MOORESVILLE, N.C.—NASCAR placed driver AJ Allmendinger on probation yesterday following his arrest early in the morning on a charge of drunken driving. Mooresville police said Allmendinger failed a field sobriety test after he was pulled over. Late yesterday afternoon, he was placed on probation until the end of the year for actions detrimental to stock car racing.

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. The back of Reed Sorenson’s red fire suit is emblazoned with “I’m lovin’ it” in bright yellow script, the catchy slogan of one of the sponsors of the No. 43 Dodge he drives for Richard Petty Motorsports. And though he’s mired deep in the Sprint Cup standings and already thinking about next year, the slogan matches his demeanor. Sorenson is always ready with a smile, even when confronted about his struggles to make the grade at NASCAR’s top level.

Twenty-five years after his final victory, Richard Petty has forgotten much about the race. He remembers the important stuff, though. The last few laps. The post-race celebration. The presidential visit. The impromptu picnic.

It didn’t matter that Gillett Evernham Motorsports fired him, Elliott Sadler never doubted he was wanted. However, the Emporia native didn’t exactly exude confidence days after receiving his pink slip. First, he protested. Then, he threatened to file a breach of contract lawsuit, alleging he was unfairly yanked from the No. 19 Dodge he had driven the past 2½ seasons.

CONCORD, N.C. - Bobby Labonte lost his Sprint Cup ride amid the shuffling and merging of teams when Petty Enterprises reorganized at the end of the 2008 season. But the veteran driver will be back behind the wheel for the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 15. Labonte, the only NASCAR driver with both Cup and Nationwide titles, was introduced yesterday as driver of the No. 96 Ford owned by Hall of Fame Racing and operated by Yates Racing.

CONCORD, N.C.—Richard Petty’s race team has been absorbed in a merger, but Petty’s name and the car number he made famous are still around. The new team created by the merger of Petty Enterprises with Gillett Evernham Motorsports has been renamed Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), capitalizing on the seven-time champion’s marketability.