DEI, Ganassi agree to combine teams

MIAMI (AP) -- Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi will combine their sponsorship-strapped race teams next season, an effort to stabilize their organizations in a tough economic time.

The combined team will be called Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and will field cars for Martin Truex, Aric Almirola, Juan Pablo Montoya and a driver yet to be named.

"In this ultra-competitive era of NASCAR, it is necessary to build and sustain the strongest team possible, and our combining with the people and equipment at Dale Earnhardt Inc. will help create a strong four-car program for years to come," Ganassi said Wednesday in a statement. "This is a win-win for both organizations as well as all of our partners."

Both organizations have struggled to secure sponsorship this season, forcing the teams to pool resources. Although neither team was in imminent danger of collapse, both were searching for additional funds to shore up competition and stability.

Ganassi shuttered his No. 40 team in July when he couldn't find sponsorship for former Indy Racing League champion Dario Franchitti, who has since returned to that series.

That move forced Ganassi to lay off 71 people, and he was hopeful he could avoid more cutbacks after joining forces with Earnhardt. DEI, however, was expected to reduce its staff with the new venture.

Both teams said details of the new organization will be announced later.

Among the remaining issues is what manufacturer the team will use. DEI has a contract with General Motors, and Ganassi uses Dodges. The new team is expected to use Chevrolets.

If that happens, engine supply details must be ironed out. Ganassi has his own engine shop, but DEI has an engine partnership with Richard Childress Racing.

Founded by the late Dale Earnhardt, DEI has been reeling since Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s departure at the end of last season. DEI swallowed cash-strapped Ginn Racing in July 2007 to acquire shop space and owner points that would push Paul Menard's car into the top 35.

It started this season as a solid four-car operation -- only rookie Regan Smith's car lacked full sponsorship -- but has quickly crumbled. Mark Martin is moving to Hendrick Motorsports next season, and the U.S. Army is moving its sponsorship to Tony Stewart's new team.

Then Menard said he was leaving and taking sponsorship from his father's hardware store with him to Yates Racing.

It left DEI with sponsorship next year only for Truex, who recently signed a one-year extension through 2009. DEI has been committed to Almirola, but there's no indication Smith is part of long-term plans.

Ganassi has half of next season sponsored by Wrigley's for Montoya, and full sponsorship from Target on his No. 41 car. That's the only car inside the top 35 with full funding that has an open seat.

"Having a partner like Chip who is heavily involved on the competition side of the business is an ideal situation for DEI," Teresa Earnhardt said in a statement. "He has a long history of managing championship teams in the IndyCar and Rolex Grand-Am Series, and I share his passion and goals of winning races and ultimately championships in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

"I think this is a case where we are stronger together than we are apart."


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Chevy, Ford sticking with NASCAR

The idea of NASCAR racing without Chevrolets and Fords on the track once would have been unthinkable.

But that possibility is no longer farfetched as the continuing economic meltdown puts the already struggling automakers in even greater jeopardy.

U.S. auto sales have plummeted in recent months, and Ford and General Motors, along with Chrysler, are fighting for survival amid the crisis. The three Detroit manufacturers -- along with recent addition Toyota -- are the cornerstones of NASCAR.

NASCAR boss Brian France, speaking over the weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, acknowledged that the auto manufacturers "play a very important role in lots of ways with supporting teams, the branding and heritage."

But he also said NASCAR can survive without one or more of them, if it has to.

On Friday, GM and Ford revealed multibillion-dollar losses for the third quarter of 2008, and GM warned it could run out of cash in 2009. It also suspended acquisition talks with Chrysler.

Still for those companies to remain viable, they need to sell cars and trucks -- and NASCAR remains a key marketing tool for each of them.

Terry Dolan, manager of racing for GM's Chevrolet brand, said the sport remains an attractive partner despite the company's struggles.

"We actually operate with three core principals," Dolan said in a telephone interview. "We race to win; we want to make sure the audience that follows racing is relative to the products we sell, and we must get a return on investment. We're working diligently to make sure we've got all three of those balanced.

"The plus is when you look at the NASCAR fan base. It really does align with the Chevy product portfolio and there's some tremendous loyalty to our brand that's helped us to sell vehicles to this audience for many, many years."

Brian Wolfe, director of North America Motorsports for Ford, has a similar outlook.

