Kurt Busch

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The laps remaining had dwindled to three when car owner Rick Hendrick came on driver Jeff Gordon's radio. "It's time to go," Hendrick said to his driver, whose No. 24 Chevrolet was running second to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his No. 8 Chevrolet. "Yes, sir, it is," said Gordon, who turned up the jets and won the Daytona 500 yesterday for the third time and for the first time since 1999. The victory, which came in the first overtime race here, enabled Gordon to join Dale Jarrett and Bobby Allison as three-time winners of the event.

Glenelg High School is gearing up for its prom safe-driving events, which include a scheduled visit from NASCAR driver Kurt Busch. School officials said Busch will be a guest speaker at a schoolwide assembly April 23, the start of Glenelg's Prom Safety Week. It is one of several safety-related events that the school is offering throughout the year. Steve Willingham, Glenelg's student resource officer, said Busch is scheduled to talk about the importance of safe driving from his perspective as a professional driver and how speed is a factor in collisions, particularly those involving young people.

Sunday's race in Martinsville, Va., will mark the first Car of Tomorrow race for NASCAR with a spoiler instead of a wing. Stock car purists have to be pleased at the change. The spoiler makes the car look more like a traditional stock car. As for the changes in racing? Even the drivers don't know what to expect. "There's not a lot of characteristic difference from the driver's seat because they did a good job making sure, from an aero standpoint," said Kevin Harvick, who participated in a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday.

The iconic No. 3 may be back in the Sprint Cup starting lineup one day, a possibility that may send some NASCAR fans into an emotional tizzy. That number belonged to Dale Earnhardt , the late, great Intimidator on the NASCAR circuit. Would it be disrespectful for another driver to drive a car with that number? We may find out soon enough. Austin Dillon — the grandson of Richard Childress — already is set to drive a No. 3 Chevy in the Nationwide Series next season.

The Busch brothers are loved by some and loathed by others with good reason: They win races. Kyle and Kurt Busch have 43 Cup victories following Kyle's triumph at Richmond, pushing them to a fifth-place tie among racing brothers in NASCAR history. Kurt Busch has 22 and Kyle 21. Here's a list of who they are chasing: •94 wins — Bobby (84) and Donnie Allison (10). •88 — Darrell (84) and Michael (4) Waltrip. •62 — Tim (39)

The complaint from Roush Fenway Racing that testing has hurt the team isn't new, but it is confusing. Why does team owner Jack Roush think his team is any more affected by a lack of testing than the others? Roush's team, along with the rest of the Ford cars, has yet to win a race this season. Chevy, Toyota and even the one-team Dodge operation have controlled the season. It's not that the Ford cars have been slow. Kasey Kahne had a chance in New Hampshire but had a mechanical failure.

However rocky the relationship is between Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick, one thing is clear: There aren't lot of better options for Harvick. RCR is now, even if it hasn't been in the past, the perfect fit for Harvick. "We're very excited to have Kevin back," Richard Childress said in announcing a multiyear contract extension. "He has written a lot of history for RCR." Harvick is grateful to Childress, who, after all, started his Cup racing career.

The iconic No. 3 may be back in the Sprint Cup starting lineup one day, a possibility that may send some NASCAR fans into an emotional tizzy. That number belonged to Dale Earnhardt , the late, great Intimidator on the NASCAR circuit. Would it be disrespectful for another driver to drive a car with that number? We may find out soon enough. Austin Dillon — the grandson of Richard Childress — already is set to drive a No. 3 Chevy in the Nationwide Series next season.

NASCAR drivers are a restless breed. They often complain about the long grind of the season, yet when they have a chance to make it a Blockbuster night and wind down with friends and family, they end up chasing more speed. Isn't that right, Kurt Busch ? Busch competed in the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. over the weekend, and managed to put a scare into the field of veterans who do this kind of thing for a living. Busch, competing as a professional drag racer for the first time, nearly pulled off a huge upset against veteran Erica Ender, who edged Busch by half a car length on the quarter-mile drag strip Sunday.

Love 'em or hate 'em, the Busch brothers are always in the mix when it comes to contentious relationships in NASCAR. Kurt Busch had to be restrained by team members along pit road in Richmond after an incident with NASCAR.com reporter Joe Menzer . Menzer asked Busch — who had some issues with Jimmie Johnson at the Richmond night race — "Kurt, can either you or Jimmie win the Chase?" Busch cut him off and then said: "How did I see you were going to come with that?

