Saturday

Mistake costs Loeb two minutes

Sebastien Loeb's chances of victory in Rally Sweden look to be over after the world champion lost nearly two minutes with a mistake on SS7. Citroen driver Loeb was running third but had just closed to within 6.7 seconds of the rally lead when he won the first stage out of service this afternoon. But he then went off the road and got stuck on a snowbank just two corners into the seventh stage, dropping him to 11th overall.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/world-rally-championship-news/wrc/mistake-costs-loeb-two-minutes/

Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs

Q Poll: Chris Quinn?s Parking Agenda Out of Touch With New Yorkers

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and her city-owned Chevy Suburban in 2008. Photo copyright Steven Hirsch.
To hear Christine Quinn tell it, New Yorkers are crying out for relief from unjust parking policies. Over the last two years, it seems that when City Council members weren’t flogging legislation to add layers of bureaucracy to DOT’s street [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/02/09/q-poll-chris-quinns-parking-agenda-out-of-touch-with-new-yorkers/

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines

In which we forecast the future of the 2012 NASCAR season

The NASCAR season is almost upon us, so it's time to begin peering into that old crystal ball and seeing what might take place. Your Yahoo! Sports/From The Marbles crew offers up these predictions, which should not be used as a basis for wagering. Unless, of course, we're right, in which case you owe us a cut.

Someone is going to have a "Carl Edwards 2011" ? and it's going to end in a championship. The fact that Edwards lost in the closest finish in NASCAR history is quite possibly one of the cruelest blows in all of sports, and it's only because Tony Stewart is such a fan favorite (and we're all so glad to have had a fascinating season) that we kind of glossed over how amazing Edwards' run really was. He broke through as an elite driver last year, and this year, someone else will do the same thing: running so well you can never count them out until the final lap at Homestead. Best guess? This is the year Kevin Harvick becomes a name in non-NASCAR households. ? Jay Busbee

Danica Patrick wins a Nationwide race. Yeah, this may not be too bold of a prediction, but Patrick will have the equipment to do it and the week-to-week consistency of simply being in a stock car will be the best thing for her improvement in NASCAR. It may not be in the first 10 races and it may be a standalone race with no Cup drivers, but she'll get a win. ? Nick Bromberg

This will be Joey Logano's final year at Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. The loss of Greg Zipadelli as crew chief combined with an intense focus to right the ship for Denny Hamlin will leave Logano in the dust, and sponsors looking elsewhere in 2013. Don't be surprised if he stays with Gibbs, though, in a full-time Nationwide Series role for 2013. ? Geoffrey Miller

The Busch bros will get their acts together. I know, this one's a crap shoot ... but something's telling me that these two have hit bottom and are clawing at ways to get back up. There's too much on the line here for both of these guys, who have the potential to become one of NASCAR's all-time great families. But, right now, only the potential. ? Jay Busbee

Carl Edwards will host a talk show. Wait... that's actually happening. ? Nick Bromberg

Races at road courses, short tracks, Darlington and Atlanta will continue to be the most noteworthy events of the season for the Sprint Cup gang. That's thanks to their unique character and ways of bringing out the best of a driver's temper and pure racing ability. It won't matter, though, to NASCAR's 2013 schedule-makers who remain�cruelly�indebted to the 1.5-mile cookie-cutter way of life.� ? Geoffrey Miller

NASCAR will continue its recovery both in the stands and in the ratings. Sponsors will start to trickle back in, not as rapidly as teams would like, but not in the will-they-or-won't-they guessing game of years past, either. The Jimmie Johnson Era may or may not be over, but it's certainly on hold, and that'll help keep the door wide open for many more fans to hope that this is The Year for their guy ... and more interest translates across the board. ? Jay Busbee

A driver in Hendrick equipment will "struggle." This doesn't count Kurt Busch, who has the virtue of being fairly expectation-less at Phoenix Racing, but there seems to always be a straggler at Hendrick. For the sake of the restless masses and tired storylines, let's hope it's not Junior. ? Nick Bromberg

