Villeneuve pleased with return

Jacques Villeneuve declared himself pleased with a fourth place finish on his NASCAR return on Sunday in the Nationwide Series event in Montreal.

The former Formula 1 world champion survived a chaotic race that saw plenty of incidents, most of them caused by the track conditions in the closing stages of the race when the damp asphalt caught out many of his rivals.

Villeneuve first led the race on lap 16 when leader Marcos Ambrose pitted and the French-Canadian stayed out to try to get on a better sequence, although his gamble didn't pay off as planned due to the timing of the caution periods.

Despite that, he was able to make the most of the final restart where many of those ahead of him were involved in a multi-car incident at Turn Two. Villeneuve emerged from the chaos in fourth place, which he kept until the chequered flag.

"We didn't have a very good pitstop strategy, it didn't work out for us that the yellow came out exactly at the wrong time. That was a little bit frustrating, but the restarts were going amazing," said Villeneuve.

"My car was amazing at the restarts for two laps, three laps. The brakes were strong, I could attack and overtake a few cars and then take it easy because the brakes were over heating a little bit.

"Every time there was a caution I was happy. But, there's nothing that's not bent on the car. It was like being in a pinball machine at every restart. It was just a matter of surviving and when I saw the rain coming I was quite happy because I thought we could maybe get a few more positions and fourth after where we were halfway through the race was great, I'm very happy."

The 38-year-old admitted that the race has been probably the wildest he has ever been part of due to the permanent contact there was throughout the 76 laps of racing, partly caused by the double-file restarts and the damp track in the end.

"It is the wildest one because if we did that in F1, you would survive five meters and you'd probably be rolling and have no wheels attached," he said. "There's no way you could do restarts like that.

"This was wild, this was definitely crazy and it's a good thing those cars are strong. Maybe that's why we run into each other so much."

Villeneuve's fourth place marks his first top five finish in one of NASCAR's national series. It comes in only his second ever Nationwide Series start.

Uche to stay at AlmeriaVilleneuve to race at Montreal again

Vickers still hopeful of Chase spot

Brian Vickers believes he can still be one of the championship contenders for the Sprint Cup title this year.

The 25-year-old, who has yet to renew his contract with Red Bull for next year, is currently 14th in the standings, 96 points short of the Chase.

Vickers has six poles this season but has yet to win a race, his best results being fifth places at Atlanta, Charlotte and Indianapolis. He says mistakes and bad luck have prevented him being higher up in the standings.

"I know we can get in the Chase, but that doesn't mean we will," says Vickers. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, we can't make any mistakes and we can't afford for anybody around us to make any mistakes.

"We've made our fair share this year on pit road, or with engines or on the track or whatever. That's the reason we're in the position we're in. I feel like we've run better than 14th in the points, but we've had a lot of things go wrong.

"A lot of them weren't anyone on our team's fault. We've been taken out of many races through incidents involving other people where they've crashed in front of us, beside us or have collected us."

The former Nationwide champion points at pitstops as being one area where he believes his hopes of a win have been dashed this year, although he admits to seeing progress in recent weeks.

"We've had fast cars," he said. "Unfortunately, I know the guys are working really hard and they've gotten a lot better, but one area that has hurt us a lot this year is pitstops. There's been a lot of races that we've been leading or contending for the win at the very end of the race, and come in the pits and then lost seven spots.

"That's difficult and it's a challenge. I'm not trying to beat up on those guys because they work hard and I know they're giving 100 per cent and they've gotten a lot better. The facts are the facts."

The Red Bull driver has been on pole for the past two races at Michigan and he will start from the top spot again on Sunday. Despite that, he doesn't see this race as one that could be make or break for his Chase hopes.

"We know this is a good track for us and we want to capitalise on that," Vickers said. "We've got several other good tracks for us. Bristol is not one of my best tracks, but I have run well there.

"Atlanta has been a great track for us. Richmond has been a good track for us as well - I've sat on two poles there and run really well there also. If we don't have a good day on Sunday, it doesn't mean we're out of it. We've still got three more opportunities."

Brown hopeful on NegredoVickers hits out at Kyle Busch

Keselowski working on Cup drive

Brad Keselowski is still working on trying to secure a full-time drive in the Sprint Cup next year but admits his plans to compete again in the Nationwide Series may end up narrowing his options.

The 25-year-old, who has competed in nine Cup races over the past two years for Hendrick Motorsports and Phoenix Racing, has been linked to a number of outfits to compete in NASCAR's top series next year, following his victory at Talladega earlier this season.

Speaking at Michigan, where he qualified a fifth Hendrick Motorsportst car for Sunday's race, he said he still wants to contend for the title in the Nationwide series next year, something that would limit his Cup options.

He is expected to continue racing for Dale Earnhardt Jr's outfit and he would eventually have to drive for Chevroet in the Sprint Cup, despite reports linking him with Penske Racing, the leading Dodge team.

"I certainly plan on running in the Nationwide Series full-time next year, there's no doubt about that," said Keselowski.

"I think I'll be able to put that together, although at this moment, I have not. I think I have a lot of good options on my plate and I don't think I'm going to miss."

"Certainly, if I'm going to run in the JR Motorsports cars next year, I have to stay with a Chevrolet Cup car. That's all part of the package. As far as what team and what team is compatible or not compatible, I'm really not a good judge of that."

Keselowski says the current state of the economy has slowed his task of securing a Cup ride for next year, but he still considers himself fortunate.

"It's not just myself that is in a tough spot, it's the whole series, the economy - everyone is in a tough spot," said Keselowski. "The key thing to remember is that even though I may not have a full-time Cup deal now, and it hasn't exactly sorted itself out for next year, that I am still in a good spot.

"I have a ride in the Nationwide Series, I have a job, and there are a lot of people out there that can't say that. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself and stop whining. Things aren't that bad and no, I don't have any complaints now."

Keselowski is currently third in the Nationwide standings with two wins, and in seven Sprint Cup outings this year he has scored a victory and another two top 10 finishes.

Keselowski tight lipped on Penske linkZigic staying at Valencia

Vickers hits out at Kyle Busch

Brian Vickers has once again hit out at Kyle Busch following their post-race confrontation after the Nationwide Series race at Michigan last week.

Busch criticized Vickers after Brad Keselowski snatched victory from them, when the Red Bull-backed driver tried to fend off the Joe Gibbs racer on the final lap of the event. Team members from Joe Gibbs Racing later halted a shoving incident between the two.

