Eury Jr. out as crew chief for slumping Earnhardt

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have a new crew chief starting with this weekend's race at Dover because of a slump that has dragged deep into the season.

Tony Eury Jr. was removed as crew chief of Earnhardt's No. 88 team Thursday. The two are cousins and have worked together during Earnhardt's entire career.

"It seemed the harder we pushed, the more it unraveled," team owner Rick Hendrick told The Associated Press. "We need a new reason to get up and go to the track each morning, and the chemistry had broken down between them to the point where we just needed a fresh start."

The pair left Dale Earnhardt Inc. last season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. But despite driving for NASCAR's top team they have one win in 48 races with Hendrick and are 19th in points, well behind teammates Jeff Gordon (first), Jimmie Johnson (fourth) and Mark Martin (12th). Earnhardt hit rock bottom with Monday's 40th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Team manager Brian Whitesell will be the crew chief this weekend. Lance McGrew will take over in two weeks on an interim basis as Hendrick decides on a long-term plan for NASCAR's most popular driver.

"We're going to do everything we can to get this team where it needs to be," said Hendrick, whose steadfast commitment to the pair clearly waned following Monday's rain-shortened race. "It's hard to put your fingers on what the problem is or was. We just feel like with all the frustration we need a fresh start.

"We've all given it the best shot we could and I think the guys that are going to be lined up now on this team. ... We're just rolling up our sleeves and we're going to refuse to lose, refuse to quit until we get it fixed."

Earnhardt and Eury spent Tuesday and Wednesday testing on the road course at Virginia International Raceway. Hendrick told them he was splitting them up when they returned Wednesday evening. He said they needed time to adjust to the split.

"I don't know that they were 100 percent, but by this morning, both of them said they were good," Hendrick said. "I don't think they felt good when I told them, but I think they'll feel better as the days go on."

Eury will stay with Hendrick Motorsports in a research and development role. Whatever route Hendrick takes with Earnhardt, he's giving Earnhardt the full-time use of Whitesell and Rex Stump, the lead chassis engineer.

Earnhardt and Eury are grandsons of Robert Gee, one of Hendrick's first employees. The two went through a rough patch that led to bickering at the end of the 2004 season when they raced for the championship at Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Earnhardt's stepmother, Teresa, separated them at the start of 2005, a move that led Earnhardt to finish a career-worst 19th in the standings. They were back together before the end of the season, but won just one race together in 2006 as Earnhardt's relationship with his stepmother rapidly deteriorated.

The next year, Earnhardt embarked on one of the most high-profile free agencies in NASCAR history. He settled on Hendrick Motorsports, and Eury went with him.

Although they opened their first season at Hendrick by winning the exhibition Budweiser Shootout and a Daytona 500 qualifying race, Earnhardt didn't win a points race until the 15th event of the year. That was at Michigan, his only victory all season.

Still, consistency put him at the top of the title contenders when the Chase for the championship began. But Eury and Earnhardt moved away from what got them into the Chase and finished last in the 12-driver field.

This year, Earnhardt opened with two pit-road mistakes in the Daytona 500 that put him in position to later trigger a nine-car accident. The pit-road errors have plagued him most of the season, but the poor showings have spilled onto the track as well.

Earnhardt has just three top-10 finishes this season and six finishes of 27th or worse. He's close to falling too far behind to rally for a spot in the Chase. That's unacceptable for a driver who went to Hendrick to win the Cup title that has eluded him his entire career. His father, the late Dale Earnhardt, was a seven-time Cup champion before his death in an accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

Despite their shortcomings -- two wins in the past 120 races -- Earnhardt remained fiercely loyal to Eury and was pained when his fans blamed the crew chief for their failures.

"Every time I read in the paper that people are on his case I feel like I'm sending my brother to jail for a crime I committed," Earnhardt said in one of his early season defenses of Eury.

Hendrick never considering a split until Monday's disappointment. Now he wants to "spark some magic."

"Right now, we've got one boat that's got a hole in it and we've got to fix it," he said.

NASCAR holds town hall meeting with drivers

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR chairman Brian France held two town hall meetings Tuesday to discuss everything from the sport's toughened drug policy to the economy, competition and fan interest.

"I learned a long time ago if you get everybody involved, they can't complain," team owner Rick Hendrick said after exiting the morning session. "That's what happens in our sport, people don't feel like they get a voice."

So NASCAR gave everyone a chance to be heard, presiding over two open meetings at the research and development center located a few miles away from Lowe's Motor Speedway. Drivers, team owners and crew chiefs were assigned to one of two sessions, and the morning group of 53 participants needed a little over two hours to discuss the issues facing NASCAR.

The second group, which included three-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, two-time series champion Tony Stewart and a large contingent from Roush Fenway Racing, met later.

France and NASCAR president Mike Helton opened the first session by encouraging candid discussion on any subject, spokesman Jim Hunter said. NASCAR had 10 top officials in attendance, including France's sister, Lesa, an executive vice president of NASCAR. The two have presided over NASCAR, a family run business started by their grandfather, since their father's death two years ago.

"I think today was a really great step toward Brian, Lesa and all those folks answering questions and taking some criticism and explaining why some things are like they are and giving everybody a chance to speak up," Hendrick said. "I think if we can do more of these we can see that we all can work together to make this thing better. There's a lot of smart people in that garage area."

Drug testing was a main topic of the first session, which included Mark Martin and Ryan Newman, two drivers vocal with their concerns about the policy since Jeremy Mayfield's failed test. He received an indefinite suspension May 9 and, despite calls from drivers, NASCAR has not revealed the substance found in his sample.

The secrecy and lack of an official list of banned substances led many drivers to worry their careers could be put in jeopardy by a failed test for a simple prescription.

"If you're taking something as prescribed, I don't think you're going to lose your career," Martin said. "I feel much better now than I did before the meeting."

The slumping economy has taken a toll on NASCAR, which this season is suffering through drops in both attendance and TV ratings. Smaller teams are struggling to find sponsorship opportunities, and there's been differing opinions on the competition since NASCAR switched last season to the full-time use of its "Car of Tomorrow."

Although NASCAR has been steadfast in its stance that no changes were forthcoming to the car, Hunter said input collected would be considered.

"In the end there was no answer, but we also learned a lot of things we need to talk about," Newman said. "It's like a marriage. It's a two-way street. You need to talk about things to make it better."

Wheldon's move to smaller Panther team paying off

When Dan Wheldon walked away from a ride with powerful Target Chip Ganassi Racing to sign with second-tier Panther Racing for 2009 there were murmurs in the garage that he had taken a wrong turn.

That speculation just made his runner-up finish in last Sunday's Indianapolis 500 more gratifying.

"I'm incredibly proud of the Panther Racing team," Wheldon said after the race. "In my IndyCar Series career there's not many races where I've honestly left the track feeling that we've executed everything perfectly, and I have to say I thought they did an absolute phenomenal job. The pit stops were just first class (and) I didn't have to do too much work on track because they kept making me spots."

Still, it was surprising when the 2005 Indy winner and series champion with Andretti Green Racing decided to leave Ganassi, which won last year's 500 and series title with Scott Dixon, for Panther.

That team was once a powerhouse, too, with Sam Hornish Jr. winning championships in 2001 and 2002. But without a win since Tomas Scheckter reached Victory Lane at Texas in 2005, those days were little more than a memory for a team trying to beat big, well-funded outfits like Ganassi, Penske Racing and AGR.

Wheldon, who drove briefly for Panther in 2002 as he was starting his IndyCar career, had a so-so season in 2008 by Ganassi standards.

The English driver won twice, had 10 top-five finishes, but wound up fourth in the points, making him the likely odd-man-out if Ganassi made a driver change.

Mike Griffin, co-owner of the Panther team, said it was Wheldon who contacted the team about a possible ride.

"His manager called and asked if (co-owner) John (Barnes) would be willing to talk about a ride for 2009," Griffin said. "We thought he was talking about an Indy Lights driver and said, 'Sure.' Then it was Dan who called."

Wheldon said he told Barnes how impressed he was with what the team was doing with its limited resources.

"I could see they had a lot of talent and a lot of energy," Wheldon said.

So far, the move has been good for both the driver and the team.

Since a disappointing 14th-place finish in the season-opener at St. Petersburg, the 30-year-old Wheldon has finished fifth at Long Beach, 10th at Kansas and second at Indy. He goes to Milwaukee this week seventh in the season standings.

"I really am enjoying racing with this team," Wheldon said. "Being a one-car team, there's a lot of responsibility on me, and I like that part of it. I'm looking forward to really growing and being a big part of the team.

"Everybody on this team wants to get back into Victory Lane. They won championships and races, but it's a team that hasn't been that strong for a couple of years. Now, everybody is ready to get back on top."

Griffin said the team has been very impressed with what Wheldon has brought on board.

"It's been awesome. He's the leader," Griffin said. "He's definitely the guy and everybody has stepped up. This is a team that has a whole lot less resources than some of the other teams, but everything is going in the right direction."

After Wheldon's brief debut with Panther, he spent the next three seasons with the Andretti team before moving to Ganassi.

"They're all very, very different," Wheldon said of the three teams. "Panther is obviously a smaller operation, being a one-car team, and some people say it's more of like a family type atmosphere. But, what some people tend to miss is that the people at Panther are incredibly driven.

"There's a hunger, a lot of motivation, and I thrive off that."

A win or two this season would be a big boost for both driver and team.

"I have no doubt that this team is capable of winning races, and the team believes we can win," Wheldon said. "We just have to show people we can get it done."

Logano showing promise in 1st full Cup season

Joey Logano still has plenty of years to develop into NASCAR's next big thing.

For now, the Cup rookie is still learning his way around the tricky tracks. The former phenom absorbed some hits early in his first year on the circuit, but the teenager has started to show some of the promise that made him one of the most hyped prospects in years.

He's recorded two straight ninth-place finishes, and three in his last four races. All that early talk that he was a bust and those false rumors that he might be replaced at Joe Gibbs Racing have faded with each finish near the front of the pack.

The 19-year-old is starting to prove he can live up to some of the mile-high expectations that have followed him for years, long before he could to shave, vote, or even get a driver's license.

Logano returns this week to Dover International Speedway, where he made his debut in a Nationwide Series race last May, kicking off a whirlwind start to his NASCAR career that included his first Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire in September.

"It feels like it's been a lot longer than that," Logano said. "When you think of everything that happens in a whole year, holy smokes."

