After the incident that unfolded between Kevin Harvick and Ty Dillon during Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, the No.3 team from Richard Childress Racing has been penalized by NASCAR.

According to NASCAR, the team has been penalized for violating Sections 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; throwing an object at a competitor’s race truck) and 9-4A: (The Crew Chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his/her Driver, Truck Owner and team members).

Crew Chief Paul (Marcus) Richmond has been fined $10,000.

Crew member Adam Brown, who threw a hammer at the race truck being driven by Kevin Harvick, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR.

Harvick made some comments about the Dillon brothers following the incident on Saturday that Austin Dillon said “stung.”

“The 3 (of Dillon) just dumped me,” Harvick said after exiting his truck. “Exactly the reason I’m leaving RCR because you’ve got those kids coming up and they’ve got no respect for what they do in this sport and they’ve had everything fed to them with a spoon. … It’s a shame you’ve got to get taken out by some rich kid like that.”

The eldest Dillon brother didn’t think too highly of Harvick’s comments.

“Growing up in the family with RCR and knowing what goes on here on a daily basis, it hurt my feelings,” Dillon said. “But I forgive Kevin. Kevin’s taught me a lot; he’s done a lot for our company and stepped in at a tough time for RCR. He’s kept us at the forefront of NASCAR.

On Fox Sports 1 on Sunday, Harvick apologized for his comments but at the end of it all, those remarks were still felt throughout the organization.

Tune in this weekend to watch the triple-header at Texas Motor Speedway.

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With only three races left in the season, the Sprint Cup Series Championship is quickly coming to a close and the battle at the top is closer than ever. Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the favorites to win but there is one driver that the series isn’t paying too much attention to, but should be.

Jeff Gordon was added to the Chase as the 13th driver just before it kicked off in Chicagoland and started from the very bottom of the standings. Having another season where races never really went his way, Gordon has shown that he is still capable of racing with the young guns.

With his win last weekend at Martinsville, Gordon sits just 27 points away from the leaders. Does he still have a chance?

My opinion? Yes he does.

Gordon has shown promise during the Chase and is determined to reclaim his spot at the top of the standings. Since the Chase started, he has had his strongest run of the season and just continues to get better. With Texas, Phoenix and Homestead left on the schedule, Gordon has wins at each of the tracks, including at win at Homestead last season.

Johnson and Kenseth may be the favorites, but Gordon is not far behind. If either of the two run in to problems during the final three races, Gordon will be right behind and could capture his fourth Championship.

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Heading into Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson had a four point lead over Matt Kenseth. At a track commonly known as “Jimmieville,” many thought that Johnson would easily increase his points lead heading into the final three races. What they didn’t see coming was Kenseth out-performing Johnson on Sunday afternoon.

Historically, Martinsville and Kenseth have had a love-hate relationship. With an average finish below 15th, this could be considered one of his worst tracks giving Johnson the perfect opportunity to increase his points lead. On Sunday however, Kenseth showed once again that a new car and a new team meant different results.

Leading 202 laps out of Sunday’s 500 scheduled, Kenseth was up front most of the race. Finishing a close second behind Jeff Gordon, he regained the points lead, just barely. Johnson finished fifth after leading 123 laps.

Tied at the top of the standings, Kenseth would win the tie-breaker with seven season wins over Johnson’s five.

With only three races left in the season, this battle is closer than ever. Each driver has similar results at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami which means the Championship won’t be decided until the checkered flag flies in Florida.

With his win on Sunday, Jeff Gordon sits just 27 points behind Johnson and Kenseth. Barring that the two leaders each have a bad race, Gordon is still very much in contention for the title.

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The final stretch of the 2013 NASCAR season kicked off this weekend at Martinsville Speedway and both the on and off-track excitement didn’t disappoint.

Martinsville welcomed two new drivers to Victory Lane in 2013. Darrell (Bubba) Wallace Jr. became only the second African-American driver to win a major NASCAR premiere series event when he emerged from the carnage on Saturday to claim his first ever victory in the Camping World Truck Series. Wendell Scott was the first and last African-American driver to see Victory Lane back in 1963.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Wallace said Sunday morning. “I think the only time it hit me was when I took the checkered, and then after that it still hasn’t hit me. I guess tomorrow or whatever, it usually takes a couple days for a big win to settle in. It has been over a year since my last one. But it’s been great seeing all the outlets that I’m on and doing all this stuff. It’s for the better, and it’s trying to change the sport, and I’m all in for that.

