Yao's shoulder. Burton and Labonte reached just above his elbow.

Yao was asked if he saw any basketball talent among the drivers.

"If anyone wants to play in the NBA they need to stop driving like that so they can get a guaranteed contract," Yao joked.

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LUG NUTS: As he headed to pit road before the Coca-Cola 600, Juan Pablo Montoya stopped and asked for a message to be delivered to his boss, Chip Ganassi, whose driver Scott Dixon won the Indianapolis 500. "It's great to see Chip win the 500," said Montoya, who in 2000 gave Ganassi his only other outright Indy win as a car owner. "Put that out there. It's great to see him win." ... Among the U.S. Army troops attending the race was Sgt. 1st Class Mike McNaughton, who lost a leg after stepping on a land mine in Afghanistan. "You hear a lot of things and people that disagree with the war and that's fine," McNaughton said. "But everyone, especially the people around NASCAR, don't hesitate to shake your hand and tell you how much they're grateful for you. A lot of these guys around here, that's what they need."


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Notebook: Indy 500 drivers told to be patient at start

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indy Racing League president Brian Barnhart cautioned the 33 starters in Sunday's Indianapolis 500 to be patient at the start and to maintain their spacing as they approach the green flag.

"Don't crowd the other drivers in front, beside or behind you. Take care of yourself and execute a clean start," he told them at the public drivers meeting Saturday. "You may not pass prior to the start-finish line on the initial start, and you need to be ready to brake in turn one if you have to."
The Chevrolet Corvette pace car driven by two-time winner Emerson Fittipaldi will come off the fourth turn before the start at 105-110 mph, Barnhart said, with front-row starters Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Ryan Briscoe right behind.

In contrast to most of the month, Sunday's weather forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s.

"It's supposed to be warmer than any day we've had this month," Barnhart warned. "You'll need to adjust downforce levels and prepare for a hot, slick race track. You have several pit stops as opportunities to improve the handling of your car. Be patient. Five hundred miles is a long day, not a sprint race."

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FREEDOM 100: Dillon Battistini of England started from the pole and held off Richard Antinucci in the final seven laps to win the Freedom 100 in the IRL's developmental Indy Lights Series on Saturday. It was the second win in five races this season for the series rookie.

"It means a lot. It's the best place to come and win," Battistini said.

"I was just focusing on going as fast as I could, but you can't help looking in the mirror a bit. All I could see was a lot of cars around me," he said.

Antinucci, nephew of former Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever, started sixth but moved up to second after the final caution for debris on the track. He cut Battistini's lead to just over .1 second with three laps to go but couldn't pass him and finished .246 behind.

"It was a good position to be in the last lap, getting alongside him and trying to make a run," Antinucci said. "Once we got alongside him, we just died in open air."

With second place, Antinucci moved into the series points lead 179-176 over Battistini, who started the race third in the standings.

Wade Cunningham, the 2006 Freedom 100 winner, was third in the 27-car field, followed by Robbie Pecorari and rookie driver Ana Beatriz. Jeff Simmons, the only driver who also will race in the Indy 500 on Sunday, finished eighth; Al Unser III, the son and grandson of former Indy winners, was 11th; Arie Luyendyk Jr., son of another former Indy 500 winner, was 14th; and J.R. Hildebrand, who came into the race with the series points lead, finished 24th.

Battistini led almost all of the 40-lap, 100-mile race. James Davison, who started second, passed him briefly on the fourth lap, but Battistini regained the lead the next time around and held it the rest of the way except for a brief pass by Cunningham on lap 16.

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BUSY DRIVER: The busiest driver in practice for Sunday's race was rookie Will Power, whose two laps in Friday's abbreviated final session pushed his total for the month to 561. In all, 38 drivers turned 13,451 laps in practice, which was cut almost in half because of rain over the past three weeks.

"My first time on the track was a real eye-opener, to be honest," Power said Saturday. "It's a really unique track. It's the fastest I've ever been. It's not like your normal oval."

Among those with the fewest laps (214) was NASCAR driver John Andretti, a late replacement for rookie Jay Howard with Roth Racing.

"We had a totally different setup on the car," Andretti said of the adjustments for the cold, wet weather. "I don't know if we have it right. We certainly tried to build as much grip in it mechanically. It still seems pretty good."

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ROOKIES READY: Thanks in part to the February merger of the former Champ Car series into the IRL, the race Sunday includes 11 rookies, the greatest number of first-year starters since 13 were in the lineup in 1997.