He's recorded two wins in the second-tier Nationwide Series, and sits in 25th place this season in the Cup standings driving full-time for JGR. Logano toured Darlington Raceway with former Cup champion Cale Yarborough, garnered praise from former teammate Tony Stewart, and has already earned nearly $2 million in purse money this season.

The JGR driver with the squeaky-clean look was an instant hit with the fans, earning a spot in NASCAR's All-Star race after they voted him in.

Like a typical teen, Logano gushed over the honor, calling it "huge" and "awesome."

That's how Logano was described long before he was racing against NASCAR's big boys.

Veteran Mark Martin raved about Logano when he caught a glimpse of him years ago and stated "he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR."

Logano has been on the fast track ever since, winning races at every level and beating some of NASCAR's top developmental drivers along the way. He earned the nickname "Sliced Bread," as in, "the greatest thing since ..."

Logano, who said only some close friends tease him with the "Sliced Bread" tag, said he's blocked out the hype and has focused on winning races.

He also refused to use his age and lack of experience as reasons for a slow start that included a last-place finish at the opening Daytona 500.

"I'm not going to use it as an excuse that I'm only 18, 19 and that's why things didn't go good that day," he said. "It never phased me that hey, you're 18 and you're doing all this. It never happened."

Logano was eligible to drive once he turned 18 and JGR put him in a car at Dover only days after his birthday. His goal was a top-five, but he finished sixth in his national-level debut. In the postrace interview, Logano said the finish wasn't "much in my book." Time has softened his stance on his performance on the Monster Mile concrete track.

"I remember going there, not really knowing what to expect and having a good solid run," he said. "For your first race, that was a really, really good finish."

He's navigated the tracks without the benefit of testing, thanks to rules changes implemented this season. That was one reason why he finished 30th or higher in five of his first seven races in the No. 20.

"I don't think you ever get the hang of it," he said. "I think I'm a lot closer to where I need to be. The cars are nothing like the Nationwide cars. It makes it quite a bit tougher, but it is what it is."

The lack of seat time at some of the upcoming tracks have prompted him to add some dates to his schedule. He'll take a spin at the ARCA race next week at Pocono Raceway, one track where he has yet to turn a competitive lap.

His slow start led Logano to gripe in April that his critics weren't being fair. Logano said he barely had a chance to prove himself in the Cup series when he was hearing or reading stories that he wasn't worth all the hype.

"Of course they weren't," being fair, he said. "No one realized it was going to be that much different than the Nationwide car. Look at who you're racing against, too. It's the best drivers in the world. It's not going to be 'bam!' and you're there."

The JGR team never pressured him, only wanting Logano to learn each time he hit the track. Now that he's recording top-10s, his next goal is a win or two and to build some momentum for next season -- and the rest of what promises to be a lengthy career.

"I'm to the point now where I feel comfortable on the race track," he said. "All that stuff builds up your confidence."

NASCAR gets unlucky with the weather -- again

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Despite the poor economy, Lowe's Motor Speedway was close to selling out the 140,000 grandstand tickets on Sunday for the Coca-Cola 600.

Yet there were only a few thousand fans still in their seats more than 24 hours later when David Reutimann finally was declared the anticlimactic winner after only 227 of 400 laps of the rain-plagued race.

Reutimann never led a green-flag lap, winning because he decided to stay on the track when most of the field pitted during the last caution for rain. Ryan Newman also stayed out and finished second -- nearly 61/2 hours after the green flag waved Monday afternoon.

"Obviously I'm happy with the strategy. I feel so bad for the fans out there," Newman said. "Just to see the grandstands that were packed (Sunday) and to come back for Memorial Day knowing people couldn't make it back."

It was more bad luck for NASCAR, which has seen its top two races end with raindrops. Matt Kenseth won the shortened Daytona 500. And while NASCAR called that race quickly, there was a long wait before they gave up Monday.

"It was in the best interest of the fans to put on a show for them," said Robby Gordon, whose pit strategy produced a third-place finish. "Unfortunately we lost a huge part of the population with all the rain delays."

The uninspiring finish comes ahead of Tuesday's town hall meeting with drivers and NASCAR officials.

"It's going to be interesting," Newman said. "It's the first meeting to my knowledge like this. We've been put in a room before and talked to. But it's interesting and nice to have the capability to talk, a two-way street of communication."

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RED-FLAG TIFF: The red flags for rain that plagued the race allowed for drivers to get out of the cars -- and argue.

Tony Stewart went up to Reutimann during a delay in what proved to be the race's halfway point.

"Just being smart out there," Stewart said of what he told Reutimann, in his second full-time Sprint Cup season. "We caught him and he raced us real hard. We've got 425 miles left in the race at that point."

Reutimann's team didn't take kindly to the advice, and Stewart then got into an argument with mechanic Dwayne Bigger.

"Then he's got a bald crew guy down there that wants to jump up there and be Billy Bad Butt," Stewart said. "Maybe he needs to ride in there with him since they both seem to have it all figured out."

But Reutimann said Stewart called to congratulate him after he was awarded the win.

"Tony and I are cool," Reutimann said. "Tony Stewart is one of the guys who has helped me out the most. This was another situation where he was trying to help me."

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LOGISTICAL MESS: Moving a major NASCAR race back a day is no easy task.

Track officials were scrambling Monday morning to clean the track and position the 3,000 workers needed a day after the race was postponed.

"You depend on a lot of volunteer groups to work your trams, your ticket stubbing, concessionaires, souvenir sales, security, the whole nine yards," LMS spokesman Adrian Parker said. "You now have to cover in certain areas because not all of the groups can come back. I would say staffing is the No. 1 concern."

Parker said normally it takes three days to clean the grandstands and infield after a major race. That left crews focusing on only the major areas before the gates opened at 9 a.m. Monday.

It appeared less than half the fans returned. While there were no refunds, track officials announced ticket holders would be entitled to a 10 percent discount for the October race.

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UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Lowe's Motor Speedway officials announced Sunday that it was the first rainout in the event's 50 years. After further research, LMS said Monday it was the second washout.

Track records showed the fourth running of the race in 1963 was pushed back a week from May 26 to June 2 because of heavy rain. Junior Johnson had a comfortable lead late before blowing a tire. Fred Lorenzen ended up in Victory Lane.

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MOMENT OF SILENCE: NASCAR red-flagged the race at 3 p.m. to participate in a moment of silence as part of the national moment of remembrance for Memorial Day.

NASCAR then directed the cars to the frontstretch, where the engines were turned off. The flags around the track were lowered to half-staff, the fans stood and crew members stood at the edge of the pit boxes. Carl Edwards waved a tiny flag outside the car.

The moment of silence lasted for about a minute.

"I was touched by that," Michael Waltrip said.

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RIGGS OUT: Scott Riggs finished 39th in his final race in the No. 36 Toyota for low-budget Tommy Baldwin Racing. The team announced before the green flag that Mike Skinner, Patrick Carpentier and Brian Simo will share driving duties for the rest of the season.

"I just felt like it was time to make a change to see where the race team stacked up against other teams," said Baldwin, who is also the crew chief.

Riggs didn't pit shortly after a red flag early in the race and took the lead. But Riggs, who entered Monday 41st in the points standings, quickly fell to the rear of the field.

Skinner will drive 17 of the remaining 25 races. Carpentier will drive in both events at Pocono Raceway, June 28 at New Hampshire, Sept. 12 at Richmond and Sept. 27 at Dover. Simo will drive in the two road course events.

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LUG NUTS: With Sunday's postponement and then the red flags Monday, Bill Elliott's 800th career start took a while. "I told them it sure was nice of them to throw in a few old man cautions in there with those red flags to let me get out and rest a few minutes," Elliott joked. The 53-year-old driver finished 15th. ... Joey Logano finished ninth a day after his 19th birthday.

Reutimann earns first Cup victory in Coca-Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- David Reutimann slipped out his car window, stared up at the rainy, gray sky and waited.

He refused a drink. He turned down a sandwich. He even declined an umbrella.

Reutimann didn't want to stray too far from his car, didn't want to take his eyes off the ominous weather and certainly didn't want to do anything that might change his luck.

Not on this day. Not at this race. Not after all these years.

Reutimann, a 39-year-old journeyman with two lower-tier victories in his previous 265 starts, won the biggest race of his NASCAR career Monday. He gambled during a late caution to grab the lead and eventually won the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Ryan Newman finished second, followed by Robby Gordon, Carl Edwards and Brian Vickers.

But the real celebration belonged to Reutimann. He had to wait two hours for it, too. He could have done just about anything during the tiresome delay, but Reutimann decided to remain near his No. 00 Toyota.

"I just knew leaning on the car was working," he said following his first Sprint Cup victory in 75 races. "So I figured I shouldn't change up my system any. If a tornado, hurricane comes, doesn't matter, lightning, I'm staying right where I am 'til the bitter end or 'til we go back green again. I wasn't going to move."

He didn't, and fortunately for Reutimann, the rain stuck around, too.

Reutimann didn't lead a single green-flag lap. He had a middle-of-the-pack car as teams jockeyed for position just past the halfway point of the gloomy race, which was washed out Sunday and carried over to Monday for the first Memorial Day running in its 50-year history.

The weather wasn't much better a day later, with intermittent showers all around. But no one knew how long the race would last. They just figured the sport's longest race wouldn't go the distance.

When rain brought out a caution flag shortly after the halfway point, leader Kyle Busch led a parade of cars down pit road. But Reutimann, Newman and Gordon didn't follow, and the three moved to the top of the leaderboard.

They led the field for five laps under caution before NASCAR called the cars back to pit road for the third rain stoppage. Most drivers headed to their motor homes to wait out the rain.

Not Reutimann.

He was joined at his car by his 68-year-old father, Buzzie, a racer with one career NASCAR start who still tears it up in dirt track events at East Bay Raceway near Tampa, Fla.

"It's been a long road," Buzzie Reutimann said. "It's taken us a long time to get here. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up in the morning and find out I'm dreaming all of this. Wow, words can't describe how great a father would feel to see his son win a race. Seeing that No. 00 up on top of the board, one of the greatest feelings in the world."

The victory even brought tears to the eyes of car owner Michael Waltrip, whose emotional hug with Reutimann brought back memories of Waltrip's first victory as a driver.

