Road racers looking for 1st win at Sonoma

When NASCAR heads to a road course, many teams hire ringers to better their chances at victory.

This weekend will be no different at Infineon Raceway, where the usual aces have landed rides for the first of two road course races on the Sprint Cup schedule.
Series regular Reed Sorenson was pulled from the No. 41 Dodge for Scott Pruett, while rookie of the year candidate Regan Smith gave up his seat in the No. 01 Chevrolet for Ron Fellows.

But in 19 previous races at Infineon, a ringer has yet to drive his way to Victory Lane. Irv Hoer was the first non-Cup regular to crack a top-10 with an eighth-place finish in 1990.

Robby Gordon, before he became a full-time Cup driver, scored finishes of ninth and second. Boris Said has the most top-10 finishes of non-Cup regulars at Infineon with four, and only three drivers have cracked the top five: Gordon (second), Pruett (third) and Terry Labonte, who was third in 2006 while not running a full schedule.

"It goes to show that it's not easy for these guys to come in, without a lot of time in the cars or practice, and run well," said 2000 series champion Bobby Labonte. "A guy like Boris, he's been in the Cup cars at different tracks besides Infineon and Watkins Glen. He knows the characteristics of these cars. A guy who's coming in for a one-off race? No, it's not that easy.

"They have a lot of road racing skill, maybe better than most of us, but they don't have that time with the cars."

Still, Said is hoping this trip to Sonoma will end what's seemed like a season-long slump.

"This has been the worst year of my career -- I haven't finished a race yet," he admitted.

Said's team failed to finish the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, and he failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 three weeks later. He was wrecked out of the Nationwide Series race in Mexico City, and an engine failure in Germany last month ended his hopes of winning the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.

"This has really been a horrific year," he said. "I need to break the jinx this weekend. We have great equipment."

------

TRIPLE CHASE OVER: Kyle Busch's bid to win three championships this season comes to an end Saturday when he skips the Nationwide Series race in Milwaukee.

Busch never officially had the race on his schedule, but could have hopped in a Braun Racing entry if he so desired. After wrecking out of last week's race in Kentucky, Busch declared he was "done" and would sit out Milwaukee.

The decision comes after consecutive manic weekends that saw Busch running in all three of NASCAR's top series, including a cross-country tour two weeks ago that saw him make history by racing at three different tracks on the same weekend.

His commitment to the Truck Series was to help team owner Billy Ballew win the owner's championship, and Busch has put the truck in second place -- just eight points behind Bill Davis Racing's No. 23 Toyota.

Busch is currently fifth in the Nationwide driver standings and is the Cup Series points leader.

This weekend's double -- the Sprint Cup Series is in Sonoma, Calif. -- is the most challenging for drivers running both series. A year ago, Denny Hamlin didn't even make the start of the race in Milwaukee and Aric Almirola had to get out of the car while leading once Hamlin arrived at the track.

James Buescher will now drive the Braun entry in Milwaukee instead of Busch. It will be Buescher's third career Nationwide start.

------

DOUBLE BILLING: Michael Waltrip is giving longtime sponsor NAPA double billing this weekend by sending two cars to Sonoma adorned with the company logo.

Both Waltrip's No. 55 and Michael McDowell's No. 00 will be decked out in the NAPA blue and gold. NAPA has supported Waltrip since 2001 and together they've won four races, including a pair of Daytona 500s.

"They are wonderful supporters of mine, so I would like to say thanks for everything they have done for me," Waltrip said. "McDowell is going to California to showcase his specialty -- his experience is in road racing. He is very talented and was very impressive at the Virginia International Raceway test we did two weeks ago.

"As for me, I had a top-five finish at Infineon in 2004 and I have always run well there so I am really looking forward to having two NAPA cars on track and in the race. NAPA will have twice the chance of getting great exposure."


