Dale Earnhardt Jr. adjusts Nationwide schedule

   JR Motorsports general manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller announced Monday a change in NASCAR Nationwide Series schedules for drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne.

    Earnhardt Jr. was previously scheduled to race in the May 4 race at Talladega Superspeedway as part of his four-race Nationwide slate in 2013. Now, he will compete in the Sept. 14 race at Chicagoland Speedway instead. In turn, Kahne will now compete at Talladega as part of his 11-race line-up in 2013. Both drivers will compete in Great Clips-sponsored Chevrolets – Earnhardt in the No. 88 Camaro and Kahne in the No. 5.

    “Kasey and I were chatting about our Nationwide Series schedules, and I was looking for more track time at a place like Chicago,” said Earnhardt Jr. “Kasey mentioned how he would love a shot at winning at Talladega.

    "One of our 2013 goals at JR Motorsports is to be a better asset to Hendrick Motorsports. For me personally, this scheduling change helps us do just that.”

Hey NASCAR, if you can't say something nice ...

   Consistency has never been one of NASCAR’s strong suits.

   Trying to figure why one driver’s actions result in a certain penalty while another’s do not under similar circumstances can be frustrating.

   That frustration arises again in the case of a $25,000 fine levied on Denny Hamlin this week for what NASCAR called “disparaging remarks” about the on-track competition in last Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Phoenix.

   The fine, though, isn't the most troubling issue.

   Hamlin's comments – he said it was hard to pass in the new model Cup series car – were innocuous at best. NASCAR’s own telemetry showed there were 40 percent fewer green-flag passes for the lead in the Phoenix race than a year ago.

   The message from NASCAR was clearer: The governing body will not tolerate any negative comments about its new Cup car, which it refers to as “Generation 6.”

   Repeatedly since late last fall, NASCAR has trotted out members of its competition department at various tests of the new car to talk about the car’s progress. Repeatedly, drivers at those tests were brought into media centers to talk about the new car.

   The reviews were uniformly glowing. And NASCAR penalizing Hamlin suggests none of them can be trusted.

   If no one is allowed to speak negatively about the car, who can reasonably believe any answer is genuine?

   The answer is you can’t.

   But I have the solution.

• NASCAR should stop trotting in officials at tests or during race weekends to tell us how the car is progressing. We know what they'll say.

• Drivers should stop answering questions about the new car. We know what they'll say.

• And the media (myself included) should stop asking questions about the competitiveness of the new car. We already know the answer.

   We should all watch the races and let the product speak for itself.

   In other words, if you can only say something nice, whether it's
true or not, just say nothing at all.

A.J. Allmendinger lands IndyCar ride

    A.J. Allmendinger, who was suspended for failing a NASCAR drug test last season and later reinstated after completing a recovery program, has landed a new ride in the IndyCar Series with Penske Racing.

   Allmendinger lost his NASCAR ride with Penske over his NASCAR suspension but will drive in at least two IndyCar races this season for the organization – the April 7 race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., and the May 26 Indianapolis 500.

   “It is exciting to welcome A.J. back to Penske Racing,” said team owner Roger Penske. “He obviously went through a tough time last year but he has done everything he needed to in order to get back to racing at the top level of the sport.

   "We have always believed in A.J. and his ability and he deserves this opportunity."

Text of Sen. Chris Murphy's letter to NASCAR regarding NRA sponsorship

   This is the Connecticut Democrat's full letter to NASCAR Chairman Brian France:

   Dear Mr. France,
 
   On Monday, it was reported that NASCAR and the Texas Motor Speedway had just completed a deal to make the National Rifle Association (NRA) the title sponsor of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on April 13th—the NRA 500. As a U.S Senator representing the community of Newtown, Connecticut, I write to you today to ask that you reconsider this decision.
 
   After the horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which claimed the lives of 20 children and six educators, the NRA has taken an unprecedented extreme position in the debate over the proper response to this tragedy, placing themselves at odds with the overwhelming majority of the American people, and even their own members. Given the emotional state of the national conversation, I believe it would be imprudent for NASCAR to step into such a heated political debate and take sides in this debate by allowing the NRA the title role in the race.
 
   NASCAR has a long history of supporting our troops, our children, and our communities, and your racing events attract fans from across Connecticut and the country. I also know how deep your own commitment to the Newtown community runs—your donation of $50,000 to Sandy Hook School Support Fund is the very example of NASCAR’s commitment to community. And less than two weeks ago, one of the cars at the Daytona 500 advertised a way to donate money for the Newtown community, and was dubbed #26 for the number of lives lost on December 14th.
 
   But by giving the NRA sponsorship of a major NASCAR race, NASCAR has crossed a line – you have decided to put yourself in the middle of a political debate, and you have taken a side that stands in opposition to the wishes of so many Newtown families who support common sense gun reform.  Whether or not this was your intention, your fans will infer from this sponsorship that NASCAR and the NRA are allies in the current legislative debate over gun violence.  By announcing this new partnership at the very height of Congress’s deliberations over gun reform, NASCAR has inserted itself into a political debate that has nothing to with the business of NASCAR.  To me, this seems an unwise break with precedent.
 
