Stewart feeling no pressure

Tony Stewart believes he enters the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title decider with the least pressure and claims he has nothing to lose in the season finale at Homestead.

The two-time Cup champion ranks only three points behind his Roush Fenway rival, having only led the standings for a week during the Chase following an impressive run during the play-off, albeit not as consistent as Edwards'.

After carrying big points leads into the last races of his title-winning seasons in 2002 and '05, Stewart says he feels no pressure this time around as he only has the potential to move up in the standings if he beats Edwards by at least three points.

"The only part this week that's concerned me and that I've been worried about is the fact that I haven't been nervous about it," said Stewart. "In 2002 and 2005 we had big leads but you were still nervous about it because you knew it could get away.

"We didn't think that we would be in the Chase to begin with. It's taken a lot of that pressure off. We're not trying to overcome a big deficit, we're right there, right behind him... We don't have anything to lose.

"We can throw everything we've got at it and if we make a mistake doing it, doesn't cost us. There's no penalty for us if we screw up. With that it takes every ounce of pressure away.

"It's a dangerous combination to put us in that kind of mode."

Stewart says he is ready to do what it takes to win the contest if it comes down to a head-to-head battle on the last lap with Edwards. If Stewart wins Sunday's race he would beat the Roush driver to the title regardless of where he finishes, even if Edwards leads the most laps.

"I'll wreck my mom to win a championship," said Stewart. "I'll wreck your mom to win a championship. I respect [Edwards] as a driver but this is not about friendships this weekend.

"This is a war, this is a battle. This is for a national championship. It's no old spar this weekend. I didn't come this far to be one step away from it and let it slip away. We're going to go for it."

Earlier this week fellow Chevrolet driver Kevin Harvick said he would be willing to help Stewart win the title if he had the chance. However, Stewart said he hopes team-mates or allies do not become a factor in the championship fight, although he did not rule out that possibility.

"It shouldn't be about team orders," said Stewart. "We saw a hint of it last week [at Phoenix], the #16 car [Roush Fenway's Greg Biffle] picked a pit right in front of us. We never had an issue with it. But you know that that can happen.

"Like we say, we're racing for a national championship, so we are prepared that if something develops along the line, we have a counter-measure for the same thing.

"You want to win this thing straight up. You want to win it because you did a better job than he did, not because somebody else got involved in the equation. That will take away from it."

Stewart could potentially become the first driver to win titles in the Winston, Nextel and Sprint Cup eras of NASCAR's premier series, as well as the first driver/owner to claim a Cup title since Alan Kulwicki in 1992.

Edwards 'ready' for title

Carl Edwards says he feels ready to become a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion at Homestead on Sunday and does not believe his experience deficit relative to title rival Tony Stewart is crucial heading into the season finale.

Roush Fenway racer Edwards has led the drivers' standings for the majority of the season, including six of the last nine weeks of the Chase. Although he has only won once during the season he has remained the most consistent throughout the year, resulting in his best shot ever at winning a Cup title.

A former Nationwide Series champion, Edwards believes he is in position to win the Cup title next weekend and does not see how Stewart's previous two titles can make him any stronger on the track.

"I don't know any part of that trophy that makes the car go any faster this Sunday," said Edwards. "To me it's about going and performing this Sunday and we'll just see what happens. When this thing is over, it's like Tony said: Whoever wins the other guy is going to be the first to go up and shake his hand and say good job.

"It doesn't mean we're happy about it but we're going to see what happens on Sunday. I feel good about it."

Although Stewart would have to win Sunday's race to guarantee the championship regardless of where Edwards finishes, the Roush Fenway racer says he will race for victory at Homestead as he expects Stewart to do exactly the same. He believes the title may end up being decided by either of them winning the finale.

"It's pretty simple," said Edwards. "It is three points so unless I am two positions behind him, we have to go out and beat him. To me, what I am going to do is go in that race and race as hard as I possibly can and if at the end it is close and I know I can make something happen then I will make something happen.

"Otherwise I am going to race as hard as I can and it doesn't do me any good to pay attention to anyone else."

Edwards has twice been in close contention for the Cup title but ended up losing to Stewart in 2005 and then in '08 to outgoing champion Jimmie Johnson. He says the experience of having lost twice has prepared him to grab this opportunity with both hands.

"I feel like I have been through all of it," Edwards said. "I have lost the championship two different times. In 2005 if I could go back again I feel like I would have won. Same with 2008. I have seen how to lose them and now all that is left is go out here and apply those things and hopefully it is enough. I feel like those things are money in the bank."

If Edwards goes on to win the title but does not win the season finale, he would be the first driver in the Chase's history to become champion without winning during the play-off.

NASCAR working on tandem drafts

Drivers and NASCAR officials say they are still looking for ways to limit tandem racing at restrictor plate tracks following a Sprint Cup Series test at Daytona on Tuesday.

Six drivers ran on the 2.5-mile high banks trying different restrictor plates, spoilers and suspension settings among other possible solutions as NASCAR hopes to at least limit the two-car drafting that has prevailed this year both at the Florida track and Talladega.

Officials evaluated different combinations to try to make the technique less effective, including larger plates which made cars break the psychologically significant 200mph average barrier.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, who has voiced his dislike for the tandem technique a number of times, was one of those running at Daytona but admitted no definite solution was found. He believes the answer to what NASCAR is trying to do is "in the past" and conceded it will be very hard to get rid of tandems, although he hopes NASCAR finds a way to avoid it being essential to winning at plate venues.

"I know that [NASCAR] would like to have the pack racing we used to have," said Earnhardt. "I will say, too, that NASCAR and the drivers are all in agreement that there is no way possible to get rid of the tandem drafting.

"But what we would like to do is make it possible to race without having to tandem draft the entire day, get back to where we're having passing, racing amongst the leaders, guys jostling around, moving in and out of packs and lines, and then at the end if it comes down to a one- or two-lap tandem draft that wins the race, that would be expected by everyone here, NASCAR and the drivers as well.

"The bumpers match up so perfectly. We're so comfortable even at 206 mph getting into the corner that I don't think you'll ever be able to get rid of it, but you can make it to where it's not the norm as much as it is now. We're doing it every single lap to stay in these races at this point. We'd like to get away from that a little bit. Have it as a tool, but not something that's a necessity."

Last month at Talladega NASCAR introduced further changes to those made for the Daytona races, including adjustments to the cooling system and a larger restrictor plate, without any convincing results.

Sprint Cup series director John Darby believes it will take a number of changes to achieve what NASCAR is looking for but denied the bumpers aligning so well when making contact to be the root of the issue. He considers further alterations to the radiators to be among the possible solutions so that cars cannot push for as long as they have been able to do so thus far.

"Everything is on the table," said Darby. "The radiator is a simple part that does have a big effect in the deal. Teams spend a tremendous amount of money for a speedway radiator, if you will. So there's lots of benefits from addressing the cooling systems.

"If it's simply the fact that you can have the same radiator in Atlanta and California, Michigan, Daytona and Talladega, it keeps the parts inventory lower, besides the other effects we would get here at a plate race."

The Cup field will be testing at Daytona in January in preparation for the 2012 season-opening Daytona 500, the first race with fuel injected cars in NASCAR history.