One of the rookies is Graham Rahal, who made the switch with the Newman/Haas/Lanigan team and at 19 is the youngest driver in the field.

"I don't think anybody expected it to come together as quickly as it did," he said of the unification of the two open-wheel series. "It was a big relief for everybody, and we're thrilled to be here."

Rahal, son of former Indy winner and team owner Bobby Rahal, had been to the race many times with his father -- but just to watch. He finished fifth in Champ Car as a rookie last year and won his IRL debut at St. Petersburg, Fla., in April, becoming the youngest winner of a major open-wheel race in the U.S.

Among the other rookies is Brazilian Mario Moraes, the second-youngest driver in the lineup and two weeks older than Rahal. The others are Hideki Mutoh of Japan, who took Dario Franchitti's spot with Andretti Green Racing and was the fastest rookie qualifier, along with Justin Wilson, Alex Lloyd, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Will Power, Oriol Servia, E.J. Viso, Enrique Bernoldi and Jaime Camara.

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SPARK PLUGS: Broadcaster and race historian Bob Jenkins received the Bob Russo Founders Award from the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association on Saturday. Jenkins, one of the first announcers hired by ESPN when the cable network debuted in 1979, later served as host and play-by-play announcer for the Indy Racing League and the Indy 500. ... Car owner Roger Penske, whose drivers have won a record 14 Indy 500 races and 14 Indy poles, received the U.S. Auto Club's Roger McCluskey Award of Excellence during the annual drivers meeting.


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Rain cancels most of Indy 500 practice

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The final practice for the Indianapolis 500 was a lot like the rest of the month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: cold, wet and short.

What was supposed to be an hour of final tuneups before Sunday's race was stopped by rain Friday after only 12 minutes, and the annual pit stop competition among top contenders' crews was canceled altogether.
Former winner Buddy Rice had the most laps of any driver, managing 11 trips around the 2.5-mile oval, while Ganassi Racing teammates Dan Wheldon and pole-starter Scott Dixon had six laps each and turned in the top speeds at 223.934 and 223.028 mph, respectively.

Bruno Junqueira and Tomas Scheckter completed just one lap, while Ryan Briscoe was the only one of the 33 starters who did not get a single lap before the rain hit.

Still, the limited practice went well, Rice said.

"I was able to get our car up to speed quickly," the 2004 winner said. "The track was very green, no rubber on it from the rain. The downforce was heavy due to the cooler conditions."

Rice's top lap was at 221.207 mph.

The latest weather forecast for Sunday called for zero percent chance of rain and a high temperature of 76 degrees.

"That might make it very difficult on the teams and drivers to get the right setup," Rice said. "Luckily, we have an experienced engineering staff, and we'll prepare for that kind of day. Right now, I'm very pleased with our car."

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FREEDOM 100 POSTPONED: The Freedom 100 in the developmental Indy Lights Series was postponed Friday by rain.

The 40-lap race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway instead will be run Saturday afternoon after the Indy 500 drivers meeting.

"Obviously, this is not where we want to be today," Speedway president Joie Chitwood said. "We did everything we could to get the track to come around, and it was starting to dry when the rain hit again."

Rookie Dillon Battistini will start the Freedom 100 from the pole. The 26 other Indy Lights drivers include Jeff Simmons, who is also racing in Sunday's 500.

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HONDA RE-SIGNS: Honda will continue supplying race engines to the IndyCar Series through the 2013 season.

The Indy Racing League announced a five-year contract extension with the engine manufacturer Friday.

"It brings stability and continuity to a very competitive racing package," IRL president Brian Barnhart said.

Honda joined the series in 2003 and has been its sole engine supplier since 2006. For the past two years, no car dropped out of the Indy 500 due to an engine problem.

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ELDORA INVITATION: Tony Stewart is offering Sunday's Indy winner a car to drive in the June 4 dirt race at his half-mile Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Part of the proceeds from the annual late model stock car race will go to the Tony Stewart Foundation.

"We'll have a car waiting for him or her, and we'd love to have whoever puts their name on the Borg-Warner Trophy at Indianapolis come about two hours east," said Stewart, who owns the Eldora track.

Stewart drove in the 500 five times, including a start from the pole as a rookie in 1996, before leaving for NASCAR.

He and other NASCAR drivers including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick are scheduled to drive in the charity race at Eldora, which comes between the next two IndyCar races, June 1 at Milwaukee and June 7 at Texas.

