NASCAR news

[Garrett Duke]

I'd miss $50k, but from what I can find of Kyle's earnings for last year it works out at about 2 days' income!. This isn't a regular infringement like speeding in the pit lane, so I don't see why NASCAR can't impose draconian measures to combat this type of behavior. I'd suggest a fine equal to 10% of earnings from the last 12 months. Maybe Kyle wouldn't be so hot-headed if it cost him $870k.

Very true Hoss...financially what NASCAR fined him didn't make a dent in Kyle's pocket book, but ironically Kyle probably costed himself more than what NASCAR fined him. Kyle owns his own truck that he races in the truck race - in other words, the truck he wrecked trying to wreck Hornday was his own truck that he PAYS for. Can't remember the damage off hand right now and I have no patience for my slow computer right now to look it up, but am sure his truck had to gather some damage that he will have to pay for in order to race this weekend.

I am definately not a Kyle Busch fan, but do believe he has matured a lot this year than how he has been in the past. Friday was a huge step backwards in all of that, so I personally feel NASCAR gave him the correct punishment. Not with the fine or the probation, but with parking him. That is the highest penalty that NASCAR has placed upon a driver. (In fact I remember several years ago when Tony Stewart punched a Busch Series driver (am wanting to say it was Kurt Busch, but could be wrong about that...)...and NASCAR ALLOWED him to race in the Sprint Cup race because to take him out of the race would have knocked him out of the championship pursuit. So at least NASCAR decided to park Busch despite him being in the chase...)

I am sure getting parked like that and watching McDowell drive his car was enough of an eye opener as anything else NASCAR could have done...

[Garrett Duke]

Well this may not pertain the whole NASCAR world and may have little effect on anyone on this board other than me and any other Jeff Gordon fan, but had to share the good news. Seeing on how any Jeff Gordon fan after last week's race needs and deserves some good news going into Homestead this weekend.

Jeff Gordon has earned the Person of the Year by NASCAR Illustrated for what I think I read third time in a row. I read that yesterday on his fanforum and just got my NASCAR Illustrated, for December, in the mail today!!!! Am sooooo excited and happy to see his face on the cover and to see him honored with such a deserving title.

This may not alter NASCAR or the chase any or make any big news headlines, but had to share this exciting and GOOD news to y'all. And after the week I have had, I could really USE some good news right about now.

[Brian Coltrane]

Congrats to Jeff Gordon! I think NASCAR as a whole is ready for some good news.

[Garrett Duke]

Congrats to Jeff Gordon! I think NASCAR as a whole is ready for some good news.

So very true Brian. NASCAR does need some good news...

[RogerDuke]

Personally I wouldn't have given him the man of the year award after he tried to run down Rosco (see "Hazzard County Welcomes Jeff Gordon" on the role play forum).

But I am happy for you Garrett. You're truly a loyal fan.

[Garrett Duke]

Personally I wouldn't have given him the man of the year award after he tried to run down Rosco (see "Hazzard County Welcomes Jeff Gordon" on the role play forum).

But I am happy for you Garrett. You're truly a loyal fan.

Well Roger if you are going by our role play...you are clearly mistaken. Your Rosco ran into Gordon...Gordon was an innocent bystander that Rosco's horrendous driving ability took as a victim. And Rosco being Rosco refuses to take any responsability for his own actions...HA HA.

Role play aside, I do believe Gordon is deserving of this honor. For what he does on the track but more so of what he does off the track. For all his charities he is in and all that he does to help kids that are sick. Just amazing. Plus he has now been in NASCAR's Sprint Cups (use to be Winston Cup) Series for twenty years...he has had to have some influence on the sport, don't you think? Like his four championships (next year he'll get number five...HA HA:rofl:) and his 85 wins that has put him as the third winningest driver....

Just saying...though my opinion may be clouded a bit by how BIG of a Jeff Gordon fan I am.

Thanks Roger I am very happy for Jeff Gordon. May not be his well deserved fifth championship I was hoping for, but I am definately happy with his award.

[TRPColtrane95]

my dad like Jeff Gordon but for me for Tony Stewart lol so nice story about that, Garrett..

[TRPColtrane95]

good news about check out:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111121/dragan-jroush-relationship-at-crossroads/index.html

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Monday morning, a few hours before he'd celebrate the twin championships his 2011 Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide Series program had won, Jack Roush said his primary Nationwide drivers, series drivers' champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne, had rides for 2012.

However David Ragan, who has driven Roush's fourth Sprint Cup car for the past five seasons and who already knew the car's current sponsor, UPS, would cut back its involvement in 2012, more than likely won't return.

“

I have tried to help David. [Would you] characterize what I've done as not attempting to be helpful and to do my very best for David?

â€

-- JACK ROUSH

"My expectation right now is that I don't see having something for David next year," Roush said. "We aren't far enough along ... There are some discussions ongoing but they aren't far enough along that I would put more than a 40 percent chance of having something for David."

