NASCAR Cup Series

Two races in with a new rules package, and what positive affects has it had on the racing to date? Well, not much from what I can see, especially side by side dueling up front.

Jimmie Johnson has an amazing track record at Martinsville Speedway … eight Sprint Cup wins, enough wins to be the favorite every time NASCAR’s big boys roll into town.

Larson will be making his third NSCS start at PIR this weekend. In both previous visits, Larson has qualified in eighth position, and he has finished in 20th and 13th place. Larson also has four starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) at PIR, with a career-best fourth-place finish that came last season during the March race weekend.

"It means the world to me to be back in the car. It's been a tough situation the last few months, and I've gone through this with confidence knowing that I know the truth and that I never did any of the things that I was accused of. It was a complete fabrication.

“It is a fun track to race on, especially since the repave. It has a lot of the characteristics you would see at a short track, but the speeds that you would see on a speedway. We’ve run really well here the past few races in the XFINITY Series and I’m excited to see how that success will transition over to our Cup car this weekend.”

Justin Allgaier will compete for the fourth time in his NSCS career this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). PIR is the first 1.0-mile track the NSCS has raced on this season. Allgaier looks for better luck this weekend as he's received damage in the last couple of races in the No. 51 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy.

Michael Annett and his No. 46 Pilot Flying J team continue their West Coast journey this Sunday as the teams of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tackle the quirky one-mile Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. It marks Annett's third career Cup Series start at PIR.

Ryan Newman has joined the band of drivers voicing their thoughts to NASCAR about ways to improve track safety. The Richard Childress Racing driver met with NASCAR officials last week to express his personal concern and thoughts about the needed safety enhancements.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion, took part in today’s test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway and stopped by the infield media center to talk about how this are progressing and his outlook for this weekend’s race in Phoenix, AZ.

NASCAR announced today that, effectively immediately, the indefinite suspension of Kurt Busch has been lifted. He is eligible to return to NASCAR racing under indefinite probation subject to additional mandatory requirements that include but are not limited to participation in a treatment program and full compliance with any judicial requirements placed upon him.