Headlines

With the Daytona 500 a little less than two months away, what are some of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' top drivers thinking as they look forward to 2013? Here's a list of the top 20 drivers from last season and some of the thoughts they're sharing in exactly 10 words.

The New Hampshire Motor Speedway staff performed its own version of "Jingle Bells," changing the words to better suit the thoughts of race fans.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway's 2013 schedule is starting to take shape as NASCAR's Whelen Modified Tour and the K&N Pro Series East will return to "The Magic Mile" for a total of three races next year.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the New Hampshire Chapter of the Speedway Children's Charities held its annual grant distribution at Manchester City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 11. More than $169,000 was donated to 44 non-profit organizations across New England.

Newly-crowned NASCAR Sprint Cup championship owner Roger Penske presented Tony Stewart the opportunity to race in next year's Indianapolis 500. But on Wednesday, Stewart respectfully declined the offer.

The line formed well before any of us arrived. There were hundreds of people quietly and patiently waiting. Some had young children with them. Others were joined by a spouse or relative. Many stood quietly alone.

Orlando-based Exotic Driving Experience (EDE) is expanding into 11 markets in 2013, introducing supercar enthusiasts and thrill seekers from New Hampshire to Texas to the unique, heart-thumping experience of racing a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche, Audi or Nissan GTR around a premier race track.

Jeff Gordon won the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but the big prize went to Brad Keselowski, who was crowned the 2012 Sprint Cup Champion.

ACT officials have announced a 14-race schedule for the 2013 American Canadian Tour season at eleven different Northeast short tracks. The schedule will include the 5th Annual ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

In this month's edition of Moose Head Maniacs, Brad Keselowski reflects on his first championship and NHMS recommends five holiday gifts for NASCAR fans.

As fans go about their holiday shopping, we have two great deals running on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to help fulfill everyone's holiday wish list.

With back-to-back wins and five top-10s in his last six starts, Jimmie Johnson is atop the "Magic Mile" Power Rankings for a fourth straight week. Can Brad Keselowski chase him down and, more importantly, steal away the points lead from him on Sunday at Phoenix?

Ricky Craven thinks Brad Keselowski's seven-point deficit isn't impossible to make up with two races to go, unless that leader happens to be Mr. Five Time – Jimmie Johnson.

Two-time Thunder Road Champion Dave Pembroke earned his second Milk Bowl victory this past weekend in the 50th Annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl, picking up a check worth over $14,000.

Round ... and around ... and around ... and around.  If you like cars going in circles, this weekend's Tums Fast Relief 500 is for you!  Martinsville Speedway is the shortest of short tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

The 24 Hours of Lemons and the first-ever Hooptiefest will keep participants busy this weekend at "The Magic Mile."

The on-track action may have ended at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but the list of exciting events in Loudon continues – and we can’t wait to open our gates to a whole new list of seasonal activities we know you’ll enjoy.

ESPN's Ricky Craven breaks drivers' struggles at Kansas Speedway. The Hollywood Casino 400 set a record with 14 cautions and Matt Kenseth came back to win with a damaged race car.

Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour driver Reid Lanpher has been hired to drive for JR Motorsports in 2013.  He will compete in a Late Model at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.

Despite a wild finish to the race at Talladega Superspeedway, there wasn't a huge shakeup to the "Magic Mile" Power Rankings as the field heads to our sister track, Charlotte Motor Speedway, for the Bank of America 500 on Saturday night.

Following a hard crash at Talladega on Sunday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the next two races with a concussion, effectively ending his bid at the Sprint Cup championship.

The final event of the 2012 Loudon Road Race Series season was held Oct. 6 and 7 and the on-track action was as exciting as ever with many season championships on the line, having yet to be decided.

Tom Gray became the fourth driver to win an Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour race on the NHMS road course in five 2012 races, while his teammate, Shaun Buffington, wrapped up the NHMS Points Championship.

Brad Keselowski is not only back atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings – thanks to his win last weekend at Dover – but he's also back atop the "Magic Mile" Power Rankings board for the fourth time this season.

Shaun Buffington won the Saturday race of what will be a weekend doubleheader for the Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour on the NHMS road course.

October Newsletter: Moose Head Maniacs

Jonathan and Gavin recap the SYLVANIA 300 and discuss whether banking would impact a race at NHMS, before previewing the AAA 400 at Dover.

Denny Hamlin dominated Sunday's SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, leading 193 laps en route to his Cup-leading fifth win of the season. He now sits third in points.

With NASCAR in town, Jonathan and Gavin recap the Chase opener at Chicagoland and talk about the favorites this weekend at "The Magic Mile."

K&N Pro Series East rookie Kyle Larson held off Corey LaJoie for his first-ever win at "The Magic Mile" on Saturday. Larson won the G-Oil 100 by half a car length in one of the tightest finishes in recent memory.

Jeff Gordon took the pole for Sunday's SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Gordon hasn't won at "The Magic Mile" since 1998, but he'll be in good position to win when he starts from the front row.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials unveiled the new on-site Granite State Legend Cars dealership, a quickly growing and lucrative new business that serves the Northeast and Canada.

The inaugural Governor's Challenge: Mini-SYLVANIA 300, held at Route 106 Race Park in Pembroke, N.H., was won by WHEB/WGIR's Greg Kretschmar of the "Greg and the Morning Buzz" radio show.

Talk about a speedy arrival! Speedway officials confirmed that a baby girl was born just after 3 p.m. today at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  The birth is the first such arrival in the history of the track.

As political campaigns from the local, state and federal levels – right up to the battle for President – heat up, there’s an entirely different type of race, one with considerably more horsepower.

With the field reset for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, beginning this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, "The Magic Mile" Power Rankings have also been reset with 10 races to go.

Matt Kenseth, who enters the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway in seventh place, will be the featured driver at WOKQ FanFest during SYLVANIA 300 NASCAR weekend at "The Magic Mile" on Sept. 20.

This week, ACT Late Model teams across the northeast held their breath hoping for the call: an invitation to the 4th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational at NHMS.

