Monday, January 31, 2011
Arie Luyendyk Excited for 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Auction
Race fan Dan Johnson never has driven in the Indianapolis 500, but he shares something in common with two-time Indy winner Arie Luyendyk.
Johnson and Luyendyk both live in Arizona, and they both are pumped up about the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible that was unveiled as the 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car and will be auctioned Saturday [...]
Johnson and Luyendyk both live in Arizona, and they both are pumped up about the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible that was unveiled as the 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car and will be auctioned Saturday [...]
NASCAR Craftsman Trucks at Richmond 1997: (pt.4/7)
This part of the race was clipped short on my copy in two locations, so again, my apologies. An unknown caution came out before this part is shown. Ken Schrader (#53) leads the race at a restart and the field races to halfway. CAUTION #3 Halfway Break I cut out the halfway break in order [...]
Sunday, January 30, 2011
2011 Midwest Hall of Fame Inductees
There are many names in the auto racing industry that are worth remembering as having been instrumental in the development of the sport. In the Midwest there is also a proud history in regard to racing, which is documented and displayed in the Midwest Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame. The main focus of this establishment is to preserve the passion and heritage of the sport and pay tribute to those who have assisted in bringing auto racing to where it is today through their innovative ideas, racing skills and dedication to their sport.
Related posts:Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductions2008 Hawkeye Downs Speedway Wall of Fame InducteesInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction One to Remember
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From the snail-mail bag, five great suggestions for getting fans interested again in NASCAR
Great idea #4: Sprint Cup racin' on dirt tracks.
Dear NASCAR This Week,
I read your newspaper offerings weekly, and enjoy them, especially the comments from NASCAR fans. I've been a race fan for 65-plus years and enjoy sprints on dirt and NASCAR. Was talking to some buddies recently about what NASCAR could do to get fans “returning to the track,” and we came up with some suggestions:
Eliminate qualifying in its present format. At each event, have two qualifying races, starting half of the entries in each qualifier. The qualifier starting positions could be set by pulling numbers out of a hat, or something similar. The qualifier races should be short, maybe 50 miles at the max. Then take the top 20 finishers from each qualifier for the feature event. The features should be no more than 300 miles in length (with special exceptions). The races, as they are today, are too long, and real racing is usually put off until the last few laps. Shorter-distance races would encourage more intense competition throughout the event.
Eliminate this top-35 thing entirely. All that does is prevent potential new teams from being able to compete.
The points battle needs to return to the old format. Too much hype on the top 12 thing.
Maybe a couple of Sprint Cup races on dirt? There are some great mile and 1/2 mile tracks out there.
Lower the ticket prices for these events. An empty bleacher seat is a terrible thing to waste.
Thanks. -- Gary H., Newburgh, Ind.
Monte replies: Thanks to you and your friends for putting so much thought into this. We’d love to see Cup races on dirt, too, but there aren’t any dirt tracks capable of accommodating 50,000 or more fans.
Tony Stewart enjoys a new lifestyle
Stewart, who spent nearly a month racing in Australia, was back in the spotlight Monday during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour.
Hall of Fame nominee announcement on Thursday
NASCAR announced on Monday that the 25 nominees for the 2011 induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be revealed at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. The official announcement will be made on a special edition of the network’s show, “NASCAR Race Hub.”
According to a press release from NASCAR, there will be be at [...]
According to a press release from NASCAR, there will be be at [...]
Saturday, January 29, 2011
LM24 mid-race update: Risi #82 retires with gear selection issues
LM24 2010 has been tough on a couple of favorites, and the latest major player to fall out of the race is the #82 Risi Competitzione Ferrari. The Risi squad was aiming for their third GT2 win, and looked to again have the right car to do it. ...
24 Hours of Le Mans Hour 1 Tweetcast
Hour 1 of the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans has been pretty exciting and eventful despite the Peugeots early drubbing of the LMP1 class. The big story of the first hour was a fairly large shunt by Nigel Mansell in the Beechdean LMP1 Ginetta-Zytek that brought out the ...
