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CONCORD — Joe Gibbs Racing signed Kyle Busch to a long-term extension, ensuring he won't be distracted while the team attempts to return him to championship-contending form.

"It's just nice to have it done," team president J.D. Gibbs said Monday. "Nice to focus on what's coming in the future rather than what's to be done."

Gibbs nonchalantly announced the extension during the team's stop on the annual preseason media tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. He said the deal has been signed for some time, but the team wanted the news out so it can focus on the upcoming year.

The season opens Feb. 14 with the Daytona 500.

This season was scheduled to be the third and final year on Busch's deal with JGR, which snapped him up after his 2007 firing from Hendrick Motorsports. He stormed out of the gate with his new team, winning eight races while leading the points most of the season.

But he tailed off at the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, finished 10th in the final standings, and that inconsistency followed him all of last year.

PARENTHOOD: Four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson says he didn't anticipate his wife's pregnancy being like this.

Johnson's wife, Chandra, is due to deliver the couple's first child in July. Johnson said his wife has been suffering from morning sickness.

"I didn't realize that morning sickness was really an all-day sickness," Johnson said. "It's not just that it's in the a.m. She's had a rough go of it. Seems to be doing a lot better now."

Johnson also said that in the most recent ultra-sound images, they can see the baby arms and legs moving. It's too early, though, to determine the baby's gender, Johnson said.

Some critics wonder if that child can do what no driver has done the past four years — cause Johnson to not win the championship. Johnson knows he's about to go through a significant life change but doubts it will adversely impact him in the car.

"Only time will tell," he said. "I think in some lives ... it can slow things down. For myself, I really don't think so. I remember when I was getting married and there was a big comparison of drivers before marriage and after and clearly after being married, things have went along better for me.

"There's no telling what type of experience being a parent is going to be, I know I have (wife) Channi's full support to chase my career and what I need to do."

SPECIAL GUEST: Former Alaska Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is scheduled to attend the Daytona 500. She has a speaking engagement in Daytona the following day and will arrive early for the race.

RULE CHANGES: Bobby Hutchens, director of competition at Stewart-Haas Racing, said teams are hearing from NASCAR what the rear spoiler will look like.

NASCAR is expected to replace the rear wing with a spoiler sometime this season. Hutchens said the spoiler will be 4 inches tall at the center and with an angle of about 70 degrees. NASCAR will have teams test the spoiler in March at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the results could alter the spoiler's final dimensions.

NASCAR has extended a fin that runs alongside the rear window down the left side. It extends to the rear wing. It is set to be used for the restrictor-plate races only to help keep the cars from getting airborne as often.

NEW LOCATION: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s nightspot, Whisky River will add a location in Jacksonsville, Fla., this spring. His first one is in Charlotte.

PIT STOPS: Stewart-Haas Racing will provide a pit crew for Bobby Labonte's team at TRG Motorsports. ... Kyle Busch said he had to sell Toyota that his ownership of a Camping World Truck series team would not impact his Cup performance. ... Ryan Newman says he has races available for primary sponsorship on his car for this season. ... Goody's has extended its deal to sponsor both Martinsville Speedway Cup races through 2012. ... Watkins Glen is spending more than $1 million to make capital improvements to its facility. Among the changes are adding SAFER barriers in some locations and paving over some of the gravel traps to give drivers more run-off room.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com