After Waltrip crossed the finish line in the 2001 Daytona 500, he waited for car owner Dale Earnhardt to congratulate him. He later learned that Earnhardt fatally crashed coming out of the final turn, seconds before Waltrip crossed the finish line.

"I kind of warned David," said Waltrip, who picked up his first victory as an owner. "I'm feeling pretty good about this hug I'm fixing to give you. So that hug was for David and it was also to sort of make up for something that I missed out on when I won a race one day."

Waltrip nicknamed Reutimann "The Franchise" earlier this season and even had the moniker placed on Reutimann's car. It stayed there for a few months, until Reutimann asked for it to be taken down.

"We took that off his car because I think it went to his head a little bit," Waltrip joked. "He started running into stuff. We said we're going to remove that. Now he won, so we're not going to put it back on there."

Seriously, though, Waltrip had high praise for his top driver.

"He has been, and in my opinion, will always be the cornerstone of MWR because of what he's accomplished for us, especially getting his first win," Waltrip said. "We wanted people to notice him. He was doing so many wonderful things, so we nicknamed him that."

Junior struggles in Charlotte, finishes 40th

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- It may have been somewhat fitting that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his National Guard team seemingly took Monday off.

After all, it was Memorial Day.

Earnhardt, mired in a season-long slump that even has car owner Rick Hendrick scratching his head, had his worst showing of the year at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt ran near the back of the pack most of the afternoon and finished 40th in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, his worst showing since he was 41st in last season's finale at Homestead. He was two laps down when the race was called because of intermittent showers.

It was Earnhardt's third consecutive finish outside the top 25, and he's been 20th or worse five times in the last six Sprint Cup events. His previous worst finish this year was 39th at California.

His Hendrick Motorsports teammates have been considerably better. Three-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson has seven top-10 finishes, Jeff Gordon has one more that and Mark Martin has two wins in the last five weeks.

They were better Monday, too.

Johnson ran up front all day, but wound up 13th because of the final red-flag situation. Gordon finished 14th in what he called a "horrendous" car, and Martin was three spots further behind after falling way back after being penalized for losing a tire on pit road.

Each passed Earnhardt not once, but twice.

His No. 88 Chevrolet was so bad that after several unsuccessful attempts to get the car straightened out, he seemingly conceded over the radio.

"Since I'm getting lapped so much, help me get out of their way," he told spotter T.J. Majors. "Just do that."

Earnhardt joined Hendrick before the 2007 season in what was arguably the biggest free-agent move in NASCAR history, and many believed getting the sport's most popular driver in the sport's best equipment would land Junior in Victory Lane as often as Johnson and Gordon.

It hasn't happened.

He won once last season, at Michigan in June, but has been pretty much mediocre in the 33 races since. He's finished outside the top 20 a telling 14 times during that stretch.

Some believe the problems have started to get in Earnhardt's head. Hendrick even said recently that he was looking for new ways to get the team turned around. He said there had been several meetings and tons of information sharing with his other teams in hopes of finding some solutions.

Nothing worked Monday.

Earnhardt started 27th and was at the back of the field after 100 laps. He was too loose early, fighting to stay off the wall, then too tight a bit later.

"We're gonna try a bunch of stuff here," crew chief Tony Eury Jr. said just before one pit stop.

It had to be a strange feeling for Earnhardt to be so far back at this track, the place where he made his Cup debut in 1999. He entered the race with nine top-10 finishes in 19 Cup starts at Lowe's Motor Speedway and another five top-10s in 10 Nationwide Series starts here.

After Earnhardt's final pit stop, he sounded like someone who would have been glad to see the race called just past the halfway point.

"I guess this is the best it's gonna be," he said.

Notebook: Bobby Allison no fan of NASCAR's new car

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Bobby Allison was not the only one of NASCAR's top drivers, but also a whiz in the garage. He was hardly bashful on Sunday in declaring he "started the aerodynamic revolution" when he designed Chevrolet's Monte Carlo in the late 1960s.

"That gave them a car that was truly a step into modern aerodynamics," Allison said. "Now that's gone too far."

Allison was at Lowe's Motor Speedway to serve as grand marshal for the Coca-Cola 600. Before it was postponed by rain until Monday, the three-time winner of NASCAR's longest race was bemoaning the slow switch of racing cars that closely resembled those in dealership showrooms to the space-age Car of Tomorrow.

"We need cars that the fans in the grandstand can really relate to," Allison said.

NASCAR shifted to the boxier, more aerodynamic car in hopes of creating competitive balance and reducing costs. But as he took part in the celebration of the 50th running of Charlotte's Memorial Day weekend race, Allison was pining for the return of cars with an identity.

"One had an advantage one place and another had an advantage somewhere else. It's still balanced out pretty good and racing was good," Allison said. "Racing is still really good because the competitors put that extra little piece in there, too. No matter what the rules are the competitors adjust and go on and compete.

"But if they were riding in something that was recognizable to the people buying that ticket in the grandstand I think it would be more attractive."

Allison just wasn't expecting NASCAR to heed his suggestions.

"They have always had my phone number, but the only time I can remember them using it was when they called me up to tell me I'd done something wrong," Allison said. "I may get a phone call about this comment right now."

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DANICA'S FUTURE: Danica Patrick's contract is up at the end of this season and there's speculation the Indy Racing League star, who finished third Sunday at the Indianapolis 500, might jump to NASCAR.

There's little doubt she would be attractive to sponsors, fans and just about every team owner. But Bruton Smith, the outspoken chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., isn't sure it would be a smooth transition.

"She's small and does a good job where she is," Smith said. "But I think if you tried to bring her (to NASCAR), you've got a two-year tour of duty in the race car because she's not accustomed to what we're running. But I think it would be wonderful if we could find some women who could really offer the appeal that you're after and I'm after. It would be great."

Asked whether Patrick was too small in stature to handle the 800-horsepower stock cars, Smith suggested she would have her hands full.

"Maybe she is," he said. "But I do know it takes a lot of seat time. If you're coming from IndyCars into one of these cars, it takes a lot of seat time before she would be in a situation to win one of these events."

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PENSKE CELEBRATES: Penske Racing's NASCAR division was watching intently Sunday afternoon when Helio Castroneves put the team into Victory Lane at the Indianapolis 500.

"I have to admit that I got teary-eyed," said Kurt Busch, who watched the end of the race from the infield at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "It was really emotional, but so cool, to see Helio win this one. He's such a great teammate."

Sam Hornish Jr., too, watched boss Roger Penske celebrate again at Indy.

"I'm thrilled for Roger," Hornish said. "To win the Indianapolis 500 for the 15th time is an incredible accomplishment."

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BIRTHDAY BOY: A year ago this weekend, Joey Logano was presented with a huge cake and car owner Joe Gibbs sang happy birthday as the racing phenom turned 18.

On Sunday, Sprint Cup's youngest driver celebrated his 19th birthday and was to make his first start in the Coca-Cola 600 until the race was postponed a day by rain.

"I think even after the All-Star race I felt very confident about this place," said Logano, who finished eighth in that event a week ago. "I had a really good car there and I feel like I have a good car here, too."

Logano's first full season in the Sprint Cup started with a crash and a last-place finish at the Daytona 500. But the driver of the No. 20 Toyota has slowly improved. He had two top-10 finishes in the three points races before Charlotte.

"The more competitive I get, the more I want to win," Logano said.

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LUG NUTS: Matt Kenseth has no problem with one race being a marathon 600 miles. It's some of the other races he'd change. "I think a lot of races could be shorter and you'd get the same results and they might even be more entertaining," Kenseth said. "Like Darlington, I'm not sure we have to race 41/2 hours to have the same effect." ... The speedway hosted eight recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor given to an individual by the U.S. Armed Services. The men were given a standing ovation at the driver meeting. ... Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn was in the garage area Sunday.

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AP Sports Writer Mark Long contributed to this report.

NASCAR drug tests 10 crew members during delay

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR randomly drug-tested 10 crew members from 10 teams during the rain delay at the Coca-Cola 600, an apparent tweak to the first three months of in-season testing.

Prior to Sunday night, crew chiefs said NASCAR typically informed them when the garage opened if a team member had been selected to give a sample. The individual had four hours to report to testing. Drivers can be tested on any day of the race weekend.

But at Lowe's Motor Speedway, NASCAR waited until after the scheduled start of the Coca-Cola 600 to inform teams and ordered individuals to report for testing at the end of the race. Because rain delayed the start, crew members were seen entering the infield care center, where the tests were conducted during intermittent showers. The race was later postponed until Monday.

NASCAR toughened its testing policy this season, in part because former Truck Series driver Aaron Fike admitted to using heroin, even on days he raced. It led the sanctioning body to implement mandatory preseason testing for all drivers and crews, as well random testing throughout the season.

Previously, NASCAR tested only on reasonable suspicion. Now, at least four drivers, 10 crew members 2 NASCAR officials from all three national series are tested at every event.

But the system has been at the forefront since Jeremy Mayfield received an indefinite suspension May 9 for failing a random drug test. NASCAR and Mayfield have declined to name the substance found in both his "A" and backup "B" samples, and Mayfield has retained legal representation to presumably fight the suspension.

Mayfield has insisted that the mix of a prescription drug with over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D led to his positive result. But NASCAR program administrator Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., has repeatedly rejected that explanation.

NASCAR chairman Brian France has described Mayfield's test as a "serious violation" of the substance-abuse policy, and he categorized that as use of a performance-enhancer or a recreational drug. A person familiar with the test results has told The Associated Press the positive test was not for performance-enhancers, meaning the positive test resulted from an illegal recreational drug.

Coca-Cola 600 postponed by rain; will be run Monday

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR's longest race of the season spilled into a second day Sunday night when the Coca-Cola 600 was postponed by rain for the first time in 50 years.

Light rain had delayed the scheduled 6:03 p.m. start at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but the track appeared dry and NASCAR called the cars out to pit road moments before a heavy shower soaked the surface again. The heavy rain lasted less than 15 minutes, but a persistent drizzle made it impossible to dry the track.

The race will run on Monday at noon. It's the first time it will be held on Memorial Day.

"We have a ton of family members and friends in town this weekend, and of course the big plan was for us all to be here tonight and playing around by the lake tomorrow," said Kurt Busch, who will start 17th.

"You just gotta feel for the fans, though. I'm sure a lot of them were counting on tomorrow for a travel day. The weather has put a kink in a lot of plans."

