autoracing
NASCAR: As Chase action opens in Joliet, Toyota’s chances look good
Is NASCAR nation ready for a Sprint Cup champion affiliated with a foreign automaker? ‘‘I think they need to be,’’ Martin Truex Jr. said, ‘‘because there is a pretty good chance of it happening this year.’’ Truex is one of three Toyota drivers in the …
Danica Patrick lifts Daytona 500 TV ratings
NEW YORK — With Danica Patrick starting from the pole, the Daytona 500’s television ratings were much higher than last year’s. Sunday afternoon’s race earned a 9.9 rating and 22 share on Fox, the network said Tuesday. That’s up 24 percent from 2012, when rain …
Johnson wins second Daytona 500; Patrick finishes 8th
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson has won his second Daytona 500, racing past defending NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski on the final restart, while Danica Patrick finished eighth.
At least 33 fans injured after massive car wreck at Nationwide race in Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — At least 33 fans were injured Saturday during a NASCAR race when a car flew into the fence at Daytona International Speedway, hurling a tire and large pieces of debris into the stands. The accident happened on the last lap of …
Debris from fiery crash at NASCAR race injures at least 30 fans
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A last-lap accident during the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday at Daytona International Speedway sent rookie Kyle Larson’s car sailing into the fence that separates the track from the seats, and large chunks of Larson’s car landed in the grandstands. The car itself had its entire front end sheared off, with a piece of burning engine wedged through a gaping hole in the fence.
Danica Patrick admits to relationship with fellow driver
Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confirmed Friday they are in a romantic relationship while preparing to race each other at 200 mph every week for Sprint Cup rookie of the year. Patrick and her Stewart-Haas Racing team didn’t respond immediately to requests for comment. …
Jeff Gordon defends NASCAR fight with Clint Bowyer
Jeff Gordon was fed up with Clint Bowyer and decided the final laps of Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway was a good time to take out a season’s worth of frustration. Gordon intentionally wrecked Bowyer’s No. 15 Toyota late in the AdvoCare …
Denny Hamlin crashes during testing at Kansas Speedway
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Chase contender Denny Hamlin crashed during testing Thursday at Kansas Speedway and remains under observation after visiting the infield care center. Hamlin was testing on the repaved surface of the 1.5-mile tri-oval when he hit the wall entering Turn 1. The …
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has concussion, out 2 races
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the next two races with his second concussion in the past six weeks, ending the championship chances of NASCAR’s most popular driver.
Brad Keselowski wins in Joliet, claims top spot in standings for Roger Penske
Roger Penske wasn’t sure what to expect Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet during the GEICO 400, the opening race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Penske, the iconic IndyCar owner who has yet to win a NASCAR championship, watched Penske Racing driver …
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins Nationwide race, takes points lead
This time Ricky Stenhouse Jr. mastered Chicagoland Speedway’s mile-and-a-half track. Stenhouse led only 22 laps, but won the Dollar General 300 NASCAR Nationwide race in Joliet on Saturday, overtaking Elliott Sadler for the NNS points lead. Stenhouse, the defending NNS champion, leads the standings by …
Tony Stewart dealing with sponsorship issues as team owner
There was news going around the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet on Friday that Tony Stewart was nearing a deal to get Bass Pro Shops to replace Office Depot as his primary sponsor for 2013. When Stewart heard that, he buried his head in his hands …
NASCAR weekend: The Chase is here and Matt Kenseth can get serious now
The “Silly Season” in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garages began early this year when Matt Kenseth announced in June that he was leaving Roush-Fenway Racing at the end of the season. That was the first domino to fall. At a Chicagoland Speedway event in late …
Nationwide Series driver Elliott Sadler is looking for a Joliet sweep
Elliott Sadler may be leaving Richard Childress Racing at season’s end, but Sadler wants nothing more than to give his owner a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship as a parting gift. Sadler will need to pad his NNS points lead when he races his No. 2 OneMain …
Jeff Gordon’s mustache has NASCAR talking
For one day, at least, the most talked-about story in NASCAR wasn’t the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. It was the rebirth of Jeff Gordon’s mustache. “He’s got to grow back the eyebrows, too,” Tony Stewart said Wednesday at the House of Blues, where …
Jimmie Johnson obliterates field to win Brickyard 400
INDIANAPOLIS — No one seemed to have an answer for Jimmie Johnson once he took the lead in the Brickyard 400 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It appeared the rest of the 42-car field could do nothing but watch as Johnson built a huge …
