Phoenix Racing owner James Finch said:

Tag Heuer wanted to sponsor a race, and they’ve got some interaction with (Richard) Childress and them. They wanted to put Dillon in my car, and I said that’s fine with me.

Regan Smith finished seventh in the season-opening Daytona 500 for Phoenix Racing, and AJ Allmendinger followed that up with an 11th-place finish in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Finch attributed the team’s solid runs to the fact that the playing field is level with the new Generation 6 car. He said:

To everybody it’s all brand new, but the big teams with all the money and technology will start taking over here before long. The car has more downforce to it, and they took some lead out of it. It’s lighter, and there’s more downforce. That makes it a really nice race car. I’ve got my third driver in a third race, and if we have a really good run there that will really speak volumes [about the team].

Finch’s goal for Dillon is to finish the race in the top 15, and finish the race.

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Allmendinger has eight starts at the one-mile oval, with two top 10s and a pole.

Allmendinger said:

This will be good. It’s been a few months since I’ve been in a stock car. I haven’t been in one of the Gen 6 cars yet, so I think it will take a little time to get acclimated to it. Phoenix International Raceway is a great place for me to get back behind the wheel. I’ve always enjoyed the race track. It will definitely feel different, but I’ll be ready to go.

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According to Finch, the team has secured sponsorship for both Daytona races in February.

Regan Smith, who has committed to run in the Nationwide Series full time for JR Motorsports, will drive Phoenix Racing’s Sprint Cup entry throughout the season. But, because of his commitment to JRM, Phoenix will look to another driver to run some races. That driver is said to be AJ Allmendinger.

Allmendinger was suspended for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy last season, but was later reinstated.

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The No. 22 was driven by AJ Allmendinger in the first 17 Sprint Cup races of the season, before he was suspended for failing a random drug test. Sam Hornish took over for the remainder of the season.

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Earnhardt Jr had an uphill climb in the championship battle without this setback, as he sits 11th in points, 51 behind points leader Brad Keselowski. Whatever slim shot he had at the championship before this news is now over.

Regan Smith will replace Earnhardt Jr in the No. 88 for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Smith was slated to make his debut with Phoenix Racing in the No. 51 at Charlotte. No word as to whether or not that team will enter the Bank of America 500 or who the driver would be.

Update: AJ allmendinger will drive Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 at Charlotte.

Update 2: Dale Earnhardt Jr held a press conference. During that conference, he said:

We had a test at Kansas about five weeks ago, and we blew a right front tire going into Turn 1, and I remember everything about that accident and everything after that accident. You know your body, and you know how your mind works, and I knew something was just not quite right. But I decided to just try to push through and work through it. I’d had concussions before and knew exactly kind of what I was dealing with. I felt pretty good after a week or two and definitely 80, 90 percent by the time the Chase started, and by the time we got to Talladega I felt 100 percent, felt really good. And then the accident at the end of that race, I was hit in the left rear quarter panel, and it was sort of an odd kind of a collision where the car spun around really quick and just sort of disoriented me, and I knew that I had sort of regressed and had a bit of a setback.”

Team owner Rick Hendrick added:

[F]or these two guys to have the kind of year they’ve had, to lead the points and get in the Chase, we’ve got a lot of years left to race, I always want to be on the side of safety, and I applaud Dale for raising his hand and going in there and getting checked out.

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Steve Barkdoll, of Phoenix, said:

We’re looking forward to having Regan in our car. Regan performed the tire test at Kansas, and that should be helpful at intermediate tracks. We believe he can help get our program back on track and help attract sponsorship going forward.

This deal seems to be a one-off deal, with no word on who will drive the team’s No. 51 after Charlotte.

Smith is said to be a candidate to drive for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series next season. Smith’s former crew chief Ryan Pemberton moved to JRM last month, which could make Smith a good fit for the team.

Update: Dale Earnhardt Jr sustained a concussion in a last lap crash at Talladega, and he will miss the next two Sprint Cup races. Smith will fill in for him in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevy, meaning he won’t drive the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevy at Charlotte. No word on who Smith’s replacement will be.

Update 2: AJ Allmendinger will drive the No. 51 car at Charlotte.

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Allmendinger tested positive for a banned substance following the Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway. He was temporarily suspended minutes before the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. As per NASCAR rules, Allmendinger requested that his “B” sample be tested. When his “B” sample came back positive, his suspension became indefinite.

Following his suspension, he was released from Penske Racing and the No. 22. Sam Hornish Jr drove that car on an interim basis, and Joey Logano has been hired to drive that car in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013.

Recently, team owner Roger Penske said he would be willing to re-hire Allmendinger.

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Penske says, he feels Allmendinger has been too reclusive as he completes the program. So, Allmendinger attended the IZOD IndyCar Series finale.

He said:

I told AJ I wanted him to come to a race; I think he had been kind of undercover for quite a bit of the time, and I thought it would be good for him to get out and see people here, talk to some of the team owners. … I think hopefully we’ll get some answer from NASCAR as quickly as possible because the Chase has started now, hopefully they’ll give him a clean bill of health and he can move on. This is a speed bump in his career, but he’s certainly an option for people on the NASCAR side and the Indy side. He did a great job when you think about what he did in Champ Car.

When asked if he would hire Almmendinger, Penske said:

He could be an option for us, for sure.

While Penske may be willing to re-hire Allmendinger, a sponsor would have to be willing to sponsor him, which may make a return to NASCAR difficult, if not impossible.

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Hornish, who took over driving duties of the No. 22 after AJ Allmendinger was suspended for failing a drug test, drives for Penske full time in the Nationwide Series, and was considered for the No. 22 next season.

But, with the addition of Logano, Hornish’s future seemed a little less certain. But, Penske still wants to keep Hornish around.

On a conference call, Tim Cindric of Penske, said that they would like to put Hornish in a third Cup team, if sponsorship can be found, or at the very least, keep him full time in the N’Wide series.

Cindric said:

 That would certainly be our first preference, a third full-time Cup car. It’s pretty late in the season. The potential we had for that in terms of sponsorship, they haven’t come to fruition yet. I think you’ll see him in a couple [Sprint Cup] races for sure. We haven’t been able to build on that. We haven’t been able to get more than a couple races at this time. As far as a full season Nationwide, that’s what I envision happening for sure.

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Joey Logano has reached a deal to drive Penske Racing’s No. 22 Sprint Cup Series entry in 2013, according to ESPN.com, which is citing an unnamed source.

Logano is being replaced by Matt Kenseth, who will take over driving duties of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth, who is leaving Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 17 team at season’s end, will be replaced by Nationwide Series defending champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

JGR had hoped to re-sign Logano and keep him in a fourth Cup entry, but that was dependent on sponsorship and it appears that nothing ever materialized.

Sam Hornish has been driving Penske’s No. 22 since AJ Allmendinger was suspended and subsequently released for failing a random drug test.

Update: It’s official: Penske Racing has announced that Joey Logano will drive the team’s No. 22 Ford in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013. Logano agreed to a “multi-year” deal with Penske.

Logano said:

I am very excited to join Penske Racing and begin the next phase of my career. I am looking forward to the opportunity as it will be an honor to drive for Roger Penske and race for wins and championships. I am also proud to represent Shell-Pennzoil as they are a respected global brand that does a great job of activating in the sport on and off the track.

Penske Racing President Tim Cindric added:

Joey Logano is a very talented driver who has already achieved a lot of success at a young age. Joey is a great fit for our organization and we look forward to building on his success as he takes his place behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford.

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