Speaking on Friday at Michigan, Vickers said he has had it with Busch and warned that he will race his rival the same way he himself is raced. Both drivers are currently outside the top 12 in the standings, trying to secure a spot in the series play-off with just two races left before the Chase starts.

"I don't know if you want to call it 'strike-one' or 'strike-two', but either way he's out of strikes," said Vickers.

"It's definitely in the memory banks, it's not something I'm mad about. I wasn't mad about it at the time, to be honest with you. I'm willing to race him hard and clean and move on down the road and if he's not willing to do that then I'm willing to take whatever path he chooses.

"I'm going to race him the way he races me, he knows that and he's been aware of that for a very long time and that's not going to change."

Vickers also said he felt sorry for Busch for the way he reacted following the race at Michigan, saying that moving forward, it is Busch's call if he wants to take matters further.

"In a lot of ways I feel sorry for him," Vickers added. "I hate that he lives in such an angry place. To be so mad about something so small - it must be miserable to live like that. That's just not the way I live my life. I'm very blessed to have great parents that raised me to be a very different person.

"I'm in a great position there and I'm very lucky that way that I was raised differently. I'm fine with it - whatever happens moving forward - the ball's in his court."

Vickers will start Saturday night's race at Bristol from 14th on the grid, right ahead of Kyle Busch.

Busch: Stewart caused Daytona crashCadiz capture Tristan

Montoya frustrated with Kahne

Juan Pablo Montoya is frustrated by recent run-ins with Kasey Kahne, which have cost him critical points in his quest for making this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The Earnhardt Ganassi driver was first involved in an incident with Kahne three weeks ago on the final restart at Pocono while fighting for victory, when the Richard Petty driver made an aggressive dive on his inside.

Then, last week at Michigan, Kahne clipped the left-rear tyre of Montoya's car following a restart, causing him a puncture that dropped him a lap down.

Montoya says he has not spoken to Kahne recently and seems puzzled by his aggressive approach given that both of them are trying to secure a spot in this year's season play-off.

"I haven't talked to Kasey at all," said Montoya. "I know my crew chief talked to him last night. He talked to him about it but I haven't. I don't know. I don't get what he's trying to do.

"I think the position we're in, we've got to be smart about not wrecking each other and get into the Chase. I'm OK. It's just frustrating because you just want to have nice, quiet days."

Kahne shrugged off the subject saying he doesn't have any issues with Montoya and that none of their incidents have been intentional but simply part of racing.

"It's racing stuff," Kahne said. "Everybody made a big deal about it, but I barely touched him. It looked so bad because his tyre went flat, but you can't aim for somebody's tyre. I like Juan. I get along with him fine. It's just racing."

Montoya arrives at Bristol this weekend in seventh place in the standing, just three points ahead of Kahne. The Colombian is positive ahead of the 500-lap race, at the venue where he claimed his first top-ten result of the year.

"We finished top-10 last time we were here and I think we've got a good car," said Montoya. "We found a lot of stuff on the car in the last few weeks is making the car run faster and we've got a couple of good ideas for this week so it should be good. We should have a good race car here."

Eboue proud of Barca linkMontoya matches best oval result

Keselowski tight lipped on Penske link

Brad Keselowski declined comment on reports linking him to a move to Roger Penske's Sprint Cup Series team for 2010.

The 25-year-old is reportedly set to move to Penske Racing to drive full time for the team next year in NASCAR's top-series, taking David Stremme's place in the leading Dodge outfit.

"I'm really not in a position to talk about any of that stuff right now," said Keselowski ahead of the Nationwide Series race at Bristol, which he started from pole.

"I'm really not prepared to address any of the rumours about next year. I'm here to race the Nationwide car and win with it tonight, and I am not going to let anything get in the way or distract us from that end."

Last year Keselowski turned down an offer to driver for Penske this season, as he was expecting to complete a part-time schedule in 2010 in Hendrick Motorsports' #5 car, sharing duties with Mark Martin.

However earlier this year, the 50-year-old veteran announced he wanted to run the full season again, leaving no room at Hendrick for Keselowski.

A week ago he said that if he were to remain with Hendrick-operated JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series next year, he would be forced to drive for a Chevrolet team in the Sprint Cup, an option he didn't rule out.

But with all drivers staying put at Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr not keen on moving his team up to Cup yet, and Tony Stewart all but ruling out adding a third car for next year, a move to Penske looks as the best option left for Keselowski.

Back in April he scored his maiden Sprint Cup win at Talladega in just his fifth start in the series, driving for also-ran Phoenix Racing.

Meanwhile David Stremme, who was drafted in the #12 Penske car this year after a season of testing with the team, has failed to score better than a 16th place finish at Fontana, which he repeated last week at Michigan.

Zigic staying at ValenciaMartin not worried about points

Stewart loses another Pocono pole

Tony Stewart has lost his pole position for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Pocono after crashing his car during practice and being forced to switch to his back-up.

Stewart had inherited pole on Friday after qualifying was cancelled due to rain.

On Saturday's morning session, when he was completing his second lap of the day, he got loose at the exit of turn two, hit the wall and damaged the right side and rear end of his car.

"I just... I screwed up," explained Stewart. "I got in too deep and got loose and couldn't save it."

Stewart, who earlier this year lost pole position in similar fashion at the same track but then went on to win the race on Sunday, added: "I know we can do it. I tore up a really good race car today."

The points leader rejoined the second practice in his back-up car, finishing 21st fastest, while on the final session he was 26th. The car he will now run on Sunday's event was last raced at Darlington Raceway, where he finished third.

Although Stewart will be forced to start form the back of the field due to switching to his spare car, he still has the strategic advantage of having the first pit box, something that proved helpful when he won at Pocono after starting from the rear as well back in June.

Fergie - PL still the bestPocono Cup race postponed

Johnson honoured by US president

Jimmie Johnson and a group of NASCAR racers were honoured Wedenesday in the White House by US president Barack Obama.

Surrounded by the drivers, the American president gave a speech on the White House's South Lawn, where Johnson's car was parked beside his Sprint Cup champion's trophy.

Obama praised the series and its drivers for their service to the community, while recognising the growth that the sport has enjoyed in the US and worldwide.

"You know, it is not every day that we have a championship stock car parked out on the South Lawn," Obama said. "Fortunately, we got Jimmie to agree not to do any burnouts or tear up my backyard.

"I also suggested to Jimmie that, in exchange for free parking, he should let me take the #48 out for a few laps. He said that was fine - but the secret service didn't think it was fine."