Harvick willing to help Stewart

Kevin Harvick hopes to give fellow Chevrolet driver Tony Stewart a push in his bid to win a third Sprint Cup series title.

The Richard Childress Racing driver enters the season-finale at Homestead next weekend ranked third in points and already eliminated from title contention, following a 19th place finish at Phoenix last weekend.

Although Chevrolet has already clinched a 35th Sprint Cup series manufacturer title after Jimmie Johnson won at Kansas earlier during the Chase, Harvick hopes to help Stewart, who has raced for his Nationwide Series team in the past, win yet another driver's title for the bow tie brand.

"Obviously we want to do the best we can in the season-ending points standings, and that's finish third, where we are right now," Harvick said.

"We'll do whatever we can to try to get a Chevrolet into the championship circle there at the end of the season without doing something crazy. If we can help Tony in any way, we will."

Harvick won four races during the regular season en route to becoming one of the leading contenders for the Cup title entering the Chase.

He then led the standings early in the play-off, but was involved in a multi-car incident at Talladega which meant a 32nd place finish and a loss of points from which he has been unable to recover.

The 35-year-old, a two-time Nationwide Series champion as a driver and Truck Series champion as owner of his KHI outfit, has also won most of the biggest races in NASCAR including the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the All-Star race.

He says he continues to look forward to having another shot at his first Cup championship trophy.

"Well, there's really only one thing that I look forward to, and that's the day that we hopefully win this championship," says Harvick.

"We've been fortunate to experience a lot of the big moments in the sport, whether it be the Daytona 500, any of the other big races, whether it's Nationwide or Truck, we've been a part of those championships, and we've raced for the Truck championship.

"That's the big box left open without the check in it that Richard and our whole organization want to put a check in hopefully as quickly as possible."

Harvick is closing down the shop of his KHI squad as he will no longer field entries in the Truck Series in 2012, while his Nationwide team will merge back to RCR for next year.

Piquet to make Nationwide oval debut

Nelson Piquet Jr will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series maiden oval outing next weekend in the season-finale at Homestead.

The 26-year-old will be on double duty during the closing race weekend of NASCAR's national series, competing Friday in the Truck Series finale for Kevin Harvick to round out a positive first season, while Saturday he will drive for Turner Motorsports in the second-tier series.

Piquet had already raced a Nationwide Series car last year, finishing seventh at Watkins Glen for team owner Mike Curb, but Saturday's race will mark his first series' outing in an oval.

The Brazilian will also be fighting for Rookie of the Year Honors in the Truck Series against Richard Childress Racing driver Joey Coulter.

"I am so looking forward to this weekend at Homestead," said Piquet. "I seem to do quite well at this style of track and I've learned so much during the course of the season. I'm heading into the truck race with a lot of confidence in myself and my team.

"We are only five points behind Joey Coulter for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award, and I'm hoping that after the race this weekend we'll be able to take over the lead. A solid finish will also help me achieve my primary goal of the season, finishing within the top-10 in the Driver Point standings.

"I'm excited to be getting in a Nationwide car again. Last year I got a good result at Watkins Glen so if I can get another result like that it will be fantastic."

Last April Piquet claimed his best Truck Series result by finishing second at Nashville and more recently he was a contender for victory at Kentucky - an intermediate tracks as Nashville and Homestead - where he led the race for 40 laps en route to a fourth-place finish, one of five top-five finishes he has claimed in his first full season in NASCAR.

The former Formula 1 racer expects to take a step up in the NASCAR ladder next year by competing full-time in the Nationwide Series.

Stewart: Johnson's streak a one-off

Tony Stewart thinks Jimmie Johnson's streak of five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles - which came to an end when Johnson was knocked out of the 2011 championship hunt at Phoenix on Sunday - is a feat that will never be achieved again.

Stewart and title rival Carl Edwards will head into next weekend's season finale at Homestead to decide who becomes Johnson's successor, after the Hendrick Motorsports driver's 14th-place finish yesterday put him mathematically out of contention for another title.

Following Sunday's race, Stewart paid tribute to Johnson's achievements over the past five seasons, suggesting that with the Cup series so competitive, he cannot envisage anyone ever maintaining such a long title-winning streak in the future.

Before Johnson's fourth title, the longest championship streak in NASCAR's top series had been achieved by Cale Yarborough between 1976 and '78.

"I don't see anybody doing it again," said Stewart, who was the last man to beat Johnson to a title in 2005.

"I think it's been absolutely remarkable to begin with for Jimmie to put five in a row together. I know this year hasn't ended up the way he's wanted by any means. I think he goes to Vegas and holds his head up high knowing what they've accomplished. The fact is that there's a real good possibility in the history of the sport for eternity that it could never happen again.

"The competition gets tighter and tighter, tougher and tougher. I just think it's amazing. You understand why people didn't want him to win a sixth one. At the same time, I've said it from day one, how do you knock down a guy that's going out and doing what he's supposed to do? If we could trade places with him, we'd do it in a heartbeat, go out and win five in a row.

"I think you've got to tip your hat to him. I think that's something in NASCAR history that I would put my money on that it will never happen again."

Next weekend Johnson will head to the Homestead decider without a fighting chance for the first time since 2003, in what has been his worst play-off thus far. He will enter the season-finale contending for third place in the standings and searching for his first win at one of the few tracks where he has yet to claim victory.

"I'm definitely disappointed that we won't be able to go to Homestead and race for our sixth [championship] but that's motorsports," said Johnson.

"It's a very tough business. What we did over the last five years was absolutely spectacular and I've just got to thank [sponsor] Lowe's, I've got to thank Hendrick Motorsports, Chad Knaus [crew chief], and this whole race team for giving me everything they've had these 10 years.

"Even though we're not in position to win the championship now, we're going to go to Homestead and try to have our best race down there that we can and finish as high as we can in the points."

He added: "I've been racing 30 years; shoot, 31 years and I've won probably two other big championship along the way. So, seven out of 31 years; this is normal. What we did over the last five years is abnormal. And then now we'll get a taste of normality."

While Stewart will be fighting for a third Cup title next weekend, Carl Edwards, a former Nationwide Series champion, will be seeking his first crown in NASCAR's main series.

Kahne wins for Red Bull at Phoenix

Kasey Kahne claimed his first victory for Red Bull Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ahead of Chase contenders Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart at Phoenix on Sunday.

Kahne was a contender in the late stages of the race and was the first of the frontrunners to make his last pitstop for a splash of fuel and new right-side tyres, emerging in the lead once the final stops cycled under green.

Edwards cut the gap to Kahne after completing his final stop but he ran out of laps to really challenge him for the lead. Behind them Stewart passed Jeff Burton on the penultimate lap to finish a distant third and remain in close title contention.

Kahne's win, the second for Red Bull Racing Team, comes with the team's future still uncertain and in the 31-year-old's penultimate race for Red Bull before joining Hendrick Motorsports.

"It's been a long time," said Kahne. "This whole Red Bull team has done an unbelievable job to keep working hard. Kenny Francis [crew chief] keeps on it, everybody at Red Bull, the car, the Toyota engine. It was a great run today. The guys did an awesome job.

"We fell back a little bit early and then came back and just kept getting it better. These guys haven't given up in the last three months. It's been really cool."

Edwards' second place allows him to stay in control of the Chase entering the season finale, although Stewart leading the most laps means the three-point gap that separated them entering Sunday's race remains in place for the season finale next week.

