With his win at Phoenix last week, Denny Hamlin became part of history – as it was the 198^th win all-time for a #11 car. This ties it with #43 for most wins by a car number in the Cup series. A grand total of 13 drivers have taken the checkered in a car marked No. 11, led by Cale Yarborough (55), Ned Jarrett (49), Darrell Waltrip (43) and Junior Johnson (11). Also on the list are Bill Elliott (six), Geoffrey Bodine (four), Terry Labonte (four), Bobby Allison (three), Buddy Baker (two), Mario Andretti (one), A.J. Foyt (one) and Parnelli Jones (one), and Hamlin rounds out the list with his 18 wins.

Wheldon remembere

Looming over NASCAR’s return to Vegas is the fact that Indycar star Dan Wheldon died there in the Indycar season finale last fall.

His fellow Indycar drivers will return to action in a couple weeks in St. Petersburg, and they were still thinking of him as their season is about to kick off.

Marco Andretti said this week that it will be tough racing without their friend in the field.

“It’s going to be tough, but like I said, Dan was a competitor and that’s our job. I’d want the same. Life goes on -- you just keep working and try to stay busy and try to win St. Pete for him. I know he was very proud of this city and this race. Definitely be driving with a heavy heart.”

Weird hobby for Jr.

I guess when you’re rich you can afford to have strange hobbies. It appears that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the lucky owner of the Juan Pablo Montoya wrecked car that had an unfortunate encounter with the jet dryer at Daytona. Apparently Jr. has dozens of wrecked cars that he collects on his property, and coincidentally he also has a replica Western town in his back yard.

“Yeah, the Sunshine man, he’s a buddy of mine and he gave it to me. I got about 50 or 60 cars out there and I didn’t buy any of them. He calls me and I get my property manager, Sonny, to go over there and load it up and bring it over,” Jr. said about the Montoya car. “We get a forklift or a tractor with a forklift or frontend loader and just carry it into the woods and just set it out there somewhere.”

Now I know why Jr. never got married; I’m pretty sure his wife would make him get rid of all that stuff.

MITCH RYDER, THE B-52S AND RONNIE DUNN HIGHLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP DETROIT BELLE ISLE GRAND PRIX

DETROIT – Motor City rock, party music and a country star highlights the entertainment lineup for the 2012 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Grand Prix.

The June 1-3 event weekend will not only feature the return of world-class auto racing to the Motor City, it will also include some popular and exciting musical acts throughout the three-day weekend. Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the B-52s and Ronnie Dunn will all perform on the MotorCity Casino Hotel Entertainment Stage.

Adding an exclamation point to “Free Prix Day” at the Grand Prix on Friday, June 1, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels will take to the MotorCity Casino Hotel Entertainment Stage, located in the Meijer Family Fun Zone, at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening. The rock band is a Detroit favorite, with Rolling Stone Magazine naming Ryder as one of the top five most important rock and roll singers ever to emerge from the Motor City. The singer’s most popular hits include “Devil with the Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “When You Were Mine.”

The B-52s will bring their eclectic, fun sound to the MotorCity Casino Hotel Entertainment Stage on Saturday, June 2 at 7:15 p.m. Often called the “world’s greatest party band,” the B-52s are well known for hits like “Rock Lobster” and “Love Shack.”

Ronnie Dunn will perform before the start of Sunday’s IndyCar Series race at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 3. Dunn was half of the successful country music duo Brooks and Dunn for 20 years. With hits like “Boot Scootin' Boogie" and “Hard Workin’ Man,” to their credit, the duo decided to go their separate ways while at the height of their careers in 2010, their friendship well intact. Dunn has since released a critically-acclaimed self-titled album.

Local bands and entertainment will fill the stage from morning until night each day. For a complete entertainment listing updated frequently as the Grand Prix approaches, visit www.DetroitGP.com.

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