Drivers praise new Daytona surface

Sprint Cup series drivers have given their thumbs-up to the new surface at Daytona International Speedway, following the first test since the repaving of the track was completed.

Eighteen teams took to the track during Wednesday and Thursday in a Goodyear tyre test, putting down rubber for the first time on the new dark pavement following the first resurfacing since 1978 and only the second in the track's history.

Driver's consensus was positive on the end result, the track becoming smoother, losing some of its previous bumps and roughness while also gaining a lot of grip. This year's Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray said the new pavement has made the track easier to drive and he also praised Goodyear's job with their tyre selection.

"The amount of steering wheel input required now versus what we had here six months ago is maybe half," said the Earnhardt Ganassi driver. "You're not really having to turn the steering wheel because the car has so much grip.

"We joked around before getting on the track that the tyres were just going to be screaming hot. We made our first 15-lap run. When I saw the tyre sheet, I didn't believe the tyres were so cool, maybe close to 75 degrees less than what we expected. So I don't think you're going to see tyres be an issue."

Veteran Jeff Burton said he expects the new surface to turn Daytona races into more Talladega-like events, having tested in the draft during the two days of running. He also reckons that the chances of seeing more incidents will increase as due to the smoother surface drivers are less afraid of running closer to each other in the draft.

"Everybody is happy with the surface," said the Richard Childress racer. "The tyre combination seems to be really good. It's going to be a Talladega style race for sure versus what we've seen at Daytona. I think it's going to be an exciting Daytona 500. You're going to have to change your mindset a little bit about how to do the Daytona thing. I think it's gone really well.

"...We're, what, 196, 197 (mph), in that range? Pretty consistent. But we're doing it with a smaller restrictor plate than we had here. So it's just going to be doing the same speed, but you're doing it in a completely different way. You don't even think about having to lift unless you're trying to keep from wrecking. In the past it was quite a bit of throttle control to keep your car going around the racetrack.

"Same speed, but basically it's governed by the restrictor plate."

Teams also ran with the new 2011 nose specification, which sees a different shape for the splitter, getting rid of the metal braces used to support the previously flat surface at the bottom of the front bumper.

A few teams also ran with the new E15 fuel with positive results. A 15/16th's of an inch restrictor was used for the two days of running, which is the same ran at Talladega last fall, while slightly smaller than what was used at Daytona last summer.

"So far, so good. I mean, the plan has come together," said NASCAR's vice president for competition Robin Pemberton. "It's something we've all been working on for not just the paving of five months, but it's been a year of getting our thoughts together.

"We knew we had some updates to the car coming. We have fuel. We have better horsepower now because of the E15.

"There's a lot of things that went into it, along with the tyres and the paving process and everything."

Testing went almost without incident as on Wednesday Roush Fenway's David Ragan and RCR's newly-signed Paul Menard made contact in the tri-oval section.

Teams will return to Daytona for pre-season testing on January 21st and 22nd.

Drivers praise new Daytona surface

Speed released by Red Bull

Scott Speed has been released by Red Bull, leaving the Californian out of a ride in the Sprint Cup series for 2011.

According to Speed's twitter feed, he got a termination letter from Red Bull last week, which he claimed to be "not huge surprise".

He recently completed his second full season at NASCAR's top level, starting his year well and ranking as high as 11th in the points while also leading laps in the first three races.

Later he qualified on the front row at Phoenix but only until July in the series' second visit to Daytona he got his first top-ten finish of the year, crossing the line in tenth place.

After that though, 19th-place finishes at Kansas and Charlotte where his best, dropping to 30th place in the championship by season's end.

The 27-year-old, who became the leading driver for Red Bull's Driver Search in the US back in 2002, will no longer be part of the brand's roster of drivers.

Following success in the junior formulae in Europe, Speed was able to reach Formula 1, first as a test driver for Red Bull, then getting a race seat with Scuderia Toro Rosso on the team's debut season in 2006.

Halfway through his second season, he parted ways with Toro Rosso and landed in the US where he switched to stock car racing, making his debut in the ARCA Series at Talladega in 2007.

He followed that with a part-season in the Truck Series in 2008, where he won at Dover in only his sixth race, while he also claimed four wins in ARCA, all of them on oval tracks.

After making his Sprint Cup debut at Martinsville in 2008 and qualifying on the front row for the season-finale at Homestead, he went on to compete full-time in 2009, scoring a best finish of fifth at Talladega, while failing to qualify three times during the year, notably at the Sears Point road course.

Red Bull Racing team has already announced Kasey Kahne as one of its drivers for 2011, while Brian Vickers is expected to return behind the wheel of the outfit's second entry, following treatment for blood clots he was diagnosed last May, which had sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Kahne to finish 2010 with Red BullNadal set for Mallorca role

Hamlin vows to improve for 2011

NASCAR Sprint Cup runner-up Denny Hamlin believes the 2010 season brought massive improvement to his team, but believes there's plenty of areas where he still has to maximise his potential as he looks forward to challenging for the title again next year.

Hamlin led the championship entering the final race of the season, but an early incident with Roush Fenway's Greg Biffle proved pivotal to his title hopes. Despite recovering later in the race, he was unable to prevent Jimmie Johnson from claiming a fifth consecutive series title.

Leaving aside the disappointment of losing a possible first NASCAR title, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver believes his team made huge strides during the 2010 season.

"I got better as a driver, but we got better overall as a team," said Hamlin. "For me, all I can ask is to show up at a race track any given day and feel like I can win a race, and this year I did that at every track I went to. The flip side of it is to have a championship slip away so close."

The 30-year-old believes his ability and speed to be on a par with Johnson, and reckons that mainly circumstances played into the final outcome of the title battle. At Phoenix, the penultimate race of the season, he seemed on course to his ninth with of the season before fuel strategy became a factor and hampered his chances of arriving at the season finale with a safer points cushion to Johnson.

"I don't feel like we got out-driven," Hamlin said. "I don't feel like Jimmie was just a better driver and that's how he won the championship. The strategy kept us from winning the championship. I did the best that I could, and that's all I could do.

"Phoenix is his best race track and we dominated it until we had to pit. For me, we did a really great job of stepping up to the plate. It's just, unfortunately, our ball hooked foul instead of going fair for a home run in the end."

Hamlin says qualifying and short runs are two areas he has improve looking ahead to 2011, while he also sees plenty of room for improvement within his team on the technical side. As he looks back on his season he says his group can feel proud of what they achieved in their fifth full season together.

"There are several parts of our car and parts of our team that we can improve on, and that's a good thing because of how competitive we are right now," said Hamlin. "I know I need to get better in qualifying. I said that last year at this time. There's lots of things that I could do to be better and there's lots of things we can do as a team to be better. So my focus is what I need to do to execute all of those things.

"I've got to work on my outright speed on the short gos, on restarts," Hamlin said. "Those are the things that I've got to get better at and as a team I'll debrief with them and tell them the things that I feel like our cars need to be better at in the future. I can assure you we're going to hang our heads high because we came close this year. We had a great year - it was just a little short at the end."

Next year Hamlin will return behind the wheel of the #11 JGR Toyota Camry joinning Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the youngest team line-up in the NASCAR Cup field.

Hamlin aims to rebound at FontanaDi Maria clinches Real deal

Piquet to race for Harvick in Trucks

Nelson Piquet Jr will race full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for former champion team Kevin Harvick Inc in 2011, the Brazilian announced on Monday.

As AUTOSPORT predicted earlier today, Piquet will enter his first full season of racing next year since leaving Formula 1, pushing ahead with his stock car career in the United States after competing in three different series last year and achieving positive results.

Piquet announced that he will drive a Chevrolet Silverado for two-time series champion KHI, a team owned by Sprint Cup series star Kevin Harvick. He is set to enter the 25 points events of 2011, starting the season as a rookie of the year candidate on February 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

KHI won the 2007 and 2009 Truck Series titles with veteran Ron Hornaday at the wheel. Last season the outfit, which fielded two full-time entries, claimed seven victories with four different drivers including three wins from team-owner Harvick. The team also fields a car in the Nationwide Series, where Harvick drove to three victories in 2010.

"It's a great opportunity to be able to race for Kevin Harvick," Piquet said during a press conference on Monday afternoon in Sao Paulo. "I want to become the first Brazilian to do a competitive season in NASCAR. I think it's important to open that door for Brazilians in the United States... It's going to be an interesting season next year.

"I'm looking forward to the first race already. In 2010 I had the opportunity to do some Truck races and I became really passionate for the series. I'm glad to be able to do a full season again in this new chapter of my career in the United States."

Piquet competed in five truck series races in 2010, scoring a sixth-place finish on his debut at Daytona. He also scored top-10 finishes in the ARCA RE/MAX and Nationwide Series, where he drove a few races while finding his feet in stock car racing.

