DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 31, 2007) – NASCAR announced today that Tony Stewart has been fined $25,000 and penalized 25 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver championship points, as a result of using inappropriate language during a post-race televised interview following his victory Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet, retains his fifth-place standing in the series points, with his total points reduced to 2,599.

Stewart violated Section 12-4-A of the series rule book (actions detrimental to stock car racing) by using the inappropriate language.

In addition, Stewart’s car owner, Joe Gibbs, has been penalized 25 car owner championship points because of the infraction.

1 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
The File:
• 35 years old, Vallejo, Calif., 79 career wins
• Four wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s
• Five poles
• Average finish of 6.4 this season
• Led 14 of 20 races for 764 laps
Pocono Raceway Outlook:
• Four wins, 14 top fives, 20 top 10s
• Two poles
• Average finish of 10.4
• Won this season’s Pocono 500
• Led 19 of 29 races for 870 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:
• Series-best Closer – 80 positions improved over the last 10% of races

2 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet)
The File:
• 26 years old, Chesterfield, Va., three career wins
• One win,  seven top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 12.1
• Led 12 of 20 races for 721 laps
Pocono Raceway Outlook:
• Two wins, three top 10s
• Average finish of 2.7
• Finished sixth at this season’s Pocono 500
• Led all three of his races for 283 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:
• 328 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

3 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
The File:
• 35 years old from Cambridge, Wis., 15 career wins
• One win, seven top fives, 14 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.2
• Led 12 of 20 races for 256 laps
Pocono Raceway Outlook:
• Three top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 14.9
• Finished ninth at this season’s Pocono 500
• Led six of 15 races for 26 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:
• Series-high 5,504 laps run on the lead lap

4 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
The File:
• 40 years old from South Boston, Va., 19 career wins
• One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.4
• Led five of 20 races for 27 laps
Pocono Raceway Outlook:
• Six top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 17.0
• Finished 13th at this season’s Pocono 500
• Led 15 of 27 races for 104 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:
• 1,128 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green flag conditions), third-most

5 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
The File:
• 36 years old from Columbus, Ind., 31 career wins
• Two wins, six top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.2
• Led 14 of 20 races for 831 laps
Pocono Raceway Outlook:
• One win, five top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 12.8
• Finished fifth at this season’s Pocono 500
• Led seven of 17 races for 100 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight:
• 456 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

CREDIT: NASCAR PR 

JR MOTORSPORTS & HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS TO
COMBINE NASCAR BUSCH SERIES OPERATIONS FOR 2008

MOORESVILLE, N.C. / CONCORD, N.C. (July 30, 2007) - JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports will combine the two companies' NASCAR Busch Series operations at the conclusion of the 2007 racing season with plans to field a joint effort beginning in 2008.

The partnership will campaign two full-time race cars under the JR Motorsports banner that utilize Hendrick Motorsports engines, chassis and vehicle engineering support. Rick Hendrick will be listed as car owner of the No. 5 team and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be car owner of the No. 88.

"It's a great opportunity to have the wholesale support that Hendrick Motorsports is going to provide," said Earnhardt, the owner of JR Motorsports. "Being a relatively new team owner in this sport, this is a huge step for me and everyone at JR Motorsports. It was never part of the equation when I was deciding where to drive next year, but it seemed to be a natural progression once Rick and I began talking about the transition into 2008."

To support the operation, approximately 30 employees, including crew chief Chad Walter, will move to JR Motorsports' Mooresville-based facility from Hendrick Motorsports' Busch Series group in Concord. Walter will serve as crew chief of the No. 5 team next season.

"Ultimately, Dale Jr. and I both want to win races and give our people the best possible chance at achieving success," said Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "Instead of operating independently of each other, we have an opportunity to work together to field an even stronger Busch Series effort.

"I have a great personal desire to see the No. 5 car succeed. My son (the late Ricky Hendrick) turned it into a championship team (as a car owner) and we are committed to continuing that legacy with both the No. 5 and the No. 88."

JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports will also collaborate in the areas of partnership development, sponsorship services, marketing and media relations. The two companies are currently working together on JR Motorsports' 2008 NASCAR Busch Series driver and sponsorship lineup, which will be announced at a later date.

"Rick's Busch program is consistently one of the best in the series," Earnhardt said. "To be able to partner with him and utilize our combined strengths in competition, sponsorship and marketing will be a tremendous benefit to both our organizations."

CREDIT: TEAM PR