Autoblog

Watch Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda drive the new NASCAR Camry

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Toyota, Racing

When Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda wanted to give his company's 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Camry a shakedown run, Kyle Busch was chosen to ride shotgun. Even though Busch has won 85 races driving Toyotas in three NASCAR series, it was Toyoda who took the driver's seat for a spin around Daytona International Speedway.

The redesigned Camry stocker is expected to be submitted for approval this summer, and you can watch Akio Toyoda put it through its paces in the video below.

Continue reading Watch Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda drive the new NASCAR Camry

Watch Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda drive the new NASCAR Camry originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 May 2012 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kurt Busch and Penske part ways after rough season

Zach Bowman — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Celebrities, Racing

There must be something in the water at the Busch household. Kurt Busch has reportedly just parted ways with Penske by "mutual agreement" after a season packed with controversy. The racer won 16 events in just six years of racing with the team, but lately found himself drawing headlines more for his off-track antics. Busch entered into a confrontation with two members of the media after a race in Richmond in September. He also lobbed a volley of obscenities at an ESPN reporter during the season finale at Homestead, Florida. Busch had also made a habit of demeaning crew members over the radio during races, and his crew chief left the team for greener pastures after the last race of the season.

Of course, younger brother Kyle Busch hasn't had a much better year. Kyle was cited for traveling 128 mph in a Lexus LFA six months ago and more recently, he endured a $50,000 fine and a one-race suspension for intentionally wrecking Ron Hornaday, Jr.

Kurt Busch and Penske part ways after rough season originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch loses M&Ms sponsorship for remainder of season [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities, Racing

It turns out NASCAR will allow Kyle Busch to participate in the final two Sprint Cup Series events of the year, but don't expect to see his familiar M&Ms livery on the track. Mars said that the company won't sponsor Busch until he returns to racing in 2012, despite the fact that the company feels that the racer has expressed genuine remorse for intentionally putting Ron Hornaday, Jr. into the wall under caution in a recent Truck Series race (click past the jump to re-watch that misstep). That little maneuver is the latest in a series of troubles that have surrounded Busch, and the stunt landed him a $50,000 fine and probation for the remainder of 2011.

Instead of his car's typical melt-in-your-mouth scheme, Busch will campaign an Interstate Batteries livery at the two upcoming Sprint Cup races. Interstate is heavily involved in Busch's team and has sponsored the racer in six cup races so far this year.

Busch has racked up a total of $75,000 is fines this season, thanks in part to a $25,000 incident with Kevin Harvick on pit road that saw Busch wind up in a head lock. As you may recall, Busch also lost his driver's license for a spell after being busted for traveling 128 miles per hour in a Lexus LFA. Rough year.

Continue reading Kyle Busch loses M&Ms sponsorship for remainder of season [w/video]

Kyle Busch loses M&Ms sponsorship for remainder of season [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Busch League? NASCAR levies $50,000 fine, probation for intentional wreck [w/poll]

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Safety

NASCAR has announced the rest of Kyle Busch's punishment for intentionally wrecking Ron Hornaday, Jr. during the Texas Motor Speedway round of the Camping World Truck Series last weekend: $50,000 and probation until the end of the year. According to the Associated Press, it is exactly the same punishment given to Robby Gordon in 2007 and Kevin Harvick in 2002 for their racing incidents, except those two drivers only paid $35,000.

Busch promptly released a written apology to Hornaday, Jr., his team, sponsors and fans. Even so, after Busch's other intentional altercations this year and the fact that he dangerously plowed a competitor dead-on into the wall at more than 100 miles an hour, and with Hornaday, Jr. purposefully taken out of the running for the series championship, a $50,000 fine and probation strikes us as little more than a wrist slap. He might receive further discipline from his team or sponsor, but it's unlikely.

Do you think NASCAR levied a fair punishment? Watch the crash and the aftermath again in the video after the jump for a refresher, then have your say in our poll below.

View Poll

Continue reading Busch League? NASCAR levies $50,000 fine, probation for intentional wreck [w/poll]

Busch League? NASCAR levies $50,000 fine, probation for intentional wreck [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the crash that got Kyle Busch banned from racing this weekend

John Neff — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Safety, Videos

We know there's lots of drama in NASCAR, and for some reason, Kyle Busch often finds himself in the middle of it. Back in June, Busch found himself in a headlock after a race courtesy of a fellow driver who felt the 26-year-old driver had intentionally bumped him during a cool down lap. Busch also recently lost his drivers license for 45 days after being caught by police doing 128 miles per hour in a Lexus LFA. Fortunately for Busch, NASCAR doesn't require its drivers to have a valid drivers license to race.