IceHogs edge Aeros to take 3-1 series lead
Nationwide struggles for mix of old and young
Kyle Busch set for historic cross-country triple

Nationwide struggles for mix of old and young

SPARTA, Ky. (AP) -- Even by Tom Logano's lofty expectations, his son Joey's historic victory in the Meijer 300 last weekend came as a shock.

Joe Gibbs Racing's 18-year-old hotshot became the youngest winner in Nationwide Series history after beating Scott Wimmer by more than 2 seconds in just his third race on NASCAR's second circuit.
Afterward, Tom Logano stood in the pits, mouth agape from getting the best Father's Day present ever from his precocious kid.

Then again, maybe dad shouldn't have been so surprised.

His son, after all, has been winning races since grade school. And Kentucky's 1.5-mile tri-oval is developing a reputation as a place where young drivers can post their breakthrough victory. Joey Logano's historic win marked the third time in as many years the winner's trip to Victory Lane was the first of their Nationwide career.

The reason for the kids' success is twofold. The Meijer 300 comes about halfway through the Nationwide season, meaning inexperienced teams have had time to get into a rhythm and figure their cars out.

The other has less to do with talent and teamwork than geography.

The Meijer 300 is one of just eight standalone events in the Nationwide Series. With most Sprint Cup drivers who double-dip in the Nationwide Series choosing to stay in Michigan for Sunday's Cup event, some of the circuit's lesser-known drivers finally get a chance to shine.

"It's definitely one of the tracks you come to in the back of your mind, and you look forward to having a good run," said Cale Gale, a part-time driver for Kevin Harvick Inc. who finished 18th behind Logano last weekend.

Good runs at Kentucky could be harder to come by for unknown Nationwide drivers in the future.

The track located about halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati is in the process of being sold to Speedway Motorsports Inc., and SMI owner Bruton Smith has made bringing a coveted Cup race to the track his first priority.

It would be a great move for a market hungry to see NASCAR's big boys do their thing, but would also mean the Nationwide event would likely lose its standalone status. Having the Nationwide and Sprint Cup events at the same track on the same weekend means more Sprint Cup drivers hopping into the Nationwide Series cars on Saturday, meaning fewer rides for Nationwide's up-and-coming drivers.

"It's a trade-off," said Brad Keselowski, who is second behind Clint Bowyer in the Nationwide Series standings heading into this week's event in Milwaukee. "Will it make you better? Certainly. But you get thrown into a sea with so many other different talents that you get lost in the mix. There's different priorities."

Sprint Cup drivers can often use the Nationwide Series race as a chance to get the feel for a track before the green flag drops in a Cup race on Sunday afternoon. Brad Coleman, a Nationwide Series regular who will get a shot in the Sprint Cup with Hall of Fame Racing at the end of the season, pointed to NASCAR's favorite bad boy as an example of the challenges riding against a Cup regular can provide.

"Kyle Busch always drives like a maniac out there, but he's an extra maniac in the Nationwide Series because he'll go out there and he'll pass you three-wide sideways," Coleman said with a laugh. "You know they have nothing to lose. If they get up there and win, they get money. If not, hey."

Busch, who is atop the Sprint Cup Series, leads all Nationwide drivers with four wins. He also has five DNFs, the fifth coming after he put his No. 18 Toyota into the wall on lap 163 of the Meijer 300.

While upset about the finish -- particularly after he'd roared from the back of the field to lead a race-high 83 laps -- Busch's day wasn't really ruined. He hopped into a helicopter shortly after the race and flew back to Michigan, where he finished 13th in the LifeLock 400 on Sunday.

"Everybody wants to be in that position where you can wreck on Saturday and still have a shot to make up for it on Sunday," Keselowski said. "That's not my situation right now (but) I still enjoy racing against them. I don't want to see them get kicked out, that's for sure."

Neither does anyone else, because Keselowski knows people aren't buying tickets to see him race, not yet anyway. He knows having Cup stars like Busch and Carl Edwards in the Nationwide Series can only help. How many is too many? Nobody knows.

