Motor Sports News

NASCAR drivers, from top, Carl Edwards, Reed Sorenson, and Jamie McMurray are seen early in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 Nationwide Series race at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill. on Saturday, July 19, 2008. Edwards won the race. (AP Photo/Belleville News-Democrat, Tim Vizer)

NASCAR squeezes horsepower down on Toyota motors

AP - Wed Jul 23, 9:28 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NASCAR tried to even out the competition in the Nationwide Series on Wednesday by ordering all teams using Toyota motors to squeeze down their horsepower before this weekend's race in Indianapolis.

  • In this July 12, 2008 file photo, Tony Stewart drives during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The biggest domino in NASCAR's free agency season fell when Tony Stewart decided to bolt from Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the 2008 year. It opened up a seat in the coveted No. 20, a ride loaded with a two-time championship winning team that will stay behind crew chief Greg Zipadelli. (AP Photo/Tim Stewart, File)
    Newman, Stewart play coy on potential partnership AP - Tue Jul 22, 5:57 PM ET

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. - If Ryan Newman is indeed in line to join Tony Stewart's new team next season, neither driver is saying.

  • IN THE PITS: Driver movement should heat up AP - Mon Jul 21, 4:56 PM ET

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The biggest domino in NASCAR's free agency season fell when Tony Stewart decided to bolt from Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the year. It opened up a seat in the coveted No. 20, a ride loaded with a two-time championship winning team that will stay behind crew chief Greg Zipadelli.

  • Briscoe gives Penske victory AP - Sun Jul 20, 5:26 PM ET

    LEXINGTON, Ohio - Ryan Briscoe took advantage of a surprising pit strategy on the way to a victory in Sunday's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car course.

  • McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after winning the German Formula One Grand Prix in Hockenheim, Germany, Sunday, July 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Oliver Multhaup)
    Hamilton wins German GP, solidifies F1 lead AP - Sun Jul 20, 11:30 AM ET

    HOCKENHEIM, Germany - Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix on Sunday, solidifying his lead in the Formula One standings with two dramatic passes that made up for a strategic blunder by his McLaren team.

  • Medical assistants help Toyota Formula One driver Timo Glock from Germany after his crash during the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheim Formula One racetrack in Hockenheim, Germany, Sunday, July 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Christof Stache)
    Glock taken to hospital after crash at German GP AP - Sun Jul 20, 9:42 AM ET

    HOCKENHEIM, Germany - Toyota driver Timo Glock was taken to the hospital Sunday after hitting a concrete barrier at high speed during the German Grand Prix.

  • Kyle Busch leads the field in his No. 51 Toyota truck as pole-sitter Mike Skinner, left, and eventual winner Johnny Benson (red car) give chase early in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Built Ford Tough 225 race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky., Saturday, July 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)
    Busch falls short of NASCAR history in trucks race AP - Sun Jul 20, 1:05 AM ET

    SPARTA, Kentucky - Kyle Busch came up five spots short in his bid to make NASCAR history Saturday night and Johnny Benson took advantage, holding off Michael Annett to win the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

  • Edwards overtakes Leffler to win Nationwide race AP - Sun Jul 20, 1:04 AM ET

    MADISON, Ill. - Carl Edwards passed Jason Leffler with 48 laps remaining Saturday night and cruised to victory at the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 on Saturday night.

  • GM cutting back on NASCAR spending AP - Wed Jul 16, 7:09 PM ET

    Troubled General Motors has notified two racetracks that run NASCAR events that their current contracts will not be renewed as part of an overall $10 billion cost-cutting program.

  • Sarah Fisher gets new sponsor, plans 2 IRL races AP - Wed Jul 16, 12:43 PM ET

    INDIANAPOLIS - Sarah Fisher plans to drive in two IndyCar Series races after lining up a new primary sponsor.

