Struggling NASCAR track Irwindale Speedway cancels season

Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, once hailed as perhaps the best short track for minor-league NASCAR racing, said Monday it has canceled its 2012 season.

Amid speculation that the half-mile speedway might be closed or sold in the face of dwindling crowds, its management issued a one-sentence statement announcing the cancellation and providing no other details.

Track officials could not immediately be reached to elaborate, but the speedway's website also had been taken down.

The 6,500-seat Irwindale facility alongside the 605 Freeway opened 13 years ago mainly to host weekly Saturday races for NASCAR stock-car developmental series. It drew positive reviews and was considered a particularly fan-friendly venue.

The track also hosted annual races that at times drew some of racing's biggest stars, including Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano.

Those races included the NASCAR All-Star Showdown and the "Turkey Night" race on Thanksgiving Day for open-wheel sprint and midget cars.

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Photos: Cars race in the NASCAR All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Jan. 30, 2011. Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

NASCAR's Jeff Gordon, 3 others nominated for state racing award

Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon was among four candidates nominated for this year's Justice Brothers-Shav Glick Award, given to those who have made distinguished contributions to motor racing in California.

Gordon, a native of Vallejo, not only won four titles in what is now NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, he also is third in career Cup wins with 85 behind Richard Pettty (200) and David Pearson (105).

The other nominees are Tommy Ivo, a child TV star who became a successful drag racer and member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame; A.J. Watson, longtime Indianapolis 500 car builder and chief mechanic; and Tony Adamowicz, a sports-car driver who raced from the 1960s through the 1980s.

The winner will be announced March 25 at the NASCAR race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

The award is named after sponsor Justice Brothers, a maker of auto-care products, and the late Los Angeles Times motor racing writer Shav Glick, himself a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Past winners include Dan Gurney, Rick Mears, John Force and Don Prudhomme.

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Photo: NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon at the Super Bowl last Sunday in Indianapolis. Credit: Tannen Maury/EPA

Track operator plans no more broad cuts in NASCAR ticket prices

NASCAR fans should not expect further cuts in ticket prices at many of the sport’s racetracks this year.

International Speedway Corp., which operates 13 tracks including Auto Club Speedway in Fontana and Daytona International Speedway, said Thursday that although the economy “remains fragile,” it’s generally keeping ticket prices at current levels.

ISC and other track operators substantially cut prices in the last two years as NASCAR's popularity flattened and the poor economy helped produce swaths of empty seats at Fontana and other speedways. Currently, a ticket to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway on March 25 has dropped to as low as $35.

“The consumer, in our view, believes the economy and their financial situation are improving but remains cautious with their discretionary spending,” ISC President John R. Saunders said on a call with Wall Street analysts after the company released its fiscal 2011 financial results.

Even so, “we do not believe that further broad-based reductions in ticket prices would drive demand,” Saunders said. “We expect to maintain our current ticket-pricing strategies with any adjustments only in targeted areas within our grandstands.”

Saunders also said his company was “seeing solid demand” for the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 26, “as well as Sprint Cup events at Phoenix [on March 4] and Auto Club [Speedway].”

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Photo: Race day at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, which hosts a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event March 25. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas / US Presswire

AT&T Wireless tops biggest national TV sports advertisers

The research firm Nielsen said Tuesday that AT&T Wireless was the biggest advertiser on national televised sports in the 12 months ended last Sept. 30, spending $423.5 million on national network and cable TV ads.

In its report "State of the Media: 2011 Year in Sports,"Nielsen said the wireless company's national TV ad spending was more than twice that spent by the second-place advertiser, Bud Light, the Anheuser-Busch beer that spent $210.2 million.

Wireless phone companies, in fact, accounted for three of the seven largest national TV sports advertisers. Verizon Wireless was third on Nielsen's list at $207.7 million and Sprint Wireless was seventh at $147.4 million.

The report did not break down ad spending by sport, but it did say overall national TV sports advertising climbed 5.8% in the year to $10.9 billion.

