NASCAR

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) Paul Menard won the pole Saturday for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. It's the second career pole for Menard, who has just one top-five finish this season. He also qualified first for a race at Daytona almost exactly 10 years ago. ''Ten years, it goes...

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) Martin Truex Jr. just celebrated his 38th birthday. He has won two of his last three races. He is spending this weekend at one of his favorite tracks. So yes, life is quite good at the moment. Truex appears to be picking up some momentum as he tries...

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) Kevin Harvick considered the list of young drivers often suggested as NASCAR's next big stars and replacements for departed veterans Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. He suggested that only one prospect could truly hook a new generation of fans. ''NASCAR needs Chase Elliott...

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) Kyle Busch's run in NASCAR's playoff opener went from dominant to dud because of mistakes on pit road. Clean up those gaffes, and Busch again just may have the car to the beat. Busch made it 2 for 2 in playoff poles, turning a lap of...

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) Jimmie Johnson smacked the wall first and Chase Elliott quickly followed the champion's miscalculated route when his car slammed into about the same spot. The Hendrick Motorsports drivers traded their Chevrolets for John Deere golf cart rides to the medical center. Even on routine laps in...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Chase Elliott suffered a setback to his championship hopes when NASCAR penalized his Hendrick Motorsports team Tuesday for a modification to his Chevrolet in the opening round of the playoffs. The aerodynamic modification was found in post-race inspection following Elliott's second-place finish on Sunday at Chicagoland....

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Kasey Kahne will stay in NASCAR next season and drive for Leavine Family Racing in the No. 95 Chevrolet Camaro. He will replace Michael McDowell, who has driven that car since 2014. The announcement Tuesday was not unexpected, but Kahne last week revealed he'd given consideration to...

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) Kevin Harvick considered the list of young drivers often suggested as NASCAR's next big stars and replacements for departed veterans Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. He suggested that only one prospect could truly hook a new generation of fans. ''NASCAR needs Chase Elliott...

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) Hendrick Motorsports has replaced driver Kasey Kahne's crew chief for the rest of the season. The team named Darian Grubb the crew chief for Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet for the remaining nine races of the NASCAR season. Kahne is in the playoffs and finished 21st Sunday...

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The exodus in recent years of some of NASCAR's most popular drivers and a continuing decline in attendance and television viewership have cast a shadow over the series. It has also put a spotlight on the young guns needed to fill the celebrity void. So far,...

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Matt Kenseth won the pole position for Sunday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. The 2003 series champion needed only four laps in three rounds of qualifying Friday, outrunning final-round qualifiers like Joey Logano, who was fastest in each of the first...

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Dale Earnhardt Jr. says the pressure is gone, not only about his future, but also his results. ''I certainly did feel a lot more relaxed now,'' NASCAR'S most popular driver said Friday at Richmond International Raceway, where he came back to work three days after announcing...