   This tragic event has led many individuals and organizations to re-evaluate their views towards guns.  Millions of Americans, including responsible gun owners, have resolved that our nation must do more to protect our children and citizens from gun violence. Reasonable measures that are being considered in Washington have widespread support.  Consider that 92 percent of Americans, 91 percent of gun owners and 74 percent of NRA members support proposals to require background checks for all gun purchases. Yet, instead of playing a constructive role in this debate, the Washington-based leadership of the NRA has become more radicalized.  For example, in 1999, after the horrific shooting at Columbine High School, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre gave a full-throated endorsement of universal background checks.  Yet, after Newtown, the NRA reversed their position, testifying recently before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the organization now opposes this proposal.
 
   Furthermore, over the past two months my office has released a series of reports looking at the NRA, its sources of funding and its agenda on the state and federal levels.  The findings may surprise you and make you reconsider their sponsorship.  The NRA increasingly relies on support from the firearms industry, including manufacturers of military-style assault weapons that have been used at Newtown and other mass shootings. The NRA also pushes an extreme agenda in state capitols across our nation.  Defying common sense the association has backed laws that allow gun owners to bring concealed weapons into bars, restaurants and sports stadiums.  In possibly the most egregious example, the NRA supported an Indiana law that proscribed when an individual can use force, including deadly force, against a police officer.

   NASCAR has historically been careful not to insert itself, and its hard-earned good reputation, into political and legislative fights.  Why then, start now?  Why take sides against the families of Newtown, Connecticut, by teaming up with the NRA in the middle of an intense legislative fight over gun laws?
 
   In light of your extensive charitable work and generosity to the Newtown community, I hope that you will reconsider affiliating with the NRA at this time. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
 
   Sincerely,
 
   Christopher S. Murphy
   United States Senator

Daytona 500 champ Jimmie Johnson races 1-on-1 with Ellen Degeneres

  
   Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson took part in another big race recently but not in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition.

    This race took place in the parking lot of the Warner Bros. studio in California.

    And his opponent was talk show host Ellen Degeneres.

    Check out the winner.

What the Fox Sports 1 change means to NASCAR fans

   Fox Sports Media Group made official on Tuesday its plans to change the current Speed Channel over to Fox Sports 1, a new, national, multi-sport network. The change will take effect on Saturday, Aug. 17.

    Currently, Speed hosts an abundance of NASCAR-related programming. Some of that will change, but many of the bigger changes won't take effect until after 2013.

    The following are "programming highlights" Fox provided for NASCAR coverage on the new Fox Sports 1:

    - Select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as soon as 2015 (the exact number was not disclosed).
    - NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
    - NASCAR Sprint All-Star race.
    - All Daytona Speedweeks events leading up to the Daytona 500 including: Daytona 500 qualifying, Sprint Unlimited at Daytona (2014, 2017-22) and the Budweiser Duel, now in prime time; Cup and Truck series practice and qualifying sessions.
    - NASCAR RaceDay, providing pre- and post-race coverage.
    - NASCAR Victory Lane, a weekly wrap-up show.
    - Race Hub, a daily mid-day studio show with the latest from drivers, owners and garages.

Reed Sorenson to sub for injured Michael Annett at RPM

   Reed Sorenson will fill in for NASCAR Nationwide Series team driver Michael Annett, who was injured in a crash at Daytona International Speedway and had to undergo surgery for a fractured and dislocated sternum.

    Sorenson will race the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford beginning this week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and remain the driver until Annett is healed and cleared by NASCAR officials to race. Sorenson made his Nationwide Series debut in 2004 and has four wins, 38 top-five and 85 top-10 finishes.

    "It's an unfortunate situation for the team and Michael," said Sorenson. "I have been to the hospital to see him, and he will be fine, but it's going to take some time to heal. As a friend for a long time, my initial reaction was concern. I'm glad that he's recovering now.

    "It was very unexpected to get the opportunity to step in. The best part is that my friend, Michael, will be cheering for me and the whole 43 Pilot Flying J team. I talked to him about it, and he really wants to see me do well. This is a big deal for me, and I am going to make the most of it."

Kasey Kahne, driver of the No.  5 Great Clips Chevrolet, Danny Efland, driver of the No.  4 Flex Seal Chevrolet, Jamie Dick, driver of the No.  55 Viva Motorsports Chevrolet, Michael Annett, driver of the No.  43 Pilot Ford, Johanna Long, driver of the No.  70 Foretravel Chevrolet, Mike Bliss, driver of the No.  19 G-Oil Ford, and Hal Martin, driver of the No.  44 American Custom Yachts Toyota, are involved in an incident during the NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 23, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)