Maybe they should, as Busch has again dove headlong into a heap of trouble after intentionally putting Ron Hornaday's truck into the wall during Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The incident happened after the two drivers made contact on lap 13, which brought out a caution flag. At that point, Busch aimed his truck at the back of Hornaday's and accelerated, sending his competitor - who happened to be competing for the series championship - into the wall and out of the race.

NASCAR pulled Busch from Friday's race and then followed up by also suspending him for this weekend's Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup races, as well. The governing body has said more penalties are possible and will be considered on Monday.

Busch has already released an open letter apologizing for the crash, which can be read after the jump.

Continue reading Watch the crash that got Kyle Busch banned from racing this weekend

Watch the crash that got Kyle Busch banned from racing this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Five NASCAR drivers turn down invitation to meet Obama at White House

Aaron Richardson — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Racing

Five NASCAR drivers invited to meet President Barack Obama at the White House aren't going to show, citing "scheduling conflicts." Nobody's sure whether "scheduling conflicts" means "political views," but thanks to stereotypes associated with NASCAR, nobody's ruling that out.

The president invited 12 drivers from the 2010 Chase to celebrate their successes. The drivers bailing include Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Carl Edwards. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch (who had initially declined), Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth all plan to attend.

While the absentees may indeed have scheduling conflicts, we'd expect that if that were the case, it'd hold true for the majority of those invited. Also, passing on the chance to meet the sitting U.S. president, regardless of one's views, seems like an odd move.

Five NASCAR drivers turn down invitation to meet Obama at White House originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First 2012 Toyota Camry commercials look to burn up the interwebs

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Toyota

Toyota has finally pulled the wraps off its all-new 2012 Camry, and the marketing machine is now in full swing. The automaker is hitting the virtual airwaves with a trio of commercials highlighting its newest midsize sedan, as well as Toyota's love for NASCAR. Kyle Busch helps out with some smoky burnouts, high-speed driving and general information about the Camry Hybrid, and yes, that does seem a bit incongruous.

The first spot posted after the jump is titled "Electrified", and shows the NASCAR Camry turning donuts before being hit with some electricity and turning into a Camry Hybrid. The other two showcase Busch showing off for the camera. We can only hope no police were on the scene...

Hop the jump to check out Toyota's first three commercials for the 2012 Camry.

Continue reading First 2012 Toyota Camry commercials look to burn up the interwebs

First 2012 Toyota Camry commercials look to burn up the interwebs originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch loses license for 45 days for speeding in Lexus LFA [w/poll]

Noah Joseph — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Lexus, Celebrities

We said it once, and we'll say it again: it's a good thing racing drivers aren't required to hold a valid driver's license in order to race. We know it sounds funny, but if they did, some of our best drivers would be out of work.

The latest high-profile incident, as you may recall, revolves around Kyle Busch. The NASCAR driver was busted back in May behind the wheel of a yellow Lexus LFA, driving 128 mph in a... well, at those speeds, it hardly matters what the posted limit was, but it was a 45 mph zone. At the time, Busch received a citation, but now he's had his day in court.

So... how did it go for the current Sprint Cup points leader? Not all that well, we're afraid. Apparently instead of taking Busch's proven superlative driving skills into account, the judge opted to throw the book at Busch to make an example of him. The champ had his license revoked for 45 days, was fined $1,000, sentenced to 30 days of community service and put under probation for one year.

Do you think the sentence was fair and proportionate to the crime? Cast your vote in our poll below.

View Poll

Kyle Busch loses license for 45 days for speeding in Lexus LFA [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR team owner Childress fined $150,000 for Busch attack [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

Kyle Busch bumps Kevin Harvick at Kansas Speedway - Click above to watch the videos after the break

There's a lot of money in NASCAR, and that inevitably draws big egos to the races. Two of those personalities clashed after a recent Truck Series race when Kyle Busch bumped a Richard Childress Racing truck driven by Kevin Harvick during the cool down lap.

After the field found their way to the pits, Childress himself tracked down Busch, put him in a headlock and commenced to deliver a few well-placed punches. As a result of the confrontation, NASCAR organizers fined Childress $150,000 and put him on probation, though the team owner won't see any sort of suspension.

There's no word if any of that money will go toward mending Bush's busted ego after being beaten down by a 65-year-old grandfather.

Busch and Harvick have feuded on and off the track for years, so word of the two racers tangoing once again is nothing special. Both drivers were fined $25,000 after a confrontation on pit road at Darlington. It's a little rarer to hear of a team owner personally going after a driver, however. Click past the break for the video along with some commentary of the confrontation and resulting fine.

