INDIANAPOLIS Dan Wheldon couldn't win his third Indianapolis 500. Dario Franchitti did it for him. If it wasn't going to be Franchitti, then it would be Scott Dixon. Maybe even Tony Kanaan. No matter what, one of Wheldon's best buddies was going to Victory Lane. In the end, they celebrated a 1-2-3 sweep that honored D-Dub, their missing friend.

CONCORD, N.C. Kasey Kahne powered to victory in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night, taking NASCAR's longest race for the third time for his first win with Hendrick Motorsports.

Kahne also gave car owner Rick Hendrick his 201st Sprint Cup series victory.

Kahne crossed the finish line nearly 5 seconds ahead of Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch was third and series points leader Greg Biffle fourth.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. The Republican who wants to become North Carolina's governor is joining West Virginia's current governor and a swimsuit model to handle some of the honors ahead of Charlotte's big NASCAR race.

CONCORD, N.C. At first Dale Earnhardt Jr. was relieved he didn't fall further back than seventh at last year's Coca-Cola 600. Then he realized what he had lost for just about a gallon of gas.

INDIANAPOLIS The 96th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" is the most wide-open race in a very long time. Engine competition for the first time in six years and the introduction of a new car has widened the pool of potential winners, and there's no clear favorite.

CONCORD, N.C. Brad Keselowski won the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, leading the final 67 laps to give Penske Racing a winning start on auto racing's biggest weekend.

CONCORD, N.C. Six hours and 600 miles is a long time to spend in race car. So what do NASCAR drivers do when the stomach starts grumbling in the middle of Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the Sprint Cup year? For Martin Truex Jr., grabbing a granola bar or two normally does the trick.

CONCORD, N.C. Brad Keselowski got the first of many surprises at his first meeting with racing great Roger Penske. The rising NASCAR star now driving Penske Racing's No. 2 discovered the Michigan address for their get together was an unmarked, routine building Keselowski had driven by all the time growing up in Rochester Hills. He never knew it housed Penske's offices.

INDIANAPOLIS When Bobby Rahal was racing, he hung a picture of Michael Andretti in his workout room. That's who Rahal wanted to beat more than anyone else on the track. And rest assured, Andretti felt the same way. Looks like they've passed on that vitriol to their kids.