The only other time the Coca-Cola 600 was postponed was the 1960 inaugural race, when it was pushed from its Memorial Day weekend date to June 19 because three consecutive March snowstorms slowed construction on the speedway.

The weather has been good to NASCAR since the season-opening Daytona 500 was shortened 48 laps because of rain. Since then, every Sprint Cup Series event has been rain-free.

The Truck Series had two postponements this season -- at Martinsville and Kansas, where the races were held on days other than their scheduled start.

Elton Sawyer, competition director for Red Bull Racing, said the holdover isn't a huge financial burden to race teams because the majority are based in the area and don't have lodging costs. But teams will have to adjust to different track conditions: Sunday night's race begins in daylight and ends in the dark, but Monday's event will now be run during the hottest part of the day.

"Obviously we'll be dealing with the heat, so you won't have as much grip," Sawyer said. "The characteristics of the handling is definitely going to be different. It's the same for everybody, but it will be different."

Defending race winner Kasey Kahne said it will take teams time to adjust.

"I think it changes the way all of the drivers think," Kahne said. "Switching from a night race to a day race will be the biggest challenge. We all set our cars up for a night race, so it will definitely be a different Coke 600 than we've seen in the past."

Track owner Smith criticizes NASCAR again

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has a "town hall meeting" scheduled with its drivers next week.

The sport's longtime rival, Bruton Smith, held one of his own Saturday.

Smith, the outspoken, multimillionaire chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., ripped NASCAR for choosing not to disclose the banned substance involved in driver Jeremy Mayfield's suspension, for dropping record penalties on underfunded driver Carl Long and for the kind of racing created with the Car of Tomorrow.

Smith also criticized two former Kentucky Speedway owners who refuse to drop an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. Their decision has delayed the track from getting a Sprint Cup race.

"I have tried everything to get that done," Smith said in a wide-ranging, 40-minute interview session at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I've tried to actually shame them into it because they have a moral responsibility because the state of Kentucky spent $96 million there and assisted on building that speedway. So there's 96 million reasons right there why they ought to drop that lawsuit. But it's still there."

Smith, whose company owns eight NASCAR-sanctioned tracks, was on hand to talk about the 50-year anniversary of the Coca-Cola 600. But he wasted little time taking the sanctioning body, the same one that helped build his fortune, to task on several hot topics.

He questioned the way NASCAR handled Mayfield's situation. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely over a positive random test that remains clouded in secrecy. He was the first driver to be suspended under NASCAR's new random testing policy, toughened up for this season after former driver Aaron Fike admitted using heroin -- even on days he raced.

"I think we need some clarity on this," Smith said. "NASCAR, in my opinion, should come forth and say what the substance is. Why do we want all this secrecy behind it? I don't think you progress by being that secretive about something."

The 81-year-old Smith was even more critical of Long's suspension. Long was suspended 12 races and docked 200 points for having a slightly oversized engine at Lowe's last weekend. His crew chief also was fined $200,000. But if a crew chief can't pay a fine in NASCAR, it defaults to the team owner, which is Long and his wife. The record penalties could mean the end of Long's low-budget team.

"Why would you fine this man $200,000 for an engine that's a little bit over?" Smith said. "We've seen that so many times. What is it proving? I don't know who made that decision. ... In my opinion, they're dead wrong. Some of the things that NASCAR can do can disrupt and ruin a person's reputation, ruin their career. Two hundred thousand dollars? I've seen in the past where your engine may be a little bit over and maybe they take the engine."

Long said there's no chance he can pay the fine, and the suspension would prevent him from working his full-time job with another Cup team. Long appealed the penalties, allowing him to work until his June 2 hearing.

"I don't know Carl Long, but there's an injustice done there," Smith said. "I hope he wins his appeal. He can't race for 12 weeks? That's so cruel to try to ruin this man. That would absolutely financially ruin him, and it's just not right. I think you can prove your point a better way than that."

Smith didn't stop there, either.

He complained about NASCAR's bulkier car that has been blamed for less-than-stellar racing the last two years. He also suggested this year's testing ban has handcuffed teams and prevented them from finding solutions to the car's handling woes.

"Sometimes we forget these fans," Smith said. "When NASCAR does something that is so far out ... NASCAR loses a lot of fans when that happens. That's something you wouldn't think would happen in this country. It's too dictatorial and it's not good. We don't need to be making enemies. We need to make friends. We need to be fan-friendly."

Richard Petty savors royal treatment at Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The King of stock-car racing got the royal treatment at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, savoring every moment at his first Indy 500 as team owner.

The seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty planned to watch the race from pit road and stay as long as his blue-and-red No. 43 car, driven by John Andretti stayed on the 2.5-mile oval. Andretti started 28th, the inside of Row 10.

"It's interesting with all the excitement and stuff around here," Petty said before the race. "I've been around stock cars all my life, and you don't always see the excitement on TV. But when you're here, it's really exciting, really fun."

When the race ends or Andretti goes out, Petty will board a helicopter for the short ride to Indianapolis International Airport, then fly to Charlotte, N.C., for Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600.

Andretti, the first man to try the Memorial Day weekend double in 1994, acknowledged the double would be easier for Petty than it was for him.

"He's probably got more people worried about him making the helicopter on time than I did," Andretti said. "If he happens to miss the start of the 600, that's not good, but he'll still get there."

Petty, who attended last year's race as a fan, has not said whether he intends to make another foray into IndyCar racing. Of course, reaching Victory Lane might make a difference.

"I don't know what I'm doing next week, much less next year," Petty said, dressed in his trademark cowboy hat and sunglasses. "I can tell you the better John runs, the longer we'll stay."

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BABY WATCH: Driver Alex Lloyd had one close call before the race even started. His pregnant wife, Samantha, who's due date is Sunday, started having contractions during Saturday's Indy 500 Festival Parade.

And those contractions started right back up at the race.

Around 2:40 p.m. Samantha Lloyd said contractions had been about 10 minutes apart for the past hour or so.

"I'm staying as long as they don't get closer. I'm not going anywhere," said Lloyd, who's expecting her second daughter.

She said her doctor is in the pit with her and that the team has a plan to get her to the hospital if necessary.

"I wouldn't have missed it," she said of the race.

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AWARD WINNER: David Janquart, chief mechanic for Petty's No. 43 car, received a $5,000 check for winning the Clint Brawner mechanical excellence award Sunday.

"I get a chill when I think about it," Janquart said. "It's unbelievable to think I was even considered for the award. It's an awesome achievement that I didn't even expect."

The 40-year-old has worked with former CART teams Tasman Motorsports and Forsythe Racing, and also worked for owners Adrian Fernandez and Tony George before joining the Dreyer & Reinbold team 11/2 years ago. Dreyer & Reinbold co-owns the Petty entry and has four cars starting Sunday.

Wheeler absent from Charlotte's 50th anniversary

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- As Lowe's Motor Speedway celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend, the man who ran the track for more than three decades is attending the Indianapolis 500 instead.

There's no end in sight to Humpy Wheeler's feud with his old boss, track owner Bruton Smith.

"I thought after 33 years there that they would ask me to be there to be part of the celebration," Wheeler said by phone Saturday from Indianapolis. "When they decided not to, I didn't get bent out of shape. I wasn't surprised. I thought about going fishing, but the people up here invited me.

"I certainly miss being at Charlotte and I'm going to miss seeing the drivers and the fans. You get to know a lot of people."

Smith's reasoning for Wheeler's absence Saturday was that, "We don't send invitations to anybody." Smith then claimed their relationship turned sour last spring when Wheeler asked for a $5 million severance as they discussed his impending retirement.

"I think that his attitude changed when we said, 'No, we can't,"' Smith said.

Wheeler claimed a severance deal is common.

"I wanted a severance agreement which is pretty much what you do after someone has been there as long as I have," Wheeler said. "I don't remember the amount or it being anywhere near like that. I ended up not getting any severance pay at all."

Smith said Wheeler is getting paid $13,500 a month as part of his retirement agreement, which includes $1,000 a month as a consultant even though "we weren't going to consult with him about anything." Smith said he also gave Wheeler a $560,000 check in November 2007 as a gift after selling a piece of property.

"I made Humpy a lot of money," Smith said. "Humpy's net worth is about $26 million now. I'm very proud of that. What else do you need?"

The feud comes after the two men helped create one of the top tracks in the country. Wheeler has been lauded as a leader in motorsports marketing, from introducing night racing at a superspeedway to orchestrating elaborate pre-race shows.

But Wheeler claimed after he told Smith of his retirement plans, Smith wanted to quickly replace him. It led to Wheeler announcing his retirement before last year's Coca-Cola 600, a week earlier than Smith wanted.

Wheeler said he hasn't spoken to Smith since.

"It was sad to see it end that way because we have done a lot of good things together," Wheeler said. "We had a good team going there for a long time."

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ELLIOTT'S MILESTONE: When Bill Elliott first started in what's now the Sprint Cup in 1976, he and his family struggled to pay the entry fee.

Now 33 years, 44 wins, one Cup championship and a couple of cool nicknames later, Elliott is preparing to make his 800th career start on Sunday in NASCAR's top series.

"Looking at the whole deal it seems like yesterday with all that's happened," the 53-year-old Elliott said. "And to come here and go through the cars of the early years to all the changes they made and to what we're driving today, it's been a pretty wild ride."

The Dawsonville, Ga., native ran his first schedule in 1983 after Harry Melling gave him funding. He won 11 races in 1985, including a bonus that earned him the nickname "Million Dollar Bill."

He soon was called "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" as he won the Cup title in 1988. He remained consistent -- and one of NASCAR's most popular drivers -- after a move to Junior Johnson's race team.

Elliott last ran a full schedule in 2003, but has raced part-time for several teams. He'll make Sunday's start in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers.

"We started with just a bunch of guys back in Dawsonville, Ga., and nobody expected anything out of us," Elliott said. "We built that into not only a winning race team, but won a championship. That's what I keep saying. People really don't give us, especially (brother) Ernie and the family, enough credit for what we achieved out of that deal."

Elliott, who hasn't said when he'll step out of the car for good, still has something left. He qualified 10th for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, the best performance by a Ford.

"I love to drive it and to me it's so much fun to run with Len and Eddie (Wood). They do such a good job," Elliott said. "They don't put a lot of pressure on you and we come and have a good time."

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MONTOYA'S TURNAROUND: A year ago, Juan Pablo Montoya was upset after his second crew chief change. The week ended with a 30th place finish at the Coca-Cola 600.