The 25-year-old hopes to take his time to go through the NASCAR rankings in the next few years and eventually reach the Sprint Cup series with the aim of being competitive at the top level.

"I don't know how it will unfold," said Piquet about the NASCAR career that lies ahead of him. "This is a long-term plan. Our idea is to remain in Trucks for two years and after than, depending on my performance, we would move up to Nationwide and then to Cup. But my goal is to get there very well prepared, with a good team that gives me the chance to fight for victories."

Miguel Paludo, who ran four truck races in 2010, will make it two Brazilians competing full-time in the Truck Series in 2011.

Piquet to race for Harvick in TrucksNadal set for Mallorca role

Drivers praise new Daytona surface

Sprint Cup series drivers have given their thumbs-up to the new surface at Daytona International Speedway, following the first test since the repaving of the track was completed.

Eighteen teams took to the track during Wednesday and Thursday in a Goodyear tyre test, putting down rubber for the first time on the new dark pavement following the first resurfacing since 1978 and only the second in the track's history.

Driver's consensus was positive on the end result, the track becoming smoother, losing some of its previous bumps and roughness while also gaining a lot of grip. This year's Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray said the new pavement has made the track easier to drive and he also praised Goodyear's job with their tyre selection.

"The amount of steering wheel input required now versus what we had here six months ago is maybe half," said the Earnhardt Ganassi driver. "You're not really having to turn the steering wheel because the car has so much grip.

"We joked around before getting on the track that the tyres were just going to be screaming hot. We made our first 15-lap run. When I saw the tyre sheet, I didn't believe the tyres were so cool, maybe close to 75 degrees less than what we expected. So I don't think you're going to see tyres be an issue."

Veteran Jeff Burton said he expects the new surface to turn Daytona races into more Talladega-like events, having tested in the draft during the two days of running. He also reckons that the chances of seeing more incidents will increase as due to the smoother surface drivers are less afraid of running closer to each other in the draft.

"Everybody is happy with the surface," said the Richard Childress racer. "The tyre combination seems to be really good. It's going to be a Talladega style race for sure versus what we've seen at Daytona. I think it's going to be an exciting Daytona 500. You're going to have to change your mindset a little bit about how to do the Daytona thing. I think it's gone really well.

"...We're, what, 196, 197 (mph), in that range? Pretty consistent. But we're doing it with a smaller restrictor plate than we had here. So it's just going to be doing the same speed, but you're doing it in a completely different way. You don't even think about having to lift unless you're trying to keep from wrecking. In the past it was quite a bit of throttle control to keep your car going around the racetrack.

"Same speed, but basically it's governed by the restrictor plate."

Teams also ran with the new 2011 nose specification, which sees a different shape for the splitter, getting rid of the metal braces used to support the previously flat surface at the bottom of the front bumper.

A few teams also ran with the new E15 fuel with positive results. A 15/16th's of an inch restrictor was used for the two days of running, which is the same ran at Talladega last fall, while slightly smaller than what was used at Daytona last summer.

"So far, so good. I mean, the plan has come together," said NASCAR's vice president for competition Robin Pemberton. "It's something we've all been working on for not just the paving of five months, but it's been a year of getting our thoughts together.

"We knew we had some updates to the car coming. We have fuel. We have better horsepower now because of the E15.

"There's a lot of things that went into it, along with the tyres and the paving process and everything."

Testing went almost without incident as on Wednesday Roush Fenway's David Ragan and RCR's newly-signed Paul Menard made contact in the tri-oval section.

Teams will return to Daytona for pre-season testing on January 21st and 22nd.

Drivers praise new Daytona surface

Piquet set for full season in Trucks

Nelson Piquet Jr is set to announce a full assault on the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series today, as he continues to move forward with his stock car racing career in the United States.

AUTOSPORT has learned that the Brazilian will compete full-time in NASCAR next year after taking part in a number of outings this season in the Nationwide, ARCA and Truck Series.

Piquet competed in five Truck series events during the year, kicking off with an impressive performance on his debut at Daytona in February where he finished sixth driving for Red Horse Racing. He did four further outings, scoring two more top-10 finishes at Texas and Michigan, while racing a Toyota Tundra for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

In the ARCA series he made his stock car debut in February at Daytona but his highlight came at Texas where he finished ninth after starting from pole position, racing a Toyota Camry for series frontrunner Eddie Sharp Racing.

In August Piquet raced in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide series for the first time, making good use of his road-course experience at Watkins Glen to claim a seventh-place finish at the wheel of a Ford Fusion from Baker Curb Racing.

Piquet will be one of two Brazilians competing in the series next year as his countryman Miguel Paludo, a former Porsche GT3 champion in Brazil, will be driving for Red Horse Racing.

Italian Max Papis, who ran a partial season this year, will also race full-time in trucks in 2011 for Germain Racing, while Indian Narain Karthikeyan is also expected to return after starting nine races this year for Starbeast Motorsports, taking an 11th-place finish at Texas as his best result.

The limited number of outings Piquet did this year in the Trucks will allow him to remain eligible for Rookie of the Year honours in 2011.

In recent years former Formula 1 racers Scott Speed and Jacques Villeneuve have used the Truck series as a stepping stone into NASCAR, Speed actually winning at Dover in his debut year.

Piquet will announce on Monday the team he will be competing for in 2011. His management has held talks with several outfits over the past few months, including some affiliated to well-established Sprint Cup squads.

Piquet set for full season in TrucksNadal set for Mallorca role

Piquet to race for Harvick in Trucks

Nelson Piquet Jr will race full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for former champion team Kevin Harvick Inc in 2011, the Brazilian announced on Monday.

As AUTOSPORT predicted earlier today, Piquet will enter his first full season of racing next year since leaving Formula 1, pushing ahead with his stock car career in the United States after competing in three different series last year and achieving positive results.

Piquet announced that he will drive a Chevrolet Silverado for two-time series champion KHI, a team owned by Sprint Cup series star Kevin Harvick. He is set to enter the 25 points events of 2011, starting the season as a rookie of the year candidate on February 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

KHI won the 2007 and 2009 Truck Series titles with veteran Ron Hornaday at the wheel. Last season the outfit, which fielded two full-time entries, claimed seven victories with four different drivers including three wins from team-owner Harvick. The team also fields a car in the Nationwide Series, where Harvick drove to three victories in 2010.

"It's a great opportunity to be able to race for Kevin Harvick," Piquet said during a press conference on Monday afternoon in Sao Paulo. "I want to become the first Brazilian to do a competitive season in NASCAR. I think it's important to open that door for Brazilians in the United States... It's going to be an interesting season next year.

"I'm looking forward to the first race already. In 2010 I had the opportunity to do some Truck races and I became really passionate for the series. I'm glad to be able to do a full season again in this new chapter of my career in the United States."

Piquet competed in five truck series races in 2010, scoring a sixth-place finish on his debut at Daytona. He also scored top-10 finishes in the ARCA RE/MAX and Nationwide Series, where he drove a few races while finding his feet in stock car racing.

The 25-year-old hopes to take his time to go through the NASCAR rankings in the next few years and eventually reach the Sprint Cup series with the aim of being competitive at the top level.

"I don't know how it will unfold," said Piquet about the NASCAR career that lies ahead of him. "This is a long-term plan. Our idea is to remain in Trucks for two years and after than, depending on my performance, we would move up to Nationwide and then to Cup. But my goal is to get there very well prepared, with a good team that gives me the chance to fight for victories."

Miguel Paludo, who ran four truck races in 2010, will make it two Brazilians competing full-time in the Truck Series in 2011.

Piquet set for full season in TrucksNadal set for Mallorca role

Piquet set for full season in Trucks

Nelson Piquet Jr is set to announce a full assault on the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series today, as he continues to move forward with his stock car racing career in the United States.

AUTOSPORT has learned that the Brazilian will compete full-time in NASCAR next year after taking part in a number of outings this season in the Nationwide, ARCA and Truck Series.

Piquet competed in five Truck series events during the year, kicking off with an impressive performance on his debut at Daytona in February where he finished sixth driving for Red Horse Racing. He did four further outings, scoring two more top-10 finishes at Texas and Michigan, while racing a Toyota Tundra for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

In the ARCA series he made his stock car debut in February at Daytona but his highlight came at Texas where he finished ninth after starting from pole position, racing a Toyota Camry for series frontrunner Eddie Sharp Racing.

In August Piquet raced in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide series for the first time, making good use of his road-course experience at Watkins Glen to claim a seventh-place finish at the wheel of a Ford Fusion from Baker Curb Racing.

