It?s Your 2013 Exit Interview: No. 2 Matt Kenseth

Welcome to From the Marbles' 2013 driver reviews. Here, we're going to critique, praise and bloviate about the top 30 drivers in the 2013 NASCAR season.

We'll refrain from making a remark about how much a change of scenery helped you, Matt, because that's blatantly obvious, isn't it?

For all of the success that you had this season, it feels a bit overshadowed by what happened at Phoenix. It was the worst time -- OK, so maybe Homestead could have been worse -- to have your poorest race of the season. Going toe-to-toe with Jimmie Johnson was suddenly negated with a ill-handling car and an inability to work through traffic.

But it shouldn't. You won seven races. That's two more than you've ever won in a Sprint Cup season, though your tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing certainly didn't get off to an auspicious start with the engine gremlin attack at Daytona. Imagine what would have happened if that would have been your Phoenix downfall.

Yeah, one of those race wins may had been a tad tainted, but it may have been in spite of the overweight rod and not because of it. That explains how the penalty was sharply reduced. You also won the first race of the Chase, and that set the stage for the showdown with the champion.

After two years outside of the top 10 in 2008 and 2009, you've entrenched yourself (again) as a top 10 driver. That's not going to change any time soon.

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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Previous Reviews: No. 3 Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Kyle Busch, No. 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 6 Jeff Gordon, No. 7 Clint Bowyer, No. 8, Joey Logano, No. 9 Greg Biffle, No. 10 Kurt Busch, No. 11 Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kasey Kahne, No. 13 Carl Edwards, No. 14, Brad Keselowski, No. 15 Jamie McMurray, No. 16 Martin Truex Jr., No. 17 Paul Menard, No. 18 Aric Almirola, No. 19 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 20, Jeff Burton, No. 21 Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 22 Marcos Ambrose, No. 23 Denny Hamlin, No. 24 Casey Mears, No. 25 Mark Martin, No. 26 David Gilliland, No. 27 Danica Patrick, No. 28 David Ragan, No. 29 Tony Stewart, No. 30 Dave Blaney

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/2013-exit-interview-no-2-matt-kenseth-193437654--nascar.html

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Report: Corvette Stingray probably won't get 8-speed automatic until 2016

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Chevrolet

There is still no official confirmation from Chevrolet about an eight-speed automatic transmission making its way into the C7 Corvette Stingray, but the Corvette's chief engineer Tadge Juechter seemed to focus on when - not if - the new gearbox would be ready. In a conversation with Auto Guide, Juechter suggested that we might not see the new transmission until 2016 as other Corvette projects continued to be developed.

First up for Chevy engineers is to focus on the all-new 2015 Z06, which is still undergoing final development testing and will be the first to utilize the eight-speed. After that, then Chevy would have more time to calibrate this transmission for use in the Stingray in regards to traction control, launch control, etc. This transmission would likely be used in other Chevy products, including the possibility of the Chevy Silverado.

In the interview, Juechter does give us a hint at just how fun the new gearbox will be in the Corvette (whenever it arrives) as he states that the eight-speed-equipped C7 is "like driving a sports bike."

Corvette Stingray probably won't get 8-speed automatic until 2016 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/31/corvette-stingray-probably-wont-get-8-speed-automatic-until-201/

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Tony Stewart not be completely healed, says he will be ready by Daytona

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Tony Stewart is ready to return to the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet for the 2014 season. During the annual NASCAR Media tour Stewart admitted that a broken leg that forced him to miss the end of the 2013 season was not fully healed.
?This is an injury that?s not healed 100% ? there?s no bones about it,? Stewart said about his leg. ?But it is reality that it could get injured again.?
Still the three time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion said he had been working hard to return to action.
?We?re doing everything we can to prepare for whatever scenario we can think of. I?m hoping we go out in the first session and we?re going to say we worked way too hard (in therapy).?
Stewart also told reporters that he had been fitted for a new seat after he lost weight during the early stages of his recovery when he had no appetite.

Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/nascar/article_external/tony_stewart_not_be_completely_healed_says_he_will_be_ready_by_daytona/15646151

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Alphabet-Happy Logo of Newly Formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Inspired by Shapes

Those who predicted that Sergio Marchionne’s corporate juggernaut would be called Fiat Chrysler, rather than the Auburn Hills brand getting premier billing, were correct: Fiat comes first. That may be hard to swallow for Chrysler’s devotees, but they may take solace in the fact that the new company will be based in the Netherlands?something of [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/n9KR7IsQKKo/

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Lentol Wants 20 MPH Speed Limits on Big, Dangerous Brooklyn Streets

This afternoon, Assembly Member Joseph Lentol announced that he’s sent a letter to Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg asking for 20 mph speed limits on the busiest, deadliest roads in his district.
Assembly Member Joe Lentol. Photo: Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership
“There are three main streets within my district that are notorious for speeders ? McGuinness Boulevard, Kent [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2014/01/28/lentol-wants-big-dangerous-brooklyn-roads-included-in-20-mph-slow-zones/

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Which Came First, Children or Cars?

Today on the Streetsblog Network, James Kennedy at Transport Providence brings up an experience he had recently that’s likely to be familiar to many younger community activists — the “you-don’t-have-kids-yet-so-you-don’t-matter” brushoff:

How did people with children get by before the invention of the automobile? Photo: The Guardian
I was talking to a mid-level Providence official about the [...]

Source: http://streetsblog.net/2014/01/27/which-came-first-children-or-cars/

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Warning Signs From Columbus About America?s Big Suburban Housing Glut

The Columbus, Ohio, region could support the construction of more than a billion square feet of mixed-use development on existing parking lots alone — but only if planners get their act together, says researcher Arthur C. Nelson. Photo: Richard Webner
Columbus, Ohio, is a convenient microcosm of the United States as a whole.
Demographically, Columbus closely resembles [...]

Source: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2014/01/24/warning-signs-from-columbus-about-americas-big-suburban-housing-glut/

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No Such Thing as Too Much of a Good Thing: Volkswagen Developing Ultra Golf R

The development team in Wolfsburg must be under the impression that there?s no such thing as too much of a good thing. We say that because the GTI is wonderful, and in some ways the Golf R is even better, yet Volkswagen still is hard at work an even more powerful version of the upcoming [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/4jVCwCe1eaU/

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