With a checkered flag waving inside the Pennichuck Middle School library, Mayor Donnalee Lozeau affixed Nashua’s name to the $20,000 check on Wednesday, officially declaring her city as the winner of the New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s inaugural Race to Benefit Education.

In preparation for NASCAR’s invasion to New England on Sunday, Sept. 23 for SYLVANIA 300, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has the opportunity of a lifetime.

Upon his introduction as the newest driver in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable Tuesday at the organization's shop, Matt Kenseth walked into the room and yelled, "Surprise!" No one was surprised, and most in attendance laughed. Denny Hamlin, the JGR driver who will become Kenseth's teammate in 2013, even gave Kenseth a one-man standing ovation.

With powerful vocals and an infectious stage presence, Shana Stack will provide the perfect segue for Travis Tritt on Sunday, Sept. 23 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Shana Stack Band will perform before Travis Tritt takes the stage prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SYLVANIA 300, the second race in the Chase for the championship.

A native of Keene, N.H., Stack is a multi-national award-winning country singer, who has opened for such acts as Reba McEntire and Sugarland. The Shana Stack Band recently released its second full-length record, “What you See is What you Get,” which is receiving strong airplay in the United States and Europe.

A picturesque day provided the perfect setting for American-Canadian Tour teams as they turned practice laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Wednesday.

More than 25 teams from five New England states and two Canadian provinces spent most of the morning and afternoon gathering as much information as possible for the Bond Auto ACT Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 22 at “The Magic Mile.”

The Bond Auto ACT Invitational will be the third of four races on a jam-packed Sept. 22 slate. It will be preceded by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour F.W. Webb 100 and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East G-Oil 100, and followed by the U.S. Legends Car International Series race. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SYLVANIA 300, the second race the in Chase for the championship, will run the following day on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2:00 p.m.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is teaming up with the NHDivision of Travel & Tourism Development to give away two tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SYLVANIA 300 on Sept. 23. Entries will be collected via Twitter.

Now through Labor Day, fans may enter on Twitter by tweeting what they love to do in NH.

One of the most recognizable voices in country music today, New Englander Jamie Lee Thurston will hit the WOKQ FanFest stage for next month SYLVANIA 300 NASCAR weekend at “The Magic Mile.” New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials announced the baritone’s inclusion as the feature act on Sept. 20 in the Broadway Midway at 9 p.m.

A native of Central, Vermont, Thurston was recognized in June with two Independent Country Music Association nominations ("Best Musician" and "Best Live Performance") for his performance at a charity event held in South Burlington, VT for the benefit of victims devastated by the May 2011 flood in Green Mountain State. Thurston took home the award for "Best Live Performance." Thurston’s life story has also been optioned for a future Hollywood film.

So, Greg Biffle is the points leader. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch are on the outside looking in on the Chase. And Hendrick Motorsports, the premier team in NASCAR for the better part of the last decade, is having issues - mechanically and personally. With just three weeks left in the regular season, things certainly are heating up in the Sprint Cup Series.

Here's a look at the top-10 drivers heading to Bristol Motor Speedway in the first edition of the "Magic Mile" Power Rankings list:

It took a 3,200 mile trip across the country to get it, but Rick Niquette found his dream ride.

It was over six years ago that an innocent peek through an Oregon online newspaper turned into a cross-country trip that led Niquette to find a 1965 Toyota FJ 40 Land Crusier. This weekend, the Alton Bay, N.H. native showed off his prized possession in the Custom & Classic Car Show at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I’ve always loved them – I had a couple when I was younger but had to sell them,” said Niquette, who co-owns Ship Shape Marineworks with his wife, Anne. “I flew out to Castlerock, Wash., just to look at it and figured, if nothing else, it would be a chance to visit with my sister, who lives in Oregon.”

It’s not going to take Dr. Emmitt Brown’s DeLorean from the Back to the Future Trilogy to get a first-hand account of what is sure to bea plethora of custom and vintage vehicles on display this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s annual Custom & Classic Car Show.

Moved from its traditional spot during May's Vintage Racing Celebration, the automotive exhibition – now slated for Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19 – has become a fan favorite, drawing car owners and enthusiasts from across the Northeast.

The Classic and Custom Car Show creates an outdoor museum of unique vehicles. The show features classics, customs and hot rods from clubs around the region.

In the spirit of the campaign season, four-time New Hampshire Motor Speedway winner Jeff Burton will be making pit stops in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He’ll be campaigning in the Bay and Granite states, in hopes of championing the support of NASCAR fans in his quest to get back to Victory Lane at “The Magic Mile” on Sept. 23 in the SYLVANIA 300.

Round five of the Loudon Road Race Series’ season was held on August 10 and 11 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway under threatening skies. The tricky weather had riders on edge, and lots of laptops and smartphones with weather radars could be seen throughout the paddock.

Veteran Rick Doucette was unaffected by the weather, taking home the most wins on the weekend with victories in six of the eight classes in which he competes.

Some of the vehicles were painted black, while others bore a strange black and white paint scheme designed to make contour lines difficult to discern. But it wasn't the color of the cars that drew the most attention during a tire test of 2013 models held at Martinsville Speedway – it was the weight.

Four Sprint Cup teams descended on the Virginia short track Tuesday for the opening session of a two-day Goodyear test designed to shake down 2013 cars and give the tire supplier information on which to base their compounds for next season. Key in that effort is the removal of 100 pounds of weight from the next-generation vehicles, including 60 from a right side that in the current models is infamous for stressing tires on that part of the car.

Kasey Kahne may have crossed the Granite Stripe as the victor of the LENOX Industrial Tools 301, but it’s a collection of local non-profit organizations that were the real winners following the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Roger Penske admits that his phone has been ringing off the hook from those wanting a shot in the No. 22 Sprint Cup car.

Now that AJ Allmendinger has been released, it is officially “game on” as far as who could drive that car in 2013.

Here is a list of people likely calling Penske about that ride and their chances.

Suspended NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger was released from Penske Racing on Wednesday, opening a seat in the organization's No. 22 car for the second time in as many years.

The Penske team announced the firing in a statement, which came after Allmendinger and team owner Roger Penske met face-to-face. Allmendinger is suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for failing a random drug test, and must complete a mandatory recovery program before he can hope to be reinstated by the sanctioning body. There is no concrete timeline for his return.