Continue reading NASCAR team owner Childress fined $150,000 for Busch attack [w/video]

NASCAR team owner Childress fined $150,000 for Busch attack [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch busted doing 128 mph while test-driving Lexus LFA

Noah Joseph — Wed, 25 May 2011 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Government/Legal, Lexus, Celebrities

Life is tough, ain't it? We pay to see professional racing drivers hurtling around at breakneck speeds on the race track, but then give them tickets and even revoke their licenses for doing what they do best once off the race track. We see it all the time. Lewis Hamilton has run into his share of trouble. So has Danica Patrick. David Coulthard even got one during a Formula One demonstration on public streets. Even F1 team principals like Ross Brawn and Ron Dennis have run afoul of speed limits. And now, Kyle Busch is having his turn.

The front-running NASCAR driver was reportedly busted in Mooresville, North Carolina driving a yellow Lexus LFA supercar at 128 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone. Carry the one, divide by pi... that's nearly three times the posted limit. So did he get arrested and carted off to jail on the spot like the rest of us would? Not quite, but he did receive a citation and will have to answer for his illegal behavior, and could stand to lose his license. Fortunately, NASCAR doesn't require its drivers to have a valid state license in order to race.

The LFA was reportedly on loan to Busch from Lexus, whose parent company's Toyota stock cars he drives in NASCAR. This wasn't the first time Busch has been busted for reckless driving in public, having pleaded guilty to performing a burnout in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant in Virginia back in 2006, and cited for going 55 in a 35 zone in 2008 in the same Irdell County, NC, where he was busted again yesterday.

For his part, Busch has apologized for the incident and reportedly acted courteously towards law enforcement throughout the ordeal.

Kyle Busch busted doing 128 mph while test-driving Lexus LFA originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 May 2011 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kimi Raikkonen to run limited 2011 schedule for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Aaron Richardson — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Celebrities

The rumors are true. Former Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen will run a limited schedule in the Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2011. Raikkonen's debut is scheduled for May 20 in the N.C Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway as owner Kyle Busch's teammate.

Raikkonen's nine-year F1 career saw 18 wins, 62 podium finishes and the 2007 Drivers' Championship. Since leaving the sport in 2009, Raikkonen has campaigned in World Rally Championship with his own team ICE 1 Racing.

Raikkonen's debut for KBM will be the first step in what the champ hopes will be a successful transition from open-wheel and rallying to NASCAR, a switch that fellow F1 champ Juan Pablo Montoya made in 2007. Raikkonen's sponsorship deal hasn't been revealed yet, but will be announced before the start of the Charlotte race.

[Source: Kyle Busch Motorsports | Image: (C) Gepa Pictures/McKlein/Red Bull Content Pool]

Continue reading Kimi Raikkonen to run limited 2011 schedule for Kyle Busch Motorsports

Kimi Raikkonen to run limited 2011 schedule for Kyle Busch Motorsports originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch irked over Danica saturation in Daytona

Alex Nunez — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

Kyle Busch, reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series champ and the polesitter for today's 2010 season opener in Daytona, has a bone to pick with the media. Busch is irked that the overwhelming majority of the Nationwide Series TV coverage during the runup to the 2010 season kickoff has focused primarily (and not at all unexpectedly) on Danica Patrick's impending stock car debut. He calls the lopsided coverage "horrible," according to SceneDaily.com.

Busch has no issue with Danica herself; in fact, he's quoted as saying she's doing well. The problem, as he sees it, is that the avalanche of attention being given to Patrick is wildly disproportionate to what her actual participation in the series will be. Remember that despite all the media noise surrounding her arrival in NASCAR, Danica Patrick is a part-time driver who will appear in fewer than half the races on the 2010 Nationwide Series calendar. IndyCar remains her first priority, and she's racing that full schedule. Busch feels the media is doing the other full-time Nationwide drivers a great disservice by not affording them some of the giant spotlight that the series finds itself under this week.

While some will doubtless view Busch's comments as sour grapes, he makes a valid point in that there are surely other drivers who would stand to benefit from some media love, particularly given all the extra attention that has followed Danica to Daytona. It's also a prime opportunity for casual observers to potentially learn more about the Nationwide Series itself, which puts on an entertaining show and offers up some interesting differences from the top-tier Sprint Cup series. (Did you know that the Nationwide teams bring rain tires and windshield wipers to the dates at Mexico City and Montreal? Now you do.)