Roush assessed each of his Cup programs individually and said he wouldn't separate Carl Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne or Matt Kenseth and crew chief Jimmy Fennig; and that "I wish we'd had better chemistry between the crew chief [Greg Erwin] and Greg Biffle, which I think we've achieved now with Matt Puccia in that slot."

Ragan's No. 6 program was the enigma, despite being in a position to win the Daytona 500, winning the non-points Sprint Showdown and then scoring Ragan's first points-paying victory, at Daytona in July.

"David Ragan was a frustration and a disappointment for all of us," Roush said, "because he was not able to realize the potential that he had, given what his skill is and what the expectations of the sponsor were, and what the performance that was being demonstrated in the car, and what the engineering package was."

Roush said he had not yet decided if the No. 6 -- which would be a guaranteed starter beginning the 2012 season based on its 23rd position in the final 2011 owners' standings -- would run in the Daytona 500. Roush said he hoped to put Ragan's crew chief, Drew Blickensderfer, in a Nationwide program.

Roush said he has done what he can to help keep Ragan in the Sprint Cup Series.

"I have tried to help David," Roush said. "[Would you] characterize what I've done as not attempting to be helpful and to do my very best for David? As far as I know Richard Petty's situation is stable, and either Ricky or Trevor will figure into the Wood Brothers' limited program.

"So I don't really see anybody that's under my direct influence, with regard to building cars for [Ragan], where we'd have something for David. I know David's talking to a number of people and he's commented publicly, though not to me, that he would be in a Cup car next year and he expected to be in the Daytona 500."

Roush Fenway senior vice president of business operations Steve Newmark confirmed the ongoing discussions and said "the ideal would be for David to remain under the Roush Fenway umbrella. We've had some discussions with him, looking at the Nationwide level."

As for Stenhouse and Bayne, their plans are in place, but it's still unsure which one will fit where.

"Ricky will have a ride with us next year, although I'm not sure what, or in which series, for that matter," Roush said. "And so will Trevor. There are [sponsorship] discussions ongoing that are certainly benefitted by the championship and the competitive effort that both Ricky and Trevor made this year."

Stenhouse won twice at Iowa Speedway and defeated Elliott Sadler by 45 points to win the title while Bayne scored his first career Nationwide victory in the fall Texas race.

Newmark said as of Monday RFR would field one full-time Nationwide program and another part-time effort in 2012, and whichever of Stenhouse or Bayne didn't compete full time in Nationwide would compete in the legendary No. 21 Ford fielded for a partial Sprint Cup schedule by Wood Brothers Racing, a Roush Fenway ally.

"Those kids are the future of Roush Fenway Racing and we don't want to get in a position of rushing them along," Newmark said, "particularly within the constraints of the current business structure."

In 2011, Bayne ran 17 races for the Woods, winning the season-opening Daytona 500. Stenhouse ran the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and started ninth and finished 11th in his Cup Series debut.

With Edwards, who secured the 2011 Nationwide owners' championship for Roush, ceasing to run full-time in Nationwide and the status of the No. 6 Sprint Cup program unsure, Roush said "we've got some people that will be displaced, though those decisions haven't been finalized, so I wouldn't care to speculate."

Newmark confirmed the organization would scale back but he was not in a position to cite any numbers or definite layoff dates.

what you think of that story is?

thanks

[TRPColtrane95]

well other news for Mark Martin's new team and number check out:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111123/mwaltrip-mmartin-55/index.html

CORNELIUS, N.C. -- Michael Waltrip Racing has announced that Mark Martin and Michael Waltrip's Toyotas will carry the No. 55 during the 2012 and '13 Sprint Cup Series seasons.

The number commemorates Charlie Loudermilk's founding of Aaron's Inc., in 1955.

"This is a new era for the Aaron's Dream Machine," Aaron's chief operating officer Ken Butler said "Our new driver lineup with Mark and Michael created a good opportunity for us to make more changes, including the car number. Every one of our employees knows the significance of the number 55 in our company, and I know they will have pride watching that number compete on Sundays while flying our colors."

Martin will drive in 25 Cup events each of the next two seasons, sharing the No. 55 with Waltrip, who will drive seven events with Aaron's sponsorship. Martin will join Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. in the MWR stable of drivers.

Martin will begin his tenure with MWR at the 2012 Daytona 500. Waltrip will run the remaining restrictor-plate races plus the race in his home state of Kentucky. MWR plans to run a combination of drivers and sponsor partners to fill the remaining races when Martin and Waltrip are not behind the wheel.

"I love it, a new team, a new car and a new number," Martin said. "The car number means a lot to the driver. We talked about a lot of different number options, but the number 55 means a lot to Aaron's and to Michael, so I am proud to drive it."

Waltrip raced the No. 55 at Bill Davis Racing in 2006 and 2007-09, the first three years of MWR's existence.