If it's true that "one man's loss is another man's gain," Dale Earnhardt Jr. was easily the biggest beneficiary of Matt Kenseth's misfortune Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

When Kenseth couldn't avoid smacking into Joey Logano's out-of-control car with 26 laps remaining -- and Earnhardt went on to finish fourth -- it resulted in major implications at the top of the Sprint Cup points standings.

How much more intriguing would qualifying be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway if we didn't know Dale Earnhardt Jr. was guaranteed a spot in Sunday's Sprint Cup race?

How many more people would pay to sit in the stands and watch qualifying if they knew there was a chance Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart or any of the big names might miss the race if they hit the wall or blew an engine during their two-lap run?

Maybe one day soon we'll find out.

NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton confirmed that NASCAR is discussing with teams about options in each of the top three series that could do away with the top-35 rule to make qualifying more significant in 2013.

The lights are bright, emotions ride high and the finish line is within site. One group might await the four most popular words in motorsports on a race track in the American South while the other readies for the starting shot on a different type of track or in a pool in Great Britain, but the task at hand is the same.

A record number of fans took advantage of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s ultimate pre-race experience at the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on July 15. In September, “The Magic Mile” will set a new record as speedway officials announce that they have made another 1,000 “Pre-Race Pit Passes” available.

Bob Osborne is transitioning away from his role as crew chief of the No. 99 Sprint Cup team at Roush Fenway Racing, team owner Jack Roush announced Tuesday. Roush Fenway veteran Chad Norris will be the crew chief for the No. 99 effective immediately. Osborne will remain with the organization as a senior member of the organization's management team and steering committee.

"I have had the pleasure of working with Carl Edwards for the past nine years and, during that time, my focus has been building a championship-caliber program," Osborne said. "I'm proud of the 18 wins we've had together in Sprint Cup Series competition and our two second-place points finishes.

Denny Hamlin's car was good. Real good. But in the end it still wasn’t good enough to catch Kasey Kahne, who picked up his first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at "The Magic Mile" on Sunday in the 20th annual LENOX Industrial Tools 301.

With his second victory of the season, Kahne now moves into the top Wild-Card spot for one of the final two spots in the Chase for the championship.

“The luck changed today - I will take them any way I can,” said Kahne, who won at Charlotte Motor Speedway back in May. “It feels good to finish one off today.”

Travis Pastrana said he couldn't remember the last time he won - anything. His impressive run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday night in the inaugural SYLVANIA SilverStar zXe Global RallyCross will certainly make things a lot less fuzzy. Pastrana won his heat earlier in the night and drifted into Victory Lane during the four-lap, 10-car finale.

"It’s been so long I almost forget what it’s like to win," said Pastrana. “It is absolutely awesome to get out here and get on top. It has been a heck of a rough season.”

Pastrana beat Samuel Hubinette to the Granite Stripe by 1.431 seconds, finishing the course in 3 minutes, 40.274 seconds. Brian Deegan, Tanner Foust and Ken Block finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

That’s going to be a tough act to follow. The Whelen Modified Series put on a show at New Hampshire Motor Speedway today, as Mike Stefanik beat Ronnie Silk to the Granite Stripe by three one-thousandths of a second to win the Town Fair Tire 100.

The first race of three at NHMS on Saturday, Silk passed Stefanik going into the final turn, but a small bump exiting Turn 4 by Stefanik allowed the 22-year Modified veteran to pass the current points leader to win the second-closest finish in speedway history. Chuck Hossfeld held off by Ted Christopher by one one-thousandth of a second back in June of 2008.

Tanner Foust made it look easy. The Global RallyCross points leader slickly drifted the corners, glided through the chicane and sailed the 70-foot gap jump with ease during Friday night’s SYLVANIA zXe Global RallyCross Seeding Session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Foust’s time of 39.955 seconds bested the field of 14 cars in the four-lap session.

“This track … there’s a lot of space to use and all of the elements,” said Foust. “It’s going to be hard when there’s door-to-door racing.”

Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Stephan Verdier and Brian Deegan round out the top five spots.

Last week, two cars were running at the end at Daytona without some degree of damage and it should come as no surprise that those two vehicles belonged to Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton, who finished first and second, respectively, in the race. That means that third-place Matt Kenseth, who sustained damage in the last-lap crash, fourth-place Joey Logano (involved in two separate incidents during the night), and fifth-place Ryan Newman all managed to earn near-maximum points despite spending some time sliding backward or scrapping along the wall.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a special place to Joey Logano – he said so after winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at “The Magic Mile” in 2009. On Thursday, he’ll share his thoughts on what it meant to win at his “home track,” how it feels to currently own one of the two wild-card spots in the Chase and anything else fans are interested in as the featured Cup driver at the annual WOKQ FanFest.

Logano, the youngest driver to win a race in NASCAR history, will answer questions from Mark and 2K of WOKQ’s Morning Waking Crew, then will hang after the Q&A to sign autographs for a few lucky fans. During the day, the first 100 fans to buy Logano merchandise will receive a wristband that will allow them access to the autograph session at his souvenir trailer in the Broadway Midway.

Admission to all events, including FanFest, on July 12 is completely free of charge.

As New Hampshire Motor Speedway readies for 100,000 rabid race enthusiasts to invade its campus, track officials are expressing their gratitude to a select group of teens for making that feat possible. Thanks to over 1,700 service hours from members of Teen Challenge New England, a non-profit rehabilitation program, “The Magic Mile” is prepped, polished and prepared to welcome NASCAR fans to the largest sporting event in the region.

Sam Hornish Jr. was sitting in a television studio in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday afternoon, giving his prediction on who would win that night's race at Daytona International Speedway, when the cell phone in his pocket began to vibrate. Appearing on a live Speed network program, he didn't have the opportunity to answer it. He checked his messages after the program ended and before he was supposed to tape another segment to air the next day.

Featuring the biggest and brightest stars in rally cross racing, SYLVANIA SilverStar zXe is beaming with anticipation as the first primary advertising partner for the Global RallyCross Championship, which makes its New Hampshire Motor Speedway debut on July 14.

