Johnson ready to end NASCAR grind and move on with life

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson handed out mini bottles of Patron at his retirement announcement — so perfectly on brand for the cool Californian who stormed to a record-tying seven NASCAR championships yet somehow bored fans who found him too vanilla for their liking. Nothing about Johnson was...

7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson to retire after 2020

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson sat down next to Jeff Gordon at a 2001 driver meeting and asked the champion if he had time to offer any career advice. Gordon was so impressed with the fellow California native that he encouraged Rick Hendrick to start a team built specifically for the 25-year-old...

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson to retire from full-time racing after next season

Column: NASCAR bullish on future after promising rebound

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — The freefall is over, rock bottom hit more than a year ago, the restart button officially activated. Just how cool is NASCAR these days? Michael Jordan said before Sunday’s championship race he sets his clock to watch every week. NASCAR needs more fans to want to be like Mike,...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. named honorary starter for Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be the honorary starter for the 2020 Daytona 500, making him part of the pre-race ceremonies for the third consecutive year. Earnhardt made the announcement on his podcast Monday, one day after the NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami...

Harvick fails to rally overmatched Ford in NASCAR finale

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Ford v Toyota flopped for the blue oval at the track. Kevin Harvick was the lone Ford driver in the championship field, outnumbered by three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers and their Toyotas. Harvick led the first 20 laps in the No. 4 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing but never made a serious...

Kyle Busch leads Gibbs trio to win 2nd NASCAR championship

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Busch casually collected the championship flag from his team and did a slow, subdued celebratory lap. The most polarizing driver in NASCAR had just won his second Cup title and wanted to soak in the moment with his true fans. He didn’t do his customary bow to the crowd,...

Sticky Situation: Hamlin’s title run ends with tape gaffe

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Denny Hamlin's championship run was foiled by the tale of the tape. Hamlin's air of confidence came across the team radio when he boasted the race "ain't (bleepin') over" as he made a late push to the lead. Except it was, his Toyota stuck on pit road steaming like a kettle because a...

Gibbs wins 5th NASCAR title in season dedicated to late son

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Joe Gibbs won the first race, the last race and more than a dozen in between. His most dominating season in 28 years as a NASCAR team owner culminated with his fifth Cup Series championship. This one had to be more special than the others. Gibbs dedicated the season to his late son,...

The Latest: Kyle Busch wins NASCAR’s Cup Series championship

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on NASCAR’s Cup Series championship (all times local): 6:20 p.m. Kyle Busch has won his second NASCAR Cup Series championship, giving team owner Joe Gibbs his fifth title. Busch emerged from the Joe Gibbs Racing juggernaut and clinched his second title in five years...