"We're doing what we can, both on and off the track, to try and support the company," Wolfe said. "On the track, we're winning races and contending for championships ... we're creating a winning image for our products. Off the track, our drivers and teams in NASCAR and NHRA have been working hard to get the word out about our products."

Wolfe pointed out that Ford is in the midst of a seven-week online campaign in which its top NASCAR and NHRA stars test drive new products and blog about them.

"We're using their popularity to reach their fan bases, and help sell more cars and trucks," he said.

Toward that end, Ford will unveil its new Fusion Hybrid -- three days before the official launch at the Los Angeles Auto Show -- as a pace car at this week's NASCAR finale at Homestead Miami Speedway.

"That's what racing should do," Wolfe said.

But with the economy stumbling, unemployment climbing and just about everyone in the U.S. nervous about the future, race teams are feeling the effects.

Some of the biggest teams with the most resources have begun laying off employees, and smaller teams are finding the search for sponsorship growing more difficult by the day.

Teams without full sponsorship for 2009 in all three of NASCAR's top professional series -- Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Trucks -- are trying to find multiple companies to fill up the quarterpanels, hoods and rear decks of their entries -- 10 races here, 15 races there -- hoping to get enough for a full season.

Partnerships are another possibility, and on Wednesday The Associated Press learned that Chip Ganassi Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. will combine their teams next year.

It's another sign of auto racing's rapidly changing landscape.

"The cost to run a team on an annual basis, a quality program, is in the $20-25 million range per car, per year," Dolan said. "And the resources available from corporate America, having rapidly contracted with the economy, is just placing pressure on teams to look at alternatives as to how they can continue to manage and run their businesses.

"And, unfortunately, in some cases that's causing teams to look for efficiency by joining forces with other organizations and, quite frankly, making some pretty severe changes in what the sport will look like even 12 months from now."

Rick Hendrick is owner of the elite Hendrick Motorsports team that is on the verge of winning its eighth Cup title and third in a row -- with Jimmie Johnson and Chevrolet-- as well as the head off a sprawling auto dealership empire.

Hendrick is trying to remain optimistic about both NASCAR and the auto industry.

"We've had some cutbacks because we ran four (Cup) teams, a (Nationwide) team and then we brought Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) in and we didn't cut anybody back," said Hendrick, who added that his team will cut back on the number of cars it runs outside of Cup next year. "It's all sponsor driven. There are also (personnel) changes you make to make everybody a little better. So, you have a little bit of both going on right now."

But he noted, for now, it's business as usual on the auto dealership side.

"Absolutely," Hendrick said. "I talk to (GM) on both sides because I'm also a dealer. They've been very upfront and open about what they are trying to do. I think they will be fine."

Likewise, GM and Ford remain confident they will stick with NASCAR for at least the immediate future.

"From a NASCAR standpoint, we're fully committed to fulfill the agreements we have in place," Dolan said. "We've built a program over the years that has paid some quality dividends back to General Motors, between winning races and winning championships and having a strong alliance with the fan base, it's a good platform for Chevrolet and a tool to sell vehicles.

"What has to happen, though, I think, whether it's us or any other key sponsor looking at the sport, is to determine if the current cost that it takes to participate is consistent with other opportunities in the marketplace? If not, we have to look at ways to become more cost efficient."

Wolfe said Ford will also watch the bottom line closely.

"Certainly, the economic issues facing the entire auto industry have to be of concern to everyone involved in racing," he explained. "Ford's racing program falls under marketing and sales, and when revenues are down, the budgets for all marketing programs are down, including racing. We're not immune, nor should we be."

So, despite all the gloom and doom, there will continue to be Chevys and Fords on track -- for now.

------

AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report


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Tight championship battle in Trucks Series

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- When Ron Hornaday crashed on the first lap at Phoenix, Johnny Benson finally had the Truck Series championship in his grasp.

All he needed was a clean race last weekend to shake Hornaday loose and grab his first series title.

That would have been way too easy.

Benson wrecked not once -- not twice -- but four different times Friday night to add yet another twist to the most compelling championship race in NASCAR this season. He wound up finishing 26th -- one spot BEHIND Hornaday -- and lost any chance of widening his lead in the standings.

"We're just trying to make it exciting. I don't know what else to say," said Benson, who could have stretched his lead to about 50 points if he'd stayed out of trouble.

