Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/all-news/vincent-and-hesla-victorious-at-sebring
Saturday
Vincent and Hesla victorious at Sebring
Fifteen members of the Red Sox Racing League traveled to Florida for the ?Ghost Festival Hallowed Eve” during week eight of the 2012 Season Three schedule.� The Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida was the site of the event.� Hosting races since 1950, the track’s 3.7 mile, 17 corner layout is a favorite amongst drivers and fans alike.� An extremely wide front stretch invites passing, but the rest of the course forces drivers to remain focused on their next corner instead of the competition.� Situated on an active airport, the track includes a variety of racing surfaces as drivers transition from smooth hard concrete and softer asphalt sections. After missing last week’s race at Spa, defending Class A champion Brad Vincent celebrated his birthday by returning to racing action in [...]
The Continental: Volkswagen?s Plans and a BMW Engine That Never Happened
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. Volkswagen is working hard to reach the ambitious U.S. sales targets it set for 2018. The [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/VlB32VQsmJk/
Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr
Alonso got ?maximum from the car?
Fernando Alonso believes he extracted every bit of speed possible from his Ferrari as he struggled to seventh on the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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
Friday
Dale Earnhardt Jr. cleared to return to the track
After sitting out the past two races with symptoms from a concussion suffered at Talladega, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been cleared to return to the track this weekend at Martinsville.
Earnhardt completed a rehabilitation program administered by Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty (handy name in NASCAR) as well as Dr. Micky Collins of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion program.
"Dale Jr. has done everything asked of him," Petty said in a statement. "He hasn't had a headache since Oct. 12, and we have not been able to provoke any symptoms since that time. I have informed NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports that he is medically cleared for all NASCAR-related activity."
Earnhardt underwent a battery of tests, most notably a 123-lap Sprint Cup car run at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. A final neuropsychological evaluation Tuesday morning in Charlotte cleared Earnhardt to race, and he'll get back behind the wheel of the No. 88 this weekend.
Earnhardt's injury, and more specifically the way in which he has dealt with it, opened up a new line of dialogue in NASCAR: the incidence and prevalence of head injuries, as well as the sport's loopholes in dealing with potential injuries. Among the questions Earnhardt's injury raised: Does NASCAR do enough to catch and address potential head injuries? (Drivers who can drive their car back to their hauler after a wreck, as Earnhardt did, are not checked.) Would Earnhardt have stepped out of the car if he were still in the running for a championship? Should NASCAR make adjustments to the season points standings accumulation to prevent the huge disincentive to drivers to get out of the car?
This chapter of Earnhardt's concussion story is done, but the overall issue could, and should, change NASCAR's operations in the coming years.
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Happy Hour: So, what about this whole Kurt Busch thing?
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face. Let's get to it, shall we?
Hey Busbee -- you're an idiot. Also, what do you think of what Kurt Busch did on Sunday?
? Jay Busbee
Atlanta, GA
What a witty letter, and I'm sure the writer is devilishly handsome. All right, I cheated a bit and sent myself a letter on this topic, 'cause I'm sorry, but we've already covered the whole Talladega mess ad infinitum and nobody sent me a letter suitable for printing on the KuBu situation.
Anyway, at this point I almost feel sorry for Busch. Almost. I mean, he must be thinking that there's absolutely nothing that he can do that won't be misinterpreted and twisted. Problem is, he still does things that don't even need to be misinterpreted or twisted to look bad, like driving away from safety officials without your helmet on. But Busch hides behind irrelevant phrases like "my competitive fire," trying to tie himself to old-school (to use one of his pet phrases) NASCAR style when, in fact, he's just being a jerk.
Somebody needs to sit Busch down, somebody that he respects, and tell him: the days of acting however he wants without consequences are over. Yes, the rules are different for him now. He gets more media scrutiny, and less rope, than any other driver on the circuit. And the opportunities he's had to make things better, he's squandered, time and time and time again.
Here's the problem: Busch's actions have veered from his words so many times that we don't believe anything he says or does anymore. Example: I was in the press scrum surrounding Busch at Talladega on Sunday. (That's my hand and iPhone there at center left. I was trying to show Kurt the level I'd just reached on Angry Birds Space.) You can't ever know the truth of a guy's mind, but his farewell-hug-tour of his team seemed premeditated and choreographed just for the cameras. Maybe it wasn't, but we immediately suspect it was ... and that's a real problem for Busch going forward.