The Chase leader was up front for only 27 laps but was probably the most consistent of the frontrunners throughout the race, only getting beaten by Kahne through strategy.

"We have never gone into Homestead with the points lead," Edwards said. "You know they give a boat away if you win that thing. I saw that boat and I would like to go down there and win it.

"That would be fun to put a cap on this season. That is what our mission is."

Stewart led more than half the distance and was able to beat Edwards on the outside groove during the sixth restart, then kept his Roush Fenway rival behind until the penultimate round of pitstops.

However he lost his edge after dropping to third behind Penske's Kurt Busch and Richard Childress Racing's Paul Menard, who gambled on taking two new tyres to Stewart's four at their penultimate stops.

The Stewart Hass driver was unable to remain in close contention after that, losing third to Edwards on the restart and then dropping behind Kahne as well. He was unable to recover much ground on the leaders as the race carried on under green for the last 88 laps.

"I'm just thinking of the three points," said Stewart, who would need a victory at Homestead to win his third title regardless of where Edwards finishes.

"No, we had an awesome day. We came up two spots shy. I don't know how you could have asked for a better day really. We led the most laps, we were on the same pace we were last week just to have a perfect day.

"Just fought as hard as we could all day. Got out of balance the second to last stop and just lost that little bit that we needed to stay up there and keep Carl honest."

Kurt Busch lost any chance of victory when he ran out of fuel right before his final stop, which then took longer than planned as he struggled to get his engine fired up again.

Early race leader Matt Kenseth was once again on the receiving end of a touch from Red Bull's Brian Vickers following their exchange at Martinsville two weeks ago. Vickers drove into the back of the Roush driver entering Turn 3 as Kenseth had slowed down with brake issues.

"Obviously it is retaliation for retaliation I guess," said Kenseth. "I was out of brakes and I was up on everybody and I saw him coming and I lifted at least 10 car lengths before where I would normally lift and he drove in there at 165mph and cleaned us out."

Kyle Busch made a great recovery from the back of the grid up to third but then was forced to retire with his second engine failure of the weekend, having lost a first engine at the start of the first practice session n Friday.

Outgoing champion Jimmie Johnson finished 14th and lost any mathematical chance of defending his title for the fifth consecutive time.

Kevin Harvick struggled to a 19th-place finish, never showing the speed to contend for a strong result. He leaves Phoenix third in the points but 51 behind Edwards, which means it will be a two-horse race for the 2011 Cup title at Homestead.

Results - 312 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota 2h45m47.000s 2. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford + 0.802s 3. Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Chevrolet + 4.319s 4. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet + 4.634s 5. Ryan Newman Stewart Haas Chevrolet + 5.865s 6. AJ Allmendinger Petty Ford + 7.297s 7. David Reutimann Waltrip Toyota + 7.609s 8. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford + 9.198s 9. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet + 14.865s 10. Clint Bowyer Childress Chevrolet + 16.740s 11. Joey Logano Gibbs Toyota + 21.251s 12. Denny Hamlin Gibbs Toyota + 23.409s 13. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford + 1 lap 14. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet + 1 lap 15. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet + 1 lap 16. Mark Martin Hendrick Chevrolet + 1 lap 17. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet + 1 lap 18. Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge + 1 lap 19. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet + 1 lap 20. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota + 1 lap 21. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Toyota + 1 lap 22. Kurt Busch Penske Dodge + 1 lap 23. Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota + 1 lap 24. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet + 2 laps 25. Cole Whitt Red Bull Toyota + 2 laps 26. Casey Mears Germain Toyota + 3 laps 27. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet + 3 laps 28. JJ Yeley Front Row Ford + 3 laps 29. Landon Cassill Phoenix Chevrolet + 3 laps 30. Mike Bliss FAS Lane Ford + 4 laps 31. David Gilliland Front Row Ford + 5 laps 32. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet + 6 laps 33. David Ragan Roush Fenway Ford + 14 laps Retirements: Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Ford 238 laps Robby Gordon Gordon Dodge 218 laps Kyle Busch Gibbs Toyota 188 laps Geoffrey Bodine Baldwin Chevrolet 153 laps Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet 62 laps Scott Speed Whitney Ford 60 laps Michael McDowell HP Toyota 46 laps Joe Nemechek NEMCO Toyota 30 laps Mike Skinner Max Q Ford 25 laps Travis Kvapil Front Row Ford 20 laps

Hornish hopes win revives career

Sam Hornish Jr hopes his NASCAR career gets a new lease following his first win in the Nationwide Series on Saturday at Phoenix.

Nearly five years after making his NASCAR debut at the same venue, the three-time IndyCar champion claimed his maiden victory in the Nationwide Series, edging reigning series' champion Brad Keselowski to a Penske one-two, in the first race ever held in the reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway.

Hornish has only ran a partial Nationwide schedule this season after losing his drive in the Sprint Cup series at the end of last year, as his outfit downsized from three to two full-time cars for former champion Kurt Busch and Keselowski, both Chase contenders this season.

The former Indianapolis winner hopes he is able to build on his first NASCAR win to make a full-time return to competition in 2012.

"I won so much over [in IndyCars] that I didn't know how much to appreciate it at the time," said Hornish following his first win in more than four years, having last won in IndyCar at Texas in June of 2007.

"I came over here and I wanted the challenge of racing these cars because it was the next step. It was something new, it was something that motivated me again.

"There was many times where I shook my head and go 'Why did I do this?' But I did know that I would always regret not trying it so I'm just really, really excited that we were able to keep going. It ranks right up there.

"My next goal is I want to run for a championship next year and get the funding to be able to do that and then obviously how to figure out how to win a Spring Cup race."

Team owner Roger Penske was glad to see his driver back at the top and reminded Hornish has been key to the success of his Cup outfit this year as he has been heavily involved with the team's testing programme, most recently running in a Goodyear test at Las Vegas last week, while also carrying on with the development of the new fuel injection system.

Penske said he plans to have Hornish run for the Nationwide Series title in 2012.

"Well, I feel for Sam. He's been real humble for the last 12-18 months, coming off being an Indy 500 winner, coming over here and aspirations to run up out front," Penske said.

"... I think this sets up for what we want to do next year. Obviously our goal is to run for the championship in Nationwide with Sam next year. Alliance is our partner and Chad the crew chief and this is a great win for us

"... I just want to thank Sam. I remember when we raced here when we went back in Indy and Sam whipped us here with that yellow Pennzoil car. I'll never forget that. This is a special place for us."

Hornish, one of IndyCar's most accomplished oval racers in recent history, said he's glad he kept his focus on NASCAR despite losing his Cup drive and running 141 races without a win, with only three top-five finishes to show for before this weekend's victory.

A 19-time winner in IndyCar, the 32-year-old claims he never stopped believing he could win in NASCAR.

"I'm glad that I stuck it out," Hornish said. "This is what want. I came over here not because there was more money or anything like that. It was because I got an opportunity. I was interested in it, I got an opportunity to run some Nationwide races throughout 2007, and after doing that I got to see that there was something different out there to challenge me again.

"Was it the challenge I thought it was? Heck yeah it was. It was a big challenge for sure. I don't think I ever got to a point where I didn't feel like if I kept my head down and I put myself in the right position I was going to win."

