Darian Grubb named crew chief for NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin

Joe Gibbs Racing said Friday that Darian Grubb would be driver Denny Hamlin's crew chief next year, the latest in a flurry of crew chief changes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Grubb was let go by Stewart-Haas Racing despite leading Tony Stewart to his third cup championship this season. And the Hamlin spot became open Tuesday when Gibbs released Mike Ford as crew chief on Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota.

"I'm thrilled to join Joe Gibbs Racing," Grubb said in a statement. "The chance to work with Denny is something I'm excited about."

Hamlin had a relatively disappointing 2011 season, winning one race and finishing ninth in the points after winning a series-high eight races and finishing second in the standings in 2010.

Elsewhere in the series, Steve Addington left Kurt Busch and Penske Racing and then was named Stewart's crew chief. Busch and Penske parted ways as well.

Richard Childress Racing last month named Shane Wilson to replace Gil Martin as crew chief for Kevin Harvick's No. 29 Chevrolet.

-- Jim Peltz

Photo: NASCAR crew chief Darian Grubb on Oct. 31 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images

NASCAR's Gibbs releases Denny Hamlin's crew chief

Joe Gibbs Racing said Tuesday it released Mike Ford as crew chief for NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin after a disappointing year for the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota.

"Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing appreciate what Mike has done for our organization over the past six seasons" as Hamlin's crew chief, the team said.

Gibbs did not immediately name a replacement for Ford, 41.

After a series-high eight wins in 2010 lifted Hamlin to second in the Sprint Cup Series standings, the Virginian won only one race this year and finished ninth in the points.

Hamlin had only five top-five finishes during the 36-race Cup season, compared with nine for champion Tony Stewart and 19 for runner-up Carl Edwards.

Ford's departure is the latest in a series of moves involving crew chiefs in NASCAR's top-level series.

Steve Addington left Kurt Busch and Penske Racing and then was named Stewart's crew chief. (Busch and Penske parted ways as well Monday.) Last month, Richard Childress Racing said Shane Wilson would replace Gil Martin as crew chief for Kevin Harvick, who finished third in the standings.

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Photo: NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, left, talks with crew chief Mike Ford at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 13. Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

NASCAR's Kyle Busch: 'No one to blame but myself'

A contrite Kyle Busch, heavily penalized for a retaliatory move on the track a week ago, said Friday that Joe Gibbs did not consider firing him from Gibbs' NASCAR team but that his behavior was "uncalled for" and "disrespectful."

In his first news conference since the incident, Busch told reporters at Phoenix International Raceway that "I'm utmost apologetic" and that "there's no one to blame but myself."

"There’s an opportunity for me to become a better person, to grow, to learn from this and I’m looking forward to those days," Busch said as he sat next to Gibbs. "I’m sure I have lost some respect from my team, with my sponsors, with my peers and I understand those consequences."

There were other consequences after Busch intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr.'s truck during a caution period in a NASCAR truck race at Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR barred the 26-year-old Busch from driving in the Cup and Nationwide races at Texas last weekend, fined him $50,000 and warned him of an "indefinite suspension" if he drove too aggressively again.

His primary Cup sponsor, the M&M's candy company, Thursday pulled its sponsorship for the last two races of the season, including Sunday's race at Phoenix International. There also had been speculation that Gibbs might release Busch.

Busch himself acknowledged, "Was there a point in which I thought, ‘Do I have a ride?’ Of course there was, yeah, I thought about it."

But Gibbs, the NFL Hall of Fame coach, said, "I want to support Kyle" and that "I'm committed to him as a person." He described Busch as a "gifted driver" who made "a bad decision."

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--Jim Peltz in Avondale, Ariz.

 Photo: Kyle Busch. Credit: Rainier Ehrhardt / Getty Images.

M&M's drops NASCAR's Kyle Busch for last two races

The response to Kyle Busch's on-track retaliation escalated Thursday when candy maker M&M's said it barred Busch from driving the M&M's-sponsored Toyota for the last two races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

The next race is Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway followed by the season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Nov. 20.

M&M's, a division of Mars Inc., has been a primary sponsor of Busch's No. 18 car but the company said Busch would not drive the car again until next year with "the expectation that no future incident take place."

"Kyle’s recent actions are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of Mars," Debra A. Sandler, chief consumer officer for Mars Chocolate North America, said in a statement.

"While we do not condone Kyle’s recent actions, we do believe that he has shown remorse and has expressed a desire to change," she said. "We believe our decision will have a positive impact on Kyle and will help him return next season ready to win."

Busch's team, Joe Gibbs Racing, said another longtime sponsor of the team, Interstate Batteries, would be Busch's main sponsor for the last two races.

The incident occurred a week ago in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. After Busch and Ron Hornaday Jr. -- who was in contention to win the series title -- had bumped earlier in the race, Busch shoved Hornaday's truck hard into the wall during a caution period, a move Busch later acknowledged was retaliation.

NASCAR promptly took the rare step of barring Busch from driving in the Cup and Nationwide races in Texas that weekend, then fined him $50,000, placed him on probation for the rest of the year and warned Busch, 26, that he faced an "indefinite suspension" if he was too aggressive again. Busch later issued a public apology.

NASCAR fines Kyle Busch $50,000, warns of indefinite suspension

Kyle Busch, already forced to miss two NASCAR races this weekend in Texas, also was fined $50,000 and given a stern warning by NASCAR on Monday.