Lotus Continuing to Double down ? as Chapman?s change their Bet from Green to Black
Although I have long tired over the STUPIDITY of this situation... Nevertheless I remain curious to see if these two warring entities can reach some sort of amicable settlement or if Goliath will just continue to try crushing David instead...As now it has been spewed all over thee internets how the Chapman family has decided to enter the fray upon the continuing pursuit of Group Lotuses attempts to SMOTHER Tony Fernandes and his Team Lotus 2.0 racing team.So I can see the Chapman family?s desires to leave the Team Lotus moniker on the sidelines and not return to active racing in Formula 1 ? which seemed to be Mr. Fernandes?s intentions, until Group Lotus irrevocably broke his licensing agreement to compete in F1 as Lotus Racing ? pulling the plug after just one scant year of the five year contract had run its course. Could this have had something to do with ex-Ferrari-man Dany Bahar?s bold ambitions to remake the Lotus Car brand?s image with a rival Grand Prix team that currently goes under the guise of Lotus-Renault GP... Which may or may not be owned by Gee-whiz, Err Gee-rard Lopez & his Genii Capitol investment firm, the Renault Car Company and Group Lotus under the stewardship of Proton, the Malaysian Government owned Auto manufacturer... (Uhm? I?m getting TIRED just typin? ALL of this; Hya!)Lotus-Lotus On the Wall...Yet, as I?ve mentioned previously, Messer Fernandes seems to have gone about his Formula One Team?s construction correctly every step of the way ? and I?d assume that Group Lotus has pushed him into the position of going back upon his word to the Chapman family?While perhaps I?m reading too much into this; but? Why hasn?t more noise been made over the report noting the deal between Group Lotus and the Chapman family ? in which Proton has sweetened the pot by promising to build a museum - Heritage centre to house the Team Lotus Classic collection, eh?While I agree that it seems like some sort of hoodwinking is going on by putting out a press release on December 23rd; two days before Christmas and a Thursday afternoon to boot... As surely everyone?s focusing upon the latest F1 News, right? But could this have been an off-handed way of the Chapman?s honouring their new-found commitments to Proton in exchange for a new building to house some of Colin?s old relics instead?Adam Cooper:?Clive Chapman did however mention that Group Lotus?s ambitious plans included a museum, or ?heritage centre? at Hethel, which would become a home for the fabulous Classic Team Lotus collection which he curates ? something that Fernandes clearly could not offer.?Chapman family backs Group Lotus
Friday, January 28, 2011
Williams F1 team announced plans to consider public
AP Williams F1 team announced alarming plans. To ensure the long-term financial health, the team intends to publicly release shares. After 2010, a large number of sponsors away from Williams, is an open secret, the British team official statement issued today by the plan, but eventually the implementation have yet to be determined. In 1977, [...]
KEN NOMURA SPRINT CAR RACING @ MOTEGI PART 2
KEN NOMURA SPRINT CAR RACING @ MOTEGI PART 2.
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GoPro HD Motorsports HERO CameraCapture the very best of your moto, auto, or sled-neck shredding in full-HD video with the GoPro HD Motorsports HERO camera and its included mounting options and hardware. Play back the pro-quality, 1080p HD video on your computer and watch your [...]
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GoPro HD Motorsports HERO CameraCapture the very best of your moto, auto, or sled-neck shredding in full-HD video with the GoPro HD Motorsports HERO camera and its included mounting options and hardware. Play back the pro-quality, 1080p HD video on your computer and watch your [...]
Two-year contract with Red Bull Renault engine Renault
Renault RS27 engine available (Source: RENAULT F1 TEAM ??AP Brazil’s local time Friday, November 5, Red Bull F1 team and engine supplier Renault announced two-year contract, which means that Horner led the team will use the power unit in France until 2012. ??Red Bull Racing beginning in 2007 with Renault engines, as at present, 4 [...]
Ashley Force Hood pregnant, won't race in NHRA for 2011
She is taking the 2011 season off to focus on motherhood and her new responsibilities as president of John Force Entertainment
NASCAR Makes Changes for 2011
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced some changes prior to the start of the 2011 season including how race points will be awarded to the drivers. (Jan. 26)
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My Greatest Day in Nascar: The Legends of Auto Racing Recount Their Greatest MomentsHere are the words of Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison, Richard Petty, and [...]