Hornish achieved his maiden NASCAR win at the same track where he claimed his first IndyCar victory back in 2001. He also raced a Cup car for the first time at Phoenix in 2007.

New Phoenix 'tough' for overtaking

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers say they will face uncertain track conditions in today's Chase race at Phoenix as the evolving new surface and weather conditions have turned it into a 'moving target'.

The new asphalt at the one-mile D-shaped oval has proven extremely sensitive to conditions, as shown by Saturday's noon qualifying session when lap times were around a second slower relative to Friday's practice sessions, held under cooler temperatures.

A $15million (USD) reconfiguration and resurfacing project at the track took place ahead of the penultimate race of the season, with the Cup field testing for two days last month to get a grip on the increased banking and smoother asphalt.

Although grip levels have been picking up with more running, the track still has a narrow second groove on the outside, which is expected to make it hard to race side-by-side and overtake, as seen during Saturday's NAACAR Nationwide and K&N races.

Overnight and morning rain at Phoenix could further alter track conditions ahead of today's race, which is set to be key in the title fight.

"The biggest keys to this race are going to be, I think, you start with qualifying and then after that it is pitstops and restart strategy," said polesitter Matt Kenseth. "The tyres don't fall off at all. They don't really drop off in speed at all.

"It is going to be who can figure out how to keep their car up front. Who can be in the bottom on restarts and get good restarts and take advantage of the restarts when someone is in a bad position. I think that is going to be a big deal."

In an effort to get the track rubbered in on a second groove, six stock cars ran with soft tyre compounds early this week, completing approximately 3,000 miles between them. Additionally, a machine dragged more than 80 tyres on that second grove in order to rubber it in and enhance grip on the new asphalt.

Following Saturday's Nationwide Series race, Chase leader Carl Edwards said that he was able to race side-by-side despite the outside groove still being narrow, but it remains a challenge to complete a pass unless a rival makes a mistake.

"It is a pretty narrow two grooves and aero is a big enough factor here that guys can get loose if you are under someone and the track is a little treacherous," said Edwards.

"It is hard to pass. I think what I was saying about the difficulty in passing was that once you line up and you get in a line, if the guy in front of you is running the same groove as you it is a little tough when you are so aero dependant here and everyone is so closely matched to run him down and work him over. You need him to struggle a little bit."

The winners of both NASCAR races on Saturday at Phoenix came from the top five on the grid, Sam Hornish winning from fifth in the Nationwide Series and Ryan Blaney taking victory in the K&N West race in the evening.

Edwards: Title fight will go to wire

Carl Edwards expects the battle for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title to go down to the final lap at Homestead next week.

The Roush Fenway driver currently leads the Chase by a slim three points over Tony Stewart, who has won four out of eight play-off races, including back-to-back wins in the last two events.

Edwards has led the standings more often than any other driver this year and believes his consistency throughout the season is proof that he can finally clinch his maiden Cup title, despite his rival's recent surge during the Chase.

The pair have actually scored the same amount of points during the last eight weeks but Edwards' victory early in the season at Las Vegas gave him the three bonus points that keep him at the top of the standings, despite not winning again since then.

Edwards does not believe he needs to change his approach entering the last two title-deciding events.

"We have led the points, I have said this 100 times, we have led for 20-something weeks and we have done it the way we know how to do it and the way we can," said Edwards. "We might have to step it up just a little bit these next two races but I don't feel we are in a position where we have to change anything. I think we have to just go race as hard as we can."

He added: "For us it is pretty neat to be holding off a two-time champion having the best Chase he has ever had. It is neat to be battling with him. If we can continue and hold him off and win this thing... If it truly comes down to the end like I believe it will, I truly believe it will come down to the last lap at Homestead, that is going to feel good that it is Tony."

Edwards won both the last two races of the season last year at Phoenix and Homestead when already out of contention for the title, and also claimed victory in the season finale two years ago on the way to the runner-up spot in the championship.

His past and recent success at the last venue of the season makes him confident that he can beat Stewart, even if he ends up dropping to second in the standings following this weekend's race at Phoenix.

"If I were 10 points behind [after Phoenix] then Tony's run at Texas would make me think he will probably run pretty well at Homestead but I still feel we can lead the most laps, win the race and it would only take a little trouble or a little lack of speed on their part for us to beat them still," Edwards said. "I have seen a lot of points battles and been part of a few and seen a lot of things happen in the sport.

"I am telling you, there is something to me that I feel this thing is not going to be over until the last lap. I just have a feeling about this one for some reason."

He added: "I am not nervous. I maybe should be but I am not. I am pretty excited about the opportunity I have here. I have been doing this long enough now. Last year is a good example. I sat back and thought about what I would not give to be going into these last two races with a shot at winning the thing.

"To be able to go out there and perform and do what we do - that is the neatest part. The last restart at Homestead, neck and neck, tied and if it's best man wins, then the hair might be standing up on my neck. Right now I am looking at this like this is pretty neat to be a part of and it is fun."

Both Stewart and Edwards looked strong in race-trim during Friday's practice sessions at Phoenix, with Saturday's qualifying looking key as overtaking is expected to be at a premium during Sunday's race on the new surface of the one-mile venue.

Kenseth takes pole at Phoenix

Matt Kenseth claimed pole position for the penultimate round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix.

The Roush Fenway racer bumped fellow Ford driver AJ Allmendinger from pole with a lap of 26.260 seconds at an average speed of 137.101 mph, which gave him his seventh Cup career pole and his third of the year, more than he has ever achieved in a single season.

Kenseth's lap ended up splitting the main title contenders Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards onto separate rows. They had looked set to start right next to each other but ended up eighth and ninth respectively, the Stewart Haas racer having to take the first green flag on Sunday from the less favourable outside line.

Drivers struggled with loose cars and poor grip relative to Friday's practice sessions amid the hotter track conditions, but teams anticipate the track will continue to change as overnight rain is expected to take away some of the rubber that has already been laid on the new surface.

"Jimmy [Fennig, crew chief] had a strategy to go fast in the first practice to go out late," said Kenseth. "Even though we knew the temperature would be hotter he thought the track could be faster with more cars having run on it. A lot of people chose the opposite strategy and worked on race set-up in the first practice and did their qualifying stuff in the second practice to go out early.

"He had a plan and made the right adjustments. He thought it would be looser today. I didn't get all there was to get out of the car. It was just that good. They made all the right choices there."

Kenseth remains mathematically in the title hunt despite his 33-point deficit to Edwards, while Kevin Harvick, also still in contention, qualified 27th. Penske's Brad Keselowski was 12th fastest while four-time Phoenix winner Jimmie Johnson will start 16th.

Kyle Busch was 34th fastest but he will start from the rear of the field following an engine change during the first practice session on Friday. His Joe Gibbs Racing team-mate Denny Hamlin spun when starting his qualifying run and ended up 33rd on the grid.

Red Bull rookie Cole Whitt impressed on his first Cup outing, qualifying 19th, right behind team-mate Brian Vickers.