“Just carrying the torch that Wendell Scott laid down for us and taking it farther, and that’s the biggest thing I’m trying to do. I don’t really pay attention to all the media stuff and let that get to me and forget where I came from. That’s not my type. I read through it, appreciate everybody for all the comments, but I’ve still got three races to go.”

Wallace’s victory made national headlines and Scott’s two sons, Wendell Jr and Franklin Scott, joined Wallace in Victory Lane.

“Well, when the checkered flag dropped,” Franklin Scott said, “I heard a big boom from heaven, and my daddy said, ‘Hell, yeah.’ ”

Watch Wallace’s win here!

On Sunday, the Sprint Cup Series also saw a first-time winner, of 2013 that is. Jeff Gordon collected his eighth grandfather clock at Martinsville Speedway, his first since 2005. Added as the 13th driver in the Chase, Gotdon now sits 3rd in points and is still within reach of the Championship.

“I’m just so proud of my team for never giving up. We’ve shown it all year long and we’ve been through a lot. But this is making it all worth it, to get this huge win at Martinsville,” Gordon said in Victory Lane. “Man, what a great race car.”

Watch Gordon’s late race pass here!

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Cold temperatures and cold tires led to issues for many teams during Friday’s first Sprint Cup Series practice session at Martinsville Speedway.

Danica Patrick slid up the racetrack early in practice on cold tires. She kept it off the wall and took it to the garage for changes. Just minutes later, a wheel hop entering a turn left her backwards on the track with severe left-rear quarter panel damage. The GoDaddy tean had to bring out the backup car. Patrick had run about 35 laps in practice before backing into the wall. She returned to the track with about minutes left in practice. She finished 12th at her first Martinsville start earlier this season.

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/10/25/danica-patrick-wreck-martinsville-practice-results.html

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had a similar incident in the same corner as his significant other. Stenhouse wheel-hopped his pink No.17 Ford and slapped the wall with the right rear of his car. Stenhouse and the team would make repairs to the car and will not go to a back-up.

Veteran driver Martin Truex Jr. also wheel-hopped his No.56 Toyota late in first practice. . Truex was able to keep the car off the wall.

With chilly temperatures and cold tires, wheel-hopping seems to be an issue for many drivers.

Qualifying will be aired on Fox Sports 1 at 3:30EST.

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It’s that time of the season again when the Sprint Cup Series goes from its biggest track to its shortest and fastest half-mile.

The differences between Talladega and Martinsville are astronomical but there is one thing that you can find at both tracks: Excitement.

When going to Martinsville, there are always a handful of drivers who know how to bump and push there way around the track. Here is a lost of who you should watch this weekend at Martinsville.

Jimmie Johnson: With a total of eight wins, including the sprint race this season, it’s easy to say that this track should be renamed Jimmiville. Johnson sat on the pole and led the most laps when the season was there earlier this season and Crew Chief Chad Knaus knows how to set up a car for “the paperclip.” After taking over the points lead  at Talladega, Johnson is four points ahead of Matt Kenseth and heading to one of his best tracks. Barring a wreck, look for Johnson to be near the front and emerge with a bigger points lead heading into Texas.

Denny Hamlin: He missed the first Martinsville race this season after an injury kept him out of the car. Although his season hasn’t seen the best finishes, Martinsville is one of Hamlin’s best tracks. With five wins, Hamlin is well overdue for a win, or at least a top-5 finish. His last win came back in 2010 but his average finish is 8.2. Keep an eye on Hamlin, he is itching for a win in the No.11.

Jeff Gordon: Like his teammate, Jeff Gordon and Martinsville also have a very good relationship. Gordon has a total of seven wins at the paperclip and although his last win was back in 2005, Gordon still has an average finish of seventh. Gordon was added into the Chase right before Chicagoland but has been contending for wins and top-5′s all though the Chase. He is still in contention to with the title and a win at Martinsville would surely help his cause.

Danica Patrick: Now, before you close out of this article, hear me out. Danica Patrick made her first start at Martinsville this spring. She had to start from the rear after changing an engine and was spun out in the opening laps of the race. As many as 2-laps down from the leaders, Patrick battled her way through the field, played into the caution flags, go back on the lead lap, and finished 12th. Some of NASCAR’s top drivers can’t do that, especially their first time at Martinsville. The speeds and close racing that is Martinsville fit well in to Patrick’s skill set. After a devastating penalty of pit road cost her a top-10 finish at Talladega, Patrick is determined to get that good finish.