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CHANGE OF PLANS: Olympic skating gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi will replace boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. as honorary starter Sunday and will become the first woman to wave the green flag to start the Indy 500.

Mayweather bowed out because of the death of his uncle.

Other celebrities expected to attend the race include football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen, basketball's Baron Davis, motorcyclist Nicky Hayden and skier Bode Miller.

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OWNERS' DELIGHT: Two of the race teams in the Indy Lights Series are owned by former Indy 500 drivers.

Three-time Indy starter Jim Guthrie owns Guthrie Racing, including cars for his son, Sean Guthrie, and drivers Logan Gomez, Micky Gilbert and Tom Wieringa.

Tyce Carlson, who started the 500 twice, is co-owner of Alliance Motorsports, which fields the car driven by Chris Festa.

"I love it," Carlson said of his return to Indianapolis as a team owner. "It gets me back to the track where I think I belong, and it keeps me out of the race car, where my wife thinks I don't belong."

He said he eventually would like to move up to the IndyCar Series.

"That's what's in our business plan," Carlson said. "My goal and dream is to win the 500. If I can't do it as a driver, I still want to do it as an owner."

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LUG NUTS: Sarah Fisher, whose two expected sponsorships fell through, landed a late deal and much-needed money from Text4cars.com, an Internet site that helps sellers advertise cars online. ... Fisher's husband and chief mechanic, Andy O'Gara, was named winner of the annual Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award. ... The Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing crew for rookie driver Justin Wilson received the annual True Grit Award. A team mechanic, Davey Evans, died three weeks ago after a fight while leaving a bar, and the county coroner ruled the death a homicide caused by a stroke brought on by the fight and other health factors. ... Roger Penske's 14 Indy 500 wins as a car owner is almost three times as many won by the second-most successful owner Lou Moore, whose last of five wins came in 1949 with Bill Holland. Besides Penske, active owners with the most wins are A.J. Foyt, Chip Ganassi and Andretti Green with two each.


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Indy safety team ready to respond

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Gail Truess has her right foot to the floor as the mammoth Chevrolet SUV roars down the backstretch, watching as the speedometer needle creeps toward 100 miles per hour and Turn 3 gets larger and larger through the windshield.

She's annoyed -- she wants to go faster.
"Does this thing have a governor on it?," Truess joked, wondering if someone had placed a device on the truck to keep it from going faster.

There's quick emergency response, and then there's the Indy Racing League's Delphi Safety Team. They're the first responders to crashes at every IndyCar series race, including Sunday's Indianapolis 500.

Friday was a slow day for the safety team, as drivers steered clear of the wall before the final practice session was cut short by rain. That was just fine with Dr. Tyler Stepsis, one of the team's emergency doctors.

"You don't ever want to be busy out here," Stepsis said. "You always hope that we're just picking people up and bringing them in for checkout. But every now and then, you do see bad things happen."

And when bad things happen, seconds can make the difference. The IRL team arrives quickly -- sometimes reaching the accident scene before all the cars stop skidding -- then swarms the wreckage to make sure drivers are OK.

Racing is a dangerous business, but seeing the same rescue workers every week gives drivers a sense of comfort when there's trouble on the track. There is no such traveling safety team in NASCAR, where tracks rely completely on local fire and rescue workers.

Indy uses local workers, too, but mainly in supporting roles.

Former IndyCar driver Scott Goodyear says the traveling team is superior because team members are more familiar with the patients. Goodyear said that after a 2001 accident at Indy, rescue workers immediately knew they had to be especially careful because Goodyear had broken his back in a previous crash.

"How do you get that from having a bunch of good people, but local people that don't know the people that they're with?" said Goodyear, now an analyst for ESPN.

John Andretti, who has raced in IndyCar and NASCAR, says it would be more difficult for NASCAR to establish a safety team because it sanctions so many more races than IndyCar. Andretti said NASCAR tracks have improved their medical facilities and local safety workers are better organized than in the past.

"When I first went over there, you could barely find the infield care center -- and if you did, you took a tetanus shot to go into it," Andretti said. "Now, they're real, honest-to-goodness facilities with real doctors."

But several NASCAR drivers have spoken out in favor of a safety team similar to Indy's.

In IndyCar, about 15 safety team members travel to every race, staffing four trucks that carry everything from rescue and extraction equipment to a powder that soaks up oil slicks. Most of the team members work regular jobs, often in hospital emergency rooms, and arrange their work schedules so they can travel to races.

