May 30, 2008 - Gordon, Dupont Sign Extension

• Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports agreed to two-year contract extension with Dupont on Thursday that keeps the four-time Cup champion with the only primary sponsor he’s had through 2010.

Auto Clubs Urge Mosley To Quit

• According to Sports Ticker, A number of the world’s leading automobile clubs have joined forces in one last desperate attempt to force disgraced FIA president Max Mosley out of office. Mosley’s refusal to resign, or even accept a compromise agreement, in the wake of lurid allegations about his private life has amazed senior figures within the motoring organizations. That has resulted in a letter being sent to Mosley imploring him to step down ahead of next Tuesday’s confidence vote in Paris to spare the governing body further embarrassment and damage. A section of the letter reads: “We strongly believe that the only respectable way forward for the FIA, and for yourself, is to have an orderly transition, with an immediate agreement and your commitment to step down."

IRL Sets Edmonton Date

• The Indy Racing League has set July 26 for the Rexall Edmonton Indy, one of two street course events added to the IndyCar schedule this season from the former Champ Car Series. The date for the other race, at Surfers Paradise in Queensland, Australia, has not been set but is expected to be run on Oct. 26. The IRL said Wednesday it has signed a three-year agreement with Canadian race promoter Northlands to hold the Edmonton race on a 14-turn, 1.97-mile runway circuit at the Edmonton City Centre Airport, about five minutes from downtown.

May 29, 2008 - Sadler Signs GEM Extension

• Gillett Evernham Motorsports announced today it has signed a multi-year contract extension with driver Elliott Sadler. Sadler, 33, joined Gillett Evernham Racing in 2006 and is glad to have a future with the team. “This is the place where I want to race,” the Emporia, Va. native said. “I think what we are building here is special and something other drivers and crew members envy.” Sadler drives the No. 19 Dodge sponsored by Best Buy, Stanley Tools, McDonald’s and Siemens. He owns three career victories.

Hoosier Hundred Won't Be Rescheduled

• Track Enterprises, Inc. announces that the 56th Annual Hoosier Hundred set to run on May 23, 2008 that was previously postponed due to heavy rains will unfortunately not be rescheduled.  Due to scheduling conflicts a viable date was not available. Race fans that purchased tickets to the race on May 23 will receive a full refund at point of purchase. To request your refund you may go to the Track Enterprises website and print a request form. Please send your refund and ticket stub along with the request to where you purchased your tickets. Track Enterprises address is P.O. Box 79 Macon, Ill.,  62544.  If you purchased a pit pass, you need to contact the USAC office for your refund at 317-247-5151.  Ticket holders may also go to the Indiana State Fairgrounds or Track Enterprises to obtain a refund request form.

May 28, 2008 - Franchitti Testing, Set For Return

• According to AP writer Dan Gelston, Dario Franchitti will be back behind the wheel of the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 40 Dodge this weekend at Dover, at least in Nationwide Series action. Franchitti returned to the track on Tuesday for the first time since he broke his left ankle in a hard crash at Talladega Superspeedway.
The former Indy Car Series champion, now in his first season in NASCAR, said he felt no pain or discomfort and planned to drive in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday at Dover Int'l Speedway. Franchitti said he was questionable for the 400-mile Sprint Cup race and might return to Cup action in two weeks at Pocono. Jeremy Mayfield could sub for Franchitti on Sunday.

Mattioli: Pocono Not For Sale

• Rose Mattioli, whose family owns Pocono Raceway, told the Associated Press that the track is not for sale. Pocono was speculated to be one of the venues Bruton Smith was looking to purchase in order to supply a date for the newly purchased Kentucky Speedway.