Hey, I want Kurt Busch in NASCAR, and I want him on a good team. The sport could use more strong personalities like his, and I'm fully aware that strong personalities don't always run exactly the way you want them to. But enough with the blame-everybody-else routine, enough with the self-professed innocence. New team, new chance to create a new image for himself. Good luck ? serious, not sarcastic ? to both Kurt and Furniture Row.
___________________
Your story "Dega delivers..." sounds like you are crediting the fans for the restrictor plate. What gives? Fans don't favor having the plates, never did ... don't blame the fans! Fans don't like to see such big, catastrophic wrecks. If you ask me they should shut down Talladega, period. Or build a nice road course track in the infield.
? Mike Williams
Adin, CA
I didn't blame the fans, I simply said their safety was the reason for the change. Like motorcycle helmets and two-beer-per-customer limits at ballgames, it's a way of protecting fans from their own worst instincts. But oh, were there a variety of opinions on this Talladega issue ...
___________________
I can't speak for all of us, but I can say among the fans I know, no one watched for or enjoyed the pile-up at Talladega. �I'm thinking that "meme" is something akin to unicorns, yeti, and Nessie - a legend. Without question, we're drawn to watch wrecks, and to some extent, they're a part of racing. Yet when a single accident removes 25 cars, something is ghastly wrong. This isn't demolition derby.
? BigAlNC
This gives me a chance to run one of my favorite videos: the 1960 Daytona 500. Check out the back-in-the-day racing, or fast-forward to the 1:50 mark for a wreck that makes Sunday at Talladega look like a parking-lot fender-bender:
____________________
Plate racing is not racing, every driver says so. �Even the great Earnhardt Sr. said as much many times. �When drivers can go into a race knowing they have no control of their finishing position, knowing their team has no control over the finishing position, it is not racing.
? Christopher Sanford
The luck factor is a huge problem with Talladega, I grant you that. But was it really bad racing? Other opinions differ ...
___________________
It was unfortunate that the raced ended in a wreck. �However, it was the best race of the season. There were over 30 cars on the lead lap, the winner could have been any of 12 to 15 cars, and the winner was not determined until the end. �This is racing, as opposed to the typical boring Sunday drive about when you have less than 10 cars on the lead lap and the winning car was determined after a few laps ... If Sunday's quality of racing continues I will return. I hope NASCAR does something to bring real car racing to all of the tracks so I can become an avid NASCAR fan again.
? Robert�J�Honold
Restrictor plates at all tracks? Make it so! Anyway, what this race (and my email inbox) showed is that no matter how much we all want to believe our version of what constitutes a good and a bad race, the truth is, there's absolutely no consensus, and there never will be.
____________________
Why does Tony Stewart get 22nd-place points when he caused everyone to wreck? What an [body part]. He should get the worst points placement of anyone else on the lead lap in the wreck caused by him. Can you imagine if anyone named Busch would have caused that wreck?
? Old School
Yeah, Tony pretty much skated on that wreck; if anyone else had been involved in it, he'd have ripped them a new [body part]. But no, of course he shouldn't be penalized overmuch, and he shouldn't be paying for anyone else's damage (another popular criticism). This is racing, and it happens. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of 'Dega.
____________________
How does NASCAR determine where each car finished in a wreck like this? I thought the field is frozen upon signal of the yellow flag. Being a Dale Jr fan, that should have put him around 6 or 7, but he ended up 20th.
? Joe G.
Jacksonville, FL
It's not as simple as freezing the field; NASCAR judged it based on each car's ability to blend back into a theoretical pack. Freezing the field at the moment of caution would have had Stewart in about fourth or fifth, and he was upside down at the time. NASCAR makes a judgment call on where cars should be able to blend back together, not on their exact position on track.
____________________
I love that the roots of NASCAR were formed in running 'shine, and there's no way Junior Johnson got away from the revenuers just turning left. �Give me a track where these guys are driving like someone is on their tails over a 180 mph parade any day.
? Oscar Hopper
Phoenix
Hell, give me a track where someone IS on their tails. Hide contraband in one car and call the cops, Talladega Nights-style. Driving for your freedom is a lot more inspiring than driving for a snack-food sponsor, am I right?
____________________
I'm just curious, when you recently wrote that Bowyer "is the epitome of what the world expects a NASCAR driver to be," what exactly did you mean ?