But that wouldn't have been nearly as exciting.

"Johnny and I said we're going to go fishing and whoever catches a fish first wins the championship, because we definitely don't want to win it on the track," Hornaday said.

Boy, he wasn't kidding. The two now head into Friday's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway separated by just three points in the tightest championship race in series history. It's also the only true championship race of the weekend: Jimmie Johnson has the Sprint Cup title all but wrapped up and Clint Bowyer simply needs a clean race to clinch the Nationwide Series title.

That leaves all the excitement for Friday night's event.

"I'm glad they both pulled a bonehead move on the same night," Kevin Harvick, Hornaday's truck owner, said of the Phoenix fiasco. "They both could have had opportunities to put daggers in each other."

But neither has been able to put the other one away this season, as the two NASCAR veterans have swapped the series lead five times. Hornaday stormed back from a 119-point deficit to turn it into an epic battle, using a three-week stretch -- back-to-back wins in September at Gateway and New Hampshire, then a fifth-place finish at Las Vegas -- to close the gap to a single point.

Now he'll try to pass Benson and grab a series record fourth championship, which would tie Jeff Gordon for third on the career championships list in NASCAR's top three divisions. Hornaday will likely reflect on last season, when he entered the finale down 27 points to leader Mike Skinner but won the title by 54 points when Skinner finished second-to-last.

But the 50-year-old Hornaday doubts that experience will come in handy.

"Nobody has the advantage anymore in this point battle," he said. "I think this championship is going to go to the guy that has the least amount of bad luck. I've been saying for the past few weeks that this thing is going to come down to Homestead and here we are. We know what we have to do and we just need to treat this week like it's just another race."

The two will use the same strategy in pursuit of the title. Not counting lap-leader bonuses, all one has to do is finish higher than the other to win the championship. But Benson likes his odds, is the defending race winner and comfortable at the 1.5-mile track.

"Homestead is a pretty cool track for us. It kind of fits our style," he said. "It's a fun racetrack. I've always run good there in a Cup, Nationwide car and the trucks. It's pretty cool to go to the track knowing you've got a good opportunity to run well."

For Benson, it's his last race with Bill Davis Racing. He's leaving the team at the end of the season, but vowed not to let that effect his final performance.

"It doesn't really change anything. We have the opportunity to try to win a championship and to me the incentive doesn't change," Benson said. "We want to make that happen either way. It would mean a lot to be able to get this for Bill and Gail (Davis). They've been in this sport for a long time."


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NASCAR's France not pleased with ABC bumping race

Jimmie Johnson's dominance may have taken some of the sizzle out of the Sprint Cup Chase for the championship, but that doesn't mean NASCAR chairman Brian France thinks Johnson's last major steps toward a third straight points title had to be relegated to cable TV.

France said Tuesday he wasn't pleased with ABC's decision to bump the final laps of last weekend's race in Phoenix to ABC-owned ESPN2 so the network could air an episode of "America's Funniest Home Videos."

"We didn't like it, that was not what we had anticipated but we have talked to them repeatedly in the last couple days," France said. "There were lots of circumstances that we have to consider. They have their own issues they had to manage around. Unfortunately we got the short end of that."

France, however, says the interests of NASCAR and its television partners are "in line" and that a rare early afternoon storm and a late accident that forced two red-flag stoppages couldn't be helped.

"America's Funniest Home Videos" aired between 7:30-8 p.m. in the Eastern and Central time zones. The race had a rating for 4.6 in the 7-7:30 p.m. spot before the broadcast was moved.

"They did not like the idea of having to pull out of ABC and operate the way they did Sunday," France said. "It is imperative we work closely together with them for scheduling."

Besides, France knows NASCAR has bigger issues. With the U.S. automobile industry crumbling, France softened his stance on the future of Ford, Dodge and General Motors in the sport they helped create.

Days after saying the sport wouldn't "live or die" on the fates of the Big Three, France said NASCAR is working aggressively to make sure the companies remain part of the circuit's foundation. GM's stock dropped to its lowest point in 60 years Monday.

"We have every intention of them being a big part of the sport in the future," France said. "We're going to do everything we can to help them get through a very difficult business cycle."

That includes perhaps eliminating all testing as a cost-cutting measure, an about-face from a few months ago when NASCAR hinted it may expand testing to 24 days a year for all teams.