Scott Riggs, David Stremme and Andy Lally, who spun on his qualifying run while driving his back-up car, all failed to make the field.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Ford 26.258s 2. AJ Allmendinger Petty Ford 26.384s + 0.126s 3. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford 26.411s + 0.153s 4. Mark Martin Hendrick Chevrolet 26.455s + 0.197s 5. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota 26.455s + 0.197s 6. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 26.469s + 0.211s 7. David Reutimann Waltrip Toyota 26.473s + 0.215s 8. Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Chevrolet 26.488s + 0.230s 9. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford 26.529s + 0.271s 10. Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota 26.534s + 0.276s 11. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet 26.547s + 0.289s 12. Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge 26.585s + 0.327s 13. David Ragan Roush Fenway Ford 26.588s + 0.330s 14. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet 26.608s + 0.350s 15. Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet 26.613s + 0.355s 16. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet 26.618s + 0.360s 17. Kurt Busch Penske Dodge 26.622s + 0.364s 18. Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 26.624s + 0.366s 19. Cole Whitt Red Bull Toyota 26.625s + 0.367s 20. Robby Gordon Gordon Dodge 26.630s + 0.372s 21. Landon Cassill Phoenix Chevrolet 26.631s + 0.373s 22. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet 26.634s + 0.376s 23. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet 26.689s + 0.431s 24. Scott Speed Whitney Ford 26.694s + 0.436s 25. Joey Logano Gibbs Toyota 26.696s + 0.438s 26. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 26.704s + 0.446s 27. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet 26.715s + 0.457s 28. Clint Bowyer Childress Chevrolet 26.751s + 0.493s 29. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford 26.756s + 0.498s 30. Ryan Newman Stewart Haas Chevrolet 26.764s + 0.506s 31. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Toyota 26.793s + 0.535s 32. Joe Nemechek NEMCO Toyota 26.837s + 0.579s 33. Denny Hamlin Gibbs Toyota 26.850s + 0.592s 34. Kyle Busch Gibbs Toyota 26.936s + 0.678s 35. Michael McDowell HP Toyota 26.979s + 0.721s 36. Mike Skinner Max Q Ford 27.023s + 0.765s 37. Travis Kvapil Front Row Ford 27.040s + 0.782s 38. Casey Mears Germain Toyota 27.062s + 0.804s 39. Mike Bliss FAS Lane Ford 27.184s + 0.926s 40. Geoffrey Bodine Baldwin Chevrolet 27.417s + 1.159s 41. JJ Yeley Front Row Ford 27.911s + 1.653s 42. David Gilliland Front Row Ford 29.252s + 2.994s 43. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet 27.157s + 0.899s Did not qualify: Scott Riggs R3 Toyota 27.336s + 1.078s David Stremme Inception Chevrolet 27.355s + 1.097s Andy Lally TRG Ford 28.215s + 1.957s

Busch's Gibbs drive not in jeopardy

Kyle Busch admits he feared he would lose his drive with Joe Gibbs Racing following his actions during last week's NASCAR Truck Series race at Texas, but team boss Joe Gibbs says he will continue to race for his outfit next year.

On Friday morning Gibbs confirmed that the 26-year-old will remain a JGR driver for the reminder of the season and into 2012, amid speculation that #18 car's main sponsor Mars, through its brand M&M's, did not want to carry on its backing of the team if Busch remained behind the wheel.

On Thursday Mars put out a statement announcing it was effectively withdrawing its sponsorship for the last two Sprint Cup races of the season at Phoenix and Homestead, with longtime JGR sponsor Interstate Batteries taking over for both events.

According to Gibbs, besides NASCAR's penalties and his sponsor's decision, the team will put in place a number of internal measures to punish Busch.

He said that when faced with the decision of whether to terminate his driver's contract, he chose to continue to support Busch and hope he makes amends for his actions and finally turns a corner with his behaviour.

Busch, a former Nationwide Series champion for the team, had been the outfit's main championship contender this year, but his penalties from last week at Texas all but ended any hope of him remaining in the hunt for his maiden Cup title.

"Kyle's penalties are going to be substantial," Gibbs said. "If you think about it, NASCAR taking him out of the car last week, there's also a fine associated with that but the biggest thing is we went from seventh in points in the Chase to 11th.

"That's a huge deal. I know Kyle and all of us were excited about getting back in the top five. That'll probably take this away from us. I'm just emphasising that was a huge deal for us.

"Other actions are going to be in place. There'll be other financial penalties and stuff that we're working through and we'll continue to do that as we continue to go forward through this process.

"When you're put in a situation like this, you really can make one or two decisions. One would've been devastating, I think really discouraging for everybody associated with it, Kyle, everybody around him and for the sport.

"What I've chosen to do - I want to support Kyle. This could have a positive impact on Kyle and I'm committed to him as a person. I like him, we've gone through a lot together and as far as us at Joe Gibbs Racing we're looking forward to a long relationship."

Busch was apologetic when facing the media for the first time since NASCAR suspended him from racing at Texas last week and expressed his appreciation for his team's support. He admitted his actions, which took place while driving for his own team, have lost him respect with his JGR peers, colleagues and fans, but said he hopes to make the most of an "opportunity to become a better person."

Earlier this year Busch went past 100 wins in NASCAR's national series, claiming four Cup victories on the way to being one of the leading Chase contenders entering the play-off.

However controversy has surrounded him all season, first when he was caught speeding on public roads in May and consequently lost his licence, then when he was on the receiving end in a physical altercation with team owner Richard Childress at Kansas in June, ignited by a clash with an RCR driver on the track.

Busch said he feared for his future at JGR after being suspended from racing at Texas but denied that possibility was mentioned by his bosses this week.

"When you sit back and reflect and think about everything, you're sitting there on the sidelines on Saturday [at Texas], you're sitting there watching your [Cup] car race on Sunday, you know that's a huge deal," he said. "That's a huge disappointment not only to myself but more importantly to my team.

"These guys at Joe Gibbs Racing that had nothing to do with Friday night [at Texas]. I feel a tremendous amount of remorse for them. I've got to gain their respect back.

"Was there a point in which I thought 'do I have a ride'? Of course there was. Yeah, I thought that. Was there a point where Joe ever told me that 'hey, we're looking at terminating this'? No. Joe has been there and stuck by my side, held my arms through this whole deal."

Busch also stated that he has spoken to Ron Hornaday, with whom he clashed last week in the Truck race at Texas, and indicated they are already on good terms. The former Truck champion is still looking for a drive for next season and reportedly held talks with Busch about a seat with his team in 2012.

Next year Busch will also field his own car in the Nationwide Series.

M and M's suspends Busch backing

Kyle Busch has lost the backing of one of his main sponsors for the remainder of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season following his suspension from racing at Texas last weekend.

Mars has pulled its M&M's backing from Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the final two races of the year in response to the 26-year-old deliberately crashing into Ron Hornaday under caution in last weekend's Truck series race.

Team boss Joe Gibbs said: "We strongly support Mars's decision. This gives us all time to work together to foster a positive change where Kyle can continue racing in a way we can all be proud of."

Mars confirmed that is still committed to NASCAR, and plans to return to the Sprint Cup arena with Busch in 2012. But it hopes that its decision to withdraw its support in the wake of last weekend's incident will make a point to the driver.

"Kyle's recent actions are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of Mars," said Debra A Sandler, chief consumer officer for Mars Chocolate North America.

"While we do not condone Kyle's recent actions, we do believe that he has shown remorse and has expressed a desire to change.

