NASCAR News

The US racing career of Australian motorsport ace Marcos Ambrose has taken another dramatic step with the Tasmanian being confirmed as a full-time NASCAR Busch driver in 2007.

The 26th season of NASCAR Busch Series competition will begin on Saturday 17 February, but it is the inclusion of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that will attract most attention.

Chip Ganassi has confirmed that Juan Pablo Montoya will make his NASCAR debut in next month's ARCA RE/MAX Food World 250 at Talladega Superspeedway as he prepares for a full stock car campaign in 2007.

Ricky Rudd will test one of the Toyota Camry Car of Tomorrow chassis at Talladega Superspeedway later this year, giving hope to his fans that they haven't seen the last of him in Nextel Cup Series action just yet.

One of NASCAR's most enduring team principals Junie Donlavey has admitted that his team will not return to NASCAR and that at the age of 81 his career as a team boss is over.

Both Petty Enterprises entries will be led by new crew chiefs from this weekend's race in New Hampshire onwards with Bill Wilburn joining the team as Kyle Petty's crew chief with Paul Andrews moving across from the #45 to Bobby Labonte's #43 team.

Bill Lester will attempt to make it three starts from three attempts in the Nextel Cup Series this weekend at the California Speedway, a track he calls his 'home' circuit.

Jeff Gordon's night at Bristol last Saturday may have ended with the four time Nextel Cup Champion having stern words with Scott Riggs over their last lap tussle for fourth place but at least his #24 Hendrick Motorsports pit crew gave him something to smile about.

Noted Nextel Cup crew chief Richard 'Slugger' Labbe has joined the struggling MB2 Motorsports outfit ahead of their planned expansion in 2007.

Joe Nemechek may be having a turgid season in 2006 but his #01 MB2 Motorsports team had something to smile about at Michigan last weekend when they claimed the honours in NASCAR's weekly pitstop competition.

NASCAR veteran Tony Raines has been handed a full-time deal with Hall of Fame Racing next season that will see the 42-year old driver contest the entire Nextel Cup schedule with a fully sponsored team for the first time in his career.

It is safe to say that Jeremy Mayfield and Ray Evernham won't be sending one another cards this Christmas as the dispute between the two parties continues to rumble on.

Dale Earnhardt Jr had to endure something that he rarely has to put up with after Saturday's Carfax 250 Busch Series race as he claimed a very un-popular victory with the Michigan crowd.

The unheralded David Gilliland, who shot to prominence thanks to his shock Busch Series victory at Kentucky Speedway earlier this year, has been named as the driver of Robert Yates' #38 Ford for this weekends race at Michigan.

As expected Elliott Sadler has been confirmed as the driver of Evernham Motorsports' #19 Dodge with immediate effect.

Jamie McMurray and Robby Gordon completed a trouble free two-day tyre test at the Atlanta Motor Speedway this week at the behest of Goodyear.

Todd Parrott, the man who help guide Dale Jarrett to his 1999 NASCAR Cup title, has returned to the struggling Robert Yates Racing team after Petty Enterprises confirmed that he was leaving his current role as Bobby Labonte's crew chief.

Jeff Burton and Richard Childress Racing continued their season-long renaissance on one of the Nextel Cup Series' grandest stages on Saturday by winning the pole for the 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bill and Bob Riley, the men behind the currently dominant Riley Grand Am chassis and many other successful projects are set to move into the world of NASCAR racing next year.

Kelly Rowland, a member of super-group Destiny's Child, will sing the national anthem before the start of the 13th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

There has been a change of owner at MB2 Motorsports, which fields Nextel Cup entries for Joe Nemechek and Sterling Marlin, with real estate developer Bobby Ginn purchasing all shares owned by majority stakeholder and founding partner Nelson Bowers.

Kevin Harvick managed to avoid the carnage of 19 caution periods on Saturday afternoon to capture the Goody's 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Michael 'Fatback' McSwain will return to the Nextel Cup pit box with the famous #21 Wood Brothers team this weekend, replacing David Hyder as Ken Schrader's crew chief.

Robert Yates has confirmed that Elliott Sadler will be leaving the #38 M&M's team at the end of the 2006 season following four relatively disappointing seasons.