Who has the best burnout in NASCAR?

   It's time again to find out who does the best post-victory celebratory burnout in NASCAR.

   Last year's Pennzoil Victory Burnout Challenge winner Kasey Kahne and 2010 Burnout champion Joey Logano will be joined by Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and A.J. Allmendinger in this season's competition, which will be held Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

    The Pennzoil Victory Burnout Challenge has become a fan-favorite staple in the weekend’s activities. Five drivers will participate in this year’s competition, burning rubber in identical stock cars prepared by the Richard Petty Driving Experience and a chance to win a $10,000 donation to the their favorite charity. A panel of judges will score the drivers’ creativity during a 30-second freestyle burnout.

   A text-to-vote opportunity will begin after the conclusion of the first burnout. Fans in the stands at CMS can vote by texting specific codes that will be displayed on giant HDTV. The top-two drivers will advance to the final voting round and the winner will be determined by a celebrity judging panel.

   The Pennzoil Victory Burnout Challenge will be tape-delayed and can be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (channel 90) on May 20 at 11 a.m. Eastern prior to the start of NASCAR Nationwide Series race coverage from Iowa Speedway.

Welcome the Chevy SS to NASCAR

   Three down, one to go.

   Chevrolet became the third manufacturer in NASCAR to unveil its 2013 car when it announced on Thursday the Chevrolet SS in the Sprint Cup Series next season. Ford and Dodge have already unveiled their 2013 cars, which look much more like their respective production models.

   The V-8 powered, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan will be a limited production model 2014 model car that will arrive in showrooms in late 2013. The race car will debut in the 2013 Daytona 500.

   Chevrolet has a long history of using the SS (Super Sport) designation on high-performance models of some of its most enduring nameplates. The SS designation first appeared in 1957 on a Corvette prototype race car built under the guidance of Zora Arkus-Duntov with the plan to enter it in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

   The Chevrolet SS will be a derivative of the award-winning global rear-wheel-drive architecture that spawns performance vehicles like Chevrolet Camaro and Holden’s upcoming VF Commodore. The Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances to enhance overall performance.

   “As a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast, I am thrilled that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR race car in the SS that is closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. 

   “The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that extends beyond the track. I am personally looking forward to driving it.”

   Toyota plans to unveil its 2013 model Camry next week.

How Jimmy Spencer REALLY feels about Kurt Busch

   It's no secret former Sprint Cup Series driver and now Speed analyst Jimmy Spencer has his own history with Kurt Busch. 

   Read a reminder of that history here.

   Spencer, thus, is no stranger to controversy and he decided to weigh in on Busch's actions last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and the penalties he has subsequently received by NASCAR.

   Here's Spencer's comments in their entirety:

   "You’d think a driver would know when he has stepped over the line and would learn from it. But not Kurt Busch. He got fired from Roush after he won a championship. Then he got hired by one of the most honorable men in motor sports and in the business world, Roger Penske, and you’d think he would learn something from Penske. But it’s obvious Kurt didn’t learn anything from him either.

   Fines and probation are just a joke to Kurt. I think they just make him angrier. I think Kurt needs to be suspended for a week or two or even longer. Bill France would have suspended him. You do not conduct yourself in the public eye the way that Kurt has. You just don’t do that. He has gotten to the point that he has not only offended the media and fans; he’s also offended his fellow drivers.

   He ran into Tony Stewart’s car on pit road at Dover a few years ago, and fortunately missed Stewart’s crew guys. I said then that he needed to be suspended, but NASCAR didn’t do it. He drove through the 39 pit at Darlington on Saturday and could have hurt some of those guys. He is dangerous, not only to himself but to other drivers and crew members because he absolutely short-circuits. Kurt has major, major problems. Everybody has faults and we try to work on them, but it seems like Kurt tries to make his worse.

   Kurt should be suspended for his conduct in general over the past five years. His brother, Kyle, was suspended at Texas for something I thought was much more of a part of racing than what Kurt has been doing. Kurt has done stuff way more dangerous than any driver I can think of in history.

   NASCAR needs to put their foot down. The guy is a talented driver and the sport needs him because of his talent, but the way he acts out gives the sport a black eye. He has no respect for this sport, and to me, that's the worst part of it all.