  • In this June 28, 2007 file photo, driver Paul Tracy, from Canada, speaks to friends at the track in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. The former CART champion, who found himself without a ride when Champ Car was absorbed into the IndyCar series, will drive in the July 26 Rexall Edmonton Indy in a car fielded by Walker Racing, supported by Vision Racing and sponsored by Subway, Tracy told the Associated Press Tuesday, July 15, 2008. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz, File)
    Former CART champ Tracy gets IRL ride for Edmonton AP - Tue Jul 15, 5:55 PM ET

    Paul Tracy will finally get his chance to race in the IndyCar Series — for at least one race. The former CART champion will drive in the July 26 Rexall Edmonton Indy in a car fielded by Walker Racing, supported by Vision Racing and sponsored by Subway.

  • Ryan Newman wipes his face in his garage during NASCAR Sprint Cup practice Friday, July 11, 2008, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., for Saturday's LifeLock.com 400 auto race. (AP Photo/Tim Stewart)
    Ryan Newman to leave Penske Racing at season's end AP - Mon Jul 14, 5:14 PM ET

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. - Ryan Newman, projected as a possible teammate for Tony Stewart on the two-time NASCAR champion's new team, will leave Penske Racing at the end of the 2008 season.

  • Kyle Busch celebrates with his team after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock.com 400 auto race Saturday, July 12, 2008, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
    Busch passes Johnson late to take Chicagoland race AP - Sun Jul 13, 7:53 AM ET

    JOLIET, Ill. - Kyle Busch passed Jimmie Johnson after a restart on the next-to-last lap Saturday night to win his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season.

  • Ana Beatriz, of Brazil, poses with her guitar trophy after winning the Firestone Indy Lights Series' Sunbelt Rentals 100 auto race at Nashville Superspeedway in Gladeville, Tenn., Saturday, July 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
    Brazil's Beatriz 1st woman to win Indy Lights race AP - Sat Jul 12, 8:25 PM ET

    GLADEVILLE, Tenn. - Ana Beatriz of Brazil became the first woman to win on the Firestone Indy Lights Series, taking the rain-delayed Sunbelt Rentals 100 on Saturday at the Nashville Superspeedway.

  • Obama considering NASCAR sponsorship AP - Fri Jul 11, 5:38 PM ET

    JOLIET, Ill. - NASCAR's BAM Racing team is in discussions with Barack Obama's presidential campaign about a potential sponsorship deal in the Sprint Cup series later this year.

  • McLaren to pay court costs to Ferrari after spying AP - Fri Jul 11, 7:44 AM ET

    WOKING, England - The McLaren team settled its legal dispute with Ferrari on Friday, agreeing to pay the Italian team's court costs from the Formula One spying scandal.

  • Tony Stewart, right, and Joe Custer, general manager of Haas-CNC Racing, announce Stewart will become a driver for and co-owner of the NASCAR auto racing team Thursday, July 10, 2008, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
    Stewart to leave Gibbs, become owner-driver in '09 AP - Fri Jul 11, 7:04 AM ET

    JOLIET, Ill. - Tony Stewart knows he's taking a gamble by leaving NASCAR's elite Joe Gibbs Racing team to join one that usually runs in the middle of the pack.

  • NASCAR driver Tony Stewart climbs in his car for the start of the Coke Zero 400 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, July 5, 2008. Joe Gibbs Racing will release Tony Stewart from his contract at the end of the season, ending an incredibly successful decade in which they won two championships and turned the organization into one of NASCAR's best.(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
    Stewart leaving Gibbs; plans to buy NASCAR team AP - Thu Jul 10, 5:19 AM ET

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. - From his seat in the bright orange No. 20, Tony Stewart spent a decade driving his way to superstardom while helping Joe Gibbs Racing become one of NASCAR's top teams.

  • In this June 13, 2008 file photo, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. is shown at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. Truex's bid to make the Chase for the championship took a severe hit Tuesday July 8, 2008 when NASCAR penalized his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team 150 points for bringing an illegal car to Daytona. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
    Truex fined 150 points for failing inspection AP - Tue Jul 8, 6:39 PM ET

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Martin Truex's bid to make the Chase for the championship took a severe hit Tuesday when NASCAR penalized his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team 150 points for bringing an illegal car to Daytona.

