Kevin Harvick

NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger has been temporarily suspended from competition, after failing a random drug test. NASCAR making the announcement about one hour and a half before the green flag was set to drop on the Sprint Cup race in Daytona. NASCAR takes two samples and the first one provided the positive test. Allmendinger now has 72 hours to request the second sample also be tested. If that one is positive, the suspension be will become indefinite. FOX Sports and the Associated Press are reporting that Allmendinger failed the random test, that was administered after last weekend's race in Kentucky.

Brooklyn, Michigan that is. NASCAR is headed to the the Michigan International Speedway this weekend, and it is hard to believe that drivers are getting much sleep with speeds approaching 210 MPH. "We don't feel bulletproof -- not at these speeds," said 2011 Michigan winner Denny Hamlin. "Anything can happen -- we hope it's a safe race on Sunday, but at these speeds I don't think we've tested these cars at these speeds yet as far as crashes. " The drivers have spent the last two days testing at Michigan, because of the repaving project, that has lead to all the new speed in the car. "It's going to be interesting to see," said Kansas Kid Clint Bowyer.

NASCAR has the best All-Star event in all of sport. Yeah I said it. Who is going to argue with me. I mean come on now. They are thinking about getting rid of the Pro Bowl. The NBA and NHL All-Star game are both just a bunch of guys out there trying not to get hurt. And baseball had to create something to for the guys to play for to generate some false excitement. So back to my original statement, NASCAR has he best All-Star event in all of sport. "Our All-Star race is a lot different than other sports," said Kevin Harvick.

As NASCAR heads to the short track of Richmond, Virginia, I think many of us are hoping that this Saturday night showdown will save stock car racing from it's self. There has been a lot of talk about the lack of cautions over the past few weeks, and it seems like a little short track racing may be just what the doctor ordered. “I love short-tracks first of all and think we need more," said five-time champ Jimmie Johnson. "Although Richmond has been a challenging track for me over the years it is a place I love to watch a race at.  Short-tracks I think really draw the fans and create the excitement that we need in the sport.

You would be hard pressed to find a driver that has been more consistent over the past two years than Kevin Harvick, he is coming off back to back third place finishes in the Spring Cup standings. But the hardest thing to do when you are on top, is stay there. There has been a lot of change for Harvick this off season. He sold his race team, he has a new crew chief and his wife Delana is expecting the couple's first child. All of those things on the surface are things that should make Harvick a more focused driver, but you never know.

Ron Hornaday Jr. will drive for Joe Denette Motorsports in the Truck Series next year. The four-time series champion will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet and be partnered with crew chief Jeff Hensley. The team says it will run a second entry in select 2012 Truck Series races. Hornaday had to look for a job when Kevin Harvick said in September he was shutting down his race teams. The Nationwide Series cars are being transferred to Richard Childress Racing, but Kevin Harvick Inc.'s trucks are just going away.

Spare Matt Kenseth the toilet humor.   The driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford was delighted to win Saturday night's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with new sponsor Fluidmaster on his car - make that with any sponsor on his car.   In a race that saw five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson suffer a Chase-changing accident in the final 20 laps, Kenseth pulled away from Kyle Busch and teammate Carl Edwards during...

So NASCAR will race for the only time under the lights during the Chase, Saturday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. I love Saturday night races, so I am a big fan of this even. Plus as much as people complain about the "cookie cutter tracks," the high banked high speed tracks like Charlotte or Atlanta or Texas are my favorites. "Obviously, a night race in the Chase is big for any race track," said Denny Hamlin. "But especially big being in the backyard of everyone's house. I just look forward to it. We run well there so I'm excited to go. " There are a lot of big guns that run well at Charlotte, none the least of which is the man who stunk up the show last week in Kansas, five-time champ Jimmie Johnson.

Jimmie Johnson may have lead the most laps, but Kurt Busch lead the one that counts, taking the checkered flag in the third race of the Chase for the Championship at the Dover International Speedway. Johnson lead 157 laps and finished second. Carl Edwards, who had to rebound from a pit road speeding penalty finished third, with Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth rounding out the top 5. The race also shook up the Chase for the Championship standings. Kevin Harvick, who finished tenth is the new points leader, with Edwards second.