RCR rides momentum, track record into Talladega
April 28, 2006Jeff Hammond says Richard Childress Racing is on a roll and could win its 10th Talladega race on Sunday. Kevin Harvick goes for two spring poles in a row, Saturday at noon ET on FX.
Yeley gets another superspeedway pole
April 28, 2006For a guy who cut his racing teeth on the Midwest's short tracks, J.J. Yeley really loves the big ovals. On Friday, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver added the NASCAR Busch Series pole for the Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway to the one he earned in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway - the first of his Busch career. "We've been really close to getting the pole," said Yeley, who is also racing full-time as a rookie in Nextel Cup.
Aaron's 312 Busch qualifying results
April 28, 2006Martin Truex Jr. returns to the Busch Series this weekend alongside Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Paul Menard, but J.J. Yeley won the pole for Saturday's race (3 p.m. ET on FOX).
Drivers give new soft bumpers a nudge at Talladega
April 28, 2006A love tap here, a slight nudge there. With speeds nearing 195 mph, few dared to test NASCAR's soft new bumpers on Friday with a full-forced slam. That's exactly what NASCAR was hoping for when it ordered teams to relax their front bumpers for Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway. The rule was a reaction to dangerous bump drafting earlier this season at Daytona, when defending series champion Tony Stewart warned someone was going to die if the practice wasn't reigned in.
Childress and Harvick close to deal
April 28, 2006Richard Childress and Kevin Harvick are close to a deal that would keep the driver with Richard Childress Racing well beyond the 2006 season. "I think (a deal) is real likely," Childress said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. "We hope to get it done in the next couple of weeks.
Aaron's 499 Nextel Cup first practice speeds
April 28, 2006NASCAR NEXTEL Cup SeriesAaron's 499Practice #1Talladega Superspeedway - Talladega, Ala. Provided by NASCAR Statistical Services - Friday, April 28, 2006 @ 3:32 PM Eastern Pos Car # Driver Team Time Speed Lap# #Laps -Fastest -Next 1 01 Joe Nemechek U.S. Army Chevrolet 48.989 195.472 11 31 2 31 Jeff Burton Cingular Wireless Chevrolet 49.196 194.650 9 27 -0.207 -0.207 3 29 Kevin Harvick Reeses Chevrolet 49.318 194.168 5 20 -0.329 -0.122 4 45 Kyle Petty Schwan's Home Service Dodge 49.344 194.066 11 37 -0.355 -0.026 5 07 Clint Bowyer # Jack Daniels Chevrolet 49.351 194.039 11 28 -0.362 -0.007 6 42 Casey Mears Texaco/Havoline Dodge 49.360 194.003 10 35 -0.371 -0.009 7 6 Mark Martin AAA Ford 49.378 193.933 11 30 -0.389 -0.018 8 10 Scott Riggs Stanley Tools/Vavloine Dodge 49.428 193.736 11 29 -0.439 -0.050 9 16 Greg Biffle National Guard/Subway Ford 49.476 193.548 13 39 -0.487 -0.048 10 11 Denny Hamlin # FedEx Freight Chevrolet 49.503 193.443 3 28 -0.514 -0.027 11 1 Martin Truex Jr. # Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet 49.514 193.400 8 32 -0.525 -0.011 12 17 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Ford 49.519 193.380 6 37 -0.530 -0.005 13 96 Tony Raines DLP® HDTV Chevrolet 49.521 193.373 7 26 -0.532 -0.002 14 41 Reed Sorenson # Target/Breast Cancer Research Fndtn. Dodg 49.575 193.162 11 25 -0.586 -0.054 15 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 49.577 193.154 6 25 -0.588 -0.002 16 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevrolet 49.590 193.103 8 29 -0.601 -0.013 17 7 Robby Gordon Menards Chevrolet 49.598 193.072 13 26 -0.609 -0.008 18 14 Sterling Marlin Waste Management Chevrolet 49.599 193.068 19 26 -0.610 -0.001 19 38 Elliott Sadler M&M's Ford 49.620 192.987 8 22 -0.631 -0.021 20 26 Jamie McMurray IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford 49.621 192.983 11 35 -0.632 -0.001 21 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 49.716 192.614 13 29 -0.727 -0.095 22 20 Tony Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet 49.764 192.428 12 36 -0.775 -0.048 23 19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 49.767 192.417 13 27 -0.778 -0.003 