#SixTime Jimmie Johnson gets a new hashtag for a day - #KeepPounding

   Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is getting a new job - at least for one day.

   The NFL's Carolina Panthers on Saturday announced that Johnson, who lives in Charlotte, had agreed to be the "Keep Pounding" drummer for Sunday's Panthers game vs. Tampa Bay at Bank of America Stadium.

   Following the coin toss before every home game, an honorary drummer hits the "Keep Pounding" drum four times to signify four quarters.

   Johnson's participation comes at a crucial point for the Panthers this season. They are seeking their first home victory since Oct. 5 and are still in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Kyle Busch has successful foot surgery; expected to make full recovery

   Team press release

    Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) had successful surgery on his left foot this morning. Busch is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2015 NASCAR season in February.

   The scheduled offseason surgery was performed to relieve a recurring source of inflammation in his left foot. The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson of OrthoCarolina.

There's plenty of testing in NASCAR's 'No Testing' policy

   When NASCAR announced in September it was banning all private team testing, the perception was teams would not likely see the opportunity to do much on-track testing. 

   NASCAR at the time said it hoped to incorporate more teams into the 12 to 15 tire tests done each season by Goodyear but that plan seemed to hit logistical roadblocks in recent months.

   The finished product, outlined in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rulebook, actually provides teams many opportunities to test on series tracks in the coming season. 

   At Atlanta, an extra testing day has been added to the regular weekend schedule. In addition, an extra day of open testing as been added to Goodyear tire tests at Charlotte; Richmond; Kentucky; Indianapolis; Dover, Del.; Darlington, S.C.; Chicagoland; Bristol; Homestead, Fla.; Kansas; Phoenix; and Fontana, Calif.

   Proposed 2015 NASCAR testing dates for Sprint Cup Series
   Date                   Type of test

   Jan. 19               Goodyear tire test, Las Vegas
   Feb. 26              Open team test, Atlanta 
   March 2-3          Goodyear tire test, Atlanta
   March 10            Goodyear tire test, Charlotte
   March 11            Open team test, Charlotte
   April 7                 Goodyear tire test, Richmond
   April 8                 Open team test, Richmond
   April 13-14          Goodyear tire test, Kentucky   
   April 15               Open team test, Kentucky
   April 27-28          Goodyear tire test, Indianapolis
   April 29               Open team test, Indianapolis
   May 11-12           Goodyear tire test, Dover
   May 13                Open team test, Dover
   June 9-10            Goodyear tire test, Darlington
   June 11               Open team test, Darlington
   July 13-14           Goodyear tire test, Chicagoland
   July 15                Open team test, Chicagoland
   July 28-29           Goodyear tire test, Bristol
   July 30                Open team test, Bristol
   Aug. 24-25          Goodyear tire test, Homestead
   Aug. 26               Open team test, Homestead
   Sept. 14-15         Goodyear tire test, Kansas
   Sept. 16              Open team test, Kansas
   Oct. 12-13           Goodyear tire test, Phoenix
   Oct. 14                Open team test, Phoenix
   Oct. 27-28           Goodyear tire test, Fontana
   Oct. 29                Open team test, Fontana

   Note: All Goodyear tire tests typically involve four teams.

Brian France: No changes to Chase format in 2015

   Considering how well-received the Sprint Cup Series season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway was and the TV ratings boost during the Chase, it should come as little surprise that NASCAR Chairman Brian France said in an interview Tuesday there would be no changes to the championship format in 2015.

   France was a guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday afternoon and was asked if he anticipated any tweaks or changes to the format. Here is France's answer: 

   “No, I don’t. We’re obviously pleased with everything. And there may be some adjustments down the road. They’ll be very small. Nothing, for ’15, nothing anybody would notice. But if we can make an already great thing better we will always look at that but we are very content that we have the right positioning of elevating the drivers to have moments as I just described, and then also balancing this whole thing in auto racing, which is very difficult to balance, which is how do you balance winning and consistency? And they don’t necessarily always go together. And how do you have any kind of a championship run that represents that? I think we’ve done the best job that we think we can do to balance that.”

   In an interview during championship weekend but before the series finale, France had said he thought there could be "very modest to zero" changes made to the format.