The team's on-track operations are overseen by Dr. Michael Olinger, who rides with Stepsis in an SUV designated as the team's command center. The command truck is driven by Truess, a former rally racer who was a pace car driver in the now-defunct Champ Car series.

One of the team's other safety trucks usually arrives at an accident scene first, with the command truck not far behind -- unless there's a fire, in which case a fire crew comes first.

The team's first step is to check on the driver, determining whether he is awake and alert and asking if he is in pain. If there is any chance of a serious injury, the team will quickly but carefully pull the driver out of the car.

From there, other members of the crew make sure no debris flew into the grandstands and oversee track cleanup efforts.

If there is a traumatic injury, Stepsis likely would perform emergency procedures with Olinger supervising. Although driver Paul Dana died at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2006, advances in racing safety have made deaths and serious injuries less common than they once were.

Last year at Indy, driver Milka Duno walked away from a crash that registered a staggering 250 Gs on a tiny crash data recorder that IRL officials have drivers wear in their earpieces.

"That was the hardest hit I've ever seen, in terms of energy," Olinger said.

After most crashes, drivers haven't suffered anything beyond a bruised ego, and the team will give them a ride to the infield care center.

And they're not always in the best mood.

Olinger recalls a heated confrontation between Danica Patrick and Jacques Lazier. Then there was the time Helio Castroneves went after Tomas Scheckter in the infield care center.

Vitor Meira, by contrast, usually maintains his cheerful disposition even after a wreck.

The worst driver to deal with after a crash in recent years? Eddie Cheever.

"Some drivers are better crashers than others," Olinger said.


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Ganassi working to calm Montoya after stressful week

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Juan Pablo Montoya posted the second slowest qualifying lap out of 48 entries and dejectedly climbed from his car.

"What did you expect?" he asked. "Seriously, what did you expect?"
Montoya is still reeling from the midweek firing of Jimmy Elledge, a personnel decision that's given the former Formula One driver his third crew chief in a month. Frustrated that his opposition to the dismissal went unheeded, Montoya is now worried that his team is ill-prepared for Sunday's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Because new crew chief Brian Pattie had just two days to dissect Elledge's setup on the No. 42 Dodge, changes were made on the fly during a difficult Thursday practice session that saw Montoya post the 45th slowest speed. It didn't improve during qualifying, when Montoya was 47th out of 48 cars and will start next-to-last in the Coca-Cola 600.

Team owner Chip Ganassi sympathizes with Montoya's frustration, but said Elledge's dismissal was warranted after the crew chief engaged in a heated argument with competition director Steve Hmiel during last week's All-Star race.

"We had an employee step over the line, and I'm sorry it happened because I like Jimmy personally, but it had to be done," Ganassi said. "I know Juan is upset and he comes out on the short end of this deal.

"I apologize for that, but unfortunately it was unavoidable collateral damage."

Elledge declined to comment on his dismissal, but Montoya has been vocal in his opposition of the decision. Elledge had only been atop his pit box for four races, dating back to an earlier crew chief swap that sent Donnie Wingo over to Reed Sorenson's slumping team.

"They told me "We are thinking of getting rid of Jimmy' and I said "Don't do it,' " Montoya said earlier this week. "Next thing I knew, they did. That's what happened. You are going to have to ask somebody else about it, because I wasn't involved in this."

The emotional Montoya has rode a wave of them this week over the direction of his race team. The Colombian had a successful first season in NASCAR after making the highly publicized jump from Formula One, but this second year has not been as smooth.

Montoya has just one top-10 finish -- a second-place in Elledge's debut race at Talladega -- and he's currently 16th in the Sprint Cup Series standings.

Ganassi acknowledged the validity of Montoya's concern, while insisting that he's working hard behind the scenes to stabilize his NASCAR organization.

"I'm concerned about the forward progress of my teams every single day, and I work on it every single day," Ganassi said. "Just because the whole world doesn't know what I'm doing, doesn't mean I'm not doing anything at all."

The turmoil in stock cars comes when Ganassi's open-wheel organization is soaring. Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon start first and second in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, and both drivers give Ganassi a tremendous shot to win the race for the second time as a car owner. Montoya gave him his first Indy 500 victory in 2000.

Wheldon said the disparity between the two organizations must be infuriating to Ganassi, who has a temperament similar to Montoya's.