AJ Allmendinger will get his first and probably second NASCAR wins. Dinger, now in the best ride of his NASCAR life with Penske Racing, will take at least one road course race (as long as former teammate Marcos Ambrose doesn't sweep) and maybe snag a win at a 1.5-mile oval. I may have chosen AJ to win at least a race had he remained at Richard Petty Motorsports, but now it's got to be a lock. The Chase, however, will remain an outside-looking-in affair. ? Geoffrey Miller

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to win a race. Hey, if I keep saying it, one day it might come true. ? Jay Busbee

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/forecast-future-2012-nascar-season-142813440.html

Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr

Richmond International Raceway?s Fan Advisory Board Begins 1st Full Term Representing the Best Fans in Motorsports

Richmond International Raceway Celebrating 60 Years in NASCARRichmond, VA (February 9, 2012)?Last season,�Richmond International Raceway�assembled its inaugural Fan Advisory Board, compiled of 21 guests who expressed an interest in representing the best fans in all of motorsports. After earning their rookie stripe in the 2011 season, the Fan Advisory Board is back in 2012 for...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/sprintcup/02/09/richmond-international-raceways-fan-advisory-board-begins-1st-full-term-representing-the-best-fans-in-motorsports/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=richmond-international-raceways-fan-advisory-board-begins-1st-full-term-representing-the-best-fans-in-motorsports

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner

Roush Fenway Racing 2012 Team Preview


The Fords of Roush Fenway Racing highlight the second-to-last of Sports-at-Work's 2012 Sprint Cup team previews.
2011 was a tale of two different storylines for the Roushketeers. On the one hand, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards enjoyed great success, winning races and finishing in the top five in the standings. On the other hand, Greg Biffle and David Ragan missed the Chase and scored just one win between the two of them.
Of course, Ragan is gone from the team this year, which has dropped down to three entries. Perhaps a re-focusing of resources will lead to better results across the board in 2012, and possibly one of the drivers will bring a Sprint Cup championship trophy to the Cat in the Hat for the first time since 2004.

Greg Biffle - #16
Sam Salo: Biffle was an odd man out at RFR in 2011, missing the Chase for the first time in four years on almost career-low numbers. No wins were recorded, and top-5's (three) and top 10's (10) came at a premium. As much as B...

Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/roush_fenway_racing_2012_team_preview/9862543

Ingo Hoffmann Bill Holland Jackie Holmes Bill Homeier

Friday

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: 2011 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami

Expert
Website
Pick to Win
Finish
Experts Avg


Josh Lobdell

Tony Stewart
1
12.06


Jerry Lagger
One and Done Game Winner
Carl Edwards
2
12.78


Dennis Michelsen
RaceTalkRadio.com
Tony Stewart
1
12.33


Steve Wronkowicz
On Pit Row
Brad Keselowski
20
13.72


Eric McClung
KFFL
Carl Edwards
2
13.19


Eric McGuire
free agent
Carl Edwards
2
14.42


Dan Beaver
Fantasy Racing Games
Carl Edwards
2
12.89


Matt Mercer
On Pit Row
Carl Edwards
2
15.17


Adam Ansell
Roto Experts
no pick





Chris Leone
On Pit Row
A J Allmendinger
15
12.81


Bob Ellis
NASCAR Ranting and Raving
Carl Edwards
2
12.53


CharlieTurner
On Pit Row
Carl Edwards
2
13.83


Jordan McAbee
On Pit Row
Carl Edwards
2
12.14


Jon Rodgers
Gillette Young Guns Challenge [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BenchRacingWithSteveAndCharlie/~3/TUWAjjyZOlg/nascar-fantasy-racing-experts-picks-2011-ford-400-at-homestead-miami.html

Georges Grignard Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean Olivier Grouillard

Wolf makes Euro Series move

Lucas Wolf will graduate to the F3 Euro Series this year with championship newcomer URD Rennsport. The 17-year-old German has spent the past two seasons driving for the team in ADAC Formel Masters in his homeland, and won the final race of last year's championship to finish eighth in the standings.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/wolf-makes-euro-series-move/

Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton

IndyCar Testing Update

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/02/indycar-testing-update.html

Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler

Why Won?t the ?New York Works Fund? Pay for Transit?

