Stewart-Haas Racing adds Outback

Stewart-Haas Racing is adding yet another sponsor to its lineup on the No. 39 team driven by Ryan Newman, The Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned.


Outback Steakhouse, a restaurant chain based in Tampa, Fla., will serve as primary sponsor on the No. 39 in at least two Sprint Cup Series races in 2012, multiple sources said.


A formal announcement of the sponsorship addition is expected Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.


The organization recently announced the addition of sponsor Quicken Loans for nine races on the No. 39 next season.

VIDEO: Stewart-Edwards good as it gets?

Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards talk about the Chase, which is down to two races after Sunday's win by Stewart at Texas. It may be down to two drivers with a realistic shot, too.

M&Ms statement about Kyle Busch

   The following statement was posted on M&Ms Facebook page in regards to the actions of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.

   Busch was parked in Friday night's Truck race for intentionally wrecking another competitor under caution and also parked for Saturday's Nationwide race and Sunday's Cup race.

   The statement:

   "The recent actions by Kyle Busch are not consistent with the values of M&M'S and we're very disappointed. Like you, we hold those who represent our brand to a higher standard and we have expressed our concerns directly to Joe Gibbs Racing."

   The M&Ms Facebook page can be found here.

Kyle Busch issues apology letter

  To all,

 I've had a lot of time today to sit and reflect, and try to put my thoughts into words as best I can.

 I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during Friday night's Truck Series race at Texas.

 I apologize to my fans, all my sponsors, everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports.

 After talking with my team, it's great to have their support and encouragement to assure me that there are better days ahead. Even though this took place while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, I am sorry for how difficult this has been for everyone associated with Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams.

 I'd also like to apologize to Ron Hornaday Jr., and everyone associated with the No. 33 team in the Truck Series.

 I understand why I was taken out of the car for the rest of the weekend. NASCAR officials had to act, and I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions.

 As a race car driver, the hardest thing to do is to sit on the sidelines listening to cars on the track when you know you should be out there competing. For this, I have no one to blame but myself.

 Through a lot of support from the people around me, I feel like I've made a lot of strides this year, but this was certainly a step backward. Moving forward, I will do everything I possibly can to represent everyone involved in a positive manner. However, I know my long-term actions will have more of a bearing than anything I say right now.

  Sincerely,

 Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch parked for Texas weekend

FORT WORTH, Texas – Kyle Busch – who was parked in Friday night's NASCAR Truck race after intentionally wrecking Ron Hornaday under caution – will also miss Saturday's Nationwide race and Sunday's Sprint Cup race, NASCAR President Mike Helton announced.

In announcing Busch's suspension from driving the rest of the weekend, Helton said NASCAR's edict of “boys, have at it” did have a clear line.

“We saw it last night.” he said.

Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, will take Busch's place in Saturday's Nationwide race and Michael McDowell is scheduled to drive Busch's No. 18 Toyota in Sunday's AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Hornaday saw his chance at a fifth series championship disappear Friday night when Busch intentionally wrecked him under caution after the two got together racing three-wide for position. Hornaday ended up 34th.

Busch was called to the hauler after the race. He met with series officials approximately three minutes and left without comment. He was told to return Saturday morning for another meeting and again left without comment.

By that time, however, Hamlin and McDowell were already seen getting fitted in Busch's Nationwide and Cup cars.

Busch was unrepentant after the race.

“It’s two guys racing for tight real estate and there’s only two lanes of race track out there right now. I’m racing for a win just as much as Ron Hornaday,” Busch said Friday night. “It’s Lap 15. He wants to make it three-wide with a lapped car and knowing you always get loose when you’re on the inside.

“I retaliated. It’s certainly my fault for doing that. For everybody who wants to say that Hornaday is racing for a championship, just roll over. That’s not my fashion.”

Hornaday admitted he got into Busch on the track but said the retaliation after the caution was displayed was unwarranted.

“It was a racing deal. That crap he pulled down there, they parked Harvick for the same retaliation at Martinsville. If they don’t park (Busch) on Sunday, I’ll be really upset.”

Does Tony Stewart have the upper hand against Carl Edwards?

   Perhaps, like the Texas Motor Speedway promotional posters suggest, it is a boxing fight. After all, that's sort of how Tony Stewart sees his battle with Carl Edward for the Sprint Cup Series Championship.

   Just read some of his comments from Friday: "I feel like I got him back in the corners.”

   You do? "Yeah, I do. Like I said these are three tracks that I like. I feel like we run really well here, Texas is one I really look forward to coming back to. Phoenix we were really good at the test and Homestead is a track that I like. We haven’t won there since they redid it but I like the style that we have to race there and I like where we have to run on the race track. So its three tracks that I like and I feel like we can control our destiny," Stewart said.
  
   "If we were more points out and we couldn’t gain them by winning the race and him running second then I would feel like it’s his to lose but we can still go up there and take it from him. We don’t have to worry about what he does all we have to do is control our destiny and we can still win this thing.”

   Asked if he could win the final three races, Stewart said: "I didn’t think I could win three of them in the Chase let alone the rest of them. I would love to be able to say yeah, I can win all three of them but there’s no give me’s in this deal and there’s no guarantees and there’s a lot of variables that are out of our control but we’re going to control the ones that we have control of and let the rest of it fall in place.”

   Finally, Stewart was asked if he thought he had gotten in Edwards' head this past week. His response?

   "I don’t know," he said. "He’s growing facial hair we’ve never seen him have and he’s saying stuff I’ve never heard him say so I don’t know what’s going on with him this week."

   Get all that?

MWR confirms Reutimann departure

    Michael Waltrip Racing confirmed on Thursday that driver David Reutimann will not return to its No. 00 Toyota team for the 2012 season. The Observer and ThatsRacin.com first reported Reutimann's ouster on Tuesday.

   “David has been a significant part of Michael Waltrip Racing since the very beginning and will forever be a part of our heritage,” team co-owner Michael Waltrip said. “We want to thank David for his contribution to our growth and success over the past five years and wish him well in the future.”

   Reutimann will remain with the team for the final three races of the 2011 season.

   In 168 Sprint Cup Series starts, all for Michael Waltrip Racing, Reutimann recorded two wins, 12 top-five, 25 top-10 finishes and won four pole awards.

   On Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, MWR is expected to announce veteran Mark Martin will join the organization next season to run a partial scheduled in the No. 00, multiple sources said.