NASCAR

A big first for Danica Patrick, but an even bigger second for Jimmie Johnson. Patrick made history up front at the Daytona 500 Sunday, only to see Johnson make a late push ahead of her and reclaim his spot at the top of his sport. It was the second Daytona 500...

Matt Kenseth decided not to replace any tires during the final pit stop under caution, and the calculated risk put him in the lead. Kenseth knows a bit about risk after his offseason move to Joe Gibbs Racing, and this latest gamble paid off with his third victory in Vegas. Kenseth...

Speculation that Lowe's might disappear from Jimmie Johnson's Sprint Cup car was premature. The home improvement company on Wednesday announced a two-year extension to stay with the five-time series champion on the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports car. The deal, announced to 1,700 store managers at Lowe's national sales meeting three...

Danica Patrick made more history at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. She became the first woman to lead a lap and was the highest female finisher in the famed Daytona 500. She led five laps and finished eighth. Janet Guthrie had the previous best finish for a woman in...

Typically it's not considered polite to ask a woman about her weight, but that apparently doesn't apply if you've won the pole for the Daytona 500. The question of whether Danica Patrick's weight -- or lack of it compared to fellow Sprint Cup competitors -- gave her a competitive advantage...

FONTANA, Calif. (AP) While Dale Earnhardt Jr. prepared for his 600th NASCAR Cup Series race this weekend, he couldn't help thinking about his first time. He still recalls his conversation with Tony Eury Jr., his cousin and crew chief, as he sat on that starting grid in Charlotte in...

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) NASCAR rookie Daniel Suarez has a new crew chief. Joe Gibbs Racing said crew chief Dave Rogers is out indefinitely on personal leave. Scott Graves will now call the shots for the No. 19 Toyota in the Cup series. Graves had served as the crew chief for JGR's...

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...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) There was a moment during the Bristol Motor Speedway race that captured the essence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was walking briskly to the care center for a mandatory health check after a crash. Flanked by a television reporter on one side, a handler on the...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Just a generation ago, NASCAR drivers raced until they were embarrassing themselves, the money ran out or they simply couldn't make it to the track anymore. They could compete into their mid-50s, and make a really good living. It's an entirely different world now. First went Jeff Gordon....

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Latest on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s announcement that he will retire from racing at the end of the season (all times local): 4:55 p.m. NASCAR's chairman and CEO is praising Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s passion for the sport, saying it will ''leave an impact on NASCAR that will...

Daytona International Speedway plans to move the Budweiser Duels to nighttime in 2014. The two 150-mile qualifying races that determine the starting lineup beyond the front row for the Daytona 500 traditionally have been held on the Thursday afternoon prior to the Great American Race. Next year's Duels would be...