Edwards OK to race despite broken foot

Carl Edwards will race this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speed-way despite breaking his right foot playing frisbee.

Edwards is on crutches but was cleared to race in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series by doctors from the University of Missouri. He is from Columbia, Mo., and was injured in a hometown game Wednesday night.

"I know this probably sounds ridiculous to a lot of people, and I could hardly believe it myself," Edwards said Thursday. "I was playing frisbee with a couple of buddies and we both went for the frisbee at the same time. I put my foot on it, my friend dove for it, and the next thing you know, we all heard a pop.

"I knew it was broken and we all kind of looked at each other in disbelief that of all things, I would break my foot playing frisbee."

Edwards has three victories at Atlanta and is the defending race winner. He said doctors told him he'll have no problems using the accelerator.

Edwards is fifth in the Sprint Cup Series standings with two races remaining before the title-deciding Chase for the championship begins.

Because of his series-high nine wins last season, he was widely considered the favorite to end Jimmie Johnson 's run of three consecutive titles.

But he's winless this season in NASCAR's top series and has been counting on a hot streak during the 10-race Chase to mount a title run.

Meanwhile, he's turned it up a notch in the Nationwide Series. His win last weekend in Montreal helped him slice Kyle Busch 's lead in the standings, and Edwards now trails by 192 points.

LABONTE FINDS RIDE: Bobby Labonte is listed on the entry list for this weekend's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Yates Racing said earlier this week that sponsorship issues forced the team to pull Labonte in seven of the final 12 races this season, beginning with Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Atlanta.

But Labonte is now listed on the official entry list as the driver for TRG Motorsports' No. 71. It will allow Labonte to continue his streak of 568 consecutive starts, second among active drivers only to Jeff Gordon 's 569 starts.

TRG had been fielding a car for David Gilliland , but it will use Labonte in all seven races he's available.

Labonte has six career wins at Atlanta, and it's considered his best track.

CHILDRESS CHANGES: Slumping Richard Childress Racing has reorganized its competition department, and the biggest change means a new crew chief for Jeff Burton in 2010.

Scott Miller is the new director of competition, and will simultaneously finish the season atop Burton's pit box. Miller will assume some of the responsibilities currently handled by vice president of competition Mike Dillon and director of competition Will Lind.

Dillon, who is Childress' son-in-law, will continue to oversee the competition department. Lind will become the business director for competition.

RCR is on the verge of not qualifying for the 12-driver Chase for the championship after placing three drivers in the field the past two years. Clint Bowyer is 15th in the standings, Burton is 18th, Casey Mears is 20th and Kevin Harvick is 24th.

FORMULA ONE: Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella left Force India to join Ferrari for the rest of the Formula One season, replacing Luca Badoer .

Ferrari has been eager to find a better replacement for the injured Felipe Massa after longtime test driver Badoer qualified last and finished no better than 14th in his first two races.

"I'm in seventh heaven," Fisichella said on Ferrari's Web site. "I'm still having a hard time believing the fact that the dream of my life is coming true."

Fisichella finished second in last weekend's Belgian GP, giving Force India its first points in Formula One. Five races remain this season.

Massa is not expected to return until next season after an accident almost cost him his life at the Hungarian Grand Prix.