Piquet will be one of two Brazilians competing in the series next year as his countryman Miguel Paludo, a former Porsche GT3 champion in Brazil, will be driving for Red Horse Racing.

Italian Max Papis, who ran a partial season this year, will also race full-time in trucks in 2011 for Germain Racing, while Indian Narain Karthikeyan is also expected to return after starting nine races this year for Starbeast Motorsports, taking an 11th-place finish at Texas as his best result.

The limited number of outings Piquet did this year in the Trucks will allow him to remain eligible for Rookie of the Year honours in 2011.

In recent years former Formula 1 racers Scott Speed and Jacques Villeneuve have used the Truck series as a stepping stone into NASCAR, Speed actually winning at Dover in his debut year.

Piquet will announce on Monday the team he will be competing for in 2011. His management has held talks with several outfits over the past few months, including some affiliated to well-established Sprint Cup squads.

Nadal set for Mallorca rolePiquet set for full season in Trucks

Drivers praise new Daytona surface

Sprint Cup series drivers have given their thumbs-up to the new surface at Daytona International Speedway, following the first test since the repaving of the track was completed.

Eighteen teams took to the track during Wednesday and Thursday in a Goodyear tyre test, putting down rubber for the first time on the new dark pavement following the first resurfacing since 1978 and only the second in the track's history.

Driver's consensus was positive on the end result, the track becoming smoother, losing some of its previous bumps and roughness while also gaining a lot of grip. This year's Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray said the new pavement has made the track easier to drive and he also praised Goodyear's job with their tyre selection.

"The amount of steering wheel input required now versus what we had here six months ago is maybe half," said the Earnhardt Ganassi driver. "You're not really having to turn the steering wheel because the car has so much grip.

"We joked around before getting on the track that the tyres were just going to be screaming hot. We made our first 15-lap run. When I saw the tyre sheet, I didn't believe the tyres were so cool, maybe close to 75 degrees less than what we expected. So I don't think you're going to see tyres be an issue."

Veteran Jeff Burton said he expects the new surface to turn Daytona races into more Talladega-like events, having tested in the draft during the two days of running. He also reckons that the chances of seeing more incidents will increase as due to the smoother surface drivers are less afraid of running closer to each other in the draft.

"Everybody is happy with the surface," said the Richard Childress racer. "The tyre combination seems to be really good. It's going to be a Talladega style race for sure versus what we've seen at Daytona. I think it's going to be an exciting Daytona 500. You're going to have to change your mindset a little bit about how to do the Daytona thing. I think it's gone really well.

"...We're, what, 196, 197 (mph), in that range? Pretty consistent. But we're doing it with a smaller restrictor plate than we had here. So it's just going to be doing the same speed, but you're doing it in a completely different way. You don't even think about having to lift unless you're trying to keep from wrecking. In the past it was quite a bit of throttle control to keep your car going around the racetrack.

"Same speed, but basically it's governed by the restrictor plate."

Teams also ran with the new 2011 nose specification, which sees a different shape for the splitter, getting rid of the metal braces used to support the previously flat surface at the bottom of the front bumper.

A few teams also ran with the new E15 fuel with positive results. A 15/16th's of an inch restrictor was used for the two days of running, which is the same ran at Talladega last fall, while slightly smaller than what was used at Daytona last summer.

"So far, so good. I mean, the plan has come together," said NASCAR's vice president for competition Robin Pemberton. "It's something we've all been working on for not just the paving of five months, but it's been a year of getting our thoughts together.

"We knew we had some updates to the car coming. We have fuel. We have better horsepower now because of the E15.

"There's a lot of things that went into it, along with the tyres and the paving process and everything."

Testing went almost without incident as on Wednesday Roush Fenway's David Ragan and RCR's newly-signed Paul Menard made contact in the tri-oval section.

Teams will return to Daytona for pre-season testing on January 21st and 22nd.

NASCAR to use E15 fuel from 2011

Speed files lawsuit against Red Bull

Former Red Bull driver Scott Speed has filed a lawsuit for US $6.5 million against Red Bull's NASCAR team after being released from his contract last month.

The Californian, who competed in his second full season at NASCAR's top level this year, having switched from Formula 1 where he raced for Scuderia Toro Rosso until the middle of 2007, is claiming breach of contract in a suit filed this week in a North Carolina Superior Court in the United States.

Although Red Bull had initially picked up an option it had on Speed's services this year, the team's general manager Jay Frye had said back in October that there were performance clauses that Speed needed to meet in order to keep his drive, with the 27-year-old claiming at the time that he had a signed contract for 2011.

In his first full season in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009, Speed finished 35th in the drivers' standings while this year, despite a solid start that saw him break inside the top 12 in the points, he slid down to 30th in the championship by the end of the season.

Speed and Brian Vickers were both candidates for the remaining seat in the team for 2011 alongside Kasey Kahne, who will drive one of the team's Toyota Camrys before he moves on to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

Kahne drove the team's # 83 car in the last five races of the year, taking a sixth-place finish in the season finale at Homestead, where he started from pole position. Speed finished 23rd in that same race, his best result over the last five races of 2010.

Vickers, who has been sidelined from racing since May after being diagnosed with blood clots, will be Kahne's team-mate next season following successful treatment. Vickers gave the team its maiden and only victory in the Sprint Cup thus far by winning from pole at Michigan last year.

Speed is expected to remain in NASCAR despite not having any firm plans for 2011.

Kahne to finish 2010 with Red BullPalop commits to Sevilla

Hamlin hopes title race down to speed

Denny Hamlin hopes Sunday's Sprint Cup series season-finale doesn't turn into a fuel-saving race to victory and the title, following last week's event at Phoenix.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver currently leads the Chase by 15 points over reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, heading into the title showdown at Homestead this weekend.

Hamlin's margin to the Hendrick driver though could have been a lot healthier had his dominance transpired in the final results of last week's event at Phoenix, where he led nearly two thirds of the distance before fuel efficiency came into play and cost him a bundle of points.

Hamlin wound up finishing only 12th last week and lost out to Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, who both closed the gap on him in the driver standings as a consequence.

The 30-year-old hopes next Sunday's finale allows performance and speed to be the deciding factors rather than fuel economy tactics, as he cherishes his first real shot at NASCAR's top trophy.

"Realistically we'll probably have the worst fuel mileage of these other two guys [Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick] but we'll have to take the speed," said Hamlin. "Hopefuly things work out for us and if they don't, we'll work on our whole program next year.

"I'm in a good situation because if we go out there and do what we've done all year and perform, then it's up to them to go out there and better us. We don't have to beat one of these guys by a certain ammount of positions. We have to just stay ahead and that's it. That's not going to be an easy fit, we know that, but we have the speed to do that."

Last year Hamlin took victory in the season-finale at Homestead, which means he has won nine out of the last 36 points races, a quarter of the events held over the past 12 months in the Sprint Cup series.

He believes his record at the mile-and-a-half track, shows he's got what it takes to defend his position in the standings and claim his first Sprint Cup title on Sunday.

Hamlin has three top-five finishes in five starts at Homestead, finishing down in 33rd place on his first race at the track, while two years ago he was only 13th at the finish-line as Carl Edwards won by saving enough fuel in the last stint, just as he did last week at Phoenix.

"I think for us, it's about going out and performing like we have every Homestead race I've ever ran," said Hamlin. "The two bad finishes I do have is my very first start at Homestead in 2005. I got caught up in someone else's wreck.

"The other was a fuel mileage race. Every other time we've been in the top three.

"I actually remember just about every year Kevin [Harvick] is right there with us at the end of the race. So I know he runs well there. So for me, just go out there and pretend that I got to win the race. That's all there is.

"I'm in a good spot knowing that I just have - I can control my own destiny and not have to worry about anything else. If we win the race, it's a moot point."

Hamlin may become the first driver to win a Sprint Cup title for a foreign manufacturer, as Toyota has still to win a championship at NASCAR's top level, having won already both in the Trucks and Nationwide series.

Di Maria clinches Real dealHamlin hopes title race down to speed

Piquet set for full season in Trucks

Nelson Piquet Jr is set to announce a full assault on the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series today, as he continues to move forward with his stock car racing career in the United States.

AUTOSPORT has learned that the Brazilian will compete full-time in NASCAR next year after taking part in a number of outings this season in the Nationwide, ARCA and Truck Series.

Piquet competed in five Truck series events during the year, kicking off with an impressive performance on his debut at Daytona in February where he finished sixth driving for Red Horse Racing. He did four further outings, scoring two more top-10 finishes at Texas and Michigan, while racing a Toyota Tundra for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

In the ARCA series he made his stock car debut in February at Daytona but his highlight came at Texas where he finished ninth after starting from pole position, racing a Toyota Camry for series frontrunner Eddie Sharp Racing.

