Truth & Rumors > Auto Racing

09:30 AM ET 04.14 | A man died of a "self-inflicted injury" following a verbal altercation in the infield during the NRA 500 Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday night, police said. Police spokeswoman Cpl. Tracey Knight didn't specify how the man died, and said he was believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s. She said alcohol may have been a factor in the incident, which occurred late in the Sprint Cup race. Knight did not identify the man and wasn't sure of the man's relationship with others involved in the altercation. Several people witnessed the incident, but nobody was in danger, Knight said.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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05:04 PM ET 04.13 | The King Richard Petty is saying that two of the nominees for the Hall Of Fame this year should not be allowed in. He says that they should be put in at a later time. He is talking about car owners Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick. He believes that they should not be allowed in yet because they are still very active in the sport. Richard Petty makes a good point about the statistics because you know they are going to have to change them almost every few weeks. Richard also said that they should put more of the pioneers in the sport first before people like Hendrick and Childress. He is pushing to get his brother Maurice Petty in the Hall Of Fame this year. He was the engine builder for Richard Petty and he helped Petty get all of his seven championships.

Beyond The Flag

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07:18 PM ET 04.01 | Forget everything and anything that has happened over the last few days in regards to Joe Gibbs Racing hiring Mark Martin to substitute drive for the injured Denny Hamlin. Finding a driver to drive in Hamlin's place is turning into more drama than Joey Logano's feuds leaving Auto Club Speedway last weekend. It was set up for Mark Martin to drive all five races that Hamlin is expected to miss, until Friday. Apparently, the logistics team at Joe Gibbs Racing got too excited and prematurely announced the deal and it caught up to them. The AP's Jenna Fryer is reporting that the deal fell through when the announcement was made prematurely because Martin's sponsor at Michael Waltrip Racing, Aaron's, had not given their approval of the decision.

Beyond the Flag

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03:53 PM ET 03.28 | Joey Logano is not taking anything from anybody. His racing style wasn't that clean either as he blocked almost everyone that tried to pass him. So is Joey Logano becoming NASCAR's bad boy? This isn't the first time Joey Logano has been a part of a rivalry. At Pocono in 2010, Joey Logano got a into a wreck with Kevin Harvick. Joey said after the race that Harvick's wife wears the fire suit in the family. Joey is becoming a very aggressive racer as well. On the restart, as we all know by now, Joey blocked Tony Stewart all the way to the grass. He also blocked Hamlin while they were fighting for the win. Being the bad guy in NASCAR has one problem though. You have to be able to back up what you do and say on the track. Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Kyle Busch are good examples. Sometimes though being the bad guy and being hated can be a good thing for a driver. Kyle Busch thrived on that kind of stuff and he wins in almost any race.

Beyond the Flag

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11:03 AM ET 03.27 | Joe Gibbs Racing has confirmed Denny Hamlin will miss at least the next six races behind the wheel of their No. 11 Toyota. Dr. Jerry Petty will make the final decision on when Hamlin can return. The good news in all of this bad news is that Hamlin will not require surgery. Any hopes of Hamlin making the Chase for the Sprint Cup are now going to have to rely on making the wildcard by winnings races. Hamlin will miss some tracks he has success at, including Martinsville, Texas, Kansas, Richmond and Talladega. However, there are tracks such as Darlington, Charlotte and a few others that will come up after that give him a solid chance. If his injuries heal in time and with the approval of Dr. Jerry Petty, Hamlin could return to the track at Darlington Raceway.

Beyond the Flag

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