The Daytona 500 is important, but DW says it's the first five races when drivers like Sam Hornish Jr. have to step up.

When Gil de Ferran walked away from the IndyCar Series four years ago, he wanted to find a new career that brought the same kind of challenges. For a while that goal was fulfilled while the two-time CART champion and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner worked first as race director for the BAR team in Formula One and then sporting director for the Honda Formula One team.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said his feelings about the removal of show cars and memorabilia at Dale Earnhardt Inc. were mischaracterized, and he has no ill will toward his late father's company. Max Siegel, president of DEI's global operations, said Wednesday that the cars and memorabilia were returned to the showroom after the media luncheon on Jan 23. "There is no anger or ill-feeling towards DEI, period," Earnhardt wrote Wednesday on his Web site.

The Daytona 500 is important, but DW says it's the first five races when drivers like Sam Hornish Jr. have to step up.

When it comes to Sprint Cup testing, what happens in Vegas does not stay there. Check out Lee Spencer's Hot Pass for the latest.

Juan Pablo Montoya paced testing Tuesday at Las Vegas Motorspeedway, going 186.761 mph in his Dodge to post the fastest lap of the two-day session. Montoya's mark in the afternoon session bettered Kyle Busch's fast lap of 183.580 on Monday and Carl Edwards' mark of 184.256 in the Tuesday morning runs. In all, 12 drivers bettered Edwards' morning run, including four Toyota drivers as the automaker's fleet continued to impress in preseason testing.

If the 30th Annual Dakar Rally goes on, Robby Gordon will be there.

Kyle Busch posted the fastest lap on the first day of testing at Las Vegas Motorspeedway, going 183.580 mph on Monday. Busch bettered new teammate Tony Stewart, who had the next fastest laps at 182.426 and 182.334 in two different Toyota Camrys. Denny Hamlin, the third driver at Joe Gibbs Racing, was fastest in the morning session but was just 24th best in the afternoon. Busch's day was a continuation of the strong tests he's had since moving to JGR this season.