BLOCKING THEORIES ARE VARIED AMONG DRIVERS

NASCAR: Tony Stewart says never. Jimmie Johnson says to protect a victory in the final laps, except, perhaps, if Stewart is behind him because of the potential consequences. Theories on blocking and when it is acceptable vary widely in the NASCAR garage. The topic has become a hot one since the last race two weeks ago in California, where an infuriated Stewart confronted Logano’s crew and accused the young driver of blocking him late in the race. “I don’t like blocking. I never have, I never will,” Stewart said at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Others disagree, especially when trying to hang on for a victory. “Those are decisions we all make on the track, and when you are in the sport long enough, you realize what those decisions could lead to and, honestly, who you throw a block on,” Johnson said. Blocking can be keeping a car behind you by continually positioning your car in front of theirs or taking away their preferred line around the track by adopting it for yourself, even if it’s not your preferred line. The thinking is if a driver is gaining on you, taking away his line can slow that. At Martinsville, during the STP Gas Booster 500, cars typically swing wide heading into the turns at each end of the track, then hug the inside curb. A blocking maneuver by a leader might cut down that wide swing, forcing a challenger to drive higher up in the turn away from the curb.

IndyCar: Defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay can still get the best of Will Power. Hunter-Reay ended Penske Racing’s ownership of the pole position at Barber by beating Power with a late final lap to claim the top starting spot for today’s race in Birmingham, Ala.

Truck series: Johnny Sauter passed Jeb Burton for the lead on a restart with 234 laps to go Saturday and won the Kroger 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, his second victory in as many races in the series this season. Sauter earned his eighth career victory in the series, his second at Martinsville.