NASCAR ROUNDUP

NASCAR ROUNDUP
News and notes
Biffle on pole: Greg Biffle, second to champion Tony Stewart in last year's Chase for the championship, posted a lap at 127.395 mph Friday, winning the pole for the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Biffle's fast lap came with just four of 47 drivers still waiting to make their run at the top spot around the 0.75-mile oval, and it knocked Roush Racing teammate Mark Martin to the outside of the front row. Martin's lap came at 127.029 mph. Casey Mears will start third in his Dodge, Brian Vickers fourth in a Chevrolet and points leader Jimmie Johnson fifth in a Chevy.
Harvick signs extension: Kevin Harvick chose loyalty over money, signing a three-year extension Friday to remain at Richard Childress Racing. Considered the top free agent for 2007, there was speculation that Harvick was courted by Toyota and other car owners offering huge paydays. But Harvick decided that staying with the team that hired him in 2001 provided the best chance of winning a championship.
O, Canada! NASCAR officials were ecstatic with their midweek visit to Montreal and are moving forward with plans to expand the Busch Series into Canada -- perhaps as early as next season. The contingent of seven NASCAR representatives found the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a temporary street course, to be in race-ready condition with very few alterations necessary, said Steve O'Donnell, managing director of events and operations. The only glaring need at this time is a short extension of pit road. It's possible to get Montreal onto the 2007 schedule as a third road course race for the Busch Series. It would join Watkins Glen and Mexico City, which hosted its second event in March and has proved that NASCAR can be a huge success beyond U.S. borders. The track can accommodate 125,000 fans a day, and about 95 percent use public transportation to reach the facility.
Staying small: After a successful two-day test at Lowe's Motor Speedway this week, many drivers lobbied NASCAR to reverse its decision to use smaller fuel tanks during the two weeks of racing there later this month. NASCAR isn't budging. The 14-gallon tanks will remain in place for both the Nextel All-Star Challenge and the Coca-Cola 600, Cup director John Darby said Friday. Cars generally use a 22-gallon tank, but NASCAR mandated that smaller ones be used at the repaved North Carolina facility as a precautionary measure. After 47 drivers spent two days testing a new tire on the new surface, many thought the smaller cells weren't needed. A smaller fuel tank means cars will have to pit more often for gas, preventing long runs that would put stress on the tires. The tires did not hold up well at Lowe's last year, and there were 37 cautions during its two premier events. NASCAR mandated the smaller cells after Jimmie Johnson wrecked during a Goodyear tire test there last month. But the tire company was able to develop a harder compound it is confident will hold on long runs.
Associated Press