"When we get to areas where we have companion events, it helps in different avenues," said Nationwide Series director Joe Balash. "There are some double-duty drivers that take the place (of Nationwide-only drivers), but the media coverage is so much higher that weekend. It's kind of a balancing act."

One that the Nationwide drivers sometimes win. When Keselowski won his first Nationwide event in Nashville on June 7, the field included five Sprint Cup regulars.

"It's competitive whether the Cup guys are running in it or not and I think it legitimizes the series in a way and makes a win for a guy like Brad Keselowski even more special knowing he beat all these Cup guys who are still running," Edwards said. "It's not like a Cup guy wins very week. These guys are getting better."


Rising star Logano takes Meijer 300
Death of brother causes Gardenhire to miss series
Yallop encouraged despite struggles

NASCAR faces troubling off-track time

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Wow, does Dale Earnhardt Jr. have impeccable timing.

NASCAR's golden boy crossed the finish line first just when the sport needed him most, ending a 76-race winless streak that pushed all of NASCAR's problems to the backburner. Only problem is, Junior's win Sunday in Michigan is a just brief respite from NASCAR's troubling issues.
NASCAR has already addressed the constantly complaining drivers, who seemingly gripe about everything under the sun these days. From the difficulty in driving NASCAR's new car, the heat inside the cockpit on a 90 degree day, long races, an even longer schedule and little to no time off, someone has found something to whine about every single week.

NASCAR finally said "Enough!" and pulled every driver in Michigan together Friday for a hastily called lecture in which president Mike Helton reminded the millionaires in the room just how lucky they've got it.

At first, the message seemed to have been clearly delivered based on the nonchalant attitude most drivers had about the meeting. But leave it to Tony Stewart to insinuate what everyone already knew: The real message Helton sent was one of "shut up and drive."

"Ask Mike Helton. I don't know what we're allowed to say and what we're not," Stewart said during his post-race radio interview on Motor Racing Network. "I'm just thankful we're allowed to be here. It's just a privilege for us to be here, and according to Friday, we've all got it a lot better than a lot of us think.

"We're not allowed to have opinions now. We've all got it made here. We've all got it great. At least that is what we've all been told."

Both NASCAR and Stewart are right on this issue.

NASCAR can't censor the drivers -- well, officials technically can, and many believe they do through questionable calls and thorough inspections -- but it defeats the season-opening message of allowing personalities to shine this year. In silencing the stars, NASCAR is dumbing down the passion and emotions that the fans yearn to see.

At the same time, though, the weekly whining by a bunch of rich men racing cars for a living might be a bit of a slap in the face to the many Americans currently feeling the economic pinch. Although television ratings are up this year, at-track attendance is down as families struggle to afford even one day at the races, let alone an entire weekend or multiple events this summer.

Bruton Smith, owner of Speedway Motorsports Inc., wants to work with other track operators on affordable attendance options that could possibly lure fans back to the track at a time when many Americans are cutting leisure travel from the budget.

The hard times aren't exclusive to the fans, either. Many teams are feeling the pinch as sponsorship opportunities dwindle and very little new money is coming into the sport. Multiple teams are jockeying for recycled business, while others are forced to fund cars out of their own pockets.

It's created an air of nervousness around the garage, where teams such as Michael Waltrip Racing face weekly whispers of mounting financial problems.

If all that wasn't enough, NASCAR is battling claims from former technical inspector Mauricia Grant, who alleges she's a victim of sexual harassment, gender and racial discrimination and retaliatory termination in a $225 million lawsuit filed last week.

The 40-page document paints a lurid picture of an alleged "all-boys network" that has little tolerance for blacks or women and revives all the stereotypes that have long plagued a sport steeped in Southern traditions.

In a break from its usual silence on such issues, NASCAR has jumped to defend itself with chairman Brian France leading the charge. The sanctioning body is conducting an extensive internal investigation that's already yielded indefinite suspensions for a pair of Grant's former co-workers, all the while maintaining Grant never once lodged a formal complaint about the way she was treated.

