Trucks brawl brings fines

Rival crews also hit with suspensions

Truck Series driver David Starr was fined $10,000, three crew members were suspended for one race and crew members from three teams were fined by NASCAR Wednesday for a pit road altercation Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Starr, driver of the No. 11 truck, and Todd Bodine, driving the No. 30, got into a bumping incident coming off the track as the race ended. Earlier, Bodine had spun after contact from Starr. David Reutimann, driving the No. 9 truck as a teammate to Bodine for Germain Racing, had also spun after contact with Starr during the event.

The bumping between Starr and Bodine led to the confrontation on pit road, with NASCAR officials having to separate the respective parties.

Mike Hillman Jr., Bodine's crew chief, was fined $2,500 and suspended until Sept. 24. Mark Hillman, a member of Bodine's crew, and William Divel, a member of Starr's crew, also were suspended until Sept. 24 and each was fined $1,500.

Richard Gay, Starr's crew chief, and Jason Overstreet, Reutimann's crew chief, were fined $1,000 each.

All of those plus crew members Brandon Hopkins from Bodine's team and Tony Jilson for Reutimann's team were placed on probation until Dec. 31. NASCAR notified the owners of all three teams that their teams are on probation until Dec. 31.

DODGE SAYS -- AGAIN -- IT'S NOT LEAVING CUP: Mike Delanhanty, the senior manager of Dodge's motorsports program, once again this week tried to shoot down rumors that the manufacturer plans to pull out of Sprint Cup racing.

"I don't know how many times we have to keep saying it, but we are committed," Delahanty said. "We have long-term contracts in place ... with Gillett Evernham, Penske Racing, Petty [Enterprises] and Chip Ganassi Racing. We're committed to the sport. We're committed to these guys. I don't know how many times we have to repeat it."

Delahanty also said reports that Gillett Evernham Motorsports might leave Dodge for Toyota as part of a merger with Bill David Racing are "pure speculation."

"Dodge and GEM have a long-term contract in place," he said. "We're aware and have had discussion about GEM's interest in adding a fourth car, but there's never been discussion about running anything but a Dodge."

RACING ACADEMY PLANS OPEN HOUSES: The first boarding school in North America offering a combination of academics and training in motorsports plans to open in 2009 in southern Virginia and has scheduled Oct. 4 and Nov. 29 open houses for prospective students.

The Academy of Motorsports will use the facilities of the Carlisle School in Martinsville, Va., for academic lessons in the morning, then have four afternoons of motorsports training with simulators and cars at tracks such as Martinsville Speedway, South Boston Speedway and Virginia International Raceway.

The school is for students in grades 9 through 12.

For information, call (276) 632-7288, ext. 237, or visit www.theacademyofmotorsports.org.

CARMICHAEL WILL MAKE ARCA DEBUT: Ricky Carmichael, widely regarded as the most successful motocross racer in American Motorcyclist Association history, will take another step in his stock car racing career when he drives a Kevin Harvick Inc.-owned car in his Automobile Racing Club of America debut at Talladega on Oct. 3.

DARLINGTON TICKETS AVAILABLE: Tickets for next year's Southern 500 at Darlington go on sale Saturday. Nationwide Series cars will run on May 8, and the Cup race is scheduled for the next night. For tickets, call (866) 459-7223 or go to www. darlingtonraceway.com/tickets/.

DRAG RACER DIES: Steve Engel, injured when his Pro Modified drag racer crashed during a run during the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, died Sunday at a hospital there.

He had six broken vertebrae that required two surgeries to repair and was thought to be heading toward a full recovery. The Ohio native was 49.

ENGINE FAILURE LED TO DEATH: Engine failure at 300 mph triggered a crash that killed top Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, 46, during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals in June.

The New Jersey State Police said investigators determined that "catastrophic mechanical failure" caused a fuel-fired explosion in Kalitta's Toyota Solara at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

State police said the rear portion of the car's body separated, deploying the damaged parachute system. The car crashed into a pole and a boom truck.

ENGLISH DRIVER TO JOIN PANTHER RACING: Formula 3 Euroseries driver Martin Plowman, 20, of England will drive for Panther Racing in the Indy Racing League's developmental Firestone Indy Lights series in 2009.

Panther recently signed former IRL champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon for the 2009 IndyCar Series.