May 22, 2008 - Report: SMI To Purchase Kentucky Speedway

• The Cincinnati Enquirer reported the following in today's edition: The future of Kentucky Speedway is expected to be addressed during a “major announcement” scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Concord, N.C. Sources close to the speedway confirmed to the Enquirer tonight [May 21st] that Kentucky Speedway officials have been in talks with Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman and chief executive officer O. Bruton Smith about selling or partnering with the Sparta track owned by Jerry Carroll and his partners. A spokesman with Lowe’s Motor Speedway, one of the seven tracks owned by SMI that hosts NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, indicated only that Thursday's announcement would be of interest. The exact nature of the announcement is not immediately known, but it could include selling all or part of the speedway or partnering with Smith to bring a Sprint Cup race to the 1.5-mile track. Smith will make the announcement at 3 p.m. (EDT) Thursday in the media center at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Carroll was unavailable for comment Wednesday. News of a potential deal with SMI comes at the same time lawyers representing Kentucky Speedway continue to fight in 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals the early January decision by a U.S. District Court judge to dismiss the track’s antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corp.

Hamilton Looking At Full-Time IRL Team

• IndyCar driver Davey Hamilton wants to bring his Hewlett-Packard sponsored car to the IndyCar Series and be part of a full-time team. “I want to be involved with a team full time,” Hamilton said. “With Hewlett-Packard, right now they have been a great sponsor. I want to be involved full time. I don’t have to have the name as team owner but I want to be involved with the team whether it is as a sponsor, team manager, ownership or any of the above. I’m definitely interested.”

May 21, 2008 - NASCAR's Oldest Winner Dies

• According to reports, Lloyd Moore, a NASCAR winner in 1950 and the oldest former driver, has died. He was 95. Moore died in his sleep Sunday in Frewsburg, in the home where he was born in 1912, according to NASCAR’s Web site. James Bailey, Moore’s son-in-law who will preside at his funeral as pastor of Wheeler Hill United Methodist Church, said Tuesday evening that Moore had been in generally good health until the day he died. “He didn’t sleep well Saturday night, fell asleep around 5 a.m., and his wife couldn’t wake him up Sunday afternoon,” Bailey said. Moore won his lone NASCAR title in Winchester, Ind., and finished fourth in the 1950 standings. He drove from 1949-55 in the Grand National series against Lee Petty, Glenn “Fireball” Roberts and other contemporaries. “Lloyd was a connection to the origin of NASCAR,” former driver Richard Petty said in a statement. “Talking to him was like taking a trip down memory lane for me, because he raced against my dad. I still have memories of those races. He would come by the house after a lot of the races because he and daddy were good friends.” The son of a farmer, Moore was a school bus driver in the early 1930s and worked as a mechanic in a Studebaker garage. For 17 years, he ran the school bus garage for the Frewsburg Central School District, about 80 miles south of Buffalo, until retiring in 1974. In an interview with The Buffalo News last year, he said he enjoyed watching what NASCAR has become but lightheartedly complained there was “too much baloney,” with the hourlong pre-race show and sponsorships. In his day, he said, he’d drive overnight to a race, unload the trunk, then roll the same car out on the track.

Reports: Wheeler To Retire From LMS

• According to the Associated Press, Humpy Wheeler, known for his outlandish and often explosive NASCAR promotions, will retire and step down as president and general manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 will be Wheeler’s last race for Lowe’s Motor Speedway, two people familiar with the decision told the AP. They requested anonymity because an official announcement, which could come as early as Wednesday, has not yet been made. It was not immediately clear who will succeed Wheeler, who has managed the track for the past 33 years and was named president in 1980. Candidates include track owner Bruton Smith’s son, Marcus, the executive vice president of sales and marketing for Speedway Motorsports Inc., and Lauri Wilks, executive vice president of management and administration for LMS.