France is uncharacteristically visible on this issue, arguing that he would have immediately handled Grant's complaints if she'd ever said something during her 34-month employment from January 2005 to last October. But in never speaking up in training sessions, diversity seminars, performance reviews or even her exit interview, France maintains NASCAR was blindsided by Grant's allegations.

It's commendable to see France fighting so vigorously to defend guidelines established under his watch. But for it to be truly effective, France needs to decide if he's in or if he's out when it comes to the every day issues plaguing his sport.

He's passionate about the Grant case, so he's out front defending the family business. But everyone knows his impromptu Saturday visit to Michigan International Speedway was lawsuit driven, and when the next problem arises, it will be hit or miss when it comes to France getting personally and publicly involved.

With all the issues surrounding NASCAR right now -- and at a time when the racing is pretty decent -- France needs to take a controlling hand and guide the organization through it. Allowing any of it to fester puts NASCAR at risk of undoing a decade of progress made toward moving into the mainstream.

If that happens, it won't matter how many races Earnhardt wins.


Saints’ Grant, recently indicted, posts $10K bond
Humpy Wheeler honored before final race at LMS
NASCAR officials accused of exposing selves

NASCAR: No Cup race at Kentucky in '09

SPARTA, Ky. (AP) -- Despite the pleas of Kentucky Speedway's prospective new owner, a NASCAR official says there will be no Sprint Cup race at the track next year.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Saturday that the 2009 Sprint Cup series schedule won't include a stop at the 1.5-mile tri-oval located about halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati.
"There will not be a NASCAR Sprint Cup series race at Kentucky on the 2009 schedule," Poston said before the Nationwide Series Meijer 300.

Speedway Motorsports Inc. is in the process of purchasing the northern Kentucky track from the current ownership group led by businessman Jerry Carrol.

SMI chairman Bruton Smith toured the track with Carrol on Saturday and told reporters he remained optimistic about landing a coveted Cup date next year if the current ownership group drops an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway.

The speedway filed the lawsuit in 2005, alleging they worked together to create an unfair monopoly and prevent Kentucky from securing a Cup race. The lawsuit was dismissed in January, but the speedway has appealed.

"If the lawsuit, if the present owners see fit to change that, the chance of getting the event next year would go up greatly and I think we could get that done," Smith said.

Carrol, however, said his group has no plans to drop the lawsuit.

"That's his problem," Carroll said. "We're not going to not have the lawsuit. It's the only opportunity that we have and we said why we went out to get the lawsuit (was) to create an even playing field."

The track regularly hosts NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series, Indy Racing League and ARCA events, but has lobbied unsuccessfully since it opened in 2000 to bring a Cup event to the 1.5-mile oval.

With crowds of more than 70,000, the track is currently the largest venue that hosts a Nationwide event but doesn't have a Cup race. Smith has said he immediately plans to add 50,000 more seats to make it more suitable for a Cup race.

"I can't lie to you, but we'll make so many you're going to like some of them," Smith said. "There's nothing off the table."

The overhaul has already begun. The SMI logo was strategically placed throughout the track before the Meijer 300, and Smith is eager to get to work on turning the facility into one of auto racing's finest.

"I'm convinced that this is a fabulous market and we're going to do some big things here," Smith said.

The estimated economic impact that a Cup event would have on northern Kentucky is expected to approach $200 million.

SMI could choose to move a Cup date from one of its seven NASCAR-sanctioned tracks to the speedway, an option Smith did not rule out.


