NASCAR News

Perseverance by Scott Riggs paid off Sunday as the Valvoline team battled through adversity to pick up a 14th-place finish at the Phoenix International Raceway.

Robby Gordon will continue to run the alternative blue and orange Cingular Wireless paint scheme on his #31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after a strong outing with the scheme last week in Atlanta.

Dale Earnhardt Jr laid the blame for Sunday's clash with Carl Edwards at his own feet as a golden opportunity to take the NASCAR Nextel Cup points lead went begging at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Amidst the tragedy that has enveloped the NASCAR world this past few days, team owner Richard Childress has confirmed that Robby Gordon will not return to the #31 Cingular Wireless team for a fourth season in 2005.

Rusty Wallace has apologised to those who may have been upset by his comments about the airport that the ill-fated Hendrick Motorsports flight was bound for last Sunday but has refused to stand down from his belief that both the Blue Ridge Airport in Martinsville and the Talladega Airport are in

Nextel Cup frontrunner Tony Stewart is in mourning for his helicopter pilot Scott Lathram, who was amongst the ten people killed when a plane belonging to Hendrick Motorsports crashed on route to Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.

Rusty Wallace has revealed his own fears about the approach to the airport that Sunday's ill-fated Hendrick Motorsports flight was bound for when it crashed in dense fog, killing all ten people on board.

Ten members of top NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports, including the son, twin nieces and brother of team owner Rick Hendrick, were killed in a plane crash en route to the race at Martinsville on Sunday. Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson won the race before learning of the tragedy.

Dale Earnhardt Jr used his sole Nextel Cup Chase 'Mulligan' in Sunday's Subway 500 when a clash with Kyle Petty finally ended what had already been a dismal day for the driver who entered the race second in the points table.

By Andrew Charman

Dale Earnhardt Jr admits to having been "really frustrated" when NASCAR this week threw out his appeal against a 25-point penalty, imposed after he uttered a profanity on live TV following victory at Talladega three weeks ago.

Repaving the Martinsville Speedway, with more tarmac replacing much of the previous tarmac/concrete mix, has not removed its challenges to a driver, but changed them, according to five times winner at the Virginia venue Jeff Gordon.

By Andrew Charman

Martinsville Speedway has been "spruced up" for the inaugural NASCAR Nextel Cup 'Chase for the Championship' with a new track surface and some well-received SAFER Barriers.

As the chequered flag flew over the final 'major league' event of its 2004 season, the Texas Motor Speedway set its 2005 season in motion with a number of significant sponsorship deals for 2005 and beyond.

Kevin Harvick, Inc., [KHI] announced today at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, that former two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series [NCTS] champion Ron Hornaday will be behind the wheel of the #6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Silverado for the 2005 NCTS season.

Elliott Sadler's pit crew won the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fuelled by PowerAde on Sunday at Kansas Speedway, lifting the #38 Robert Yates Racing crew into top spot in the overall season standings.

Since his Kansas City sweep of winning the Busch and Nextel Cup races last weekend and capturing back-to-back Bud Poles, the number of monikers have increased for Joe Nemechek.

Terry Labonte announced his plan for retirement during a special media breakfast at Hendrick Motorsports on Tuesday. Hosted by Fox's Mike Joy, featured guest speakers included NASCAR's Mike Helton, Team Owner Rick Hendrick, Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte, and Ken Schrader.

Kyle Busch will contend for the 2005 Nextel Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Championship in the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as the younger brother of current Nextel Cup points leader Kurt Busch steps into Terry Labonte's shoes.

A jubilant Joe Nemechek called it a dream weekend after he won Sunday's Banquet 400 Nextel Cup race at the Kansas Speedway.

Nextel Cup aspirant Clint Bowyer has been added to the list of drivers to have piloted the recognisable ACDelco Chevrolet in the supporting Busch Series, following a deal to join Richard Childress racing for 2005.

Nextel Cup sponsor GM Goodwrench has taken the wraps off the Daytona 500 paintscheme that it will use to off its 20th anniversary with Richard Childress Racing.

Victory Brand, the sponsor of ppc Racing's new Nextel Cup operation, has vowed to take a responsible approach to promotional activities relating to its backing of John Andretti's Ford entry.