   Look at Matt Kenseth, Bill Elliott, David Pearson and other guys who have been level-headed. They didn’t scream at their crew members and car owners like Kurt has. He has gotten away with it, so a couple of weeks off might put it all in perspective for him.

   Kurt doesn’t have respect for anyone and doesn’t have it for the sport. NASCAR needs to suspend him to teach him the sport doesn’t need him. Take a couple of weeks off and figure out if you really want to race, and if you do, then you learn to play by the rules better. That’s what Bill France would have done.

   Never have I seen a driver act like this. Every driver has gone through a problem at some point in their career – Rusty Wallace, Geoffrey Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Dale Earnhardt, me – every driver has had an issue at one time or another, but they’ve all straightened out. I was suspended for poking Kurt Busch in the nose, and I learned my lesson. We've all been reprimanded and learned. But I’ve never seen a driver where the same problem goes on for years and doesn’t get any better." 

Who's competing for the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge title?

   Entering its eighth year of competition, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge will feature 24 of the top Cup team pit crews in a head-to-head competition at 7 p.m. Eastern on Thursday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte. 

   Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling Time Warner Cable Arena box office at (800) 745-3000. Speed's broadcast of the event begins at 8 p.m.
  
   The 20 teams eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 19 automatically qualified for the Challenge. The remaining four positions were assigned to the car owners ranked highest in the 2012 Cup series owner point standings as of May 14.

   The official entry list for the event is outlined below.

   No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

   No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet

   No. 9 Stanley Ford

   No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota

   No. 14 Office Depot-Mobile 1 Chevrolet

   No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota

   No. 16 3M Ford

   No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

   No. 18 M&M’s Toyota

   No. 20 Home Depot-Dollar General Toyota

   No. 21 Good Sam-Camping World Ford

   No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet

   No. 27 Menard’s Chevrolet

   No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet

   No. 31 CAT Chevrolet

   No. 34 MHP-Power Pak Pudding Ford

   No. 39 U.S. Army-Quicken Loans Chevrolet

   No. 48 My Lowe’s Chevrolet

   No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet

   No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota

   No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota

   No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet

   No. 88 National Guard-Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet

   No. 99 Fastenal Ford

  

How Hendrick got to win No. 200

   Hendrick Motorsports wins by driver
   Driver, Wins

   Jeff Gordon, 85
   Jimmie Johnson, 56
   Terry Labonte, 12
   Darrell Waltrip, 9
   Tim Richmond, 9
   Geoff Bodine, 7
   Mark Martin, 5
   Ken Schrader, 4
   Kyle Busch, 4
   Ricky Rudd, 4
   Brian Vickers, 1
   Casey Mears, 1
   Dale Earnhardt Jr., 1
   Jerry Nadeau, 1
   Joe Nemechek, 1

   HMS Wins by Crew Chief
   Crew chief, Wins

   Chad Knaus, 54
   Ray Evernham, 47
   Robbie Loomis, 23
   Alan Gustafson, 12
   Harry Hyde, 11
   Gary DeHart, 10
   Steve Letarte, 10
   Jeff Hammond, 9
   Waddell Wilson, 4
   Darian Grubb, 3
   Richard Broome, 3
   Andy Graves, 2
   Brian Whitesell, 2
   Dennis Connor, 2
   Gary Nelson, 2
   Jim Long, 1
   Lance McGrew, 1
   Peter Sospenzo, 1
   Randy Dorton, 1
   Tony Eury Jr., 1
   Tony Furr, 1

   HMS Wins by Track
   Track, Wins

   Martinsville, 18
   Charlotte, 16
   Darlington, 14
   Dover, 13
   Pocono, 12
   Atlanta, 11
   Talladega, 11
   Daytona, 10
   Richmond, 10
   Auto Club, 9
   Bristol, 9
   Phoenix, 9
   New Hampshire, 8
   Indianapolis, 7
   Watkins Glen, 6
   Infineon, 6
   Las Vegas, 5
   Michigan, 5
   Kansas, 4
   North Wilkesboro, 4
   Rockingham, 4
   Riverside, 3
   Texas, 3
   Chicagoland, 2
   Nashville Fairgrounds, 1

Former NASCAR exec Jim Hunter to be honored

   Former NASCAR executive and Darlington Raceway President Jim Hunter is among the members of the Class of 2012 to be inducted into the S.C. Athletic Hall of Fame.