In August Piquet raced in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide series for the first time, making good use of his road-course experience at Watkins Glen to claim a seventh-place finish at the wheel of a Ford Fusion from Baker Curb Racing.

Piquet will be one of two Brazilians competing in the series next year as his countryman Miguel Paludo, a former Porsche GT3 champion in Brazil, will be driving for Red Horse Racing.

Italian Max Papis, who ran a partial season this year, will also race full-time in trucks in 2011 for Germain Racing, while Indian Narain Karthikeyan is also expected to return after starting nine races this year for Starbeast Motorsports, taking an 11th-place finish at Texas as his best result.

The limited number of outings Piquet did this year in the Trucks will allow him to remain eligible for Rookie of the Year honours in 2011.

In recent years former Formula 1 racers Scott Speed and Jacques Villeneuve have used the Truck series as a stepping stone into NASCAR, Speed actually winning at Dover in his debut year.

Piquet will announce on Monday the team he will be competing for in 2011. His management has held talks with several outfits over the past few months, including some affiliated to well-established Sprint Cup squads.

Keselowski wins Nationwide titleNadal set for Mallorca role

Johnson says fifth title most special

Jimmie Johnson said he regarded his fifth straight Sprint Cup Series title - achieved on Sunday at Homestead - as the most special following a three-way fight for NASCAR's top trophy.

The 35-year-old now sits behind only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in the all-time NASCAR champions list, although his title successes have been achieved across consecutive years, something that seven-time champion Petty and Earnhardt did not manage.

Johnson's five titles have also been claimed in a shorter number of races than Petty and Earnhardt's. While the Hendrick driver had to compete in 327 races before winning a fifth crown, Earnhardt entered 390 events and Petty 654 to achieve the same number of titles.

The Californian also became the first driver in the short history of the Chase to overcome a points deficit in the final race, fighting back from a 15-point disadvantage to Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin, with a second-place finish in the season finale to Hamlin's 14th spot.

"I've always told you guys that the first championship, first win, that stuff has meant the most to me," said Johnson. "This one, I think this takes the lead. Just [because of] the circumstances, it's not that the other Chases weren't competitive.

"We were stronger I think in the previous two Chases, at least. Maybe all four. But this one, I'm just so proud, because there were times on Saturday nights when we would get together and discuss our race car after practice, and we would have some tough conversations, and just struggled to get what we needed.

"Some races, like Kansas, we had a tough practice session, came out, had it right, went up and finished second or third. Martinsville, we thought we were going the right direction, started the race a little out of our norm with the set-up and didn't have the performance we wanted.

"So we have had the highs and lows of the Chase, but to have it all come around, and to look every single one of my crew guys in the eyes on that stage tonight there's a different feeling about it. It is so cool.

"I think we were very relieved for the first one, and it was super, super special. But this has a different feel. And even coming in, even through the race, the final races of the Chase, I've been saying all along, I've had a good time with this. This has been fun.

"I was, one, so happy to be a part of three guys racing for the championship, then obviously going for five in a row. I have really soaked in this experience and enjoyed it and just so happy to come out on top."

Johnson is already looking ahead to winning yet another title as he sets his sights on matching the sport's greatest. He believes Sunday's achievement only places him closer to achieving that goal.

"I would love to tie them," said Johnson. "I would love to surpass them. I don't know how realistic that is. I mean, I never thought that I would get to this point. So we'll enjoy five for the off season and come back and start working on six next year.

"We are a hell of a lot closer now than we were before the day started. I'm now looking at those marks that the greats have put out there and hopeful to get up there to them."

Many NASCAR pundits consider Johnson has yet to be given due credit for his achievements, instead being blamed by some as a factor for dropping television ratings and falling crowds in the grandstands due to the shadow that his dominance has cast over rivals for the past five seasons.

Johnson still believes he has gained the respect of many although he admits it may take some time for NASCAR fans to understand the extent of his accomplishments. He says though that he does not need everyone's approval to feel proud of what he has done in his career thus far.

"I feel like I have received a tonne of respect for what we have done," said Johnson. "I've watched our fan base grow leaps and bounds. People tell me they hate me, but they respect me, and that's always cool. A guy that had an 'I hate 48' T-shirt on when I was on the stage, but was giving me a thumbs up and said congratulations.

"In the moment, I think it's tough for fans to maybe look at what we have accomplished, because they want their guy to win and I understand that. But I know what they have done today is respected sports-wide, not just in our little bubble we live in, but sports-wide, and it's something I'm very proud of, and I feel great for what we have accomplished and I feel that we have been very well respected for what we have done.

"If this it takes it to the next level, then right on. But I don't need it to make me feel better about what we've done. I'm totally content based on our performance."

Johnson's fifth consecutive title with Hendrick Motorsports matches a benchmark set in motorsport by former Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, who claimed five back-to-back titles between 2000 and '04 with Ferrari.

Nadal set for Mallorca roleJohnson claims fifth NASCAR title

Petty vows to continue with two cars

NASCAR legend Richard Petty says he is confident that his team will continue into 2011 despite its recent problems, but it will only run two cars compared to this year's four-driver line-up.

Richard Petty Motorsports has had well-publicised funding troubles in recent weeks. The team was formed by a merger of Petty's Petty Enterprises operation and the Gillett Evernham squad at the start of last year, but its future had been in doubt following financial issues for co-owner George Gillett.

Petty has now announced that it will continue running its #9 car for ex-JTG Daugherty driver Marcos Ambrose and the #43 for existing driver AJ Allmendinger. Ambrose had already been signed to replace Red Bull-bound Kasey Kahne, whose seat was temporarily taken by Aric Almirola after Kahne made his team switch early.

The #19 and #98 cars, driven by Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard this year, will not be retained for 2011. Sadler is stepping down to the Nationwide Series with Kevin Harvick's team, while Menard will switch to Richard Childress Racing next year.

"Richard Petty Motorsports has completed its restructuring process and is now in the process of moving forward," said Petty in a statement.

"RPM will shift from running four cars to two in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and that is never an easy process for the people involved.

"Currently, we are concentrating on building two solid programmes with AJ Allmendinger behind the wheel of the #43 entry and Marcos Ambrose in the #9 Ford.

"We are very fortunate to have an extremely loyal family of partners and are looking forward to the future."

Nadal set for Mallorca rolePetty takes back control of RPM

Hamlin hopes title race down to speed

Denny Hamlin hopes Sunday's Sprint Cup series season-finale doesn't turn into a fuel-saving race to victory and the title, following last week's event at Phoenix.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver currently leads the Chase by 15 points over reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, heading into the title showdown at Homestead this weekend.

Hamlin's margin to the Hendrick driver though could have been a lot healthier had his dominance transpired in the final results of last week's event at Phoenix, where he led nearly two thirds of the distance before fuel efficiency came into play and cost him a bundle of points.

Hamlin wound up finishing only 12th last week and lost out to Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, who both closed the gap on him in the driver standings as a consequence.

The 30-year-old hopes next Sunday's finale allows performance and speed to be the deciding factors rather than fuel economy tactics, as he cherishes his first real shot at NASCAR's top trophy.

"Realistically we'll probably have the worst fuel mileage of these other two guys [Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick] but we'll have to take the speed," said Hamlin. "Hopefuly things work out for us and if they don't, we'll work on our whole program next year.

"I'm in a good situation because if we go out there and do what we've done all year and perform, then it's up to them to go out there and better us. We don't have to beat one of these guys by a certain ammount of positions. We have to just stay ahead and that's it. That's not going to be an easy fit, we know that, but we have the speed to do that."

Last year Hamlin took victory in the season-finale at Homestead, which means he has won nine out of the last 36 points races, a quarter of the events held over the past 12 months in the Sprint Cup series.

He believes his record at the mile-and-a-half track, shows he's got what it takes to defend his position in the standings and claim his first Sprint Cup title on Sunday.

Hamlin has three top-five finishes in five starts at Homestead, finishing down in 33rd place on his first race at the track, while two years ago he was only 13th at the finish-line as Carl Edwards won by saving enough fuel in the last stint, just as he did last week at Phoenix.

"I think for us, it's about going out and performing like we have every Homestead race I've ever ran," said Hamlin. "The two bad finishes I do have is my very first start at Homestead in 2005. I got caught up in someone else's wreck.

"The other was a fuel mileage race. Every other time we've been in the top three.

"I actually remember just about every year Kevin [Harvick] is right there with us at the end of the race. So I know he runs well there. So for me, just go out there and pretend that I got to win the race. That's all there is.

"I'm in a good spot knowing that I just have - I can control my own destiny and not have to worry about anything else. If we win the race, it's a moot point."