"This means a lot to me," Waltrip said. "I know how far MWR has come since we started with the No. 55 NAPA Toyota and how much we've grown heading into 2012. To get back into the No. 55 Toyota in 2012 and share driving duties with a first-ballot hall of famer in Mark Martin is certainly an honor."

Aaron's relationship with MWR began in 2000 when the Atlanta-based company sponsored six races for Waltrip's Nationwide team and now is one of the most recognizable Cup sponsorships in the sport. Aaron's has grown from 400 stores to more than 1,900 since its initial sponsorship.

and also:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111123/kharvick-swilson-crew-chief/index.html

WELCOME, N.C. -- Richard Childress Racing has made organizational changes to its competition department in preparation for the 2012 NASCAR season, as longtime crew chiefs Shane Wilson and Gil Martin have been given new assignments.

Wilson

Wilson has been named the crew chief of the No. 29 Chevrolet with driver Kevin Harvick after three seasons in the same position with RCR's No. 33 team. Martin, the No. 29 team crew chief since May 2009 and a crew chief at RCR since August 2000, has been named director of team operations, reporting to director of competition Kent Day.

"Kevin [Harvick] came to me after the Phoenix race a couple weeks ago and asked for a change in the leadership of his team for the 2012 season," team owner Richard Childress said. "The expectations at RCR are to win championships so the decision was made to move Shane Wilson to the No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy Johns program. Shane did a great job for RCR in the Nationwide Series when he first got here, and built on that success the past three seasons with our No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper team, so we feel he will continue do a great job with the No. 29 team."

This is not the first time Wilson and Harvick have worked together. They joined forces in 2006 to earn 10 wins, 24 top-five finishes and 31 top-10s on the way to that season's Nationwide Series championship. The team's 824-point margin of victory is a series record.

"Shane is a good friend of mine and we had a lot of success together in the NASCAR Nationwide Series," Harvick said. "He has a lot of experience now in the Sprint Cup Series and I look forward to working with him again."

Further personnel changes within RCR's competition department will be announced in the coming weeks.

and they will plan quit or not check out on #22 team:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111122/saddington-quits-kubusch-crew-chief/index.html

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kurt Busch has lost his second crew chief in three seasons.

Penske Racing confirmed Tuesday crew chief Steve Addington has left the organization. He joined Penske before the 2010 season after spending two seasons working with Busch's younger brother, Kyle.

Addington guided the 2004 NASCAR champion to four victories and spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship the past two years.

"Steve Addington is no longer with our organization," Penske team president Tim Cindric said in a statement. "We appreciate the successes we experienced together and wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Although the split had been rumored for months, Addington had repeatedly declined to discuss his future with Busch or address speculation he planned to go to work for three-time champion Tony Stewart in 2012. Stewart crew chief Darian Grubb confirmed Sunday night after their championship-clinching victory that Grubb had been told he won't be back with the team next season.

It's not clear if that will change since Stewart won the title, but Stewart-Haas Racing has several competition openings that Addington could fill.

Addington has been on the receiving end this season of many of Busch's verbal assaults, including an infamous in-race meltdown in May over Busch's team radio. News that Addington had officially left the team came the same day a video shot by a fan emerged on YouTube of Busch being verbally abusive to an ESPN reporter during Sunday's season-finale race at Homestead.

NASCAR called Busch's language in the video "disappointing" but noted the driver was frustrated because an early transmission issue had knocked him out of the race.

"Clearly, Kurt was frustrated with what happened with his car that early in the race, however his choice of language at the time was disappointing," spokesman Kerry Tharp said.

Busch was also caught during the live broadcast making an obscene gesture inside his car as he drove his wounded Dodge into the garage.

Penske Racing apologized in a statement and said the incident was being reviewed internally.

"Penske Racing extends its apologies to Dr. Jerry Punch, our media partners and our sponsors and fans for Kurt Busch's inappropriate actions in Homestead on Sunday," the statement said. "These actions do not represent Penske Racing and are inconsistent with the company's standards for behavior, respect for others and professionalism."

ESPN said the network and Punch would have no comment.

Busch released a statement Tuesday afternoon apologizing for his actions.

"Unfortunately, our result in the season-ending race at Homestead on Sunday was not what we had hoped for as a team. In my frustration with the loss of my transmission early in the race, I let my emotions get the better of me. I regret having done this and apologize to the sponsors of Penske Racing , to NASCAR, its fans, to the media and in particular, Dr. Jerry Punch."

Busch also lost crew chief Pat Tryson after the 2009 season, when Tryson left Penske to work for Michael Waltrip Racing. He made his decision to leave right before the Chase began.

Busch won two races this year and finished 11th in the final Cup Series standings.

wait see after 2012 is happing...

what you think of this number is? thanks enjoy

[Garrett Duke]

See you beat me to some of my stories I was planning on posting here. Guess I miss a lot by going on vacation. good work though...

