Auto Racing Capsules: France thinks Johnson's dominance fine for Chase

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — NASCAR chairman Brian France wants Jimmie Johnson to be commended for his four-year run atop NASCAR, and not used as an example of why the championship format might be flawed.

Johnson heads into Sunday’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway poised to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive titles, all under the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format implemented in 2004. His dominance has made it easy for Chase critics to blast the system, which France called unfair.

"The only way fair to look at it is not to pick apart the format, but recognize excellence," France said Friday. "I don’t think historians could have predicted how good they are. What I wouldn’t want to do is take away from the accomplishment of Jimmie and his team. In this format, dominating four straight years is incredibly difficult to do."

The first year of the Chase was the most competitive, and five drivers entered the finale mathematically eligible to win the title. Kurt Busch beat Johnson by eight points for the championship.

The next season was won by Tony Stewart, and Johnson began his run in 2006. Although the 2007 Chase was a close fight between Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, Johnson has rolled into Homestead the past four seasons well in control.

This year, he needs only to finish 25th or better to beat Hendrick teammate Mark Martin for the historic title.

France said NASCAR has no plans to tweak the format to prevent one driver from dominating.

"This isn’t a formula exercise in a computer," France said, "to get you some result that you want. This is about sports and live things that happen by the best drivers and the best teams in the world and who performs at a high level."

France answered questions for nearly 45 minutes, covering everything from the sport’s economic difficulties, NASCAR’s toughened drug policy and Danica Patrick’s potential move into stock cars.

Patrick has met with several race teams about possibly running a limited schedule in one of NASCAR’s three series.

— On Patrick, where Nationwide Series team at JR Motorsports, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick, is believed to be the front-runner:

"She has taken a very hard look at this sport," France said. "She’s a very recognizable, accomplished driver in her own right. I would love to see her compete at the highest form of racing in the world. I think she’s thinking about it. I don’t know how well she’ll do.

"She has a lot of talent. She will be good for NASCAR, and how well she will perform is like any other driver that comes through the front door and sits in the car. You never know until they do it. And she probably doesn’t know. She’s certainly very welcome in NASCAR. I’ve told her that directly."

— On young driver Brad Keselowski, who met with NASCAR last week after yet another run-in with Denny Hamlin:

"We want drivers who are driving hard, that are driving to win. When that happens, you’re going to have some situations where there’s contact. What you’re always worried about, with retaliation, is escalation, unintended consequences. You have to make sure that there are limits to hard driving and rivalries and whatever. But we certainly want them. We know how important they are. We’re going to do what we can to encourage them with some obvious limits as we go along."

— On potential changes to the NASCAR-designed Sprint Cup car:

"We will look at some things in the offseason going into Daytona to see if we can make the car and the racing better than it is now. That is absolutely our goal. That is always our goal. Absent to having passes every three seconds and photo finishes every race, which we would prefer (and) love to see that. If we don’t achieve that, we’re going to keep pushing forward and looking at ways to achieve somewhere between the great racing that we have now and utopia."

— The economy, which has caused a decline in attendance, sponsorship pullouts and manufacturer cutbacks:

"We don’t feel that 2010 looks, from just a pure economy standpoint from what we’re hearing from our fans, an awful lot better. Clearly the sponsorship market is tougher than it has ever been in my memory, and I don’t anticipate that getting remarkably better."

— The drug policy that led to Jeremy Mayfield’s suspension, and a drawn out lawsuit between NASCAR and the driver:

"We believe we made the right decisions to make an already tough policy even more tough. We have to do that with the circumstances that go on in the country today and sports in general. The fact that we have a 200-mile-an-hour race car, we think it was very imperative that we improve our policy, which we did. We will stand behind that very clearly."

Johnson takes pole at Homestead

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson’s run for his fourth straight Cup title starts from the pole.

Johnson turned a lap of 173.919 mph on Friday to top qualifying at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a big boost for the Hendrick Motorsports star as he tries to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive championships.

"We did an awesome job today, and I feel that the start will go smoothly," Johnson said.

The start could be tricky for the unflappable Johnson. Scott Speed qualified second and Marcos Ambrose third, two drivers who haven’t spent very much time on the track racing up front and around Johnson.

Johnson crashed on the third lap at Texas two races ago when he was hit by Sam Hornish — another non-Chase contender. The wreck spoiled Johnson’s shot at possibly clinching his unprecedented fourth straight championship last week.

Speed and Ambrose don’t want to be the drivers who take out Johnson and forever are tagged as the ones who spoiled history.

"Certainly you don’t want to be the guy that takes out the 48," Speed said. "That doesn’t look good on your resume. You give him room, you race him as hard as you can."

Ambrose, who has only six top-10 starts this season, has a similar fear.

"You don’t want to be the guy that does that to him," he said. "He’s not going to do it on his own."

