Late caution costs Montoya much-needed victory

RICHMOND, Va. | It's been a season of bad breaks for Juan Pablo Montoya, so it was only fitting when things again didn't go his way.

Sato 1st Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race

LONG BEACH, Calif. | Takuma Sato became the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race on Sunday in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Hunter-Reay holds off Dixon to win at Barber

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Andretti Autosport remained perfect on the year Sunday when defending IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay snapped Penske Racing's winning streak at Barber Motorsports Park.

$Hamlin has compression fracture in lower back$

Hamlin has compression fracture in lower back

Denny Hamlin suffered a compression fracture in his lower spine during a last-lap crash while racing for the win against former teammate Joey Logano, and Joe Gibbs Racing gave no indication Monday how long its driver could be sidelined.

IndyCar season about to begin, sans rivalries

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. | If only the rest of the world could have seen how Bobby Rahal looked at a picture of Michael Andretti during his daily workouts and realized how emotionally charged their rivalry used to be.

Kasey Kahne wins 1st career race at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. | Kasey Kahne won his first career Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway after Brad Keselowski struggled on the final restart.

NASCAR's new Gen-6 car goes to Bristol's bullring

BRISTOL, Tenn. | There's an expectation from fans that a ticket to Bristol Motor Speedway will get them a seat to NASCAR's version of the Roman Colosseum.

Johnson wins 2nd Daytona 500; Patrick finishes 8th

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | A big first for Danica Patrick, but an even bigger second for Jimmie Johnson.

Harvick and Kyle Busch wins Daytona 500 duels

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | There are two certainties heading into the Daytona 500: Kevin Harvick is the favorite, and no one is sure what the action will look like in the "Great American Race."

Start 'em up: NASCAR season arrives with a buzz

CHARLOTTE, N.C. | There's a buzz about NASCAR and the season-opening Daytona 500 that has nothing to do with an exploding jet dryer or a well-timed tweet from a driver.

Andretti Autosport signs EJ Viso for 4th car

Andretti Autosport will have a four-car lineup this season with EJ Viso joining the IndyCar team.

Keselowski wins Sprint Cup title

HOMESTEAD, Fla. | Here's a tweet for Brad Keselowski: NASCAR champion.

Belskus: IndyCar moving on, bullish about future

Interim IndyCar CEO Jeff Belskus insisted Thursday it was business as usual for the series after a week of upheaval that included sharp criticism over the abrupt and awkward end of a three-year run by CEO Randy Bernard.

NASCAR CEO backs drug-testing program

LONDON | NASCAR CEO Brian France said Tuesday he is confident in the series' drug testing program that is under scrutiny again after A.J. Allmendinger's failed test.

Penske waiting for more info on Allmendinger

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | AJ Allmendinger was silent Sunday, a day after NASCAR suspended him for failing a random drug test.

Clint Bowyer picks up 1st win of season at Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. | Clint Bowyer raced to his first victory on a road course, and first with Michael Waltrip Racing, by holding off Kurt Busch at Sonoma.

In The Pits: Junior gives a lesson in perseverance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. | OK, it's just one win. The first in four years, no less.

Power wants to win something of significance

INDIANAPOLIS | Will Power has 18 victories since moving to America, where he's one of the most decorated drivers in open-wheel racing.

Keselowski gets push from Busch to win Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. | Brad Keselowski got a huge push from Kyle Busch to take the lead with a lap to go Sunday, then used a calculated move to prevent Busch from taking the win away from him at Talladega Superspeedway.

Logano beats Busch at finish of Nationwide race

TALLADEGA, Ala. | Joey Logano nipped Kyle Busch at the finish line Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway to give Toyota its 200th win in NASCAR.

Focus moves to Talladega after last week's drama

TALLADEGA, Ala. | It's on to Talladega Superspeedway, where the focus Friday was on engine temperatures and tandem racing and everything that factors into the fast Alabama track.

Power goes from 12th to 1st to keep Penske perfect

LONG BEACH, Calif. | Will Power kept Penske Racing perfect this season by picking his way through the field Sunday at Long Beach to win his second consecutive IndyCar Series race.

Keselowski dominates to win at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. | Brad Keselowski used Bristol Motor Speedway last fall to cement his spot in NASCAR's championship race.

Kahne's rough season start continues at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. | Kasey Kahne's miserable start with Hendrick Motorsports continued with yet another accident, his third through four races this season.