? Joe
Did I say that? Yeah, I probably did, what with the use of the word "epitome" and all. Pretentious jerk. Anyway, it was a compliment. Bowyer's an affable dude with a leathery look and an accent that would frighten people on both coasts. Combine those, and you've got your perfect NASCAR driver for non-NASCAR fans.
_____________________
Regarding Talladega's race attendance on Sunday, one article mentioned: "The main culprit, NASCAR and track officials have said, is the global economic downturn that started in the fall of 2008." Does this mean the infield previously included a contingent of thousands of drunk Europeans and Asians?
The article also mentioned the race competes with college and pro football...though the article failed to mention Coach Satan's team [that would be Alabama; I hope I didn't need to explain that -JB] did not play this past weekend (and, I imagine, Auburn fans might complain that their team did not play this past weekend, either).
? W Connor
NO, LA
This year, for the first time ever, I drove straight from the highway all the way into the track, and that NEVER happens. I wasn't even that early, either. Attendance is a problem that's becoming more serious by the weekend, and NASCAR's going to have to face some hard truths very soon.
And, yeah, the global economy plays a role ... Greece used to run these junkets from Athens to Talladega, and oh lordy, the parties they'd have in the infield.
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski Ruby Tuesday Dodge
NASCAR Royal Purple 300 Schedule for March 24, 2012 (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The NASCAR Royal Purple 300 race is scheduled for Mar. 24, 2012, at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Qualifications will be at 1:30 p.m. EST with the actual race planned for 5 p.m. EST on Mar. 24. In 2011, Kyle Busch won the Royal Purple 300 while Carl Edwards was the pole...
The Phoenix Racing No. 51 has a smiley face on the hood
With Kurt Busch in the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 for the remainder of the season, Phoenix Racing went with a new paint scheme for its first race with Busch in another car.
This week at Charlotte, the red No. 51 has a smiley face on the hood and the sides of the car. Why? We'll let car owner James Finch explain:
"If you wreck 25 cars this year, you haven't been smiling much," Finch said. "That's 25 wrecks. I don't think the whole garage has used that much sheet metal this year ? except at Daytona and Talladega.
"Twenty-five wrecks would make anyone dizzy. For a small team to repair 25 wrecks and show up for every race on time, I think they did a great job."
Regan Smith, who was in the No. 78 until Busch replaced him this week, was scheduled to be in the car this weekend, but he was called into action over at Hendrick Motorsports after Dale Earnhardt Jr. was diagnosed with a concussion. That opened the spot for AJ Allmendinger, who is making his first start after completing NASCAR's Road to Recovery program.
Allmendinger was suspended just before the July Daytona race after failing a drug test after the Kentucky race, and was replaced in the Penske Racing No. 22 by Sam Hornish and eventually released from his contract at Penske. He qualified 38th for Saturday night's race.
Thursday
Fontana Tough to Watch but NASCAR Drivers Love to Race: Fan Opinion (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
NASCAR Sprint Cup returns to the West Coast to race the two-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana March 25. Fontana is a double-edged sword for NASCAR. The track is a favorite for drivers because it is smooth, wide and racy but for fans it is a long, drawn out race that usually ends...
WRC events push for timing answer
World Rally Championship event organisers have called on the FIA to retain Stage One Technology as provider of the series' vital timing and tracking systems. There was anger at the rally organisers' meeting in Paris earlier this week when FIA rally director Jarmo Mahonen was unable to provide clarity on who would be running the safety tracking and timing systems from the 2013 Monte Carlo Rally onwards
Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs
Bloomberg Announces Carpool Rule for Manhattan-Bound Drivers
After a morning and afternoon when car traffic completely clogged NYC streets and river crossings, Mayor Bloomberg announced new restrictions for drivers entering Manhattan via bridges and tunnels on Thursday and Friday. On most crossings, only cars with three or more people will be allowed to enter Manhattan.
A curb-to-curb traffic jam on Atlantic Avenue in [...]
A curb-to-curb traffic jam on Atlantic Avenue in [...]
Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/10/31/bloomberg-announces-carpool-rule-for-manhattan-bound-drivers/
Team Honda Research - West and Rimicci Corse Prepare for the USAF 25 Hours of Thunderhill
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (October 30, 2012) - The United States Air Force 25 Hours of Thunderhill race is just over a month away with plenty of high profile entries preparing for the twice around the clock plus one hour race...
