Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Top Forbes List

By FanHouse Newswire

NEW YORK (AP) -- Forbes' annual rankings show that Hendrick Motorsports is the most valuable team in NASCAR for the second consecutive year, while three of its drivers topped the list as the highest-paid NASCAR drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the group with a reported annual income of $30 million, followed by Jeff Gordon at $27 million and Jimmie Johnson at $23 million.

Forbes' report, released Wednesday and on the web at Forbes.com, shows that NASCAR's top team, owned by Rick Hendrick, is worth $350 million. But the report claims the average team value has declined $5 million over the past year.

Roush Fenway Racing is ranked second at a value of $238 million, and Richard Childress Racing is ranked third at $153 million.

Joe Gibbs Racing ($144 million) and Richard Petty Motorsports ($124 million) round out the top five.

Forbes says the value of a top 10 team in NASCAR has dropped 10 percent since 2008.

NHRA 4 Wide Nationals 3.26.10 Concord, NC

Now this is a "strap your self in and pull those belts tight" kinda racing. I wish I was there to see it in person because I just love drag racing. Atco needs to build a second drag strip so we can have four wide racing in New Jersey.

Driver confident that No. 88 team is on the same page

By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM

CONCORD, N.C. -- In between morning and afternoon test sessions Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent considerable time trading information and wisecracks with crew chief Lance McGrew in the garage area.

Earnhardt even playfully grabbed the sides of McGrew's head to make one point, then laughed heartily. The most famous driver in NASCAR hardly seemed like he was having trouble getting along with anyone.

And that's just the problem with sharing with the world heated radio communications during a race, Earnhardt later pointed out. While on one hand it's great entertainment -- unique solely to the sport of NASCAR -- on the other it can lead to some general misunderstandings by those listening in.

So it was, Earnhardt said, when he went off Sunday on NASCAR, spewing expletives about getting penalized for speeding coming onto pit road at Bristol Motor Speedway. And when McGrew subsequently implored Earnhardt not "to lay down on him," Earnhardt responded with a stream of invective about why McGrew should never, ever accuse him of laying down -- and about how the crew chief certainly should never make said accusation over the radio during a race.

Relaxing in his No. 88 Chevrolet hauler between test runs Tuesday, Earnhardt explained what was going through his mind at the time.

"When I get upset I have to talk to somebody. I've got to tell somebody; somebody needs to hear it," Earnhardt said. "I don't feel good. I can't get over it, past it until I think I've had somebody hear my side of it.

Read the rest of this article here.

What A Mess...

And speaking of messes, I wish that Junior did not get that speeding penalty. I can only imagine where he would have finished if he did not. However, I am thankful that he dug his way thru the field and finished a respectable 7th. Junior is now 8th in the points standings.

A Day Full Of Terrible Wrecks

In other motorsports news Larry Pearson, son of three-time Cup Series champion David Pearson, was airlifted to a nearby hospital after a frightening crash Saturday during a legends race at Bristol.

Pearson was knocked unconscious after the car of Charlie Glotzbach slammed into the driver's-side door of Pearson's car in Turn 2. Emergency workers extricated Pearson by cutting the roll cage of his car.

According to ESPN analyst Dr. Jerry Punch, who spoke with Pearson's brothers, Ricky and Eddie Pearson, Larry Pearson regained consciousness before he was lifted out of the car on a backboard and transported by ambulance to a waiting helicopter.

According to Punch, the brothers described Larry Pearson as "awake and alert."

David Pearson, who also was competing in the 35-lap event, withdrew from the race to visit his son in the hospital. The 71-year-old Glotzbach, clearly shaken up, walked gingerly away from his car after the accident and was taken immediately to the infield care center. After being examined there, he was also transported to a local hospital for further examination. See the video here.

By Sporting News Wire Service

Younger Truex gets six-race deal from MWR

By Team Release


CORNELIUS N.C. -- Ryan Truex celebrates his 18th birthday Thursday and couldn't be happier with his present from Michael Waltrip Racing.

MWR on Wednesday announced today Truex will race in six Nationwide Series races in 2010 in addition to running the full 10-race K&N Filters Pro Series East schedule in defense of his '09 championship.

"I'm a racer and the best present anyone can give me is a chance to race," said Truex, who won three races and three poles in the former Camping World East Series last season. "Now I have a full plate of racing in the East Series in 2010 and six Nationwide races. Our eye is on running full-time Nationwide in 2011, so I couldn't be happier."

Truex will make his Nationwide series debut on July 17 at Gateway International Raceway just outside of St. Louis. Also tentatively scheduled are Michigan, Richmond, Kansas, the fall race at Charlotte and Homestead-Miami. MWR will be pursuing sponsorship support for Truex's 2010 racing, as well as full-time support for the '11 Nationwide effort.

Waltrip said Truex and 19-year-old Trevor Bayne, who drives Diamond-Waltrip's No. 99 full time in the Nationwide Series this year, could represent the future of the company as well as the sport.

