Saturday

TSTC: Cuomo Budget Would Raid $20 Million From the MTA

If you thought Albany had gotten over the habit of raiding the MTA for cash, think again.
Photo: Governor's Office
Nadine Lemmon at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign reports that there’s a $20 million transit raid lurking in Governor Cuomo’s 2013 executive budget:
This $20 million diversion of funds comes from a pot of money that is statutorily dedicated [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/02/06/tstc-cuomo-budget-would-raid-20-million-from-the-mta/

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica

Charlie?s Racing Pics

We have a small staff of real talented photographers On Pit Row. I am not one of them. I leave the important work to BethAnne, Glenn and Jordan. But that doesn’t stop me from taking my camera to the track. I don’t try to take serious pics. I mostly goof around. But sometimes, I like [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BenchRacingWithSteveAndCharlie/~3/0pBiOOGO_6M/charlies-racing-pics.html

Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg

Raikkonen: Feeling with car improving

Kimi Raikkonen says his feeling and comfort in Lotus's E21 improved during a day in which he also topped the timesheets for the Enstone-based squad. The Finn was fourth fastest but managed just 40 laps - less than a third of Nico Rosberg's total ? on his first day due as he made changes to his seating position.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/raikkonen-feeling-with-car-improving

Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison

Winning Races Only Thing That Mattered To Herb Thomas

Herb Thomas 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame InducteeRecord Winning Percentage Forged NASCAR Hall Of Fame Credentials DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2013) ? Take it from the King. Herb Thomas stood tall in an era when the stock in stock car truly defined what NASCAR?s pioneers raced. ?He was as good as they come,? said...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/01/28/winning-races-only-thing-that-mattered-to-herb-thomas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winning-races-only-thing-that-mattered-to-herb-thomas

Hans Herrmann Franзois Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill

Friday

NASCAR Statement On Substance Abuse Program re: AJ Allmendinger

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/2012/7/17/3166281/nascar-statement-on-substance-abuse-program-re-aj-allmendinger

Aldo Gordini Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried

Hagen, Hines have leg of on New Smyrna entries

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/02/hagen-hines-have-leg-up-on-new-smyrna.html

Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski

2013 Preseason Preview: No. 10 Matt Kenseth

As we count down to the 2013 Daytona 500, we're also counting down how we think the Chase will play out this season as predicted by Nick Bromberg, Jay Busbee, Jay Hart and Geoffrey Miller. So sit back, relax, and watch the 2013 Chase unfold before your very eyes. Though you should be warned, we picked Carl Edwards to win last year.

2012 Finish: 12th. Three wins (Daytona, Talladega, Kansas)

2013 Predictions:
Bromberg: 8th
Busbee: NR
Hart: 6th
Miller: 12th

Crew Chief: Jason Ratcliff

When we last saw Kenseth: He was winning two Chase races but nowhere near title contention. Why? Well, his teammate Greg Biffle, who we profiled Thursday, was out of the hunt after three straight finishes in the teens to open the Chase. Kenseth started with an 18th and a 14th and then finished 35th at Dover to find himself in the basement of the Chase.

Big Question for 2013: This one is pretty obvious, eh? Will there be a transition period at Joe Gibbs Racing? Kenseth announced that he was leaving the only Sprint Cup Series team he had ever known in Roush Fenway in June -- when he was atop the points standings. In the fall, he revealed that he was moving to JGR's No. 20 car and his presence means its an explicit disappointment if all three of the JGR cars miss the Chase.

Track most likely to win at: If this was last year's car and last year's team and crew chief combination (with Jimmy Fennig atop the pit box), this would be easy: Daytona and Talladega. Kenseth and Fennig had something special at the plate tracks, leading 245 laps and winning once at each track.

Track most likely to require a miracle to win at: Sonoma. Kenseth has finished in the top 10 once in 13 races in wine country and that was an eighth place finish in 2008.

