Andrews joins Pettys.(Briefs)

Andrews joins Pettys

Veteran crew chief Paul Andrews, who led the late Alan Kulwicki to the 1992 NASCAR title, will be crew chief for Kyle Petty's No. 45 Dodge team this year. It is the second major upgrade for Petty's team, which will get its engines from Evernham Motorsports.

In other Nextel Cup news, NASCAR has adopted an electronic system to record pit-road speeds during Cup races. In the past, officials with stopwatches randomly checked speeds. Unlike then, when officials might not issue a speeding penalty if there was any doubt, drivers won't get any breaks this year.

Strong lineup

The 2005 Crown Royal International Race of Champions lineup is the strongest it has been in years, with seven drivers who captured their respective series championships in 2004. Matt Kenseth, a winner of two IROC races last season, is the defending series champion. This year's champion will take home a $1 million first-place purse. The drivers are:

Kenseth, 2003 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion; Kurt Busch, 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion; Mark Martin, four-time IROC champion; Sebastien Bourdais, 2004 Champ Car titlist; Bobby Hamilton, 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion; Steve Kinser, 2004 World of Outlaws champion; Max Papis, 2004 Grand-Am co-champ; Scott Pruett, 2004 Grand-Am co-champ; Martin Truex Jr., 2004 NASCAR Busch Series champion; Helio Castroneves, two-time ...