"Testing is on everyone's short list," France said.

France, however, remains optimistic about the health of the sport despite the economic climate. He pointed out that 90 percent of the Sprint Cup teams have sponsorship for next season and that new advertisers are ready to invest in the series in 2009.

"There are always some unfunded teams," he said. "One of our goals is to have a system where you don't need $26 million to put a competitive team forward. It's one of the things NASCAR has a lot of influence on and we're working all the time to figure it out."

France thinks the advent of the Sprint Cup's new car, which will end its first full season as the baseline model this weekend in Miami, will help teams get through the economic crunch.

"We believe very strongly that this car will deliver cost savings in the long run for sure and for in some cases in the short run," France said. "It will allow us in the future to take cost out of the equation ... Our No. 1 policy along with safety is take cost out of the industry."

Just don't expect NASCAR to shorten its 36-race season. France said eliminating some dates would be "impractical" and shortening some of the races would simply be symbolic and wouldn't help teams save money.

The same goes for the Chase format. Though he admitted he'd love for the points title to come down to a mad dash at Miami, France said there are no plans to tweak the points system even though Johnson enters the season finale with a nearly insurmountable 141-point lead over Carl Edwards.

"I'd love for all 11 drivers to be within 25 points of (the leader) myself," France said. "The reality of it is, that's sports. There are World Series that are not as exciting as others, that's just the nature of a dominant performance quite frankly."


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ABC's decision to leave race puzzles NASCAR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- It's been 30 years since a NASCAR driver won three straight championships. Yet, as Jimmie Johnson closed in on the mark, ABC cut away.

What could have been so important to force viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones to flip over to ESPN2 for the conclusion of Johnson's romp at Phoenix International Raceway?

A new episode of "Desperate Housewives" might have been acceptable.

No such luck, though.

ABC ditched its NASCAR coverage for "America's Funniest Home Videos" with 34 laps left in Sunday's race. That's right, Johnson's seventh win of the season was interrupted by cats running into walls, dancing brides falling and children inflicting unintentional pain on adults.

"I knew we were in trouble when I looked at the monitor and saw a monkey scratching its butt," one team member said after Johnson's victory.

Yep, the network that promised to broadcast the final 10 races of the season on ABC as part of its estimated $270 million a year contract dumped the closing laps of a championship Chase race for home video hijinks.

Nice "partner," NASCAR.

In fairness to the network, the race did run exceptionally long because of two red-flag stoppages (one for rain, one for an accident) that totaled nearly 45 minutes. And it is November sweeps, when networks aim for high ratings to set their advertising rates.

And unlike the infamous "Heidi Game" when NBC abruptly cut away from a 1968 telecast between the New York Jets at the Oakland Raiders, the NASCAR broadcasting team gave ample notice that coverage was moving to ESPN2.

Any justification did little to soothe the NASCAR community, which suddenly felt like a second-class citizen at the height of its season.

"It doesn't say very much," winning car owner Rick Hendrick said.

The drivers seemed incredulous.

"I can't imagine being a race fan and being on the East Coast and trying to watch this, and then going to that," third-place finisher Jamie McMurray said. "Obviously, if the president was going to talk, or maybe if something big had happened. But I can't imagine 'America's Funniest Home Videos' would take priority over us. I mean, I like that show, but I'd rather watch the race, you know?"

ABC defended its decision, noting the two red-flag periods pushed the broadcast into its prime-time lineup and partner ESPN gave the network a viable alternative.

"ABC's entertainment viewers and NASCAR fans were both well served in a tough spot, and we are fortunate to have ESPN2 among our networks to serve the fans," said George McNeilly, ESPN's senior director of corporate and consumer communications.

Of course, the switch didn't have the same consequences as NBC's gaffe 40 years ago. That network left the football game with 65 seconds to go when it unexpectedly switched to "Heidi" and only viewers in the Pacific time zone saw the Raiders' 14-point frantic comeback.

But ABC's swap still had ramifications, particularly the perception of how it views NASCAR. Remember, this wasn't a meaningless June race at Pocono. This was the next-to-last race of a grueling season, and if challenger Carl Edwards had any sort of problem in the closing laps, Johnson could have become the first driver since Cale Yarborough (1976-78) to win three straight titles.

There's no sense of relief because it didn't happen -- Johnson basically needs only to show up at Sunday's finale to win it -- but it begs the question: Had it been an NFL game or, really, any late-season contest from the traditional sports leagues would ABC have dared turn away?

There's also this to consider: A ridiculously late start time meant the command to start the engines wasn't even made until 3:52 p.m. EST. But it's not NASCAR's fault the race ran long, and ABC didn't slot enough time for such circumstances even though it makes plenty of accommodations for a prerace show.

The NFL's television partners, in part because of the angry reaction to the "Heidi" fiasco, now force all networks to show games to conclusion in the teams' markets. NASCAR obviously doesn't have such a provision, but still deserves some courtesy from one of its partners.

Johnson deserves respect as he closes in on racing history.

"I thought it went dark and nobody could watch it," he said. "So the fact that it was on another television channel was better. But to go to 'America's Funniest Home Videos?' That one hurts. I thought we have a lot of characters. Why do we need that show?"

That's the answer NASCAR should be demanding.


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Johnson closes in on record-tying 3rd title

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- They popped the champagne in Victory Lane and celebrated as if Jimmie Johnson just won another championship.

Almost. But not quite there.

Johnson moved inches closer to his record-tying third straight NASCAR title Sunday, trouncing the field at Phoenix International Raceway to deliver a knockout punch to Carl Edwards' championship hopes.

Johnson needs to finish only 36th or better next week in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to join Cale Yarborough (1976-78) as the only drivers in NASCAR history to win three straight titles.

"He's doing something pretty special," said 2004 champion Kurt Busch, who finished second. "It's just tough to beat."

Impossible, actually.

Johnson came into Phoenix on the ropes -- reeling, almost -- after a sub-par 15th-place finish last week at Texas allowed Edwards to take a sizable bite out of the points lead. Johnson rebounded to win the pole at Phoenix, but struggled through Saturday's final practice to send his stress-level through the roof.

As Chad Knaus worked late into the night on a new setup and strategy, Johnson harassed him with phone calls that didn't stop until the crew chief ordered the driver to leave him alone.

"The first thing, the garage opens at 8:01, and he calls me right away," Knaus said. "I was like, 'Dude, leave me alone. I need to go to work.' I told him to go back to sleep, you're bothering me."'

Whatever changes they made worked, as Johnson led a race-high 217 of the 313 laps to stretch his lead in the standings from 106 points to an almost insurmountable 141.

"This is what I've worked my whole life for," Johnson said. "We've got a great points lead. We'll go down to Homestead and try to wrap this baby up."

The win was his third straight at Phoenix, and had Edwards on the edge of conceding after his own fourth-place finish.

"If he would have some terrible luck in Homestead, we still have a chance," Edwards said. "We did the best we could, but it's too big of a spread right now. It's possible. Not probable, but possible."

No, it's not. Not with the way Johnson is running.

Johnson has made a mockery of Chase for the championship format, reeling off 14 wins in the 49 races since NASCAR adopted the format in 2004. He contended for the title in 2004 and 2005, only to come up just short both seasons.

He's on the verge of joining Yarborough, David Pearson, Lee Petty and Darrel Waltrip as a three-time champion. Jeff Gordon, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, has four titles and Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty won a NASCAR-record seven.

Johnson has done it in dominating fashion. He has finished in the top 10 in seven Chase races and his lowest finish was the 15th last week at Texas.

But he still had a sizable lead over Edwards, and could have clinched Sunday. So his throng of friends of hometown El Cajon, Calif., made the trip to Phoenix and crowded his pit box to watch him tick off the laps. When he passed Jamie McMurray on a late restart, his friends -- which included professional baseball players Brian and Marcus Giles -- pumped their fists in celebration.

Johnson started from the pole but gave way to McMurray on the first lap. He didn't take the lead until Lap 81, but was never challenged from there.

McMurray briefly moved out front again after a round of late pit stops, but Johnson blew past him in Turn 2 of a restart and was hardly challenged again. Kurt Busch made a brief run at him in the closing laps, but graciously settled for second and praised Johnson for his skillful late pass.

"I was third and the way that he went high, went low, and he was in the lead before you could snap your fingers," Busch said. "It was unbelievable to watch that type of display, and it's something pretty special."

McMurray was third, followed by Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton and David Ragan.

