Vickers blisters Michigan oval for 3rd pole of season

Brian Vickers won the pole Friday for the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.

It was the eighth pole of his Cup career and third of the season for the Red Bull Racing driver. Vickers posted a lap of 189.110 mph on the 2-mile Michigan oval that will host Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. Runner-up Kyle Busch wasn’t close at 188.536.

Three-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was third at 188.299, followed by David Reutimann at 188.137 and Kurt Busch at 187.950.

Series points leader Tony Stewart was 11th at 187.100.

GM announces cuts

General Motors has told NASCAR teams it is cutting back on its support in all of the sanctioning body’s professional series.

Among the teams already notified that they will lose funding are JR Motorsports, owned by Sprint Cup star Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kevin Harvick Inc., co-owned by Cup star Harvick and his wife, DeLana. JRM races in the second-tier Nationwide Series, while KHI has entries in Nationwide and the third-tier Camping World Truck Series.

Cuts are also expected in the top-tier Sprint Cup series.

Chevrolet spokesman Terry Rhadigan said Friday that GM, reorganizing through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said cuts would be made soon.

“Our discussions are indeed NASCAR-wide,” he said.

Rhadigan would not say if one series would be affected more than others, nor would he say the size of the cuts or how much GM spends on NASCAR.

The automaker, through its Chevrolet brand, provides cash and other support to teams, including engines and parts.

F1 adds three teams

Formula One will feature three new teams in the 2010 season, including one from the United States.

The sport’s governing body FIA announced a lineup of 13 teams, including American team US F1.