"We believe our decision will have a positive impact on Kyle and will help him return next season ready to win."

Kyle Busch further penalised

Kyle Busch has been fined and placed on probation by NASCAR adding to his suspension from racing last weekend at Texas.

Busch has been fined US $50,000 and placed on probation until the end of the year following his incident with Truck Series contender Ron Hornaday in the early laps of Friday's race at Texas Motor Speedway.

According to NASCAR's release Busch could be suspended indefinitely "if during the remaining NASCAR events in 2011 there is another action by the competitor that is deemed by NASCAR officials as detrimental to stock car racing or to NASCAR, or is disruptive to the orderly conduct of an event".

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has lost any chance of contending for this year's Sprint Cup title after being unable to score any points in Sunday's race, which he watched from the top of his team's pitbox on his sponsor's request.

It remains to be seen if JGR will take any internal measures against Busch after his Sprint Cup sponsor Mars and manufacturer Toyota have expressed their disappointment over the driver's actions.

Stewart beats Edwards to Texas win

Tony Stewart claimed back-to-back wins for the second time in this year's Chase, winning his fourth race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season on Sunday at Texas.

The Stewart Haas driver continued to close on the series points lead after beating Chase leader Carl Edwards with a categoric win, taking home a perfect score that now places him only three points behind his Roush Fenway rival.

Edwards tried putting the pressure on Stewart in the final laps as both spent most of the race at the sharp end of the field but in the end he did not have anything for him despite Roush Fenway cars looking like the class of the field for most of the event.

Full report to follow

Results - 334 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Chevrolet 3h16m51.000s 2. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford + 1.092s 3. Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota + 6.053s 4. Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Ford + 6.369s 5. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford + 6.920s 6. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet + 11.046s 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet + 11.525s 8. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota + 12.826s 9. Clint Bowyer Childress Chevrolet + 14.984s 10. AJ Allmendinger Petty Ford + 17.392s 11. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford + 17.786s 12. David Ragan Roush Fenway Ford + 20.684s 13. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet + 21.070s 14. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet + 21.285s 15. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet + 23.776s 16. Ryan Newman Stewart Haas Chevrolet + 24.416s 17. Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Ford + 27.457s 18. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet + 29.298s 19. Mark Martin Hendrick Chevrolet + 30.176s 20. Denny Hamlin Gibbs Toyota + 1 lap 21. Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota + 1 lap 22. David Reutimann Waltrip Toyota + 1 lap 23. Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet + 1 lap 24. Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge + 1 lap 25. Casey Mears Germain Toyota + 1 lap 26. Landon Cassill Phoenix Chevrolet + 2 laps 27. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet + 2 laps 28. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Toyota + 2 laps 29. Andy Lally TRG Chevrolet + 2 laps 30. Kurt Busch Penske Dodge + 3 laps 31. Travis Kvapil Front Row Ford + 3 laps 32. David Gilliland Front Row Ford + 3 laps 33. Michael McDowell Gibbs Toyota + 3 laps 34. Mike Bliss FAS Lane Ford + 5 laps 35. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet + 18 laps 36. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet + 39 laps Retirements: Joey Logano Gibbs Toyota 258 laps Geoffrey Bodine Baldwin Chevrolet 215 laps Scott Speed Whitney Ford 30 laps Josh Wise HP Toyota 23 laps Mike Skinner Max Q Ford 19 laps Joe Nemechek NEMCO Toyota 14 laps JJ Yeley Front Row Ford 10 laps

Busch apologises for Texas clash

Kyle Busch has publicly apologised following his incident in Friday's NASCAR Truck Series race, which caused him to be suspended from competing at Texas.

Busch was parked by NASCAR officials after intentionally crashing into the back of Truck series title contender Ron Hornaday under caution, spinning him against the barrier and putting him out of Friday night's race.

His actions came as retaliation for previous contact while fighting for second place early in the race.

On Saturday NASCAR announced Busch had been suspended from driving at Texas for the reminder of the weekend, forcing him to miss both the Nationwide and Cup Series races.

"I've had a lot of time today to sit and reflect, and try to put my thoughts into words as best I can," read an open apology letter issued by Busch on Saturday night.

"I want to sincerely apologise for my actions during Friday night's Truck Series race at Texas.

"I apologise to my fans, all my sponsors, everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports.

"After talking with my team, it's great to have their support and encouragement to assure me that there are better days ahead. Even though this took place while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, I am sorry for how difficult this has been for everyone associated with Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams.

"I'd also like to apologise to Ron Hornaday Jr, and everyone associated with the #33 team in the Truck Series.

"I understand why I was taken out of the car for the rest of the weekend. NASCAR officials had to act, and I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions.

"As a racecar driver, the hardest thing to do is to sit on the sidelines listening to cars on the track when you know you should be out there competing. For this, I have no one to blame but myself.

"Through a lot of support from the people around me, I feel like I've made a lot of strides this year, but this was certainly a step backward. Moving forward, I will do everything I possibly can to represent everyone involved in a positive manner.

"However, I know my long-term actions will have more of a bearing than anything I say right now."

NASCAR president Mike Helton said further penalties for Busch were possible, while the driver's boss Joe Gibbs would not confirm whether the team was considering taking any internal measures.

"I think right now we're just trying to handle the first things first for us and there's so many things to consider and so many people to meet with," Gibbs said. "I think we're still early in the process and we're trying to work our way through it as best and as fast as we can."

Following Gibbs' remarks, Toyota issued a statement saying it trusts JGR will handle the difficult situation properly.

"Toyota understands it is NASCAR's responsibility to enforce their rules for the well-being of the sport," the statement read.

"We recognise this is a difficult situation for both Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch with respect to the incident that occurred at Texas Motor Speedway during Friday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

"However, we are confident in the leadership of Joe and JD Gibbs, and are certain the team will handle this difficult situation in an appropriate manner. Toyota remains 100 per cent committed to its support of Joe Gibbs Racing and its drivers."

Busch has all but lost any chance of contending for the Cup title as he will not be able to score points for the Chase this weekend, with only two more races left in the championship.

Edwards plays down Stewart threat

Chase leader Carl Edwards claims Tony Stewart is not his main threat for the championship as the battle for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title enters its defining stages.

After seven out of 10 play-off events, the Roush Fenway driver leads the standing by nine points over Stewart, who has won three out of the seven Chase races, and recently took victory at Martinsville.

Stewart warned Edwards following last week's win, saying his rival had "better be real worried," and adding "he's not going to sleep for the next three weeks". Edwards tried to shrug off Stewart's comments, saying his true rivals currently rank behind Stewart in the Chase standings.

"This week I've thought a little bit about who my real competition is and, no offence to Tony or anything, but I think the guys that are behind him are truly the guys who have the biggest chance of doing well over the next three weeks," said Edwards.

"They've shown they can run up front in the points all year and although Tony could go on a roll, what I've been sticking to this week is that it would be foolish of me to just focus on him and not pay attention to these other guys who have been very, very fast.

"All the talk in the world doesn't mean anything. You have to go out here and perform and race well and that's what we're here to do."

Stewart, who could become the first owner to win a title driving for his own outfit since Alan Kulwicki did it in 1992, said his warning to Edwards remains in place and that it was not an emotional claim following his third win of the season. He says his rival is making a mistake if he is really counting him out as a true championship threat.