The increase was slightly above the 5% increase in the amount of live national TV sports content that was available on network and cable in the 12-month period, which totaled 42,500 hours, Nielsen said.

The other top advertisers: McDonald's, DirecTV, Geico, Southwest Airlines, State Farm Insurance and Miller Lite beer.

-- Jim Peltz

Photo: A television camera above the field in St. Louis before the NFL's St. Louis Rams played the Washington Redskins on Sept. 26, 2010. Credit: Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Danica Patrick, now in NASCAR, will skip Indianapolis 500

Danica Patrick said Monday she will not race in the Indianapolis 500 this year as she focuses on her shift to NASCAR stock-car racing.

The former IndyCar driver said she would race that day, May 27, in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of 10 races she plans in NASCAR's premier Sprint up Series this year driving for Stewart-Haas Racing.

She also is driving a full schedule in NASCAR's second-level Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, a team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Patrick shot to fame when she nearly won the 2005 Indy 500 as a rookie. Given her love of the Memorial Day weekend classic, there was speculation she might enter the race despite her move to NASCAR.

But she told reporters at NASCAR's media tour in the Charlotte area that "I'm not going to do the Indy 500" this year although she added that "I hope to do it in the future."

Patrick also did not rule out driving this year in the Brickyard 400, the NASCAR race held each summer at  Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

--Jim Peltz

Photo: Danica Patrick signs a fan's shirt during the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction festivities Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. Credit: Bob Leverone/Associated Press

NASCAR's David Ragan lands with Front Row Motorsports

NASCAR driver David Ragan, released by Roush Fenway Racing after last season, landed a job for this year with the two-car team of Front Row Motorsports.

The 26-year-old Ragan will drive the No. 34 Ford for Front Row, whose other driver is Riverside native David Gilliland, who pilots the team's No. 38 Ford.

Ragan, a Georgia native, captured his first Sprint Cup Series win last July in the summer race at Daytona International Speedway, but he was let go after his primary sponsor, UPS, reduced its backing. 

Roush Fenway's remaining three primary Cup drivers are Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth.

"I think [Front Row] appreciates what I can bring to the table, and I think it's a good opportunity for both of us," Ragan said in a statement Monday.

Team owner Bob Jenkins said sponsorship for the two cars was "being finalized and will be announced soon."

-- Jim Peltz

Photo: Drivers David Ragan, right, and Trevor Bayne look over data during testing at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 20, 2011. Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images

NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Matt Kenseth: Pay up on bet

Drivers took their first test laps Thursday in preparation for the Daytona 500 next month, but NASCAR's silly season wasn't quite yet over.

In between practice laps, Dale Earnhardt Jr. joked with reporters at Daytona International Speedway that after fellow Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth showed up at his '70s-themed New Year's Eve party with a beard, Earnhardt bet him $2,500 that Kenseth could not keep the facial hair until this week's test sessions.

"We actually sent a few texts back and forth to confirm the bet, and he shaved his beard," Earnhardt said. "I told him to go to the bank, but maybe he forgot. I want my $2,500."

When Kenseth met with reporters later Thursday, the bet was the first question.

Kenseth said he thought he could keep the beard long enough to win the wager, only to find out this week "you've got to do a photo here and you've got to do this interview and do a photo shoot there. So I guess I lost."

Added Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion: "I'll try to scrounge [the money] up somewhere, I guess."

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Photo: Dale Earnhard Jr. talks to the media Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images

NASCAR's Kasey Kahne apologizes for breast-feeding tweet

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne committed a huge faux pas Tuesday when he tweeted a disparaging comment after witnessing a woman breast-feeding in a supermarket.

Kahne tweeted: "Just walking though supermarket. See a mom breast feeding little kid. Took second look because obviously I was seeing things. I wasn't!"

He then described what he saw in graphic detail followed by #nasty. Kahne added: "I don't feel like shopping anymore or eating."

Unsurprisingly, he received a flood of angry tweets from his more than 100,000 followers.