Andrew Cuomo's big infrastructure push, the New York Works Fund, won't include transit projects. Why? Photo via Wikimedia.
Despite the fact that over one quarter of the state’s population takes transit to work, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s marquee infrastructure program won’t invest in public transportation. With so much still unknown about the governor’s “New York Works Fund” [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/02/07/why-wont-the-new-york-works-fund-pay-for-transit/

Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison

Thursday

Lynn to make early F3 debut

British Formula 3 newcomer Alex Lynn has brought forward his race debut in the category and will contest the European F3 Open Winter Series. Lynn, the reigning Formula Renault UK champion and a McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award finalist, has joined British squad Team West-Tec for the two races, which take place at the Algarve circuit on February 17 and at Paul Ricard on March 3. Although the races will be the world first for the new-generation Dallara F312 chassis, Lynn will race an older-spec F308 as West-Tec has said it wants to develop its new cars before the main series kicks off

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/lynn-to-make-early-f3-debut/

Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray

Harlow takes up Williams role

Former Force India chief race engineer Dominic Harlow has moved to Williams. Harlow has been appointed to the role of senior operations engineer with the Grove based team and is attending this week's Jerez test in his new role

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/harlow-takes-up-williams-role/

Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire

Red Horse Racing Adds Two-Time Truck Series Champion Todd Bodine to Driver Line-Up

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/02/red-horse-racing-adds-two-time-truck.html

Billy Garrett Jo Gartner Tony Gaze Geki

Capirossi: Riders prefer ?12 tyres

MotoGP safety advisor Loris Capirossi believes Bridgestone's 2012 tyres have addressed the issues that concerned riders in '11. Several frontrunners complained that a lack of feeling from last year's Bridgestone control tyres was a contributory factor in a number of crashes, particularly on cold rubber.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/capirossi-riders-prefer-12-tyres/

Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann

Status signs Stockinger for 2012

Marlon Stockinger will move to the Status team for his second year in GP3 this season.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/status-signs-stockinger-for-2012/

Hans Herrmann Franзois Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill

Wednesday

Foyt released from Houston hospital

A.J. Foyt has been released from a hospital in Houston, where he was being treated for complications from knee surgery. The 77-year-old Foyt had knee surgery two weeks ago, and an infection sent him to the hospital Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner said Foyt was released Friday and is still taking antibiotics for the infection.

Source: http://www.nascarracinglive.com/nascar/foyt-released-from-houston-hospital.html

Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson

Di Resta upbeat over VJM05?s progress

Force India driver Paul di Resta believes he has a strong platform with which to start his sophomore season after a strong first day's testing at Jerez on Tuesday. The Scot ended the day second fastest, a tenth slower than pace-setter Kimi Raikkonen, and said afterwards that while his time was irrelevant from a competitive point of view, the starting baseline for the VJM05 was much better than its predecessor

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/di-resta-upbeat-over-vjm05s-progress/

Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone

Join us for the latest Yahoo! NASCAR live chat at 1 ET Wednesday

Time again for another offseason-but-almost-not Yahoo! Sports NASCAR chat! Join us right here as we kick around the news of the day. Bring a dish to share.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Which NASCAR driver wins the Cup under a single-elimination format?
? NASCAR driver Robby Gordon's other obsession
? John Isner celebrates Aussie Open win Cam Newton style

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/join-us-latest-yahoo-nascar-live-chat-1-154104455.html

Miguel Бngel Guerra Roberto Guerrero Maurнcio Gugelmin Dan Gurney

Report: Jaguar gears up to produce small run of turbine-powered C-X75 supercars

Filed under: , , ,

Jaguar C-X75 concept

Jaguar has a bit of a tricky history with supercars. The only previous example it actually built was the XJ220, which remains an impressive specimen even 20 years later, even though it never quite lived up to what the original concept car promised those who put down their deposits. Then in 2010 the British automaker unveiled the C-X75 and our hearts stopped.