Though I also read that Kurt Busch got fined fifty thousand dollars for his actions during the Homestead race. He had transmission problems early on and I guess he gave one of the announcers the bird and then cussed him out. He got caught on a fans video cussing him out and was put on youtube and NASCAR fined him for it.

He shoulda learned from his brother when he flipped the official off last year at the fall texas race and gotne parked for three laps and fined 25 thousand dollars and put on probation for the rest of that year...

Don't know how big of news that is since that is just a slap on the wrist for Kurt with is payroll...just think (my opionion being...) that NASCAR is done putting up with him yelling and cussing people out once he gets upset.

83 more days til Daytona...

[TRPColtrane95]

yeah thanks, Garrett and yeah bad kurt need better to be for next year for nascar. check out news about that:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111128/saddington-tstewart-crew-chief-shr/index.html

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Steve Addington, winner of 16 Sprint Cup Series races as a crew chief, has been named to the same position for three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and the No. 14 team of Stewart-Haas Racing effective immediately.

“

His talent behind the wheel is obvious, but his ability to motivate and get everyone to believe that whatever goal they set is attainable is something every crew chief wants, and I plan to make the most of it.

”

-- STEVE ADDINGTON

The Spartanburg, S.C., native is only the third crew chief Stewart has had during his 13-year Cup career, and it comes just a week after Stewart captured the 2011 Sprint Cup title.

"I know Steve well and I know how he goes about setting up a race car," said Stewart, who worked with Addington from 2005 through 2008 during his time at Joe Gibbs Racing. "My comfort level with him is already strong. He balances the technical part of our sport with the real-world experiences we get at the track, and that will allow for a smooth transition as we prepare to defend our title in 2012."

Addington has served as crew chief for Bobby Labonte (2005), J.J. Yeley (2006-2007), Kyle Busch (2008-race No. 33 of 2009) and Kurt Busch (2010-2011) during his Cup career. Twelve wins were scored with Kyle Busch at JGR and four wins were notched with older brother Kurt during his most recent tenure at Penske Racing.

Prior to rising to the elite Cup ranks, Addington spent 15 seasons as a crew chief in the Nationwide Series, 11 of which came with driver Jason Keller where the duo won 10 races, 11 poles and scored 69 top-five and 122 top-10 finishes.

"Tony and I are a lot alike and we're able to push each other," Addington said. "I saw how he worked when we were at Gibbs together and I'm not surprised at all at the success he's created at Stewart-Haas Racing. He expects a lot and he knows a lot. His talent behind the wheel is obvious, but his ability to motivate and get everyone to believe that whatever goal they set is attainable is something every crew chief wants, and I plan to make the most of it."

Addington has proven he can win with all kinds of drivers at all kinds of tracks. From the quiet and low-key driving styles of Keller and Mike Bliss, whom Addington worked with in the Nationwide Series, to the competitive personalities of Kyle and Kurt Busch, Addington has steered his pilots to victory, and he's done so at every type of race track -- superspeedways, road courses, intermediates and short tracks.

"Steve has proven himself everywhere he's been," Stewart added. "Our expectation when we unload each weekend is to win, and that's Steve's expectation, too. Getting there is never easy, but we've both been around long enough to know what it takes to be successful."

Addington replaces Darian Grubb, who served as Stewart's crew chief since the inception of SHR in 2009.

"Darian was a very important part of the success we've had at Stewart-Haas Racing," Stewart said. "I'm very proud of everything he helped accomplish, especially this year when we all rallied to win the championship. He's a great person and I know he'll continue to be successful in this sport."

so I hope he will be good for next year with Stewart's team... nice what you think of that?

Chief Grubb wil leave Stewart's as well check out:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111120/dgrubb-told-out-of-job-tstewart/index.html

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Stewart-Haas Racing Sprint Cup champion crew chief Darian Grubb, in the afterglow of owner/driver Tony Stewart's title-clinching victory in Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway said he's known for six weeks that, with the season's final checkered flag, he was out of a job.

“

I'm not really sure what's going to happen now. I was told early-on in the Chase that I wasn't going to be here next year.

”

-- DARIAN GRUBB

But team co-owner Stewart, after telling a story of getting a post-race phone call from his childhood hero, A.J. Foyt, was not as definitive about Grubb's status as the Virginia native said he was led to believe prior to the Oct. 15 Charlotte Motor Speedway round of the championship.

"I know what his status is for the rest of [sunday] night -- I'm going to get him drunk," Stewart, seated between co-owner Gene Haas and Grubb on the media center stage, said. "There's a lot of things in the offseason and a lot of decisions that have to be made and obviously we wanted to get through this championship first.

"We'll sit down as a group this week and figure out the direction of our program. The good thing is we're sitting up here as champions right now and I don't think that any of us are really too concerned about anything other than having fun [sunday] night and enjoying the accomplishment we've had over the last 10 weeks."