@meadowgirl wrote: "@kaseykahne you're nasty. glad to know you are living up to every negative NASCAR stereotype. #boobsarefoodforbabie"

@Jaime0211 chimed in: "@kaseykahne oh you're opening up your self to some posses off mothers. Don't you think that baby deservered to eat?"

Kahne, a 31-year-old who finished the year fourth in the NASCAR standings, apologized Wednesday by posting this to his account: "I understand that my comments regarding breastfeeding posted on Twitter were offensive to some people ... I wanted to apologize for saying what I said to you yesterday. It was out of line. If you want to talk more please DM me."

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Photo: Kasey Kahne. Credit: Brandon Wade / Getty Images.

NASCAR's Kurt Busch signs with Phoenix Racing

Former champion Kurt Busch said Thursday he plans to drive for the small team of Phoenix Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next year.

Busch, 33, was seeking a new ride because he parted ways with Penske Racing after a tumultuous 2011 season. Penske this week said A.J. Allmendinger would replace Busch in the No. 22 Penske Dodge.

Phoenix Racing, owned by James Finch, fields the No. 51 Chevrolet that mostly was driven by 22-year-old Landon Cassill this year. The team has one Sprint Cup victory to its credit, at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama in 2009 with Brad Keselowski at the wheel. Keselowski now drives for Penske as well.

"I'm very happy to join Phoenix Racing and, after entertaining a lot of quality offers, there's no better place for me," said Busch, who won the Cup title in 2004, in a statement. Finch said "with Kurt Busch as our driver, we have a shot to win every week."

Busch has 24 Cup victories in his career, including two this last season. He also qualified for NASCAR's Chase for the Cup title playoff this year and finished 11th in the standings.

But the end of his season was marred when Busch was caught on camera making several profanity-laced comments as he waited impatiently for a live interview with an ESPN pit reporter at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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Photo: NASCAR driver Kurt Busch during practice Oct. 21 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

NASCAR's A.J. Allmendinger moves to Penske Racing

Penske Racing said Wednesday it has hired driver A.J. Allmendinger to take over its No. 22 Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season next year.

Allmendinger succeeds former Cup champion Kurt Busch, who parted ways with Penske earlier this month.

A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Allmendinger is a former open-wheel racer who migrated to stock-car racing in 2007. He spent the last three years with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Allmendinger has yet to win a Cup race, but he finished this year with 10 top-10 finishes and was 15th in the Cup championship standings.

"A.J. is a very talented and motivated driver and we believe he will be a terrific fit with our team," team owner Roger Penske said in a statement.

Allmendinger, 30, said "I have always admired Roger Penske and the way his teams compete and win in every series where they race."

The announcement was the second big change to Richard Petty Motorsports in as many days. On Tuesday, electronics retailer Best Buy — which had sponsored Allmendinger's car last year — said it was shifting its sponsorshipto Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards at Roush Fenway Racing.

— Jim Peltz

Photo: NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger looks on during qualifying Nov. 12 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. Credit: Rainier Ehrhardt / Getty Images

Best Buy shifts NASCAR dollars to Roush Fenway

Best Buy Co. said Tuesday it's shifting its NASCAR sponsorship next year to Roush Fenway Racing drivers Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, dealing a blow to the team of Richard Petty Motorsports.

The electronics retailer said it would be the primary sponsor of Kenseth's No. 17 Ford for nine of the 36 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the main sponsor of Edwards' No. 99 Ford for two races. Best Buy also will be an associated sponsor for each in other races.

"NASCAR continues to be a relevant way for us to connect with our customers," Best Buy said in a statement.

Best Buy had been a major sponsor of Petty's A.J. Allmendinger, who drives the car with the legendary No. 43 once used by Petty himself.

"Although it is very disappointing that Best Buy is changing directions at this late date, we wish all of our friends there the best in their future endeavors," Petty said in a statement.

Petty also said "our plan has always been to run a two-car team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2012 and we are continuing down that path. We will move forward and explore all of our options in regard to the No. 43 program in the coming weeks."

-- Jim Peltz

Photo: A.J. Allmendinger driving the Best Buy Ford in practice at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 21. Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images