Three seasoned drivers and NASCAR’s highest profiled Rookie. Those are my picks for who you should watch this weekend at Martinsville.

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When you think of Talladega Super Speedway, your mind automatically goes to the big wrecks and carnage.

Even the popular movie hence the title reference) ends with the top drivers wrecking and the racing on foot to the finish line. Unfortunately, it doesn’t count. Carl Edwards tried that in 2009…at Talladega nonetheless! (Jump to 2:00!)

Carl Edwards Wrecks at Talladega in 2009

The final plate race of the season was run at Talladega and the only reference to the movie found during the race weekend was Kurt Busch’s Wonder Bread sponsored car. For the eldest Busch Brother, this really isn’t anything uncommon. He ran his ME paint scheme in 2012 when he drove the No.51. With no sponsor for the car, Busch put the famous paint scheme from the movie on his car, complete with the cougar in the back seat. With plenty of movie references over his in-car radio, Busch became Ricky Bobby and portrayed the character perfectly. Even driving backwards down pit road after spinning out! Check out his car and some of his in-car audio below!

Ricky Bobby…er…Kurt Busch Takes the Lead at Talladega

Busch wasn’t the first NASCAR driver to race with an animal in his car. Tim Flock had a friend in his car when he raced back in the 40s and 50s. Jocko Flocko became the first monkey to ever win a NASCAR race when he accompanied Flock in his May 16, 1953 win. Just a few weeks later, the monkey cost him a win…long story…read about it on Wikipedia

Now, back to Kurt Busch! Busch helped Wonder Bread get back into the spotlight this last weekend when he ran the iconic paint scheme from the movie…well, it was close anyway. The paint scheme wasn’t exactly meant to reference the movie, Busch had to convince his owner to let someone else sponsor the car, but having the Wonder Bread paint scheme on the car at Talladega was a way to bring in more media buzz. And that it did!

Although the characters in the movie weren’t references to actual drivers, many NASCAR drivers made cameo appearances in the movie! The most popular? Dale Earnhardt Jr! In rare fashion, NASCAR’s most popular driver was the one asking for the autograph! Check out the clip below! Also, I’ve included a deleted scene in the garage with Junior as well!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Talladega Nights

Dale Earnhardt Jr Deleted Garage Scene

With plenty of references within the industry since Talladega Nights was released in 2006, it’s easy to see that drivers and fans are still getting a kick out of the worst racing movie ever made. Don’t look for the references to end any time soon and, if you are like me, you now expect a “Nights” themed car from Kurt Busch for at least one of the Talladega races each season for the rest of his career. So, now that you have had your fair share of clips from the movie, GO WATCH IT, because I already have. Twice!

Shake and Bake!

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Drivers, teams and fans were all dreading the final plate race of the season but the happenings at Talladega Super Speedway were less than thrilling.

Now, the racing itself was very entertaining. There were on-track battles, fights for the lead and the underdog (sort of) coming out on top. The one thing that seemed to be missing was the caution flags. There were only a handful of caution  during the 500 mile race with only 4 cars leaving with large amounts of bent sheet metal.

Long green-flag runs and green-flag pit stops are somewhat unusual for a race at Talladega and her sister track, Daytona. With no “big one” during the course of Sunday’s race, it left many to wonder, what happened?

It wasn’t for a lack of racing as some may think, but instead, drivers just didn’t think it was necessary to risk it all, especially those battling for the bit Championship. With points so close, especially those just behind Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth, a bad finish could knock them out of Championship contention for good. Why risk losing that top-10 finish just for that slight possibility of a win on the last lap?

After taking the white flag, the pack was more of a straight line. A few cars jumped out of line only to realize that they had no back-up. No back-up means there is no way they could challenge for the lead and they just jumped back in line. Austin Dillon, filling in for Tony Stewart, jumped out of line while running in the top-5, only to slide back up in line. Catching the front of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Dillon slid down the track, collided with Casey Means, and went airborne.

Luckily, he landed upright and was able to drive the car back to the garage. The race ended under caution and Jamie McMurray saw Victory Lane for the first time since 2010.

