MOTORSPORTS News and notes

Testing goes on: Nextel Cup drivers have a well-deserved weekend off, but that won't stop many of them from testing. Some teams are testing to catch up, others to get ahead. Teams that were expected to test at Richmond International Raceway this week include Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, Haas CNC Racing's Ward Burton and Joe Gibbs Racing's Tony Stewart. Stewart, who won last fall at Charlotte, will test there next week. Ryan Newman (Dodge), Matt Kenseth (Ford) and Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet) tested tire compounds for Goodyear at Richmond, which has been repaved, last week. Goodyear had the three drivers test two tire compounds. When the circuit races there the night of May 15, drivers will use the same tire compound they used in March at Bristol. Newman tested the shorter spoiler, which NASCAR expects will first be used in July at Chicagoland, and says the difference was not substantial.
Barrett thankful: Hollywood stuntman Stanton Barrett has been in his share of crashes. Until last weekend, though, his wrecks were limited to carefully choreographed movie scenes. Barrett, a part-time driver in NASCAR's Nextel Cup series, slammed his Chevrolet into the fourth-turn wall Sunday at California Speedway. He wound up in a hospital for evaluation, but had no serious injuries and was released later that day. Fortunately for Barrett, his Chevrolet hit a wall where a SAFER barrier was installed this year. The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction system cushions absorb the impact and reduce G-forces to the driver. The barriers have been installed or are expected to be put in by the end of this season at all NASCAR tracks where they were recommended. "I definitely commend NASCAR and California Speedway for the SAFER barriers," Barrett said. "It felt like a tire was going down and that's how things got started. I didn't have any control after that. "I started shooting up the track, and for some reason as I headed toward the wall, I remembered they were there. I thought, 'Hey, maybe this won't hurt as bad,' It still hurt, but not as bad as concrete."
Big win: Longtime NHRA Funny Car star John Force marked his 55th birthday with his first win of the season and 110th of his career. The victory Monday in Bristol, Tenn., extended to 18 the number of consecutive years in which Ford has won at least one NHRA tour event. It also was Force's first victory at Bristol Dragway, the only track on the circuit at which the 12-time series champion had not previously won. Force moved within 42 points of division leader Del Worsham with some help from his rookie teammate Eric Medlen, who reached the semifinals. Before losing, Medlen beat Worsham and Tony Pedregon, the driver he replaced on Force's team. "It's a long season," Force said, "but it's good to get back to the winner's circle. Eric did his job, and I finally won at Bristol. I was beginning to wonder if I ever would."
-- Combined dispatches