Brian Vickers

Brian Vickers naturally was startled when Dale Earnhardt Jr. clipped his car's rear quarter panel during the Daytona 500 last Sunday, sending Vickers' car careening sideways and sparking a multi-car crash that became a signature moment of the big race. But Vickers was even more surprised by what came next.

After Joey Logano's Toyota got shoved into the outside wall by Greg Biffle's Ford early in the race, Logano was resigned to hoping he wouldn't finish worse than 10th. But after a spree of caution periods kept bunching the field and knocking out other leaders, Logano moved back to the front and then won the Copart 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race in a wild finish at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. The 19-year-old Logano held off Brian Vickers and Carl Edwards in a two-lap overtime shootout to win his second consecutive Nationwide race after winning a week earlier at Kansas Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday he regretted clipping Brian Vickers' car and triggering a huge wreck in last weekend's Daytona 500, but NASCAR's most popular figure also defended his aggressive driving. "I've made mistakes before, and it probably won't be the last one I make," Earnhardt said before qualifying 35th for Sunday's Auto Club 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Fontana.

A Hendrick Motorsports plane crashed Sunday on its way to a NASCAR race, killing all 10 people aboard, including the son, brother and two nieces of the owner of one of auto racing's most successful organizations. The Beech 200 took off from Concord, N.C., and crashed in the Bull Mountain area seven miles from Martinsville's Blue Ridge Regional Airport about 12:30 p.m. EDT, said Arlene Murray, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Joey Logano held off Brian Vickers in a two-lap shootout to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway. The two were battling for the lead with two laps left in the scheduled 200 laps of the Great Clips 200 when Elliott Sadler, who is battling Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the Nationwide title, crashed along with Cole Whitt and Brendan Gaughan. That set up the two-lap "green-white-checkered" finish won by Logano, whose Toyota started on the pole and was dominant all day. Logano led a race-high 168 laps.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Tony Stewart held off a charge from teammate Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the Camping World 300 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Stewart won in a Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing after starting on the pole in the season opener of NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series, formerly the Busch Series. Busch was second followed by Earnhardt in a Chevrolet and Brian Vickers in another Camry -- giving Toyota three of the top four spots.

Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards picked up where they left off a week ago, except this time Busch couldn't be caught and won his seventh NASCAR Nationwide Series race in dominating fashion Saturday night. Driving in NASCAR's second-level series ahead of tonight's top-tier Sprint Cup race, Busch kept his Toyota ahead of Edwards' Ford to win the Camping World RV Service 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Brian Vickers was third and Jeff Burton fourth. The victory extended Busch's remarkable season.

Qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Auto Club 500 in Fontana was canceled Friday because of rain, so stock car racing's marquee series will rely on last year's owners points to determine the top 35 starting positions for Sunday's race. Jimmie Johnson's Cup title from last season continues to pay dividends. His Chevrolet will start alongside Rick Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, who was second in last year's championship.

Ryan Newman won a three-lap dash to the finish Saturday, holding off Robby Gordon to win the NASCAR Busch Series Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International in New York. Newman, driving a Dodge, beat Gordon's Chevrolet by 0.846 of a second for the first road course victory of his career. Brian Vickers was third, followed by polesitter Tony Stewart and Martin Truex Jr., who boosted his series lead to 122 points over Clint Bowyer, who finished 15th.

Denny Hamlin fought off a mid-race challenge from Matt Kenseth, then drove away for a dominating victory Saturday in the NASCAR Busch Series Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Hamlin, who will also race in today's Nextel Cup 3M Performance 400, picked up his second Busch Series win of the season and the fourth of his career. His victory gave Cup regulars 22 victories in 25 races on the Busch circuit this season.