The only major shake-up at Talladega was the points shift at the top of the leaderboard. Johnson now leads Kenseth by four points as the team heads to Martinsville. Johnson has eight wins at the half-mile, including a win from the pole earlier this season. Kenseth has yet to win at Martinsville.

So, was Talladega a bust? I don’t think so. Looking at the race, there was a lot of excitement leading to the checkers. Pit road penalties, top drivers losing the draft, very colorful comments over the radios are just a few of them. One thing is for certain, this may have been one of the calmest super speedway races NASCAR has had in a long time.

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“It’s like a high-speed chess match.” That’s exactly how Danica Patrick likes to describe a race at Talladega. There are 43 cars running in close quarters, bumper to bumper, all battling for the win, each with an equal chance of seeing Victory Lane.

This is what makes a super speedway race so exciting; anyone can win it.

The last time the Sprint Cup Series visited Talladega Super Speedway; the David’s took down Goliath. Front Row Motorsports drivers David Ragan and David Gilliland finished 1-2 respectively, out-driving the likes of Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson to take home the win. A perfect example of how a dark horse can sneak up and swoop in for the unsuspecting win.

This weekend, for the final super-speedway race of the season, there are a few dark horses that could make it to Victory Lane for the first time this season:

Kurt Busch: Although Busch is in the Chase this season; he has yet to win a race. This weekend, he is bringing to like the classic paint scheme from Talladega Nights; Wonder Bread. Busch has never won a plate race but has 16 top-5 finishes in 51 starts between Talladega and Daytona. Getting a win in a Ricky Bobby inspired No.78 would be icing on the cake for Busch before he moves over to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

The David’s: They both finished 1-2 in the spring race this season and David Ragan and David Gilliland both have another good shot at seeing Victory Lane. With a handful of top-5 finishes at plate tracks between them, these two know how to work together and get up to the front of the pack.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr: Although this Rookie has one previous start at Talladega in the Cup car, Stenhouse has shown major improvements over the last few weeks. Many predicted that this two-time Nationwide Series Champion would get that elusive win in his Rookie year and Dega may just be the place that it could happen.

Danica Patrick: She started off 2013 with a bang when she won the pole for the Daytona 500 and ran in the top-5 all day and although the first Talladega race didn’t end so well for Danica Patrick, this Rookie knows her way around a super-speedway. Two of her best finishes this season have come at plate tracks and the high speeds and close racing feeds well into her driving style. Keep an eye on the lady in pink; she could make history again in 2013.

With plate races like Daytona and Talladega, it is really anybody’s race. If you have a fast car and can stay near the front, you have a legitimate shot at taking the checkers. Tune in on Sunday to see who avoids the “big one” and takes a trip Victory Lane.

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The Bank of America 500 raced under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend and fans from all over attended to see their favorite drivers in action.

It was a night for Hendrick domination. Jeff Gordon started on the pole and Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson seemed to have the best cars on the track all night long. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. got up front to lead some laps before debris on the grille caused him to drop back after just a few laps.

Johnson was leading with just a handful of laps to go when a late race debris caution caused the field to pit, costing him the lead. A bad restart dropped him to seventh. He rallied back to finish forth.

“Honestly I don’t know what was seen or where it was,” Johnson said after the race “… So I just have to watch myself, watch the video and see for myself.”

At the end of the night, Johnson had led 130 of the 334 lap race.

With just a handful of cautions for blown engines and debris, the 500 mile race was relatively uneventful. The final laps of the race after the restart seemed to be the most exciting, putting fans at the edge of their seats.

On the final restart, Kahne sat on the front row with teammate Gordon and Johnson started third. Johnson slid back and Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski took advantage and slid by. Keselowski kept digging and chased down Kahne for the lead. They battled back and forth for multiple laps, exchanging the lead and racing hard. With just a few to go, Keselowski took the lead and pulled away, getting his first win of the season.

His first win since the fall Dover race last season, Keselowski was the first non-Chase driver to win a race since Kahne in 2011.

At the end of the night, Hendrick Motorsports let all but 21 of the 334 laps.

Championship Standings:

Matt Kenseth

Jimmie Johnson -4

Kevin Harvick -29

Jeff Gordon -36

Kyle Busch -37

Greg Biffle -58

Kurt Busch -59

Clint Bowyer -63

Dale Earnhardt Jr. -66

Carl Edwards -67

Joey Logano -75

Ryan Newman -78

Kasey Kahne -81

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