"I'm sure it bugs the hell out of Chip, knowing what a professional he is," Wheldon said. "You know how motivated Chip is. He is a really determined individual and I know it irks him. I'm sure every time he goes to bed at night knowing that team's not as competitive as he would like it to be, it must tear him up inside."

Tony Stewart, who has two NASCAR titles and one Indy Racing League championship, said it's unfair to compare Ganassi's two programs because it's like "apples and oranges." But through past dealings with Ganassi, Stewart knows the car owner won't rest until he gets all his programs in sync. In addition to the successful IRL operation, Ganassi's Grand-Am operation leads the driver and team Daytona prototype standings.

"All his programs are successful, and (NASCAR) is the one piece of the equation they haven't got right," Stewart said. "And I guarantee you it's eating him up. He's the type of guy, who I don't care if he's got five divisions of cars, if four of them are winning races and championships, it's going to eat at him.

"He won't stop until he gets it right."

That's what Montoya is hoping for, but the driver must first make it through a chaotic month with a car owner to whom he's deeply loyal. He left F1 specifically to drive for Ganassi, who gave him the CART ride that ultimately propelled Montoya to superstardom.

"I feel bad for (Montoya)," Wheldon said. "But (Ganassi) is not going to let that go on forever, and he's going to do whatever it takes to fix that and that's why you're proud to drive for his team.

"There's a lot of team owners out there that say that they'll do everything in their power they can to give you the equipment necessary to win, and not many of them can actually go through with that."

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AP Sports Writer Chris Jenkins in Indianapolis contributed to this report.


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Busch wins 3rd straight pole at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Kyle Busch races beyond his years. He's more superstitious than a lot of 23-year-olds, too.

The hottest driver in the Sprint Cup declined a $50 bill from outgoing Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler on Thursday, then continued his qualifying dominance at the track to earn the pole for the Coca-Cola 600.
Busch laughed off the offer from Wheeler, who was patrolling pit road a day after announcing he'll retire after 33 years at the track. Busch's then turned in a lap of 185.433 mph in his No. 18 Toyota to edge out last week's All-Star race winner Kasey Kahne (185.300), who will join him on the front row Sunday for NASCAR's longest race.

"He took a fifty out of his pocket and then he was signing it," Busch said of Wheeler. "I said, 'I don't want that.' He gave it to one my crew guys and I said, 'Don't take that.' So I put it back in his pocket."

Brian Vickers qualified third, giving Toyota two of the top three spots. Greg Biffle will start fourth, followed by David Ragan and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Busch started from the pole in last week's All-Star race and dominated early before bowing out with engine trouble. Busch also started from the pole for last week's Craftsman Truck Series race. He led the most laps, but was involved in a wreck and finished 13th.

Busch will be the favorite to win his fourth Sprint Cup race of the season on Sunday. He has seven top-five finishes in 11 races and holds a 79-point lead over Jeff Burton in the season standings.

"I hope it doesn't wear off. I hope I'm not just here for this year and then I'm done and all washed up at 24 years old," Busch said. "That would be pretty bad, wouldn't it? We just got to keep going, keep working hard."

Busch told reporters two hours before qualifying that he didn't have a car capable of the pole. But after his crew worked on it, Busch went out 22nd out of 48 cars, running a clean lap to overtake Kahne.

"We had a good lap for what we had in practice," Kahne said. "It felt good. I knew Kyle and Brian would come close. We're just looking forward to Sunday's race. We'll have a lot of time Saturday to work on the car, but I think we'll have something Sunday."

AJ Allmendinger, the Sprint Showdown winner last week who had to qualify on speed, made the field and will start 27th. Sam Hornish Jr., Sterling Marlin and Kyle Petty also made the field.

Jeff Green, Stanton Barrett, Jon Wood, Joe Nemechek and Tony Raines failed to qualify for the 43-car race.

Ryan Newman, who won the pole in both points races at Lowe's Motor Speedway last year, got high on the track on his first qualifying lap and failed to make up for it in the second lap. Newman, who has seven career poles here, will start 38th.

Maybe it had to do with the old tale that keeps people away from $50 bills.

"I learned something from being a Vegas boy," said Busch, who grew up in the gambling capital, where players are known to run away from casino tables when someone throws down a $50.

Earnhardt took a signed $50 bill from Wheeler, the well-known NASCAR promoter. Earnhardt then joked that leaving it in his pocket for the qualifying run was the reason he wasn't faster.

