NASCAR + More Auto Sports Update
 

THE BIG STORY

Rain and pit strategy allowed Joey Logano to become the youngest winner in Cup history in Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Logano didn't pit when the leaders did under green around lap 235. Under orders to save fuel in his No. 20 Toyota, Logano was in front when a yellow flag came out for rain with 35 laps left in the scheduled distance. NASCAR ordered cars to stop on pit lane as the rain intensified and eventually called the race official after 273 laps. Jeff Gordon was second, followed by Kurt Busch, David Reutimann and Tony Stewart. Rookie Logano won at age 19 years, one month and four days. It was his 20th Cup start. Stewart has a 69-point margin over Gordon.
Also: In a compromise to avoid competing Formula One series next year, FIA President Max Mosley won't seek re-election and a planned teams' budget cap has been watered-down… Joey Saldana won Friday night's World of Outlaws feature at U.S. 36 Raceway in Missouri. Terry McCarl was the winner Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway.
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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Even though Tony Stewart crashed in practice, he got the pole at New Hampshire as rain KO'd Friday qualifying. Sunday, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch traded the lead until Jimmie Johnson went by on lap 50. Patrick Carpentier brought out the first yellow when he hit the wall on lap 16. There was a five-car wreck on lap 60 involving Robby Gordon, Elliott Sadler, Michael Waltrip, Scott Speed and Paul Menard. Johnson was leading at halfway. On a lap 182 restart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. appeared to spin his tires, which backed up the cars behind him. Kyle Busch got into Martin Truex Jr., with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Brian Vickers, Robby Gordon, David Ragan and Casey Mears also involved. There was a 13-minute red flag to clear debris. After the restart, Joey Logano spun and lost a lap. He quickly got it back on a yellow for a Speed accident. Stewart and the other leaders started making green-flag stops around lap 235. Jeff Gordon came out ahead of that group and seemed positioned for the win had the race gone the distance. Crew chief Greg Zipadelli told Logano not to pit. Ryan Newman stayed out but ran dry with 36 laps to go, then stalled in the pits. Logano inherited the lead and the order stayed that way. Kyle Busch wound up seventh, Johnson ninth and Earnhardt Jr. 13th. Logano averaged 97.497 mph with 11 yellows for 47 laps.
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NASCAR Nationwide Series

Kyle Busch continued a remarkable streak Saturday at New Hampshire - there have been 23 different winners in the track's 23 series races. Busch passed Joey Logano with 36 laps to go in the Camping World RV Sales 200 and won by .617 second in a Toyota. He averaged 111.925 mph with three yellows for 15 laps. Brad Keselowski was third. Logano led 108 of the 200 laps. Busch, now with five wins, tops Carl Edwards (sixth) by 162 points. Double-wide restarts will begin in Daytona.
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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Ron Hornaday Jr. dominated Saturday's MemphisTravel.com 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. He led 174 of the 201 laps as a late caution extended the distance by a lap. His Chevrolet took the lead with 65 laps to go and beat Brian Scott's Toyota by .653 second. David Starr was third in a Toyota. Hornaday averaged 90.090 mph with six yellows for 29 laps. It was his second consecutive win at the track. He leads Matt Crafton (fifth) by 76 points.
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IndyCar Series

Scott Dixon beat teammate Dario Franchitti by .3109 second to win Saturday night's 300-lap SunTrust Challenge at Richmond International Raceway. Poleman Franchitti led laps 105-130, but had to get a splash of fuel under a caution. That gave Dixon track position and he led the rest of the way. He got out ahead of Franchitti on pit stops and averaged 124.952 mph with four yellows for 46 laps. Graham Rahal was third. Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe were involved in single-car accidents. Franchitti leads Dixon by one point.
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NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series

Jack Beckman, Larry Dixon, Jason Line and Andrew Hines were winners in Sunday's Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. In Funny Car, Beckman qualified the Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger sixth and beat Bob Tasca III in the finals. He went 4.315 seconds, 277.54 mph vs. Tasca's tire-smoking 6.470, 149.93 mph. Ashley Force Hood is 18 points ahead of Tony Pedregon. In Top Fuel, Dixon ran 3.981, 294.05 mph to Brandon Bernstein's no-traction 7.257, 94.06 mph. Antron Brown leads Dixon by 53 points. In Pro Stock, Line's Pontiac GXP bested Mike Edwards' Pontiac, 6.665, 207.30 mph to 6.747, 203.71 mph. Jeg Coughlin Jr. has a 68-point margin over Edwards. Ron Krisher qualified the Valvoline Chevrolet Cobalt seventh and lost in the semifinals. Coughlin won Saturday's $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus event for the eight quickest Pro Stock teams from the last year. His Cobalt went 6.675, 207.05 mph vs. Greg Anderson's 7.322, 161.69 mph in a Pontiac. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hines' Harley topped team Eddie Krawiec, 7.024, 189.98 mph to 7.032, 190.78 mph. Krawiec leads Hines by 70 points.
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Valvoline Winners Last Weekend

Larry Dixon, NHRA Top Fuel class, Ohio. Jack Beckman, NHRA Funny Car class, Ohio.
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Racer of the Week

Jack Beckman. Cuts a .001 light in the finals for his second win of the season in the Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger.
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Yes, He REALLY Said That

Juan Pablo Montoya, on NASCAR's new double-wide restarts. "There is always somebody that wants to prove a point. Hopefully that guy is not around you."
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This Weekend

NASCAR returns to Daytona for Friday night Nationwide and Saturday night Cup racing. The Rolex Series runs Daytona Saturday. IRL travels to Watkins Glen Sunday.