Hamlin may become the first driver to win a Sprint Cup title for a foreign manufacturer, as Toyota has still to win a championship at NASCAR's top level, having won already both in the Trucks and Nationwide series.

Di Maria clinches Real dealHamlin hopes title race down to speed

Hendrick reshuffles crew chiefs

Hendrick Motorsports will change the crew chiefs for three of its drivers, with Jeff Gordon ending his long-term partnership with Steve Letarte - who will now work with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Just days after winning its 10th NASCAR Cup title, the team has announced a major reshuffle for 2011.

Letarte will move to Earnhardt's car, following another disappointing season for the crowd's favourite driver. In three years with Hendrick, he has won just one race and made the Chase only once - both in 2008.

Gordon will team up with crew chief Alan Gustafson, who was with veteran Mark Martin for the last two years. Lance McGrew will be Martin's chief next year, having had two win-less seasons with Earnhardt.

Team owner Rick Hendrick said: "This will improve us as an organisation across the board. We had a championship season [in 2010], but we weren't where we wanted and needed to be with all four teams. We've made the right adjustments and I'm excited to go racing with this line-up."

Gordon's team will move to another building within the Hendrick factory, to sit alongside the team for Martin's car - with Earnhardt's going the other way - meaning Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, and Letarte will continue to work alongside one another.

The changes announced have taken effect immediately, while Johnson and Knaus will continue to work together in their aim to win a sixth consecutive title in 2011.

Crew chief says Johnson under-ratedNadal set for Mallorca role

Petty takes back control of RPM

Richard Petty has taken back full control of his NASCAR team, through buying out former partner George Gillett.

Petty, now 73, will serve as chairman of the team and will oversee the daily running of two Fords for AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose in 2011.

"This is a great day for me, my family, our fans and our wonderful sponsors," Petty said. "They have supported me through thick and thin and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

"Our partnership with Andy Murstein and Doug Bergeron will help take us to a whole new level and I could not be more excited about our future."

A team statement added that it will still get chassis and engines from Roush and will remain in its Concord, North Carolina headquarters.

Gillett had previously merged the Petty Enterprises outfit with his Gillett-Evernham Motorsports team to run four cars for the past two seasons.

Nadal set for Mallorca roleAmbrose concerned about RPM

Harvick insists penalty was unjust

Kevin Harvick remained adamant that the pitlane speeding penalty he received at a crucial time during Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup decider at Homestead was undeserved.

The Richard Childress driver grabbed the lead of the race during the seventh caution of the day, following an impressive stop after he had entered pit road in second place behind Michael Waltrip Racing's Martin Truex Jr.

Just as Harvick crossed the finish line first, grabbing five bonus points in the process, officials notified his team that the Californian had gone over the 49.9 mph absolute speed limit. Not only he was dropped to the tail end of the lead-lap cars, but also denied the bonus points for leading.

"I don't think that penalty will ever settle in my stomach," said Harvick. "When you read me off my pit road times of 49.6 [mph], 49.4, 50.8 and then 49.6; and there's only a handful people that get to see them, I won't ever settle for that.

"I don't know how you can be speeding when you're on the bumper in front of you if the other guy is not speeding. So that's about it."

While charging back through the field Harvick clashed with Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch, who had a couple of exchanges with him earlier in the day, hitting the RCR driver's rear bumper on an early restart and racing him aggressively for position a couple of times.

Twenty-three laps from the end, Harvick arrived on Busch's rear bumper, making contact with him at the exit of Turn 4 and sending the #18 Toyota spinning towards the inside wall.

"He raced me like a clown all day," said Harvick about Busch. "Three-wide, on the back bumper, running into me, and I just had enough."

The incident caused the final caution of the day, at which time title rival Denny Hamlin was a lap down following the final stops under green-flag conditions. That put the JGR driver all but out of contention for a top finish, boosting Jimmie Johnson's title hopes.

Harvick was still proud in the end about his overall performance this year, specially after a poor 2009 where RCR drivers failed to make it to the season play-off. He hopes his team can now consistently challenge for titles in the next few years, building on the foundations laid down this season.

"I remember where we sat when I left this race last year," said Harvick. "You always want to win but I'm not going to sit here and be disappointed. We raced as hard as we could race this year, with everybody putting up every piece of effort that they had, week in and week out, and I know what it feels like to run like we did last year.

"So I'm more excited about looking to be consistent and racing this way. I'm not going to look back. This is going to make us stronger. We have got a good race team that's going to stick around for a while, and I'm just happy to be a part of it right now."

Harvick's third place in the drivers' standings is his best finish in the championship following 10 full seasons in the Sprint Cup.

Busch apologises for obscene gesturePalop commits to Sevilla

Harvick: Team-mates could decide title

Kevin Harvick believes team-mates could play a decisive role in the NASCAR Cup title decider at Homestead on Sunday.

The Richard Childress Racing driver is 46 points behind Chase leader Denny Hamlin heading into the last race of the season, which means he has to count on his rivals' results in order to win his maiden Cup title.

Harvick believes his only real chance to beat the other two challengers is to take victory in Sunday's race and expect both Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson to make mistakes.

"I think the only way you can control your destiny is to go out and win the race," said Harvick. "Those guys have a lot of scenarios; our scenario is very simple - you go out and win the race and they [Johnson] have to have a fourth and a [Hamlin] seventh, and that's the best-case scenario. So, for us, it's simple.

"We don't have any pressure on us. We go and race as hard as we can. For us, it's going to come down to those guys making a mistake. We've got to out-run both of them, so for us it's all very simple - we just let it all hang out and see where it all falls in the end and see where the mistakes crop up this week."

The two-time Nationwide champion believes his RCR team-mates can do a lot to help his chances of winning the title on Sunday, even if a possible move may be controversial.

He says he will do whatever he needs in order to win, even if that leaves some people unhappy.

"There's a lot your team-mates can do to help you," said Harvick. "I think if it's winning a race, it's one thing. But for the company, a car winning the championship is the best thing that you could have. Half the fans will tell you it's not right, the other half will call you stupid. You do what's right for your organisation.

"We'll do whatever we have to do to win the championship. And if it winds up hurting somebody's feelings, so be it."

Harvick's RCR team-mate Clint Bowyer joked about possibly helping him if faced with that scenario: "If he wants to negotiate a deal, and he is running fourth and I need to let him around to win a championship, maybe we could talk."

NASCAR's Brian France said the sanctioning body may look at any particular situation where team orders come into play, although he expects the title battle to unfold between the three challengers themselves.

Last week during the pre-race driver's meeting at Phoenix, officials warned team-mates to let the battle play out on the track and not interfere with it.

"If [team orders] somehow altered an event, that would be a problem, and we would react to that," said France. "My sense is that the good part about this sport is, it's every man for himself at the end of the day, and the bad part of it sometimes is it's every man for himself.

"We'll look at that. I can tell you that all three teams in this championship don't give team orders by their own admission, and if that somehow were to come around, we would look at it. But I don't anticipate that. I think you're going to see them settle it individually, and that's the way it should be."

Harvick's team-mate Jeff Burton topped the final practice session of the weekend ahead of Sunday's race, where Hamlin was fastest of the title contenders.

Hamlin unflustered by Harvick feudDi Maria clinches Real deal

Crew chief says Johnson under-rated

Jimmie Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus believes his driver still does not get the credit he deserves, following a record-setting fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.

Knaus was once again full of praise for Johnson after the reigning champion drove to a second-place finish at Homestead, beating rivals Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick in the points battle by the narrowest margin of any of his title triumphs.

In all his previous championship seasons Johnson had arrived at the last race of the year leading the points, while this time he had to get into attack mode in the season finale in order to beat his rivals and keep his title streak alive.

Johnson's crew chief expects that following yet another demonstration of superiority, his driver will finally get the praise he deserves, as Knaus thinks Johnson is not rated highly enough for his outstanding achievements behind the wheel.

"It's a lot of fun and well deserved because there's a lot of hard work that went into [winning the title] and I think it's definitely going to give Jimmie some of the praise that he needs for the type of driver that he is - a fantastic driver who really has not got the praise that he deserves," said Knaus.

"I just think - and no disrespect to any of our elders or whatever you want to call them - the guys that raced back in the day, the Earnhardts, the Waltrips, the Pearsons, the guys like that; you hear a lot of what they say about the tenacity of those drivers and how aggressive they were and how they could do things with the race car that nobody else could do.

"I think if you really sat back and looked at what this guy can do with a race car, you would be pretty impressed. He's been in some pretty precarious situations and driven through them. He's put his nose in places that other people would not do and not be able to pull off.

