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Filed under: Roush Fenway Racing, NASCAR Crashes, NASCAR

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- NASCAR team owner Jack Roush is in serious but stable condition after walking away from a plane crash in a jet he was piloting in Wisconsin on Tuesday.

"There are injuries. Possible surgery," Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith said in a text message to The Associated Press. "But he walked out of the plane."

Video taken in the immediate aftermath of the crash shows a fireman spraying foam around the plane, then opening the forward door and peering in. A few moments later, Roush, his face bloodied and blood stains covering his shirt and pants, gingerly walks through the opening.

A backboard is brought up as Roush lies down next to the plane. Meanwhile, his lone passenger, identified as Brenda Strickland, also gingerly makes her way out of the plane on her feet, assisted by rescuers.

Roush, an aviation buff, was expected to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., this week.

 

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Filed under: Sprint Cup, NASCAR

HARRISBURG, N.C. (AP) -- Marcos Ambrose is leaving JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the season.

Team co-owner Tad Geschickter said Tuesday the organization is disappointed to see the Australian driver leave after five seasons. Ambrose started with the team in the Truck Series, and helped it expand to NASCAR's premier Sprint Cup Series.

"After five years, I personally felt it was time for a change," Ambrose said.

Ambrose debuted with the team in a 2006 truck race at Martinsville. He won two Nationwide Series races for JTG, and nearly won the Cup race at Sonoma last month. He lost the race when, while trying to conserve fuel under caution, he turned his engine off and couldn't maintain reasonable speed.

Ambrose did not say where he will drive next season, but he's believed to be close to finalizing a deal with Richard Petty Motorsports.

"I would like to continue in NASCAR and finish off what I started, but I have not discounted returning to Australia," Ambrose said. "I'm grateful to JTG Daugherty Racing for giving me an opportunity to become a NASCAR driver and I wish them the best in the future."

JTG said it will make an announcement soon as to who will drive the No. 47 Toyota next season.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

 

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Filed under: NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has fined at least two of its star drivers this season for making critical comments about the racing series, The Associated Press has learned.

People familiar with the penalties told the AP the comments were considered disparaging to the sport. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR was not publicly identifying the topflight drivers it fined. They say one driver was penalized as much as $50,000.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston on Monday night confirmed some action had been taken, but would not discuss details.

"It is the sanctioning body's obligation on behalf of the industry and our fans to protect the sport's brand," Poston said. "Any action taken by NASCAR has nothing to do with the drivers expressing an opinion -- it's focused on actions or comments that materially damage the sport.

"We have specifically discussed this in meetings with teams, drivers and stakeholders."

The decision to fine competitors for critical comments puts NASCAR in line with many other professional sports leagues. The NFL and NBA both routinely issue fines for criticism of officiating.

It also backs up NASCAR's season-long campaign to rebuild the slumping sport through an improved on-track product and off-track promotion from its drivers.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

 

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Filed under: Formula One

MARANELLO, Italy (AP) -- Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo has told his Formula One drivers Monday that the team "always comes first" in the aftermath of the row over the contrived finish that erupted during the German Grand Prix.

The Italian team was found guilty of breaking rules prohibiting team orders and fined $100,000 after Felipe Massa appeared to let teammate Fernando Alonso pass him to win the race on Sunday.

Massa led the race for 49 of 67 laps before he was passed by Alonso following Ferrari messages over the team radio.

Article 39.1 of the International Auto Federation (FIA) 2010 sporting regulations outlaws teams giving orders during a race. Ferrari says that the drivers arrived at the decision independently.

"I'm not interested in arguing," Di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency. "I will repeat what I always tell my drivers and that is when they drive for Ferrari the team always comes first."

Additional sanctions could be imposed by the World Motor Sport Council though Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, who sits on the body, but he appeared to back Di Montezemolo's view that the sport should be team-focused.

"All the cars have to be exactly the same, the drivers wear the same overalls, so everybody has to look like a team-a team of people that are racing," Ecclestone said. "I believe what people do when they are inside the team, and how they run their team is up to them ... nobody should interfere as to how they run their team.

"But of course if they do something that's dangerous then obviously they're going to be in trouble, otherwise get on with it."

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks and other supplemental copy have been inserted by AOL.

 

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Filed under: IRL

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Scott Dixon won a controversial Honda Edmonton Indy on Sunday after Helio Castroneves crossed the finish line first, but was penalized for blocking his teammate.

An enraged Castroneves, who ended up 10th, stormed from his car after the race to yell at IndyCar officials and grabbed Indy Racing League security chief Charles Burns by the lapels of his shirt, shaking him.

After cooling down somewhat, Castroneves told a TV interviewer, "I have nothing smart to say. The only thing I can say is talk to my attorneys."

Castroneves took the lead from Team Penske teammate and pole winner Will Power with 18 laps to go in the 95-lap race, but was called for blocking Power when Power tried to pass him on a restart with two laps to go.