But old wives' tale or not, Busch has been the most dominant driver this season. Now Busch will try to overcome his famous impatience for Sunday's marathon of 400 laps.

"In the All-Star race we had a great shot to lead all the laps," Busch said. "I know that won't happen, obviously, in the 600. But we've got a good starting spot where we can stay up front and bide our time."


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Notebook: Wheeler-Smith parting not amicable

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- The day after Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler announced he was retiring, the frostiness continued with his boss, Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith.

Wheeler acknowledged Thursday while it was his decision step down after 33 years at the track, he wanted to stay on in a part-time role. Smith desired a clean break, and the 69-year-old Wheeler will leave after Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.
"Next year is the (track's) 50th anniversary," Wheeler said. "I don't want to work full time until next year, but I could have played some role. But it wasn't to be."

Just as Smith skipped Wheeler's retirement news conference Wednesday, Wheeler was absent from Smith's announcement Thursday that his company had purchased Kentucky Speedway. Smith declined to answer a question about Wheeler's legacy as one of NASCAR's top promoters.

"I might be able to answer that for you later," Smith said. "See, this is all about Kentucky Speedway. That's what I'm here for."

Wheeler plans to write a book and host a television show. He said he'd entertain jobs consulting for NASCAR and the new NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, although he doesn't want a full-time job.

Wheeler, who insisted he's healthy, said it was time to go after working decades for the demanding Smith. The two have a relationship that dates 50 years.

"I wouldn't say there was a falling out," Wheeler said. "We had some differences of opinion, but that's normal. I'm not a yes man. Good management should be able to argue back and forth. That's what makes good companies.

"I just got to a point where I felt like I needed to move on. I hated it. I love this place. But I can still promote and advise people on how to do things and not have to work full time. I was tired of the day-to-day grind more than anything else."

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WHAT'S HIS NAME: AJ Allmendinger's first NASCAR victory in Saturday's Sprint Showdown came after he put Elliott Sadler into the wall. After getting knocked out of the race, an angry Sadler referred to Allmendinger as "what's his name."

Allmendinger said he called Sadler this week to apologize.

"He didn't call me back," Allmendinger said. "I don't know if he knew who it was because I did say, 'This is what's his name' when I left the message. So I'm not sure if he knew who it was. I've done what I can. I've apologized enough and now I'm just focused on this week."

Sadler said he had no desire to chat.

"I've got better things to do and more things to worry about than talking to him," Sadler said.

Allmendinger's win in his No. 84 Toyota earned him a spot in the All-Star race, where he finished 17th. Allmendinger is trying to get into the top 35 in the points standings so he doesn't have to qualify on speed for every race.

"It gives me a lot of confidence to know that I can go out there in a race situation and get the job done," Allmendinger said.

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FRANCHITTI UPDATE: Dario Franchitti plans to get back inside his car next week for the two-day test at Pocono Raceway, but he's unsure if he'll be ready to race at Dover next weekend.

Franchitti broke his left foot in a crash at Talladega last month and will miss his fifth straight race this weekend. Sterling Marlin is filling in for Franchitti for a second consecutive race.

"I'd like to get more comfortable, see how we are for Dover," Franchitti said Thursday as he proudly displayed his foot, which no longer has a protective boot on it.

Franchitti, the defending Indianapolis 500 winner, recently visited his old friends at the track and said he wasn't overcome with desire to climb back into an open-wheel car.

"I didn't have that feeling," Franchitti said. "So that shows me I made the right choice and am looking forward to getting back in the car."

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DIVERSITY: In another effort to diversify NASCAR, Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota will offer a one-year apprenticeship for a minority to work on Waltrip's cars.

The person selected will work in a technical position in North Carolina. It comes as NASCAR continues to be criticized for its lack of a black or female driver in Sprint Cup.

"Diversity is something that is very hard to just make happen," Waltrip said. "Diversity happens over time."

NASCAR's recent popularity surge has brought new fans. Former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia is in his second year in Sprint Cup, while Japan-based Toyota entered the NASCAR's top series last year.

"I'm proud that Juan Pablo showed up. That brought us more fans. Toyota showed up. That brought us more fans," Waltrip said. "Every day that goes by people become more and more aware that this is sport is worldly. It's not just something we do in the South."

