NASCAR News

Rain has forced NASCAR officials to postpone the running of the Winston Cup Pontiac Excitement 400 from Richmond International Raceway. 66 laps were completed Saturday night [early Sunday morning UK time] and the race will now resumed Sunday at noon ET.

NASCAR Winston Cup series veteran Johnny Benson will miss the Pontiac Excitement 400 following a crash in the Busch series race on lap 29.

CART star Christian Fittipaldi will attempt to make his second career NASCAR Busch Series start this coming weekend in the Hardee's 250 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.

Game fanatic Dale Earnhardt Jr is all set to make an appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo to continue his endorsement of the computer racing wheels that he uses to practice tracks when at home.

Pontiac driver Johnny Benson reckons Richmond a "pretty dang good place to have a race." So much so that he will be contesting the Winston Cup and Busch Series races this weekend

Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 Pfizer Taurus, and his crew chief, Ben Leslie, were this week's guests on the NASCAR Winston Cup teleconference. Martin is in ninth place in the standings heading into Sunday's race at California, where he won in 1998.

Welcome to California Speedway... or is it Kansas Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Michigan Speedway or Las Vegas Motor Speedway? Since it's the last weekend in April, it's time for the NAPA Auto Parts 500, which is indeed at California Speedway.

For Ryan Newman and his ALLTEL Team Penske, it's another new race track and a further challenge on tap this weekend.

Todd Bodine and the Excedrin Racing team posted a fourth-place finish this past Saturday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in an accident-marred event.

Complete qualifying results for Sunday's Aaron's 499 at the 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway.

Driver Ricky Rudd will highlight a group of six drivers who will participate in a two-day NASCAR Winston Cup test session at Sears Point Raceway, April 23-24.

The most successful nameplate in NASCAR Winston Cup history has yet to win a race in 2002. The ninth round of 36 this season comes to Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron's 499 this Sunday - the second of four restrictor-plate races in 2002.

*Scott Riggs won the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway, his first career Busch Series win. In the process, Riggs collected Raybestos(R) Rookie of the Race honors for the fourth time this season.

Volatile Kevin Harvick has been controversially 'parked' by NASCAR ahead of Sunday's Virginia 500 at the Martinsville Speedway after he followed up his recent Busch Series remonstrations with a Craftsman Truck Series banging match with Coy Gibbs.

Kenny Wallace will drive the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Service Chevrolet this Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in place of Kevin Harvick, who has been "parked" by NASCAR for his actions during Saturday's Craftsman Truck Series race.

Jeff Gordon led a Chevrolet 1-2-3-4 in qualifying at the Martinsville Speedway as the defending Winston Cup Champion joined Bobby Hamilton, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Terry Labonte on the front two rows for Sunday's Virginia 500.

Todd Bodine and the No. 92 Herzog Jackson Motorsports team head to Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway this weekend for the running of the Pepsi 300 Presented by Kroger. Bodine raced in last year's inaugural event and finished 10th.

Ken Schrader doesn't care what colour his car is. As long as it gets around the race track - he'll drive it. This weekend, Schrader and the "M&M's" AE Racing Team will debut a special paint scheme featuring the "M&M's" AE "Global Colour Vote".

Scott Riggs, driver of the No.

Dale Jarrett, driver of the No. 88 UPS Taurus, and Ricky Craven, driver of the No. 32 Tide Taurus, both registered their first NASCAR Winston Cup Martinsville Speedway victories last year.

Hank Parker Jr. drove his No. 36 GNC Live Well Dodge Intrepid to a 14th-place finish in Saturday's rain-shortened O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) event at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS).

It was an interesting time for Shawna Robinson and Ryan Newman at the Samsung/Radio Shack 500. Robinson was involved in the accident that effectively put Earnhardt Jr out of the running whereas Newman suffered an engine blow.

As Matt Kenseth won the Radio Shack/Samsung 500 it was a manic Monday for Dale Earnhardt Jr, running at the front for half of the 334 laps of the 500 mile race, but then crashing out of contention.

When it rains it pours, and that's exactly what happened when the NASCAR Busch Series and the No. 92 Excedrin Racing team traveled to the Texas Motor Speedway for the running of the O'Reilly 300 last Saturday.