Travis Pastrana, Ken Block and Dave Mirra will be in the field for the SYLVANIA SilverStar zXe Global RallyCross, the fourth race in a five-event schedule.

As America celebrates its 236th birthday, New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials are honored to announce the inclusion of three United States military branches that make that independence possible.

The U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army will each be represented by local units, volunteering their time to assist with everything from security to ushering during the upcoming LENOX Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR weekend July 12-15.

The 2012 season began with high hopes for the No. 99 Ford team from Roush Fenway Racing.

It's not too late for those hopes to be realized, but Carl Edwards could not mask his frustration over the way Saturday night's Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway ended -- and the way his season has unfolded so far.

Three's the charm -- particularly if you're Bad Brad Keselowski.

Building a big lead during the final green-flag run and saving enough fuel to get to the end of the race, Keselowski won Saturday night's Quaker State 400 Sprint Cup race in a backup car.

With the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 just over two weeks away, several drivers are already eyeing “The Magic Mile” as a track where they enter with confidence, comfort and, most importantly, experience. In 34 Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway since its debut in 1993, 14 (41 percent) have been won by drivers who have previously been to victory lane.

Over the last two years, NHMS has been particularly magical for past winners. Each of the four most recent Cup victors – Tony Stewart (Sept. 2011), Ryan Newman (July 2011), Clint Bowyer (Sept. 2010) and Jimmie Johnson (June 2010) – were all previous conquerors of the 1.058-mile oval.

So it probably won’t come as much of a surprise if one of these drivers, or another former winner, comes out on top again when the Cup Series convenes at NHMS on July 15 for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301.

Buried deep in the Sprint Cup points standings and with no real hope of making the Chase, Kurt Busch had nothing to lose. Each time through the hairpin turn at the south end of the road course at Sonoma, and each time in the dogleg on the way back up the hill, the red No. 51 car got close enough to the leader that Busch was able to peek out and think about making the pass. Again and again, Clint Bowyer slammed the door.

The Legislative Office Building in Concord, N.H., was the host site of “The Race to Benefit Education,” an announcement made by New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials today. The NASCAR themed draft paired 26 drivers with 13 city representatives across the Granite State, awarding $20,000 in education grants to the city that chooses the winning driver of the upcoming 20th anniversary NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on July 15.

On Friday, President Barack Obama’s campaign respectfully declined New Hampshire Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager Jerry Gappens’ invitation to attend next month’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301. Today, Gappens is putting four tickets earmarked for the president up to highest bidder.

Going into the second round of V.I.P. Thursday Night Thunder at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Evan Beaulieu was on the stretch of six straight second place finishes, and a win would be almost out of the question coming from the rear of the field, but with a track that had plenty of grip after a week of great New England weather, it could be anyone's race.

Though White House staffers are officially calling it a “campaign visit,” New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jerry Gappens can’t help but wonder if President Barack Obama’s real motivation for visiting the Granite State on Monday is to pick up his tickets to the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on July 15.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was no stranger to victory lane. After all, he’d been 18 times before. But that 18th win came four years ago – June 15, 2008 to be exact, and that’s why finally getting No. 19 this past Sunday victory at Michigan International Speedway was so special to him.

So, to celebrate Junior’s Father’s Day victory in the Quicken Loans 400, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has put together a special ticket package to commemorate the win.

The stream of well-wishers and congratulatory hugs and handshakes kept coming Sunday in Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway.

If Dale Earnhardt Jr. could have embraced everyone who cheered for him not only in the Quicken Loans 400 he had just won but through every heart-breaking moment of the past four years, he no doubt would have.

Eric Wood has a lot of respect for America’s oldest motorcycle race. And over the last few years he has ridden his bike into victory lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but never as a winner.

That changed today when the native of Ashburnham, Mass., survived a mid-race red flag and a bad restart to win the 89th annual Loudon Classic at “The Magic Mile.”

“I’ve been watching this race since I’ve been able to walk,” said Wood, who finished second in last year’s Classic, a Middle Weight Grand Prix race. “I’ve watched a lot of great riders win here. This just means so much to finally get a win.”

In 2009, Shane Narbonne was only 19 years old when he coasted into victory lane at “The Magic Mile” for the first time. He had to wait until his 21st birthday to make it back. On Saturday, June 16, Narbonne will be looking to make his third trip in four years when he competes in the 89th Loudon Classic, the longest motorcycle event in North America, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Since the early years of NASCAR, racing sons and grandsons have celebrated Father's Day virtually every weekend. It's a family sport where the love of racing has been passed from generation to generation.

Richard Petty became the first son to win a NASCAR premier series race in which his father also ran. His first of a record 200 victories came on Feb. 28, 1960 at the Southern States Fairgrounds in Charlotte, N.C.

On a speedway with a fresh coat of asphalt, Joey Logano may just have gotten a fresh start.

After reclaiming the lead from veteran Mark Martin on Lap 157 of 160, Logano pulled away to win the Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR at Pocono Raceway, his first victory since a rain-shortened win at New Hampshire in 2009.

More important, the second triumph of Logano's career couldn't have come at a better time -- during a contract year in which doubters have considered the 22-year-old a prime candidate to lose his ride at Joe Gibbs Racing to a more established star.

Cotton Owens, the Hall of Fame driver and car owner whom David Pearson referred to as his hero, has passed away just weeks after being selected to the 2013 class of the NASCAR shrine.

Winner of two NASCAR modified titles as a driver and a premier-series championship as a car owner, Everett "Cotton" Owens was 88.

Only the powers-that-be at NASCAR know for certain, but had Kurt Busch's tirade at Dover International Speedway been an isolated incident, he would probably be driving this weekend at Pocono Raceway. Taken by itself, it was just another example of a professional athlete blowing up at a reporter, the kind of thing that happens with much more frequency that people realize.

It’s still a little over a month before NASCAR invades “The Magic Mile,” but the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour got an early jumpstart in preparation for the Town Fair Tire 100 on July 14. Some of the top stars in the series took to the track on Tuesday, testing everything from tire pressure to gear boxes.

