Courtesy America Israel Racing

Racing and politics generally don't get along too well, so credit America Israel Racing for bringing foreign-policy concerns right to NASCAR's doorstep. The No. 49 Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota will run in the Daytona 500, with JJ Yeley behind the wheel.

The paint scheme, as you can see above, blends both the U.S. and Israeli flags, in accordance with AIR's mission to promote America's continued support of Israel. No idea how well that's going to play amid the cacophony of sound and fury that is the Daytona 500, but give AIR credit for taking a stand where others haven't.

From a symbolic perspective, you'll note that the eagle looks like he's ready to swoop right down on you, but he's also clutching an olive branch, the symbol of peace, in his beak. So there you have it. For more on America Israel Racing, check out their Facebook page right here. The team hopes to continue racing after Daytona, but as yet has announced no future plans.

More sports news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:

Last week, we brought you the story of our own Geoffrey Miller's attempt to survive the Rolex 24 at Daytona as a fan. Today, we take you out of the grandstand and put you right into a car itself, as we watch from the point of view of GT driver Leh Keen, who ended up on the podium with the rest of his Brumos Porsche GT3 team. This is some great material here, starting with the plane, following through the entire drive, and finishing up with a champagne bath. Enjoy.

[Via Jalopnik]

Kevin Harvick outruns Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Martinsville / Getty Images

In 2011, 17 different Sprint Cup regulars won a race, with three of them (Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch) accounting for more than a third of the season's races by themselves. That leaves an awful lot of guys who didn't reach the checkered flag first. Some of them probably never really expected to get there; others had it snagged right out from under them at the last instant. Let's take a look at which drivers most desperately need a win in 2012.

1. Joey Logano. What? Ranking someone ahead of Earnhardt? Absolutely. No driver in NASCAR faces more pressure to hang onto his ride than Logano right now. Junior could lose for the next three years straight and still have his seat.

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Come on. You know about the 129-race losing streak. What more do we need to say? Everything is in place for him to win. Of course, we've said that before.

3. Martin Truex Jr. He's got an even longer losing streak than Junior, one that dates back to 2007. In a contract year, it's

If you're looking for star power, look no further than the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Sure, there are all the celebs roaming around, but you've got golf icons like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the field. They're playing well enough, but it's Dustin Johnson, Danny Lee and Charlie Wi who are running the show right now. They're all at nine under; the tournament continues on Friday.

Behold the latest video for the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 game, coming in March:

Not quite sure what to make of this here, except to say that when you bill your game with "Relive Tiger's Legacy," you're setting up a nation of anxious young male gamers for a HUGE letdown.

Wonder if you could play as baby Tiger Woods against full-grown man Phil Mickelson at Augusta. Because that would be awesome.

Hey, did you know Tim Allen had a new show? Yeah, me neither. But it's called "Last Man Standing," and it's apparently got enough juice to have landed one Tony Stewart for a cameo. Good for a chuckle, if nothing else. Nice move to get the CHEVY OFFICE DEPOT NO. 14 right out there in front, yes?

He's watching you, Tiger. Again. / Getty Images

There was a day not so long ago when Tiger Woods was the absolute pinnacle of the golf world. (It's true, we looked it up.) Galleries would throng to watch his every move. Men would want to play like him, women would want to ... well, let's not pursue that line any further.

Anyway, this obsession with Tiger wasn't just confined to civilians outside the ropes. No, even his competitors wanted to see the man up close ... and some went on to challenge Woods on every level.

Rory McIlroy, reigning U.S. Open champion and unquestionably one of the finest talents now playing, is preparing for the Dubai Desert Classic this week. And he noted that the first time he was at the event, way back in the misty pasts of 2006, he took a rather unconventional approach to checking out the then-world No. 1:

"I remember I played on Thursday morning, and then on Thursday afternoon Tiger was playing. I came out in the afternoon and took one of the photographer's cameras off of him and was able to follow

Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch get their autograph hands ready / Getty Images

Deep in the heart of enemy (the NFL) territory (the Super Bowl), three of NASCAR's finest took a moment to make their mark on the game and start the ball rolling for one of NASCAR's more interesting promotions: the Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Here" name-that-race dealie.

This year, the "Your Name Here" race will be at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. And while previous "heroes" have been confined to the military, this year the door is wide open to include police officers, firefighters, teachers and other individuals who have shaped lives. (Sportswriters included in that, you think? Yes? No?)

Anyway, if you'd like to contribute a nomination for a hero, hit Crown Royal's Facebook page and submit a 100-word essay in support of your nominee. Deadline is April 30, so get on it, everybody.

And for the rest of you, feel free to caption that photo above as you see fit.