NASCAR results | NASCAR Points Standings

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne is expected to be ready for Daytona next week following knee surgery. Hendrick Motorsports says Kahne had torn cartilage in his left knee and underwent surgery Friday at an outpatient facility in Charlotte. He went to a doctor a day earlier because of swelling.

Bob Tasca raced to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car on Friday in the season-opening NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway. Morgan Lucas led the Top Fuel field, and Mike Edwards topped the Pro Stock competition after the second round of qualifying.

One car each from Ed Carpenter Racing and Jay Penske's Lotus Dragon Racing team have been selected as the final two members of the IndyCar Leaders Circle program. Eighteen of the 20 cars finished in the top 22 in entrants points last season, and on Friday series officials exercised their option to award money to two additional teams planning to run full-time schedules in 2012.

The IndyCar Series is returning to the Milwaukee Mile after all. A marketing company led by former Indy driver and current team owner Michael Andretti announced Friday it will promote a race weekend at the one-mile oval June 15-16. The race will be held Saturday afternoon, and the two-day event is expected to include a concert and other entertainment.

Jack Beckman raced to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car on Thursday in the season-opening NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway. Morgan Lucas led the Top Fuel field and Mike Edwards topped the Pro Stock competition.

Landon Cassill has a job for the Daytona 500 for the first time in his career. Cassill said Thursday he's been hired to drive for a team that purchased assets and last year's points from the now defunct Red Bull Racing team. Cassill will drive the No.

Veteran Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello said his move to the IndyCar Series depends on finding new sponsors and he may only compete on road and street circuits. Barrichello said Thursday that "everybody is in a hurry to try to find the money" to allow him to drive this season.

The new Mercedes car topped Formula One preseason testing for a second straight day, while Lotus was quickest of the season's new competitors. Nico Rosberg was fastest around the Jerez circuit on Thursday with a lap of 1 minute, 17.613 seconds, following Michael Schumacher's leading pace on Wednesday.

The new race director for the IndyCar Series wants improved communications with the drivers, and is willing to listen to their concerns about specific racing issues. Among the issues Beaux Barfield said Wednesday he will take under consideration is the drivers' displeasure with using double-file restarts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A.J. Foyt has been released from a hospital in Houston, where he was being treated for complications from knee surgery. The 77-year-old Foyt had knee surgery two weeks ago, and an infection sent him to the hospital Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner said Foyt was released Friday and is still taking antibiotics for the infection.

There are more changes in the works at Kansas Speedway. Officials received the final layout from their design team this week for a proposed road course through the infield, and construction is scheduled to begin after the April race.

Lesa France Kennedy strode through the Art Deco-inspired lobby, past rows of blinking slots machines and spinning roulette wheels, her eyes trying to take in the homage to old Hollywood. The chief executive of International Speedway Corp.

Japanese driver Takuma Sato has signed with IndyCar team Rahal-Letterman Racing. The move was announced by Honda Motorsports on Friday. "Rahal-Letterman Racing has a proud tradition and I look forward to driving for them," Sato said at a news conference.

The mother of NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth has died. An obituary from a Cambridge, Wis., funeral home and Kenseth's fan website say Nicola "Nicki" Sue Kenseth battled Alzheimer's disease and died Tuesday at age 63 at Oak Park Place in Cottage Grove.

The Daytona 500 will boast a record purse of more than $19 million, and the winner of NASCAR's biggest race is guaranteed a minimum $1.4 million. Daytona International Speedway also announced Wednesday a $200,000 bonus for the driver leading at the halfway point of the race.

Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello spent a third day Wednesday testing for KV Racing Technology. Although a move to IndyCar was not imminent, the Brazilian is definitely considering the series for 2012. Barrichello was scheduled to test Monday and Tuesday at Sebring International Raceway, then stayed an additional half day Wednesday to drive friend Tony Kanaan's car in the morning session.

Former Force India Formula One driver Adrian Sutil says Lewis Hamilton is a "coward" for not testifying at the German's trial. Sutil was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm in a nightclub confrontation in China and given an 18-month suspended sentence Tuesday.

Danica Patrick will be guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 via a partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing. TBR will officially field Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet in all 10 of her Sprint Cup Series races this season. It will begin the season with the points Dave Blaney earned last season for the No.

Joe Gibbs Racing says no employees were injured when a fire broke out in its machine shop. A spokesman for the NASCAR team says a few employees were treated on site for smoke inhalation, but were not transported to the hospital. All employees are back in the building following the Tuesday fire.

AJ Allmendinger won five races during the 2006 season in Champ Car, then walked away hoping to launch a new career in NASCAR. He was at the top of his game when he left open-wheel, and figured he'd make a smooth and successful transition to stock cars.

Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello drove an IndyCar for the first time on Monday. Whether it leads to a ride in the open-wheel series remains to be seen. Barrichello tested Sebring International Raceway on Monday with KV Racing Technology. The two-day test was organized by fellow Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan, who is so close to Barrichello, the two refer to each other as brothers.

The little team with no pedigree knocked off the big boys with all those championships. Michael Shank Racing did it with a pair of drivers hoping Sunday's victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona is the kickoff to their career comebacks.

Paul Tracy is close to putting together a deal to run in IndyCar this season, but said 2012 will be his final year in the open-wheel series. The Canadian announced Saturday night that he's working on a deal with Michael Shank Racing, is close to securing a sponsor and is working on an engine package.

One former Grand-Am champion was knocked out of the Rolex 24 at Daytona less than an hour into the race, and another lost several laps a quarter of the way into the twice-around-the-clock event. Max Angelelli took the No. 10 Chevrolet to the garage with an engine issue 25 minutes into the race.

Justin Wilson's wife had quite enough of the driver being home all the time during the six months he was sidelined with a broken bone in his back. As Wilson readied for his return to the race car this week at Daytona International Speedway, wife Julia couldn't get him back to the track fast enough.