Dale Earnhardt Day set for today

Dale Earnhardt Inc. will hold the seventh annual Dale Earnhardt Day today in Mooresville, N.C. The event, which celebrates the birth date of the seven-time NASCAR champion, also serves as a major benefit for the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.

"To me, I think he was the greatest restrictor-plate driver of all time," four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon said. "I don't think there is even a question about that, but he has so many things that can contribute to his legacy it's hard to pick one."

Said Kevin Harvick: "He is a huge part of why Richard Childress Racing is where it is today and where our sport is at today."

Harvick institutes drug policy

Kevin Harvick has addressed the issue of drug testing in NASCAR by implementing a program within Kevin Harvick Inc.

"After the whole drug-testing thing in Phoenix, we went home and changed the whole policy that we have at our company," Harvick said. "All the drivers and crew chiefs volunteered to take a random test. . . . The whole company will be tested within a week.

"It was a time-consuming process to put the programs into place. But once we got it going, it wasn't that big of a deal, and I think it is something that will benefit everybody down the road."

Defying gravity, sort of

Ryan Newman, winner of the Daytona 500, said the center of gravity in the new Sprint Cup car is higher than any driver or crew chief would like.

"It makes it that more difficult to drive," Newman said. "It makes it much more difficult on the right-side tires because when you raise the center of gravity, you put more load on the right-side tires.

"When you raise the center of gravity, it's like a monster truck. It's prone to flipping over. It's not ideally what you want for a race car."

Lug nuts

Twenty drivers -- including Virginians Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton and Elliott Sadler -- led at least one lap at Talladega. . . . Toyota has made a quick rise to the top. The upstart manufacturer placed three cars (Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Brian Vickers) in the top five at Talladega. A year ago, its best finisher, Jeremy Mayfield, finished 23rd. . . . Four 2007 Chase qualifiers -- Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch -- are outside the top 12 after nine races. -- Ralph N. Paulk