CONCORD, N.C. - Basketball Hall of Fame player Magic Johnson will serve as co-chairman of a new NASCAR committee on diversity.
Since his retirement, Johnson has been a successful businessman, using his company to stimulate economic growth and development in urban areas around the country. That includes the 70 Starbucks Coffee locations and five movie theaters he owns.
Part of Johnson's duties will include helping NASCAR in creating a program to identify and develop black, Hispanic and women drivers and crew members. He also will advise NASCAR chief operating officer George Pyne on diversity issues.
"When you think about the NASCAR brand, it resonates everywhere," Johnson said Thursday. "They have the No.1 sports brand. I have the No.1 urban brand. So bringing these two brands together, we hope that we can reach out to minorities across this country and introduce a wonderful sport that is already doing very, very, very well."
CRAFTSMAN TRUCK: David Starr backed up a fast lap from practice and won the pole for the Infineon 200 in Concord, N.C.
Starr edged Carl Edwards, who drove a Ford, by about 0.15 seconds and set a track record with a lap of 178.577 mph in a Chevrolet. It was nearly 3 mph faster than the mark set last year by Bill Lester in the series' inaugural trip to the Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The pole for tonight's race was the third of Starr's six-year career, and he was one of 15 drivers to beat the record.
"This track has a lot of grip," Starr said. "It doesn't really feel faster than last year, though. It feels the same."
Mike Skinner ended up third in a Toyota, followed by Matt Crafton's Chevrolet and Bobby Hamilton's Dodge. That gave all four manufacturers a truck in the top five.
FORMULA ONE: Michael Schumacher started his bid for a sixth straight win much the way he did in the other five victories - by posting the fastest times.
The six-time world champion went out in his Ferrari midway through the first Monaco Grand Prix practice session and set the best time of 1 minute, 16.502 seconds on his final lap in Monte Carlo. He improved by nearly two seconds with 1:14.741 in the afternoon.
"Although this is a positive sign, I don't think today means so much, and we will see only the real picture on Saturday," Schumacher said, referring to qualifying.
BAR-Honda drivers Takuma Sato (1:17.279) and Jenson Button (1:17.338) were second and third, another sign the team could challenge Ferrari. Button had the pole at the San Marino Grand Prix last month, and Sato was third in qualifying at the Spanish GP two weeks ago.
INDYCARS: A.J. Foyt IV spun through the third turn and backed into the inside wall during practice for the Indianapolis 500. He was not injured.
Foyt, the grandson of four-time Indy winner and car owner A.J. Foyt, was driving his backup car.
He had taken only three laps before his car went sideways through the turn, barely missed the outside wall and spun across the track into the infield grass, where it bumped the wall.
He climbed out of the car and went to the infield hospital, where he underwent a mandatory checkup and was cleared to drive.
Also, Buddy Lazier will get into the Dryer & Reinbold Racing backup car today and begin preparing to qualify for the May 30 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The deal finally came together when Ron Hemelgarn, owner of the team for which the 1996 Indy 500 champion has raced the past eight seasons, put together a deal with Dryer & Reinbold to pool sponsorship and team personnel.
And PDM Racing announced four-time Indy starter and 1999 rookie of the year Robby McGehee will be its driver.
PIE IN THE EYE: Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon and Bryan Herta surprised teammate Dario Franchitti on his 31st birthday - with pies in his face. Franchitti was being interviewed Wednesday after Indy 500 practice when Kanaan, Wheldon and Herta approached him on the ESPN set. Before Franchitti could react, they bombarded him with chocolate, banana and lemon pies. "If I knew that was going to happen I would have locked the door," Franchitti said.