"Ryan Truex gave Michael Waltrip Racing its first championship last season when he won the K&N Filters Pro Series East championship so he'll always be my hero," Waltrip said.

"He's a fantastic young driver and we feel he is ready to step up to the Nationwide Series. The Nationwide Series is a place for young guys like Ryan and Trevor to get a shot at showing off their skills and learning as much as they can. I think the fans are going to like both of these guys a lot. I hope they are around a long time at MWR and in this sport."

Truex is the younger brother of two-time Nationwide champion Martin Truex Jr., who drives MWR's No. 56 Toyota in Sprint Cup competition.

Ryan Truex and his crew chief, Mike Greci, begin their East Series title defense on March 27 at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina. SPEED will air the race at 6 p.m. ET April 1.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

NASCAR places Edwards on three-race probation

NASCAR president Mike Helton on Tuesday announced Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards has been placed on probation for the next three Sprint Cup race. No fine, no suspension. 

Helton said the decision came "after meeting and discussing the events Sunday evening, all day Monday and Tuesday morning." Helton said that an additional meeting "that was still being set".

"We feel that will come before the Saturday or Sunday of the Bristol weekend," Helton said.

Helton said the fact that Keselowski's car went airborne at a 1.5-mile track was a bigger issue than Edwards' action.

(For those so called fans that want criminal charges pressed against Edwards, go find a different sport to nag about).

Edwards stepped over the line

So after this mess, NASCAR parked Edwards and he went to the hauler. As of yet, I haven't heard if NASCAR will be fining and/or penalizing Edwards.

Afterwards, Carl Edwards said this: "Brad knows the deal between him and I." "The scary part is that his car went airborne, which was not at all what I expected."

"It could have killed somebody in the grandstands," Keselowski said. "I know that's a little ironic that it's got me saying that, but at least I didn't do it intentionally when it happened. It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. If they're going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands."

Of course I am not a fan of intentionally wrecking one another, but I hope NASCAR doesn't go all rule crazy on the drivers again. Racing especially stock car racing is all about the driver's skills and yes, bumping, hitting and shoving is a part of it. NASCAR should leave things alone except when situations like today occur, then NASCAR needs to step in. We'll have to see what happens next.

Earnhardt zooms to Atlanta pole

By The Associated Press

Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured the pole for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a blistering speed of 192.761 mph.

Earnhardt's lap on a cool Friday evening was faster than any pole-winning speed for a Sprint Cup race in 2009. Mark Martin was the pole-sitter last year in the spring race with a speed of 187.045 mph.

Martin went much faster this time (191.814) but it was only good enough for fourth. Kyle Busch will start from the outside of the front row Sunday, followed by Juan Montoya. Jeff Gordon was fifth, giving Hendrick Motorsports three of the top five spots.

The fourth Hendrick driver, Jimmie Johnson, managed only the 16th-best speed on the 1.54-mile track.

Kahne, Harvick To Join Earnhardt Jr. In Martinsville Speedway Fan Zone

MARTINSVILLE, VA (March 4, 2010) – Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have some company in the Martinsville Speedway Fan Zone before the running of the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 on March 28.

Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne have been added to the Fan Zone lineup to give fans an impressive trio of drivers to enjoy.

Earnhardt, Kahne and Harvick will appear at different times in the Fan Zone during the morning of Sunday, March 28. All three will take questions from fans during the emceed appearance. There will not be any autograph sessions.

Admission to the Martinsville Speedway Fan Zone is $99 and includes pastries, juice and coffee for breakfast, lunch buffet, AMP Energy and Pepsi products, four beer coupons per adult and Pre-Race Track Pass.

The Pre-Race Track Pass allows fans to stroll on the track along the front stretch from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

The $99 price does not include a ticket to the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500.

The Martinsville Speedway Fan Zone will open at 8 a.m. on March 28.

The pastries will be served at 8 a.m. with the lunch buffet beginning at 10:30 am.

Tickets for the Martinsville Speedway Fan Zone may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com online.

Tickets for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 begin at $25 and may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com online.

Earnhardt donates $1 million to Victory Junction

RANDLEMAN, N.C. (AP)—Dale Earnhardt Jr. has donated $1 million to the Victory Junction camp for children with serious illnesses.

The donation will be used to build The Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheater at the camp that honors the late Adam Petty. Earnhardt made it to kick off Victory Junction’s “Keeping the Dream Alive” campaign.

Petty was killed in 2000 during a practice session at New Hampshire International Speedway. He had a passion for trying to help seriously ill children, and his parents started the camp in his memory.

Earnhardt says the donation was in memory of “my buddy, Adam Petty,” whom he called genuine and a great friend.

NASCAR suspends crewman for substance violation

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—NASCAR has suspended a crewman from the Truck Series for violating the substance abuse policy.

William Hileman is suspended indefinitely. He is a crewman for the Ray Hackett Racing.

He is the third person suspended this season by NASCAR for violating its drug policy