Jets add depth to backfield by signing Musa Smith
Notebook: Wheeler-Smith parting not amicable

Trucks: Darnell beats Benson in photo finish

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) -- Erik Darnell beat Johnny Benson in a photo finish Saturday in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Darnell, who gave team owner Jack Roush his fourth truck victory and 17th race win overall on the two-mile Michigan oval, was on his way to what looked like an easy victory until rookie Mark Mitchell scraped the wall and brought out a caution flag seven laps from the end.
That bunched up the field and, when the green flag waved for the final restart with three laps remaining, Benson did everything he could think of to pass the leader. He finally drove his Toyota all the way onto the apron coming off the final turn and nosed ahead, but Darnell also went low, driving his Ford alongside Benson and using a side draft to win by 0.005 seconds -- just inches.

That is the closest finish under electronic timing and the second closest in series history. Butch Miller beat Mike Skinner by 0.001 seconds at Colorado National Speedway in July 1995.

NASCAR officials had to look at photos of Saturday's finish before calling Darnell to Victory Circle.

"That's what truck racing is all about," Darnell said, shaking his head in wonder. "We've had some strong runs this year, but we couldn't pull it off. I just hope this helps us get our season turned around.

"I think the finish was a little more exciting than I wanted it to be. The way these trucks side-draft, I knew he'd be able to suck up to me. That's what he did, but I did the same thing to him and wound up just winning by a few inches."

It was only the third top-10 finish and first win in 10 starts this year for Darnell, who moved up to 10th in the standings. Darnell has won twice in 61 truck races.

Benson, who moved into the points lead, finally saw the replay of the finish and winced.

"Just look at the TV there," he said. "That just hurts, bad. I could say that's probably the first time I've been on the losing end of something like that. I don't know what I'd do if I had to do it again."

There also was a photo finish among the next three drivers, with former Formula One driver Scott Speed, who finished fourth earlier in the day in an ARCA stock car race, awarded third, ahead of Todd Bodine and Brendan Gaughan.

Ron Hornaday Jr., who came into the race leading the points, was spun out by Kyle Busch on the last lap, raising a huge cloud of white smoke that the whole back of the field had to drive through. But Hornaday remained low on the track and NASCAR left the green flag out to the end.

Hornaday, who began the last lap in the 100-lap event seventh, wound up 23rd, the last truck on the lead lap. He fell to third in the standings, with Benson, new runner-up Bodine and Hornaday separated by just 21 points.

After the race, Hornaday and car owner Kevin Harvick sought out Busch in the garage and there was some yelling and finger pointing among the trio before things calmed down.

"He just drove into me because he got mad because I took us four wide and passed him cleanly," Hornaday said. "Halfway through the race, he showed me he was upset because he lifted the back of the truck up. If he is going to race that way, that is pretty chicken. He doesn't deserve to be a racer.

"He has a lot of talent, but that is just flat stupid. ... I don't knock any other driver, but I will tell you what, that kid has just about done wore me out. I don't know if I have to give up this championship to teach him a lesson. I hope I don't hurt him because, if Joe Gibbs lets him do this, I am ashamed for them."

Busch, who got started on another weekend tripleheader with a seventh-place finish, said the bump wasn't payback for an incident this year in Charlotte.

"I just got into him. Sorry about that," Busch said before Saturday night's Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway. "But remarks from Harvick and Hornaday are what they're going to be, they're big mouths anyway and so we'll take it and get on with it and hopefully beat them out for this championship."


DINWIDDIE SEES FLAG MIX-UP AS OMEN
Trucks: Crafton survives wild finish for first win

Rising star Logano takes Meijer 300

SPARTA, Ky. (AP) -- Tom Logano had modest goals for son Joey when the 18-year-old prodigy made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut last month in Dover. The elder Logano thought it would take Joey maybe 10 races to reach Victory Lane.

The kid simply couldn't wait that long.
Joey Logano became the youngest winner in Nationwide Series history Saturday night, cruising to victory in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway in his third series start. Logano, at 18 years, 21 days old, broke the age record of 18 years, 10 months, 9 days set by Casey Atwood in Milwaukee in 1999.

