The Missoulian from Missoula, Montana • 37

Missoulian, Saturday, July 13, 2013 D5 AUTO RACING NASCAR Franchitti wins pole for Toronto IndyCar race lUijiJiJm.iiimjif I a mmfmnuj-m i jl luii.nu iiimil 4 nniiiTim TORONTO (AP) Dario Franchitti, fresh off his first podium finish of the year, carried that momentum into Toronto with a pole-winning run for the first of two races at Exhibition Place. The four-time IndyCar Series champion was flawless in three rounds of Friday qualifying to coast to the top starting spot at Toronto, 1.75- mile street track where Franchitti has three career victories. It's his fifth pole at Toronto and third on the season. But his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team had to hustle all afternoon to repair damage to his No. 10 Honda incurred during a crashed in morning practice.

"I made it difficult this morning -1 made a mistake in turn five there, took the right side off the car," he said. "The guys had to work and repair the car. I was able to keep finding a little bit every lap. Felt really good about that." Franchitti heads into this weekend's races IndyCar will run both Saturday and Sunday ranked a disappointing 11th in the IndyCar standings. He's not won a race since last year's Indianapolis 500, and his third-place finish Sunday at Pocono was his first podium of the year.

He's not written off his season, though. Barnhart filling in for Barfield in race TORONTO (AP) -IndyCar race director Beaux Barfield will miss the doubleheader race in Toronto because of personal reasons. Former race director Brian Barnhart will replace Barfield in race control for Saturday and Sunday's races. Barnhart is currently senior vice president of operations and was race director from 1997-2011. He was removed from race control by former IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard at the end of a controversial 2011 season in which both Will Power and Helio Castroneves had public disagreements with Barnhart.

There didn't seem to be any concern among drivers about Barnhart stepping back into race control after not officiating a race since the end of 2011. "I think we'll be well-represented, he'd been in that job for many years," said Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan. "I don't know what happened to Beaux, but we're lucky we have somebody to fill in for him and take his place. It's somebody that I NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick leads Juan Pablo Montoya as they round Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on JIM COLE Associated Press turn two during practice for Friday in Loudon, N.H. BSJB'f Driver to keep sponsor, switch to "I've never looked at it that way.

Whether I was first, or at one point this year I was last in the championship, so never say never," Franchitti said. "Until it's mathematically impossible, you just keep fighting every week. We've put ourselves in a bit of a hole, but we'll see if we can dig our way out." Sebastien Bourdais was second in his first appearance in the Fast Six this year. His previous best qualifying effort was seventh, and this is his first front row start since joining Dragon Racing before the 2012 season. The 2004 winner at Toronto, Bourdais has had a miserable season and has yet to finish a race higher than 11th.

He said Dragon recently discovered a way to address the understeer on his car and it showed Friday. "We were definitely starting to wonder if we could turn the boat around a little bit," he said. "Definitely feels like this weekend we did. Finally I can feel like I'm doing something behind the wheel rather than going along for the ride. "When you've been deep in the hole, finally you seem to be able to see some light, it feels really good.

Pretty excited for the boys. It's been a lot of work, just like everybody else, but when you don't have the results, it's twice as hard." Will Power barely advanced out of the first two By DAN GELSTON Associated Press LOUDON, N.H. -Kevin Harvick was stuck in a rut after so many empty seasons chasing a championship with Richard Childress Racing. "When you show up to the same desk for 12 or 13 years, you're like, 'Man, I need a'new Harvick said. More like a new team.

So Harvick will swap the car, get a new work address, even change his number. Just toss him a cooler he's keeping the beer. Harvick will take his Budweiser sponsorship with him when he makes his long-awaited move to Stewart -Haas Racing in 2014. Harvick will have Budweiser on the No. 4 Chevrolet as the primary sponsor for 20 races in 2014.

"It was just me needing to rejuvenate myself," Harvick said Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Harvick's move had been brewing since he made the decision last year to bolt the RCR team that hired him in 1999. He's made the most of his lame duck season, with two wins and eight straight top-lOs in the No. 29 to park him in fourth place in the points standings. For many reasons, including a close friendship with Tony Stewart, Harvick is set to move on.

So is Ryan Newman. Harvick's arrival means one driver in the SHR stable had to go. Newman's time is up after this season. Stewart, Harvick and Danica Patrick will drive the SHR entries next season. "We're not ready to expand to a fourth team," Stewart said.

"That's what's made this a bittersweet day. I'm bringing in another one of my friends to the organization, also knowing that No, A car Terry Labonte's No. 44 Chevrolet at Stratograph Racing in 1983. Budweiser has celebrated a championship and nearly 6 0 wins in NASCAR's elite division with the likes of Darrell Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, Bill Elliott, Kenny Schrader, Ricky Craven, Wally Dallenbach, Dale Earnhardt Kasey Kahne and Harvick. "We didn't want to go through our fourth driver in seven, eight years and build up new equity with a new driver," Blaise D'Sylva, vice president of media, sports and entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch, said.

"Kevin's done a great job during that space." D'Sylva said Childress put some "very attractive" offers on the table to remain with RCR. But, after surveying NASCAR fans and Budweiser drinkers, the company found there was as a strong, successful connection between the driver and the brand. So they'll stick with him. "He been a winner and he has shown an amazing level of commitment to the brand," D'Sylva said by phone. Harvick has 21 Cup wins, 96 top-fives and 198 top-10 finishes in his career.

