NASCAR news briefs...

News from the NASCAR Nation as the Sprint Cup Series takes a week off, the Nationwide Series heads to Montréal and the Trucks race in Chicagoland…

Yeley Suffers Broken Vertebrae In Crash: Former NASCAR regular JJ Yeley suffered severe a neck injury while racing Saturday night in the Tompkins Sprint Bandits TNT Ron Shuman Classic event at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.nbsp;The Phoenix Arizona native broke several vertebrae in his neck in a crash during a non-winged sprint event on the 3/8-mile dirt track. Yeley who was a USAC series standout early in his career, is best known for piloting the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He won’t require surgery but can expect a long recovery ahead according to doctors. He is currently home in North Carolina.

Whelen All-American Driver Wins But Has Car Disqualified: David Philpott, a driver in NASCAR’s Whelen All-American Western Late Models series won at Stockton 99 Speedway in California Saturday night. After the race however NASCAR officials took the win away after they said they found problems with the car in post race inspection. No word on what was found.

Will Atlanta Keep Two Dates In 2001? Rumors that Atlanta Motor Speedway will lose one of its two dates to a track such as Kentucky Speedway in 2011 may be just that, rumors, according to AMS president Ed Clark. During a fan chat on SPEEDtv.com Tuesday Clark was asked about the rumors. “I can honestly say that I have not had one conversation with anyone in our company about moving a date from here to go anywhere,” Clark replied.

Iowa Speedway Addresses Disabled Fans' Complaints: According to a report in the Des Moines Register, Iowa Speedway officials have been working with the Iowa Division of Persons with Disabilities to come up with a solution to the problems that plagued the Speedway during the inaugural Nationwide Series race on August 1st. After the event, several disabled fans said they were forced to wait ‘for hours’ for shuttles back to the parking areas. Some disabled fans were told, mistakenly it turned out, that shuttle rides would not be available. According to track president Larry Jauron, shuttle service was available but officials wanted to wait until most of the crowd had left before starting the shuttles. On race day, State Troopers were forced to intervene to get the shuttles moving. Jauron told the Register Tuesday that the track would ensure the speedway complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He added that he doesn't anticipate problems on Sept. 5 when the Speedway hosts the Lucas Oil 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. About 30,000 fans are expected, and "we expect from an efficiency standpoint for the flow to go better" when the crowd disperses afterward, he said

September Dover Race To Be the AAA 400: AAA has signed on as the title sponsor of the September 27th NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. According to a press release, the deal solidifies its relationship with Dover International Speedway through 2015, and AAA will serve as the title sponsor of September's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race for six years.

Owens Fined For Rules Violation At Bristol: NASCAR announced Tuesday that Trent Owens, crew chief for the No. 32 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been fined $5,000 for rule violations committed last week at Bristol Motor Speedway.According to a press release, NASCAR Officials said that the No. 32 car had mounting points on the axle housing that were not evenly spaced. NASCAR said the violations broke rules 12-4-I (any determination by that the race equipment does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20A-12A of the 2009 NASCAR rule book.

Gaughan Teams With Lally In Grand-Am GT In Montreal: NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brendan Gaughan will drive the No. 66 South Point Casino/TRG Porsche GT3 at this weekend's Grand-Am Rolex Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Gaughan, from Las Vegas, will make his first Grand-Am Series start with co-driver and Rolex 24 at Daytona winner Andy Lally.  Gaughan will also be competing in his regular ride, the No. 62 USfidelis Chevrolet, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race there on Sunday.  

Bowyer Donates To Hometown Fireworks Show: Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer has donated $7,500 toward a fund to provide a fireworks show for residents in his hometown of Emporia Kansas according to the Emporia Gazette. This came after the Lyon County Commission said last week they would match any donation up to $7,500. "Clint has decided that he will match the $7,500," said Ray Toso, a member of the board of directors for Bowyer's foundation. "That can put everybody at ease that we're going to have a show next year. ... He wants to make sure we have a good show." Bowyer set up the foundation primarily to benefit children in his home area. In recent weeks, he has given children a week's free admission to the Jones Aquatic Center, furnished backpacks with school supplies to local children, and given computers to the Emporia Public Library, among other donations.

Johnson’s Announce Education Funding For Charlotte Area: Tuesday Chandra and Jimmie Johnson announced a $150,000 commitment for K-12 education in the Charlotte area. The foundation has partnered with Lowe’s, Johnson’s primary sponsor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and its Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program to offer a competitive grant opportunity to four local school districts in the city where the Johnson’s currently reside.  The Johnson’s have also announced similar initiatives in their hometowns in California and Oklahoma, bringing the total commitment to education to more than $500,000. “This year we felt that education was the right place to focus our fundraising efforts,” said Johnson, three-time, reigning Sprint Cup champion. “Education is something that is very important to Chani and me. Even when I first started out, my parents made me keep my grades up or I wasn’t allowed to race. I think it’s important to make sure we give teachers and students the best tools possible and hopefully, these grants will help.

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