RICHMOND, Va. - Stewart-Hass Racing on Friday officially named Darian Grubb as the crew chief for driver Tony Stewart and the organization's No. 14 Chevrolets next season.

Grubb has worked most recently as an engineering manager at Hendrick Motorsports and served as a substitute crew chief for driver Jimmie Johnson for four races in 2006 when Johnson's regular crew chief, Chad Knaus, was suspended. Johnson won two of the four races during Grubb's tenure.

"This is something that is another key step in the equation of us getting on our feet next year," Stewart, who owns 50 percent of the team, said at Richmond International Raceway.

"We got a team leader now and someone I'm very comfortable with. I feel like Darian is going to be a very key part in getting Stewart Hass Racing where we want to be."

Grubb, a Virginia native, called the move to SHR a "huge moment."

"This is a tremendous opportunity for me to not only work with a driver of Tony's caliber, but to help build an organization into one that can win races and eventually contend for championships," Grubb said.

Last season, Grubb served as crew chief for Hendrick driver Casey Mears and the two earned a victory at the Coca-Cola 600. Grubb moved back into the engineering manager position at the beginning of this season.

SHR still has sponsors and a crew chief yet to name for Ryan Newman, who will join Stewart as a teammate next season.

NEW NATIONWIDE CAR TO MAKE TRACK DEBUT: NASCAR's next generation Nationwide Series race car will get its first on-track test this week at Richmond International Raceway when more than a dozen drivers are scheduled to participate.

Each of the manufacturers is permitted to bring two cars to the test, scheduled Monday and Tuesday, weather permitting. The rain date is Wednesday.

Drivers currently schedule to attend include Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Johnny Sauter, Bryan Clauson, David Stremme, Carl Edwards, Colin Braun, Erik Darnell, David Reutimann and Josh Wise. Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch are also possible participants.

"The goal of this test is for the manufacturers and participating teams to start laying a foundation for the transfer phase from the current car to the new car in the Nationwide Series," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition.

IT'S 12 IN THE CHASE, NOT TWO (OR THREE): One of the popular questions Friday at Richmond International Raceway was about whether anybody other than Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards should be considered serious championship contenders this year.

"Jimmie (Johnson) wasn't even an issue until two or three months ago," Denny Hamlin said. "He did a lot of testing and picked up his program. It could happen for any one of the guys who gets in. Greg (Biffle) is starting to run well and I feel like we're coming into our own off a couple of third-place finishes.

"It's hard for the 99 (Edwards) and 18 (Busch) to get much better than they have been. We see it in this sport - there are always peaks and valleys and guys seem to peak either before the Chase or after it begins. It's hard to see somebody stay on top for an entire year because when someone goes out there and dominates it just forces everyone else to go to work."

BRIEFLY: The cancellation of qualifying for the Chevy 400 means that Joey Logano's Sprint Cup debut will be delayed until at least next weekend in New Hampshire. Logano, Tony Raines and Sterling Marlin were the three drivers who didn't make the field when it was set by rulebook.

* The National Stock Car Racing Commission this week overturned a NASCAR penalty that placed drivers Tony Stewart and Joey Logano on probation as a result of Joe Gibbs Racing's attempts to alter the outcome of a chassis dyno test following the race at Michigan. The remainder of the penalties were left intact.

* Last weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in California received a 3.9 rating on ESPN, down nine percent from a year ago when the race received a 4.3, according to Nielsen Media Research. The race was the sixth and final event of the Cup season to air on ESPN. The races averaged a 4.12 rating, down from last season's 4.41 average over five races.

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