Wood, Childress nominated for hall class

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NEW YORK - Former drivers-turned-owners Glen Wood and Richard Childress are among the 25 nominees for the first NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class.

NASCAR released the two names yesterday ahead of the announcement of all nominees tonight.

Wood helped pioneer the modern-day pit stop. He and brother Leonard formed the legendary Wood Brothers racing team of Stuart.

Childress shares the record of 11 owner championships in NASCAR's three national series.

The first class, consisting of five members, will be inducted in conjunction with the opening of the hall of fame in Charlotte next May.

A 21-member committee selected the nominees from NASCAR drivers, owners and promoters.

Earnhardt's daughter to drive No.3 in England

Taylor Earnhardt, the 20-year-old daughter of the late Dale Earnhardt, will be at the wheel of her father's famed No.3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for a demonstration run during this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.

She will be accompanied by her mother, Teresa Earnhardt, president and CEO of Dale Earnhardt Inc.

The car, owned by Richard Childress Racing, is the one in which the seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion got his 76th and final victory at Talladega Superspeedway in the fall of 2000. It has been on display at the RCR Museum since its grand opening in May 2003.

Kenseth second to Wimmer on short track

OREGON, Wis. - Sprint Cup points leader Tony Stewart runs short-track special events in what little spare time he has. On Tuesday night, he walked away from Madison International Speedway with a top-five effort.

Former Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth finished second at his hometown track to Chris Wimmer, and Stewart wound up fifth in the All-Star Challenge, a 100-lap Late Model race on a half-mile oval.

Wimmer, a short-track veteran from Wausau, Wis., not only beat the NASCAR Cup stars, he also earned praise from Stewart, a two-time Cup champion.

"I don't know much about him, but it doesn't take long to figure out how good he is," Stewart said of Wimmer. "Obviously, you go beat Matt Kenseth like that, it's a big deal."

Castroneves edges Stewart in voting

IndyCar racing's Helio Castroneves edged Stewart in second-quarter voting for the driver-of-the-year award. The Brazilian driver received 119 points for bouncing back from a legal battle to win his third Indianapolis 500. Stewart, the Sprint Cup points leader, received 116.