Truex gets four new pit crew members for Darlington

   In apparent response to driver MartinTruex Jr.'s displeasure with his pit crew in the Sprint Cup Series, Michael Waltrip Racing on Tuesday changed four positions on his team - both the front and rear tire changers and carriers.

   The new members will be in place in time for Saturday night's Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

   Truex was extremely angry with the crew on his No. 56 Toyota Saturday night when he had to come back in after a slow pit stop to fix a broken stud on his car. Before he came down pit road Truex yelled at his crew over his team radio: “You’re all (expletive) fired. Every (expletive) one of you.”

   Truex has had problems with loose wheels on his car in previous races and suffered a bad wreck at Martinsville, Va., when the throttle hung on his car.

   "As we know, the No. 56 has experienced several challenges on pit road and we feel the need to intervene. Pit crews are professional sportsmen and as such, they understand that sometimes changes need to be made," said Steve Hallam, director of competition at MWR.

   "The team will have new tire carriers and changers beginning at Darlington this weekend. Two of those four athletes we’ve added come from our Nationwide program and the other two from our back-up squad."

   Truex said if someone isn't doing their job, then changes need to be made, including himself.

   "I want to win more than anything in this world and that’s why I got very upset," he said. "I understand changes are going to be made within our pit crew heading into Darlington. I appreciate the fact that MWR addressed the issue and we’re moving on.”


  

RIR will review SAFER barriers

   Richmond International Raceway President Doug Fritz released a statement on Monday in response to criticism over the track - and others - not having SAFER barriers installed around the entire facility.

  "The safety of all who attend our events, including the drivers, is of the utmost importance at Richmond International Raceway," he said. "We along with NASCAR and the developer of the Safer Barrier at the University of Nebraska, review the performance of the barrier and its locations and have made improvements from time to time based on recommendations from the University of Nebraska, and will continue to look at being able to improve upon it.”

   Jeff Gordon suffered a hard wreck late in Saturday night's race at Richmond and slammed into an area of the track not covered by a SAFER barrier wall.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks expectations

   The question, on the surface, appeared to be a routine one. But the answer provided by Dale Earnhardt Jr. was far more revealing.

   In the second question of his media availability on Friday at Richmond International Raceway, Earnhardt was asked, "What has been the secret to your success so far this season?" Certainly nothing controversial and an easy opportunity for Earnhardt to talk about his relationship with his new crew chief, Steve Letarte, and his new team.

   His answer, however, was far more complex.

   "It’s because I am the only one under the pressure to keep it up. Probably, so I hope I can come into the next race and keep up the consistency and do it again, and do it again. I don’t have the time to be worried about anything else other than just trying to keep going. So, it’s a lot of pressure to try and keep going and try to keep up the expectations that everybody has for you," Earnhardt said.

   "When we accomplish certain goals like when we win a race or a couple of races, or make the Chase, or win a race in the Chase or battle for the championship … those are the kinds of things that I can be excited about and be happy with and I will enjoy those moments.  And I am happy to be consistent but we still have another step to go and still we are running 7^th, 8^th, 9^th and 10^th at Texas when we should be running 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th you know? 

   "I can understand when one or two cars really hit on something and just outrun the field but you are going to want to be right behind them if you are not one of those two and you want to be right there. We are hustling and hustling pretty hard, but hustling just inside the top-10 and we need to step up just another notch and we have been just trying to work on that, focus on that and what that is and get that done as soon as possible so that we can continue our consistency and continue our strong run in the points up to this point.”

   Earnhardt's answer was very telling. For one, it's clear he is not satisfied. And she shouldn't be. He's shown he can make repeated trips to Victory Lane.

   And he's also aware of the enormous expectations his fans and all of NASCAR have for him and understands those won't be satisfied just with good finishes.

Is it time to panic at Joe Gibbs Racing?

   Is it time to hit the panic button at Joe Gibbs Racing?

   Kyle Busch doesn’t think so.

   Busch, the only JGR driver to win a Sprint Cup Series race this season and the only one in the Top 16 in the series standings after eight races, is certainly a good indicator the organization has the ability to compete for a championship this season.

   However, Denny Hamlin, who finished runner up to Jimmie Johnson in the title hunt last season, is 17^th in points with just one top-10 finish. Joey Logano is 24^th in points, also with a single top-10 finish.

   Busch is currently sixth in points with four top-five and five top-10 finishes.

   “I think we’ve had really good race cars. We’ve been fast and we’ve been competitive and we’ve been able to win, finish top three, be right there and have circumstances not go our way,” Busch said Wednesday at an event in downtown Charlotte promoting the May 21 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

   “Those guys, Denny seems to be struggling a little bit and we’re not sure why and Joey’s just had bad luck. There have been glimpses where we have all been good and glimpses of all of us struggling, too.”

   Busch said there are far more things working well at JGR than problems and is confident his teammates have the tools to perform as well as he has this season.

   It’s just a matter of working through the problems and getting better and as the season progresses, try to get all of us in the top-10,” he said.