For a driver who has raced in the Indianapolis 500 and the Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix on Memorial Day weekend, it was a low point in the Colombian driver's shift to NASCAR.

Now Montoya and new crew chief Brian Pattie are on solid ground, and Montoya will start ninth on Sunday, believing he has a chance at making the season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. He's currently 14th in the standings.

"I think if you look at where we were last year, we were actually not that bad in points when the crew chief started to change. But our car was nowhere near where we are right now," Montoya said. "Also I think the performance of the car and the company moved a long way. We're running Chevys now and that's huge. I think the whole thing has been really good for us."

As for the other races on Sunday, Montoya hopes one of car owner Chip Ganassi's teams wins at Indy, and he doesn't plan to watch much of the Formula One race.

"Monaco is normally hard to pass. Monaco is impossible," Montoya said. "So if the guy gets through the first corner and doesn't hit anything and has clean pit stops, he's probably going to win the race."

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LUG NUTS: Red Bull Racing is close to finalizing a contract extension with Brian Vickers, who is in the final season of a three-year contract. Both sides hold an option on next season that has to be exercised by June 1. ... Normally one of the toughest tickets in racing, Bristol Motor Speedway announced a rare move of putting individual tickets for the August night race on sale June 9. The track has sold out 54 consecutive races, but the recession has put the streak in jeopardy. ... Denny Hamlin had the fastest lap in Saturday's practice session.

Smith celebrates 50 years of racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- It took Bruton Smith more than a year to build his first race track, a frustrating project filled with financing issues, weather delays and too many setbacks to count.

When the gates finally opened at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the fledgling track operator worked 48 hours straight to prepare for the June 19, 1960, inaugural race. Smith desperately needed the event to reach the halfway point -- the mark that made it an official race and ensured he wouldn't have to issue any refunds -- and was eager to stage an exciting show.

At the critical 300-mile mark of the World 600, his job was done.

"Once we got past the halfway point, I went to sleep. I really did," Smith said. "I slept the rest of the race on a stool because I felt such relief. We couldn't afford to give the money back, and getting to that point had been such a drawn out effort to build this speedway. Trials and tribulations you would not believe."

That was 50 years ago, when Smith simply wanted to introduce stock car racing to the public through an impressive 1.5-mile speedway.

He had no idea he had created a race that would grow into one of the crown jewels of the NASCAR schedule.

He'll celebrate the 50th anniversary of his first race Sunday, one of the biggest days in motorsports. The Indianapolis 500 and Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix precede the race now known as the Coca-Cola 600 at the renamed Lowe's Motor Speedway.

It's the longest race on the schedule and after the grueling 600 miles in conditions that change dramatically from the daytime start to the nighttime finish four-plus hours later. The winner of Sunday night's race will claim the lion's share of the record $6.7 million purse and a 225-pound crystal and marble trophy that commemorates the 50 years of racing at LMS.

More important, though, is the title as Coca-Cola 600 winner.

"To me the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the Coke 600 and the Brickyard 400 are the four big races," veteran Jeff Burton said. "I like going back and looking at the old pictures. This is a really, really cool race track, a difficult race track and it keeps changing. The history of it is special. That to me makes it one of the crown jewels."

A two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner, Burton treasures his 1999 victory over Bobby Labonte that many race fans didn't have a chance to properly enjoy.

"It was an incredible race that TV did no justice to whatsoever," Burton said. "They went away on break. We had a race off pit road and we passed each other like three times and they never showed it. It was a great race."

Jeff Gordon earned the first of his 82 career victories in the 1994 running of the race, beating Rusty Wallace and shedding tears of joy in Victory Lane. On his first trip into North Carolina several years earlier, he made a detour after landing at the Charlotte airport to pass the track on his way to a driving school in Rockingham.

"I was blown away," Gordon said. "I never even went inside. I just saw it from the outside and thought it was incredible. I couldn't wait to drive a stock car and couldn't wait to get to Lowe's Motor Speedway."

The track sits just minutes away from Hendrick Motorsports' sprawling campus, and team owner Rick Hendrick has made winning at the home track a priority for his organization. When Gordon did it with pit strategy on the final stop -- he took two tires, race leader Wallace changed four -- it was a monumental victory for the driver who has since added four Cup titles to his resume.

"It was beyond a dream come true to win a race at the Cup level, and to do it at Charlotte," Gordon said. "Everybody knows how special Charlotte is, just its history within the sport, but also because it's located in the backyards of all the race teams. They all consider that their home and take a lot of pride in winning this particular race. Plus it's a huge event."

It took time to make it such a special race, but because of its unique length, every driver wanted a chance to be in contention at the end. Seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty only won it twice, when it took more than six hours to complete.

"It took all cotton pickin' day," Petty said. "It might not have been the biggest race, but it was the longest race and you wanted to have your name on that list. It used to be when we ran 600 miles, it was survival. Whoever could build a car and keep it out of the fence, keep the motor from blowing up and be there at the end of the race."

Jack Smith thought it would be him in the inaugural 1960 race. He's built an eight-lap lead when debris on the track punctured his fuel tank and NASCAR black-flagged him for spilling gasoline all over the track. His crew tied a cloth to a stick and shoved it in the hole, but the car still leaked gasoline.

Two times he tried to return to the track, and NASCAR called him back to pit road both times, the last time with roughly 15 laps to go in the event.

"Jack got out of his car and cried," Bruton Smith said. "To see a guy, he was a kind of burly, rough-and-tumble guy, sitting there crying. I'll always remember that."

Tony Stewart seeks first Cup win at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Tony Stewart has team co-owner Gene Haas in town, teammate Ryan Newman on the pole and both of his World of Outlaws drivers racing at a nearby dirt track.

No doubt, Stewart has enough distractions to keep him from thinking about his favorite race, the Indy 500, or last year's frustrating finish in the Coca-Cola 600.

At least for a bit.

"My dream of running Indy and winning Indy is still there," said Stewart, who's still looking for his first victory during Memorial Day weekend. "It's never going away."

Although the two-time NASCAR champion and former open-wheel star hopes to race at Indy again, he believes getting there will take a bigger commitment than he has time for these days.

"It's a scenario where you can't just show up and get in one of those things anymore and be good in them," said Stewart, the 1997 Indy Racing League champion. "To really put together an effort to not just try to make the Indy 500 but try to win the Indy 500 you have to start the season with a team and run through the Indy 500 if you're even going to have a shot at it."

Stewart drove both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 2001, a grueling 1,100-mile odyssey that included a plane ride, intravenous fluids, an early spin and two top-10 finishes. He hasn't entered the 500 since -- it's impossible to race both now because Indy's start time has changed -- and isn't sure when it will happen again.

"Even if they switched (the 500 to Monday), I don't know if it's feasible to do it," he said. "It's not just the logistics of making the two races. It's everything that leads into the preparation and testing and the time behind the wheel of getting acclimated to the cars again. That's more important than just the sheer logistics of race day."

Stewart would gladly settle for a win in the 600, NASCAR's longest race and one of the sport's crown jewels.

No one would be surprised to see him in Victory Lane, either.

Stewart, second in the Sprint Cup standings, is coming off his first win as an owner/driver with Stewart-Haas Racing. He won last week's All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in front of Haas, who was at the track for the first time since completing a 16-month federal prison term for tax fraud.

The founder of Haas Automation, a California-based machine tool builder, pleaded guilty to defrauding the government of more than $34 million in taxes. He spent 10 months in a federal corrections institution in Lompoc, Calif. -- a stay he compared to military basic training -- followed by six months of home confinement.

"It's a lot like being stricken with cancer or being hit by drunk driver; your life changes," Haas said Thursday, speaking publicly for the first time since his release. "What you try to do is put the pieces back together as best you can and move on and try to minimize the damage that happens in your life. It was an unfortunate event in my life. I stood up and took responsibility for what happened.

"I just want to get on with my life. There's not much I can do about it. It's in the past. I don't have any hard feelings against anybody. These things happen, and if you dwell on them too long, you'll never go forward."

Haas celebrated the victory with Stewart long into the night, spent every day this week at the race shop and even attended Stewart's 38th birthday party.

Although Haas still has plenty of catching up to do, he was able to track the team's progress from afar. And he's been as impressed as anyone with the quick turnaround. Stewart has five top-five finishes in the last six points races, plus the All-Star victory.

Haas enjoyed one top-five finish -- Johnny Sauter was fourth at Loudon in 2007 -- in his previous seven years as a NASCAR owner.

"We'd been in business for six years, and really, we were just struggling," Haas said. "We needed to make a change or tear the place down and turn it into a truck stop. It wasn't fun any more going to the races and losing all the time."

Stewart knows the feeling, especially on Memorial Day weekend.

His best finish in five starts at the Indy 500 was fifth in 1997, and he's 0-for-10 at the Coca-Cola 600. Last year's race near Charlotte was the most disheartening one of them all, too.

Stewart was leading the race with three laps to go when he flattened a tire. Kasey Kahne zipped by Stewart as he drove onto pit road and cruised to the win.

Stewart wound up 18th, stormed into his hauler and kicked at the cabinets.

He's much calmer these days, and for good reason.

"It is something that was supposed to be so stressful to do this this year, to take this on," Stewart said. "It was supposed to add stress, but it has actually taken stress away. I don't understand why. I don't really have a good answer for it.

"I haven't had this much fun for a long time. I guess it is a situation that you see with pro athletes all the time. Just sometimes you need a change, and this was a change that apparently I needed and didn't realize."

NASCAR suspends Long, fines crew chief record amount

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has suspended driver Carl Long for the next 12 Sprint Cup races and fined crew chief Charles Swing $200,000, the largest penalty in the sport's history.

Swing also was suspended until Aug. 18 for using an engine that was too big for NASCAR's specifications last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Long was docked a NASCAR-record 200 points. Additionally, Swing and Long were placed on probation until Dec. 31.

Car owner Danielle Long, Carl's wife, also was suspended 12 races, docked 200 owner points and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

The record fine exceeds the $150,000 Robby Gordon's crew chief, Frank Kerr, received in March 2008. Several drivers and owners have been docked 100 points in recent years.

Long has made just 23 career Cup starts, and has not appeared in a points-paying Cup race since 2006.

He finished last in the 35-car field in a qualifying event for Saturday night's All-Star race, dropping out after three laps because of an engine problem.