The show car packed an intriguing twin-turbine powerplant into an alluring svelte shape, which only begged the question: would Jaguar build it, and if so, would it incorporate such an experimental propulsion system?

We had what we thought was the full answer last year when Jaguar announced that it would indeed produce the C-X75, but that the turbines wouldn't make it to the road, replaced instead by a hybrid drivetrain including a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Disappointing, sure, but a little less so considering that the Williams F1 team would help develop the powertrain.

Now it seems that, while the hybrid turbo four will power most of the 250 examples of the C-X75 earmarked for production, a limited quantity will actually include micro-turbines as envisioned in the concept car. The jet engines (which will drive the rear wheels, so don't go expecting flames shooting out the back, Batmobile style) are reportedly being produced by the Bladon Jets Engineering Centre in Coventry - a company based near Jaguar's headquarters and partially owned by Jaguar's parent company Tata.

Although the turbines are only expected to produce 95 horsepower each (they are just a bit smaller than the ones you might find in a jet airplane), they need none of the cooling or lubrication systems required by traditional internal-combustion engines, leaving them lighter and easier to package - and making plenty of room for additional electric power to help the turbine-hybrid C-X75 hit 60 in just three seconds while returning exceptional fuel economy and emissions figures.

It'll be a few years still before this super-cat hits the road, but when it does, we're looking at something that will re-write the rule book even more than the XJ220 that came before.

Jaguar gears up to produce small run of turbine-powered C-X75 supercars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/08/jaguar-gears-up-to-produce-small-run-of-turbine-powered-c-x75-su/

Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Hдkkinen Bruce Halford

Chicago: 2013 Acura RDX gets more of the good stuff

Filed under: , , ,

2013 Acura RDX

More room, more power, more fuel efficiency and more advanced all-wheel drive are the four unique selling propositions for the 2013 Acura RDX. As with the 2013 ILX, the productionized version of Acura's people-hauler is very, very similar to the RDX Concept from Detroit with a new set of wheels and a new paint job.

The 3.5-liter V6 throws 33 more horsepower into the mix versus the previous generation's turbocharged four, and a brand new six-speed automatic transmission helps return an estimated 20 city/28 highway mile-per-gallon rating for the front-wheel-drive model. The AWD version only takes a slight knock from there, getting 19 city/27 highway.

The longer wheelbase and wider track equate to more room inside, and additional levels of luxury have been added features like Keyless Access, Pandora and an available power rear liftgate. There's plenty more information on it in the press release after the jump, and we'll have live shots from the Chicago Auto Show soon.

Continue reading 2013 Acura RDX gets more of the good stuff

2013 Acura RDX gets more of the good stuff originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/07/2013-acura-rdx-gets-more-of-the-good-stuff/

Damon Hill Graham Hill Phil Hill Peter Hirt

Tuesday

Kia Track?ster Concept Headed for Chicago, Topless Soul?ster Concept May Be Built [Updated with Photo]

The Kia Soul has been a big hit for the company, and it’s an even better drive than before thanks to improvements made for 2012. To sustain the momentum, the Korean automaker is showing a Soul concept at the 2012 Chicago auto show called Track?ster. Born at Kia’s California design studio, this box is intended [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/-unWjlskKTY/

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines

Q and A: Heidfeld on his Rebellion deal

Former grand prix driver Nick Heidfeld is returning to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2012 after an an absence of 12 years.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/q-and-a-heidfeld-on-his-rebellion-deal/

Ukyo Katayama Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan

HAYDEN INJURED IN TRAINING ACCIDENT

DUCATI HAYDEN INJURED IN TRAINING ACCIDENT Thursday Dec 29 2011 Nicky Hayden's winter vacation was marred on Tuesday, December 27, when he broke his left scapula and fractured two ribs while training near his home in Owensboro, Kentucky. Hayden was...

