NASCAR settles $225 million suit with ex-official

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has settled a $225 million lawsuit filed by a former official who said she was subjected to racial discrimination and sexual harassment during her two-plus years working for the stock-car organization.

The suit was settled during a Dec. 3 mediation held in New York between Mauricia Grant and NASCAR. Settlement terms were confidential. Neither side admitted liability or wrongdoing, according to NASCAR.

"We're glad to have the case settled on mutually acceptable terms," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Thursday. "NASCAR remains dedicated to maintaining a professional work environment for all employees at all times, and we wish Ms. Grant well in her future endeavors."

Grant's attorney, Benedict P. Morelli of New York-based Morelli Ratner PC, did not immediately return a call from the AP for comment.

Grant, who is black, worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until her October 2007 termination. In the lawsuit filed in June in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Grant alleged 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination during her employment.

Among Grant's claims, she said she was referred to as "Nappy Headed Mo" and "Queen Sheba," by co-workers, was often told she worked on "colored people time," and was frightened by one official who routinely made Ku Klux Klan references.

Grant also said she was subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom allegedly exposed themselves to her, and graphic and lewd jokes.

NASCAR investigated her claims and ultimately fired Tim Knox and Bud Moore, the two officials accused in the lawsuit of exposing themselves. NASCAR has declined to discuss the reasons for their dismissal. A third official, David Duke, was fired in April for reasons NASCAR said were unrelated to the suit.

NASCAR chairman Brian France vigorously defended his family business after Grant filed suit, saying she never complained to her supervisors about any of the actions she claimed after her firing.

She denied France's account, saying she followed the chain of command but stopped short of taking it to human resources when series director Joe Balash failed to address her concerns.

Grant said that two weeks after her complaint to Balash, she received a call from the human resources director reprimanding her for her behavior. She said she was fired shortly after.

In NASCAR's response to the suit, the sanctioning body claimed Grant acknowledged an understanding of NASCAR's "zero tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment in the workplace," attended mandatory training seminars on the topics in 2006 and 2007 and acknowledged her obligation to immediately report any offensive acts in accordance with written policies.

Grant claimed she ultimately was fired for that complaint to Balash. But in NASCAR's response, it claims Grant was reprimanded with a warning of termination for an altercation with a track security guard at Michigan International Speedway who had asked to see Grant's credentials as she passed through a gate.

NASCAR officials have refused to disclose why Grant was fired. But the response claimed a pattern of tardiness for which she was routinely reprimanded.

Mike Wilford, one official named in the suit, previously told The Associated Press that Grant never once complained about how she was treated in time the two spent together away from the track. Wilford also said she was a willing participant in graphic and lewd jokes and has "twisted" events to benefit her suit.


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Iowa Speedway lands Truck Series race

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- It's taken the Iowa Speedway just three years to position itself as a leading track in the Midwest.

The speedway announced Thursday its third major event for the 2009 season. The track will host a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race -- formerly known as the Craftsman Truck Series -- on Sept. 5.

The race was originally planned for Mansfield Motorsports Park in Mansfield, Ohio, but was canceled because of the struggling economy.

In swooped the fledgling Iowa Speedway, which also landed a Nationwide Series race for 2009 earlier this year. The track's 2009 schedule includes the third annual Iowa Corn Indy 250. The two new events are part of NASCAR's top two circuits below the Sprint Cup Series.

"We could not feel better and be prouder, and we just feel honored with the fact that NASCAR chose and felt that we'd put on a heck of a truck race for them next September," said Jerry Jauron, Iowa Speedway's president and chief financial officer.

Much of the credit, Jauron said, goes to track designer and co-owner Rusty Wallace. The former NASCAR champion has used his close ties with the circuit to quickly turn what he's dubbed his "second child" into a well-respected track among the national racing community.

NASCAR drivers such as Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have tested at the 7/8-mile oval since it opened in late 2006, and the reviews have been positive.

"He had his influence in every piece of this venue, and it's showed in the results," Jauron said of Wallace. "Everyone says it is one of the nicest, if not the nicest race tracks in the country right now."

