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12 - 4:28pm

CONCORD, N.C. – Kurt Busch was on his best behavior for the first 10 races of the season, but the emotional meltdowns that led to firings at Roush Fenway Racing and Penske Racing returned in the closing laps of last Saturday night’s race at the Darlington Raceway.

Busch was fined $50,000 Tuesday by NASCAR and placed on probation until July 25 after he sped through Ryan Newman’s pit stall at the end of the race and running into Newman’s car on pit road after the race.

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NASCAR: From toilet paper to championships, Rick Hendrick has done it all in racing 05/15/12 - 4:23pm

CONCORD, N.C. – Rick Hendrick never saw his first victory as a car owner in NASCAR. Instead of going to Martinsville, Va., to see his new team with driver Geoff Bodine, he and wife Linda went to church.

In 1984 there were no cell phones, so it wasn’t until after the Hendricks got home and heard from his mother Mary Hendrick that Bodine drove the No. 5 All-Star Racing Chevrolet to Victory Lane earlier in the day.

They celebrated by toilet-papering Bodine’s yard.

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NASCAR: Hot temperatures, tempers at Talladega won’t result in fines 05/08/12 - 4:37pm

Radiators weren’t the only things running hot last weekend at the Talladega Superspeedway.

Danica Patrick knocked former Indy-car buddy Sam Hornish Jr. into the wall following Saturday’s Nationwide Series race and Tony Stewart lashed out at NASCAR’s new cooling rules following Sunday’s race.

The new rules included a smaller grille opening and smaller radiator to keep drivers from running nose-to-tail in two car tandems. Add that to the already anxious style of racing in three-wide and 10-deep packs of traffic with no margin for error, and it pushed a lot of people to the brink.

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Close quarters makes for some awkward moments in NASCAR 05/08/12 - 4:08pm

Thanks to an awkward moment in a Detroit steakhouse, Jimmy Spencer and Kurt Busch now are friends.

The two spent three years hating and hitting each other. Included in their dust ups was Busch running onto the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002 and grabbing his buttocks as Spencer drove by and Spencer being suspended for a race in 2003 after punching Busch in the nose.

But those hard feelings have been replaced by mutual respect. Neither backed down; they simply decided to move on.

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NASCAR: Keselowski gains job security, championship consideration at Talladega 05/07/12 - 10:47am

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Roger Penske beat driver Brad Keselowski to the media center by 10 minutes after their victory Sunday in the Aaron’s 499 at the Talladega Superspeedway. By the time Keselowski got to the interview, he didn’t know what to expect.

“Not going to get fired, right?” he said as joined Penske.

The car owner with more Indianapolis 500 wins and a wealth of racing success shook his head and smiled. His job is safe.

“I wouldn’t trade him for anybody right now,” Penske said.

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NASCAR: Fewer cautions could be reason for drop in television ratings. 04/24/12 - 5:15pm

There were three cautions last Sunday at the Kansas Speedway – two for debris. A week earlier at the Texas Motor Speedway there were two cautions – both for debris.

Race teams love the idea of not tearing up cars, but fans don’t seem too keen on the lack of beating and banging.

Television ratings dropped significantly at Kansas, going from a 4.6 rating a year ago to 3.7. That equates to a loss of nearly 1.8 million fans, according to Nielsen Media Research.

A year ago there were 51 cautions in the first eight races. This year there’s been 28.

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NASCAR: Competition to be team’s top dog as fierce as competition on the track 04/24/12 - 12:06pm

Based on salary and perks, Carl Edwards is the top dog at Roush Fenway Racing.

Based on current performance, Greg Biffle is the team captain.

Based on experience, former champion Matt Kenseth is the lead driver.

Edwards got a big pay raise last year – and a huge personal services commitment from the Ford Motor Co. – to remain with the race team, while Biffle and Kenseth either took small pay cuts or got a very little bump in salary. But when it comes to identifying the alpha dog at Roush Fenway, or any other race team, it generally comes down to winning races.

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NASCAR: Wins, not numbers, the only thing that concerns Johnson lately 04/17/12 - 7:20pm

Jimmie Johnson doesn’t need to look at the racing schedule to know he hasn’t won lately. For now, it’s just a bunch of numbers.

“Man, what’s messing with my head is the stats,” he said.

The only driver to win five consecutive Sprint Cup Series championships is tired of coming close lately. He was second last Saturday at the Texas Motor Speedway after leading the most laps. While that’s a good night for most, Johnson is more accustomed to completing the deal.

“Second (stinks),” he said.

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NASCAR Racing Notes 04/10/12 - 2:12pm

Most would agree the racing has been good this year in the Sprint Cup Series. There have been surprising, controversial and dominating endings in the first six races.

So why are television ratings down across the board?

A final rating of 4.3 for the April 1 race at the Martinsville Speedway continued a string of six declines in a row compared to last year, according the Nielsen Media Research.

Last year’s race at Martinsville drew at 4.4.

Based on Nielsen, there were 400,000 fewer people watching the race at Martinsville compared to 2011.

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Top-end speed in NASCAR often result of back-end sensation 04/10/12 - 2:08pm

Years ago, race crews set up cars by using rulers, scales and a ball of string. Now they use computers.

But nobody has developed the more accurate way of finding speed and stability – a driver’s rear end.

In the past, rulers, scales and string were used to make sure the tires and suspension were in proper alignment. Computers now do that work in seconds, along with finding the proper weight distribution and aerodynamics.

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Current weather

Busch a bad boy again; fined $50,000 by NASCAR for pit road collision 05/15/12 - 4:28pm

NASCAR: From toilet paper to championships, Rick Hendrick has done it all in racing 05/15/12 - 4:23pm

NASCAR: Hot temperatures, tempers at Talladega won’t result in fines 05/08/12 - 4:37pm

Close quarters makes for some awkward moments in NASCAR 05/08/12 - 4:08pm

NASCAR: Keselowski gains job security, championship consideration at Talladega 05/07/12 - 10:47am

NASCAR: Fewer cautions could be reason for drop in television ratings. 04/24/12 - 5:15pm

NASCAR: Competition to be team’s top dog as fierce as competition on the track 04/24/12 - 12:06pm

NASCAR: Wins, not numbers, the only thing that concerns Johnson lately 04/17/12 - 7:20pm

NASCAR Racing Notes 04/10/12 - 2:12pm

Top-end speed in NASCAR often result of back-end sensation 04/10/12 - 2:08pm

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