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/12/hayden_injured_in_trainin.php

Romain Grosjean Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby Andrй Guelfi

Tony Stewart Vampire Slayer

With his win in the 2011 AAA Texas 500 Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart cut Carl Edward’s Chase to the Sprint Cup lead to 3 just points.
Smoke has won four of the eight 2011 Chase races, including the last two. And even though Edwards leads in the standings, it is the Stewart wins [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BenchRacingWithSteveAndCharlie/~3/8vzZ19Brq3Y/tony-stewart-vampire-slayer.html

Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori

Snap-On Extends Its Relationship With Penske Racing In 2012

“Will Sponsor No. 22 In Nationwide Series” Snap-on Tools Racing MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 26, 2012) ? One of Penske Racing?s longest-tenured sponsors is building on its relationship with the organization in 2012. Entering its 30th year as a Penske Racing sponsor, Snap-on Tools will enhance its role with the organization to serve as a primary...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/nationwide/01/26/snap-on-extends-its-relationship-with-penske-racing-in-2012/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=snap-on-extends-its-relationship-with-penske-racing-in-2012

Jo Gartner Tony Gaze Geki Olivier Gendebien

Monday

2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series Spied, Looks Seriously Bad-Ass

Update 2/11: We?ve again captured the SLS Black, this time wearing more production-ready bodywork. Check out the new photos in the gallery. Keep Reading: 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series Spy Photos – Future Cars

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/d2tX2Nz2LHk/2014-mercedes-benz-sls-amg-black-series-spy-photos-news

Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther Yves Giraud Cabantous

Colin Monahan Named Marketing Coordinator at Infineon Raceway

Infineon Raceway SONOMA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012) Colin Monahan has been named Marketing Coordinator at Infineon Raceway, raceway officials announced....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/colin_monahan_named_marke.php

Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld

Rush Limbaugh Denigrates Nascar Fans

Source: http://www.4ever3blog.com/2011/11/25/2585949/rush-limbaugh-denigrates-nascar-fans

Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi

Join the Yahoo! Sports/Marbles fantasy league! Do it now!

All right, here's the deal: Fantasy NASCAR is coming up soon, and we at Yahoo! Sports want to fantasize with you. (Wait, that sounded really wrong.) Anyway, you need to get in on this action. Go to the Fantasy NASCAR homepage and sign up for a team. Then make sure you jump in on our special private league:

Fans of From The Marbles
Group ID: 31
Password: marbles
(sneaky password, yes?)

Anyway, the whole deal begins in a month or so with the Daytona 500. There'll be acclaim and love for the weekly winners, and you'll get the satisfaction of knowing that you're a better race analyst than [insert announcer name here]. Win-win all the way around. Get on it!

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/join-yahoo-sports-marbles-fantasy-league-now-160454796.html

Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings Brian Henton

Sunday

Hyland?s Inc. Hits NYC Times Square with Legendary Race Driver, Morgan Shepherd

Hyland?s Inc.Conover, NC ? February 1, 2012 ? With 45 years in stock car racing, Morgan Shepherd has inspired millions of fans to pursue their dreams and to stay active. Now at age 70, Morgan Shepherd has joined Hyland?s as a brand ambassador and key spokesperson for the company?s Masters Athletes Program. The partnership kicks...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/nationwide/02/02/hylands-inc-hits-nyc-times-square-with-legendary-race-driver-morgan-shepherd/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hylands-inc-hits-nyc-times-square-with-legendary-race-driver-morgan-shepherd

Aldo Gordini Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried

The Continental?s Detroit Notebook: The Best Motor City Show in a While

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. After this year’s Detroit auto show and a trip to California for a press event, I [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/MBcabD5GMJE/

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica

Sky to show live GP2 and GP3

British broadcaster Sky Sports will show live coverage of all GP2 and GP3 races on its new-for-2012 F1 HD channel. Starting with the GP2 opener at Sepang on March 24-25, Sky will show both the feature and sprint races live featuring FOM's world-feed commentary. The channel will also show coverage, analysis and discussion of the races in its weekly magazine show, presented by Georgie Thompson and Ted Kravitz

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/formula-cars/gp2/sky-to-show-live-gp2-and-gp3/

Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison

Trawling Daytona: Three Days at the Rolex 24 [Video and Photos]

While spending three days at last weekend?s Rolex 24 at Daytona, we learned two important things: First, the Grand-Am series appeared to be absolutely viable as a spectator-driven form of motorsport, and, second, skinny jeans have never been more in style. Particularly for the less-than-skinny. Indeed, the growing popularity of sports-car racing was evident from [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/YId8EIJOrJQ/

Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther

Power Rankings: NASCAR infield essentials

Welcome to Power Rankings! Sure, it's the offseason, but that doesn't mean we can't kick around some arbitrary rankings like we were at an infield tailgate. And speaking of infield tailgates, let's give the Power Rankings for the most important items you'll need at your next gathering. Prepare accordingly.

