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FastCar Newsdesk for New Hampshire Motor Speedway, week of 6/25/09

A partnership with Nationwide Series Toyota team Braun Racing begins this weekend (with Elliott Sadler in the No. 10) for Richard Petty Motorsports and rumors are rampant about the future manufacturer of that team. Reports surfaced this week that RPM is considering putting marquee driver Kasey Kahne in a No. 9 Sprint Cup Series Toyota in the next month and a half, but those sources say that change likely will not happen midseason.

FastCar Newsdesk for Michigan International Speedway, week of 6/11/09

The promise that once blew strong in the sails of 2009’s Sprint Cup Series startup teams is nothing more than a whispering breeze now. The car count for the opening races of 2009 (excluding the outlier Daytona 500) was around 50 cars, but as the stronger of the teams started knocking the others out of races via qualifying, some of the teams that were planning on running a full schedule trimmed back their plans. Teams like the No. 27 of Kirk Schelmerdine Racing, the No. 64 of Gunselman Motorsports, the No. 51 of Black Jack Racing, the No. 73 owned by Mike Garvey had all at some point planned on full schedules, but then backed off of that goal.

FastCar Newsdesk for Dover International Speedway, week of 5/28/09

Tony Eury Jr.’s tumultuous tenure as crew chief for his cousin Dale Earnhardt Jr. is over. Thursday, Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, announced that Lance McGrew is replacing Eury Jr. on the No. 88 team just days after the National Guard Chevy finished a dismal 40th place at Lowe’s Motor Speedway with handling issues.

“Our performance hasn’t been where it should be,” Hendrick said. “It’s impossible to pin that on any one factor, but a change is the right decision at this point. We have a plan in place, and we’re going to move forward with it.”

FastCar Newsdesk for 25th Sprint All-Star Race

Before the All-Star race festivities this weekend, veteran driver Bill Elliott set his sights on Talladega Superspeedway to break his own speed record at the track. Elliott came to the legendary Alabama track with Hajek Motorsports and a Ford Mustang FR500C powered with E85. That same car had clocked a 252 mph speed at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

FastCar Newsdesk for Darlington Raceway, week of 5/8/09

Sad news comes from Richmond, Virginia this week as former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Kevin Grubb was found dead in a hotel room Wednesday morning.

Reports state that Grubb, 31, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, though no official report has been released. Suspended twice by NASCAR for substance abuse violations, the second time being a lifetime ban, Grubb, a native of Richmond suburb Mechanicsville, last drove a NASCAR race in 2006.

FastCar Newsdesk for Richmond International Raceway, week of 5/1/09

The excitement of Brad Keselowski’s breakthrough Sprint Cup Series victory in James Finch’s No. 09 Chevy in last Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway has been tapered by the aftermath and injuries caused Carl Edwards’ nasty flip. Calls by drivers, journalists, fans, and others in the sport to redesign the racecars, the racetrack, the catch fence, the restrictor plates, the yellow-line rules and the grandstands at Talladega have permeated airwaves, blogs, and articles throughout the week, prompting a response from NASCAR officials.

Time flies when you are having fun. At the Talladega Short Track one year ago, the two-man crew of Mark Sims Racing, driver/son Mark and father/sponsor Charlie, had been within a couple of months of making their Crate Late Model debut. A lack of experience and funding, combined with the presence of NASCAR-affiliated race teams left the team luck to even make their feature race, much less finish well. Placing well in the consolation race [known as a consy] was a victory itself and the highlight of the evening for the team. The long, rainy night ended with Mark guiding the No. 22M Ford to 24th place finish and a paltry $25 pay off for the effort. Times change.

FastCar Newsdesk for Talladega Superspeedway, week of 04/23/09

Let the games begin. As rumors about the status of drivers like Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. made minor waves a couple of weeks ago, talk of crew chiefs’ jobs became more than that this week. Wednesday, Richard Childress Racing announced that the entire crews of the No. 29 and driver Kevin Harvick and No. 07 and driver Casey Mears will switch, with the changes taking effect next week at Richmond International Raceway.

FastCar Newsdesk for Phoenix International Raceway, week of 4/16/09

Front Row Motorsports driver John Andretti, who sees his No. 34 team locked into the Top 35, after it bought the Chip Ganassi’s No. 41 owner’s points from last season, says that the team plans to run the entire Sprint Cup schedule, though he will miss two races in May because of the Indy 500. No replacement driver has been named.

On the flipside of the equation sits Roush Fenway Racing, which will be forced to downsize from five to four teams after this season. A published report this week states that the team that may have to go is the No. 26 of driver Jamie McMurray.

FastCar Newsdesk for week of 4/9/09
A.J. Allmendinger will have at least have a shot at making The Chase this year and Hunt Brothers Pizza is the latest company he and the No. 44 team have to thank. Richard Petty Motorsports officials announced this week that the pizza chain will sponsor the team for six races, giving RPM’s fourth Cup team sponsorship through the September 12th race in Richmond, the last race before The Chase begins.

FastCar Newsdesk for Texas Motor Speedway, week of 4/3/09
Another Bruton Smith special comes to fruition the week that he gets inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame (along with Bobby Labonte). NASCAR and the Las Vegas Convention and Vistiors Authority announced today that the Sprint Cup Series banquet, stationed in New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel since 1981, is moving from the Big Apple to Nevada’s largest city, beginning this year. Though announced, both sides still have to finalize some details of the agreement. The LVCVA reportedly will pay NASCAR an amount between $500,000 and $1 million per year to host the banquet.

FastCar Newsdesk for Bristol, week of 3/20/09
NASCAR team owner Bobby Ginn filed a court document this week stating that he owes only 20% of the $1.5 million dollar tab owed to Hendrick Motorsports, because of a 2007 termination of an engine contract. Ginn claims that when DEI bought Ginn Racing in July 2007, the only Ginn race team that remained in operation was 80% owned by DEI and 20% owned by Ginn.