"If you look at three-wide racing today and having the brains to go David Pearson style to back out and say, 'I can back off now, and live to race another lap and get those two spots back', [compared] to where other people go in there and bomb it in there and crash and beat off somebody else... I don't think he gets that.

"As a friend and as a team-mate, I want to make sure that he gets what he deserves."

Two weeks ago at Texas Knaus made the tough decision to replace his pit-crew with the one from Jeff Gordon's team as the race was unfolding at the Fort Worth track. Gordon was out of the race after crashing into the wall following contact with Richard Childress' Jeff Burton and while Johnson's pit-crew struggled with mistakes on almost every stop, Gordon's was available for a swap that remained in place all the way to the season finale.

Johnson's pitstops improved immediately after the swap took place and although there were a couple of hiccups during Sunday's race at Homestead the seven-man crew were instrumental in helping boost Johnson's title hopes.

However, Knaus underlined that even if the crew change added to their strengths, it was not the determining factor in clinching a fifth consecutive Cup title. Knaus pointed out how tough it was for him and his team to suddenly sever part of the group that had been part of their success up until then.

"It's all a tough decision when you have to make decisions for your team and it's going to involve the emotions and the feelings of your team members, guys that you eat, sleep and breathe with, every single day when you're on the road, when you practice in the gym and at work, it's a tough decision," Knaus said.

"You know, this is a tough sport. It really is. I want to stress we did not win this championship because we switched pit crews. That's not why we won this championship. We won this championship because we are a great team. Those guys, they were struggling. And it's no different than any other professional sport.

"If you have a running back that's got butter fingers and he's dropping the ball, he's going to walk around camp all day holding a football until he gets figured out how to do it and he's going to get benched for a while. Same with a pitcher or whatever it may be, and these guys are professional athletes.

"It's not fun making decisions like that. One day it's going to happen to me. One day Rick [Hendrick] is going to sit me down and say, 'man, sorry buddy, you don't have it anymore'. And I'll be like, 'jerk'... But it's going to happen. Let's be honest. And same thing is going to happen to him. It happens and it's just it's sad that it happened the way that it did."

Johnson and Knaus are arguably the most successful driver-crew chief paring in the modern era of NASCAR, having worked together at Hendrick Motorsports since Johnson's first full season in the Cup series back in 2002.

They have achieved 51 victories plus five Cup titles together and only former crew chief Dale Inman and his driver Richard Petty better their joint statistics, having won seven titles and 198 races together.

Di Maria clinches Real dealJohnson claims fifth NASCAR title

Patrick claims best NASCAR result

Danica Patrick claimed her best NASCAR Nationwide Series finish of the year on Saturday night in the final race of the season at Homestead.

The IndyCar regular led her first laps and managed to finish on the lead lap in what turned out to be an incident-filled event. She finished 19th - her first top-20 result - in her 13th outing in NASCAR's second-tier series.

At the same track where she finished the IndyCar series in style with a second place nearly a month ago, Patrick claimed her best qualifying result of the season earlier in the day.

Though once the green flag waved she struggled with balance and started dropping down the order. By the time the first caution waved on lap 12 of 200, she was already down in 14th place, and then pitting for new tyres and adjustments so dropped further down.

However, when the second caution was displayed only a few laps later and many drivers elected to pit, Patrick stayed on the track and grabbed the lead for the first time. It didn't last long though, as she had a poor restart in which she dropped all the way to 16th place when she crossed the line again, following contact with a rival while trying to get settled.

"Oh god I looked like a rookie, didn't I?" said Patrick about her restart. "I got into [Turns] 1 and 2 and got a little loose in the middle. I was then on the back straight and I was finally starting to settle in at least from the pace with everyone, I get hit on the left rear and I'm veering towards the inside wall. That put me back a little further. That was a little messy but it was good to lead some laps I guess."

After that, Patrick raced in the midfield - picking up a few places in the final laps after dropping outside of the top 20. In the end, she was just edged by rookie Brian Scott to 18th place, claiming her best result of the year as one of 27 drivers to finish on the lead lap.

She believes she can take a lot of positives from her final race of the season as she gets ready to continue with her NASCAR apprenticeship in 2011.

"There's a lot of positives to take from the weekend," said Patrick. "The qualifying, staying on the lead lap - if I can even say it with a straight face - having my best result of the year, so there's a lot of good stuff and that's what I have to think about for next year and I need to try and improve on that."

Patrick is expected to take part in at least the same number of NASCAR events in 2011 as she did this season, alternating with her IndyCar duties.

Kyle Busch won the Nationwide finale, clinching the owners' title for Joe Gibbs Racing and taking his 13th series win of the year, also his 24th NASCAR victory of 2010.

Brad Keselowski was officially crowned champion, having clinched the drivers' title two weeks ago at Texas - giving Roger Penske his maiden NASCAR championship.

Patrick enters first four 2011 roundsDi Maria clinches Real deal

Johnson claims fifth NASCAR title

Jimmie Johnson clinched a record-stretching fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup title with a second-place finish behind Carl Edwards in the season finale at Homestead.

Johnson had entered the decider trailing Denny Hamlin in the points, but a tough race for the Joe Gibbs Toyota driver saw Hamlin tangle with Greg Biffle early on and then pit with a deflating tyre. He could only finish 14th.

Kevin Harvick also had a shot at beating Johnson to the title, but his third place was not sufficient as Johnson - despite further pitstop problems - wrapped up another title.

Full report to follow...

Hamlin: Johnson still the favouriteMcCarthy coy on Pennant

Johnson targets Homestead win

Jimmie Johnson expects nothing short of a win next Sunday at Homestead in order to beat Denny Hamlin to what would be his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup series title.

The reigning champion heads into the season-finale not leading the points for the first time since 2006 and carrying a 15-point deficit to Chase leader Denny Hamlin, who has won eight races this year to Johnson's six.

Kevin Harvick also heads in with a good championship chance on Sunday as he trails Hamlin by only 46 points.

Despite being at a disadvantage mathematically, Johnson says he feels comfortable about his current position and claims to be the most relaxed he has been for the past few years not having to defend the lead in the standings as the title decider unfolds.

"For us, we've got nothing to lose, this guy [Denny Hamlin] does," said Johnson during Thursday's press conference at Miami. "It's a much different perspective for us. I've been here in the past with even a big points lead and have been concerned about dropping the ball.

"When you're defending, your mind starts to think about the what ifs. When you're chasing it's more about what do I need to do.

"So it's been a much more relaxed week for me, even though I'm 15 points behind from what I've experienced before. All the joking aside, it's just about performing and we need to go out and have a great day. And even then, I have to assume he's going to have a great day and so does Kevin. A great day may not get it done."

For the past few years Johnson has had to contend for the title in a two way fight, many times against one of his Hendrick Motorsports team-mates.

This year despite a third driver being in close contention, he says it's still simple for him as he aims to put it all on the line in order to add a fifth title to his tally.

"It's still pretty simple because, yes second is better than third, but I'd rather put it all on the line and risk second to take a shot a winning the championship," said Johnson. "Second or third, it is what it is. We're only going to fall so far.

"There's so much money for being second than third, but I'm so willing to take the risk of first. It's still really looking forward. I'm not really paying attention to what's behind."

Despite being crowned at Homestead for the past four years, the Florida track is the only one among those currently in the play-off where Johnson has yet to win at for the first time, a fifth place last year being his best finish at the track since 2006.

The Californian claims that having to defend his lead in the past has led to him focussing more on qualifying set ups to start with and then on having a comfortable car for the race, even if not necessarily the fastest one.

He plans to have a different approach this weekend, as he vows close the season with his first Homestead win.

"For us before there was a lot of pressure for qualifying to help us get to the front and hopefully not be in harms way," said Johnson. "In race practice we just looked for a comfortable car to drive in years past. This year we can't have that luxury. We need a car that's fast, that's going to run up front... We have to do everything right and then hope that [Hamlin] has a third place day. It's hard to hit those two marks."

Even if Johnson wins Sunday's season-finale, he would need to lead the most laps or Hamlin not to lead at all or finish third or worse in order to overcome the 15-point deficit to the Joe Gibbs racer in the driver standings.

Di Maria clinches Real dealHamlin: Pressure is on Johnson

Hamlin hopes title race down to speed

Denny Hamlin hopes Sunday's Sprint Cup series season-finale doesn't turn into a fuel-saving race to victory and the title, following last week's event at Phoenix.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver currently leads the Chase by 15 points over reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, heading into the title showdown at Homestead this weekend.

Hamlin's margin to the Hendrick driver though could have been a lot healthier had his dominance transpired in the final results of last week's event at Phoenix, where he led nearly two thirds of the distance before fuel efficiency came into play and cost him a bundle of points.