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LUG NUTS: On the same day Bruton Smith announced the purchase of Kentucky Speedway, he said he has no interest in purchasing Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. "I've been there and looked at that," Smith said. "I said, 'This has no sex appeal.' It didn't appeal to me at all." ... Smith reiterated he has no plans to reopen the shuttered speedway he owns in North Wilkesboro, N.C. "The place is for sale," Smith said. "I'd love to get rid of it." ... Josh Wise, scheduled to make his second Nationwide Series start here on Saturday, hit the wall on the first lap of practice Thursday. ... Jason Leffler (178.641 mph) was the fastest in Nationwide practice. Qualifying is Saturday afternoon.


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Kurt Busch tapes 'America's Most Wanted' intro

NASCAR Sprint Cup star Kurt Busch had an unusual assignment last Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The 2004 series champion spent part of the day taping an intro for this Saturday night's edition of "America's Most Wanted," the popular FOX TV show hosted by John Walsh.
"John was at the track filming on Friday and it was great to meet him and do the filming," Busch said. "I was in my Miller Lite fire suit and we did a nice little interview first. Then I did the introduction to a segment where they are looking for a woman named Jenny Liang.

"She was living in (Las) Vegas and working at the Mirage Casino when she supposedly murdered her boyfriend and then went on the run. I really enjoyed spending the time with John and I hope that our efforts add support in helping them capture this woman."

One of the things that impressed Busch most about the taping was Walsh's companions.

"John has an entourage of about 20 people, with two armed guards following him at all times," Busch said. "With his show helping take down nearly 1,000 dangerous fugitives in the past 20 years, it's pretty easy to understand why he has that kind of support crew."

The show airs Saturday at 9:00 p.m.

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CLASSIC RACE: The 56th edition of the Hoosier Hundred, one of the most prestigious dirt racing events of the year, will take place Friday night at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

Reigning U.S. Auto Club Silver Crown Series champion Bud Kaeding and two-time National Midget Series champion Jerry Coons Jr. are tied for the Silver Crown points lead.

The race, one of the perennial highlights of the week leading up to the running of the Indianapolis 500, has a list of winners that reads like the roster of a racing hall of fame, including A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Rodger Ward, Al Unser, Jimmy Bryant and Bob Swiekert.

Coons, who won the series opener at Phoenix in February, and Kaeding are both looking for their first Hoosier Hundred win, along with Tracy Hines, who leads this year's midget series. Hines, who drives for Tony Stewart Racing, has started the event eight times and placed sixth or better in seven of them.

Track qualifying record holder Johnny Parsons, who first raced in the event 38 years ago, will seek a record 30th start. He also is looking for that elusive victory after finishing second in 1973 and 1989.

One driver not looking for his first Hoosier Hundred win is Dave Darland. The Lincoln, Ind., driver is a prerace favorite, having won the event three times, the latest in 2004.

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KING'S REIGN: Stock car King Richard Petty will celebrate his 50th anniversary in NASCAR during the Chicagoland Speedway Sprint Cup race weekend in July.

The 70-year-old Petty, the son of NASCAR pioneer Lee Petty, made his driving debut on July 12, 1958, in the Convertible Division at Columbia Speedway in Cayce, S.C., starting 13th and finishing sixth. He went on to race for 35 years, winning 201 races, including one of 15 starts in the Convertible Division before going on to win seven Cup championships.

Petty Enterprises, the team begun by his father and now run by Richard Petty and son Kyle, will mark the anniversary with several special events and promotions. The team has extended an invitation to the CEOs of its sponsors and partner companies to come to Chicago to help them commemorate the anniversary.

A promotion to get fans involved with the celebration will be announced in June.

"As much as he is renowned for his success on the racetrack, The King has always connected with the fan and still does to this day," said Brian Moffitt, vice president of marketing for the Petty team. "It's just part of who he is."


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Montoya irked after 2nd crew chief swap

CHICAGO (AP) -- The challenge was leveled over the loudspeaker at the end of a long day at the All Candy Expo.

"Juan Pablo Montoya," the woman called. "Come take the Toxic Waste Challenge."
After a roller-coaster 24 hours, Montoya finally smiled. He popped a "hazardously sour candy" into his mouth Wednesday and successfully kept in for the one minute challenge time.

"It was pretty sour to start with, but it went away pretty fast," he said. "It wasn't that bad."

Montoya can't say the same for the events of this week. Crew chief Jimmy Elledge was released by Chip Ganassi Racing on Tuesday and Montoya heads into this weekend's Coca-Cola 600 with his third crew chief in less than a month.