Grubb, the former Hendrick Motorsports engineer who joined Stewart-Haas Racing three years ago as crew chief when Stewart became co-owner with businessman and race team owner Haas, said he was having a hard time comprehending the news he was given before Stewart and their team won three of the final six Chase for the Sprint Cup races, and five overall.

"It still is [baffling] to me, obviously," Grubb said 10 or 15 minutes before Stewart reached the room. "I'm not really sure what's going to happen now. I was told early-on in the Chase, before Charlotte, that I wasn't going to be here next year.

"So we just kept fighting and doing everything we had to do every week. It didn't change anything of what the outcome was going to be. We fought as if we were going to fight to win this championship, and we did it. Now we'll just see in this coming week how things change."

Winning his way

Tony Stewart's fifth Chase victory made him a three-time Cup Series champ. Smoke needed every one as he and Carl Edwards finished in a dead heat and Stewart won on the tiebreaker.

Complete story

Caraviello: Drive of his life

Press Pass: Stewart

Video: Crowning the champ

Final Laps: Stewart hangs on

Video: Trouble on pit road

Video: Stewart goes four-wide

Video: Grill damage early on 14

Stewart's average finish in the Chase was 6.3. After winning the first two races in the Chase -- which broke a 33-race losing streak -- Stewart finished 25th at Dover and 15th at Kansas and he was seventh in the Chase. And Grubb was given the news.

"I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people," Grubb said of the immediate aftermath. "Telling them to please give me the courtesy of waiting until [sunday] night to see what we could accomplish. Now that we've done that, I guess we'll start talking, but we'll do a little celebrating, first."

From the point Grubb was informed of the decision, the team finished eighth at Charlotte, seventh at Talladega and then won three of the final four races, sandwiched around a third-place at Phoenix. Grubb said his uncertain future might have actually helped, not hurt the effort.

"Honestly, it probably made the guys rally around a little more," Grubb said. "Just because we all felt like we were a team to beat, and we wanted to prove that -- so we just did it. Everybody went out there and just kept doing their jobs, kept their heads up and didn't let it drag anybody down.

"We may have even gotten closer, as a team after that because we had a couple excursions as a team after that where we went out, as a team and had a lot of fun and really enjoyed it."

Even with all that, Grubb's unsure of the future, only saying "it depends" what can be determined in discussions this week.

"Originally, I always wanted to stay within the organization," Grubb said. "That was the reason I came here; was to build something special and I think we've done that. We've made the Chase all three years and we had a shot at winning the championship all three years.

"And now this year, to be able to pull it off -- we've accomplished our goals -- and that's what we wanted to do. As far as a timeline [to make a decision] I'll let you know later. We're going to plan to celebrate, talk [and] see what happens from there."

mean I will miss him since he first time win for championship as well.. oh boy I love Stewart's team as well..

not forget Championship in Las Vegas in Dec 2nd for night on

http://www.nascar.com/promos/championship/index.html

not forget that any you going watching or not? I might because Tony Stewart in that for.

thanks enjoy

[TRPColtrane95]

more news on chief team:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111128/dgrubb-rhendrick-door-open-for-return/index.html

Darian Grubb may be out at Stewart-Haas Racing, but Rick Hendrick has told Tony Stewart's former crew chief that there will be a place for him at Hendrick Motorsports -- although it's unclear if Grubb would be willing to take a step down to return to the organization he once called home.

Grubb on Monday was formally released as Stewart's crew chief, making final a decision the driver/owner had made midway through this recent Chase and kept to despite the pair winning the Sprint Cup championship together. Steve Addington, formerly Kurt Busch's crew chief at Penske Racing, will replace Grubb, who had been on the box for Stewart since Stewart-Haas Racing was formed prior to the 2009 campaign.

“

I hope Darian ends up back with us, and I think he would help our organization a lot. But I'm not sure if he wants to be a crew chief. We don't have that spot.

”

-- RICK HENDRICK

Before that, Grubb worked at Hendrick, where he was an engineer on Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 team, and won two races -- including the Daytona 500 -- while regular crew chief Chad Knaus was serving a NASCAR-mandated suspension. Grubb also won the Coca-Cola 600 while working as crew chief to former Hendrick driver Casey Mears in 2007. Grubb went on to win 11 more races with Stewart, whose team uses chassis and engines supplied by Hendrick.

Hendrick said he and Grubb have talked, but that Hendrick does not currently have a crew chief position available. An engineering role, though, is there if Grubb wants it.

"I have had discussions with Darian," Hendrick said in a conference call with reporters. "When he left, we told him we'd always have a place for him if he wanted to come back. Darian is a very smart guy. I know he's entertaining a lot of offers out there. We don't have a crew chief role. We have an engineering role that we think Darian would be really good in. But at the end of the day it's got to be what Darian wants to do. I know he is close to all of our people and our guys are close to him. We'd love to have him back in the organization, but I quite honestly don't know where he's going to end up. We would like to have him, but whether or not he's going to decide he wants to be in the role we've offered him or he wants to do something somewhere else, I'm just not sure."