Sneak peek of HBO's State of Play episode featuring DeLana Harvick and 'First Ladies'

   DeLana Harvick, the wife of NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick, talks about the challenges of married life in HBO's latest installment of "State of Play" as it talks about "First Ladies."

   The episode debuts Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.

Darrell Wallace Jr. receives release from his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing

   Darrell Wallace Jr., who won four races this season in the NASCAR Truck Series and finished third in the series standings, has been released from his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team confirmed to the Observer. 

   Although Wallace, 21, has experienced substantial success in the Truck series with Kyle Busch Motorsports the past two seasons, JGR - with whom he is under contract - had been unable to secure sponsorship for Wallace to run fulltime in any NASCAR national series in 2015.

   The move will allow Wallace, whose victory at Martinsville, Va., last season made him just the second African-American to win a national series race in NASCAR history, to join another organization that can provide him a fulltime ride.

   A spokesman for JGR on Monday confirmed the organization has released Wallace from his contract but declined to comment on Wallace's destination.

   The most likely destination for Wallace appears to be Roush Fenway Racing, sources said. RFR already plans to field Nationwide teams for drivers Elliott Sadler, Chris Buescher and Ryan Reed in 2015. 

   A request for comment was not immediately returned by RFR. 

   Wallace was expected to run up to a 10 races next season with JGR in what will become the Xfinity Series on Jan. 1. JGR owner Joe Gibbs had said he expected to have a "big program" for the driver who was born in Mobile, Ala., but grew up in the Charlotte area. 

   In interviews before the end of the season, Wallace said he was not worried about the lack of a fulltime ride. “I'll take what I can get,” he said. “I can only go out there and continue to run up front, lead laps, and win races."
 

Qualifying results for Sunday's 47th annual Snowball Derby

Qualifying results for 47th annual Snowball Derby, scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.
 

Position, car number, driver, time

1	18	Hunter Robbins	16.212
2	21	Johanna Long	16.228
3	8	John Hunter Nemechek	16.232
4	112	Augie Grill	16.239
5	83	Scotty Ellis	16.262
6	3	Ross Kenseth	16.264
7	95	Derrick Griffin	16.272
8	98	Daniel Hemric	16.274
9	1	Mike Garvey	16.291
10	51	Erik Jones	16.292
11	43	Derek Thorn	16.300
12	9	Chase Elliott	16.301
13	42	Chad Finley	16.304
14	29	Jeff Choquette	16.319
15	26	Bubba Pollard	16.320
16	41	TJ Reaid	16.323
17	2	Donnie Wilson	16.330
18	31	Kyle Grissom	16.334
19	26	Preston Peltier	16.339
20	51	Stephen Nasse	16.343
21	37	Brian Hoar	16.343
22	2	DJ Vanderley	16.355
23	07	Corey LaJoie	16.367
24	11	Logan Boyett	16.374
25	5	Dalton Sargent	16.391
26	99	Casey Smith	16.403
27	9	Mark Kraus	16.417
28	42	Dennis Prunty	16.422
29	90	Grant Enfinger	16.433
30	10	Steve Dorer	16.436
31	29	Anderson Bowen	16.439
32	01	Travis Braden	16.442
33	11	David Rogers	16.443
34	57	Cole Timm	16.446
35	88	Garrett Jones	16.455
36	67	Clay Jones	16.456
37	147	Daniel Webster	16.460
38	45	Dwayne Buggay	16.465
39	16	Jacob Gomes	16.472
40	57	Austin Theriault	16.473
41	12	Harrison Burton	16.480
42	58	Gus Dean	16.485
43	22	Jeremy Pate	16.495
44	91	Ty Majeski	16.501
45	71	Johnny VanDoorn	16.511
46	7	Paul Shafer Jr.	16.530
47	129	Spencer Davis	16.530
48	4	Kyle Plott	16.539
49	05	Bayley Currey	16.552
50	98	Mason Mingus	16.567
51	79	Kyle Bryant	16.581
52	99	JJ Haley	16.584
53	43	Dennis Schoenfeld	16.589
54	2	Clay Rogers	16.596
55	5	Jerry Artuso	16.626
56	22	Josh Bragg	16.679
57	88	Roger Reuse	16.679
58	5	Will Gallaher	16.751
59	1	Tim Martin	16.767
60	12	Garrett Campbell	16.804
61	47	Chris Fontaine	16.863
62	47	Jordan Sims	16.874