"The feeling hasn't changed," said Stewart. "It wasn't the adrenaline that was saying that. I've been racing 31 years and we've been a part of a lot of championship battles and I know what that feeling is when you feel that stuff is going right and that you've got that shot again.

"Like I said, he's making a mistake if he's counting us out and if he thinks it's just a mind game deal, I really don't care what he does. I'm going to control my destiny and my car, I don't care what he does with his car. I'm going to take care of business with ours."

Edwards has been twice a close contender for the Cup title, first in 2005 when he lost to Stewart and then in '08 when he finished third to Jimmie Johnson. He believes going through losing those championships has given him the experience to be more confident this time around, although he says he is not putting any added pressure on himself.

"I feel that we can do it," said Edwards. "I feel we've escaped some of our bad tracks and bad days and still been able to fight and claw and come up with something good. Now, we're going to some tracks that we can run well [at], but I also understand how much can go wrong. I know things that can happen and it's not over until it's over."

He added: "I really and truly learned some valuable lessons in 2005 and 2008. In 2005, we were leading the race at Homestead. I think I almost put Tony a lap down to win that championship and it didn't work out. He ended up winning and we ended up tied for second. That was my first shot at a championship.

"Right then, I thought, 'Aw, that's no big deal. We'll win it next year.' That was obviously pretty naive. Then in 2008 we were very, very fast and really good at every racetrack. I learned a lot of lessons through losing that one, making a mistake and having a part failure.

"Win, lose or draw I'll be back here next year, the year after that and the year after that. We're going to be tough for a long time, so what I'm doing is trying not to let myself think about this particular championship. I'm not putting a bunch of importance on it or trying to change things. I don't go to bed thinking about this thing - winning it or anything. I'm trying to go do my job."

Edwards enters this weekend's Chase round at Texas as the driver with the most Cup victories at the track, winning six years ago for the first time before sweeping the races at the 1.5-mile venue in 2008.

Busch suspended over Truck clash

Kyle Busch has been suspended from the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events at Texas Motor Speedway following an on-track incident in the early laps of Friday's Truck race.

Busch was battling for second place against Truck Series title contender Ron Hornaday when the pair made contact at Turn 2 while overtaking a backmarker on the outside. Both trucks skidded up the banking, eventually brushing the wall, causing officials to wave the caution.

As they came out of Turn 2, Busch went in pursuit of Hornaday, hit his truck's rear bumper and turned him against the outside barrier, with Busch also hitting the wall. The incident ruled Hornaday out of the series' title battle, while officials parked Busch in the garage immediately.

Following a meeting in the NASCAR hauler on Saturday morning, it was announced that Busch has been suspended for the remaining events at Texas Motor Speedway due to his actions.

The penalty means he will not be able to score Cup points this weekend, meaning he could end up virtually eliminated from Chase contention entering the last two races of the season.

Busch had qualified on the front row for the Nationwide Series event that takes place on Saturday afternoon, while he was 17th on the grid for Sunday's Cup race.

"I would certainly tell you that any violation that we have to react to, we consider the ripple effect of our reaction," said NASCAR president Mike Helton. "Every incident that we have to react to, whether it's in an inspection, something that's happened on the racetrack or what have you, that's not our mission but it's our responsibility as a regulatory group that manages the sport and we certainly take that very seriously.

"The circumstances that we saw last night on the racetrack, we didn't take lightly what we saw, we didn't take lightly the necessity or responsibility for us to react to it. More often than not our responsibility is to officiate the sport, inspect the hardware that's involved in the sport in a manner that everybody feels like we have an equal and level playing field. That's the sport's regulatory's responsibility.

"On occasion you have an incident that requires you to take the additional step like we're talking about this morning and it's not an easy step to make. It's not something we enjoy doing, it's not an action that we would want to do but we do take our responsibility to maintain control of the garage area and the unfolding of the events very seriously, which lead us to this action."

Helton added that further penalties could be announced for Busch next week.

Michael McDowell, who usually drives for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide Series, will race the #18 Cup car on Sunday while Denny Hamlin is set to fill in for Busch in the Nationwide Series event.

Roush dominates Texas qualifying

Greg Biffle beat team-mate David Ragan by a thousandth of a second to claim his third NASCAR Sprint Cup pole position of the season as Roush Fenway Racing dominated Friday's session at Texas Motor Speedway.

Biffle had edged Chase leader Carl Edwards earlier in practice and was able to later up his speed with a faster lap in qualifying, setting a time of 27.873 seconds at an average speed of 193.736 mph, which stands as the fastest pole position of the 2011 season.

His team-mate Ragan had been on provisional pole until getting beaten by the slightest margin by Biffle, while Matt Kenseth - the most recent winner at the track - completed a top-three sweep by the team. Edwards got loose while starting his lap and paid the price, finishing seventh fastest.

"It was a great lap," said Biffle. "The car was really fast right off the truck. It's a tribute to my team, how hard they work and how far we've come as a team. We've been fast through practice and it was a pretty uneventful lap. One one-thousandth of a second is not a huge margin to be on pole. It's really exciting that our racecars are that good."

Stewart-Haas Racing's Tony Stewart was fifth behind the fastest Chevrolet of Richard Childress Racing's Paul Menard. Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann was the best Toyota in sixth, while Penske's Brad Keselowski was the fastest Dodge in eighth. Defending champion Jimmie Johnson was 11th, with RCR's Kevin Harvick 21st.

Wood Brothers' Trevor Bayne was the fastest of the non-guaranteed drivers, ending the session 13th fastest while David Stremme, David Starr and Reed Sorenson failed to make the field.

Teams will run two practice sessions on Saturday, where they will focus on race preparation for Sunday's 500-mile Chase round.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford 27.873s 2. David Ragan Roush Fenway Ford 27.874s + 0.001s 3. Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Ford 27.884s + 0.011s 4. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet 27.916s + 0.043s 5. Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Chevrolet 27.942s + 0.069s 6. David Reutimann Waltrip Toyota 27.953s + 0.080s 7. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford 27.969s + 0.096s 8. Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge 27.976s + 0.103s 9. Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota 27.987s + 0.114s 10. Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet 27.995s + 0.122s 11. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet 27.998s + 0.125s 12. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford 28.006s + 0.133s 13. Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Ford 28.039s + 0.166s 14. Kurt Busch Penske Dodge 28.056s + 0.183s 15. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 28.072s + 0.199s 16. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet 28.106s + 0.233s 17. Kyle Busch Gibbs Toyota 28.107s + 0.234s 18. Clint Bowyer Childress Chevrolet 28.107s + 0.234s 19. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota 28.127s + 0.254s 20. Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 28.137s + 0.264s 21. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet 28.177s + 0.304s 22. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 28.188s + 0.315s 23. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet 28.189s + 0.316s 24. Ryan Newman Stewart Haas Chevrolet 28.210s + 0.337s 25. Joey Logano Gibbs Toyota 28.228s + 0.355s 26. AJ Allmendinger Petty Ford 28.235s + 0.362s 27. JJ Yeley Front Row Ford 28.262s + 0.389s 28. Denny Hamlin Gibbs Toyota 28.273s + 0.400s 29. Landon Cassill Phoenix Chevrolet 28.326s + 0.453s 30. Mark Martin Hendrick Chevrolet 28.356s + 0.483s 31. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet 28.363s + 0.490s 32. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Toyota 28.388s + 0.515s 33. Casey Mears Germain Toyota 28.388s + 0.515s 34. David Gilliland Front Row Ford 28.418s + 0.545s 35. Michael McDowell HP Toyota 28.460s + 0.587s 36. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet 28.475s + 0.602s 37. Mike Bliss FAS Lane Ford 28.586s + 0.713s 38. Mike Skinner Front Row Ford 28.586s + 0.713s 39. Scott Speed Whitney Ford 28.620s + 0.747s 40. Joe Nemechek NEMCO Toyota 28.632s + 0.759s 41. Andy Lally TRG Chevrolet 28.643s + 0.770s 42. David Stremme Inception Chevrolet 28.669s + 0.796s 43. David Starr Leavine Ford 28.671s + 0.798s 44. Travis Kvapil Front Row Ford 28.711s + 0.838s 45. Reed Sorenson Gordon Dodge 28.849s + 0.976s 46. Geoffrey Bodine Baldwin Chevrolet 29.646s + 1.773s