As well as Johnson, another 17 drivers were part of the event, including most of the Chase contenders from the 2008 season, plus Juan Pablo Montoya. Eight former champions also intended, headed by Richard Petty.

Johnson's visit to the White House was his second, as in 2007 - following his first Cup title - he met with then US president George W Bush.

Pocono Cup race postponedBrown hopeful on Negredo

Allmendinger, Sorensen swap crews

AJ Allmendinger and Reed Sorensen will swap crews for the remainder of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, starting with this weekend's race at Michigan.

The Richard Petty Motorsports drivers are currently lying 24th (Allmendinger) and 29th (Sorensen) in the Cup standings, and Allmendinger says the switch should help the team to pool information and prepare for the 2010 season.

"I'm pumped about working with Mike [Shiplett] and his crew again, we went testing at Dover last week and worked really well together," he said.

"Sammy Johns and those guys did a heck of a job getting us ready to go racing right before the season and we had some really good runs. They are going to go over with Reed and we'll pool the information and improve our teams.

"We're here to win and get a jump on 2010. Mike and I want to work on everything that will make us a contender the rest of the season and hit the ground running in Daytona in February."

The Mike Shiplett-led crew will switch from Sorensen's #43 car to work on Allmendinger's #44, while crew chief Sam Johns will take his team the other way.

Petty open to manufacturer switchCaceres seals Juve switch

Tagliani to make Nationwide debut

Alex Tagliani will make his Nationwide Series debut at Montreal later this month, race promoters confirmed on Tuesday.

The IndyCar racer is set to drive the #81 Dodge Charger owned by Canadian Randy MacDonald, in what will be his first race in NASCAR's second-tier series, although not his first stock-car event.

Tagliani has competed for the past three years in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, running a limited number of races with one victory to his name, which he claimed last year at Edmonton.

Last weekend, Tagliani competed in the series' race at Trois-Rivieres, where he claimed his first pole position, led 21 of the event's 43 laps, but retired with engine issues.

"Alex has been looking for several months to join the field for our Nationwide Series race, and we are very happy that he has come to an agreement with the Dodge Dealers of Quebec," said Francois Dumontier, promoter of the event.

"He is a resolute and very talented driver, full of enthusiasm, who will give his fans quite a show as he did last weekend in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race.

"Canadian fans will have a lot to cheer for with Jacques Villeneuve, Patrick Carpentier, Ron Fellows, and now Alex Tagliani, joining them for a fierce competition on a race track that is quite familiar to this quartet of drivers."

The 36-year-old is running a limited schedule in this year's IndyCar Series with Conquest Racing, with a ninth-place finish at Toronto being his best result thus far.

Villeneuve to race at Montreal againBlues continue Michel talks

Pocono Cup race postponed

The Sprint Cup series race scheduled for Sunday at Pocono has been postponed until Monday due to intermittent rain in the area.

A heavy downpour in the morning had already pushed back the start of the race, with officials estimating a delay of around an hour and a half that would give them enough time to get the track race ready.

However, a similar situation as the one experienced by the Indycar Series at Kentucky further delayed procedures, as weepers on the track surface didn't allow the track to be raceable still.

Later more rain arrived and the forecasts showed a chance of further showers into the evening. So, about two hours after the original starting time scheduled, NASCAR decided to postpone the race until noon on Monday.

The postponement will probably comes a bad news for a number of drivers headed by Jimmie Johnson, who were schedule to visit the White House and meet US President Barack Obama on Monday.

This is the second time this year a Sprint Cup series race has been postponed, the first being at Lowe's Motor Speedway when showers forced the postponement of the Coke 600, which was also affected by rain the following day.

Forecasts for Monday look better this time however, with just a 10 per cent chance of rain.

NASCAR has scheduled a competition caution on lap 20 for tomorrow's race, due to the change on track conditions relative to the final practice session on Saturday.

Rain delays start at Watkins GlenMaldonado set for Spain

No plans to hold wet Cup races

NASCAR officials do not expect the Sprint Cup to hold a race in the wet in the near future.

Although the Nationwide Series competed in the rain last year at Montreal, no Sprint Cup Series championship races have ever been held in the wet.

A demonstration event at Suzuka in 1997 was the only time that they ever competed with wet weather tyres, while three years later a few cars ventured on a wet track during practice at Watkins Glen as an experiment.

This weekend Goodyear brought a new specification of rain tyre to the track, but only with NASCAR's second-tier series in mind, as it has yet to be tested on a Sprint Cup car or even raced by the Nationwide cars.

"We go in whatever direction we are asked to go in," said Goodyear's Rick Henrich. "We didn't include any Sprint Cup cars in our testing programme when we developed this tyre. That would have to be worked on.

"The cars have a little higher center of gravity, a little more weight, and more horsepower [than the Nationwide car]. Those things all complicate running in the rain. I would think it would take some additional preparation for that to be done."

Juan Pablo Montoya tested the new rain tyre for Goodyear in a Nationwide car at Goodyear's proving grounds in San Antonio, Texas back in November last year. It incorporates the use of carbonfibre to help stiffen the tyre's sidewalls for improved handling. However, the running conducted back then was mainly straight-line and not at racing speeds.

The first real test for the new specification may come later this month when the Nationwide Series competes at Montreal for the third time. As well as wet tyres, cars would need to be fitted with windscreen wipers and de-fog systems, but even if adapted with such devices, some Cup drivers still prefer not to race in the wet.

"We have enough challenges trying to stay on the track when it's dry and I can't imagine what it would be like in a Cup race if it was wet," said four-time champion Jeff Gordon. "I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching it rain up there in Montreal last year. That was highly entertaining, but I was very glad that I wasn't inside the car.

"One of the biggest reasons, I think it would be fun to actually drive the cars in the rain if you get a consistent rain and you can feel the grip level but, as you saw, the windshield wipers don't work, the de-fog doesn't work.

"I don't know, I really don't know, but I'm not going to go over there and stand in line and beg them to put rain tyres on us, I can tell you that."

Sprint Cup Series director John Darby says the new rain tyre Goodyear has developed may open up the possibility of staging a Cup race in the wet in the future, although for the time being he doesn't see that happening.

"I'm certainly not saying [a wet-weather race] will never come back to the Cup series," said Darby. "Because Goodyear has done a really, really nice job in developing the new wet tyre, compared to what we had back in the Suzuka days."

"If you have standing water on the course it becomes almost impossible to compete. So I won't put [racing in the wet] completely off the map, but today it is what it is."