"Three starts, two poles, one win. He's OK," quipped crew chief Dave Rogers.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver nicknamed "Sliced Bread" might be even better than that. Logano took the lead from teammate Kyle Busch on lap 147 and had little trouble the rest of the way after Busch's night ended with a visit to the wall in the second turn with 37 laps to go.

"I expected to win here, I expected to win in Dover," Logano said. "I have to win races. (Losing) is not even an option."

Tom Logano watched from the pits as his son carefully guided his No. 20 Toyota over the final laps at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, then celebrated with what he called the best Father's Day present ever.

"It's golden baby! No. 1!" Tom Logano said.

"I was wondering what I was going to get for me dad," Joey Logano said. "This should work for sure."

Hailed as a prodigy by NASCAR star Mark Martin when he was just 15, Logano became the second Kentucky victor to win from the pole and the eighth different winner in eight races since the race's inception.

The track has developed a reputation for rewarding young drivers with their first series victory. David Gilliland parlayed his win here in 2006 to a ride in the Sprint Cup.

It probably won't take Logano long to join him. The way he dominated the field over the final 37 laps, the path to Victory Lane could become awfully familiar.

Logano flattened two tires while showing off for the fans after the race, a show of youthful exuberance that belies the steady hand Logano showed while making history.

It was a run that got considerably easier when Busch ran into trouble on lap 163. Busch started at the back of the field after missing qualifying, but wasted little time getting to the front. The Sprint Cup star needed just 40 laps to take the lead and led 85 laps before getting loose in the second turn. He finished 30th.

"I don't know what exactly happened," Busch said. "I got loose and hit the wall I guess."

Logano, who said he consults with Busch often, would have liked the opportunity to race his teammate to the checkered flag. It appeared they would before Busch wrecked. The duo combined to lead 161 of the race's 200 laps.

"It was unfortunate to see Kyle hit the fence, but I think our car was strong enough to maybe hold him off," Logano said.

It was certainly strong enough to hold off the rest of the field. Logano said he prayed for green the last 20 laps because he was running so smoothly. He didn't receive much of a challenge from second-place finisher Scott Wimmer, who never got closer than a speck in Logano's rearview mirror.

"It's really just hard to run with (Busch and Logano)," Wimmer said. "Really, all the Toyota's really have it going on right now, but we hung in there."

Mike Wallace was third and Brad Keselowski, who picked up his first victory last week in Nashville, was fourth. Series leader Clint Bowyer finished ninth after starting 25th.

While his cell phone buzzed constantly afterward with well-wishers, Logano hardly seemed ready to party. He's been saddled with expectations for years, and admits it would seem "weird" if he didn't feel the pressure to perform.

Team owner Joe Gibbs said before Logano's debut that he only expected a first or second every time. Gibbs was kidding, but the combination of his team's dominance and his young star's talent could mean the joke is on the rest of the Nationwide Series.

The weight of getting the first victory out of the way, Logano is only too eager to prepare for the second.

"Now I can get rolling," he said.


Hamlin gives JGR another Nationwide win
Dynamo pressure results in victory

NASCAR officials accused of exposing selves

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Two officials suspended by NASCAR are accused in a $225 million lawsuit of exposing themselves to a former co-worker, the Associated Press has learned.

Tim Knox and Bud Moore have been placed on indefinite administrative paid leave.
NASCAR will not reveal the identities of the officials sent home Friday from Kentucky Speedway, but a person familiar with the investigation confirmed to AP on Saturday that Knox and Moore were suspended. The person requested anonymity because NASCAR's investigation is ongoing.

NASCAR did not give a reason for the men's suspension, and chairman Brian France cautioned against assuming the officials are being punished for allegations made in the lawsuit.

"Obviously we found some violations in our policy, but I would not jump to conclusions to assume that all of the allegations that were made are accurate," France said at Michigan International Speedway, site of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race.

"Even if we take action on any official in this investigation -- we might discover something entirely different that has been going on that has nothing to do with the claim, this lawsuit, but still is in violation of our policy. That would get you in trouble with us."

