NASCAR penalizes Harvick, Busch

   NASCAR released the following penalty announcement this morning:

   NASCAR has penalized NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick as a result of rules infractions committed at last weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway.
  
   Busch, driver of the No. 18 car, and Harvick, driver of the No. 29 car, have each been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points events until June 15 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – involved in an altercation on pit road after the conclusion of the race).
   
   “These penalties are a result of what occurred on pit road after the race was over,” said Kerry Tharp, Senior Director for Communications, Competition. “They are about maintaining a safe environment on pit road.”

North Wilkesboro closes yet again

   Speedway Associates Inc., which has been leasing historic North Wilkesboro Speedway the past 1 1/2 years, announced on Monday night it was shutting down operations at the track.

   “We lined up some great events. However, even though we can project positive income from events at the speedway, we do not have the money needed on the front end to make those events happen," Speedway Associates Inc. President Alton McBride Jr. said.

   "In spite of our complete investment in the speedway and in this community, we have run out of money necessary to go forward."

   Speedway Associates took over operation of the 5/8ths mile track in November 2009. The track had closed following the fall Cup series race in 1996. From Labor Day weekend 2010 through the 2011 season-opening Pro All-Star Series race, there were six large and more than a dozen small successful events held at the track.

   "In just 1½ years, SAI's fantastic team returned this wonderful, historic track to its rightful place as the most popular place for past and present industry icons to come and feel the history that was being kept alive by those who carry this speedway in their heart," McBride said.

  

Kyle Busch provides blow-by-blow of Darlington postrace

   Kyle Busch was very willing to discuss the aftermath of Saturday night's Southern 500 and  his run-in with Kevin Harvick. After tangling on the track, the drivers took their feud to pit road.

   Both drivers were called to the NASCAR hauler for a discussion of their postrace actions. Here is Busch's description of the events:

   “After the race I was just kind of cooling down and talking to Dave (Rogers, crew chief) on the radio about that I wanted to talk to him in the hauler about something and I see the (Kevin) Harvick car -- the 29 come up flying up on my inside through three and four. Instead of going to pit road I thought he was going to force me into the inside of the pit road wall so I gave myself a little bit of room and turned up to go back up onto the race track like I would for another cool down lap and he followed me. When he pulled up next to me, I tried to back up. I put my car in reverse and tried to back up and I blew reverse out of the transmission. I tried to back up too fast and the transmission gears are so light that they can’t take that kind of abuse. Blew reverse out so then I had to pull forward and kind of do a U-turn to get back to pit road.

   "I was just trying to get away from the situation with Harvick and unfortunately he got to pit road before me so I pulled in behind him. He let the 47 (Bobby Labonte) go, but I knew if I tried to turn left or right he was going to run into me or block me or something. I just stayed behind him, I was just going to sit there, not worry about it and let him cool his head for a second and let him figure out that we just need to go back to the garage area. Instead of him doing that, he wanted to get out of his car I guess and wanted to fight. I knew that wasn’t going to be a good situation and when I saw him getting out of his car, I knew it wasn’t going to be a good situation.

   "My choices were limited, I was either going to get punched in the face and then wait for Harvick to get back in his car for me to go or just drive through his car and push it out of the way so I could get out of there and try not to get hit or anything like that. I made a judgment call there and it wasn’t one of the best choices that I had, but I pushed his car out of the way on pit road and unfortunately there was men walking down pit road. I hate it that somebody could have gotten hurt, but I was just trying to get away from it and get back to my hauler and go on with my own business.”

Dale Junior talks about the strength of his grandmother

   With it being Mother's Day weekend at Darlington Raceway, many of the NASCAR drivers are asked to share stories about their mothers and many of the mothers participate in the command to start engines in the Sprint Cup race. 

   On Friday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked to talk about the strength of his grandmother, Martha Earnhardt, in his family. Martha is the mother of the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. Earnhardt Jr. gave a very poignant response:

   "Any wife, girlfriend – this business is pretty hard on them, makes them pretty tough. You stick it out. You'll be pretty tough by the end of it. My Ma-Maw (grandmother), she's got a lot of knowledge about the sport and what it takes to be involved to be involved in the sport; what she went through. You just have to respect somebody like that. You have a ton of respect for somebody like that," he said.

   "To see and done everything she's done; witnessed everything she has witnessed from her husband Ralph and her son, all of her sons. I'm sure they all put her through equal amounts of trouble and stress. She enjoying the fruits of all that now with all the grandkids and everybody, hopefully for many years to come."

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.