As a result of landing both a Nationwide and a Camping World Truck Series race, the track's next order of business will be to increase its capacity.

Iowa Speedway has drawn roughly 35,000 for each of its first two Iowa 250 races, and Jauron said the track will monitor ticket sales before moving forward with plans for additional seating.

According to Jauron, the speedway will use temporary seating to accommodate up to 60,000 fans for 2009 events, adding that it's "highly likely" that permanent seating will be added in 2010.


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NASCAR testing drivers for doping next month

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR will test drivers for performance-enhancing drugs next month under a tougher policy that also bans using illegal drugs and abusing prescription medications.

NASCAR likely will test drivers the third week of January, and crew members must submit results from an approved lab by Jan. 16, according to documents obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

A NASCAR memo sent to teams lists specific banned substances for which crew members must be screened. No similar guidelines were issued for drivers, as NASCAR reserves the right to test competitors for anything.

Under the old policy, NASCAR had the right to randomly test based on suspicion of abuse. Under the tougher guidelines first announced in September, everyone will be tested before the season begins, and random testing will continue throughout the year. NASCAR expects to randomly test 12 to 14 individuals per series each weekend in 2009.

The guidelines were strengthened in part because of former Truck Series driver Aaron Fike's admission that he had used heroin -- even on days he raced. That led Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and other veteran drivers to call on NASCAR to add random drug testing to its policy.

The memo, dated Dec. 8, is the first time the new policy has been laid out in writing and specifies who falls under the guidelines. Those who must be tested before Jan. 16 include: pit crew members, including "over-the-wall" crew members, the crew chief, car chief, team members responsible for tires, fuel and pit crew operation, spotters and race-day support personnel that includes engineers, engine tuners, shock specialists, chassis specialists and tire specialists.

Among the substances those participants must be tested for are:

-- Seven different amphetamines, including methamphetamine and PMA, a synthetic psychostimulant and hallucinogen.

-- Three drugs classified under ephedrine.

-- 13 different narcotics, including codeine and morphine.

-- Ten different benzodiazepines and barbituates.

-- Marijuana, cocaine, zolpidem, nitrites, chromates and drugs that can increase specific gravity.

No such list exists for the drivers, but spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed NASCAR will test for performance-enhancing drugs.

The driver testing, which will be administered by NASCAR, had been scheduled for preseason testing at Daytona next month. But because testing has been suspended for 2009, NASCAR likely will screen drivers when most are in Charlotte next month for the annual media tour of race shops.

The gap in the drug policy was exposed last September when Truck Series driver Ron Hornaday Jr. admitted he used a testosterone cream during 2004 and 2005 to treat a medical issue.

Hornaday has Grave's disease, a condition he's treating with Synthroid, which replaces a hormone normally produced by the thyroid gland to regulate the body's energy and metabolism.

NASCAR did not punish him for the testosterone admission, saying the cream did not enhance his performance or impair his judgment.


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Kenseth gets new crew chief for 2009

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Matt Kenseth will have a new crew chief in 2009, as Drew Blickensderfer will try to return the 2003 NASCAR champion to Victory Lane.

Kenseth's 2008 crew chief, Chip Bolin, will return to his role as team engineer after one winless season atop the pit box. Bolin took over when Robbie Reiser was moved to team manager at Roush Fenway Racing, but the team failed to match its standard for performance.

Kenseth, who signed a multiyear contract extension last month, failed to win a race for the first time since 2001 and was 11th in the final standings -- his lowest finish since that winless season.

"We are really looking forward to Drew coming on board," Kenseth said in a statement Wednesday. "Drew brings a great work ethic and high level of enthusiasm to our team. He has been waiting for the opportunity to become a crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series and I know he'll make the most of it."

Blickensderfer was a crew chief the past three seasons in Roush's Nationwide Series program. He and Kenseth earned three wins in that series before Blickensderfer was paired with Carl Edwards.

With Edwards won seven of the last 19 races and finished second in the Nationwide standings with Blickensderfer as crew chief.