Johnson said the Texas wreck has made him somewhat apprehensive that a similar scare could happen again. He did not return to the track in that race until lap 115 in a rebuilt car. If he’s knocked out early in Sunday’s 400-mile event, his title hopes could be on the ropes and Mark Martin could have some new life as he shoots for his first championship.

"I typically wouldn’t be (worried), but with living through the Texas experience, I’m not taking anything for granted," Johnson said. "I’m happy to hear that both Marcos and Scott recognize what’s going on. Those guys have both raced for championships. They know what it’s like to get to that final race and you want that halo, you want that space."

Johnson won his fourth pole of the season in the No. 48 Chevrolet hours after it was announced he signed a contract extension to drive for Hendrick Motorsports through the 2015 season. He has 23 career poles in 291 Cup races.

Johnson was so pumped at taking the pole he yelled, "Yes! Yes! Yes! Wow!" over his radio. Crew chief Chad Knaus told him, "God, I love you."

Johnson goes into Sunday’s Chase for the championship finale with a 108-point lead over Martin and needs only to finish 25th or better to win the title.

He’s not looking for any driver to concede the title to him.

"Everybody needs to race because we’re all here for a reason," Johnson said. "Everybody is trying to finish as strong as they can. It’s not, let’s not race. It’s, let’s race, but let’s just give each other a little bit more room."

Martin and Tony Stewart round out the top five.

Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who still has second place within reach, qualified 20th. Johnson, Martin and Gordon are trying to give Hendrick Motorsports a 1-2-3 finish in the season points standings.

Max Papis, David Stremme, Dave Blaney, Joe Nemechek and Mike Skinner failed to qualify.

-- Dan Gelston

Johnson signs extension with Hendrick through 2015

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson, on the verge of a NASCAR record fourth consecutive championship, signed a contract extension Friday to drive for Hendrick Motorsports through the 2015 season.

The announcement comes just two days before Johnson is likely to wrap up the Sprint Cup championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Johnson goes into Sunday’s finale with a 108-point lead over Hendrick teammate Mark Martin and needs only to finish 25th or better to win the title.

"Jimmie is charting new territory in our sport, and that’s due to a combination of natural talent and unsurpassed work ethic," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "How he’s committed himself is just incredible, and it shows in everything that he does — not just on the racetrack.

"There’s no question that he’s one of the great champions in all of sports, and he’s not done yet."

Johnson’s previous contract expired after the 2010 season. This is his third contract extension since joining Hendrick in 2001.

Home improvement chain Lowe’s also signed an extension as primary sponsor of Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet through the 2013 season.

"So fortunate to have my team, job, situation at Hendrick Motorsports," Johnson said. "Lowe’s has been nothing but amazing to Hendrick Motorsports, to myself. The only car I’ve driven in the Cup Series has been a Chevy. It’s been a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and a Lowe’s Chevrolet. I’m very, very proud of that stuff."

There was no immediate announcement on crew chief Chad Knaus, who has previously extended his contracts to stay in line with Johnson. But Hendrick said talks have begun with Knaus and they are "in the process of putting it on paper."

Knaus’ current contract is through the 2010 season, and he and Johnson have been partnered since Johnson’s 2002 rookie year.

"I think our goal and everybody’s on the same page, keeping this thing together for the foreseeable future," Hendrick said.

The Johnson extension locks up Hendrick’s lineup in the Cup Series for the next several years.

Martin this season agreed to a two-year extension through 2011, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has three years remaining on his contract and Hendrick said four-time series champion Jeff Gordon will drive for several more years.

Gordon has a "lifetime contract" with Hendrick.

"Jeff and I have an agreement — as long as he drives in Cup, he’s going to drive our car," Hendrick said. "I’m hoping he’s going to drive a bunch of more years. We know it’s going to be at least three or four. So we’re excited about that."

-- Jenna Fryer

Gordon wants to keep driving for Hendrick

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Jeff Gordon still has Cup title No. 5 in sight. And his boss expects Gordon to stick around a few more years to try and win at least one more.

Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick waved off any idea that Gordon’s career was nearing the finish line. Hendrick, who locked up three-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson through the 2015 season on Friday, said he expected Gordon to drive at least "three or four" more seasons before retiring.

Hendrick has long said Gordon has a "lifetime" contract with Hendrick Motorsports.

"As long as he’s going to drive in Cup, he’s going to drive in our car," Hendrick said. "I’m hoping he’s going to drive a bunch of more years."

Gordon said on Friday that his chronic back pain has improved and he’s still having fun racing. Gordon is third in the points standings and has one victory this season heading into Sunday’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"As long as I’m healthy and competitive and we have sponsorship, we’re out there enjoying ourselves, I’m going to keep doing it," Gordon said.

The 38-year-old Gordon won the last of his four titles in 2001 and hasn’t won a Cup championship since the Chase for the championship format started in 2004.

"I think the old points system favors us," Gordon said. "But I’m more inspired than ever with the new system to win it under the new format."

He’ll try in his familiar No. 24 well into the next decade. Gordon refused to put a number on how many years he has left. At the end of last year’s disappointing season — when he went winless — he was considering only another year or two.

"Seasons like this add years to my career," he said. "Seasons like last year, take away from them. Last year I was frustrated, not feeling good. I was like, give me a couple more years. Now I’m like, four, five, who knows?"

He has his aim on second place — only 61 points separate him from teammate Mark Martin.

Gordon has 82 career victories in a Cup career that dates to one race in the 1992 season. He went winless in his first full season in 1993 — something he didn’t do again until last year. He has 24 top-10s this season.

Gordon said his team may have lost an advantage over the other Hendrick drivers with all the crews sharing information, but it made the Hendrick organization stronger overall. Johnson, Martin and Gordon are trying to finish in some combination 1-2-3 in the standings after Sunday’s final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"I think if you’re confident in what you do and you put the right people in place, your team is still going to prevail," Gordon said. "And the information you can get from your teammates can be very valuable to you."

-- Dan Gelston

RPM driver Kahne will look elsewhere after 2010

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Kasey Kahne might be maxed out at RPM.

Kahne is strongly considering bolting Richard Petty Motorsports after his contract expires next season because of the instability surrounding the organization and will start shopping around for a new team in January.

Kahne has been disgruntled with many parts of RPM this season, including a planned merger with Yates Racing that has yet to happen. Kahne says the company needs to become focused and resolve its lingering issues in the offseason.

"The ups and downs of the team has made it difficult for me to really say, ‘Man, I’m going to be here for 10 years,"’ Kahne said Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "I really don’t know what’s going to happen."

Kahne said he has not heard from majority owner George Gillett Jr. about a new contract.

Kahne has given the struggling organization a huge boost this season with two victories and a spot in the Chase for the championship. He finished 38th in the Chase opener, has not been a factor and is in 10th place entering Sunday’s finale.

"I don’t feel like I need to be done racing for the year," Kahne said. "I’m still pretty excited at where we’re at right now. ... I think the season needs to get over with for the management side of things and just figure out exactly what we’re doing, get us pointed in the right direction so that the teams can start working and preparing for 2010."

The team has been plagued by problems since it was formed in January from the merger between Gillett-Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises.

RPM didn’t have enough new engines for Kahne to use full time, and the team decided to shift from Dodge to Ford next season. RPM fielded only two fully funded cars all season — Kahne and Elliott Sadler. The team pieced together funding for AJ Allmendinger and Reed Sorenson, and both drivers have forfeited salary or race winnings to help keep their teams afloat.

Kahne took owner Richard Petty to Victory Lane for the first time in 364 races by winning on the road course at Infineon Raceway. It was the first time a Petty-owned car won a race since John Andretti’s 1999 victory at Martinsville. Kahne helped secure his spot in the Chase in early September when he won at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

He hopes a third win — even it’s overshadowed by Jimmie Johnson’s fourth straight Cup title — will put a satisfying end to a tumultuous season.

Kahne realizes the offseason might not bring him any answers.

"I used to try and stay in the loop, and then things don’t happen that they say will," Kahne said. "It’s up to them what happens. They do their things, and I’ll do mine."

-- Dan Gelston

Far from track, suspended Mayfield holds auction

CATAWBA, N.C. — Jeremy Mayfield sat in the back of his large barn Friday morning about 800 miles from where NASCAR’s season-ending weekend was kicking off. Several hundred people surrounded him, listening intently as a fast-speaking auctioneer sold dozens of items.

Banned from driving by NASCAR after testing positive for methamphetamines, Mayfield has become an auction fanatic. Only this time, he was selling his own stuff, ranging from a second home, land, cars, dirt bikes and bulldozers to weed-whackers, humidifiers and sunglasses.

If it was all sold by the end of the day it would be worth about $5 million, money needed to help his ongoing court fight to be reinstated to the sport.

"Obviously, this will help financially," Mayfield said. "But it’s also what I like to do."

And for a guy who claims that, "All I’ve ever known was racing," it was an odd sight. Most of the crowd consisted of auction veterans. Few paid any attention to Mayfield’s presence, instead staring at their seller sheets and fellow bidders.

And besides a few old pieces of sheet metal for sale and the racing hats worn by some of the visitors, there were few signs of NASCAR on the premises.

"Sold for $15! What’s your number?" the auctioneer yelled after selling a circular saw blade.

Mayfield walked around his land with a smile, but also determined to prove that he’s not a drug user. His wife, selling clothes and shoes in another section of the facility, took a harder stand against how others in the sport have treated them.

"It’s hurtful when you’ve been with people who you thought were your family for 17 years and then you’re kind of left out here," Shana Mayfield said, referring to other drivers and their wives. "You kind of feel like you’re out in the middle of a field and the vultures are after you. Nobody is standing up for you or trying to help you. That’s a hard feeling, and it hurts."

"And everyone will know the truth before it’s over with."

Mayfield has been suspended since failing a May 1 random drug test. NASCAR says he tested positive for methamphetamines then and in another test on July 6. Mayfield claims a mix of the prescription drug Adderall to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the allergy medication Claritin-D created a false positive.

Mayfield won an injunction July 1 to lift his suspension, but did not attempt to make any of the three races before the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the suspension on July 24. A hearing on the injunction appeal is tentatively scheduled for the first week of December.

Mayfield has since hired prominent attorney Mark Geragos, while NASCAR has been trying to delay the case by filing a motion that would prevent the discovery phase from continuing until a new motion could be heard. Mayfield acknowledged they’ve been rebuffed in their efforts to depose NASCAR chairman Brian France, Dr. David Black, who heads NASCAR’s drug testing program — and even France’s ex-wife. France has filed a secret civil complaint against her.

"Nothing surprises me with trial lawyers in the 21st century," France said Friday. "They are an amazing group of people."

But France said NASCAR will continue to try to keep Mayfield off the track.

"It’s regrettable because our preference is never to be in litigation," France said Friday. "We make the rules and we hope that everybody abides by them."

The legal fight has cost Mayfield his race team and has put him into debt, although he disputed claims that he owes his former attorney money.

"I’ve paid Bill Diehl a lot of money," he said. "We’ll get it worked out."

The auction helped Mayfield’s finances. On farmland in this rural town about an hour north of Charlotte — not far from where race shops dot the landscape — business was brisk. An auction official said about 500 people had registered and another 400 were making bids online.

"I love it, man. I buy a lot of stuff," said Mayfield, who indicated he goes to an auction every couple weeks. "That’s how I got all this stuff. I had one last year and I was going to have one this year and I kept saying, ‘I’m going to take it to a new level.’ It’s a great crowd, a lot of people, and it’s pretty neat."

But Mayfield’s top priority remains to clear his name.

"It’s obviously very expensive, especially going to trial like that," Mayfield said. "But I’m committed and I’m going to do whatever it takes."

-- Mike Cranston

Comedian Caliendo will host NASCAR banquet

LAS VEGAS — Comedian Frank Caliendo will host NASCAR’s season-ending banquet in December in Las Vegas.

Caliendo, a noted impressionist, was featured in several videos at last year’s awards ceremony. He has appeared at postseason events for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

NASCAR moved its season-ending party to Las Vegas this year after nearly three decades in New York. The banquet will be held on Dec. 4 at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Singer David Gray and female electric string quartet Escala will perform at the banquet.

Formula One

F1 Williams sells minority stake to Austrian group

Frank Williams says he is not preparing to relinquish control of the Williams Formula One team despite selling a minority stake on Friday.

Williams and co-founder Patrick Head have been sole owners of the team since its creation in 1977, but now have agreed to sell an unspecified percentage of the team for an undisclosed amount to an investment firm headed by former racing driver Toto Wolff.

"I want to emphasize he is a minority shareholder and the company is still totally under my control," Williams said Friday in a conference call. "I have no intention of losing control of this company."

The team boss said he had "never taken any money out of the business in 40 years" but was conscious of his advancing age, adding the sale would provide funds for his private finances.

"I’m 67, I am not going to live forever, and I want to take care of my private needs," Williams said. "The sale is entirely for private reasons — its time I paid a few bills."

Williams said he intended to stay on as head of the F1 team as long as possible.

Asked when he might retire, he replied: "I have got no idea. Formula One is my life. As long as I am mentally and physically healthy I will continue."

Wolff’s investment firms Marchfifteen and Marchsixteen were previously involved in financing companies involved in rally and touring car racing, while having other significant non-sporting interests.

Wolff used to race in Formula Ford in Austria and Germany, plus GT, rally and touring car racing. He co-owns a management company with ex-Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen.

Williams described him as "a very shrewd businessman" who had the capacity to generate new sponsorship revenue for the team.

-- Chris Lines

Spokeswoman: Schumacher’s return unlikely

FRANKFURT — Although Michael Schumacher is keeping his options open, his spokeswoman says his return to Formula One is "highly unlikely."

Spokeswoman Sabine Kehm was reacting to an article in London’s Daily Telegraph on Friday that speculated the 40-year-old German could be tempted to come out of retirement to drive for Mercedes GP, which has bought out last season’s champion team Brawn GP.

Schumacher, a seven-time F1 champion who retired in 2006, called off a temporary comeback this year with Ferrari because of a persistent neck injury.

Kehm says: "You can never say never in this sport, but to me, it is highly unlikely at the moment."