With Power blocked by Castroneves, Dixon stormed past him to take second place as they charged toward the finish line.

But the flagman showed Castroneves the black flag, while Dixon received the checkered flag. Power was second, followed by Dario Franchitti, Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

It was Dixon's second victory of the season, but he won this one without ever being the lead car.

"Pretty strange to not run a lap and actually win the race," Dixon said. "But rules are rules, man. It was obvious Will had a pretty good run. The only way to stop him was blocking."

 

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Filed under: Formula One

HOCKENHEIM, Germany (AP) -- Fernando Alonso won the German Grand Prix on Sunday after Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa appeared to allow him to take the lead following team instructions.

Massa, racing on the first anniversary of a crash that nearly killed him, led the Formula One race for 49 of 67 laps before he was passed by Alonso following Ferrari messages over the team radio.

Ferrari team leaders were summoned to report to the stewards after the race as team orders are forbidden under Formula One rules. The team subsequently was fined $100,000 (US) but the result of the race was not changed.

The stewards said Ferrari was in breach of Article 39.1 of the International Auto Federation (FIA) 2010 sporting regulations, triggering the fine.

Article 39.1 says: "Team orders that interfere with race results are prohibited."

The stewards also sent the case to FIA's council for further consideration.

 

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Filed under: IRL

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Will Power, going for his third consecutive win in IndyCar, will start from the pole Sunday in the Honda Edmonton Indy. Power drove the 1.96-mile City Centre Airport track in 1:00.7126 to lead the 25-car field.

Helio Castroneves, Power's teammate with Team Penske, will start beside him on the front row while Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi will be third.

Power has been the class of the field in IndyCar this season. He leads the driver standings, has won four of 10 races and has six poles.

Danica Patrick did not make it out of the first round of the three-round qualifying process and will start 21st.

Paul Tracy of Toronto will start 15th.

 

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Filed under: Carl Edwards, NASCAR Crashes, Nationwide Series, NASCAR

(AP) -- NASCAR docked star Carl Edwards 60 Nationwide Series driver points, fined him $25,000 and placed both Edwards and Brad Keselowski on probation through Dec. 31 following their last-lap antics at Gateway International Raceway.

Jack Roush, owner of Edwards' No. 60 Ford, was also docked 60 owner points after the latest run-in between the feuding drivers ended with a chain reaction accident that left Keselowski's No. 22 Dodge in tatters and another nine cars sustaining damage last weekend.

Edwards and Keselowski were battling for the lead on the final lap when Keselowski nudged Edwards out of the way coming out of Turn 2. Edwards returned the favor a few seconds later, sending Keselowski into the outside wall coming out of Turn 4. Keselowski slid toward the inside wall before being struck by several opponents, his car a shattered mess as it crossed the finish line in 14th while Edwards celebrated his second win of the season.

Though NASCAR has publicly encouraged drivers to police themselves by encouraging a "boys, have at it" philosophy, director of competition Robin Pemberton said Keselowski and Edwards took things a little too far even though Edwards maintained afterward he was not at fault. NASCAR disagreed.

 

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Filed under: IRL

TORONTO (AP) -- Will Power knew when to be aggressive and when to play it safe Sunday in the wreck-filled Honda Indy Toronto.

After patiently avoiding early trouble, the IndyCar leader boldly passed Justin Wilson on the outside off a restart with 14 laps left, then held off Dario Franchitti for his second straight victory and fourth of the season,

"As I predicted, it was a very wild race," Power said. "It started on the first corner for me when I had Helio (Castroneves) and (Ryan) Hunter-Reay come cruising up the inside. I was like, `OK, I'll let those guys go.' And then I lost a couple of more positions. But I know how this race goes."The key for me when I came to this race was avoiding carnage and accidents, which I know happens every year, and like I said, in the first corner, that right there could have been the finish if I'd just turned in. But I backed off."

Power then gambled and won with the race on the line, moving past Wilson on the outside on the first turn after the fifth of sixth caution periods. Power pulled away, while Wilson spun out moments later and dropped from contention.

 

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Filed under: IRL

TORONTO (AP) -- Justin Wilson won his first IndyCar Series pole to end Team Penske's streak at eight Saturday in the Honda Indy Toronto, turning a series track-record lap of 104.827 mph on the 11-turn, 1.755-mile street circuit.

Wilson, the winner from the pole in the 2006 Champ Car race at the tight and bumpy Exhibition Place track, gave owner Dreyer & Reinbold Racing its first IndyCar pole since Sarah Fisher led the field at Kentucky Speedway in 2002.

"We've had a couple of tough races, so to come back and get the pole here is just fantastic," Wilson said. "Everyone at Dreyer & Reinbold has worked so hard.

"It's a good weekend so far. We have to keep it up. We'll keep pushing for the race. It's easy in this stage to sit back and relax, but we have a lot of work to do."

Wilson saved a set of red-lined tires -- the softer and less durable of the two Firestone models -- for the 10-minute, six-car qualifying finale.

 

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