    Hunter joins South Carolina football great Duce Staley and former baseball coach June Raines; Clemson basketball standout Dale Davis; Spartanburg High’s Stephen Davis; and AAU legend Evelyn “Eckie” Jordan in the 2012 class.

    Wilhelm and Hunter will be enshrined posthumously in the ceremony Monday night at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

    A Charleston native, Hunter started with NASCAR in 1968 as the public relations director at Darlington and then served as track president from 1993 to 2001. He served as NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications at the time of his death in 2010.

    Hunter played football and baseball at the University of South Carolina and then joined The State newspaper in the 1960’s where he earned the nickname “Fumes” for his coverage of NASCAR.

Racing world responds to death of Carroll Shelby

   The following statements were released Friday regarding the death of legendary auto racer and car designer, Carroll Shelby:

   Edsel B. Ford II, member of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company and great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company:
   “Today, we have lost a legend in Ford Motor Company’s history, and my family and I have lost a dear friend. Carroll Shelby is one of the most recognized names in performance car history, and he’s been successful at everything he’s done. Whether helping Ford dominate the 1960s racing scene or building some of the most famous Mustangs, his enthusiasm and passion for great automobiles over six decades has truly inspired everyone who worked with him. He was a great innovator whose legend at Ford never will be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

   Bruton Smith, Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman:
   “Carroll was one of the best friends I ever had. He was known all over the world as an icon in the automotive industry and one of the greatest names in the history of motorsports. He was a great Texan and a great innovator with a style of his own. I’ll never forget how he would climb out of that sports car with bib overalls and a cowboy hat. Ford will do all but close the company because of his passing. I admired him a great deal and will miss him greatly as a friend and a business partner.”

   H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, former president of Charlotte Motor Speedway:
   "Perhaps in the history of auto racing Carroll Shelby was the most unique character rivaling Bill France, Sr., Enzo Ferrari, Smokey Yunick, Barney Oldfield and even Juan Manuel Fangio. It was not what Detroit taught him but what he taught Detroit, Akron and the other capitals of automobile performance. He could see the future of performance better than anyone I ever knew. He told me in 1965 when he was a major Goodyear distributor and I was with Firestone racing that there would be only two owners at Indy -- those two companies! In two years he was right because they financed everyone of the 33 cars.
   "His contribution to performance was so varied. First was his amazing Cobra that stormed Europe like Patton. Then Henry Ford 11's Ford GT-40 that smashed past Ferrari at LeMans. Also he was such a people person he left Ford and helped Chrysler develop the Viper and then came back to Ford! How many guys could do that.
   "With his heart  and subsequent organ transplants he told me he felt like a parts house and then said he was working on getting new eyes. I learned so much from him about
how to just keep going and at the same time developing new projects. He was a humble man who treated everyone the same."

   Chris Powell, president of Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
   “All of us at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are saddened by the passing of Carroll Shelby. Mr. Shelby was a true pioneer in the automotive industry as well as a very accomplished sports car racer. His Shelby Cobra is one of the iconic automobiles in our country’s history. We were honored to be associated with his company for two years as the sponsor of our NASCAR Sprint Cup event, and to have him serve as grand marshal for our races in 2009 and 2010. He leaves a lasting legacy and will be missed by all who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Cleo, his family and his legions of fans."

   Tom Compton, president of the NHRA:
   “The automotive industry has lost a pioneer and the motorsports world a legend with the passing of Carroll Shelby. He and our founder Wally Parks were very good friends and Carroll frequently attended events at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California.  On behalf of everyone at NHRA, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

   Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France:
   "Carroll Shelby was a giant in the motorsports industry and the automobile industry overall. Known primarily as an innovative automotive designer, he started building his legacy as an outstanding driver. Along the way, his name became iconic.
   "On a personal level, he was simply a good friend to so many of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

   Richard Petty:

   "Carroll Shelby was a visionary for performance and speed for the Ford Motor Company. It was his ideas that helped push the Cobra and most recently the Mustang brand to the American people. He was an innovator of his time and helped Ford become a leader in the racing and performance world. The entire Petty family sends their prayers to the Shelby family.”