Long, who also failed to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500, first had engine trouble during practice last Friday. The team switched engines, and under NASCAR rules, the sanctioning body examined the bad engine.

NASCAR discovered an issue and sent the engine to the Research & Development Center for more tests, which determined the engine exceeded maximum cubic inch displacement specifications.

Patriots WR Randy Moss tries hand as NASCAR owner

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Randy Moss is going from rule breaker to rule maker as a NASCAR owner in the Camping World Truck Series.

For much of his football career, the NFL receiver was known as much for his tangles with authority as his spectacular playmaking. But Moss has steered clear of trouble the past couple of seasons with the New England Patriots and is now using what he's learned at the racetrack.

With Moss making a financial commitment and depending on his racing-savvy staff, the two-truck team won its first race at Kansas last month. One of his drivers, Mike Skinner, is second in the points standings through six races.

Not bad for a guy who has made six Pro Bowls, but also has faced legal issues, once squirted water on an official and walked off the field before a game was over.

"I know there's been a lot of negative talk about me as a player and me as an owner and coming into NASCAR, and do I know what it takes to be successful in this league," Moss said. "When I have the help, with the knowledge that these guys have and a lot of the talks and helpful tips that they have given me about being an owner, I think that just makes my job a little easier."

Moss spent last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway, playing the role of both owner and celebrity. He toured the garage, served as a judge for a burnout competition, and was in the pits when Skinner was involved in an airborne, truck-flipping crash.

Skinner walked away from the accident on Friday, while teammate Tayler Malsam finished eighth for his second top-10 of the season.

That left Skinner 84 points behind points leader Ron Hornaday Jr. Malsam, a rookie, sits 12th. It's an impressive showing for a team that didn't come together until weeks before the season-opener at Daytona -- and still lacks a full-time sponsor for Skinner's car.

"Everybody is really operating as thin as we can in order to still be competitive," Skinner said. "It's awesome working for Randy and (co-owner) David (Dollar) because they know how to win and they also know that you're not going to win every time we go.

"I think there are a lot of parallels and similarities in what he does and what we do. We're athletes at different levels. His is a lot more physically demanding probably than what we do. Both of them are very mentally demanding."

Moss, who grew up in NASCAR-loving Rand, W.Va., bought half of a race team from Dollar last year and changed the name. They used several different drivers in the No. 81 truck -- Moss' football number -- last year.

This year, Malsam has been driving the No. 81 and the veteran Skinner is in the No. 5. The team, still looking to secure sponsorships, also adjusted well from the switch to Toyota from Chevrolet.

"A lot of people see the chemistry, but they don't see what goes on behind closed doors," Moss said. "We're all a family and we try to run a day-to-day operation like a family. So the things that we've accomplished, like David said, we didn't really expect it, but we were hoping that things would go according to plan. For us to get our first win at Kansas that early in the season will hopefully open up doors later in the season."

Moss acknowledged that he won't be involved as much later in the year after the Patriots open training camp. After missing the playoffs last season, Moss is eager to get back on the field with quarterback Tom Brady returning from a knee injury.

"When I became partners with David that is one thing I stressed to him that my main priority is football. That's my life and that's what I love," Moss said. "Being able to branch off from businesses and being able to come up with Randy Moss Motorsports and have these two guys running for us has been a tremendous ride. But once the season starts it's more to getting down to football business because that's what I do."

Still, Moss turned 32 in February, so life after football isn't far off. That's why an athlete famous for struggles with management now is management.

"I don't really know how you can really compare the two because I play football and they do the driving," Moss said. "So my hats are off to them every week and prayers are with them every week to go out there and stay safe and bring it home. I just try to balance the two and try to fit both of them into my schedule."

Mayfield lawyer receives toxicology report

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has given Jeremy Mayfield's attorney a copy of the suspended driver's toxicology report.

Charlotte attorney Bill Diehl requested the documents from NASCAR, spokesman Ramsey Poston said Wednesday.

NASCAR complied and sent the paperwork Tuesday to Diehl, who has represented several Charlotte-area athletic figures in high-profile cases. He defended former Charlotte Hornet David Wesley, convicted of reckless driving but acquitted of racing teammate Bobby Phills right before Phills' fatal car accident, and current New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn in civil suit against a woman who alleged a sexual assault.

Mayfield was suspended indefinitely May 9 for failing a random drug test. NASCAR has not revealed what banned substance Mayfield used. A person familiar with the test results has told The Associated Press that Mayfield's case is not steroid-related, which means the results showed the use of an illegal recreational drug. The person requested anonymity because the results are supposed to remain confidential.

Mayfield has said he was never told what he tested positive for.

"I have no paperwork whatsoever for what I tested for," Mayfield told reporters from the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway during last Saturday night's All-Star race activities.

"They didn't say what I took. They don't know what I took."

Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., which runs the testing program, has refuted Mayfield's statement, saying he specifically identified the drug in several conversations with the Sprint Cup driver over a three-day period after NASCAR suspended him.

"I spoke with him about his positive test result on the day he was suspended, and I spoke to him directly about the test result," Black said. "Yes, by name of what he tested positive for."

Black said Mayfield would have to obtain a copy of the test results from NASCAR, not Aegis. Until Diehl's request, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Mayfield had not asked for a copy.

Mayfield insists the use of a prescription drug with over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D led to his positive result, an explanation Black has repeatedly rejected.

Briscoe finds himself in shadows despite success

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Ryan Briscoe is a little surprised to find himself mentioned among the favorites for Sunday's Indianapolis 500.

It's no surprise to the rest of Penske Racing.

Team president Tim Cindric calls him a producer, and two-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves says Briscoe is the consummate teammate.

Briscoe, a 27-year-old Australian, acknowledges he's driving with more confidence on ovals this season -- and he should be.

In the past 12 months Briscoe has won more races (three) than his better known teammate, recorded seven top-five finishes and moved to second in this season's standings, one point behind leader Tony Kanaan.

Breakthrough? No, just another day in the shadow of the charismatic Castroneves, who was recently on trial for tax evasion and acquitted of most charges.

"I really don't mind," Briscoe said. "Helio's been around a lot longer, he's won a lot more, he's had a lot of publicity outside of racing, too."

Briscoe joined the series in 2005 with Target Chip Ganassi.

Back then, he was better known for getting into accidents than running up front. Seven of his first 14 IndyCar starts ended in crashes, and he wound up running a part-time schedule with the lower-budget Dreyer & Reinbold team in 2006.

But Roger Penske saw potential. He hired Briscoe for his American Le Mans Series team in 2007, and his son, Jay, the co-owner of Luczo Dragon Racing, gave Briscoe a chance to drive at Indy in 2007. Briscoe started seventh and finished fifth in that race.

When Sam Hornish Jr. left for NASCAR following that season, opening a seat on the IRL's most prominent team, Penske disregarded suggestions Briscoe was a risk and brought him on board.

At first, things didn't go well.

Briscoe finished 19th and 23rd in last season's first two races, going out in accidents both times. At Indy, he started third but wound up 23rd after colliding with Danica Patrick on pit road, prompting Patrick to stomp toward his pit in disgust.

The accident led to a meeting with Penske and Cindric, which seemed to change everything. Briscoe won at Milwaukee the next week and Mid-Ohio later, finished in the top 10 nine times in the last 12 points races, then won again in this year's season-opener at St. Petersburg before qualifying second for Sunday's race.

What's changed?

"Oval experience," Briscoe said. "It's hard to put a handle on one thing, but I had only been in a handful of oval races going into my first year. I had to turn laps and do races."

Briscoe has been as good as any driver on the circuit since June 2008. But he's still relatively unknown.

Castroneves, a Brazilian, and Patrick remain the most marketable personalities in IndyCars. Brazil's Kanaan, the 2004 points champ, has been arguably the most consistent driver. Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal have big followings because of their surnames, youth and early wins. And Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti are the last two Indy winners and points champs.

"Yes, Helio, has gotten a lot more accolades," Cindric said. "But he's been here a lot longer, too. We've had this before with Gil (de Ferran) and others, and I have told Ryan that it will come in time. The biggest thing now is he's getting results, and he doesn't have to answer those questions about whether he was the right guy to replace Sam."

Certainly not after this month at Indy.

After qualifying second, he made a gutsy move by withdrawing the run to take a shot at Castroneves' pole-winning speed. The result: Briscoe qualified second again, at 224.083 mph, behind Castroneves' 224.664.

That puts Briscoe in the middle of the first row for Sunday's race, sandwiched between Castroneves and Franchitti, who's back after spending part of last season on the NASCAR circuit, with Rahal, Dixon and Kanaan right behind.

And Castroneves will be keeping watch for Briscoe.

"He's not here because he's pretty or lucky," he said. "He's here because he talented and strong."

Analysis: Mayfield madness hangs over NASCAR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- When Jeremy Mayfield failed a drug test, NASCAR immediately suspended him indefinitely, eager to quickly address the situation.

Nine days later, Mayfield's still the talk of the garage -- for all the wrong reasons.

It's certainly not because of who he is -- a driver at least five years past his prime who had to reach into his own pocket to field a team when no one else would hire him.

And it's not because he's the first driver suspended under NASCAR's toughened new drug policy.

No, it's because so many people, including Mayfield, have so many unanswered questions, prompting a circus-like atmosphere.

Last weekend, Mayfield was the ringmaster.

Despite his suspension, he showed up for Saturday night's All-Star race and watched the preliminary event from the top of the National Guard's hospitality center in the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway.

It didn't take long for word to spread that Mayfield was on track property -- a violation of the terms of his suspension -- and reporters had no trouble finding the 39-year-old driver. When he came down from his perch, he was eager to talk and insisted his positive test stemmed from the use of a prescription drug he wouldn't identify and the over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D.

He denied ever using an illegal drug and said he had yet to be told exactly what substance was found in his positive test, an assertion the administrator of NASCAR's drug program denied Monday.

But Saturday night, it was all Mayfield, the cars whizzing by on the race track just background noise.

His presence disrupted "The Show," the one thing NASCAR tries to protect above everything else. From the scoring tower above the track, NASCAR's top officials dispatched a security officer to remove Mayfield from the property and seize his admission credentials.

And if not for a thrilling final 10-lap sprint to the finish, the Mayfield sideshow, not the $1 million race, might have become the main event. NASCAR was saved that embarrassment, though, by electrifying racing from its biggest stars.

It has yet to find a remedy for its biggest headache.