Love 'em or hate 'em, the Busch brothers are always in the mix when it comes to contentious relationships in NASCAR. Kurt Busch had to be restrained by team members along pit road in Richmond after an incident with NASCAR.com reporter Joe Menzer . Menzer asked Busch — who had some issues with Jimmie Johnson at the Richmond night race — "Kurt, can either you or Jimmie win the Chase?" Busch cut him off and then said: "How did I see you were going to come with that?

Ryan Newman capped off a banner weekend for Stewart-Haas Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway by winning Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Newman, the pole sitter, conserved enough fuel and then held off his Stewart- Haas Racing teammate, Tony Stewart, in the closing laps to snap a 47-race winless streak in the Sprint Cup Series. He did not pit during a round of stops under caution with less than 60 laps remaining. Newman finished 0.8 seconds ahead of Stewart, as SHR claimed its first 1-2 finish since the racing organization made its debut in the series at the start of the 2009 season.

The Busch brothers are loved by some and loathed by others with good reason: They win races. Kyle and Kurt Busch have 43 Cup victories following Kyle's triumph at Richmond, pushing them to a fifth-place tie among racing brothers in NASCAR history. Kurt Busch has 22 and Kyle 21. Here's a list of who they are chasing: •94 wins — Bobby (84) and Donnie Allison (10). •88 — Darrell (84) and Michael (4) Waltrip. •62 — Tim (39)

NASCAR drivers are a restless breed. They often complain about the long grind of the season, yet when they have a chance to make it a Blockbuster night and wind down with friends and family, they end up chasing more speed. Isn't that right, Kurt Busch ? Busch competed in the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. over the weekend, and managed to put a scare into the field of veterans who do this kind of thing for a living. Busch, competing as a professional drag racer for the first time, nearly pulled off a huge upset against veteran Erica Ender, who edged Busch by half a car length on the quarter-mile drag strip Sunday.

The complaint from Roush Fenway Racing that testing has hurt the team isn't new, but it is confusing. Why does team owner Jack Roush think his team is any more affected by a lack of testing than the others? Roush's team, along with the rest of the Ford cars, has yet to win a race this season. Chevy, Toyota and even the one-team Dodge operation have controlled the season. It's not that the Ford cars have been slow. Kasey Kahne had a chance in New Hampshire but had a mechanical failure.

However rocky the relationship is between Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick, one thing is clear: There aren't lot of better options for Harvick. RCR is now, even if it hasn't been in the past, the perfect fit for Harvick. "We're very excited to have Kevin back," Richard Childress said in announcing a multiyear contract extension. "He has written a lot of history for RCR." Harvick is grateful to Childress, who, after all, started his Cup racing career.

RICHMOND, Va. - Jeremy Mayfield had farther to go than most in the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 Nextel Cup race - and he did. Last night was the night for drivers who had a chance to make the field for The Chase to the NASCAR Nextel Cup, the final 10-race dash that will determine this year's champion. And Mayfield, who hadn't won since the Pocono 500 in June 2000 - 143 races ago - was 14th in the standings, 479 points behind the leader and 55 points out of the top 10, the probable final qualifying position for The Chase.

DOVER, DEL. -- Third place in a race isn't usually the happiest finish for a competitive racer. But when veteran Nextel Cup driver Rusty Wallace climbed from his No. 2 Dodge yesterday at the end of the MBNA RacePoints 400, he could have been mistaken for the Cheshire Cat. "Man, for my last race at Dover, that's pretty respectable," Wallace said, the grin spreading. "I want to go out of this sport on top of my game, and to be second in points - just seven points out [of first] - this is pretty strong."

Sunday's race in Martinsville, Va., will mark the first Car of Tomorrow race for NASCAR with a spoiler instead of a wing. Stock car purists have to be pleased at the change. The spoiler makes the car look more like a traditional stock car. As for the changes in racing? Even the drivers don't know what to expect. "There's not a lot of characteristic difference from the driver's seat because they did a good job making sure, from an aero standpoint," said Kevin Harvick, who participated in a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday.

Breaking down the 2010 Sprint Cup schedule RACE WHERE WHEN TIME, TV 2009 WINNER(S) THE BUZZ Budweiser Shootout Daytona Saturday 8 p.m., Fox Kevin Harvick For "Happy," it all went downhill from here last year. Gatorade Duel Daytona Feb. 11 2 p.m., Speed Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch Races set the field for the Daytona 500, but Top 35 rule zaps some of the excitement.