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/10/team_honda_research_-_wes.php
Autoblog Podcast #306
Filed under: Podcasts, SEMA Show, SUV, Truck, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan
2014 Chevrolet Corvette LT1, Motor Trend SUV of the Year, 2014 GM trucks, SEMA
Episode #306 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette LT1 engine, including an interview with Jordan Lee, General Motors small block program manager. Other topics include the soon-to-debut 2014 General Motors pickups, the Mercedes GL being named Motor Trend SUV of the Year and SEMA highlights. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #306:
Topics:
- 2014 Corvette's new LT1 Small Block
- 2014 Chevrolet Silverado
- Mercedes-Benz GL is Motor Trend SUV of the Year
- SEMA
In the Autoblog Garage:
2013 Nissan Altima
2013 Cadillac XTS Platinum
Hosts: Dan Roth, Zach Bowman, Jeff Ross
Guests: Jordan Lee
Runtime: 01:35:54
Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly
Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Review the show in iTunes
Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #306
Autoblog Podcast #306 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/31/autoblog-podcast-306/
JosŠ¹ FroilŠ±n GonzŠ±lez Oscar GonzŠ±lez Aldo Gordini Horace Gould
Wednesday
Espargaro wins, Marquez is champion
Pol Espargaro did everything he could by dominating the Phillip Island Moto2 race, but third place for Marc Marquez clinched the world championship for the future Honda MotoGP rider. Marquez only needed two points from the final two rounds to secure the title.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/espargaro-wins-marquez-is-champion
Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard
Today?s Headlines
It Could Take Weeks to Get the Subways Fully Running Again (Bloomberg, NYT, WSJ)
Climate Change Doesn’t Mix With Booming Development in the NYC Floodplain (CapNY)
Cuomo, Assessing NYC’s Vulnerability, Almost Says the Words “Climate Change” (NYT, TransNat)
We’ll Need the Transit System to Bounce Back to Help Prevent More Sandies (MTR)
Video: Flooding at South Ferry/Whitehall Station (2nd [...]
Climate Change Doesn’t Mix With Booming Development in the NYC Floodplain (CapNY)
Cuomo, Assessing NYC’s Vulnerability, Almost Says the Words “Climate Change” (NYT, TransNat)
We’ll Need the Transit System to Bounce Back to Help Prevent More Sandies (MTR)
Video: Flooding at South Ferry/Whitehall Station (2nd [...]
Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/10/31/todays-headlines-1507/
Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman
MATT ARTIN JOINS NHRA AS DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS
NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012) NHRA announced today that Matt Artin, an eight-year veteran in media planning, advertising and promotions, has joined the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body as director of advertising and promotions....
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/matt_artin_joins_nhra_as.php
SEMA: Mazda brings trio of tricked-out CX-5s to Vegas
Filed under: SEMA Show, Crossover, Mazda
We at Autoblog do love us some Mazda CX-5 - it is, without a doubt, the best-driving compact crossover in the segment. And since 2013 is the CX-5's first model year here in the States, it only makes sense that Mazda has used the 2012 SEMA Show to give us an idea of just how far its CX-5 can reach in terms of design and functionality.
First up is the CX-5 180, ready to hit the beach with its attached Rusty surfboard or take to the slopes with a Burton Cheetah snowboard. Its blue-and-black color scheme features a topographical map graphic of southern California hot spots like Big Bear Lake and Point Dume. Other upgrades include black chrome 20-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, and a new matte red finish along the grille adds a funky accent to the front fascia. Inside, aqua leather has been fitted to many of the CX-5's touchable surfaces, and there are contrasting bright white leather inserts on the door panels, seats and steering wheel.
Moving on to darker tones, the CX-5 Dempsey - named for Mazda racing driver and Dr. McDreamy Patrick Dempsey - shows the first application of the automaker's 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel engine on a North American-spec CX-5, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. (Well-placed foreshadowing, we hope.) Like the 180, the Dempsey CX-5 rides on dark chrome 20-inch wheels, and its paint scheme is meant to mimic the high-performance, competitive architecture of the specialized bicycle racer - cycling is one of Dempsey's big interests, after all. To that end, there's a Thule T2 carrier holding an S-Works Tarmac SL4 Red bike that features a carbon fiber frame with red highlights.
