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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 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.

FastCar Newsdesk for Bud Shootout, week of 2/5/09

Goodyear is looking at drastic changes to improve its racing tire. According to company officials, Goodyear is already developing a tire that is one to two inches wider and taller than the current tire that teams use. The purpose for forming the bigger tire is to give the new COTs better grip on the racetrack. The COT has caused the tires to have worse grip than on the older racecars. The cars also have less downforce than before, creating sizeable handling problems, especially on bigger racetracks.

FastCar Newsdesk for week of 1/29/09
Though A.J. Allmendinger’s name has been thrown around as a Gillet Evernham Motorsports and Richard Petty Motorsports driver for months, he officially had not been signed by the team, until Wednesday. RPM has signed Allmendinger to run at least 10 races in the No. 44 Dodge this season and may run more, pending sponsorship. The team has an option to keep the third year Cup driver with the team in 2010 as well. If RPM obtains sponsorship for the team, it will field Allmendinger and the No. 44 in more races this year and, again pending sponsorship, would like the field the No. 44 in every race next season.

FastCar Newsdesk for week of 1/2/09

The events of the last month regarding Petty Enterprises, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and their possible merger have taken many turns. A.J. Allmendinger’s promotion to the No. 19 Dodge and Elliott Sadler’s removal from the team is one of he strangest. Last weekend, sources confirmed that Elliott Sadler had been released from his contract and replaced by A.J. Allmendinger, who raced the final five events for GEM in the No. 10 car.

FastCar Newsdesk for week of 12/19/08

The $225 million discrimination lawsuit brought against NASCAR by former official Mauricia Grant has been settled.

What has NOT been settled as of this writing is the name of the team Bobby Labonte will be driving for in 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup competition.

According to officials, the two sides agreed on a settlement on December 3rd, the week of the championship banquet, during a mediation session in New York City. Neither side admits to wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed and neither side is permitted to speak publicly about it.

FastCar Newsdesk for week of 11/20/08

In the weeks prior to NASCAR’s season-ending event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, some inside the sport speculated that 750-1,000 jobs in the sport would be lost. Some even began labeling the Monday following the season as “Black Monday”. For some people and teams, this week has been just that.

FastCar Newsdesk for Texas, Chase Race No. 8, week of 10/30/08