Mayfield has indicated he doesn't plan to participate in the rehabilitation process that's necessary for reinstatement, and he's considering legal action to rescind his suspension.

NASCAR can't seem to control the situation, in large part because it refuses to reveal what banned drug Mayfield tested positive for in the random sample taken May 1 at Richmond International Raceway.

What is known is that NASCAR chairman Brian France considers this a "serious violation" of the drug policy, and he applies that terminology to the use of performance-enhancers and recreational drugs. Because a person familiar with the test results has told The Associated Press that Mayfield's case is not steroid-related, it means the results showed the use of an illegal recreational drug.

Mayfield says otherwise.

NASCAR says nothing.

And rumors run rampant through the garage.

Drivers now worry and wonder what they can and can't take under NASCAR's zero-tolerance policy, which doesn't even provide drivers a detailed list of banned substances. Although a baseline exists for crew members, NASCAR did not create one for drivers, because it reserved the right to test for anything it wants.

Nevermind that Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., which runs the testing program, has repeatedly denounced Mayfield's explanation. And France also carefully explained that drivers will not be suspended for the proper use of medications.

"If you should test positive for over-the-counter medications or a prescribed medication that you are on with your doctor, that doesn't result in NASCAR suspending you," France said. "You will ... be asked to explain why you have a certain substance that was identified in a test. That's happened a lot, and it doesn't get you a suspension."

Still, drivers worry that mixing something from the drug store with something they already take might make them the next Mayfield.

Until they learn exactly what Mayfield used any explanation likely will fall on deaf ears.

NASCAR forming online racing series

NASCAR and iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations are joining forces to create a NASCAR-sanctioned online racing series, a new competition division that will be licensed by NASCAR and organized and hosted by iRacing.

Beginning in 2010, NASCAR fans around the world will be able to log onto the Internet and compete against one another, as well as a number of NASCAR drivers, in an official NASCAR series featuring digital duplicates of real-world NASCAR cars and tracks.

"The online world is an ever-growing marketplace filled with NASCAR fans," said Blake Davidson, managing director of licensing products for NASCAR. "To provide those fans with the most realistic NASCAR racing environment, iRacing was the right partner for us."

Davidson said Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and A.J. Allmendinger are the drivers who will be competing in iRacing.

"Their involvement, along with NASCAR Competition, in the development will make the experience even more authentic," he noted.

More than 12,000 people have signed up for iRacing's service since it was opened to the public in August 2008. The company uses laser scanning and other technology to accurately simulate the tracks and NASCAR's race cars.

"Our members are passionate about racing," said John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox and iRacing's co-founder and chairman as well as head of the company that co-owns NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing. "They love to drive, and they love to compete. And they do it in the context of their overall love for racing in both the physical and virtual worlds."

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TV TENURE: Sunday's broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 will mark the 45th consecutive year that the race has been aired on ABC.

In sports TV, that's second only to the 53 years that CBS has broadcast the Masters.

ESPN on ABC's telecast Sunday begins at noon.

Martin Reid will do the lap-by-lap announcing, with former Indy winner Eddie Cheever and longtime driver Scott Goodyear in the booth as analysts.

The pit lane crew will include Jack Arute, who has worked on the Indy 500 telecast every year since 1984, Jamie Little, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welsh.

NASCAR doc: Mayfield was told about substance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The administrator of NASCAR's drug-testing program said Monday he personally told Jeremy Mayfield what banned substance was found in his positive test.

Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., which runs the testing program, said he specifically identified the drug in several conversations with the Sprint Cup driver over a three-day period after NASCAR suspended him.

"I spoke with him about his positive test result on the day he was suspended, and I spoke to him directly about the test result," Black told The Associated Press. "Yes, by name of what he tested positive for."

On Saturday, Mayfield said he was never told what drug caused the positive test and has yet to receive a copy of the results.

Black said he was not sure if Mayfield has seen the test results because a copy would be issued by NASCAR, not Aegis.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said he was not aware of any request by Mayfield to obtain the results.

"We'd be happy to provide one if he wants it," Poston said. "We've done this in the past upon request for those who tested positive."

Mayfield maintains the use of a prescription drug with over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D led to his positive result.

Black has repeatedly rejected that explanation.

"I did address specifically and explicitly what he tested positive for, and that led to the discussion of his over-the-counter and prescription use," Black said. "I explained carefully and completely that his positive test result was not related to an over-the-counter or a prescription.

"They were not the cause, and could not be the cause, of his result."

NASCAR has refused to reveal the substance. Citing that policy, Black also declined to identify the drug.

NASCAR chairman Brian France has described Mayfield's test as a "serious violation" of the substance-abuse policy, and he categorized that as use of a performance-enhancer or a recreational drug. A person familiar with the test results has told the AP the positive test was not for performance-enhancers, meaning the positive test resulted from an illegal recreational drug.

Mayfield, who watched a portion of Saturday night's All-Star events from the top of a hospitality suite in the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway, told reporters he did not use an illegal drug, insisting he used Claritin-D and a prescription drug he declined to identify.

"They didn't say what I took. They don't know what I took," Mayfield said. "A legal prescription drug, that's what I take. And I had allergies at Richmond that were really, really bad. On (May 7) I got a call and said you've tested positive for whatever they called it.

"I said, 'OK, no problem. I've got all my paperwork ready.' He said 'You'll fax that to us; it'll cancel out your test."'

Mayfield said his next conversation with NASCAR was two days later, when he was told his backup "B" sample had also tested positive and he had been suspended.

NASCAR said there were numerous conversations between Mayfield and a medical review officer before he was suspended.

Black would not say what prescription drug Mayfield said he had used in conjunction with Claritin-D.

"He did bring up Claritin-D as a part of his explanation, and I was very clear that Claritin-D was not responsible for his positive test," he said. "It could result for a positive pseudoephedrine test, but not for the drug that he's tested positive for."

Black said his last conversation with Mayfield was one week ago, and he was left with the impression the driver would participate in the reinstatement process and "move on in a positive manner."

Since then, Aegis representatives have been unsuccessful in speaking to Mayfield about starting a rehabilitation process, Black said.

Mayfield said Saturday he would not go to rehab and may seek legal action to rescind his indefinite suspension.

Gordon has minor procedure to help back pain

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Jeff Gordon had an injection in his back to help ease the pain he's had for more than a year, and the four-time NASCAR champion says he'll be able to drive this weekend in the longest race of the season.

Gordon was treated Monday in a procedure that typically calls for an injection of lidocaine or anti-inflammatory medication.

Gordon, the Sprint Cup Series points leader, is sore but looking forward to the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway .

"I'll definitely take that brief bit of soreness if it stops the recurring back pain I've had," he said Tuesday. "I hope that will end the back issues I've been having, but it's too early to tell if that fixed the problem."

Gordon zeroed in on a cause for his aching back last month. An MRI revealed a touch of arthritis and other issues he described as possibly related to "trauma, from a crash, or maybe just from years of beating it up."

He silently suffered through chronic back pain all of last year, his first winless season since his 1993 rookie year. He revealed his condition at the start of this season when he began using a trainer to help him properly stretch his back before and after races.

He timed the medical procedure to give him relief before Sunday night's 600 miles of racing.

"This is a grueling race," he said. "It's tough on equipment, and it's tough mentally. You have to mentally stay in the game and be focused for 600 miles. I'm really looking forward to the event. Obviously, I want to see how my back does, but I also think we can challenge for the win."

Hornish wins continues sudden NASCAR surge

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Some 600 miles away from Lowe's Motor Speedway, nervous drivers fretted over the final qualifying day for the Indianapolis 500.

Sam Hornish Jr. was thrilled to be as far away as possible.

It didn't hurt, of course, that he was busy celebrating his first NASCAR victory.

After almost three years of agonizing struggles, Hornish finally found success in stock cars by winning a qualifying race that earned him a spot in the All-Star race. The non-points victory was his first of any kind since he left the IndyCar Series for a full-time move to NASCAR in late 2007.

"This is the first time I have ever won anything in stock cars, so I am pretty happy about that," he said after Saturday night's win. "Obviously it's not going to say in the stat book that I won a race, so we're going to keep working until we get to that point. You know, I have worked almost three years at doing this now, trying to get our first win of any sort. That part feels good.

"But I am going to keep hungry, keep working, until we get a win on a points weekend."

It seemed Hornish would never get there as recently as a month ago, when his season-best result of 16th at Las Vegas was overshadowed by four finishes of 31st or worse. He wasn't competitive in consecutive short-track races at Bristol at Martinsville, and it was beginning to appear as if one of the greatest American drivers in open-wheel history was going to be yet another NASCAR bust.

Then he moved on to Phoenix, where familiarity with the track from his open-wheel days helped Hornish to a ninth-place finish -- his first career top 10. He ran well the next week at Talladega until a late accident ruined his shot at another strong finish, but bounced back with a career-best sixth-place finish at Richmond.

Darlington was a struggle -- he wrecked and finished 30th -- but he came back strong with Saturday night's win in the Sprint Showdown. Although he finished 16th out of 21 drivers in the $1 million main event, the victory that transferred him in was proof that Hornish is on a monthlong surge that shows he can make it in NASCAR.

"I've told people for a long time that you've got to start getting 10th-place finishes, and then you've got to start getting top-fives, and then you can start winning," he said. "We've had a long road here. I'm really happy that Penske Racing and (sponsor) Mobil 1 kept me in the car, and if we keep working away at it, we're going to get there."

The gratitude toward team owner Roger Penske and his sponsor drew pause: Was Hornish in danger of losing his ride after a rough rookie season in which he failed to qualify for two races and finished 35th in the points?

"Nobody ever said anything to me, but I am the first one that wants the team to succeed," he said. "I know that Mobil 1 puts a lot of money into it and that Penske puts a lot of time and effort into it. But when it comes down to it, I don't want to be just another guy out there driving around. I want to be a guy out there competing for race wins.

"If we are not winning, I take it just as hard as anybody. I am glad they saw that we were making progress."

Hornish had never before struggled to find success, winning three IndyCar titles and the 2006 Indy 500 for the one victory that had eluded an otherwise tremendous open-wheel career. He left for NASCAR a little more than a year later, saying he'd accomplished everything he could in IndyCar.

Now far removed from Sunday's final day of Indy 500 qualifying, he doesn't regret the move or long to be back at the Brickyard for the long month of May leading into the biggest race of the year.