Patrick picks Daytona for Cup debut

Danica Patrick will enter the 2012 Daytona 500 as part of a 10-race NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule, Stewart Haas Racing announced on Friday.

The former IndyCar star, who is switching full time to NASCAR, will drive the #10 Chevrolet for Stewart Haas Racing in next year's season-opening event, attempting to make the field for what would be her first Cup outing.

Patrick will run at least another nine Cup races while driving full-time for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. Following Daytona, Patrick will enter events at Darlington, Bristol (autumn race), Atlanta, Chicago, Dover, Texas, and Phoenix, while two other races have yet to be defined, with the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis still a possibility.

"I'm excited," said Patrick. "There's a lot I'm worried for but on the other hand as I've kind of felt it with my Nationwide races so far is that - and in particular with the most difficult tracks - expectation levels are sometimes not quite as high. So you have the ability to make mistakes and that's the plan.

"There's going to be mistakes and there's going to be learning curves to get that out of the way before we try and do this full-time... It's about making the most complete future possible with the limited schedule of experience."

Patrick will have the chance to secure her place in the Daytona 500 field through qualifying or then through the Gatorade Duels, where she could get help in the draft from team-mates Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, who will be guaranteed the start in the event thanks to their status in the points, as both are Chase contenders this year.

Team owner and future team-mate Stewart said after racing with Patrick at Daytona in the Nationwide Series this year he felt she was ready to make the jump up to a Cup car. He says having gone through the same transition from IndyCar to NASCAR in the past will allow him to better help Patrick master stock car racing as they look to field her full-time in 2013.

"It's been a fun journey for me and I think that's going to make such a fun journey with Danica," said Stewart. "It's knowing that the things she's going to be experiencing going from the IndyCars to the Cup cars are the same thing that I had to go through too. It's a nice feeling for me knowing that when she talks about something I'm going to understand it from first-hand experience.

"I'm just worried about how far into this 10-race deal it's going to be before she absolutely hates me because of where I'm sending her... But this is all in an effort to get ready for 2013. If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing obviously."

He added: "It's an aggressive schedule for someone who hasn't been in a Cup car yet but at the same time to compete at this level you're going to have to be good at these tracks."

This weekend Patrick will run her 10th Nationwide Series race of the year, her 23rd in the second-tier series over the past two years. She will also compete at Phoenix next week and then in the series finale at Homestead.

Martin to join MWR for part-seasons

Mark Martin will drive partial NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons for Michael Waltrip Racing for the next two years.

The 52-year-old veteran has signed a deal to drive the team's #00 Toyota in 25 races each year in 2012 and '13, replacing David Reutimann - who had been at the wheel of the car since 2007, winning the team's only two races thus far.

Martin's first race with MWR will be the 2012 Daytona 500, while Michael Waltrip will drive the car in the non-points Shootout in early February and the other restrictor-plate races of the season, as well as at Kentucky.

"[Sponsor] Aaron's and MWR have given me a chance to keep doing what I love with a competitive racecar and a perfect schedule for the next two years," said Martin.

"I have studied their programme, and, man, are they going in the right direction. I'm so impressed with what they are doing right now and I wanted to be a part of it. I want to help this organisation.

"This is like a rebirth. I just can't explain how excited I am to get to work."

In 2007 and '08 Martin drove partial schedules for Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc, actually leading the standings after the first four races of '07 before skipping a race for the first time.

Martin said he was not considering any full-time drives looking ahead and revealed he held talks with Tony Stewart about driving a third car part-time for Stewart Haas Racing but said an agreement was "not even close". His deal with MWR came following three weeks of talks with Waltrip, with the contract only signed last Wednesday.

The addition of the NASCAR veteran to MWR is one of several announced over the past few months. Clint Bowyer will be joining the team full-time from next year, bringing Scott Miller with him from Richard Childress Racing to take over as executive vice president of competition.

The team will be fielding three cars next season for Martin Truex Jr, Bowyer and the #00 entry - which will have at least three different drivers, headed by Martin.

Michael Waltrip said his team still does not have a driver for those races where neither Martin nor Waltrip are not behind the wheel, while it still needs a sponsor for a handful of events as the Aaron's backing covers 30 rounds.

Starting the 2012 season aged 53, Martin could potentially become the oldest Cup race winner in the series' history.

Reutimann and Waltrip part ways

David Reutimann will not return to Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012, amid reports linking Mark Martin with a seat at the team.

Reutimann, 41, who has been with the team since its debut season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2007, will leave the squad after driving the #00 Toyota in the last three races of the year.

NASCAR veteran Martin has been linked to drive a partial season at MWR next year and the team is set to announce plans for 2012 on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.

Martin is leaving Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the year as Kasey Kahne joins the team to take over the #5 car that the 52-year-old has raced for the past three years.

"David has been a significant part of Michael Waltrip Racing since the very beginning and will forever be a part of our heritage," said team co-owner Michael Waltrip.

"We want to thank David for his contribution to our growth and success over the past five years and wish him well in the future."

In 168 Cup career starts, all for MWR, Reutimann claimed the team's only victories thus far, winning at Charlotte in 2009 and last year at Chicagoland.

Rick Hendrick survives plane crash

NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick and his wife Linda escaped serious injury after a technical failure caused the jet they were flying in to run off the runway when landing at Key West, Florida.

According to a report from the local Sheriff, a Gulfstream 150 jet crash landed at the Key West airport Monday evening at 7:45 p.m. with the pilot and co-pilot radioing there were no brakes upon landing.

The report states that four people on board were taken to Lower Keys hospital, two with minor injuries and two transported for precautionary reasons.

A statement from Hendrick Motorsports confirmed that there were no serious injuries to either Mr. or Mrs. Hendrick, neither to the two pilots.

The plane, carrying Jimmie Johnson's number and initials, was registered to Jimmie Johnson Racing II Incorporated and ran completely off the runway before coming to rest in an unpaved safety area that had been added to the airport last May.

Almost seven years ago, on October 24 of 2004, a Hendrick Motorsports plane crashed upon landing at Martinsville, killing all ten passengers including the team's president John Hendrick and Rick Hendrick's son and former NASCAR racer Ricky.