Hamlin wound up finishing only 12th last week and lost out to Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, who both closed the gap on him in the driver standings as a consequence.

The 30-year-old hopes next Sunday's finale allows performance and speed to be the deciding factors rather than fuel economy tactics, as he cherishes his first real shot at NASCAR's top trophy.

"Realistically we'll probably have the worst fuel mileage of these other two guys [Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick] but we'll have to take the speed," said Hamlin. "Hopefuly things work out for us and if they don't, we'll work on our whole program next year.

"I'm in a good situation because if we go out there and do what we've done all year and perform, then it's up to them to go out there and better us. We don't have to beat one of these guys by a certain ammount of positions. We have to just stay ahead and that's it. That's not going to be an easy fit, we know that, but we have the speed to do that."

Last year Hamlin took victory in the season-finale at Homestead, which means he has won nine out of the last 36 points races, a quarter of the events held over the past 12 months in the Sprint Cup series.

He believes his record at the mile-and-a-half track, shows he's got what it takes to defend his position in the standings and claim his first Sprint Cup title on Sunday.

Hamlin has three top-five finishes in five starts at Homestead, finishing down in 33rd place on his first race at the track, while two years ago he was only 13th at the finish-line as Carl Edwards won by saving enough fuel in the last stint, just as he did last week at Phoenix.

"I think for us, it's about going out and performing like we have every Homestead race I've ever ran," said Hamlin. "The two bad finishes I do have is my very first start at Homestead in 2005. I got caught up in someone else's wreck.

"The other was a fuel mileage race. Every other time we've been in the top three.

"I actually remember just about every year Kevin [Harvick] is right there with us at the end of the race. So I know he runs well there. So for me, just go out there and pretend that I got to win the race. That's all there is.

"I'm in a good spot knowing that I just have - I can control my own destiny and not have to worry about anything else. If we win the race, it's a moot point."

Hamlin may become the first driver to win a Sprint Cup title for a foreign manufacturer, as Toyota has still to win a championship at NASCAR's top level, having won already both in the Trucks and Nationwide series.

Di Maria clinches Real dealHamlin: Pressure is on Johnson

Pastrana to make NASCAR switch

Travis Pastrana will compete in the second tier NASCAR Nationwide Series next year, driving for the newly-formed Pastrana-Waltrip Racing.

Pastrana, a multiple X-Games freestyle motocross gold medallist and Rally America champion, is set to attempt success in America's most popular form of motorsport.

He will race a Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota in seven Nationwide events next year, followed by 20 more in 2012.

"I've been following NASCAR closely for years as a fan, with competing in the sport a life-long dream," said Pastrana. "I decided it was time to try and turn that dream into reality and, with the help of the Bechtel family, Michael Waltrip Racing and Wasserman Media Group, I'm now one step closer."

The 27-year-old, who will be co-owner of Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, is expected to engage into an intensive transition programme to stock car racing, which is set to include races in the lower-level NASCAR Pro Series East over the next two seasons, alongside his Nationwide Series campaign.

Pastrana and his team expect their apprenticeship will allow the American racer to be ready to compete in the 2013 Daytona 500.

Michael Waltrip hopes Pastrana's arrival will boost NASCAR audiences and attract a younger demographic, an area where the series has struggled in recent years.

"Travis has built an enormous and unique following all over the world," Waltrip said. "As a race team owner, we are always looking for ways to deliver to our partners and engage our fans better. This is an opportunity to showcase our company and our sport to a new generation of young fans.

"We're also looking for that next big star. Travis already is one and action sports is full of talented athletes. Having Travis as a part of our programme adds another great dimension to our team and to NASCAR."

Pastrana, a Red Bull-backed athlete, has achieved success in the US in his transition to four-wheels, including gold medals in the X-Games in rallying.

Ricky Carmichael, a former motocross champion, made the switch to NASCAR two years ago and currently competes full time in the Truck Series.

Nadal set for Mallorca roleKeselowski wins Nationwide title

Harvick relishing underdog role

Kevin Harvick says he is currently under no pressure as he enters the penultimate race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season third in the points and within striking distance of leader Denny Hamlin.

The Richard Childress Racing driver arrives at Phoenix, a track where he has won twice in the past, only 59 points behind Hamlin and 33 adrift of reigning champion Jimmie Johnson.

While most of the focus on the title battle has been on the top two contenders, who have won 14 races between them this year, Harvick is currently enjoying his 'outsider' chance and hopes to make the most of it as he continues to run his best championship Chase ever.

"I feel excited just for the fact that the worst we can finish in the points is third," Harvick said. "We have two great race tracks for us and we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Whatever it takes to gain is what you do on the race track and what you do off the race track.

"There's really nothing else that matters at this point. Just throw it all out there and if it gets rough, it gets rough - if it doesn't then we just go race and see where it all falls in the end. It's still a no pressure, no lose situation for us and I like it.

"I like coming from behind. I like when people write us off - it's kind of like how everybody's been my whole career. You just go out there and it's fun to come up and see everybody after that."

Harvick, who led most of the regular season ahead of the Chase, believes he and his team have surpassed their own expectations this year as they continue to perform at their peak in the final 10 races. With the gaps so slim in the standings, he reckons it is going to take wins in the final two weekends of the season in order to have a true shot at becoming this year's champion.

"When you get in these positions and you're racing like the three of us are racing right now, you just exceed the expectations that everybody sets for you a lot of the times, which is what we've done," Harvick said. "You just get in this incredible zone and the team's incredibly focused on making the cars good and everybody is just performing at the top of their game in these situations. It's hard to make up ground, but when you have three guys in the middle of it then you can't – there's no defence.

"I think when you get ahead then you can play a little bit of defence to be competitive or use strategy. With everything so close, it's all offense. The tone has kind of been set that anything less than probably winning a race or two in the next two weeks – you're going to have to go take it.

"I think all three teams are capable of performing. Denny did it last week – he went out and took it at the end of that race and I think over the next two weeks, it's going to be who takes that control and there's no room for defense. If somebody's going to go out and win the race, you're going to lose points. You just have to go on offense and take, take, take."

Nadal set for Mallorca roleHarvick: Title fight down to top five

Busch offers Kanaan Truck drive

Kyle Busch has revealed that he has tried to persuade IndyCar star Tony Kanaan to move to NASCAR and drive for his Truck Series team next year.

Busch is about to finish his debut season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he has won seven out of 14 races he has entered, driving his own #18 Toyota Tundra. Next week at Homestead he could clinch the owners' title, as his truck is leading those standings.

Kanaan is currently looking for a drive for next year following the announcement of his departure from Andretti Autosport, the team he won the IndyCar Series title with back in 2004. He is expected to test with De Ferran Dragon Motorsports at Sebring next week, but he still needs sponsorship to secure a drive for 2011.

Speaking at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, Busch said he considers Kanaan a friend and expects to hear from him regarding an offer he made to the Brazilian to drive one of Kyle Busch Motorsports' trucks in 2011, which Busch suggested could lead to a progressive switch to stock car racing over the next two seasons.

"I've had a conversation with Tony about it on whether he's interested or not. He's yet to kind of come back to me with anything," said Busch. "I told him that with Toyota support and with the support of the Truck series I think it would be kind of fun to see him. We've seen it with Danica [Patrick] and Dario [Franchitti], some of those guys who have come over and given it a try.

"I feel like it's no different than a young driver. Tony Kanaan having all the experience he has with going 230mph or whatever it is in [IndyCar] can come to NASCAR, but yet start small. Start in the Truck Series, start with a good team where you can do some testing.

"[We could] test him a little bit, get his feet wet. Get him in some good equipment, go out there and run some races and get some experience maybe next year and maybe 2012 go on in a full year. That's kind of what I explained to him, so whether or not he wants to do that or venture down this pathway I respect his decision to stay in [IndyCar], that's where he's made his bread and butter and that's where he's really good.

"If that's where he decides to stay, that's good for him."

Next year Italian Max Papis, formerly an IndyCar racer and rival of Kanaan, is set to drive full-time in the Truck series as he continues to pursue a career in NASCAR.

Patrick enters first four 2011 roundsHammers lead Barrera chase

Kyle Busch fined for gesture at Texas

Kyle Busch has been further penalised for making an obscene gesture to a NASCAR official during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was fined US $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until the end of the year in addition to the penalty given to him during Sunday's event.

Busch was held for two laps in the pits after gesturing with his left hand to an official while serving a penalty for speeding in the pits. He had just been involved in an incident on the track where he had been spun by another car, and while beating the pace car to the timing line following repairs, he went beyond the allowed speed limit.

Having apologized already on Sunday, Busch reiterated his regret about his actions and accepted NASCAR's ruling.