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Gillett Evernham scales back Nationwide team

STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Gillett Evernham Motorsports will lay off about 65 employees in several departments as part of scaling back its Nationwide Series program next season.

The No. 9 Dodge will run a partial schedule in the second-tier NASCAR series in 2009. The team will continue to field at least three Sprint Cup Series teams -- for Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson -- and is in talks with Petty Enterprises to merge with that organization and house its famed No. 43.

"We are a Sprint Cup team first and foremost, and winning in that series needs to be our primary focus," CEO Tom Reddin said in a statement Wednesday. "The Nationwide Series is a fantastic series ... (but) we will remained focused on putting all of our effort behind the Cup program in 2009."

GEM lost sponsor Unilever to JR Motorsports at the end of the season and doesn't have enough sponsorship in place to run the full Nationwide schedule.

Some of the layoffs came from the engine department, which is being reorganized to align with the number of customers who lease motors from GEM.

The engine department supplied Petty Enterprises and Robby Gordon Motorsports last season, but Gordon is moving to Toyota in 2009.

GEM joins other NASCAR teams, the NFL, the NBA and the company that runs Major League Baseball's Internet division in announcing layoffs because of the economic crisis. The NHL hasn't laid off workers, but has a hiring freeze.

In NASCAR, Petty Enterprises has released at least 70 employees since last month's season-ending race, and Wood Brothers Racing and Bill Davis Racing have dramatically scaled back their programs as teams continue to scour the market for sponsorship.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. let go more than 100 employees when it partnered with Chip Ganassi Racing last month, and Ganassi released 71 in the summer when he shuttered Dario Franchitti's team.

The layoffs have not been exclusive to the second-tier teams, either. Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing all released employees as the teams cut back on spending and adjusted their staffs in preparation for 2009's suspension of testing programs.


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R. Gordon switching to Toyota in 2009

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Robby Gordon will switch to Toyota in 2009, his fourth manufacturer change in four years.

Gordon was with General Motors in 2006, switched to Ford the next year to receive greater support, then abruptly moved to Dodge at the start of this season in a technical alliance with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

That partnership was dissolved late this season, freeing Gordon to align with Toyota.

"After watching their progress last season, we decided that a switch to Toyota was the right package for our team," Gordon said in a statement Tuesday.

He won a Grand National Sport Truck championship in 1989 for the manufacturer.

Toyota had a successful second season in the Sprint Cup Series, placing all three drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing in the Chase for the championship.


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Labonte looking for work after Petty split

ARCHDALE, N.C. (AP) -- Former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte said Tuesday he's disappointed equity firm Boston Ventures couldn't do more for Petty Enterprises.

Labonte, who voided his four-year contract extension last week, will explore the free-agent market instead of waiting to see if Petty can complete a merger with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. It wasn't the outcome he anticipated when Boston Ventures purchased controlling interest in the team in June.

"It sounded great, and I signed a contract for a lengthy period of time, and it was going forward from there," Labonte said in a conference call. "Unfortunately, (Boston Ventures') crystal ball got kind of cloudy, too. They weren't able to do the things that they had wanted to do, and trust me, I know they feel bad about that.

"It was going to be tough for them to go on like they had planned on, and the scenarios that were set out in front of me and the contract that I had, there was a lot of implications, a lot of stuff happening that it was probably best to agree to shake hands and part ways."

Petty officials said last week they will field the famed No. 43 as a one-car team next season if the GEM merger doesn't happen.

Labonte said he's had some discussions about the No. 41 at newly formed Earnhardt Ganassi Racing -- the only available seat with full sponsorship.

"It's like Daytona can't come soon enough this winter, where sometimes you wish the offseason would last longer," he said. "I am working hard every day to make sure that I'm ready for February when it comes, no matter what happens."

Labonte, who won the 2000 championship with Joe Gibbs Racing, won 21 races with that team before moving to Petty Enterprises three years ago. He was winless in the No. 43, finishing 21st, 18th and 21st in the standings.


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