1. Flags. You've got to represent. Doesn't matter if you've got a banner the size of an auto dealer's flag or a soap-scrawled "88" on your windshield; you've got to back your driver. Now, NASCAR drivers' propensity to change teams can throw a wrinkle into this, so here's a handy rule: the more popular the driver, the less time you have to change over your flags. Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans needed to ditch the old "8" merchandise within days. Clint Bowyer fans probably have a good six months of lead time. Casey Mears fans? You guys are looked on with a mixture of indifference and pity. Get to it when you can.

2. Beer. Seriously, you even need to ask? This is like saying "oxygen is necessary." Encompassed in this category are all forms of mixed drinks: Jack Daniels and Coke, Jack Daniels and ice, Jack Daniels and cereal, Jack Daniels and more Jack Daniels. (What, there are other mixers besides Jack Daniels?) Tip: when drivers wander over to your campsite, and they occasionally do, don't offer them a drink. They have to drive, after all.

3. Music. Playing "Sweet Home Alabama" isn't just recommended, it's required. There are plenty of other candidates for the rest of the playlist, though; "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band has played at literally every race I've been to since its release. "Red Solo Cup" by Toby Keith wants so badly to enter that rotation, but its contrived need for acceptance should keep it on the outside looking in. Anyway, get yourself a good playlist. We'll whip one up here sometime soon.

4. Grilled meats. A necessity. Plus, you need to get yourself a specialty. Ribs, wings, whatever. Do something better than anybody else around you ... and then don't share.

5. Campfire. Or fire barrel. Or fire pit. Or fire of any kind, really. Most of the world's problems have been solved by five dudes standing around a campfire in a NASCAR infield. Problem is, they're usually too drunk to remember the solutions the next morning. Anyway, flame is seductive, especially in the infield. Just be careful who you seduce. That brings up a whole new set of problems.

6. A tricked-up ride. Sure, you could show up in a pickup and throw your tent on the ground, but why not go all the way? Spot-weld an old school bus into a traveling NASCAR freakshow! Invest half a million dollars into an RV nicer than your home! People will be so impressed, and isn't that what's important?

7. Disinfectant. I know this goes against the rules of the infield from the earliest days of NASCAR, but in the last few decades, infield diseases have mutated into these super-strains of virus so lethal that they have to be kept contained within the semi-sterile confines of the infield itself. Be careful, friends, lest you be skeletonized within minutes by sharing a beer.

8. Golf cart. This is a necessity for getting around the vast expanses of the infield, but it's not always logistically possible. Still, if you can get yourself a golf cart, you will never lack for a beer. (Which you should not drink while driving the golf cart, but still.) Never underestimate how badly people need to get to that bathroom a hundred yards away.

9. Satellite receiver. Because the worst place on earth to watch a NASCAR race is actually inside the infield at a NASCAR track, many technologically motivated fans will actually bring a satellite dish into the infield to, yes, watch the race as it circles around them. Postmodern America, baby!

10. Sharpie. Or ballpoint pen. Or chunk of ashy firewood. Or anything that you can use to get autographs. NASCAR drivers are among the best in sports for signing autographs, and you don't want to be caught without a writing implement. Of course, if you can goad one of them into punching you (not always tough to do, particularly after a race) you can just get the fist-mark tattooed.

N/A: Shower facilities, vegetables, recording devices of any sort. Should be self-explanatory in all three cases.

Got more to add? The comments are your playground, friends.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/power-rankings-nascar-infield-essentials-154320016.html

Al Keller Joe Kelly Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel