NASCAR

The sounds were unmistakable.  The roar of engines could be heard all around.  Six of the best drivers in the sport were behind the wheel of their Sprint Cup cars on Tuesday and Wednesday, logging laps around the "Magic Mile."  The cars weren't the highly polished beasts we see every weekend, but they were fast...really fast.

While visiting NHMS for a Goodyear Tire Test, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton met up with Dick Berggren to provide a Tuesday evening Q+A with fans.

Unsinkable Matt Kenseth capped a banner week for unsinkable Joe Gibbs Racing with a victory in Saturday night's Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with a substitute crew chief on his pit box -- the unsinkable Wally Brown.

In one of the craziest races in recent memory, an unlikely hero drove out of Talladega Superspeedway with a victory on Sunday. Will there be a new driver atop the MMPR or was Jimmie Johnson's top-five enough to keep on top for a third straight week?

The Magic Mile will once again host Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company's tire test on May 14 and 15. Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Dave Blaney will each turn laps at the 1.058-mile oval.

Kevin Harvick sped away on fresh tires to win Saturday night's Toyota Owners 400 in a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway, leaving a group of drivers with widely divergent emotions in his wake.

Penalties have been handed down to the No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team as a result of rule violations discovered in the post-race engine inspection April 23 at the NASCAR Research and Development Center.

Matt Kenseth likened his victory in the STP 400 to a game of musical chairs -- you had to be leading when the music stopped.

Moose Head Maniacs: April 2013

The record book will say that Kyle Busch won the NRA 500 on Saturday night.  If truth be known, Busch started the process on Friday afternoon and applied the coup de grace with 20 laps left on Saturday evening.

On Wednesday, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board O. Bruton Smith was named one of five newcomers for the 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

Leading 346 of 500 laps in Sunday's STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Johnson racked up his eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at the .526-mile short track and the 62nd win of his career.

The Granite Stripe takes a look at where the Sprint Cup Series drivers stand in the early going.  Some have performed above expectations; some have picked up their success where they left off in 2012; some are starting to look a lap or two off the pace.

Mark Martin will replace Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota during Hamlin’s recovery from a back injury, according to a news release provided by the Joe Gibbs Racing team Thursday.

Denny Hamlin, winner of last year's SYLVANIA 300 Chase race at the Magic Mile last September, will be out at least six weeks with a L1 compression fracture in his lower back.

The Granite Stripe recaps Bristol and looks ahead to Fontana, Calif., in the broadcast and podcast.  It also gives five drivers to watch this weekend and provides some suggestions for the fantasy NASCAR roster.

The Granite Stripe is ready for the first short track race of the season.  Check out the Broadcast, Podcast, Power Rankings and Fantasy Preview, and make sure you know it all before the green flag waves at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Matt Kenseth’s car was superb for the third time in three races this season. This time, the No. 20 team saw it pay off in the final standings.  Kenseth piloted his Dollar General Toyota to a win Sunday in the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gen-6 car prepares for its intermediate track debut as teams “rolled the dice” on various set ups during testing Thursday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Granite Stripe has a full preview of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.  From the Broadcast to the Podcast to the Fantasy preview, the blog has everything to prepare for the second race of the season.

The Granite Stripe, the official blog of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, has undergone a significant face lift in preparation for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.  GraniteStripe.com, which is named after the Magic Mile’s signature start/finish line, is expanding to reach across multiple digital platforms.

To steal a page from Danica’s “drive to do something different”, New Hampshire Motor Speedway recently rolled out a sweetheart of a deal for those wanting to see all the action in-person at the Magic Mile this July.

Danica Patrick made NASCAR history today during Coors Light Pole qualifying for the Daytona 500, becoming the first female driver to win a pole at NASCAR’s top level – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Fans are encouraged to attend a FREE Valentine’s Day event at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, N.H. for a special presentation regarding the July 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire 300 pre-race show.

After 23 hours, the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona came down to the final few minutes, and it was NASCAR’s own Juan Pablo Montoya who delivered on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials announced today the entitlement sponsorship extension of OSRAM SYLVANIA, which will keep the SYLVANIA 300 on the Magic Mile marquee for another five years.

NASCAR and Sprint confirmed that fans will have a direct impact on several competition elements of the newly titled The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona, the 75-lap non-points race that opens the season.

Five “New” Things to Watch in NASCAR for 2013

NASCAR and HP today unveiled the new NASCAR Fan and Media Engagement Center presented by HP. This first-of-its-kind resource will enable NASCAR to better serve its industry, partners and fans.

The deadline to renew tickets for the 2013 NASCAR season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is only a few days away. Act before Jan. 15 to get exclusive discounted benefits.

NHMS will get a tax break on future capital investments that could include repaving the raceway, a lighting system that would enable night racing and construction of a New England racing museum.