Now, Busch's media criticism may be well-intentioned, but he shouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth. The gigantic amount of press that Danica Patrick has generated for the Nationwide Series this week can only be viewed as a good thing for everyone involved. It's likely to carry over to her second race in Las Vegas two weeks from now as well. After that, Danica vanishes from NASCAR until late June in order to focus on IndyCar.

So here's the deal: Danica Patrick (and the media swarm that's following her) brings fresh sets of eyes to the NASCAR Nationwide Series this month. Eyes that might not otherwise tune in on Saturdays. What's the single best thing that Kyle Busch and all the other every-week series regulars can do? Once March rolls around and Danica heads back to her day job: keep 'em.

[Source: SceneDaily.com | Image: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty]

Kyle Busch irked over Danica saturation in Daytona originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: USF1 wants NASCAR's Kyle Busch for driver duties

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

F1 drivers have left the grid to go to NASCAR, so why not have a NASCAR driver make the leap to Formula 1? USF1's Peter Windsor reportedly has his eye on NASCAR bad boy Kyle Busch to pilot the team's single-seater in next year's championship. The 24-year-old Busch is said to have massive talent, and he's tallied a fair number of wins in his five years of racing in three NASCAR series.

We like the idea of an American pilot who isn't from IndyCar, especially considering the record of American drivers with that background, Mario Andretti excluded. It's still surprising, however, that Windsor, who well knows the crucible that is Formula 1, would want to put an F1 rookie in a brand new car for a brand new team. Pilots with years of F1-specific grooming and success in feeder series like GP2 have burst like melons on concrete when elevated to F1 (Piquet, Jr. and Grosjean, anyone?). If USF1 does make it to the grid (Ecclestone seems to think they won't), we hope they've got drivers who can help them show well.

[Source: Daily F1]

REPORT: USF1 wants NASCAR's Kyle Busch for driver duties originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Klye Busch: the next American to test in F1

Noah Joseph — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

Formula One has lacked an American hero for a long time now, and with Scott Speed gone from the paddock, the land of the free and home of the brave lacks a standard-bearer to represent one the biggest motorsport cultures in the world at the pinnacle of racing. Several drivers, however, are lining up for the opportunity.

The first step for any aspiring F1 driver is always a test. The bigger the team, the better. We recently brought you news of Danica Patrick's potential test with Honda, while racing scion Marco Andretti was likewise linked with a Honda test. Next up to bat is Kyle Busch, who is finagling his way into a Toyota F1 car at the end of the year for a trial run in Japan. Busch, who currently leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup in points driving a "Toyota Camry", says he'll see how he manages on a road course and with the tremendous strain on the neck endured by trained F1 drivers before he speculates on a potential switch in racing series. However, Juan Pablo Montoya, who made the switch in the opposite direction, remains skeptical. Montoya did a similar swap at Indy with Jeff Gordon when Juan Pablo was at Williams-BMW.

Meanwhile Graham Rahal dismissed the prospect of moving to F1 like his father Bobby had, reasoning that "If you're not with McLaren or Ferrari, you're not going to win a race." The young Rahal elaborated that with open-wheel racing reunited in America, he'd be happy to stay put.

[Sources: Autosport and F1-Live, Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty]

Klye Busch: the next American to test in F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 May 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota scores first official NASCAR Sprint Cup win

John Neff — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota

Click above for high-res gallery from Kobalt Tools 500

When the clocks ticked over to 2008, Toyota Motorsports VP Jim Aust declared that the Camry would not go winless this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup like it did during its inaugural season last year. Things got off to a good start during qualifying for the Daytona 500 when Toyota went 1-2 in the second Gatorade Duel qualifying race. This past weekend, history repeated itself when Joe Gibbs Racing had a pair of Camry cars go 1-2 again, but this time on race day at the Kobalt Tools 500. Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Camry won last weekend's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway with teammate Tony Stewart taking silver, both driving Cup cars festooned with Camry stickers. Not only did Kyle Busch win the race, but he remains atop the points standing after previous points leader Carl Edwards got penalized for something to do with his oil tank lid at last week's race in Las Vegas. Many of the drivers also complained after the race about their tires that were supplied by Goodyear, with Tony Stewart, always ready to give a good quote, saying, "If I were Goodyear, I'd be really embarrassed about this weekend and what they brought us here." Nevertheless, he and teammate Busch pulled out the win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. Looks like it's gonna be a good year for the imports in NASCAR.