“As far as driving the track, I don’t think we’re going to learn anything,” said Todd Szegedy, who has two wins and 14 top-10’s in 19 careers starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Track time is always good. … Hopefully, if we learn a little something it will be good for us when we come back.”

The Hendrick Motorsports juggernaut is back -- with a vengeance.

Driving away from Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth after a restart with 31 laps left in Sunday's FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway,Jimmie Johnson made short work of his Sprint Cup rivals.

With Austin Dillon the top rookie in the Nationwide Series and younger brother Ty making his presence felt in his first year in the Camping World Truck Series, the only competition between the two grandsons of Richard Childress these days is for bragging rights in the family.

The sibling rivalry wasn't supposed to extend to the race track. Not yet, anyway. But circumstance, opportunity and a little bit of pleading have led to Ty Dillon's unexpected debut in the No. 33 Nationwide race car on Saturday at Dover International Speedway.

It wasn’t that long ago that A.J. Allmendinger was turning his first laps in NASCAR at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series. A little over five years later, the Californian is a full-fledged star in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and in July he will return to “The Magic Mile” to take part in the annual WOKQ FanFest on Thursday, July 12.

Allmendinger will answer questions from Mark and 2K of WOKQ’s Morning Waking Crew, then will hang around to sign autographs for a few lucky fans.

On a night of blistering speed at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne set the most torrid pace of all.

The quest to become the Vermont State Late Model Champion begins this coming Sunday, May 27 at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road for the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 150. The four race series between Thunder Road and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT will crown the Vermont State Champion of 2012. The Memorial Day Classic is also the first event in the bid to become the 2012 “King of the Road.”

The north end garage at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been the home of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series for nearly two decades. But when stock car racing’s premier circuit returns to Loudon for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on July 15, they will have a new home in the infield center garage, a move that is expected to make life easier for teams and fans alike.

Ben Ashline, of Pittston, ME dominated the American Canadian Tour Armed Forces 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, May 20 to pick up his first ever ACT victory in only his second full season.  He was followed to the line by Hudson, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., and Oxford Regular Jeff White of Winthrop, ME.  Brent Dragon of Milton, VT and Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, ME rounded out the top five.

Jimmie Johnson joined an elite club on Saturday night.

In beating Brad Keselowski to the finish of the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway by .841 seconds, Johnson won the exhibition event for the third time -- tying Dale Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon for most victories in the event.

When racingfans attend a major motorsports event, they expect a fast, sensation-enhancing experience.Speed, Sights and Sounds – That’s what they want, and they want it fast.

Two Indianapolis-based companies are providing race tracks around the country, through their RaceTrackApp, the ability to enhance the fan experience on race weekends.

Larry McReynolds' attention was diverted from the scoreboard to his driver, and back again. With one eye he was watching the 42 illuminated at the top of the squat scoring tower, waiting for it to change. With the other he was watching Davey Allison, who had been knocked unconscious and was slumped over in the seat of his wrecked race car. In rapid succession, two things happened that the veteran crew chief had been hoping for -- Allison began stirring inside his vehicle, and the lighted number atop the scoring pylon was switched to a 28.

Entering the fifth race of the Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour season, the last four races had produced four different winners.  The pack has been getting tighter and tighter and that was never so evident as it was on the 1.6-mile road course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

While the normal cast of characters, Shaun Buffington, Evan Beaulieu and Matt Bourgoine fought for the lead for much of the race, it was the young sophomore driver Reid Lanpher who was able to take the lead late and pick up his first ever Legends Car win.

The town of Bennettsville, S.C., is a place known for its soil. It was so fertile, legend once held, that it was sold not by the acre, but by the pound. Victorian and Greek revival homes still stand as testament to the era when the place got rich off king cotton, and gins gave rise to millionaires. That time has long passed now, but soybean, corn and cotton are still cultivated in and around the town roughly 30 miles from Darlington Raceway, and Bennettsville still makes much of its living from the earth.

The lines of a 1963 Porsche 356 have stopping power. Like when an automotive aficionado is strolling along a line of classic cars and can’t help but stop and admire the sweeping curves of the vintage German roadster.

The effect is the same with a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette. But instead of the flowing lines of the 356, the Corvette looks as if it was chiseled from granite. A blue ’63 Stingray with bold white racing stripes almost dares one to climb in, buckle up and hold on.

Following are from the SAE International Formula Hybrid(TM) competition held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH:

    --  Hybrid Class
        o 1st - Brigham Young University*
        o 1st - Universite de Sherbrooke*
        o 3rd - Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya

Mother Nature pulled back the curtain of fog and an armada of track dryers got “The Magic Mile” ready for a special tire test with five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers.

Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard and Regan Smith waited out the showers before putting on a show for the fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. technicians took over the speedway for the day to test new tire compounds for mile-track setups.

Wayne Helliwell Jr. of Dover, NH dominated the second half of The Fox 101.5 Spring Green 112 on the way to his first ever American Canadian Tour victory on Sunday May 6, 2012 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Helliwell took over the lead on lap 58 and had to fend off a late race attack from Hudson, NH’s Joey Polwarczyk Jr. to take the checkers.  Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, ME stormed from the 20th starting position to take over third, Ray Parent and Randy Potter completed the top five.

The best way to win races is to be prepared. That’s why a number of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will be in New Hampshire next week, testing new tires for this season’s races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company announced a tire test with five Sprint Cup teams May 8-9. The fans are encouraged to watch from the grandstands free of charge.

Students from some of the top engineering universities around the world will conclude the four-day Formula Hybrid event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway today.  The competition features high-performance hybrid and electric race cars built by teams of students and was founded by the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth six years ago.

BARRE, Vt. – If you think last year was Wayne Helliwell Jr.'s breakout season on the ACT Late Model Tour, try telling that to him.

To hear Helliwell tell it, last year's second-place finish in the final ACT points standings was just dumb luck.

When car owner Joe Gibbs first reached Kyle Buschon Saturday following the Capital City 400 at Richmond International Raceway, he had a question.

"Is it more fun winning as an owner or a driver?" Gibbs said.

And the answer?