How Kenseth could win the Chase: The man who won the last pre-Chase title gets a couple more wins in the regular season and avoids the crazy engine and random troubles that have plagued both Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin over recent seasons. At worst, Kenseth is making a lateral move in teams; not making the Chase with Gibbs would be just as big a surprise as if he was still at Roush.

How Kenseth couldn't: The adjustment to JGR and new crew chief Ratcliff takes the entire regular season and Kenseth misses the Chase.

A Haiku:
A champ makes a move
Matt's now a Husky driver
Another title?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/2013-preseason-preview-no-10-matt-kenseth-150353171--nascar.html

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki

2012 season in the rear view: Greg Biffle

Vitals: 5th in the points standings. 2 wins, 12 top 5s, 21 top 10s. 0 DNFs.

Moment to remember: After winning at Michigan in August, Biffle issued this statement:

Biffle was battling with Jimmie Johnson in the waning laps when Johnson lost an engine. On the ensuing restart for the oil that Johnson's car dropped on the track, Biffle pulled away from Brad Keselowski for his second win of the season.

The win also vaulted Biffle to the Sprint Cup Series points lead for the second time of the season and he'd hold that lead until the points were reset before Chicago.

Moment to forget: Biffle's proclamation at Michigan wasn't supported by finishing outside the top 10 in the first three Chase races. But the final blow to his championship hopes came at Kansas, when Biffle hit the turn four wall. He finished 27th, his lowest finish of the season, and left the track 11th in the points standings.

The wrap: Heck, it's almost like Biffle and Carl Edwards swapped places at Roush from last year to this year. After only three top fives and 10 top 10s all of last season, Biffle was a mainstay at the front of the field this season. And the fact that Kansas was the lowest finish of the season for Biffle was a testament to how well the team ran on a weekly basis. Biffle finished outside the top 20 an astonishing four times in 2012 and on two of those occasions, he finished 21st.

If we're looking for a stick-and-ball sports comparison, Biffle's closest comp could be the 2001 Seattle Mariners;� a team with a fantastic regular season that gets lost in the lights of a playoff loss.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/2012-season-rear-view-greg-biffle-004207512--nascar.html

Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Hдkkinen

Would You Rather be NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch or Dale Earnhardt Jr?

NASCAR debate: Would you rather be Kyle Busch with a whole bunch of wins AND haters galore, or Dale Earhardt Jr, with adoring fans and…….?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BenchRacingWithSteveAndCharlie/~3/9wCDhJJ59XA/would-you-rather-be-nascar-driver-kyle-busch-or-dale-earnhardt-jr.html

Jesъs Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine

Thursday

Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Agree to Contract Extension

Kyle Busch (L), driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, talks with car owner Joe Gibbs - Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty ImagesBusch to Drive No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for JGR in NASCAR Nationwide Series� HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (January 24, 2013) ? Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that it has signed driver Kyle Busch to...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/nationwide/01/24/joe-gibbs-racing-and-kyle-busch-agree-to-contract-extension/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=joe-gibbs-racing-and-kyle-busch-agree-to-contract-extension

Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith

Nissan Announces NISMO RS High-Performance Models, First Coming Next Year [2013 Chicago Auto Show]

Immediately following the debuts of the 2013 Juke NISMO and 2014 370Z NISMO at the 2013 Chicago auto show, Nissan announced it is working on even-higher-performance NISMO RS models. The harder-core RSs will aim to take regular Nissans into the dynamic stratosphere, and company reps told us to expect the first NISMO RS to arrive [...]

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

Josй Froilбn Gonzбlez Oscar Gonzбlez Aldo Gordini Horace Gould

Subaru Prices 2013 WRX and WRX STI Special Editions, We Suddenly Want Pumpkin Pie

Subaru has released MSRPs for the quite-orange WRX and WRX STI special editions it announced last November. The WRX sedan is set at $29,565, the STI sedan at $35,565. Both represent an increase of $500 over the standard-issue rally weapons. Unveiled at the automotive sideshow known as SEMA, this pair of harvest-hued Subies will be [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/e6xCbSz52Zs/

Joe James John James Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean