Jamie Mcmurray

Much of the attention heading into the Neighborhood Excellence 400 was focused on a noted fill-in driver who was tabbed to take over for the ailing defending series champion. But when push came to shove in the waning laps on the high banks of Dover International Speedway late yesterday afternoon, the spotlight belonged to a guy who made his Nextel Cup Series debut on this track as a reserve eight years ago. Matt Kenseth, whose sixth-place finish as Bill Elliott's substitute in September 1998 proved a portent of success to come, used his experience on the one-mile concrete oval to overtake Roush Racing stablemate Jamie McMurray four laps from the finish and pull away to the Nextel Cup victory.

LONG POND, Pa. - Pocono Raceway's repaved 2.5-mile track is making a good first impression with NASCAR's Sprint Cup drivers. On Wednesday, the second day of a Goodyear tire test at the raceway, drivers offered favorable reviews of the track. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, predicted that his track qualifying record of 172.533 m.p.h., set in June 2004, will be broken. Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Chevy, said, "The corner speeds are way, way quicker.

Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa. When: Sunday, 1 o'clock TV/Radio: TNT/WNPV (1440-AM), WDSD (94.7-FM) Course: 2.5-mile trioval Distance: 500 miles/200 laps 2009 pole: Tony Stewart 2009 winner: Tony Stewart Qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, 172.533 mph, June 11, 2004 Winners: Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin (3 each); Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch (2 each); Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman (1 each). Track facts: Stewart won last year's race from the rear of the field in a backup car after he damaged his No. 14 Chevrolet in practice.

LONG POND, Pa. - Pocono Raceway's repaved 2.5-mile track is making a good first impression with NASCAR's Sprint Cup drivers. On Wednesday, the second day of a Goodyear tire test at the raceway, drivers offered favorable reviews of the track. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, predicted that his track qualifying record of 172.533 mph, set in June 2004, will be broken. Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Chevy, said, "The corner speeds are way, way quicker," The new asphalt is changing McMurray's mind about Pocono.

LONG POND, Pa. - Pocono Raceway's repaved 2.5-mile track is making a good first impression with NASCAR's Sprint Cup drivers. On Wednesday, the second day of a Goodyear tire test at the raceway, drivers offered favorable reviews of the track. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, predicted that his track qualifying record of 172.533 m.p.h., set in June 2004, will be broken. Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Chevy, said, "The corner speeds are way, way quicker.

LONG POND, Pa. - Pocono Raceway's repaved 2.5-mile track is making a good first impression with NASCAR's Sprint Cup drivers. On Wednesday, the second day of a Goodyear tire test at the raceway, drivers offered favorable reviews of the track. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, predicted that his track qualifying record of 172.533 mph, set in June 2004, will be broken. Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Chevy, said, "The corner speeds are way, way quicker," The new asphalt is changing McMurray's mind about Pocono.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - First came the rain. Then came the fire. NASCAR races rarely come off without a hitch, but what happened Monday night on the 160th lap of the Daytona 500 is without precedent. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Journeyman driver Dave Blaney was leading when a problem with Juan Pablo Montoya's car sent him spinning under caution into a safety truck. The truck, which holds 200 gallons of jet kerosene, burst into flames. Montoya's car slid into the grass, and he gingerly climbed from it as fire trucks rushed to the scene.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - First came the rain. Then came the fire. Everything that could go wrong with this Daytona 500 did go wrong, and the race will be remembered for everything but the eventual winner. Journeyman driver Dave Blaney was leading when a problem with Juan Pablo Montoya's car sent him spinning into a safety truck. The truck, which holds 200 gallons of jet kerosene, burst into flames. Montoya's car slid into the grass, and he gingerly climbed from it as fire trucks rushed to the scene.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR has raced on the beach at Daytona, under the lights, and even around a pesky pothole. But never on a Monday - until now. The Daytona 500 was postponed Sunday for the first time in its 54-year history after heavy rain saturated Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR officials spent more than four hours waiting for a window to dry the track, but it never came. When the last storm cell passed over the speedway around 5 p.m., they had little choice but to call it a day. The 500-mile race was rescheduled for noon Monday.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR has raced on the beach at Daytona, under the lights and even around a pesky pothole. But never on a Monday - until now. The Daytona 500 was postponed yesterday for the first time in its 54-year history after heavy rain saturated Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR officials spent more than 4 hours waiting for a window to dry the famed track, but it never came. When the latest storm cell passed over the speedway around 5 p.m., they had little choice but to call it a day. The 500-mile race was rescheduled for noon today.

INDIANAPOLIS - Paul Menard became NASCAR's newest first-time winner yesterday with an upset victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track steeped in tradition for his family. The first half of the race was dominated by drivers with the strongest cars. But when debris cautions jumbled up the pit cycles, the Brickyard 400 turned into a race of pure strategy. Menard and his Richard Childress Racing team played it brilliantly, as crew chief Slugger Labbe had Menard give the lead up to defending race winner Jamie McMurray in an effort to save fuel.

INDIANAPOLIS - Paul Menard became NASCAR's newest first-time winner Sunday with an upset victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track steeped in tradition for his family. The first half of the race was dominated by drivers with the strongest cars. But when debris cautions jumbled up the pit cycles, the Brickyard 400 turned into a race of pure strategy. Menard and his Richard Childress Racing team played it brilliantly, as crew chief Slugger Labbe had Menard give the lead up to defending race winner Jamie McMurray in an effort to save fuel.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Forgetting that Jamie McMurray is from Joplin, Mo., was a "duh" moment. I'm now hitting myself upside the head with a restrictor plate, which makes writing somewhat difficult. I know McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet, is from Missouri. Just never put the McMurray/Joplin connection together after the devastating tornado leveled much of the city and killed at least 134 people. Before last Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, McMurray discussed the tragedy and his relationship to Joplin.

Showtime Southern 500 Darlington Raceway Darlington, S.C. When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. TV/Radio: Fox/WNPV (1440-AM) Race course: 1.366-mile oval Race distance: 367 laps/501.322 miles Race forecast: Clear, mid-70s Last year's winner: Denny Hamlin Last year's pole winner: Jamie McMurray, 180.370 mph (track qualifying record) Track facts: In winning last year's race, Hamlin led 104 laps, including the last 24. Jamie McMurray was second; Kurt Busch was third . . . Jeff Gordon's seven wins at Darlington top active drivers . . . Since Darlington went to one Sprint Cup race per year in 2005, only Greg Biffle won consecutive races (2005 and '06)