Tony Stewart suffered through his second Busch Series crash of the season. Credit: Autostock

Saturday Notes: Stewart, McMurray go to hospital

CONCORD, N.C. -- Nine laps into the start of the Carquest Auto Parts 300 on Saturday night, two Nextel Cup drivers were on their way to the hospital.

Jamie McMurray, leading the race after just three laps, cut a right-front tire and slammed the wall in Turn 4, doing heavy damage to his No. 64 Dodge. Eight laps later, Stewart's No. 33 Chevrolet slipped sideways at nearly the same spot and slapped the wall hard with the right-rear corner.

	Jamie McMurray's wreckage Credit: Autostock
	Early cautionsMcMurray and Stewart take hard hits in the early laps at LMS Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

McMurray's car hit at a steep angle, and Stewart emerged from his battered car rubbing his right shoulder. Both drivers were transported to Carolinas Medical Center-University for further treatment.

"I had some X-rays on the back of my shoulder," Stewart said. "I don't really know what happened. I'm assuming I cut a tire down.

"I was coming off of Turn 4, and it just took off to the right. I hit so hard it took my window net down."

Stewart was OK enough to joke about his pending trip to the doctor.

"I don't know who is driving, me or Jamie," he quipped.

McMurray apparently popped a tire after it rubbed on the sway bar bolt. He was transported for X-rays of his head following the hard shot.

"That hurt," McMurray said. "It was probably one of the biggest hits I've ever taken."

The debris from Stewart's crash caused problems for other Cup drivers. Both Elliott Sadler and Mark Martin ran over the rear springs off Stewart's car, costing Martin a lap while fixing the damage.

Both drivers were treated, released and cleared to race on Sunday.

Debris from Randy LaJoie's car flew into the grandstands. Credit: Autostock

Two fans injured by flying debris

Debris from Randy LaJoie's crash in Turn 4 on Lap 179 flew into the grandstands, slightly injuring two spectators.

According to speedway officials, pieces of debris from the crash struck one fan in the lower arm and another in the lower leg.

Both fans were transported to NorthEast Medical Center in Concord for treatment of lacerations. The injuries were not serious, according to track personnel.

Track bar problem?

Just past the halfway point in Saturday's race, Mike Wallace's car leaped sideways going down the backstretch. Initially, Wallace thought he had popped a right-rear tire, but upon further examination, it was revealed that the track bar had snapped past the heim joint that holds it to the trailing arm.

Wallace's accident was eerily similar to Stewart's, in that both cars slewed sideways with no warning and no apparent loss of tire pressure.

Sadler slips on stage

Following an appearance on SPEED Channel's Trackside Live from Speed Street in uptown Charlotte Friday night, Elliott Sadler slipped while jumping off the stage and into the crowd.

Reports varied on exactly what happened, but Sadler reportedly followed regular SPEED host Jeff Hammond on the dive when he slipped and fell. Sadler was in fine shape before the Busch Series race on Saturday.

Office Depot names small business winner

Office Depot, the Official Office Supply Store of NASCAR, named K&M Storage of Dodge City, Kan., as the Official Small Business of NASCAR. Business owner Duane Neitling will have his company's logo on the rear TV panel of Carl Edwards' No. 99 Ford for the rest of the season.

"It's quite an honor for me to be here with NASCAR's finest team," Neitling said. "I've been a NASCAR fan forever and to have my name on a Nextel Cup car is quite an honor."

Coca-Cola 600 Saturday Practice Results Pos. Driver Speed Time 1. J. Mayfield 178.814 30.199 2. M. Martin 177.877 30.358 3. B. Labonte 177.340 30.450 4. S. Riggs 177.334 30.451 5. K. Kahne 177.009 30.507 6. J. Green 176.997 30.509 7. Jo. Sauter 176.974 30.513 8. Ku. Busch 176.864 30.532 9. C. Mears 176.650 30.569 10. C. Edwards 176.413 30.610 • Complete speeds, click here Happy Hour Pos. Driver Speed Time 1. K. Kahne 178.471 30.257 2. M. Martin 178.459 30.259 3. J. Mayfield 178.230 30.298 4. C. Edwards 177.918 30.351 5. G. Biffle 177.860 30.361 6. S. Riggs 177.825 30.367 7. B. Labonte 177.766 30.377 8. Ku. Busch 177.649 30.397 9. J. Burton 177.626 30.401 10. J.J. Yeley 177.492 30.424 • Complete speeds, click here

Dodges fast in practice

The speed charts after practice on Saturday didn't look much different from the starting lineup, as Jeremy Mayfield led the first practice and teammate Kasey Kahne led Happy Hour.

Neither driver was worse than fifth in either session.

Kahne was first in Happy Hour at 178.471 mph in race trim, and fifth in the first session at 177.009 mph. Mayfield was third in the second session (178.230 mph) and led the first at 178.814 mph.

Among the surprises in Happy Hour was Ryan Newman, who topped out at 176.120 mph in his Dodge, good for 31st.

Crews gear up for big night

With the smaller 13.5-gallon fuel cell, Cup teams are figuring on a bunch more pit stops than normal Sunday night in NASCAR's longest race. That is causing some trepidation among them.

"You're not going to have much turnaround time between pit stops if it goes like it's supposed to," said Pat Tryson, Mark Martin's crew chief. "We're figuring something like 18 minutes between stops at 35 laps for each. That's a lot to be asking of these guys who are down here going over the wall. They'll definitely be earning their money."

Ryan Pemberton, crew chief for Joe Nemechek, said one unintended aspect of the increased number of stops is injuries.

"They've put the pit crews in more jeopardy of being hurt or something happening with all the extra pit work we might have to do. It's something you've got to think about," Pemberton said.

D.W. gets car for Martinsville

Darrell Waltrip finally gets to drive the Aaron's Dream Machine.

Waltrip will drive an Aaron's-sponsored Dodge for brother Michael in the July 22 Busch Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

"I love this," Waltrip said at the announcement. "This is my car and I get to drive it. This is going to cost Michael a lot of money. I don't know who he's going to get to mow his grass, do his windows and be his caddy."

Michael Waltrip called the one-race deal the "Another for My Brother" tour.