Last, but certainly not least, is perhaps our favorite of the CX-5 concepts. In terms of design, anyway. The CX-5 Urban might simply look like it's painted in a matte finish, but upon closer inspection, you'll see the multi-dimensional shadows with triangular patterns woven into the paint finish. It's seriously cool, as are the extended wheel flares that house new 22-inch matte black wheels.
Scroll down for the full details, and click through the attached image galleries for views of all three CX-5s from every angle.
Continue reading Mazda brings trio of tricked-out CX-5s to Vegas
Mazda brings trio of tricked-out CX-5s to Vegas originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/30/mazda-cx-5-180-dempsey-urban-sema-2012/
Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet
Can You Spell S-T-R-E-S-S?
Reluctantly, I have to admit that it has been a while since my last blog entry, mainly because I?ve recently moved house. It?s common knowledge that moving home is generally recognised as one of the most stressful life events you will ever experience ? my move has been no different. However, what I?m surprised to find is that extended broad band disconnection doesn?t even feature as a stressful life event… not even top 100! As you can imagine, I was amazed to be told by a reputable telecommunication service provider (the name of which will not be disclosed to protect the innocent untimely) that I wouldn?t be reconnected for… wait for it… half month! Were they laying a telephone line from the moon to my house or what!? As the [...]
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/can-you-spell-s-t-r-e-s-s
Tuesday
Shifter Issues Plague Casey Mears and GEICO Racing Team at Charlotte
Casey Mears - Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCARCONCORD, N.C. (October 14, 2012)�? In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, things can change in a blink of an eye. Last week at Talladega Superspeedway, Casey Mears drove his way to the front of the field, leading laps and placing his No. 13 GEICO Ford in...more»
The post Shifter Issues Plague Casey Mears and GEICO Racing Team at Charlotte appeared first on Catchfence.
Related Stories:- Tough Day Does Little to Deter Mears and GEICO Team
- 600-Miles No Match for Proven Endurance Racer Casey Mears; Notches 9th Top-25 in Charlotte
- Casey Mears and GEICO Team on Right Track with Fontana Finish
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catchfence/~3/3O6tT6aV_jo/
Luke Lambert to crew chief for Jeff Burton in 2013
The preparations for the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season have already begun.
Richard Childress Racing announced Monday that Luke Lambert would be the crew chief for Jeff Burton and the No. 31 in 2013 and that current crew chief Drew Blickensderfer would be replaced by Shane Wilson atop the team's pit box for the final three races of 2012.
"I want to thank Drew for all of his effort with the No. 31 Caterpillar team this season," Richard Childress said in a release, "He's a great crew chief and I can't say enough about his dedication to RCR. Making the move now, before the season is over, gives Drew some additional time to pursue other opportunities.
"Shane is a proven winner and I appreciate his willingness to step into this role for the balance of the 2012 season."
Wilson was Kevin Harvick's crew chief for the first 24 races of the season before he was replaced by Gil Martin, Harvick's old crew chief. Wilson also served as interim crew chief for Paul Menard when his crew chief, Slugger Labbe, was serving a NASCAR suspension. So after Texas, Wilson will have crew chiefed for all of RCR's teams in 2012.
According to a report from Fox Sports, Blickensderfer will be the crew chief for Marcos Ambrose in 2013, replacing Mike Ford, who became Ambrose's crew chief for the final 10 races of 2012 when Richard Petty Motorsports swapped crews before the Chase. Before coming to Richard Petty Motorsports, Ford crew chiefed for Denny Hamlin, and was atop the pit box when Hamlin finished second to Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Per the Fox story, Ford has an offer to crew chief at BK Racing in 2013.
Lambert and Burton worked together for the final 17 races of 2011 when Lambert replaced Todd Berrier as Burton's crew chief. Lambert is currently the crew chief for Elliott Sadler in the Nationwide Series. Sadler is leading the points standings with three races to go. Burton is 19th in the Sprint Cup Series standings.
India Sunday quotes: Marussia
Charles Pic - 19th: "It was a great race for me, especially after a disappointing qualifying yesterday. We didn't get the chance to show our pace then, but we did today and I am very happy for that. I got a very good start and made up five places at Turn 1 and for the first lap, getting ahead of Petrov
Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin
Lotus says Raikkonen will get stronger
Kimi Raikkonen will be a much stronger driver in 2013 than he was during his comeback season for Lotus, reckons his team boss.
Brian Gubby AndrŠ¹ Guelfi Miguel Šngel Guerra Roberto Guerrero
Monday
Happy Hour: How forthcoming should drivers be about concussions?