With the win, cash-strapped General Motors wrapped up its 32nd NASCAR manufacturer's championship.


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Carl Edwards still in the Chase -- barely

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Trailing by 141 points in the Sprint Cup Chase, Carl Edwards knows he needs a miracle to deny Jimmie Johnson his third straight championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week.

Edwards lost ground Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, finishing fourth as Johnson won the race.

"The thing we've got to do is we just have to keep our heads up and go to Homestead," Edwards said. "It's still possible. It's not probable."

Johnson can wrap up the title by finishing 36th or better next week. But Edwards noted that Johnson's teammate, Jeff Gordon, had engine problems on Sunday.

"I can guarantee you that we're just going to go there and give it 100 percent, and hope that something happens," Edwards said. "We saw what happened with (Gordon) today. You never know what could happen."

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GORDON FLAMES OUT: Fighting engine problems all day, Jeff Gordon didn't contend for his first victory of the season.

Gordon's engine began to smoke with 43 laps remaining. Gordon said it was "probably a valve or something."

"I felt it early on," Gordon said. "It was starting to lose some power, and I didn't pay too much attention to it because I was still getting plenty of RPM and the car was still running good. Then all of a sudden it started really going down, and I felt it lose a cylinder."

Gordon didn't finish for the sixth time this year.

"It's the kind of year we've had," Gordon said. "We've had a lot of stuff happen to us. Engines haven't been one of them."

Gordon, a four-time series champion, needs to win at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week to avoid a winless season for the first time since his 1993 rookie year.

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THE HEIDI RACE: With 34 laps remaining, ABC cut away from the race in the Eastern and Central time zones, opting to show "America's Funniest Home Videos" as scheduled.

At that point, two red flags had delayed the race by about 45 minutes.

ESPN2 carried the race's conclusion in the Eastern and Central time zones, and it remained on ABC in the West.

Drivers didn't know about the move until after the race.

"It seems a little odd to me, as big as NASCAR is and as many people watch this sport," said Jamie McMurray, who finished third. "I just can't believe that 'America's Funniest Home Videos' would take priority over us. I mean, I like that show, but I'd rather watch the race."

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DRY DOCK: Martin Truex Jr.'s race ended after 35 laps. His problem?

"Ran out of water," Truex said.

Truex said a clear bag on the nose of his Chevy drove up the water temperature and caused overheating.

"It's just unfortunate," he said. "It's been a tough year with a lot of this kind of stuff. We've had some bad luck."

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STORMY WEATHER: Shortly after Truex's car ran out of water, a brief rain shower swept through, stopping the race for 23 minutes.

"It's crazy; it's raining in the desert," Carl Edwards said during the break. "I definitely don't want to stop. But it's what it is, and we all have to deal with the stuff. I just want to get out and get some green-flag runs.

The rain brought back some happy memories for Kurt Busch, who won the rain-shortened race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June.

"Who would have thought, this weather in the desert?" Busch said. "It just reminded me a little bit of Loudon, N.H., when we won in the rain."

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WALLBANGER: Brian Vickers walked away after hitting the wall on the 30th lap. Vickers said "something was loose."

"I haven't the slightest idea what it was, if it was a tire or a mechanical piece of the car," Vickers said. "Luckily it happened on the backstretch and I had time to lean into the impact and absorb some of it because it was a really good, hard hit."

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EARLY PIT STOP: Fifteen minutes before the race started, David Ragan walked into the Phoenix International Raceway press room.

He had to use the restroom and it was the closest available toilet to the track.

Ragan bantered with reporters as he waited in line.

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WEBB LEADS THE WAY: Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb was the honorary pace car driver.

Webb, a NASCAR fan from Kentucky, took a high-speed spin with Kurt Busch on Saturday. "I was strapped in and holding on the whole time," Webb said.

Webb said he'd have a light foot on Sunday.

"They told me I'm supposed to go 55," said Webb, who is favored to win his second NL Cy Young Award on Tuesday.

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GOING GREEN: For the first time in a NASCAR event, a hybrid will be the pace car when the Chase concludes at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week.

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, featuring the debut of Ford's next-generation hybrid system, will pace the Ford 400 along with the Fusion Sport.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Fusion Sport will both be in NASCAR-inspired camouflage for the race. The cars won't be officially unveiled until the Los Angeles International Auto Show three days later.


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