NASCAR officials hope to get the Sprint Cup series race at Watkins Glen in on Monday. Although the skies are cloudy, the forecast shows a slim chance of rain for the rest of the day.

Although rain has affected NASCAR events at Watkins Glen in the past, this year's postponement has only been the second in the history of the Sprint Cup at the track, after the 1987 race was won by former Cup champion Rusty Wallace on a Monday.

Maldonado set for SpainRain delays start at Watkins Glen

Villeneuve's Cup return called off

Jacques Villeneuve will not return to the Sprint Cup Series next weekend at Watkins Glen after plans for a comeback were called off.

The former Formula 1 world champion, who last competed in NASCAR's top series last year when he attempted qualifying for the Daytona 500, was in the frame for an eventual return at the wheel of the iconic #43 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge usually driven by Reed Sorenson.

The team has clarified that they contacted Villeneuve to be on stand-by to replace Sorenson, who inhaled carbon monoxide last Monday at Pocono Raceway in an incident during the race.

However, the team says Sorenson has recovered and will drive the car next weekend at Watkins Glen.

"Reed Sorenson will drive the #43 Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International," said the team's statement.

"The Petty team retained Jacques Villeneuve as a substitute driver in case Sorenson continued to suffer from the effects of carbon monoxide he inhaled in Monday's race at Pocono.

"Fortunately, Sorenson has recovered from the accident. Owners George and Foster Gillett along with the Richard Petty Motorsports team appreciate Villeneuve's willingness to help out on such short notice."

Villeneuve, who is understood to be working on a deal to drive in the Sprint Cup again in the future, will still make a return to NASCAR this month, competing in the Nationwide Series event at his home circuit in Montreal, at the wheel of Braun Racing's #32 Toyota.

While the Canadian will be absent at Watkins Glen, his countryman Patrick Carpentier will once again take the seat of the #55 Toyota usually driven by Michael Waltrip. Ron Fellows, another Canadian who has three top five Cup finishes at Watkins Glen, will drive the #09 car for Phoenix Racing.

Zigic staying at ValenciaVilleneuve set for Sprint Cup return

Gordon seeking safety improvements

Jeff Gordon believes the current safety standards in NASCAR need to be improved, following his high-speed crash at Watkins Glen last week.

Gordon was involved in a fiery wreck with Sam Hornish Jr and Jeff Burton last Monday at Watkins Glen, when he was sent into the barrier following contact with Kasey Kahne. Hornish rebounded into the middle of the track and was collected head on by Gordon and then Burton.

The four-time champion took an injection this week to kill the pain and says he is feeling good only a few days after the incident, amid the back trouble that has hampered him of late. However, he has vowed to work on improving safety standards even further to try to reduce the impact that such crashes can have on the driver.

"It's alright. A couple of rough days, but I'm feeling pretty good," said Gordon about his back. "It was a hard hit and that's an area that I'm focused on and working for.

"Moving forward as a safety aspect, I feel like we have done a great job with head, neck, shoulders and hips but the last couple hits I've had have really affected my mid-section, especially my back. So it's something we are going to look into for the future."

Gordon believes that even if the risk of head and neck injuries has been massively reduced in recent years, thanks to the use of HANS, SAFER barriers and the new Cup car, there are still areas where drivers remain highly exposed.

"I think what's happened is that as we have gotten better with the technology of the seats, the belts and how we are strapped in the car, it's created new areas in the car that we have to focus on - that is what happens as you evolve with engineering, safety, the speeds of the cars and everything," said Gordon.

"You start to narrow down the weaker links, and right now the weakest link is that mid-section and we don't have a way of isolating that area."

The Hendrick driver says that he expects changes to be made at Watkins Glen, as besides the incident he was involved in on Monday, there were another two big crashes at the same spot on Friday and Saturday during Nationwide events.

"That's definitely going to be a topic and I think its something that the track needs to focus on," Gordon added. "When you have multiple incidents on one weekend it needs to get the attention. It's something they need to address, I'm not going to go campaign for anything.

"I'm just going to hope they go and do their job, look at it and find a better way to make it work in the future."

Last year, Gordon suffered a high-speed crash against an inside concrete wall at Las Vegas and his call for the implementation of SAFER barrier at that spot led to the installation of soft walls there and at other tracks.

Watkins Glen Cup race postponedAgent - No rush for Zlatan

Vickers signs new Red Bull deal

Brian Vickers has signed a multi-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing Team, the NASCAR Sprint Cup outfit announced on Tuesday.

Last Sunday, Vickers gave the team its maiden Sprint Cup victory at Michigan International Speedway after succeeding at stretching his fuel mileage enough to make his strategy gamble pay off.

The 25-year-old has been with the team since its Sprint Cup debut in 2007 and, despite a tough first year, has been part of the squad's great progress.

Last year Red Bull claimed one pole position and three top 10 finishes, while in 2009 it has already scored four top 10s, including Sunday's win, and six pole positions.

"The team is continuing to prove that it is a consistent force week in and week out," said Jay Frye, the team's vice president and general manager.

"Brian has been here from the beginning and he continues to be a vital piece of the puzzle with regards to our ultimate goal of building Red Bull Racing into a consistent contender."

Following his victory at Michigan, Vickers is currently ranked 13th in the Sprint Cup standings, just 12 points off veteran Mark Martin, who occupies the final Chase spot.

"I'm thrilled," said Vickers of his renewal. "This has been a long time coming and there is no where else I would rather be. I am looking forward to building on what we have started the last couple of years.

"It is an interesting experience being with a team from the ground up - going through the growing pains and then success together. I am so proud to have been able to bring this team their first win."

Crew chief Ryan Pemberton, who led Vickers to his second-career win last Sunday, will continue to work alongside him.

Barca set to close chequebookRoush drops McMurray for 2010

Lowe's to end Charlotte sponsorship

Lowe's has announced it will not renew its naming rights sponsorship deal of Lowe's Motor Speedway when its contract expires at the end of the year.

The company, which has named the Charlotte Motor Speedway since 1999, said it will hold talks with the track about potential future marketing opportunities, but that it was time for a change of strategy.

"When Lowe's entered into this marketing relationship in 1999, it was during the time of our company's rapid national expansion, and Lowe's Motor Speedway gave us the platform to introduce the Lowe's brand to millions of NASCAR fans and consumers across the country," said Robert J. Gfeller, Lowe's senior vice president of marketing and advertising.