Pulling away fromDale Earnhardt Jr. after a restart with eight laps left in Saturday night's Capital City 400 at Richmond International Raceway,Kyle Buschstreaked to his fourth consecutive victory in the spring race at the .75-mile track.

The win was Busch's first of the season and the 24th of his career, tying him with his brother, 2004 Sprint Cup championKurt Busch, for 26th all-time.

The majority of NHMS fans won't visit "The Magic Mile" until NASCAR does in mid-July, but they're missing a lot of good racing action before that major weekend.  The track heats up in April and doesn't cool down until the end of October and there's plenty of on-track action throughout the seven-month season.

The race season can officially be considered underway at NHMS, as the Loudon Road Race Series kicks off 2012 with the first of seven race weekends on Saturday.

Pastrana199 Racing will debut its iRacing.com Toyota Camry in the hands of Travis Pastrana in Thursday’s NASCAR K&N East Series race at Richmond International Raceway which will be broadcast live on SpeedTV beginning at 7 pm EDT. The world’s leading online motorsports simulation, iRacing.com will also serve as the primary sponsor of Pastrana’s car in K&N East races at Langley Speedway, Iowa Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), as well as an associate sponsor of his Nationwide Series entry at NHMS in July.

In some cases, NASCAR race tracks feel that consulting with race car drivers about plans to upgrade or remodel their facilities is considered akin to conferring with asylum inmates about developing a new rules package.

Several of the sport's premier drivers said they've either never or sporadically been consulted about any of the many repaves or reconstructions that have recently taken place, are in process.

The temperatures were right for Denny Hamlin. The tires were wrong for Martin Truex Jr.

It might seem facile to claim the STP 400 was decided solely on a fortuitous weather development for the winner and a frustrating set of tires for the runner-up, but that's essentially what happened.

NASCAR on Thursday issued a 'White Paper' detailing the various programs that have made NASCAR a leader in green initiatives across all sports. The data in "The Sports Leader in Sustainability" illustrates the steps NASCAR has taken in educating fans, reducing the sport's environmental impact, and validating green technologies -- both on and off the track.

"This report brings to life some of the substantive examples of NASCAR's commitment to green innovation and our role as a leader in sustainability," said Dr. Michael Lynch, managing director of green innovation for NASCAR.

President Obama gave Sprint Cup champ Tony Stewart plenty of light-hearted ribbing during his remarks at the champion's tour of the White House on Tuesday. But he did seem pretty serious about one thing.

He really wants to drive the car.

THOMPSON, Conn. – A wild finish left one driver showered in a chorus of boos, one driver frustrated nearly beyond words and a third driver within inches of a remarkable victory.

When everything had settled on rugged NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season opener at Thompson International Speedway, though, it was Ron Silk who made a hard right-hand turn into Icebreaker 150 Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon and not Rowan Pennink.

Tidying up a 1,200-acre facility for more than 100,000 friends is quite the “honey-do” task. New Hampshire Motor Speedway has begun such preparations for the NASCAR weekends and is giving a sneak peek into the action with new “Magic Mile Tours”.

Starting Monday, April 16, speedway staff will peel back the curtain on the magic with daily tours at 11:30 a.m.

Maine native Steve Letarte has seen a lot in his chosen sport, since sweeping the floors at Hendrick Motorsports as a teenager in the mid-1990s.

But the veteran Sprint Cup Series crewman and budding television personality couldn't have imagined where his public persona would go when he was namedDale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief prior to the 2011 season.

When the rubber meets the road this summer at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, fans will have Town Fair Tire to thank for it.  The region's best known tire retailer is joining the speedway family and the 2012 race season in a major way. The Connecticut-based company will be the title sponsor for NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour race on Saturday, July 14.

The Town Fair Tire 100 will be part of “The Magic Mile’s” action packed Saturday.

Fans will get VIP Access of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, when it opens its doors for the 2012 season on April 7.  The third-annual FANtasy Drive Open House provides free admission to fans that just can’t wait any longer for race season in New England.  The event goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fans with NASCAR tickets to a 2012 event at NHMS will have the unique opportunity to take their car out on the track.

Denny Hamlin made his reputation as a driver.

Bubba Watson made his reputation with his driver.

But Watson, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, left his driver in the bag during Wednesday's traditional Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club.

Ryan Newman wanted to make it perfectly clear.

In no way, shape or form was he going to apologize to anyone for what transpired during the final laps of the Goody's Fast Relief 500 to help him get to Victory Lane on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. On the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish after a caution came out on Lap 498 of what had been scheduled for a 500-lap event, Newman's No. 39 Chevrolet rammed into the back of Clint Bowyer's No. 15 Toyota.

Brian Vickers is back at the scene where his perceived crime, or string of crimes, began.

And this time, Vickers hopes his Sunday drive in the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway is less eventful than his last visit to the short track, when he was involved in several incidents that brought out caution flags. The most notable occurred when Matt Kenseth spun Vickers after growing impatient with trying to pass him, and then Vickers spun himself out later in an obvious attempt at retaliation toward Kenseth.

To claim the $1 million top prize in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race this season drivers might have to win more than once.

Sprint and NASCAR officials on Tuesday announced a change to the race’s format, which rewards drivers who win one of the first four segments of the five-segment race on May 19 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Like a Nor’ Easter storm sweeping across New England, Dan Winter is ready for his sophomore season in the Amsoil NELCAR Legend Series.

The NELCAR Legends kicks off its race season Saturday, April 21st at Unity Raceway in Unity, Maine.   Like most drivers, Dan has spent these winter months getting ready for the 2012 race season.  Building a new 1934 Ford coupe legend car as well working on the 1937 Chevy sedan from last season.

You’ve been to the races at NHMS, you’ve seen the cars fly around the track, and you’ve had the urge to jump behind the wheel and follow the pack.  On April 7, the FANtasy Drive Open House at NHMS will give you the chance to satisfy that urge.

The third annual FANtasy Drive will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

NASCAR's chief appellate officer overturned the six-race suspension of five-time championship winning crew chief Chad Knaus on Tuesday.

Chief appellate officer John Middlebrook ruled that Knaus and car chief Ron Malec, who also was suspended six races, instead will be on probation through May 9.