In announcing the fine, NASCAR also placed Busch on probation until Dec. 31 and took the unusual step of saying that if Busch made another overly aggressive move this year that the sanctioning body deemed "detrimental to stock car racing or to NASCAR" or "disruptive to the orderly conduct of an event," then Busch "will be suspended indefinitely from NASCAR."

NASCAR's premier Sprint Cup Series has two more races this season: At Phoenix this Sunday and at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Nov. 20.

Busch, 26, got into hot water Friday night when he shoved championship contender Ron Hornaday Jr. into the wall during a caution period at a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Busch acknowledged that it was retaliation after the two had banged into each other earlier in the race. NASCAR then took the rare step of parking Busch, prohibiting him from driving in the second-level Nationwide Series race Saturday and the Cup race Sunday.

Busch, who drives the No. 18 Toyota in the Cup series for the team led by NFL Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs, then made a public apology in which he said "I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions."

Michael McDowell drove for Busch in the Cup race and finished 33rd in the 43-car field. Busch watched the race while sitting atop McDowell's pit box.

-- Jim Peltz

Photo: Kyle Busch watches the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Credit: Randy Holt / Associated Press

Kyle Busch, forced to miss NASCAR races, apologizes for retaliation

After being forced to sit out two NASCAR races this weekend, including Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race in Texas, Kyle Busch issued an open letter of apology that said "I have no one to blame but myself."

Busch initially defended his actions after he intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. after the two earlier banged fenders in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night.

But after NASCAR penalized him by taking the rare step of prohibiting Busch from driving in Sunday's Cup race and in the second-level Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Busch apologized to his Joe Gibbs Racing team, his fans, his sponsors and to Hornaday.

"I understand why I was taken out of the car for the rest of the weekend," Busch stated in his letter. "NASCAR officials had to act, and I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions."

Denny Hamlin, Busch's Gibbs teammate, drove for Busch in the Nationwide race and finished second to winner Trevor Bayne. Michael McDowell is driving for Busch on Sunday.

Busch, 26, is a lightning rod among NASCAR fans, an aggressive, excellent and daring driver who also can be volatile and temperamental. He routinely draws a loud mix of boos and cheers in pre-race introductions, and his nicknames include "Rowdy" and "Wild Thing."

Busch, who was seventh in the Cup standings entering Sunday's race, seemed to mature somewhat this season and be less prone to risky, unwarranted maneuvers on the track. But "this was certainly a step backward," Busch acknowledged.

He added: "I know my long-term actions will have more of a bearing than anything I say right now."

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--Jim Peltz

Photo: NASCAR driver Kyle Busch on Oct. 21 at Talladega Superspeedway. Credit: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

NASCAR pulls Kyle Busch from Sprint Cup, Nationwide races in Texas

In an extremely rare move, NASCAR suspended driver Kyle Busch from competing in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide races in Texas this weekend as a penalty for Busch intentionally wrecking another driver in a truck race Friday night.

Busch, long known for his aggressive driving, shoved the truck driven by championship contender Ron Hornaday Jr. into the wall during a caution period after the two had tangled in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

After meeting Saturday morning with Busch and his team owner, NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, NASCAR President Mike Helton announced Busch's suspension from the Nationwide race later Saturday and the Sprint Cup race on Sunday.

Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota in the Cup series, is one of the 12 drivers competing for the series title in the "Chase for the Cup" playoff. He's currently seventh in the standings, 57 points behind leader Carl Edwards.

Although NASCAR has let drivers settle more of their on-track differences on their own -- the so-called "Boys, have at it" policy -- Helton told reporters in Texas that Busch went too far, prompting NASCAR to take the rare step of benching a driver for an upcoming race.

"The responsibility over the past two or three seasons we've given back to the drivers came, I think, with a very clear understanding that there could be a line that got crossed," Helton said, adding that "we saw it last night."

Gibbs said Denny Hamlin would drive Busch's car in the Nationwide race, and Michael McDowell would replace Busch in the Cup race.

Gibbs told reporters in Texas that he supported NASCAR and had "great faith in the decisions they make."

"This was a tough one for us," Gibbs said. "You don't like it but we're certainly going to try and work our way through this one and do the right thing and try and handle it the right way."

--Jim Peltz

Photo: The No. 33 truck driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. is pushed into the wall by the truck of driver Kyle Busch during the NASCAR Truck Series race on Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Credit: David Kent / McClatchy-Tribune

Supercross' James Stewart joins Joe Gibbs Racing, eyes NASCAR

Two-time supercross champion James Stewart signed a multiyear contract to ride for Joe Gibbs Racing's Yamaha motorcycle-racing team with plans to eventually try NASCAR stock-car racing.

Stewart, 25, will make his Gibbs debut Jan. 7 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, where the AMA Supercross Series traditionally kicks off its season.

Supercross is the stadium version of off-road motorcycle racing, or motocross. Stewart won his supercross titles in 2007 and 2009. He also won the AMA Motocross championship in 2008.

With 42 supercross wins in his career, Stewart is third on the all-time list behind Jeremy Grath (72) and Ricky Carmichael (48). Carmichael already has taken up racing cars and trucks in NASCAR, and Stewart previously had expressed a desire to one day drive in NASCAR.

"My goal in supercross is to pass Jeremy McGrath's record," Stewart said in a statement Tuesday. "I also had an interest in car racing and we are going to explore my potential in that sport through the NASCAR side of the operation."

Gibbs, of course, is a major team in NASCAR, with drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano driving Toyotas in the premier Sprint Cup Series.