L.A. Times: Castroneves Considering NASCAR

• Helio Castroneves, who is seeking to win his third Indianapolis 500 this weekend, said he is considering following several other open-wheel racers and moving to NASCAR but has made no decision yet according to the Los Angeles Times. "I won't deny that I'm thinking about it," Castroneves said Monday night. "It would be great to one day try the [stock] cars. But at this point I'm focusing on Indy cars and winning the Indianapolis 500 again." The ebullient Brazilian, 33, is one of the IndyCar Series' most popular drivers, and his fame shot even higher this spring after he won the "Dancing with the Stars" television competition. Castroneves won with dancing partner Julianne Hough based on viewers' votes, and he was in Los Angeles this week to help crown the show's latest winners. His switch to stock-car racing would be a big blow to the IndyCar Series just as it's trying to bolster its popularity after its reunion with the other major U.S. open-wheel racing group, the now-defunct Champ Car World Series.

Pattie On Box For Montoya

• Juan Pablo Montoya will have his third crew chief in a month when Brian Pattie takes over the No. 42 Dodge for this week’s race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Pattie replaces Jimmy Elledge, who was put in charge of the car four races ago in a crew shakeup at Chip Ganassi Racing. Elledge initially swapped places with Donnie Wingo, who guided Montoya’s transition from Formula One to NASCAR but was moved to Reed Sorenson’s crew in the swap.

Yates' No. 28 Gets Sponsor For 600

• Lumber Liquidators, the largest specialty retailer of hardwood flooring in the United States, announced that it will sponsor Travis Kvapil, driver of the No. 28 Yates Racing Ford at the 2008 Coca-Cola 600. The May 25th race at Lowe's Motor Speedway will mark the first primary sponsorship for Lumber Liquidators in Sprint Cup Series in 2008 (the company sponsored a few races on the No. 99 and No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing cars in 2007). Kvapil finished eighth in the May 10 race at Darlington Raceway, his third top-10 finish of the season. He currently sits 18th in the NASCAR driver point standings.

May 16, 2008 - Andretti Green Buys Toronto Grand Prix Ass'n, IndyCar To Return In '09

• Andretti Green Promotions has formed a wholly-owned Canadian company, Andretti Green Toronto, ULC (AGT), and has completed the purchase of the assets of the Grand Prix Ass'n of Toronto Corp. The terms of the purchase agreements will not be disclosed. Andretti Green Toronto is operating out of a Toronto-based office and will run its first IndyCar Series event in 2009. The Grand Prix Association of Toronto owned and operated the Grand Prix of Toronto. Throughout its history, the event was one of the marquis stops on the North American Indy car racing landscape, running under the CART and Champ Car banners from 1986 through 2007.

Viso, Power Wreck Have Practice Crashes

• According to the Associated Press, rookie driver E.J. Viso and Will Power crashed Friday during practice for the Indianapolis 500. Viso, a 23-year-old Venezuelan, hit the wall first. He had completed only one lap early in the session and was still building speed when he lost control going into the third turn, struck the outside wall with the rear of his car and spun across the track. He got out of the car on his own and appeared to be unhurt. Less than 30 minutes later, Power -- who had turned the second-fastest lap of the day at 223.039 mph -- spun and slid into the wall, sending up a cloud of flame and debris. The 27-year-old Australian also appeared to escape injury.

May 15, 2008 - Edwards Is Humpy's Pick

• Lowe's Motor Speedway President H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler named Carl Edwards as his pick to win Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Wheeler revealed his selection today in uptown Charlotte with assistance from a pack of four-legged friends, including Princess, the back-flipping dog. "Carl Edwards is a racer's racer in the mold of Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough," said Wheeler. "He will put his car in places angels fear to tread and beneath that big smile and his trademark back flip, Carl has an abnormal fire in his heart to win that I have seldom seen." Known for his promotional flair and Karnac-type ability, Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, has correctly picked the winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race 10 times in the past 19 races.