Edwards wins pole for season-opening Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | Carl Edwards fell bitterly short in last season's bid to win the NASCAR championship.

NASCAR president says penalties likely for 48 team

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | NASCAR will likely penalize the crew chief for five-time champion Jimmie Johnson for infractions found during Daytona 500 inspection.

Stewart goes into 2012 with new crew chief

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | Over the closing weeks of last season, Steve Addington had been led to believe he would be Tony Stewart's crew chief in 2012.

IndyCar race director wants better communication

The new race director for the IndyCar Series wants improved communications with the drivers, and is willing to listen to their concerns about specific racing issues.

Danica Patrick won't run Indy 500 this year

CONCORD, N.C. | Danica Patrick became a worldwide sensation as a rookie at the Indianapolis 500, challenging for victory and becoming the first woman to lead laps in the showcase race.

IndyCar: 'Limitless' racing factor in Vegas wreck

Las Vegas Motor Speedway's "limitless" racing surface was singled out Thursday as a significant factor in a "perfect storm" of conditions that led to the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon.

Stewart wins Homestead to win NASCAR championship

HOMESTEAD, Fla. | Tony Stewart insisted he wasn't a title contender when NASCAR's championship race began.

IndyCar has issues to fix beyond Wheldon accident

IndyCar made gains this year in building a buzz about the series that many believed would carry over into the 2012 season.

AP Interview: IndyCar CEO revisits 'horrific' week

INDIANAPOLIS | Randy Bernard knows there are people who blame him for Dan Wheldon's death, who say the IndyCar CEO pushed the series over the edge.

Factors converged in crash that killed Dan Wheldon

The perfect storm: A high-banked oval crowded with the largest field of the season. Inexperienced or impatient drivers racing at more than 220 mph. Absolutely no room for error.

Kenseth grabs win at Charlotte to move up in Chase

CONCORD, N.C. | Matt Kenseth won his only Cup title in 2003 and NASCAR immediately changed the championship rules.

Is 2 races too soon to count Johnson out of hunt?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. | There was something different about Jimmie Johnson this year as he readied for yet another challenge to his reign of NASCAR.

Stewart opens Chase with 1st victory of season

JOLIET | Tony Stewart took himself out of title contention before the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Gordon alleges RCR orders altered Richmond finish

CHICAGO | Allegations of team orders swirled Thursday around the opening round of NASCAR's championship race, with Jeff Gordon alleging Richard Childress Racing intentionally caused a caution at Richmond that helped Kevin Harvick win the race.

David Ragan captures Brickyard pole

INDIANAPOLIS | David Ragan, in the midst of a career breakthrough, added the pole for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to his suddenly improved resume.

Montoya expects to be competitive at Brickyard

INDIANAPOLIS | Juan Pablo Montoya said Friday a crew chief change should not hurt his chances to finally win a NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ragan redeems himself at Daytona with 1st win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | David Ragan earned the first Sprint Cup victory of his career Saturday night with a push from teammate Matt Kenseth that helped Ragan atone for one of the biggest gaffe's of his young career.

Picturesque Sonoma could become NASCAR demolition derby

SONOMA, Calif. | The winding road course in Sonoma is a perfect fit with the serenity and peacefulness of the Northern California wine country.

Harvick wins when Earnhardt runs out of gas

CONCORD, N.C. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas coming out of the final turn of the Coca-Cola 600, giving Kevin Harvick the win in NASCAR's longest race of the year.

McMurray wins pole at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. | Jamie McMurray took a step toward jump-starting his season Saturday by winning the pole at Martinsville Speedway.

Tony Stewart wins 4th Daytona Nationwide race by nipping Clint Bowyer at finish line

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | Tony Stewart has mastered how to win at Daytona International Speedway on Saturdays.

Uncertainty dominates Daytona 500 season opener

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | The fans will stand in silence, three fingers raised toward the sky, on the third lap of the Daytona 500 in honor of the late Dale Earnhardt.

Kurt Busch wins Shootout when Hamlin disqualified

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | It was a two-car tango at Daytona International Speedway, where the wild, pack racing was replaced Saturday night by sizzling fast speeds and a strange ending that gave Kurt Busch the win in the Budweiser Shootout.

Crew chiefs dissect the strengths of their drivers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. | When Chad Knaus was asked what Jimmie Johnson does better than championship challengers Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, the crew chief didn't hold back.

Edwards makes it 2 straight with Nationwide win at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. | Carl Edwards has won the Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, leading 153 laps in claiming his second straight win.