Elledge came aboard in late April when Ganassi moved Donnie Wingo, who had guided Montoya's transition from Formula One into NASCAR, to Reed Sorenson's team. Montoya got Elledge and was pleased with the direction his No. 42 Dodge was headed.

But in what Montoya described as a "management decision," Elledge was let go and Brian Pattie was moved from one of the Nationwide Series crews to run Montoya's team.

"I wasn't really part of it, so, I am pretty frustrated," Montoya said. "They told me "We are thinking of getting rid of Jimmy' and I said "Don't do it.' Next thing I knew, they did. That's what happened. You are going to have to ask somebody else about it, because I wasn't involved in this."

Although he didn't think he needed to lose Wingo when that move was made, Montoya said he understood it because he believed Wingo could help Sorenson save his struggling season. And even though the results weren't there yet with Elledge -- they were second in their debut race at Talladega, but struggled in the three after that -- Montoya liked the direction Elledge was taking the team.

"We were taking a very different route, and I was willing to see where it led," he said.

Now he starts over -- again -- and is concerned about forward progress with the entire organization. He points to his debut Cup race at Homestead in the 2006 season finale, when he was running near the top 10 before an accident with Ryan Newman ended his race.

"I think it's really hard that in my first mile-and-a-half Cup race, I was very close to getting a top-10 finish. Two years later, we're running 20th," he said. "We should be a lot further. We should be a lot better of a team right now, and we're not."

Montoya said he's spoken several times with Ganassi in the 24 hours since Elledge was let go, and expressed his frustration with the situation.

"We talked, and I told him how I felt and that's it really," Montoya said.

Montoya said he's got faith in Pattie, "He's a really smart guy," he said, but worries that all the changes over the past month are unsettling to the entire race team. He expects more movement behind the scenes.

"More has got to be coming. I don't think we have made as much progress as we need to," he said. "In the beginning of the year, I thought we made gains over where we had been running. We seem to have lost that over the last few weeks, and we need to find more speed.

"I don't think frustration is the word for how I feel. I think it's more -- there's a lot of effort put into it, and a lot of people working their butt off and we're not getting better. It's annoying."

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Montoya's Q&A with AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer:

Q: Wrigley's brought you to the Candy Expo to sign autographs and meet fans, then you got a chance to walk around and visit the booths. How did you like it?

JPM: It was cool. There was a lot of nice candies and a lot of nasty ones. It was cool to see Wrigley's with a car there and to see a company so pumped up about it. it was really cool to be part of it.

Q: What did you like best today?

JPM: I'm trying to think what was the best thing today. I was surprised to see how many people came for autographs to an event that was not racing-related, and to see how many countries they came from -- England, Germany, Italy, the Spanish people. That was cool.

Q: Wrigley's does a lot of fan interaction with you. They take you out to the campgrounds at select races to surprise fans and stage events like today. How do you like that?

JPM: I think it's really cool to be in contact with the fans because they do a lot for us. To be able to have them there is pretty exciting.

Q: Do you like working with Wrigley's?

JPM: Love it. It's a really cool company, a company that tries to maximize all their efforts and makes you want to work really hard for them and make sure they are happy.

Q: You've done a few commercials for Wrigley's -- Juicy Fruit and Big Red spots-- that people find very funny. How did you like doing them?

JPM: They were really weird when I did them. I felt like slagging off -- that's an English term, it's like I was insulting the brand. I read the script and thought if it comes out funny, it's going to be really funny. If it comes out wrong, it's going to be horrible.

Q: So you had to act?

JPM: I had to act. I tried. I've done a lot of commercials over the last few years. At the beginning it was really hard, the expressions you have to get across, but in time you learn to do it. I'm not great at it, but I'm not bad.

Q: That's not your wife, Connie, in the Big Red commercial. Who is the hot chica?

JPM: It's Connie's pilates instructor. It was supposed to be Connie, but it was five hours in a hot tub, it wouldn't be a good idea.

Q: How did you get her?

JPM: They hired her. Connie didn't even know about it. It was totally random. She called Connie and told her she'd been cast.

Q: Did you do any pilates with her?

JPM: No.

Q: Why not?

JPM: I don't know. Remember, it's Connie's pilates instructor. Not Juan's pilates instructor. It's very different.

Q: What's the difference?

JPM: You tell me. I don't do pilates, that's the difference. I know where you are trying to go with this. I'm not doing it.


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