Hendrick shuffled three of his four crew chiefs prior to this past season, which resulted in improved efforts for Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick reiterated Monday that Johnson and Knaus would remain together for next year. Kasey Kahne is joining Hendrick for the 2012 season, replacing Mark Martin in the No. 5 car, but bringing crew chief Kenny Francis along with him. That doesn't leave much room for a crew chief with a championship on his resume, something Hendrick concedes.

"Darian is a very smart guy and a very capable guy, and he will do well anywhere he goes," Hendrick said. "Whatever driver [he works with] or whatever position he's in, he's a very talented guy. And we'll just have to wait and see, but like I said before, you just can't go get a guy out of one organization and stick him in another organization and he's going to be the fix-all. I don't think that happens that way. It takes a combination of a lot of things. And the cars are so close anyway. The area for us to work in is so small with the new car, the way NASCAR's rules are written. It comes down to mainly the personalities and the communication between the engineers, the crew chiefs, the driver and the team, the chief mechanics, everybody working together.

"So I don't have any idea. I hope Darian ends up back with us, and I think he would help our organization a lot. But I'm not sure if he wants to be a crew chief. We don't have that spot. We'll just have to wait and see."

and new one about hired him:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111128/dblickensderfer-jburton-crew-chief/index.html

WELCOME, N.C. -- Richard Childress Racing has named Drew Blickensderfer as the crew chief for the No. 31 team with driver Jeff Burton for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season.

“

I was around Jeff briefly at RFR and always admired and liked him.

”

-- DREW BLICKENSDERFER

Luke Lambert, interim crew chief during the latter part of the 2011 season for the No. 31 team, will assume a yet-to-be announced new position at RCR.

Blickensderfer begins his RCR career after nearly a decade with Roush Fenway Racing. He spent the 2011 Cup season leading the No. 6 team and has been a crew chief, in the Cup and Nationwide series, since 2007.

"I'm excited about the move to RCR and the opportunity to help lead Jeff Burton and the Cat/Wheaties Racing team back into Chase contention," Blickensderfer said. "I was around Jeff briefly at RFR and always admired and liked him. He's a very talented driver and I look forward to working him and the rest of the No. 31 team in 2012."

Burton qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup from 2006-2008 and 2010. He finished 20th in the final 2011 driver championship point standings.

"Drew is a strong leader and will be a great complement to the Caterpillar/Wheaties Racing team," Childress said. "He's won some big races, including the 2009 Daytona 500, his first race as a Sprint Cup Series crew chief. There's every reason to believe the combination of Jeff and Drew will be a successful one."

Richard "Slugger" Labbe will remain as the crew chief for the No. 27 team in 2012. It was announced previously that crew chief Shane Wilson will move from the No. 33 to the same position with the No. 29 team and driver Kevin Harvick. Gil Martin, the No. 29 team crew chief since May 2009 and a crew chief at RCR since August 2000, has been named director of team operations.

Further personnel changes within RCR's competition department will be announced in the coming weeks.

mean lot stuff going on for next year huh?

thanks enjoy

[Garrett Duke]

Well y'all may want to sit down for this NASCAR news...it's going to surprise the socks off of ya.

Dale Earnhardt Jr won the most popular driver award last night...for the nineth year in a row.

Y'all surprised? I wasn't but have to say he deserves it...even if it isn't Jeff Gordon. Congrats to Dale Jr...

Also NASCAR news...the NASCAR awards banquet is being held tonight in Las Vegas at 9:00 PM ET on SPEED. It will consist of the top ten drivers in points in the Sprint Cup Series...

Don't know about y'all...but am ready for Daytona 500 to be here. Why oh why does there have to be an off season? LOL. Well until then, I guess I'll be going for the ol' blue and orange and be yelling GO BEARS instead of GO JEFF GORDON! LOL. Love my football, but still not NASCAR or baseball...

[TRPColtrane95]

yeah I might watching on speed tonight after thundercats 2011 cartoon at 7:30pm on CN then watching Speed as well. be beware KC Chief will playing with Chicago Bears this weekend to be and would be tough game I think not sure known.. be watching out to.

[Garrett Duke]

A football fan too? Well we will see who will walk away from the game a winner...HA HA. Best of luck to your Cheifs...though I'll be going for the Bears all the way. Though your Cheifs as Stanzi who played for Iowa last year so can't be too bad.

Probably won't watch the awards, but will watch the driver's speeches online at NASCAR.com if they have them there as they did last year.

Jeff Gordon's dance move Had to post this awesome video...loved every second of it. Don't know how Jeff Gordon got talked into doing that, but was glad to catch it online tonight. It was good hearing other driver's comments as well...Jimmie Johnson " Do I still have a job after this?" LOL. Another reason why I love NASCAR...more than just the cars and the racing, it's the driver's as well and their personalities. Just awesome!

