Just talked with Austin Dillon ... He'll be racing in the Phoenix Racing No. 51 Cup car at Las Vegas w/sponsorship from Tag Heuer Eyewear.

Dodge and RCR? What's it going to take to get Dodge Motorsports interested in NASCAR again? How about an organization such as Richard Childress Racing? One of the reasons cited for Dodge's departure from NASCAR at the end of the 2012 season was the inability to secure an organization equal to Penske Racing's stature. Although Dodge representatives flirted with Furniture Row Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Andretti Racing, nothing materialized from the meetings. However, what if Dodge could secure an organization that boasts six Cup titles, three Nationwide Series championships and two Truck titles? "I haven't talk to anybody," team owner Richard Childress said on Friday. "No one has approached me yet." Still, the rumor persists.(FoxSports)(1-11-2013)

NASCAR tests at Kennedy Space Center: Research and development teams from Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing have discovered the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility just south of Daytona on Merritt Island in Brevard County  part of the Kennedy Space Center. The 15,000-foot concrete runway, built for the Space Shuttle landing in 1984, is ideal for straight-line testing  where teams gather aerodynamic data. It's also more economically feasible than transporting cars from North Carolina to the proving grounds in Arizona. "We use the landing strip at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral just because it's a long, smooth straightaway, and it's warm, so in the wintertime you can test there with pretty controlled conditions," Richard Childress Racing director of competition Dr. Eric Warren said. "You work out a relationship with those guys and pay for the use of the facilities  like any other testing facility. They have their own on-site emergency crews, so the safety side of it is really nice. It's closer (than Arizona). The weather is warmer, and it's a great wintertime alternative to going to places out West. Most of them are ovals and the straight-line facilities are up north  around Michigan and the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). We can do two straight-line segments there  as far as coast down. This place has plenty of distance."(FoxSports)(1-13-2013)

British driver looking toward Nationwide: Harry Vaulkhard could be set for a NASCAR switch in 2013. The former British and World Touring Car driver will head to the US this week to test a 900BHP machine with a view to clinching a drive for the coming season. The Geordie will test a Nationwide NASCAR machine on Thursday or Friday after being approached by the #81-MacDonald Motorsport squad last month. "It was just before Christmas and I got an email from the team offering me the chance to test in the USA," he told the Sunday Sun last night. "I have to say it was quite a nice pre-Christmas present! MacDonald Motorsports is a top-end team so it was great news. I'm really looking forward to giving it a go." If this week's test goes well, it could spell a major turnaround for the talented driver whose career has been held back only by budget issues.(

Brad Keselowski revealed the plans for his truck team this year. They are running two trucks full-time and are switching to Ford.

-Ryan Blaney will run the full schedule in the #29 truck.

-Ross Chastain will run 15 races in the #19. Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano will run most of the remaining races. Dave Blaney will be in the truck at Eldora.

That article doesn't say anything more than "widespread speculation" - sounds like media making up stuff to write about again.

Larson to NNS in 2013 and some Cup races? Earnhardt Ganassi Racing development driver, Kyle Larson said he was going back to Charlotte on Sunday to find out what [team owner Chip] Ganassi has planned for him this season but it's believed he'll be driving a Target car full-time in Nationwide with a few Cup [#41?] races thrown in at the end of the year.(Robin Miller/SPEED)(1-15-2013)

Guess who will be bumpdrafting her at Daytona.