He's been with RCR in the Cup series since he replaced Dale Earnhardt after his fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. He's made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship the last three seasons. But the inconsistency and inability to win a Cup title with RCR had been frustrating for Harvick, and led to a revolving door of crew chiefs on the No. 29 the last several years. As Harvick went winless through the first 34 points races last year, it made sense to look around even though his contract ran through 2013.

"It was just something that we knew we wanted to do and we left it up to our people to try to make it all work," Harvick said. right" crew chief Chad Knaus said, "just not exactly right." Johnson will actually start behind 71-year-old Morgan Shepherd. Shepherd will become the oldest driver to start a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Shepherd, who went only 128.290 in qualifying, made his Cup debut in 1970 and won four times in NASCAR's top series. He finished as high as fifth in the final standings in 1990 and hasn't started a race since 2006.

Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon had no problem with Shepherd competing on Sunday. "I think that's quite an accomplishment," Gordon said. "We talk about how amazing it is to see Mark Martin out there being competitive over 50 years old, but to just go out there and do what he does as far as Morgan is concerned at 71, that's amazing." I'm losing a friend at the end of the year. This was a business decision." Newman has won three Cup races in five seasons with SHR after leaving Penske Racing following the 2008 season. Stewart told Newman in a 20-minute conversation Wednesday night that he was out.

"I do not know what my future holds. I have no idea," Newman said. "That's something that weighs on my shoulders. I have a little homework to do. I can't say I'm happy with how everything unfolded." Newman, 16th in the points race, could fill the empty seat at RCR.

Kurt Busch, who drives for Furniture Row Racing, is a potential candidate along with Childress' grandson, Austin Dillon. Childress has Paul Menard and Jeff Burton under contract. He could just replace Harvick or add a fourth car. Busch, whose team has a technical alliance with RCR, simply said he has "irons in the fire" for next season. Childress is openly grooming his organization for his grandsons, Austin and Ty Dillon, who are currently competing in NASCAR's lower national levels.

Harvick and Patrick are attractive to SHR because they bring the guaranteed sponsorship dollars needed to fund rides in the Cup series. Budweiser also will sponsor Harvick at the Budweiser Duel during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. Budweiser will serve as a major associate sponsor for the remaining races on the Sprint Cup Series schedule. Harvick did not know if sponsors Jimmy John's and Rheem would join him at SHR. Harvick has represented Budweiser since 2011.

Bud has been a staple in the Cup Series dating back to its sponsorship of but not a sense of panic," Keselowski said. "I think there is a strong difference between the two. We are eager to get going, we are hungry and feel like we can do it but I don't feel a sense of panic. There are still two months of racing essentially to get into the Chase." Keselowski led a fast day at the track as nine drivers topped the previous track record held by Ryan Newman, who went 135.232 in 2011. Ten drivers topped that lap until points leader Jimmie Johnson's second-fastest qualifying time was scrapped after his car failed inspection.

His No. 48 Chevrolet, which had two issues in the pre-qualifying inspection, failed after his attempt because both sides of the front were too low. He'll start in the rear in 43rd. "We were able to get the car trust, as well. It's good." Barnhart will have three race stewards with him in the booth assisting him Arie Luyendyk Bill Van de Sandt and Gary Barnard.

rounds of qualifying and wound up third for Saturday's 85-lap race. Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan was fourth and was followed by James Jakes, whose previous best start at Toronto was 23rd, was fifth and followed by last week's winner Scott Dixon. Toronto native James Hinchcliffe failed to advance out of the first round, and Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti didn't make it out of the second round. E.J. Viso also failed to advance out of the first round, marking the first race through 11 events this year an Andretti driver didn't make it to the Fast Six.

Both Hunter -Reay and Andretti were plagued by Takuma Sato bringing the second session to an early end by crashing into a tire barrier. Sato, coincidentally, ran into Hunter -Reay on Sunday on pit road ending both drivers' race. "It's frustrating," Hunter-Reay said. "I'd like to thank Sato for knocking us out of the session again." Hunter-Reay is also driving with an injured hand suffered in the Pocono accident. step to the first two through Andersen will position Lights for faster growth and consistency among the three ladder divisions.

Andersen will direct on-track activity while using IndyCar personnel, and will be the primary contact for business, marketing and promotional operations. Indy Lights is expected to run up to 12 races a year, with 10 as companions to IndyCar. IndyCar will work with its television partners on broadcast continuity and will continue to support the scholarship for the Lights champion to move up to IndyCar. One of the biggest challenges will be increasing car counts in the Lights series, which had just eight drivers run the last three events. IndyCar turns over rights to Indy Lights Keselowski wins pole at New Hampshire TORONTO (AP)-IndyCar has given an outside organization the rights to I operate its Indy Lights feeder series beginning in 2014.

The multi-year agreement announced i Friday with Andersen Promotions gives the company all three rings in the "Mazda Road to Indy" ladder system. Andersen already owns and operates USF2000 and Star Mazda series. "This is a positive move for our sport," said IndyCar President of competition Derrick Walker. "A strong and relevant training system is important to develop the next generation of IndyCar drivers." The ladder system provides training for drivers and teams trying to make it to the IndyCar Series and Walker said tying the final By DAN GELSTON Associated Press LOUDON, N.H. -Brad Keselowski is back on top of NASCAR.

Well, for a race, at least. But he's quickly running out of time to make it back to the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship and defend his series championship. His first pole of the season might give his season the boost he needs to become a contender. Keselowski turned a lap of 135.922 mph on Friday to set a track record at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Keselowski won only his third career pole and first since 2011.

With eight races left untfl the 12-driver Chase field is set, Keselowski is winless and sitting in an uncomfortable 13th place in the points standings. "There is a sense of urgency.