Gallery: Kobalt Tools 500

[Source: MSN.foxsports.com, Photos by John Harrelson, Chris McGrath, Chris Gaythen, Chris Trotman/Getty]]

Toyota scores first official NASCAR Sprint Cup win originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Gibbs Racing drops Chevy for Toyota in '08 NASCAR season

Alex Nunez — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:06:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota

Toyota has just raised its profile in NASCAR's top racing series. For the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup (née NEXTEL Cup) season, Joe Gibbs Racing will trade in its Chevrolets for Toyota Camrys (or at least cars with Toyota Camry headlight and grille stickers decorating their noses). In terms of star power, it means that Toyota picks up some very big names in Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Stewart showed how receptive he was to the change by announcing plans to sign a contract extension with JGR that keeps him on the NFL coaching legend's race team through the '09 season.

In a piece he wrote for FOXSports.com, Darryl Waltrip (whose brother Michael's team also runs Toyotas) said that the deal is a boon for both Toyota and JGR, because the adoption of the Car of Tomorrow for the full season next year basically levels the playing field where the cars themselves are concerned. The engines will be the difference-makers on the technical front. Waltrip feels that Gibbs' excellent engineering team will work wonders with the Toyota race engine, and that the JGR Camrys should be competitive right away. We'll see how right or wrong he is on Sunday, February 17, 2008, when the green flag waves at Daytona.

Follow the jump for press releases from Toyota and JGR.

Thanks for the tip, Saimin.

[Sources: Toyota Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, NYT Wheels Blog, FOX Sports]

Continue reading Joe Gibbs Racing drops Chevy for Toyota in '08 NASCAR season

Joe Gibbs Racing drops Chevy for Toyota in '08 NASCAR season originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Food City 500: NASCAR Car of Tomorrow gets first win

Alex Nunez — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

This is spoiler-free until after the jump.

NASCAR's coming out party for the series new racing car, the unfortunately-named "Car of Tomorrow" (what is this, a car show in 1957?) is officially over. That means that NASCAR history has been made by one of the new machines, which are identifiable by their new rear wings and front splitters. Those visual cues are part of a whole host of changes that are said to make the COT the safest stock car ever.

So, who won? Follow the jump to find out.

[Source: NASCAR]

Gallery: 2007 Food City 500

Continue reading Food City 500: NASCAR Car of Tomorrow gets first win

Food City 500: NASCAR Car of Tomorrow gets first win originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Checkered weekend: No. 48 looks good for Cup win

Chris Tutor — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 07:43:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

This Sunday the Chase for the 2006 Nextel Cup will cross the finish line. At the end of the day, as long as No. 48 Jimmie Johnson finishes 12th or better at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he will walk away with his long-awaited championship. According to the guys who crunch the numbers, that's even if No. 17 Matt Kenseth, who trails Johnson by 63 points, wins the race and leads the most laps.

But No. 29 Kevin Harvick, third in the standings going into this weekend's race, will not end the year empty-handed. Harvick's done even better in the Busch Series. He had that title wrapped up in October. He can just coast through Saturday's Busch race (Ford 300 on TNT at 7 p.m. ET). No. 11 Denny Hamlin, fourth in Nextel Cup standings, looks good to take home rookie-of-the-year trophy.
Sorry No. 8 fans, at 115 points behind Johnson, Earnhardt Jr. is a long shot. There's always next year, Dale. Rounding out Nextel Cup's top 10 are No. 24 Jeff Gordon, No. 31 Jeff Burton, No. 6 Mark Martin, No. 9 Kasey Kahne and No. 5 Kyle Busch.

Watch the Ford 400/Nextel Cup Series Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

For the Craftsman Truck Series championship, Johnny Benson trails Todd Bodine by 112 points before Friday's Ford 200 in Miami. Watch that race on Speed Channel at 7:30 p.m. ET

Check the NASCAR TV schedule for official airing times.

Checkered weekend: No. 48 looks good for Cup win originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Nov 2006 07:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch gets fined by NASCAR & sent to his room without dinner

Eric Bryant — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Kyle Busch, apparently gunning for the Ron Artest Sportsman Award and determined to displace Robby Gordon as one of America's favorite "love to hate" stars in stock-car racing, had his wallet dinged to the tune of $50,000 for throwing a safety device onto the racetrack during Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The intended victim of the lob was Casey Mears, in what appears to be a continuation of the lovefest between the two drivers (earlier in the season, Busch tapped Mears during a red flag).

In addition to the financial penalty - tied for the second-largest ever levied by NASCAR - Mears was hit with a 25-point penalty and put on "probation" for the rest of the season. Car owner Rick Hendrix was also docked 25 points.

[Source: Fox Sports]

Kyle Busch gets fined by NASCAR & sent to his room without dinner originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jun 2006 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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