   This weekend should provide a telltale sign for Hamlin with the Cup series running in Richmond, Va. Hamlin has won two of the last three races there, including last fall. Busch won the race last spring.

Time again for "Dale Earnhardt Day"

      The annual celebration of "Dale Earnhardt Day" which coincides with the late seven-time NASCAR champion's birthday is set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday at Dale Earnhardt Inc. facilities in Mooresville.

   This year, fans will be allowed access to extra exhibits, including the private oil painting of Dale Earnhardt by renowned artist Denny Dent. This original portrait permanently hangs in the corporate offices of DEI and will be placed on public display for the first time, accompanied by the 5-minute video of Dent actually painting the portrait on stage during a special event.

   The DEI Museum will be opening a new display that includes many of the gifts and tributes sent to and left at DEI and in other venues across the nation in honor of Earnhardt’s life.
One of the new 2011 "Intimidator" Camaros will be featured in a fundraising raffle to benefit the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, with ticket sales starting on Dale Earnhardt Day.

   There will be lots of music, with live performances by "Eddy Francis & Freight Train", and an encore showing of the 2003 Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert Film. Autograph Sessions will be held throughout the day, with guests including Kerry Earnhardt and Taylor Earnhardt. An annual tradition of Dale Earnhardt Day, cupcakes will again be provided to all in attendance in honor of The Intimidator’s birthday.
  
   Prizes will be given out throughout the day to those in attendance, including items from the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Carowinds, and the Kannapolis Intimidators baseball team. Admission is free.

   DEI is located at 1675 Dale Earnhardt Highway #3, outside of Mooresville, N.C.

50 years after first NASCAR start, Wendell Scott's still waiting

   Wendell Scott never got the trophy he won for his lone victory in NASCAR's Cup series.

   He's not getting an easy ride toward a nomination to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, either.

   Another group of 25 nominations to the Hall were released on Tuesday night and again Scott's name was not among them. There have been 35 people nominated to the Hall since its inception and 10 inducted.

   And Scott remains in neither category. Why is Scott's omission so glaring?

   For one, he has been hailed by NASCAR officials time and again as a pioneer for African-Americans in the sport. He is the only African-American driver to win a race in NASCAR's national series. He made 495 starts at what is now the Cup level between 1961-73. He had 147 top-10s and one pole. The Danville, Va., native died in 1990 at age 69.

   On Dec. 1, 1963, Scott won the Cup race at Jacksonville, Fla. He was not announced as the winner of the race at the time as the race promoter did not want to stir racial tensions at the track. Buck Baker, the second-place driver, was declared the winner until NASCAR issued a correction a few days later.

   Based on statistics alone, Scott probably isn't worthy of Hall consideration, but his imprint left on the sport was much larger than his lone victory.

   Late last year, NASCAR in conjunction with Max Siegel Inc. took the idea of a docu-drama about Scott's life to ESPN. The network agreed to run it, and it was produced by the NASCAR Media Group and aired the night of this season's Daytona 500.

   "Wendell Scott’s legacy will live on forever as the man who broke NASCAR’s color barrier and whose courage and bravery paved the way for minorities to pursue careers in the world of motorsports,” Paul Brooks, senior vice president of NASCAR and president of NASCAR Media Group, said at the announcement of airing of the  special.

   Siegel was the executive producer of the film and founder of Revolution Racing, which today provides competitive race cars to further develop the skills and capabilities of minority drivers seeking to compete in NASCAR.

   In March, all Sprint Cup and Nationwide cars competing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway were adorned with a commemorative decal bearing the image of Scott in honor of the 50th anniversary of his first start.

   Obviously, NASCAR believes Scott's legacy and contribution to the sport is worthy of high honors and recognition.

   The argument here is not that Scott should already be inducted into the Hall, although I think he should. Scott can't even get nominated - named someone worthy of possible induction.

   That is wrong.

   In its news release announcing the airing of the Scott special, ESPN said: "Scott, one of the sport’s most iconic pioneers who is often referred to as the Jackie Robinson of motorsports, paved the way for minorities and women."

   It’s sadly ironic that when it comes to the Hall of Fame, Scott still can't reach the starting line.

Jeff Burton, sponsor re-up with RCR

   Jeff Burton is the latest Sprint Cup Series driver to re-sign with his current team in the last week.

   Richard Childress Racing announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement on a contract extension with Burton as well his the sponsor of his No. 31 Chevrolet team, Caterpillar. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

   Burton and the No. 31 team qualified for the Chase for the Cup in 2010 and won one of this season's 150-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway.
 

   Caterpillar has been a sponsor in NASCAR since 1993. Cat was a team sponsor in the Nationwide Series from 1995 to 1996 before moving to the Cup Series in 1997. Its relationship with RCR began in 2009.

   In 591 career Cup starts, Burton, 44, has 21 wins, 128 top-five and 237 top-10 finishes. He also has won six poles.

   NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle re-signed with Roush Fenway Racing last week.