"Being at Indy for three weeks, and all you do is think about it for a week before that, it made me sick to my stomach just because that's all you focused on," he said. "I love being over here. I love being able to go to Richmond, Darlington, I get to come here and run the All-Star race and then you cap it off with the (Coca-Cola) 600 next week.

"It's a lot of fun and I like the way the schedule goes. You're not at one place for three-and-a-half weeks just thinking about one single race."

Hornish wins Showdown to move into All-Star race

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Sam Hornish Jr. won the Sprint Showdown to earn a transfer spot into NASCAR's All-Star race.

It's the second consecutive year Hornish has raced his way into the $1 million main event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He finished second a year ago to AJ Allmendinger to earn one of the two transfer spots.

Jamie McMurray finished second to earn the other transfer position.

Joey Logano was the third driver to advance into the race in the slot reserved for a driver voted into the All-Star race by fans.

Jeremy Mayfield, suspended by NASCAR last week for failing a random drug test, watched the Showdown from the top of a hospitality center. His No. 41 Mayfield Motorsports entry was driven to a 22nd-place finish by J.J. Yeley.

In the hours leading up to the race, a plane pulled a "Free Jeremy" banner around the track in an apparent nod of support to the first driver suspended under NASCAR's toughened drug policy. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely for a test taken May 1 at Richmond International Raceway.

NASCAR has not revealed what substance Mayfield tested positive for, but chairman Brian France called it "a serious violation" and categorized that as use of either a performance-enhancer or recreational drug. A person familiar with the test results has told The Associated Press the positive result was not for a performance-enhancer, leaving either a narcotic or controlled substance as cause of the positive result.

Mayfield denied ever taking an illegal substance, and said NASCAR has yet to inform him what he tested positive for and that he's yet to receive a copy of the results.

"All I want to do is race and be treated fairly," said Mayfield, repeating a claim he took a legal prescription for allergies. "They didn't say what I took. They don't know what I took."

Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp. in Nashville, Tenn., which runs the testing program, did not immediately return a call Saturday night for comment regarding Mayfield's claims.

The suspension covers Mayfield's role owner, so the No. 41 was transferred to Mayfield's wife, Shana, earlier this week. She stood with the team on pit road before the race, then headed out of the back gate of the garage following pre-race ceremonies.

"He wants to race. He wants to be at the race tracks and be in a race car," she said when asked about Mayfield's spirits. "He's not doing well in that area. Other than that, we're just going through the motions.

Drama at Indy for Andretti, Hunter-Reay

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- John Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay provided the drama Sunday, saving their best efforts for the final 10 minutes at the end of four days of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

Both wound up in the 33-car field for next Sunday's race, thanks to their gutsy qualifying runs with time running out on another emotional "Bump Day" on the famed 2.5-mile Brickyard oval.

"I'm glad the race isn't tomorrow," said Andretti, who didn't wrap up his 10th Indy start until his third and final qualifying attempt of the day. "I couldn't do it. I don't think I could get in the car. I'm physically, mentally, just totally exhausted.

"I just can't even believe it. I know that I'll wake up in the middle of the night and realize I'm back in the Indy 500."

Andretti and Hunter-Reay, whose successful qualifying effort was underway as the gun went off ending the six-hour final session of time trials, both had to find more speed after being bumped out of the lineup earlier in the day.

Hunter-Reay said he just considered himself lucky to make the race after bumping Indy rookie Alex Tagliani out with the Canadian driver sitting in his car, waiting and hoping to get one more chance.

"That was a timing issue there," Hunter-Reay said. "I think Tagliani was pretty fast and we were lucky we went out last. I've never been so happy to take last place."

The field was filled on Saturday, but poor weather conditions, including gusty wind, kept the speeds of the slowest qualifiers low enough to make them vulnerable to bumping by faster drivers on Sunday.

And speeds did climb considerably on the final day of qualifying, thanks to a cool, sunny afternoon with little wind.

The day began with 1996 race winner Buddy Lazier, 2002 pole-winner Bruno Junqueira and Indy rookie Stanton Barrett the only drivers with a chance to bump their way into the field. In the end, only Junqueira made it, turning a solid four-lap average of 221.115 mph despite not running a lap in his car until Sunday morning.

That bumped Andretti's Saturday speed of 219.442 out of the field.

The day began with five drivers qualified under 220 and most of the qualifying efforts Sunday came from those drivers, trying to go faster and get themselves out of danger of being bumped.

Tomas Scheckter (221.496), rookie Mike Conway (221.417), E.J. Viso (221.164), Milka Duno (221.106) and rookie Nelson Philippe (220.754) each withdrew an earlier qualifying speed and improved upon it.

Andretti, whose car was entered here by NASCAR icon Richard Petty and fielded by Dreyer & Reinbold, tried to bump his way back in with about two hours to go, but waved off the effort after one lap at 218.

He went back out with 20 minutes left in the session and managed four laps at 220.282, but it wasn't enough.

Lazier and Barrett, who had been working hard throughout the afternoon to find more speed in practice, then made their final qualifying tries and both came off the track after one slow lap under the green flag, knowing they weren't going to get it done.

By that time, Andretti's team had made some quick adjustments on his Petty blue and red No. 43 and he was ready to make one last try.

This time, he put up four straight laps over 221 mph for an average of 221.316 that placed him 28th in the field and bumped out the 220.413 that Hunter-Reay had posted earlier in the day.

"Today was a good day overall," Andretti said. "The big picture was good. I didn't get nervous about it. I didn't lose my cool. I just had enough faith in the people around me.

"But that's not the way it's supposed to be for an old guy like me. I can't imagine how embarrassed I would have been if Richard Petty had called and said, "Where are you starting?' and I had to say, "I'm not.' "

As Andretti drove slowly back to the pits, Hunter-Reay was ready to try again. He drove onto the track with just two minutes until the gun and knowing he had to beat Tagliani's 220.553 from Saturday or go home.

"It wasn't much fun," Hunter-Reay said after barely making it with four laps over 220 and a 220.597 average -- just 0.044 seconds quicker than Tagliani over 10 miles. "That was the hairiest day I've ever had in racing."

The field, from pole-winner Helio Castroneves to Hunter-Reay, was separated in time by a record 3.0967 seconds. The previous record was 3.2422 seconds in 2001.

Drama at Indy for Andretti, Hunter-Reay

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- John Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay provided the drama Sunday, saving their best efforts for the final 10 minutes at the end of four days of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

Both wound up in the 33-car field for next Sunday's race, thanks to their gutsy qualifying runs with time running out on another emotional "Bump Day" on the famed 2.5-mile Brickyard oval.

"I'm glad the race isn't tomorrow," said Andretti, who didn't wrap up his 10th Indy start until his third and final qualifying attempt of the day. "I couldn't do it. I don't think I could get in the car. I'm physically, mentally, just totally exhausted.

"I just can't even believe it. I know that I'll wake up in the middle of the night and realize I'm back in the Indy 500."

Andretti and Hunter-Reay, whose successful qualifying effort was underway as the gun went off ending the six-hour final session of time trials, both had to find more speed after being bumped out of the lineup earlier in the day.

Hunter-Reay said he just considered himself lucky to make the race after bumping Indy rookie Alex Tagliani out with the Canadian driver sitting in his car, waiting and hoping to get one more chance.

"That was a timing issue there," Hunter-Reay said. "I think Tagliani was pretty fast and we were lucky we went out last. I've never been so happy to take last place."

The field was filled on Saturday, but poor weather conditions, including gusty wind, kept the speeds of the slowest qualifiers low enough to make them vulnerable to bumping by faster drivers on Sunday.

And speeds did climb considerably on the final day of qualifying, thanks to a cool, sunny afternoon with little wind.

The day began with 1996 race winner Buddy Lazier, 2002 pole-winner Bruno Junqueira and Indy rookie Stanton Barrett the only drivers with a chance to bump their way into the field. In the end, only Junqueira made it, turning a solid four-lap average of 221.115 mph despite not running a lap in his car until Sunday morning.

That bumped Andretti's Saturday speed of 219.442 out of the field.

The day began with five drivers qualified under 220 and most of the qualifying efforts Sunday came from those drivers, trying to go faster and get themselves out of danger of being bumped.

Tomas Scheckter (221.496), rookie Mike Conway (221.417), E.J. Viso (221.164), Milka Duno (221.106) and rookie Nelson Philippe (220.754) each withdrew an earlier qualifying speed and improved upon it.

Andretti, whose car was entered here by NASCAR icon Richard Petty and fielded by Dreyer & Reinbold, tried to bump his way back in with about two hours to go, but waved off the effort after one lap at 218.

He went back out with 20 minutes left in the session and managed four laps at 220.282, but it wasn't enough.

Lazier and Barrett, who had been working hard throughout the afternoon to find more speed in practice, then made their final qualifying tries and both came off the track after one slow lap under the green flag, knowing they weren't going to get it done.

By that time, Andretti's team had made some quick adjustments on his Petty blue and red No. 43 and he was ready to make one last try.

This time, he put up four straight laps over 221 mph for an average of 221.316 that placed him 28th in the field and bumped out the 220.413 that Hunter-Reay had posted earlier in the day.

"Today was a good day overall," Andretti said. "The big picture was good. I didn't get nervous about it. I didn't lose my cool. I just had enough faith in the people around me.

"But that's not the way it's supposed to be for an old guy like me. I can't imagine how embarrassed I would have been if Richard Petty had called and said, "Where are you starting?' and I had to say, "I'm not.' "

As Andretti drove slowly back to the pits, Hunter-Reay was ready to try again. He drove onto the track with just two minutes until the gun and knowing he had to beat Tagliani's 220.553 from Saturday or go home.

"It wasn't much fun," Hunter-Reay said after barely making it with four laps over 220 and a 220.597 average -- just 0.044 seconds quicker than Tagliani over 10 miles. "That was the hairiest day I've ever had in racing."

Hours after qualifying ended, Conquest Racing owner Eric Bachelart announced that Tagliani would replace Junqueira in the team's primary car for the race.

"We've been working with Alex for a long time now and have built our commercial and marketing program around him," Bachelart said in a team release. "He has been our primary driver since the start of the season and we felt that it was in the best interest of the team and our partners to have him in the car for the Indy 500 as we continue to build our future together."

The field, from pole-winner Helio Castroneves to Hunter-Reay, was separated in time by a record 3.0967 seconds. The previous record was 3.2422 seconds in 2001.