"I accept NASCAR's penalty and realise what I did during Sunday's race at Texas was inappropriate," Busch said in a statement. "Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it's pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve.

"Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it's made me cross the line.

"Sunday at Texas was one of those days. I lost my cool, plain and simple. It's not acceptable, and I know that. I apologise to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a racecar that's capable of winning races every week.

"All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check."

Busch is currently seventh in the Sprint Cup standings, while team-mate Denny Hamlin leads the Chase over reigning champion Jimmie Johnson with only two races remaining.

Palop commits to SevillaBusch apologises for obscene gesture

Busch apologises for obscene gesture

Kyle Busch apologised to his team and NASCAR after making an obscene gesture to an official following a penalty during Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Busch ran strongly in the early going until he got spun by another car on lap 160, suffering damage to his car's bodywork and requiring repairs in the pits.

His crew worked on the car in the pits under the caution, releasing Busch right before being lapped by the field, but while driving out of his pitbox and beating the pace car to the scoring line he was caught speeding, causing him to be held in the pits for one lap as a punishment.

As he served his penalty he made a hand gesture to the official standing in front of his car to show his disagreement with the decision, an action that was caught live on TV by the onboard camera in his car.

"I'm sorry I lost my cool to everybody on this team, to everybody at NASCAR and all of my guys that support me," said Busch. "It's just so frustrating the way that you have such a fast race car and then you get spun out and you don't expect to lose your cool, I guess.

"I lost my cool in what I was doing and I had no worries about a camera inside the car at that point."

The Joe Gibbs racer lamented losing the chance to score a good result that would've moved him up in the standings as some of his closest contenders hit trouble later during the event. NASCAR officials handed him an additional penalty for his gesture, holding him in the pits for two more laps to put him three laps down on the race leader.

He eventually got one of the laps back, but only managed 32nd place in the end.

"I got spun out and just everything else went downhill from there," said Busch. "Through the whole day we had a really fast race car and the guys gave me a great race car that was fast, that was capable of winning, but it's just unfortunate that I tried pulling back and getting down to the bottom lane and I got spun out in doing that.

"Where I had another guy earlier in the race do that to me and I let him in. You get spun out and wrecked like that and you're not supposed to lose your cool...? I mean, hello!

"I came down pitroad and we got the right side [tyres] changed and then tried to get back out there. I wasn't trying to speed, but apparently I must've been a couple lights over or something like that on my tach where it was just a small speeding penalty, but it wasn't intentional.

"Obviously, I got the penalty for that and then the ensuing ones later. I apologise to all of my guys for letting them down and for getting so behind today that we could never make it up."

Busch could yet face further penalties for the gesture he made to the official in pitlane.

Johnson has tough Chase startPalop commits to Sevilla

Gordon furious with Burton after crash

Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton got into a physical confrontation in the aftermath of an on-track incident at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The four-time champion finished his race hard against the Turn 2 wall at the Fort Worth track on lap 191, after getting hit from behind by Richard Childress Racing's Burton when the pair were running inside the top 20 and just after the seventh caution of the day had waved for an incident involving Martin Truex Jr.

Gordon got out of his stricken #24 Chevy, and slowly walked towards Burton, who seemed to be waiting to talk to him. However, Gordon shoved the RCR driver and then grabbed him until officials intervened to split the pair, avoiding further physical contact between them.

Both were then driven back to the track's infield care centre in the same ambulance for compulsory medical checks, Gordon later saying later that he did not like having to listen to his rival attempting to explain what led to their crash, as he tried to regain his composure while still fuming over the incident.

"I was walking toward him and I started going through all the scenarios in my mind," said Gordon. "Thankfully I had a long walk down there to him because I thought about the least amount that I wanted to do. I wanted to show him how upset I was but I wanted to do a whole lot more than that.

"But I held back and I'm just still in disbelief; I didn't want to be in the ambulance with him, I can tell you that. But we got in there. I like Jeff. He's a guy that's usually very rational and I respect his opinion. He apologised and said it was his fault. He said he didn't mean to do it and whatever. It's over."

The Hendrick driver showed his anger at Burton as he believes the incident was intentional, arising from an incident earlier in the race while battling for position. He says he has lost some respect for one of the drivers he least expected to have such an incident with.

"We went down into [Turn] 3. He went wide going in. I got to the inside of him and there were four car-widths between us and he drove from the wall all the way down to me; almost in the second groove up," said Gordon.

"I didn't understand why and so the caution came out and we went down into [Turn] 1 and I just drove up next to him. I didn't even touch him. And I don't know, I guess he was just really frustrated with the way his car was handling or something and he just drove into my right rear and put me in the wall under caution.

"Of all the people out there, I never thought that would happen to Jeff Burton and me. I've always has a tremendous amount of respect for him. But I certainly lost a lot of respect today."

Burton took full blame for the incident but failed to clearly explain why he ended up driving into the back of Gordon which put both of their cars into the wall and out of contention.

While Gordon was unable to rejoin, Burton's crew was able to repair his car, allowing him to complete a few more laps in the closing stages of the race.

"I went to pull up next to him to acknowledge him, to say he was right and I turned left and he was turning left and we just hung up," said Burton. "When we hung, off we went. I honestly don't know what happened. It was my fault. 100 per cent it was my fault.

"It was like once we got together, I couldn't get off him. I didn't mean to hit him. I meant to pull up to him and tell him he was right because he was upset with me for what happened off Turn 4. I should have let him go.

"You can't see off there right but you can't see over there right now. You don't need to be side-by-side. I don't blame him for being mad. I'd have been mad too."

The RCR veteran also said he understood Gordon's reactions and his physical aggression after the incident.

"He didn't do anything that he shouldn't have done. He was upset and he should have been upset," said Burton. "I wrecked him under caution. I didn't mean to wreck him but I wrecked him under caution. He meant to tell me he was upset and that was OK. I don't have a bit of problem with what he did. He was mad. He should have been mad."

While Gordon, who was already all but out of contention for the title, dropped two places in the standings down to sixth, Burton is now last among the Chase contenders with two races left in the championship.

Despite the nature of the incident, which caused a stir in the grandstands at Texas Motor Speedway, no penalties are expected to be levied against either driver.

Once Gordon was out of the race, his pit crew went to service Jimmie Johnson's car for the rest of the event, as the reigning champion's team had been struggling with poor pitstops for most of the afternoon.

DuPont extends Gordon’s relationship

Hamlin: Pressure is on Johnson

Denny Hamlin claims the pressure is on Jimmie Johnson to defend his Chase lead and his current champion status as the three-way battle for the title starts unfolding at Texas this weekend.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is currently second in the Sprint Cup standings heading into Texas, where he won earlier this year only a couple of weeks after getting surgery on his left knee for a torn ligament.

While Johnson has said he is not necessarily under more pressure in the tight championship battle, Hamlin doesn't believe that to be the case, although he doesn't expect his rival to take a conservative approach in the last three events.

"I think [the pressure] is on him to protect," said Hamlin about the Hendrick driver. "He's not going to race like he has to protect, we know that. He's got to look in his mirror for two different guys and both of the teams that he's going to look in the rear view mirror at have won races this year, have shown they have the speed and what not to keep up with him

"...I definitely think that it's tougher to be the one that's being chased versus chasing."

The 29-year-old has a best finish of third in the standings, a result he achieved in his rookie year back in 2006. Although he currently enjoys his best shot at becoming champion, having won seven races thus far this year, he claims he still has age on his side to win a title later if he doesn't achieve it this year.

"I have a few good years left to get it done if we don't this year," said Hamlin. "For me, I feel like if we got the championship this year, it would be sooner than what I'd expect and probably younger in age than what I would expect. It's simply because I hadn't been running in the Cup Series -- this is my fifth year -- I was running Late Models six years ago.

"I didn't have years and years of Nationwide Series experience and things like that, that a lot of guys had before they got to the Cup Series level. I am still relatively new to this ...There's no sense of urgency that I need to get it done this year because I feel like the best is still probably yet to come as far as my potential."

Hamlin hopes to be able to cut back on Johnson's lead on Sunday as he expects next weekend's race at Phoenix to suit the reigning champion. After that, he plans to be within striking distance of winning the championship in the season-finale at Homestead where he won last year.

"It starts this weekend," Hamlin said. "I know this is going to be a big weekend for us. We need to gain points this weekend. Phoenix next weekend is a good track for Jimmie [Johnson] and obviously our record is a little bit better than his at Homestead, but when he has a run at Homestead he can probably run as good as we can. We know where we need to make up points is this weekend."

Hamlin starts Sunday's race at Texas from 30th on the grid, while Harvick will see the green flag wave from 26th behind Johnson's 17th place in the order.


Johnson plans aggressive approachBarca won’t pay £50m for Cesc