Legendary race driver, car designer Carroll Shelby dies

DALLAS (AP) — Legendary race driver and Shelby Cobra sports car designer Carroll Shelby has died at age 89.

Shelby’s company Carroll Shelby International says Shelby died Thursday at a Dallas hospital. He had received a heart transplant in 1990 and a kidney transplant in …

Who is Forbes’ most influential athlete?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, for the second straight year, is ranked by Forbes as America’s Most Influential Athlete. “It is just a huge honor,” he said. “And not only is it very good for me and my career and what I do …

Did David Reutimann stay on track at Martinsville to help Danica Patrick?

Last week in Martinsville, while Danica Patrick relaxed far away from the track during her off weekend from the Nationwide series, David Reutimann, her co-pilot of the No. 10 Stewart-Haas/Tommy Baldwin Racing machine, brought out an ill-timed caution with just three laps left of the …

Michael Andretti: IndyCar better off without Danica Patrick

MILWAUKEE — Michael Andretti is taking over as promoter of the struggling Milwaukee Mile IndyCar race, and he knows he won’t have the mainstream appeal of Danica Patrick to help bring fans back to the track. Andretti says that’s fine. He insists the series is …

Jimmie Johnson at -23 points after NASCAR suspension

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR has fined crew chief Chad Knaus $100,000 and suspended him for six races because Jimmie Johnson’s car failed an inspection before the Daytona 500. NASCAR also suspended car chief Ron Malec for six races. Johnson was docked 25 points. Because of …

Danica Patrick overcomes early crash to finish 38th in Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Three races, three wrecks. Even if it wasn’t really her fault, Danica Patrick went 0-for-Daytona. Patrick got caught in a crash on just the second lap of her Daytona 500 debut Monday, a continuation of a week’s worth of troubles at …

Daytona 500 marred by fiery jet dryer explosion

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona 500 has been halted by a fiery explosion caused when Juan Pablo Montoya slammed into a jet dryer under caution. Montoya was driving well behind the rest of the field when something on his car broke and he started …

Daytona 500 start time moved to Monday night

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Are you ready for some racing — some Monday night racing? NASCAR pushed the start of its season-opening Daytona 500 to Monday night, under the lights and in primetime for the first time in its history. “We hope to have ‘Lady …

Danica Patrick will race at Chicagoland in 2012

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Danica Patrick will make her Sprint Cup debut in the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, her first of 10 races in NASCAR’s highest division for Stewart-Haas Racing next season. That slate will include the Sprint Cup race on Sept. 16, …

Jamie McMurray ready to turn it on at Daytona after tough 2011

In 2010, Jamie McMurray won the three big races on NASCAR’s schedule: the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship at Charlotte, N.C.

But 2011 turned out to be a disappointment that …

Danica Patrick takes her NASCAR crash course in stride

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Danica Patrick wasn’t trying to cover her eyes when she crashed on the last lap of Thursday’s NASCAR Gatorade Duel at Daytona ­International Speedway. She will cop to closing them, though. “I didn’t want my eyes to pop out of my …

Danica Patrick takes the pole for Nationwide Series at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Danica Patrick has won the pole for the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona. Patrick became the first woman to secure the top qualifying spot in NASCAR’s second-tier series since Shawna Robinson at Atlanta on March 12, 1994. The former IndyCar …

NASCAR Daytona qualifiers go to Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Roush Fenway Racing will have three cars at the front of the season-opening Daytona 500. Matt Kenseth won the second of the twin 150-mile qualifying races Thursday with a bold pass of teammate Greg Biffle. The victory gave Kenseth a spot …

Ex-NASCAR driver caught with meth claims his innocence

CATAWBA, N.C. — Former race car driver Jeremy Mayfield says the new criminal charges against him are “baseless” and suggests he is the target of a conspiracy involving NASCAR and law enforcement officials. Indictments by a North Carolina grand jury released Monday charged Mayfield with …

Edwards, Biffle earn front-row seats

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Carl Edwards fell bitterly short in last season’s bid to win the NASCAR championship. He’s starting 2012 out front. Edwards, who lost the championship last season on a tie-breaker to Tony Stewart, won the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500, beating …