The $100,000 fine levied by NASCAR stands.

NASCAR racing has a new Ice Man.

As he completed the final lap of his victory in Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Brad Keseloswki needled Paul Wolfe, his crew chief.

"Paul, are you nervous?" Keselowski radioed to Wolfe, his voice exuding of confidence. As he crossed the finish line six car-lengths in front of runner-up Matt Kenseth, Keselowski allowed himself an excited whoop.

Stakeouts seem like so much fun in the movies.

Cups of lukewarm coffee. A dashboard strewn with fast-food wrappers and empty chip bags. Long conversations about the meaning of life. Monitoring a target through a set of high-powered binoculars or a listening device. The eventual gratification of being able to knock down a door or chase down a suspect.

Upon hearing the testimony, carefully reviewing the facts and historically comparative penalties, the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel was to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR.

The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer.

Brad Keselowski had a shot at him. So did Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle. Heck, Jimmie Johnson had a couple.

And Tony Stewart blew them all away. Restart after restart after restart.

Stewart's strength Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was on restarts.

Adding an event that features racing with X-Games-type of action and appeal, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and series officials announced today that the amazing and exciting form of Global RallyCross racing is coming to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, as part of its July NASCAR weekend.

Featuring a format that’s part time trial, part stunt show and all adrenaline, the series star drivers include Ken Block, Tanner Foust and action sport-NASCAR crossover athletes Travis Pastrana and Brian Deegan.

This isn't the start to the 2012 Sprint Cup season A.J. Allmendinger envisioned when he made the decision to jump from Richard Petty Motorsports, where he was driving the iconic No. 43 car, to Penske Racing and driving the No. 22 Dodge.

Allmendinger had hoped to finish strong last Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway after struggling to a 34th-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500.

After two races, there are plenty of surprises in the standings, but none more than two drivers who find themselves in the top 10 -- Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano. Truex is sixth in points thanks to a 12th at Daytona and a seventh at Phoenix. Logano finds himself eighth in points after a ninth at Daytona and a 10th at Phoenix.

Logano has never made the Chase, and Truex was last in the postseason in 2007.

Brad Keselowski says he will continue to keep a cell phone in his Sprint Cup car, but other drivers aren’t so sure that they will keep phones – or how long they’ll be allowed to – in their cars during races.

Keselowski posted photos and answered fans’ questions via Twitter while the Daytona 500 was under a red flag on Monday night. His actions gained international attention and resulted in an increase of approximately 160,000 followers on the social media web site.

Penske Racing is going back to its roots and reuniting with Ford beginning next season, leaving the Dodge brand without a team in NASCAR's top series as it prepares for a the unveiling of its 2013 race car.

Penske on Thursday caused a major shakeup in the manufacturer alignments on the Sprint Cup tour when it announced a long-term partnership with Ford, with whom it had previously raced from 1994-2002.

The Daytona 500 has seen its share of shocking races over the years, but nothing that has come before — and likely nothing that occurs here again — will ever quite match what happened to the 54th running of Nascar’s premier Sprint Cup event.

History was made at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, but not the kind that anyone at Daytona International Speedway wanted to see. For the first time in the event's long history, the Great American Race has been postponed to Monday because of weather.

After battling intermittent showers all day, NASCAR officials announced shortly after 5 p.m. local time that the 54th running of the Daytona 500 had been pushed back to noon Monday.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager, Jerry Gappens, announced today the promotion of Tim Renyi to manager of corporate sales at New England’s largest sports and entertainment facility. 

Renyi will now oversee all of the day-to-day sales activities in the speedway’s corporate sales department.

Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing announced Tuesday plans to race the full 2012 Camping World Truck Series schedule. In addition, the team will enter select Nationwide Series events this season. For owner and driver Jennifer Jo Cobb, this marks a fresh canvas and she and her No. 10 team are more ready than ever to make a lasting impression.

The team will enter a combination of Ford- and Dodge-manufactured trucks in the Truck Series and Dodge Challengers in Nationwide. Cobb's "Driven2Honor" program will adorn her vehicles until primary sponsorship is secured.

With a new season of racing just days away, NASCAR and FanVision announced today a multi-year agreement that will enhance the at-track companion viewing experience for the sport’s millions of fans.

FanVision will offer a wide array of broadcast content, provided by Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Media Group, delivering the most extensive menu of features and services available. This next generation technology will be available at select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event weekends and will offer an experience unlike anything fans have ever seen before in a handheld device.

Undoubtedly, Jimmie Johnson would like to forget that the 2011 season ever happened. Apparently, voters in NASCARMedia.com’s annual preseason poll already have.

Members of NASCARMedia.com picked Johnson to reign supreme once again – despite a career-low sixth-place finish in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points.

NASCAR fans are looking forward to watching Tony Stewart defend his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship this season, beginning with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 (FOX, 1 p.m. ET). But before he returns to the comfort behind the wheel of his day job, people all across the country can catch a glimpse of Stewart’s acting skills when he appears on the ABC comedy “Last Man Standing” starring Tim Allen tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 14 (8 – 8:30 p.m. ET).

Ryan Newman learned an awful lot about chemistry at Purdue. But the kind of chemistry that can make the minute differences between winning and losing a Sprint Cup race? That can't be found in any textbook that Newman owns.

Case in point: Teammate Tony Stewart was so frustrated with his performance heading into the 2011 Chase that he felt undeserving of a spot in it. But with victories at Chicagoland and New Hampshire, suddenly the chemistry between Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb changed dramatically.

When it came to Tony Stewart's amazing run in last year's Chase, Jeff Gordon was equally impressed and envious.

Winless in the first 26 races of the season, Stewart roared to five victories in the 10-race Chase, a feat that left the competition scratching their heads as to exactly how he did it. Did the No. 14 team find a mechanical advantage? Was it a case of momentum? Or did everything just fall into place at the right time?

So long, Rowdy.

It was an ignominious and unfortunate end, that night at Texas Motor Speedway back in November, and it's somewhat sad that our last look at Kyle Busch in the Camping World Truck Series -- for the time being, at least -- was of the guy being parked by NASCAR after wrecking Ron Hornaday intentionally under caution.