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face. Let's get to it, shall we?
This past weekend was another fuel mileage race. Ever had a fuel mileage race in real life? I've only run out of gas once. Prom Night. Except that I miscalculated and had already dropped my date off. Shouldn't have been conserving fuel, apparently. And my buddies were more brutal on me for that than any NASCAR media member. Deservedly so.
All right, to your letters!
There was so much praise for Junior for admitting to having a concussion after Talladega. Then Jeff Gordon made his comments that he would hide a concussion if there were 2 races left and he was in contention for the Championship. So many people are commenting about Jeff Gordon's statement saying how stupid and unsafe that would be. What I don't understand is why those same people aren't trashing Junior for actually having and hiding the concussion he got at Kansas during the tire test and then drove in six races afterwards. Junior actually hides a concussion, races for six weeks, get another concussion and finally speaks up after he is out of the Championship. Junior is a HERO! Jeff makes a statement on a hypothetical question and he is scum of the earth. Are people just so willing to trash Gordon for nothing really? Or is it just a case of Dale Junior can do no wrong?
? Eric
Charlotte, NC
When you were a teenager, did you ever stay out late? Hang with that hellraiser your mother warned you about? Take a nip from your dad's liquor cabinet? Go on a prom date with a guy too stupid to check his gas gauge beforehand? And if you did do those things, did you ask your parents for permission first? Hell no, you didn't. It's that classic aphorism: it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. That's exactly what's at work here. Earnhardt was, in a sense, asking for forgiveness, while Gordon was laying out a hypothetical and, while not asking for permission, talking about something that hadn't yet been done. I don't think that there's any inherent anti-Gordon bias, any more than the usual EVERYBODY HATES MY FAVORITE DRIVER WAAAAHHH bias that every fan trots out every season. Gordon was just in a position of strength rather than weakness; kicking Earnhardt when he just got out of his car seems cruel.
Of course, you can bet your Amp that nobody's going to be too thrilled about him getting back in a car after another big wreck without a thorough exam.
Let's continue along these lines, shall we?
____________________
Do you think if NASCAR allowed points earned by substitute/fill-in drivers to count towards the championship for the regular driver, it would encourage drivers who have possibly had concussions to be more open getting checked by doctors? If the penalty wasn't as great for coming out of the car for a race or two, I would think it would foster a safer environment for the drivers and their competitors. I realize this isn't ideal for sponsors and us fans, but who really gives a damn about dollars when drivers' safety is the concern.
? Levi Douglas
Music City, TN
I think you're dead-on right here. There's such a powerful disincentive to self-report injuries that it's no wonder no one does. If a quarterback gets a concussion, they don't sit the entire team the next week. The one-race mulligan could be an interesting addition, but I like the idea of not lopping points off just because the driver is out for injury. We've got precedent ? the "drive-till-you-puke" case when you have a sick driver and a replacement ? so why not allow this in very limited, doctor-approved circumstances?
____________________
With Dale Jr. out for two or more weeks, it's highly likely an insurance claim either by "Jr's brand" and/or HMS has been filed, that claim being worth almost equal to a Yahoo! sportswriter's weekly salary. It'll unquestionably increase premiums and knowing that insurance companies are always looking to minimize risk. Do you think they'll strongarm drivers, teams and NASCAR into "revisiting" the safety of plate tracks? Why not start with a traveling medical staff like Indy car has? Or what about slowing them down with an inner loop on the back stretch like the Glen's "bus stop"? Three wide stacked ten deep into the bus stop at 195mph. Now that's "bloodthirsty!"
? Ricky Bobby
Ricky Bobby. He wakes up in the morning and pens excellence. Or at least a good question. The only way NASCAR is going to make changes here is to bow to pressures greater than itself: sponsors and public opinion. The insurance angle is an interesting one; how much more is it going to cost to run these races, from an insurance perspective? The idea of a traveling medical staff is an absolute necessity; there should be enough trained medical personnel at a track to survey every driver in every wreck, no exceptions. It's not being safety-nannies, it's protecting these guys so that they'll be able to race for many more years on end.
Also, they should slow the cars to 45 mph. Just to be safe.
