Johnson following Castroneves probe

NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Jr., shown above strapped into his No. 88 Chevrolet, says teams need to maximize value for sponsors in tight economic times. The tax troubles facing Indy Car driver Helio Castroneves are being closely watched in several racing circles, including NASCAR. Two-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson acknowledged to reporters at Talladega Superspeedway last week that he uses the same attorney, Alan Miller, who was indicted with Castroneves on charges of tax evasion.

"It's certainly shocking," Johnson told reporters. "Alan has been my attorney since I was 15 years old. He'd been a great friend and has helped me with a lot of different things. I have an outside tax group that I use, so he really is my attorney. As of now, everything is still the same.

"I'm learning a lot as time goes on here, and there is still a lot to be investigated and covered moving forward. So, I'll certainly keep my eyes on the subject and [will be] trying to figure out what's going on."

The Associated Press reported that Miller was arraigned and released on $250,000 bail.

Castroneves pleaded not guilty and was released on $10 million bail.

He flew to Braselton, Ga., where he and Ryan Briscoe drove a Penske Porsche to a class victory in Saturday's Petit Le Mans.

Bad economy affecting top teams

Not surprisingly, the economic slump is having an effect on NASCAR race teams, which depend on corporate sponsorships to stay on the track. Even the sport's most popular driver is not immune.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who co-owns a Nationwide Series team with Sprint Cup car owner Rick Hendrick, told reporters at Talladega that he still doesn't have all of his backers lined up for next year.

"We have some things wrapped up that we will be looking forward to announcing soon, [and] we still have several races that we can fill up yet," he said. "Me and Rick [Hendrick] feel like we will race whatever we can afford to race. We won't put a car out there that doesn't have a sponsor on it. We can't afford to lose any money.

"The economy is the way it is; there isn't much you can do about it. You have to be thankful for whatever you do get. A lot of these guys are going to walk around empty-handed next year."

He said the key to obtaining and keeping sponsors is to be sure to make the investment pay off.

"When you know how difficult it is for them to work that in their budget, a sponsorship for a motorsports racing team, you definitely want to cater to them a little bit more and make sure they are getting everything they want, because you want them to come back the next year," he said. "A lot of the deals in the Nationwide Series are getting shorter and shorter, as far as the length of the term."

SPRINT CUP STANDINGS

1. Jimmie Johnson 5,718; leader 2. Carl Edwards 5,646; behind: -72 3. Greg Biffle 5,641; behind: -77 4. Jeff Burton 5,619; behind: -99 5. Clint Bowyer 5,556; behind: -152 6. Kevin Harvick 5,547; behind: -171 7. Tony Stewart 5,515; behind: -203 8. Jeff Gordon 5,486; behind: -232 9. Matt Kenseth 5,473; behind: -245 10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5,469; behind: -249 11. Kyle Busch 5,387; behind: -331 12. Denny Hamlin 5,383; behind: -335