The 54th annual Daytona 500 -- NASCAR's biggest and most prestigious race -- will carry a record purse of more than $19 million as well as a new contingency award that will pay out $200,000 to the driver leading at the completion of Lap 100.

The posted awards for the Great American Race are $19,142,601 with the winner collecting a minimum of $1,431,325.

Regan Smith has taken to life in the Colorado high country like a mountain goat. Last summer, he and his wife moved into a new home deep enough in the wilderness that wild animals occasionally wander onto their back porch. He took part in a Warren Miller ski film in which his No. 78 Chevrolet, outfitted with studded snow tires and a ski rack on its roof, skidded along the snowy mountain passes near Telluride, with U.S. freestyle skier Jess McMillan in the passenger seat. He even got caught up in the Denver Broncos' playoff run, no small feat for a driver typically interested only in auto racing and ice hockey.

Felix Sabates was relaxing one night in December when his phone rang at 11 p.m.

On the other end was someone looking for a little advice and perhaps some heavy-handed help. Despite registering 23 Sprint Cup race wins and a championship while getting to Victory Lane at least once per season for a decade -- no small feat -- the guy was having trouble finding a ride for the upcoming season. He thought car owners in general, and one powerful one in particular, might even be blackballing him.

Danica Patrick is in the Daytona 500 field, and she didn't even need to turn a lap to get there.

Patrick's Stewart-Haas Racing team has obtained points from Tommy Baldwin Racing to guarantee the driver a spot in the Great American Race, NASCAR.COM has learned. The deal means Patrick will not have to race her way into the event in the 150-mile duel races, and does not risk missing what will be a much-hyped Sprint Cup debut.

A.J. Allmendinger had tried to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona for six years. In fact, he hadn't won a race anywhere for five years.

His friend and Grand-Am Rolex Series car owner Michael Shank -- whom Allmendinger thinks so much of he'll be Shank's partner in an IndyCar Series program this season -- had eight previous Rolex 24 attempts that were steeped purely in frustration.

Patience is running thin at Michael Waltrip Racing. The owner wants to see improvement. The sponsor wants to see improvement. But perhaps the least patient man in the entire organization is the guy behind the wheel of the No. 56.

Martin Truex Jr. knows the pressure to perform may be greater this season than it's ever been. But the pressure on him from the outside pales in comparison to the pressure he's putting on himself in 2012.

One of Penske Racing’s longest-tenured sponsors is building on its relationship with the organization in 2012. Entering its 30th year as a Penske Racing sponsor, Snap-on Tools will enhance its role with the organization to serve as a primary sponsor of the No. 22 Dodge Challenger in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for four races this season.

Snap-on’s colors and branding will adorn the No. 22 car driven this season by both former Nationwide Series champion Brad Keselowski and rising star Parker Kligerman in races that include New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

There are two things you need to know about Chip Ganassi: He hates to lose, and he's exceedingly blunt about the reasons why he doesn't win.

"Hopefully this is the last time I have to say we finished 21st and 27th in the points last year," Ganassi said Tuesday during NASCAR's preseason media tour session with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. "... [That's] pathetic for a team with our ability and resources."

The 2013 Ford Fusion Sprint Cup car, unveiled Tuesday as part of NASCAR's media tour, was worked on by Ford designers in an effort to bring brand identity back to the sport. The result is undeniable with the 2013 Sprint Cup car mirroring the recently unveiled 2013 Ford Fusion production car.

Featuring a completely redesigned sleek new silhouette and fresh face, the 2013 Fusion Sprint Cup car was designed to be the face of a new era of stock car racing.

The American Canadian Tour (ACT) crowned Brian Hoar of Williston, VT and Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, Quebec as the ACT Tour and Série ACT Castrol stock car racing champions respectively, at the ACT Banquet of Champions on Saturday, January 21 at the Double Tree Inn in Burlington, VT. It was the first ever combined banquet for the sister championship stock car racing series. Both champions cashed a point fund check of $10,000.

Who said deep-pocketed sponsors and ambitious owners were shying away from driver Kurt Busch?

Well, OK, lots of people have said it. Hall of Famer Richard Petty, for one.

But on Thursday in a state-of-the-art race shop on the outskirts of a town that already was on the outskirts of the nearest big city of Charlotte, Controversial Kurt seemed filled with genuine delight as he and his younger brother, Kyle, announced a union.

Bruton Smith, founder and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., was honored Monday evening with the 2012 Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award from the North Carolina Motorsports Association.

The honor was given to Smith before a large crowd of motorsports industry professionals at the 6th Annual North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards presented by Senn Dunn Insurance at the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Concord.

Time is running out for fans to lock-in their favorite New Hampshire Motor Speedway seats for the upcoming 2012 season. Guests that renew or buy tickets for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on July 15, or for the SYLVANIA 300 on Sept. 23 by Monday, Jan. 16, will also get 50% off all pre-race pit passes and camping spaces.   

Valued at $100, the pre-race pit pass allows fans to experience a NASCAR race day from a crew member’s perspective.  See how they set up all 43 drivers’ pit boxes and enjoy pre-race entertainment from the infield.

With the entire country focusing on New Hampshire's "First-in-the-Nation" Presidential Primary tomorrow, Jerry Gappens, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, says Mitt Romney will win big over his other GOP rivals at tomorrow's polls. And just like Tony Stewart did here in September, Romney will use his momentum from New Hampshire to win the big prize, the Presidential election in November.

It's the continuation of a wild NASCAR off-season.

Filling one good ride opens another.

As expected, Aric Almirola was named Wednesday as driver of the legendary No. 43 of Richard Petty Motorsports in Sprint Cup competition for the 2012 season. The Observer and ThatsRacin.com first reported that Almirola had become the leading candidate for the ride on Dec. 23.

NHMS and the Loudon Road Race Series gives special recognition to LRRS rider Richard Maracina (#614). Marciana is the proud recipient of the 2011 LRRS Amateur Achievement Award. He made it his goal to win the award entering the season and raced hard to win the series' top amateur honor.

"I would like to thank my wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Paige, for all their support," Maracina said after receiving the award.