ESPN has extended the contract of NASCAR Champion driver and the network’s lead studio analyst Rusty Wallace through the 2014 season.
Mark Martin, who is entering the final year of his contract with Hendrick Motorsports and will be replaced in 2012 by Kasey Kahne, said that he was not done racing, and wouldn’t retire in 2012.
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced that the sanctioning body has added a wild card element to setting the Chase for the Sprint Cup field and it has simplified its points system for 2011, making it easier for fans, competitors and the industry to understand.
Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip will drive the No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota in the 2011 Daytona 500, Michael Waltrip Racing announced. If Waltrip makes the event, it will be his 25th consecutive 500 start.
Kevin Conway will drive the No. 97 ExtenZe Racing Ford for Nemco Motorsports at Speedweeks in Daytona. Conway will compete in the Bud Shootout and the Gatorade Duels, in an attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500.
The only drivers who will receive points in the Nationwide Series are those competing for the title.
Travis Pastrana will make his first Nationwide Series start at Indianpolis Motor Speedway in July. He will drive the No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing. Boost Mobile and Samsung Mobile will sponsor Pastrana for seven races in the 2011 N’wide Series. He plans to run 20 races in 2012.
NASCAR is considering changing how qualifying order is determined. Rather than drawing to determine qualifying order, the order would be determined by practice speeds prior to qualifying.
Front Row Motorsports announced that Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland will be back behind the wheels of their FRM Fords in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Under the rumored simpler points system, Jimmie Johnson would still be the five-time Sprint Cup champion, our analysis shows. But not every position would stay the same betweeh the two systems.
