Travis Pastrana running RallyCross with Dodge

   X Games star and part-time NASCAR driver Travis Pastrana will run a full schedule in the new Global RallyCross Championship Series this season with Dodge, driving its new Dodge Dart.

   Pastrana, 28, is a four-time Rally America champion and owner of multiple supercross and motorcross championships. He also owns Nitro Circus, an empire that includes a television show, live tours and 3D feature film project.

   “When I first heard about GRC, I was really interested, and after watching some of the rounds last year and then actually competing at X Games I was hooked!” said Pastrana. “Now to be able to partner with Dodge to field my own program this year is a dream come true."

    Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of Street and Racing Technology Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC, called Pastrana a natural fit for its program.

   “Travis is a living example of what action sports activities are all about, so he fits in perfectly with the youthfulness and passion for performance of the Dodge brand,” he said. “He’s proven that he can handle just about anything with wheels."

   Global RallyCross is a spin-off of the X Games rally races. It combines the skill of rally racing with the excitement of X Games. The series consists of seven racing events in closed-course rally tracks and incorporates bumper-to-bumper competition among 600 horsepower all-wheel drive vehicles. The series begins May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and concludes September 29 in Las Vegas.

Race halted in Fontana

FONTANA, Calif. - No fire but plenty of Smoke in California.

Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway has been red-flagged after 130 of the scheduled 200 laps, with Tony Stewart in the lead.

Since more than half the distance has been covered, if the race is not restarted, the race – and the win by Stewart – will count as official.

Kyle Busch is currently second, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is third, Kevin Harvick fourth and Carl Edwards fifth.

Harvick: Appeal ruling "like watching O.J. go free."

   You can always count on Kevin Harvick to offer up a fresh perspective on issues in NASCAR.

   On Friday at Auto Club Speedway, Harvick was asked about the NASCAR appeals process in light of this week's decision by NASCAR's chief appellate officer to rescind the points penalties and crew suspensions issued to Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 team.

   "It’s a platform for everybody to state your case, and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose just like in the court of law. It’s really no different than that. It’s no different than watching a case like OJ (Simpson), and watching OJ go free. Watching that case, there’s no way you thought that was going to happen. Then you see the verdict, and then it happens. It’s very similar to that," Harvick said.

   "Sometimes you think something is cut and dry, and you think this is going to be the verdict, and the next thing you know it’s not. You move on and you go to the next one. But there is a platform for the teams to present their cases to a board, and obviously to the last step they took this time to present it again. I’ve been involved in it before from the team ownership side, and you prepare no different than you would going to a court case. It’s literally the exact same process.”

Townley placed on probation by NASCAR through Dec. 31

   NASCAR on Thursday placed John Wes Townley, a driver in the Camping World Truck Series, on probation until Dec. 31 as a result of his arrest last month on drunk driving charges in Georgia.

   At the time of the incident, Townley was indefinitely suspended by his RAB Racing team and did not compete in the series opener at Daytona.

   According to the statement issued by NASCAR, in addition to the steps already underway by RAB Racing, Townley will be evaluated by a certified substance abuse professional at NASCAR’s discretion and will be subject to random alcohol and drug testing.

   The Athens Banner-Herald reported that Townley was disoriented, seemed intoxicated and was bleeding from his feet at the time of his accident. His car, a 2012 BMW, had run off the roadway and hit a telephone pole, the newspaper reported.

   RAB Racing said it would welcome Townley back to the team "at the appropriate time."

Sirius NASCAR radio now streaming online content

   Sirius XM Radio has now joined Motor Racing Network and Performance Racing Network is offering its content streaming online.

   Starting with this weekend’s NASCAR races in Fontana, Calif., subscribers who have SiriusXM Internet Radio access can listen to live broadcasts of every Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck series races on the SiriusXM NASCAR radio channel through their computers at www.siriusxm.com and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphone and wireless devices.

   SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, is available to Sirius subscribers, XM Premier (formerly known as “The Best of Sirius”) and SiriusXM Premier subscribers. The channel’s daily talk programming will begin simulcasting online on Thursday, March 22. 

   MRN's online content can be found at www.motorracingnetwork.com and PRN's content can be found at www.goprn.com.

What we didn't learn from Jimmie Johnson's appeal

   Two appeals and a month later, what have we learned from NASCAR's attempt to lower the boom on crew chief Chad Knaus and Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 team?

   Honestly, not much. In fact, the situation is more confusing than ever.

   After NASCAR's chief appellate officer, John Middlebrook, rescinded the six-week suspensions of Knaus and car chief Ron Malec and the 25-point driver and owner penalties this week, Hendrick officials – perhaps rightfully so – believed their claims of innocence were validated by the decision.

   But were they?

   Yes, Johnson got his points back and Knaus and Malec will remain working at the track, yet Middlebrook left intact the $100,000 fine against Knaus and the probation period assigned to both Knaus and Malec until May 9.

   If Hendrick was cleared of all charges, why does the fine and probation remain?

   Given the remaining penalties left intact, it appears Middlebrook thought Knaus and Malec still did something wrong. But what?

   In his statement announcing his decision, Middlebrook declined to give the reasoning behind his decision. Absent any comment from Middlebrook, we are left to guess what parts of this entire process Middlebrook thought were handled wrong and which were correct.

   In other words, we are no better off now than we were when this issue first arose at Daytona.

   NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports and all the other Sprint Cup Series teams are left with no direction as to how to proceed from here.

   In the American court system, appellate courts issue written opinions with their decision with the purpose to offer guidance to the lower courts as to how to deal with similar issues when they come up again.

   No such help here.  

   As long as they are willing to pay a big fine, it appears teams can continue to do whatever it was the No. 48 team was doing on their car at Daytona.

   A month later, no one still has any idea whether it was right or wrong.

Ruling on Jimmie Johnson appeal

NATIONAL STOCK CAR RACING CHIEF APPELLATE OFFICER STATEMENT

 On March 20, 2012, the Chief Appellate Officer heard and considered the appeal of the penalties resulting from the #48 Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. This stemmed from an opening day inspection for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2012.

 The penalties concern Section 12-1 of the NASCAR Rule Book “Actions detrimental to stock car racing;” Section 12-4(J): “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event;” and Section 20-2.1(E): “If in the judgment of NASCAR Officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance, will not be permitted: Unapproved car body modifications.”

The results of the appeal hearing were as follows:

Rescinding the loss of 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Car Owner points (for Jeff Gordon).

 Rescinding the loss of 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Driver points (for Jimmie Johnson).

 Rescinding the six (6) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Events suspension for the Crew Chief (Chad Knaus) and Car Chief (Ron Malec), however both will remain on NASCAR probation until May 9, 2012.

 $100,000 fine remains in place for the Crew Chief (Chad Knaus).

 John Middlebrook – Chief Appellate Officer