Fisher's New Team Hits Sponsorship Snags

• According to the Associated Press, sponsorship deals for Sarah Fisher's 2008 IndyCar Series season, including the Indianapolis 500, fell through when a new energy-drink manufacturer and its parent company reneged on its contract without payment, sending Fisher scrambling for sponsorship. An Indianapolis-based sports radio station also became involved on Fisher's behalf, holding a telethon and helping to raise money for the financially strapped team. Fisher, voted three times by the fans as the IRL's most popular driver, has been able to land sponsorship from IUPUI and its new race engineering program and Kansas-based Hartman Oil.

May 14, 2008 - Schrader In 33 For 600

• Ken Schrader will attempt to qualify Richard Childress Racing's No. 33 Camping World Chevy for the May 24 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Schrader, 57, of Fenton, Mo, made his Cup Series debut in 1984 and ran his first full Cup Series season in 1985. After 20 full seasons in NASCAR's premier division, the veteran racer has tallied one win, six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 44 starts at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Camping World's blue and gold paint scheme will adorn the No. 33 Chevrolet Impala SS.

Jarretts Inducted At LMS

• NASCAR champions Ned and Dale Jarrett were inducted into Lowe's Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler's Court of Legends Tuesday as part of the week-long festivities leading up to Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The event will be Dale Jarrett's final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

May 13, 2008 - McCumbee, Terry Labonte To Fill In For Kyle Petty

• Petty Enterprises has announced its driver lineup for the No. 45 Marathon/Wells Fargo/PVA Dodge for the races beginning with the June 1 event at the Dover (Del.) International Speedway through the July 12 event at the Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway. Kyle Petty is scheduled to step away from the car at Dover to attend his daughter’s wedding. Petty will also return to the broadcasting booth to cover the NASCAR Sprint Cup events that will air on TNT Sports, which begin with the June 8 event at the Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.  Petty made his TNT Sports broadcasting debut in 2007 to rave reviews and accolades. Petty will return when the series makes its annual mid-summer trek to the Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway. Chad McCumbee will bookend Petty’s hiatus by getting behind the wheel of the No. 45 Dodge at Dover and Chicagoland. He previously filled in for Petty at Pocono and the Michigan International Speedway in 2007 and at the Texas Motor Speedway last month.  McCumbee’s best finish for Petty Enterprises came at Pocono when he came home 25th. In two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Dover, McCumbee has a high finish of 13th, which came in 2007.  The Chicagoland race will be his debut on the 1.5-mile oval. For the remaining five races, Petty will turn the reins of the No. 45 Dodge over to a familiar friend and competitor.  Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Terry Labonte, will become a teammate to his younger brother, 2000 series champion Bobby, for only the second time in their Sprint Cup careers.  The Labontes are the only brothers to both win the series championship and have combined to win 43 Sprint Cup races.

Foyt Tabs Simmons

• Veteran Jeff Simmons was hired Monday to drive the second A.J. Foyt Racing entry in the Indianapolis 500. The No. 41 Dallara was originally assigned to Foyt’s son, Larry Foyt, who instead will focus on his job as team director. The 31-year-old Simmons, whose best finish in three previous starts at Indianapolis was 11th last year, will drive the car for the first time Wednesday when practice resumes for the May 25 race. His teammate is veteran Darren Manning. Simmons drove for Foyt in the developmental Indy Lights Series in 2004, finishing second in the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis. He moved up to the IndyCar Series the next year and drove the past two years with Rahal Letterman Racing. His best career finish was sixth last year at Texas Motor Speedway.

May 9, 2008 - Roth Hires Curry

• Roth Racing has hired IndyCar Series veteran Larry Curry as chief engineer. Curry comes to Roth Racing from Vision Racing, where he was the team manager. As chief engineer, Curry will not only oversee the setups for the Nos. 24 and 25 race cars driven by Jay Howard and Marty Roth, respectively, but also will set about restructuring the engineering department.