24 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge 49.834 192.158 10 22 -0.845 -0.067 25 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Dodge 49.892 191.935 16 23 -0.903 -0.058 26 66 Jeff Green Best Buy Chevrolet 49.913 191.854 4 17 -0.924 -0.021 27 43 Bobby Labonte STP/Cheerios Dodge 49.946 191.727 20 22 -0.957 -0.033 28 88 Dale Jarrett UPS Ford 49.965 191.654 19 25 -0.976 -0.019 29 5 Kyle Busch Kellogg's Chevrolet 49.970 191.635 24 29 -0.981 -0.005 30 12 Ryan Newman Alltel Dodge 49.982 191.589 21 23 -0.993 -0.012 31 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet 49.983 191.585 15 16 -0.994 -0.001 32 18 J.J. Yeley # GSK Asthamacontrol.com Chevrolet 49.988 191.566 24 29 -0.999 -0.005 33 99 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford 50.007 191.493 13 20 -1.018 -0.019 34 25 Brian Vickers GMAC Chevrolet 50.083 191.203 19 22 -1.094 -0.076 35 21 Ken Schrader Little Debbie Ford 50.192 190.787 18 27 -1.203 -0.109 36 * 55 Michael Waltrip NAPA Dodge 50.543 189.462 18 21 -1.554 -0.351 37 * 40 David Stremme # Lonestar Steakhouse Dodge 51.442 186.151 7 11 -2.453 -0.899 38 * 27 Kirk Shelmerdine TBA Chevrolet 51.537 185.808 3 3 -2.548 -0.095 39 * 32 Travis Kvapil Tide/Downy Chevrolet 51.545 185.779 11 11 -2.556 -0.008 40 * 34 Chad Chaffin TBA Chevrolet 51.549 185.765 11 11 -2.560 -0.004 41 * 78 Kenny Wallace National Day of Prayer Chevrolet 51.554 185.747 7 7 -2.565 -0.005 42 * 61 Kevin Lepage State Water Heaters Ford 51.655 185.384 7 7 -2.666 -0.101 43 * 4 Scott Wimmer AERO Exhaust Chevrolet 51.755 185.026 11 11 -2.766 -0.100 44 * 09 Mike Wallace Miccosukee Resort Ford 51.766 184.986 3 7 -2.777 -0.011 45 * 95 Stanton Barrett TheRaceSpace.com Chevrolet 51.880 184.580 3 3 -2.891 -0.114 46 * 00 Hermie Sadler Aaron's Dream Machine Chevrolet 51.901 184.505 7 7 -2.912 -0.021 47 * 92 Chad Blount TBA Dodge 51.986 184.203 7 7 -2.997 -0.085 48 * 49 Brent Sherman # Serta Dodge 51.999 184.157 11 11 -3.010 -0.013 49 * 89 Morgan Shepherd Dutch Quality Stone-Racing w/ Jesus Dodge 52.000 184.154 3 9 -3.011 -0.001 * - Required to qualify on time
Loeb profits as Gronholm retires
April 28, 2006Citroen's Sebastien Loeb leads the Rally of Argentina after day one as Marcus Gronholm's Ford retires with mechanical failure.
Talladega Viewers Guide
April 28, 2006Steve Byrnes says it will be emotional to see Dale Earnhardt's paint scheme at Talladega, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. learned lessons that only a father and son share. Watch NASCAR Live on SPEED now followed by Cup Happy Hour and Busch qualifying.
Hill named as new BRDC president
April 28, 2006Damon Hill is named as president of the British Racing Drivers' Club at Friday's annual general meeting.
Earnhardt enters Hall of Fame
April 28, 2006Dale Earnhardt was already the most popular driver stock car racing has ever known. Now he's a Hall of Famer, too. The seven-time NASCAR champion, who died in a crash during the 2001 Daytona 500, was inducted Thursday night into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Junior's new paint job stirs some echoes
April 28, 2006Father-son relationships are complicated enough, never mind trying to sort out the issues while nudging the speedometer toward 200 mph. Yet that's the delicate task Dale Earnhardt Jr. set himself this weekend at Talladega, hoping to honor the man who taught him the business while scaring the snot out of everybody else - and still win the race. If that sounds like a tall order, keep in mind that NASCAR's restrictor-plate events don't allow much wiggle room to begin with.
Prodrive to join F1 grid in 2008
April 28, 2006Brand new team Prodrive become the 12th and final team accepted for the 2008 Formula One championship.
Hill on verge of top job at BRDC
April 28, 2006Damon Hill is expected to be named as president of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) at Friday's annual general meeting.
Gronholm leading in Argentina
April 28, 2006Marcus Gronholm holds a slim lead in the Rally of Argentina after two special speed sessions.
Rally of Argentina leaderboard
April 28, 2006Leading positions from the first day of the latest World Rally event.