[TRPColtrane95]

lol:lol: hope not to be which win for this sunday game but I not really football fan but just enjoy watching when if good game I would watch and if not good game so I not watching that game if they would. I like KC Chief and St. Louis Rams myself but my grandpa like chicago too.

So for Jeff Gordon's dancing that nice as well.. my dad like Jeff Gordon to be. he watching sometime because he like watching football more. hope soon finish for next year like super bowl game hope who best team for this year. I like Nascar more than football but just for enjoy watching like how score they are.

[TRPColtrane95]

I miss some friday night because not feel well some nap oh boy. but I did read on nascar.com news about it. nice to know. oh well.. but you know KC Chiefs beat Chicago that I happy now.. will play next ny jets oh well. hope break time news for next 2012 see what happening in Daytona 500 in late Feb 26th to be.. oh well.. I can't wait.. for few months to go..

[Garrett Duke]

Can't say I am too happy that your Cheifs won today since they were playing my BEARS...dang they need Jay Cutler back.. Anyway, hope you get feeling better soon.

I didn't watch it either. Did watch Gordon's and Johnson's speech online as well as the newly wed show the chase drivers played Friday...watched it online. It was hilarious and it was great to see the drivers dress in normal clothing and be relaxed...be themselves.

Am so looking forward to Daytona 500...finally did the math. Officially we have 83 days left til the next official race. Even longer than I had thought. Just keeps getting worse...

[Garrett Duke]

Kurt Busch possibly fired...

Well it is looking like Kurt Busch has been fired from Penske Racing...though as of now it is not official and no one there has came forth with it. But has said it comes from someone close to the organization.

It comes from the race at Homestead where Kurt had transmission issue. He gave someone the bird...and then cussed out Dr. Jerry Punch (one of the reporters) in the garage...it got caught on a fan's camera who put it on Youtube. NASCAR had fined Kurt fifty thousand dollars and put him on probation through Dec. 31.

And now it looks like it has now gotten him fired from his job. Which will definately shake things up for the 2012 season since there isn't any real big car openings for next year. At least not like he has now nor is there any big names that is open to take his job at Penske.

I'm assuming that Penske is tired of Kurt cussing people out or his anger. This isn't the first time this year that he gotten recognized for cussing someone out when upset.

Though did read at another site that Kurt is now seeing a sports psychologist in order to control his anger...and to be a better person. Though for his job, looks like it may be too late.

As I said, the article said no one has made it official as of yet, but it comes from a close source.

As Waylon would say...y'all may want to sit down, things may be about to get interesting. Don't know if he ever said anything like that but can hear him saying that on the Dukes.

(Sorry Roger...know you were a fan of Kurt's...perhaps you can drop him now and go for Gordon. I can always hope! )

[RogerDuke]

Dale Earnhardt Jr won the most popular driver award last night...for the nineth year in a row.

Wow, what a shock!

just kidding

I voted for Davd Ragen

[TRPColtrane95]

wow, yeah that bad for Kurt to be.. but Kyle still keeping racing as well oh boy. not know happening to be. oh well.. keep up, Kurt and hope something for him.

[Garrett Duke]

Wow, what a shock!

just kidding

I voted for Davd Ragen

LOL...thought it may shock you.

As for David...guess I should tell you now in case it does turn into something. Jack Roush (his car owner) says that more than likely David Ragen will NOT be driving for him next year. Said he was disappointed in David Ragen and how he drove or something like that. I didn't read the whole article. Am not a big fan of Rousch...even though I do like Carl Edwards...who also drives for Rousch.

David is a talented kid and I am sure he will find another ride if Rousch does follow through with his line of thought. Ragen may not be like Edwards, Kenseth as of yet, but I feel like Rousch isn't giving him the time to mature. I mean, Ragen even got his first win this year...

Though Roger...who knows, perhaps David will take up Kurt Busch's old ride...guess as of now, time will tell.

82 days until Daytona 500...not that I am counting or anything.

[TRPColtrane95]

yep, new from nascar.com:

http://www.nascar.com/news/111206/kbusch-season-in-review-2011/index.html

Even as Kurt Busch's 2011 season came to a conclusion, the 2004 Cup Series champion knew he had to make adjustments moving into the future.

The biggest one imaginable came into sharp focus three days after the annual Cup awards celebration, when Busch and Penske Racing announced Monday their mutual agreement to separate, fewer than two seasons after announcing a long-term contract extension in spring 2010.

“

We won at Sonoma, we won a Chase race at Dover and we were nine points out of the lead three races into the Chase. That's the season that I think of. I don't look at those last three races.

â€

-- KURT BUSCH

Starting over

Kurt Busch leaves Penske Racing with a dearth of open seats and no announced plans for the future. It was a move that was unexpected even two months ago.

Penske, Busch announce split

Meeting set for Busch's future

Busch sees sports psychologist

Busch fined after Homestead

Addington quits as No. 22 chief

Busch's on-track reputation as a front-line competitor remained intact this season, as he made his sixth Chase for the Sprint Cup in eight tries, though blunted by his second consecutive 11th-place finish.