  • NASCAR driver Tony Stewart walks to his car for a qualifying run Friday afternoon, July 4, 2008, for Saturday night's running of the Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)
    Stewart looks to snap bad luck streak at Daytona AP - Sat Jul 5, 6:47 PM ET

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Tony Stewart had his heart broken on the last lap of the Daytona 500, when a victory in NASCAR's biggest race was snatched away from him by winner Ryan Newman.

  • Ryan Briscoe of Austrailia celebrates winning the pole after qualifying for the IndyCar Series' Watkins Glen Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen in Watkins Glen, N.Y., Saturday, July 5, 2008. (AP Photo/David Duprey)
    Briscoe on Watkins Glen pole; Dixon starting 4th AP - Sat Jul 5, 5:34 PM ET

    WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - Scott Dixon came into the weekend insisting it wasn't going to be easy to make it four straight IndyCar victories at Watkins Glen International.

  • NASCAR driver Mark Martin, right, smiles as he answers a question with Rick Hendrick during a news conference Friday, July 4, 2008 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Martin announced he will be driving a full schedule next season for Rick Hendrick Motorsports. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
    Martin joins Hendrick, replacing Mears next year AP - Sat Jul 5, 3:19 AM ET

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Mark Martin will make one final effort to win the NASCAR championship that's eluded him the past 26 years by driving for storied Hendrick Motorsports next season.

  • Car owner and former NASCAR driver, Richard Petty watches cars qualifying for the Coke Zero 400 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday, July 4, 2008.(AP Photo/John Raoux)
    DEI sweeps front row at Daytona AP - Fri Jul 4, 7:36 PM ET

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Although Dale Earnhardt Inc. might not be a championship contender, it showed Friday it still can be a force at Daytona International Speedway.

  • New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, left, poses for a photo with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner David Dollar after it was announced that Moss had bought 50 percent of the racing team during a news conference at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. The team will be called Randy Moss Motorsports beginning with the July 19, 2008 race in Kentucky. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
    Randy Moss buys 50 percent of truck team AP - Thu Jul 3, 10:31 PM ET

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Troy Aikman. Terry Bradshaw. Tim Brown. Julius Erving. Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Jim Kelly. Mark Rypien. Roger Staubach.

  • NHRA changing priorities in wake of tragedy AP - Thu Jul 3, 6:42 PM ET

    The death of Scott Kalitta has shaken up the NHRA and sent the organization, its owners and drivers back to the drawing board on safety issues.

  • Formula One urges changes to cut costs AP - Thu Jul 3, 2:01 PM ET

    SILVERSTONE, England - Formula One wants to cut team budgets in half and improve fuel efficiency by 2011 to improve racing.

  • Coulthard announces retirement AP - Thu Jul 3, 10:19 AM ET

    SILVERSTONE, England - David Coulthard has announced he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season.

  • NHRA shortens top division races AP - Wed Jul 2, 10:13 PM ET

    GLENDORA, Calif. - Eleven days after Scott Kalitta was killed in a racing accident, the NHRA reduced the length of Top Fuel and Funny Car races from a quarter-mile to 1,000 feet Wednesday in an interim safety measure.

  • In this Feb. 9, 2008, file photo, Dario Franchitti, of Scotland, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Co-owner Chip Ganassi has ceased operation of Franchitti's race team because of a lack of sponsorship. The 2007 Indy 500 winner and IndyCar Series champion, who drives Ganassi's No. 40 Dodge, has struggled in his first NASCAR season. (AP Photo/Jim Topper, File)
    Chip Ganassi shuts down Franchitti's team AP - Tue Jul 1, 7:09 PM ET

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi shut down Dario Franchitti's race team Tuesday because of a lack of sponsorship, putting the former IndyCar Series champion's future in doubt.

  • Mears and Hendrick to part ways at end of season AP - Fri Jun 27, 10:44 AM ET

    LOUDON, N.H. - Casey Mears will be looking for a new ride in 2009.