Mayfield joins Haas CNC Racing

Haas CNC Racing has released driver Jeff Green effective immediately and will replace him in the No. 66 Chevrolet for the rest of the season with veteran Jeremy Mayfield.

Mayfield, who has been driving for Bill Davis Racing, signed a deal Monday to drive in the four remaining Nextel Cup races this season as well as all of the 2008 season.

As Mayfield moves to Haas, BDR's Truck Series drivers will step in to attempt to qualify Mayfield's No. 36 Toyota in the remaining Cup races.

Mike Skinner will drive this weekend at Atlanta and the next weekend at Texas. Johnny Benson will drive at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla.

"We're very excited about our driver lineup for next season," said Joe Custer, general manager for Haas CNC Racing. The team recently announced the hiring of Scott Riggs to add to its 2008 driver lineup as well.

Mayfield, 38, has five Cup wins in his career, the most recent coming in the 2005 season at Michigan. He also has nine poles and has made the Chase for the Nextel Cup in two of the past four seasons.

"Every indication is that this is a team with unlimited potential. " Mayfield said.

"I'm ready to see how far I can take it."

(The Charlotte Observer)

FRANCHITTI TO MAKE BUSCH DEBUT: Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti will make his Busch Series debut Saturday at Memphis Motorsports Park.

It will be the third race for Franchitti, the reigning IndyCar Series champion who is moving to NASCAR full-time next season. He's already raced in an ARCA event at Talladega and made his NASCAR debut Saturday in the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

MCLAREN APPEALS FIA DECISION: Kimi Raikkonen will keep the Formula One drivers' title -- for now.

McLaren confirmed Monday that it will appeal FIA's decision not to penalize four drivers investigated for fuel irregularities after the Brazilian Grand Prix won by Raikkonen.

"We will lodge an appeal," McLaren head of media communications Ellen Kolby said in an e-mail message.

The ruling by the sport's governing body meant that Lewis Hamilton remained the seventh-place finisher Sunday, two spots lower than he needed to win the title in the season-ending race.

After the race, FIA opened an investigation of BMW-Sauber and Williams, whose drivers finished fourth, fifth, sixth and 10th. If at least two of the three ahead of Hamilton were punished, he would take the title from Raikkonen.

FIA concluded, however, that there was not enough evidence to penalize the drivers or teams.

(The Associated Press)