Mauricia Grant filed her suit Tuesday, alleging 23 specific incidents of sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of racial and gender discrimination during her time as a technical inspector for NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series.

Grant, who is black, claims her October 2007 firing was retaliation for complaining about the way she was treated on the job from her January 2005 hiring.

NASCAR sent a team of investigators from its human resources and legal offices to Kentucky and did 27 interviews away from the track Thursday and Friday. Knox and Moore were found to have possibly engaged in behavior that violated NASCAR policy.

Grant's suit accuses both men of exposing themselves to her.

Knox and Moore, whose hometowns were not immediately known, could not be reached for comment. Per NASCAR policy, no Nationwide Series officials were able to discuss the pending litigation. Instead, all media inquiries were directed to NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston.

The lawsuit contends that at an April 2007 race in Texas, Knox exposed himself in the hospitality suite of their hotel at an officials gathering hosted by Nationwide Series director Joe Balash.

Moore is accused of coming out of his hotel room in Memphis in October 2006 clad only in a towel. The suit says he asked Grant if she wanted to see what was under the towel, opened it, then ducked behind a trash can.

In another incident, Grant claims Moore asked her how it felt to be black. Her suit claims Grant described being black as "a privilege," and Moore feigned confusion and wondered aloud "how can she be proud of being black?"

Moore also is accused of making lewd sexual advances toward Grant.

France has not addressed the validity of Grant's claims, but reiterated Saturday that the former official never made a formal complaint or followed NASCAR policy in reporting harassment.

In a telephone interview with the AP, France said he was disappointed Grant never told anyone about the allegations.

"We would have investigated this two years ago if she had said anything," he said. "But it just defies the imagination that she would have sat in multiple training sessions, in diversity training, would have gone through performance reviews ... It just defies logic that she had all these opportunities and never made a formal complaint."

In fact, France said the investigation has shown she never had anything negative to say about her job.

"She chose to make this about money and about a lawsuit, and we'll deal with that," France said.

He added that Grant had an exit interview after her firing and never mentioned any discrimination.

"She had HR on the phone. She was in direct contact and never mentioned a word. It simply defies any logic," France said during the phone interview. "This amount of charges and the severity of them, for her to just casually say 'I mentioned it to Joe (Balash) and he didn't do anything about it, so I let it go and never said another word.' It doesn't make any sense."

France insisted NASCAR has a very open path for reporting complaints, with multiple options.

"I would have sure liked to speak to her two years ago," said France, who has not spoken to Grant since the suit was filed. "And she could have spoken to me at any time. I get e-mails from employees all the time. I'm an easy person in our company to get in touch with."

Grant's attorney was not available for comment until Monday.

Grant has said she followed the chain of command all the way to Balash, but stopped short of telling human resources because she was reprimanded by that department for a separate incident two weeks after lodging her complaint. She said she viewed the reprimand, which included a threat of termination, as retaliation for complaining to Balash.

Balash was unavailable for comment following practice Saturday morning for the Nationwide Series race at Kentucky.

Named in the suit are Balash, assistant series director Mike Dolan, two supervisors, NASCAR's senior manager for business relations, the human resources director and 17 officials who were Grant's co-workers.

Meanwhile, France said NASCAR held a pair of meetings in Michigan and Kentucky to review its policies with its officials and remind them of the standards to which they are held.

"Obviously, we wanted to make sure, once again, they knew exactly what NASCAR's policy was in terms of behavior, harassment and certainly racial discrimination of any kind," France said.

Driver Clint Bowyer, currently atop the Nationwide Series standings, said he doesn't think publicity from the suspensions and the lawsuit will hurt the series in the long run.

"There's bad things that happen anywhere you are in the world," Bowyer said. "Unfortunately, we had one happen here, and we'll make the best of it and we'll move forward."


Chairman: Former official didn’t report claims
Ex-official sues NASCAR over harassment
Roscoe Tanner charged with grand theft