____________________
Can we dispel the myth that Kurt Busch is so talented the he will make a team better just by sitting in the driver's seat? I'm not saying he is not talented, he just doesn't make teams better. Phoenix Racing hired him to improve their finishes. Before hiring Busch they were a mid- to low-twenties owner points team; when he left the team they were a mid- to low-twenties owner points team. Busch's talent is not improving bad teams' it is taking a top flight team to one championship, then in the course of one year using a bad personality to make him not worth the trouble. He and his brother need to find their Darrell Waltrip moment, the realization that all the talent in the world doesn't matter unless you follow it up by being a good person.
? Keith Acquard
Bennington, NY
Well put. Kurt will continue to get chances, and it's continually up to him to prove he can handle all of the demands of modern-day NASCAR, which means putting on a good face for sponsors and fans. He'll continue to have his defenders and his detractors until that moment when he wins a championship, then saves a kitten from getting squished on the track. Hey, it could happen.
____________________
We all know why Regan Smith's engine failed Saturday night. It was an experimental engine that Hendrick wanted to test for reliability. If they didn't tell Dale Jr about the engine swap and the engine failed, that would preserve Dale Jr.'s ego in knowing that he would have been out of the Chase anyways regardless of his decision to step out of the car. I'm sure they had a very good idea that the engine would fail at
some point in the race.
? Mack Wingfield
Well, it makes as much sense as the "NASCAR is biased against [my driver] and that's why they [threw/didn't throw] that yellow flag."
I'm no engineer, but I'm not thinking that the Chase is the best place to start with an experimental engine.
____________________
I've been attending five or six races and camping every year for many years. I am about to drop to one or maybe two because most of the tracks prices are getting totally outrageous and the campsites are now so small we can hardly park our tow vehicles with our RV's.
? Don
Bristol, RI
I feel for you, Don. The cost for a NASCAR weekend now is phenomenal. And there's no easy answer; NASCAR needs to be appealing to the wide base of fans over the local race attendees if it's going to survive, but it can't ignore those local fans. Tracks need to remain inventive and innovative with pricing structures, and everybody needs to go after price-gouging hotel owners with a pointed stick.
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
VIDEO: Kurt Busch talks about moving to Furniture Row
Kurt Busch talked Friday at Dover about his impending move to Furniture Row Racing, one that will start before 2013.
Busch will take over at Furniture Row at Charlotte for the final six races of the 2012 season in preparation for driving the full season for the team in 2013. He's replacing Regan Smith, who will drive his final race for Furniture Row at Talladega. A replacement for Busch in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing entry that he currently drives hasn't been announced.
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Two-Time Olympic Medalist Patton, Three-Time Indy 500 Champ Rutherford To Serve As Grand Marshals For ?No Limits? Half Marathon & 5k
Texas Motor Speedway No Limits Wild Asphalt CircusFORT WORTH, Texas (Oct. 15, 2012)�-�Two-time Olympic silver medalist Darvis “Doc” Patton� and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford will serve as Grand Marshals for the inaugural “No Limits” Half Marathon & 5k benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Texas Motor Speedway. Rutherford, a 74-year-old...more»
The post Two-Time Olympic Medalist Patton, Three-Time Indy 500 Champ Rutherford To Serve As Grand Marshals For ‘No Limits” Half Marathon & 5k appeared first on Catchfence.
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Last month Streetfilms took a look at how�Vancouver is making big strides�toward becoming a safe bicycling city. As we learned while in town for the Velo-City 2012 conference, the city government is not alone — it has a great partner in the regional�transportation agency, TransLink, which provides transit service for 22 regional municipalities, plus funding [...]
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Stoner thrilled to win before departing
An ecstatic Casey Stoner expressed his relief at managing to win at least once more before retiring from MotoGP, as he dominated his home race in Australia. With the ankle he injured at Indianapolis still recovering full function when he returned to the grid at Motegi, it looked like he would be hard-pressed to return to the top step of the podium in his remaining races before quitting the sport
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Long Green-Flag Runs Go Against The Good Sam/Camping World Ford Fusion At Charlotte
2012 No 21 Good Sam/Camping World Ford FusionTrevor Bayne and his No. 21 Good Sam/Camping World Ford Fusion hung onto the lead lap for the first third of Saturday?s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the race?s long stretches of green-flag racing worked against them and they came away with a 22nd-place...more»
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Allmendinger Moves Forward in Charlotte
The helmet of AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet, sits atop his car in the garage area. - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCARCharlotte, NC – 14 October, 2012-AJ Allmendinger was back in NASCAR Sprint Cup action this weekend, making his first Cup start since June. Returning to work after...more»
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It?s no surprise that Jimmie Johnson is tops at Charlotte
Entering last year's Charlotte race, Jimmie Johnson trailed points leader Carl Edwards by four points. He left trailing by 35.