Donoso Joins Moore Racing

• Team Moore Racing announced on May 8 that rookie Pablo Donoso will join the Firestone Indy Lights team beginning with the Firestone Freedom 100 on May 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Donoso will be teammate to veteran driver Jeff Simmons. Donoso, 23, will take his first laps with TMR at a test session May 9 at The Milwaukee Mile. The Chilean has run the first four races of the season and sits 19th in points with a best finish of 12th at Kansas Speedway in April.

May 8, 2008 - Chevy Unveils Midget Engine

• Chevrolet's all-new Midget racing engine was unveiled Tuesday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by GM representatives and United States Auto Club (USAC) team owner Tony Stewart. Designed by GM Racing specifically for the USAC National Midget Car Series, the new purpose-built, four-cylinder Chevrolet racing engine will initially power Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Tracy Hines and Levi Jones in upcoming events. The new Chevy Midget engine will be available to all USAC competitors through independent engine builders. The new methanol-burning 166ci (2.7-liter) Chevy Midget racing engine produces more than 350 horsepower. The lightweight, inline four-cylinder engine employs an aluminum block and cylinder head with two valves per cylinder. Per USAC rules, the Chevy Midget engine is equipped with mechanical fuel injection and utilizes an electronic ignition system. "The Chevy Midget racing engine is definitely going to be an asset to Tony Stewart Racingm," said Stewart. "Having the Chevrolet bowtie on the engine and not just on the side of the car as a sponsor is indicative of how much technical support the brand has given our program. In the past, we've competed with engines that were based on Chevy parts but weren't necessarily a Chevrolet engine. The Chevy Racing engineering and marketing staffs have really embraced the TSR racing programs, and the debut of this new engine is the start of another exciting new chapter in our relationship."

Stewart Doubts Return To Indy 500

• Asked about a possibility of his return to the Indianapolis 500, Stewart responded: "There's part of me that thinks running at Indy and in IndyCar is a chapter of my life that is closed, and then there is the emotional part of me that says, 'Never say never.' I don't know if I will ever get in an Indy car again, but if that happens, it's obviously going to be a long way down the road because I have a lot of commitments on the NASCAR side. If I was going to come to Indianapolis again, I don't want to come and show up and run the month of May. If I am going to do it, I need to start at Homestead, and I need to run all the races leading up to the month of May to really feel like I am being fair to the team and being fair to myself, and have enough time in the car to where when we show up in the month of May, we are ready to go. Where I am comfortable in the car, I'm comfortable with the people I am working with and feel like I am in tune and up to speed with the technology of the setups and what is going on. As long as I am driving a stock car, that basically takes that part of it out of the equation. I'm not going to be one of these guys who just shows up and runs the Indy 500. I've ran the Indy 500; I want to win the Indy 500. I honestly don't believe in the era of the driver that you can just come in on a one-off race and do that. It's virtually impossible. You can't come in and expect as good as the guys doing it every week."

May 7, 2008 - Super Aguri Bows Out

• The financially strapped Super Aguri F-1 Team is officially out of Formula One. The team, which owes engine and support supplier Honda around £100 million, had fought tooth and nail for its survival for many months. A takeover by Magma Group, funded by Dubai money, collapsed last month and Honda were lukewarm about an 11th hour rescue bid from Germany's Weigl Group. The team was effectively created to give an F1 seat to Japanese driver Takuma Sato, who was dropped by Honda in 2005, while Briton Anthony Davidson was chosen for the

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton (left) with IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher.

Clinton Visits Brickyard, Fisher

• Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage of driver Sarah Fisher on Tuesday as she awaited results from her own race in Indiana’s primary. Fisher has endorsed Clinton, and the two chatted and laughed as they walked into the driver’s garage, where Fisher introduced Clinton to her team and presented her with a racing helmet Tuesday morning. As media members urged Clinton to wear the helmet, she looked at it for a moment, then asked Fisher how long it takes to put on. “Real quick if you’re in a hurry,” Fisher said to laughter. Clinton declined to predict the winner in Indiana’s presidential primary during her 20-minute visit to the garage, saying it would be like trying to guess the Indianapolis 500 winner before the race begins. “Life is unpredictable, racing is unpredictable, politics is unpredictable, so I’m going to wait and see what the voters have to say,” she said.

May 2 - Martinsville Makeover Under Way

• Fans and competitors will be the beneficiaries of more than $2 million in improvements set for Martinsville Speedway before the October 19th running of the TUMS QuikPack 500. Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell announced the projects Thursday afternoon. He said work will begin on them in the next few weeks and will be completed by the fall event. The centerpiece of the track enhancements will be a new, state of the art scoreboard. Campbell also announced that pit road would be resurfaced, the fourth-turn pit gate will be reconfigured to include SAFER barrier technology and portable chair seats surrounding the track will be replace with individual stadium seats.

Figge Joins Tafel Racing

• Tafel Racing announced today the addition of American Alex Figge to its 2008 driver lineup. The former Champ Car driver will share the No. 73 Tafel Racing Ferrari F430 GTC with owner/driver Jim Tafel for the remainder of the American Le Mans Series season. Figge, who has seven career Series starts in the GT1 class, will make his GT2 debut with the Cumming, Ga.-based organization at the Utah Grand Prix on May 18. To date, the resident of Denver, Colo. has an American Le Mans Series career- best finish of third (Portland, 2005).

Jim France Honored By Pocono

• James C. (Jim) France, vice chairman/executive vice president of NASCAR and chairman/CEO of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) has been named the 2008 recipient of Pocono Raceway’s Bill France Award of Excellence. The Pocono Raceway Bill France Award of Excellence has been presented annually to the person, corporation or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the sport of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing. This prestigious award, first presented in 1977, is dedicated to the inspiration of William H.G. France, founder of NASCAR. Jim France is the son the late William H.G. (“Big Bill”) France and, brother of former president and chairman/CEO of NASCAR, the late William C. (“Bill Jr.”) France. He grew up in the early years of stock car racing, living and learning every aspect of the sport from his own experiences, and from his father and brother.

May 1 - No. 28 Paired With Long-Ago Sponsor For Darlington

• Fayetteville, N.C.'s Lafayette Ford will sponsor the Yates Racing No. 28 driven by Travis Kvapil in the May 10 Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway. Lafayette Ford and the No. 28 car have a storied history. Fred Lorenzen, NASCAR’s “Golden Boy” of the 1960s, scored virtually all of his wins with sponsorship from the dealership while driving for the Holman-Moody team. In 1964, he won five consecutive starts, with the last being the Rebel 300 at Darlington.

Lazier To Drive For Hemelgarn

• Former Indy 500 winner Buddy Lazier will drive for the Hemelgarn Johnson race team in a bid for his 16th start at the speedway. Lazier, who won the 1996 Indy 500 with car owner Ron Hemelgarn, hasn’t driven in the IRL since he finished 19th at Indianapolis last year for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, his only race of the season. “It’s nice to be back together,” he said of the one-race deal with Hemelgarn. “It’s a last-minute program, but we’re going to make the best of it. I think we’ll have a strong race car and we’ll be a factor on race day.” Practice for the May 25 race begins with the Rookie Orientation Program on Sunday and Monday. Veterans will begin practicing on Tuesday, four days before the first of four days of qualifying. Lazier will be in the No. 91 Dallara - the same number he drove as a winner in 1996.

Speed, ESPN Classic To Simulcast NNS From Richmond

• By special arrangement, Speed is adding a live simulcast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Lipton Tea 250 from Richmond International Raceway on Friday, May 2, with pre-race coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET, followed by race coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET. “Speed is happy to lend a hand to NASCAR and one of our fellow NASCAR television partners,” said Speed President Hunter Nickell. “It’s a great way for Speed and ESPN to come together to best serve the race fan.” The race will also be broadcast on ESPN Classic and on the Web on ESPN 360.