Busch continued a 10-year string of winning at least one points race a season, with two of them. Busch, in fact, won the first two races he started in his renumbered No. 22 Dodge -- a sponsor-driven switch from the famed "blue deuce" Busch had driven since joining Penske in 2006.

The non-points Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race were previews of how effective Busch would be in the 2011 regular season, when he remained in the top 10 in the standings all 26 regular-season races.

But intermittently throughout the season, flashes of a more personally disagreeable Busch flared up: on his in-car radio with his crew chief, crew and even owner Roger Penske -- and sometimes in clashes with his competitors and the media.

Busch reached the critical Richmond cutoff point for the Chase as the series' seventh seed for the playoffs. Busch secured that with a personally satisfying June victory at Infineon Raceway, seven top-fives and 14 top-10s.

The first four races in the Chase were solid, as was Busch's estimation of his relationship with crew chief Steve Addington.

Busch said when he got through the end of the summer he didn't expect Addington would leave. But then rumors erupted in the garage area around the fifth Chase race at Charlotte that Addington was considering leaving.

At the time, Busch was sixth in the championship, but only 16 points behind series leader Carl Edwards. Two races before, Busch and Addington had won their second points race of the season, at Dover. Then, Busch was fourth and only nine points out of the lead. No one could've predicted what would happen from there.

"Normal crew chief season is August," Busch said last week in Las Vegas. "That's when they talk to the owner. In August I was led to believe everything was fine. In Charlotte it was definitely a big surprise. He gave me his word, though, and said we'd be together until the end."

Addington stayed through Homestead, but in quick succession after the season, Addington announced he was leaving Penske and joining Stewart-Haas Racing. It was the second time in three seasons Busch was faced with a crew chief leaving; Pat Tryson left Penske as the 2009 Chase began.

The rumors swirling around Addington and the upheaval they caused had the direct opposite effect of the same situation at Stewart-Haas. Right before Charlotte owner/driver Tony Stewart told crew chief Darian Grubb that Grubb wouldn't be retained for 2012. That team rallied to win three races and Stewart's third series championship.

Unfortunately for Busch and Penske, that didn't happen with him. Busch finished 13th at Charlotte, which was his best finish in the last six races. It didn't reflect the way his car ran at times, but Busch was still often openly disgusted.

Busch's season reached its nadir at Homestead. Busch said his path to his garage stall -- with his car without drive due to a broken transmission -- was blocked by a VIP's motorcade. Busch was caught on the live ESPN broadcast flipping a one-finger salute to someone he didn't identify. A fan then caught Busch in a profanity-laced exchange with ESPN pit reporter Jerry Punch and his camera crew that was posted on YouTube.

NASCAR fined Busch $50,000 for the two incidents and it ultimately led to the decision Busch and Penske announced in conjunction Monday.

"When I got out of the car at Homestead...the flash that had just gone through my head was that I was gonna finish 11th [in the championship] again," Busch said. "Eleventh is the first loser, when you come to Vegas."

Near the end of the season, Busch said he began working with a sports psychologist on his "personal issues" -- the jagged emotional peaks and valleys he displays. The pressure on Busch and his team reached its peak in the 2011 stretch run.

"You know you have to perform for 26 races and then the 10 at the end," Busch said of the effects of stress. "The way the season ended, we had a great shot of being fifth in points. Then we run out of gas at Texas gambling, we led the race at Phoenix and run out of fuel due to a poor calculation.

"Then we go to Homestead and the transmission breaks. I've been in racing a long time and transmissions don't normally fall out. So here we are, three solid weeks in a row where the team didn't put it together and it just all hit at once."

Despite the ultimate outcome and his current need, as 2011 comes to an end, to find a ride for 2012, Busch still felt his season was a positive one, on-track.

"I feel like our year -- a solid year with four trips to Victory Lane -- we won Daytona with a new sponsor, a new number and a new look, and we blended in. We won at Sonoma, we won a Chase race at Dover and we were nine points out of the lead three races into the Chase.

"That's the season that I think of. I don't look at those last three races."

But Busch does acknowledge the multi-level challenge he now has.

"There's bigger things that I have to accomplish," Busch said. "And it can't happen overnight."

well something good for Kurt's to be... good luck for him, So I not fan of him either as well..

thanks enjoy

[TRPColtrane95]

if any interesting of fan #24 jeff gordon and cool check out his home site:

http://jeffgordon.com/news/

his new car for 2011 wallpapers:

http://jeffgordon.com/media/downloads/wallpapers/800x600/DTEH800x600.jpg

http://jeffgordon.com/media/downloads/wallpapers/800x600/wallpaper9_800.jpg

that some look good for you guys who fan for #24 to be..

as well to be..

thanks enjoy

[Garrett Duke]

Thanks for posting that TRP Coltrane. I love it...can't wait to see it on the track and in Victory Lane.

Thanks!