It was the perfect symbol for the end of Johnson's reign. He crashed at a track that he had dominated throughout his career. In his five championship seasons, the lowest Johnson had ever finished at Charlotte was 14th. That was in 2007, and after that race, he was in second, trailing teammate and points leader Jeff Gordon by 68 points ? or roughly 2o points converting to the current point system.
So this current 14 point deficit to Brad Keselowski? Nah, that's nothing. (For all of his success at Charlotte, Johnson has never taken the points lead during the race. In 2006 and 2007, he's entered and left trailing, and in 2008-2010, he was the points leader both before and after.)
Johnson's average finish at Charlotte is the highest of any Chase driver at 11.8, with six wins and 14 top 10s in 22 races. Yes, it's worth noting that since his last win (the 2009 fall race) that Johnson has finished 28th or lower three times in five races. But, it's Jimmie Johnson at Charlotte. After all, the dude did win four straight races there at one time.
Here's how the other Chasers stack up:
Kasey Kahne: Kahne's won the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this season and you can make a case that he's been the series' best on intermediate tracks this season. That bodes well, as four of the final six races are at 1.5 mile tracks. In his career at Charlotte, Kahne has three wins and an average finish of 12.7.
Tony Stewart: Think of how different the storylines would be surrounding Tony Stewart this week if he would have held onto the lead for another 1/3 of a lap. Anyway, Stewart's average finish is 14.0 at Charlotte and his lone win there came in 2003. In last year's race, he had the pole and led 94 laps, finishing 8th.
Matt Kenseth: Here's the man that won last year's Charlotte Chase race and the guy that won Sunday at Talladega, and he clocks in with a 14.2 average finish. Kenseth has 14 top 10s in 26 starts, and is going to need to repeat if he wants to get out of the Chase cellar.
Denny Hamlin: Hamlin's average finish at Charlotte is a nice, round, 15.0 and he's got 7 top 10s in 14 starts. He finished second in the Coca-Cola 600, and unless he finishes behind Johnson or Keselowski, I'm sure second this time would be just fine too.
Gordon: Gordon clocks in with an average finish of 15.7 and 21 top 10s in 39 starts. His last Charlotte win came in 2007. You know what will probably happen on Saturday night? He'll finish fourth... behind Keselowski, Johnson and Hamlin, in that order.
Keselowski: His fifth place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 was Keselowski's first top 10 in six Charlotte starts, and he finished 16th in last year's Bank of America 500. As we've said before, Keselowski is NASCAR's small sample size outlier, so his average finish (16.5), is likely the least indicative of anyone else's.
Greg Biffle: Being in Roush equipment for all of his 19 starts at Charlotte, doesn't it seem that Biffle's average finish would be higher than 17.1 and he would have won a race at the track before? Biffle has 4 top fives and 7 top 10s.
Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has finished outside the top 10 in his last four Charlotte starts, and was 13th in the 600 in May. His average finish is 17.5, and his best run came in 2007's fall race at the track, where he finished second and led 79 laps.
Kevin Harvick: Harvick's only victory at Charlotte came in last year's 600, when he seized the lead on the final lap when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas, the second of his four straight top 10 finishes at Charlotte. And he finished second and eighth in his two rookie Charlotte starts. But in the 17 races between his rookie year and the first of those top 10s, he only grabbed one top 10 finish. His average finish is 18.1.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has 11 top 10s in 26 Charlotte starts, with five top fives and no wins and an 18.8 average finish. He finished sixth in the 600, and 19th in last year's fall race. In between finishing fifth in the 2008 600 and seventh in the 2011 race, Junior's highest Charlotte finish was 22nd.
Martin Truex Jr.: Here's Other Junior, and his stats at Charlotte are slightly worse than Junior in the average finish department at 19.4. He's got two top 10s in 14 Charlotte starts and was 12th earlier in the year at the 600.
Ryan Newman: Newman has nine poles in his career at Charlotte, but the worst average finish of any Chaser at 20.1 Kind of weird, eh? Newman had the pole for both 2007 races, and promptly lost an engine in the 600 and crashed in the 500 for finishes of 39th and 28th. He was 10th in last year's Chase race here.
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