"We've enjoyed a great partnership with SMI over the years. However marketing strategies change, and it was time after 11 years to direct our marketing resources in other areas."

Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, added: "Lowe's has been a tremendous partner for Speedway Motorsports and their corporate involvement has strengthened our sport for NASCAR fans. We look forward to moving in new directions to help them accomplish their marketing goals in 2010 and beyond."

Lowe's has over 1,675 home improvement stores in the US and Canada and enjoyed fiscal sales of up to $48.2 billion in 2008.

Waltrip happy to hand drive to TruexBarca admit Ribery defeat

Johnson frustrated by fuel mileage

Jimmie Johnson was left frustrated after running out of fuel with three laps to go while leading at Michigan International Speedway.

The reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion led 134 of the race's 200 laps, but after stopping for fuel and tyres for the last time on lap 149 he was forced to save fuel during his last stint in order to make it to the chequered flag without an extra stop.

Johnson was in the lead when his car ran out of fuel with three laps remaining as he was exiting Turn 4, allowing him to pit immediately. However he struggled to fire up his car again and eventually finished 33rd and a lap down on winner Brian Vickers, who had stopped for the last time on the same lap as him.

Johnson had already run out of fuel on the last lap at Michigan in June, losing a victory that looked certain, something that has left the Hendrick Motorsports driver wondering what is wrong with his fuel-saving tactics. Earlier this year at Pocono, he ran out of fuel in the closing laps while fighting for victory.

"I'm certainly frustrated," Johnson said after the race. "We've won one race on fuel mileage ever, it is just not what we are good at. I think it is a little too risky for us to even try it. We got lucky once in Phoenix, outside of that, we always come up short.

"From inside the car, I did all I could. I mean, I was running half throttle for 80 to 90 per cent of that run. I don't know how else I could have saved any. It's just the way it goes. We had a lot of power under the hood, it takes a lot of fuel... we had a great car.

"It sucks to have stats like we do here, leading laps and not go to victory lane, but we are working hard at it."

Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus echoed his driver's frustration, saying that racing on fuel-mileage is not one of his team's specialties. Knaus said they took a gamble to try to win, something that they probably wouldn't repeat during the series' play-off.

"When you lead all the laps; when you get to the end, you don't want to just fall back and settle for a fifth or a sixth place finish. If you look at our stats, we've won one race on fuel mileage. That was Phoenix [April 2008] and I don't know how that even happened.

"Whenever we try to stretch it, it just never works. We've run out more times than not when we were trying to make it. In the Chase, we wouldn't take a chance like this. We have luxury to do it right now."

Johnson dropped to third place in the driver standings as Jeff Gordon's runner up finish moved him up to second.

Brown hopeful on NegredoJohnson: Season better than ‘08

Montoya matches best oval result

Juan Pablo Montoya matched his best NASCAR result on an oval with a second place finish at Pocono Raceway.

The Colombian had a strong start to his race, running solidly inside the top ten, but then a mistake in the pits and a loose wheel caused him to drop down in the order.

However, an early final stop allowed him to get back in contention, when all the leaders pitted for the final time under caution a few laps later than him.

"We pitted basically as early - I think this race track, by tradition, you pick up so much in tyres, and track position is so important, everybody was running together," said Montoya.

"We decided to come in when we could make the 'green-white-checkered'. We probably could have come in earlier than that.

"I know I needed a little bit of cautions. But I had four or five more laps on the race track before I stopped, and still made it. So we were pretty good."

Montoya jumped from 33rd place following his final stop up to fourth when everyone completed their final stops.

He then moved up to second, dropped back to fourth before the last caution, and on the final restart he saw Denny Hamlin pass him after he ran wide when Sam Hornish Jr and Kasey Kahne made contact with him while battling for position into Turn 1.

The 33-year-old said he probably lost any chance of winning on that restart when Hamlin got by, but putting his second place into context, he feels good about moving up to eighth in the Cup standings and closer to his goal of making the series play-off.

"I think the biggest thing was where [Hamlin] was going to be," said Montoya. "I thought I had a car fast enough to hold [him]. I got hit in the last restart, and he passed me. I don't know.

"Ifs and buts out, my goal is making the Chase. That's the bigger picture. If I make the Chase, they won't remember this guy won the race, this one didn't.

"[Kyle Busch] won three races this year. He's probably like 150 points out or something. You know what I mean? They won't be talking that he won three races. They'll be talking he [didn't make] the Chase."

The Earnhardt Ganassi driver believes he may have a shot at the title if he is able to make the Chase, given the performance they have been able to show in the last few races.

"What we say with [crew chief] Brian is let's get into the Chase and then let's have some fun," said Montoya. "I think we got fast race cars. I think we're just starting to push more the envelope with everything we do. I think if we make it, we might have a shot at this."

Next weekend Montoya hopes to make the most in the final road course event of the year at Watkins Glen, where he anticipates being more competitive than what he was back in June at Sonoma.

"For us going to a road course is good, especially that one. In Sonoma our car never runs good," he said. "Watkins Glen we normally got a really good car.

"For us, if we can get a top five out of there, I know we can probably win the race, but if we get a top five out of there, the points for the Chase would be huge."

Montoya's first top five finish of the season puts him 169 points ahead of 13th place in the driver standings with only five races left before the Chase for the Cup begins.

Barca admit Ribery defeatJohnson: Season better than ‘08

Johnson hopeful of first road win

Jimmie Johnson hopes to be able to score his maiden victory on a road course this weekend at Watkins Glen, after 15 failed attempts.

Despite his three consecutive Sprint Cup Series titles and 43 career wins, the reigning champion has yet to win a race at one of the two road courses of the season with a third place finish two years ago at Watkins Glen being his best result thus far.

Johnson seems puzzled as to why he has been unable to translate his oval success into road courses but believes he is edging closer to getting that checked on his NASCAR resume.

"I don't know what it is about the Cup car that I've had some troubles with," said Johnson. "But I am getting closer and I think more seat time is helpful. I usually am a slow learner, but once I get something, I own it and I don't let go of it. I feel like I'm chipping away at it.

"Last year here at the Glen was probably my best opportunity to win, and we had that flat tyre. I'm not really sure. I can't really remember that pace of the race and how competitive we were with the #18 [Kyle Busch's] car, but I have to feel we would have been up there in the top two or three if we didn't have our troubles.

"I feel we're getting closer and I hope it's this weekend, and when I figure out how to really get around these places, I'm sure I'll be on it and do well with it."

The Californian, who currently ranks second in the Sprint Cup Series standings, says winning a road course race has been one of his goals long before becoming champion for the first time.

He says that first elusive win on a non-oval track remains at the top of the list of pending achievements.

"Truthfully, it's been on my list far before winning a Cup championship," Johnson said. "I was just able to get the championship stuff done before getting a road course win. I had no idea that this type of success would come and I would be experiencing stuff at the championship level.

"So, there were a lot of other steps and goals on my sheet before a championship, but I was very fortunate to get those first. Winning championships is what the season is based on and what the ultimate goal is, but when I look at the little battles through the course of the year, a road course is at the top of that list right now."

Johnson starts Sunday's race at Watkins Glen from pole position - his second ever at a road course event and also his second at the venue.

Hamlin: Pocono win a major boostBrown hopeful on Negredo

Roush drops McMurray for 2010

Jamie McMurray will not compete under the Roush Fenway Racing banner in 2010 as the team downsizes from five to four full-time cars next year in order to comply with NASCAR rules.

The leading Ford team in NASCAR had been running five cars in the top series for the past few years but this season was the last one in which it could do so, with regulations for next year enforcing a four car limit.

This week the squad announced that McMurray's current sponsor Crown Royal is set to move to Matt Kenseth's car for 2010, following the recent news that DeWalt, the former Sprint Cup champion's long-time backer, would not be return next year.

The other three drivers from the team, last year's championship runner-up Carl Edwards, race-winner Greg Biffle and David Ragan are all set to stay put in their respective entries.

Although McMurray could be moved to Yates Racing, which has a technical partnership with Roush and is located in close proximity, the 33-year-old could be headed elsewhere.

"I'm happy that the #17 has a sponsor for half of the season next year so they only have another half season to sell, but I'm disappointed for Jamie and whatever he's got going on," said McMurray's team-mate Matt Kenseth.

"I think he knew for a while that he was the team and driver that would be moving to Yates, if they could keep that team funded, but we still haven't brought another new sponsor into the organisation, so it's still a concern for the organisation."

McMurray is now believed to be the leading candidate to land the vacant seat in the #1 car at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in 2010, where Martin Truex Jr is set to leave at the end of the season to join Michael Waltrip's outfit.

Back in 2002 McMurray made his debut in the Sprint Cup Series with Chip Ganassi Racing, making an immediate impact by scoring victory in only his second race for the team while replacing injured veteran Sterling Marlin.

A year later he won the rookie of the year honours, and in 2004 he then went on to finish 11th in the standings with a very consistent season in which he scored 23 top-ten finishes, although no wins.

He then remained with Ganassi until 2005 when he signed with Roush, winning his only race for the team at Daytona in 2007.

McMurray is currently 20th in the standings, ahead of Truex who ranks 24th.

Zigic staying at ValenciaGanassi in no hurry to fill Truex void

Rain delays start at Watkins Glen

Rain has delayed the start of today's Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, but officials still hope to wave the green flag later this afternoon.

For the second week in a row proceedings have been affected in NASCAR's top series, following the postponement of last Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway which was then run on Monday.

More than an hour and a half after the scheduled starting time the rain has stopped falling as drying efforts at the track continue, NASCAR hoping that the cars can finally hit the track later today.

Besides last weekend at Pocono, three other races have been affected by rain this year. The season-opener at Daytona was halted before the scheduled distance was completed, handing victory to Matt Kenseth.

Later in May the Coke 600 was postponed and later stopped early, giving David Reutimann an unexpected first win. In June at New Hampshire rookie Joey Logano scored his maiden Sprint Cup Series victory in similar fashion.

Goodyear brought 600 rain tyres to Watkins Glen this weekend as a precaution but only for the Nationwide Series, which competed in the wet last year for the first time at Montreal.

Marseille eye Heinze swoopWatkins Glen Cup race postponed

Kentucky: Cup race unlikely for 2010

Bruton Smith says he does not expect Kentucky Speedway to get a NASCAR Sprint Cup race next year but will continue to try to get Speedway Motorsports Inc's latest property on the 2011 schedule.

Speaking with reporters before tonight's IndyCar Series race at the 1.5-mile oval, Smith, the owner and CEO of SMI, also said he intends to turn Kentucky's annual IndyCar race into a sellout.

SMI purchased the track earlier this year, but NASCAR officials have said a lawsuit filed by the former owners of Kentucky Speedway must reach a conclusion before the track will get a Sprint Cup date. SMI has been named as a co-conspirator in the antitrust case. A judge ruled in NASCAR's favour last year, but the case is still being heard in federal appeals court.

An announcement on Friday that the IndyCar Series would move its Kentucky race to Labour Day next year added to speculation that SMI was trying to make room for a summer Sprint Cup date. However, Smith said he does not see that happening.

"Months ago, I thought we would be able to run a Cup race here next year, but not now," Smith said. "That is a disappointment. Right now we don't see that we can, but I wish something would happen. Maybe you can wave a magic wand. It would be great for the sport."

Smith's tracks have been a part of the Indy Racing League since its inception in 1996, and three of its tracks - Texas Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway and Kentucky - are on the 2010 IndyCar schedule. However, two tracks that appeared to be possibilities for 2010 dates, New Hampshire and Las Vegas, were not on the schedule, and Smith criticised IndyCar's return to a more diverse mix of road and street courses and oval tracks.

"It's a mistake," Smith said. "It's going to bite them in the ass. I don't know who's making these decisions, but when you start talking about racing in a parking lot, you've made a mistake."

Smith, whose company already has made changes to Kentucky Speedway's infield parking areas and access road, said a priority will be ending the drainage problems that have plagued the track since it was built in 2000.

"It will be a system so we won't have to worry about this seepage," Smith said. "This is something that should have been done when it was built."

Brown hopeful on NegredoWaltrip happy to hand drive to Truex

Hamlin: Pocono win a major boost

Denny Hamlin says last Monday's victory at Pocono Raceway comes as a major boost for his team as the season gets closer to the series' play-off.

The 28-year-old had not won a Sprint Cup race since he claimed victory at Martinsville in March of last year, but he had one of his most commanding performances since then last Monday at Pocono, a track where he won twice in the past already.

Hamlin believes his performance is a reflection of where his team is heading now, only five races away from the start of the Chase.

"That win last week, that was good for me because I've been close sometimes but just wasn't able to finish that," said Hamlin.

"To finally be able to do that and show that dominance and drive through the pack, it's showing that we're getting closer to where we need to be. We're not there yet but we're almost there."

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is currently fifth in the standings and more than 250 points clear of 13th place in the championship. He feels that he can all but secure his place in this year's Chase with a good finish this weekend at Watkins Glen.

He says if he does so, his focus will switch to try to win more races in order to claim bonus points towards his seeding for the play-off.

"I'd say if we're 300 [points] with four to go I'd feel pretty comfortable," Hamlin said. "If we could get a good top-ten here then that should put us close to where we need to be able to just go for race wins from here on now.

"We're going to do all we can to get race wins because it's all about seeding right now. I feel like based on performance there's no reason why we should miss [the Chase]."

Hamlin starts Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race from third on the grid after being the fastest qualifier among the Toyotas.

Barca admit Ribery defeatJohnson: Season better than ‘08

Johnson: Season better than '08

Reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson feels he is currently having a better season than at this stage 12 months ago, as he fights to put himself in contention for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title.

The Hendrick driver is currently second in the standings after scoring his third victory of the year at Indianapolis last weekend, where the Californian became the first driver in history to win back-to-back NASCAR races at the Brickyard.

"I truthfully feel better this year than last," said Johnson. "We've been more consistent with speed in the car all season long. We didn't have to play catch-up. That stuff is tough on the team, mentally, and tough on myself.

"So we've had the speed; we've just been making small mistakes and we've had some things not go our way with fuel mileage and things late in the race.

"I think we could have won like five races if you look back at Chicago, Michigan, and a few other races.

"We could have a bunch of wins racked up right now. So hopefully we can figure out whatever it is that's keeping us from closing the deal at the end of the race and we can figure that out and get it going for the Chase."

The Hendrick Motorsports driver expects to be able to carry his speed into the Chase when he visits most tracks for the second time later in the year.

This weekend at Pocono he hopes to be able to get another shot at victory to further increase his team's confidence as the season starts drawing closer to a final play-off.

"As we get closer to the Chase it's nicer to have a win and carry the momentum and confidence that comes with that," said Johnson ahead of Sunday's race at Pocono, which he is set to start from second place on the grid.

"We're excited. This is a much different track than what we see in the Chase, so it's more of a mental thing if we could leave here with a great run and great pit stops and adjust on the car and make good decisions, we'll leave here with confidence.

"It's hard to say we'll take much from the technology side from this track to anywhere else, but it's good for the head."

Although Indianapolis is not one of the tracks featuring in the Chase, Johnson'[s other two victories this year have come at tracks that he will visit once again in the title-deciding final ten races.

Martin not worried about pointsCadiz capture Tristan

Watkins Glen Cup race postponed

Further rain has forced the postponement of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen until Monday.

For the second week in a row, officials have been forced to reschedule proceedings due to the weather in the northeast of United States. The new start time for the race will be noon Monday, US Eastern Time.

Officials had already dried parts of the track but the rain returned, making it impossible to get enough daylight to complete at least half of the 90 laps scheduled before dusk.

This is the third time this year that a Sprint Cup Series race has been rescheduled for a Monday, following similar weather-related postponements at Charlotte in May and Pocono last week.

Zokora targets Sevilla gloryTRG gives Lally Sprint Cup debut

Montoya remains focused on points

Juan Pablo Montoya has vowed to remain focused on points ahead of Sunday's race at Indianapolis despite showing strong pace both in practice and qualifying for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

The Colombian was second fastest in the first two practice sessions on Friday and then backed that up in qualifying, securing a front row starting position. He was also reasonably happy with his car following the final practice on Saturday afternoon.

"I'll tell you the truth, we unloaded, I think the only thing we've done to the car is changed 20 pounds on the left rear spring. That's all we've done. The car is that good," Montoya said.

"I don't know. My first year here, I qualified second and finished second. Last year we didn't qualify that great, like 11th or something, or 13th. We were running fourth when the tyre blew up.

"I think we've got a very good car. I would have been happier for the race if we didn't practice [on Saturday] because I think people will find things that will make their cars better, as well."

But despite his pace all weekend long, Montoya remains focused on points rather than thinking of a possible win. Ahead of Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the 33-year-old ranks ninth in the points following nine top-ten finishes but not a single top-five.

"If we have a top five, great," said Montoya. "You know, we probably could have had a top five in Sonoma. We decided to be careful. If somebody was coming inside, let him go, take the points. It was a great points day. We finished sixth and it was good.

"Do we want to finish better? Yeah, of course you want to finish better. I think here, the way the track is, I think overtaking is really hard. So we'll see. We'll do what we can, pick our winning and losing. If we have a good stop, clean track ahead of us, we'll go. If we're in traffic, be smart about it, take our time."

Since winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 with Chip Ganassi Racing, Montoya has competed at the Brickyard every year and despite leading laps on his first US Grand Prix with Williams, his best ever result in the race was a fourth place in 2002.

He said he entertained many times the idea of winning at Indy while competing in Formula 1 but he now looks forward to becoming the first driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

"In Formula 1 it went across my head a lot of times because I had a chance to win, but it blew up and all kinds of things happened," said Montoya. "I think today if I looked at it, I'd rather win this than the Formula 1 race here, to be honest. I think it's a bigger deal, so...

"I finished second once. Started second once, started twice second actually. So we'll see. From practice, we have probably the fastest car. But not always the fastest car wins. We'll see."

Montoya's second place on his first Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis remains his best race result in an oval to date. Last year he equaled the feat with a runner up finish at Talladega behind Kyle Busch.

Brown hopeful on NegredoMontoya puts penalty behind him

Montoya puts penalty behind him

Juan Pablo Montoya says he has turned the page on his frustrating penalty at Indianapolis, which prevented him from scoring what would have been his first NASCAR victory on an oval last week.

Montoya was up to 5.1mph over the speed limit according to NASCAR's timing system when he entered the pits for the final time, having led 116 of 125 laps completed of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

The Colombian said his team checked its tachometer following the race to try to find an answer for the pit road violation, as he insists that he was within his referenced limits when he drove into the pits in the closing stages of the race.

He also recalled an incident at Phoenix this year where he was mistakenly penalised for speeding, although he avoided getting deep into the topic.

"We checked ourselves after the race and it seemed okay and everything seemed to be in the right place," said Montoya. "For some reason [NASCAR] said we were speeding and that's what it is. I've moved on and that's it.

"I think the Phoenix incident is a past incident and it happened already. Things like that whether you're right or wrong or they're right or wrong, today we can't change it. I can't. At least we showed to everybody how much potential this team has, everybody, Earnhardt, Ganassi and the Target team is doing an amazing job. We've just got to keep doing it."

The 33-year-old said he was not pushing the limits in the pits at the end of the race because he had a big enough lead over second-placed Mark Martin at the time, making it unnecessary to take risks.

He added that pit roads like the one at Indy, where the speed limit is set higher than at other tracks, are easier for him to deal with than venues where keeping a constant speed at 35 mph and lower revs make a speeding violation more likely.

"I think there are times you've got to push but I think when you've got a five-second lead with 30 laps to go you don't have to push it and I wasn't pushing it, but it didn't change anything," Montoya said.

"I don't know. The slower the pit road is the harder it is for me. The reason why is because the gear is shorter and the car just bounces a lot. When you're running faster it's a lot more stable. The RPMs are a lot more stable.

"Some weeks we can just hold the throttle, you put the throttle in a certain position and it just rides along pit road. Some places you've got to ride the hell out of the brakes just to try to stay in touch with it."

The Earnhardt Ganassi driver will race this weekend at Pocono in the same car that he ran last weekend at Indianapolis. Although there are some similarities between both tracks given their low banking and atypical radius in the turns, he doesn't expect his Indy pace to translate into this weekend.

"We actually brought the same car because the car we were going to bring here we're not as happy with it as we thought we were going to be," said Montoya. "The Indy car was in one piece so we brought it here. Does it mean we're going to run as good as Indy? I would really doubt it.

"I would hope so but you know, this is very bumpy. I don't know what people see similar between this and Indy, so I hope I can find it. I'm sure if I find it we'll probably run really well."

Montoya currently ranks 10th in the Sprint Cup Series driver standings and remains a strong candidate to make the Chase for the championship in seven weeks' time.

Brown hopeful on NegredoNo tyre worries after Indy practice

Martin not worried about points

NASCAR veteran Mark Martin says he is not concerned about his position in the Sprint Cup standings, where he ranks just inside the top 12 despite having won four races already.

The 50-year-old had entered last weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway in 13th place in the driver standings following an early crash at the previous race in Daytona. His fourth win of the season allowed him to get back inside the top 12, although he is just 11 points inside the Chase zone.

Only 41 points split eighth and 12th in the championship, with only seven races left before the Chase starts, and Martin says he will continue to approach the coming races in the same way.

"No matter what happens going forward, I may change my mind later, but right now I'm leaving the track the same points position I was last week because it's just a rollercoaster," said Martin. "I feel more solid and better about the effort that we've made. I can't do anything more about how the points have fallen. We have had a horrendous number of really unfortunate situations.

"I will only be disappointed for these guys if we don't make the Chase. It's very, very tight. It's very, very close."

Although Martin has the highest number of wins this season, he also has the most DNFs among those in the top 12 due to wrecks at Talladega and Daytona, and engine-related woes early in the season.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver reckons he cannot afford to have any bad races for the next few weeks. He admits to mistakenly relaxing after winning at Michigan last month and losing ground the standings after bad results at Sonoma and Daytona.

"The only way we'll ever have a shot at [the Chase] is to go lead the most laps and win," Martin added. "For now, that's how I'm managing my head. I really thought when we jumped up to wherever we were, eighth or ninth, several weeks ago, that maybe we would be able to breathe. And that was a mistake. Two horrendous races.

"I'm not worried about it. Had we not won a race and we were sitting here right now, I'd be worried about it because we need to do something good. But we have done a whole lot of good."

Should Martin fail to make the Chase, he would be the driver with the most victories ever to miss the series play-off. In 2005, his Hendrick team-mate Jeff Gordon missed the cut due to six DNF's in the first 26 races, despite having three wins to his name at that point.

Kenseth seeks return to early formCaceres seals Juve switch

Hornish scores best NASCAR result

Sam Hornish Jr claimed his best career result in NASCAR with a strong fourth place finish at Pocono Raceway.

The Penske driver ran out of sequence from the leaders in the closing stages of the race and his strategy allowed him to move up to third place when the eighth caution of the day came out with 35 laps remaining.

He ran as high as second by the time the last restart came, but lost out into turn one while trying to fend off attacks from Kasey Kahne and Juan Pablo Montoya. In the end he was able to keep Kahne - who had been a contender for victory - on his rear-view mirrors until the chequered flag.

"It was a pretty good one today," Hornish said. "We didn't have a good car all day. We were pretty good starting out and then we got really loose in the middle portion and kind of ran out of things to try.

"We tried to get some track position [with pit strategy]. We were able to hold on and took a car that was probably a 15th-place car at the end and got us up to fourth.

Although Hornish has scored already five top-ten finishes this year, overall it has been a tough season for the former IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 champion who currently ranks 27th in the drivers' standings.

He feels Monday's result a Pocono comes as a major boost for the team in what is their second season together in NASCAR's top series.

"It sure is," said Hornish. "We've had a lot of ups-and-downs this year and it kind of stays with our streak so far. I finish in the top 10 or have a bad day. We need to get a little bit of that middle ground.

"We took what we had today and got a little bit more out of it than what the car was worth, so that's always good."

NASCAR: Mayfield failed test againKeirrison open to Roma loan

Villeneuve set for Sprint Cup return

Jacques Villeneuve is set to return to the NASCAR Sprint Cup in this weekend's race at Watkins Glen.

The 1997 Formula 1 world champion hasn't said which car he will be driving, but says it is one that has a guaranteed start for the race.

He told French Canadian news website Rue Frontenac that he was on holiday in Switzerland with his family this week when he got a call asking if he was available.

"It was a last minute decision, I had to hurry to get all my stuff together to leave Europe for America," he said. "I had to hurry to get a flight, but there are jobs much worse than that.

"It doesnt really bother me that it's been such a hurry because I want to get back to driving as often as possible, and I have offers on the table for me to finish the season.

"I feel like a bachelor who has just met someone after a long time of being single - as soon as you start dating, lots of girls are interested."

When asked whether he has agreed a deal with a team for a drive in 2010, Villeneuve said: "Not yet, but lets just say everything continues to go well."

Villeneuve last month confirmed that he would return to NASCAR's Nationwide Series for the race at Montreal on August 30th.

He will drive the #32 Braun Racing Toyota Camry at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, having also competed in that event in 2008, when he started fifth and led briefly before eventually finishing 16th in the rain-shortened race.

Figo not planning returnVilleneuve to race at Montreal again