NASCAR ROUNDUP News and notes



Kahne takes pole: Kasey Kahne hopes his second Nextel Cup pole of the season translates into another trip to Victory Lane. Kahne qualified first Friday for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 with a fast lap of 190.315 mph. The Dodge driver's other pole this year came last month at Atlanta, a similar 1 1/2-mile track where he also won the race. Kahne, who has eight career poles, will make his fifth top-10 start of the year. Rookie J.J. Yeley qualified second with a lap at 189.374 mph in a Chevrolet to earn a spot on the front row with Kahne for the start of Sunday's race. Mark Martin, second in the standings, qualified third with a lap at 189.029 mph in a Ford. Points leader Jimmie Johnson will start 16th. The rest of the top 10 was Jeff Green in a Chevrolet in the fourth position, Roush Racing teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth in Fords, Kurt Busch in a Dodge, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. in Chevrolets and Bobby Labonte in a Dodge.
Smaller fuel tanks for Charlotte: Nextel Cup cars will use smaller fuel tanks when they race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May, a move to create shorter runs between pit stops and tire changes. Officials at the Charlotte track spent $3 million this winter to repave the surface, which was too slick last year after it underwent two grinding projects to smooth out bumps. Then, during a tire test there last week, a flat tire caused points leader Jimmie Johnson to wreck, sending Goodyear officials searching to find the right rubber to use on the freshly paved surface. Goodyear had a successful second test this week. It brought in a new compound in which drivers Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett has no tire troubles. NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said cars will use 14-gallon tanks at Lowe's rather than the normal 22-gallon tanks. A smaller fuel tank means cars will have to pit more often for gas, preventing long runs that would put stress on the tires.
Like old times: It looked like a scene from 30 years ago: Richard Petty standing in Victory Lane next to the blue No. 43 car with the oversized STP hood insignia. STP products and Petty Enterprises on Friday announced a renewal of the product's long-running primary sponsorship after six years. Former Nextel champion Bobby Labonte will drive the Dodge at the Aaron's 499 at Talladega April 30 and at Richmond Sept. 9. STP and Petty Enterprises have a history together spanning more than 30 years. Petty, a NASCAR icon recognizable by his trademark sunglasses and Cowboy hat, said STP sponsorship helped launched stock car racing from a regional sport to the wild popularity it enjoys today.
Associated Press
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