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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Hendrick: Changes weren't Earnhardt driven
The ongoing struggles of Dale Earnhardt Jr. were not the sole reason for the sweeping changes made at Hendrick Motorsports.
Milka setting Sights on ARCA?
This just in from ?Mega Milka Duno Fan ?CARPETS of Indianapolis ? noting that The Wanderin? Milka will ply her trade once again in this year?s upcoming ARCA Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Fan darling Milkalicious will drive for Sheltra Motorsports, the 2010 ARCA Champions, and should have just completed testing the past 3-days at DayToner by the time Y?all read this.Recall that Duno was entered in last years ARCA B-I-G Show at Daytona ? and I?m sure that THE ?DAWG will have all duh Dirt on his Posse ?O Femme Fatale ARCA drivers; HELL! He?ll probably even have some sorta new skinny on DannaWho?Milkalicious will pilot the No. 63 in the season opening Daytona race on February 12th and the team has boldly proclaimed they hope to make Milka the first Female Champion in RASSCAR...
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
F1 team completed the first round of the Pirelli tire test the new Ferrari temporary leader
Sohu Ticker November 20, last year’s winter testing F1 finale in the 2010 season, held in Abu Dhabi F1 Elias terminal end of a four-day track test. The new test in the previous two days, Red Bull teenager Daniel – Ricardo RB6 car driving rule the track. After two days in the Pirelli tire test, [...]
Superbikes ? Electric VS Gasoline
Finding more fuel efficient modes of transport has been at the top of the priority list for most manufacturers, who have been designing and building electric vehicles, and discovering new ways to power cars, so that their design is environmentally friendly. But it is not only cars that have seen innovative technology come their way, as electric superbikes have also been strutting their stuff on the racetrack. However, gasoline powered superbikes have never come up against electric superbikes and, as the latest electric superbike is too heavy to compete against other electric superbikes, it will be making history next year.
Related posts:Electric Motor Show 2010Grand Prix Motorcycle RacingLess Foreign Car Manufacturers Interested In NASCAR
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Bristol 1997: (pt.3/11)
Ron Hornaday (#16) still leads from the restart. Tony Raines (#19) has a problem with the transmission again and makes a pit stop. CAUTION #4 TammyJo Kirk (#7) gets spun in traffic on the backstretch. Dan Press (#75) and Curtis Markham (#32) spin and hit the inside wall as well. Hornaday gets another good jump [...]
Victory takes a gallop on the beach
The winner of the Sprint Cup at the conclusion of Sunday's Ford 400 in Homestead may or may not have the best car. What really counts -- in that race, and for the very survival of Racin' -- is what comes from the other side of the tracks of the mind: A dark woman's lucky smile. It's a Stone Agel truth which science getting to from the futurel side of the brain. Or so 'tis said at Ovalscreams today.
Road course expert Montoya seeks first win on an oval track
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Juan Pablo Montoya’s eyes gloss over at the question he’s heard about a thousand times before and one that he has an idea he’ll be hearing for the foreseeable future until he finally gets a victory on a certain type of track. As much as he has ...
From the snail-mail bag, five great suggestions for getting fans interested again in NASCAR
Great idea #4: Sprint Cup racin' on dirt tracks.
Dear NASCAR This Week,
I read your newspaper offerings weekly, and enjoy them, especially the comments from NASCAR fans. I've been a race fan for 65-plus years and enjoy sprints on dirt and NASCAR. Was talking to some buddies recently about what NASCAR could do to get fans “returning to the track,” and we came up with some suggestions:
Eliminate qualifying in its present format. At each event, have two qualifying races, starting half of the entries in each qualifier. The qualifier starting positions could be set by pulling numbers out of a hat, or something similar. The qualifier races should be short, maybe 50 miles at the max. Then take the top 20 finishers from each qualifier for the feature event. The features should be no more than 300 miles in length (with special exceptions). The races, as they are today, are too long, and real racing is usually put off until the last few laps. Shorter-distance races would encourage more intense competition throughout the event.
Eliminate this top-35 thing entirely. All that does is prevent potential new teams from being able to compete.
The points battle needs to return to the old format. Too much hype on the top 12 thing.
Maybe a couple of Sprint Cup races on dirt? There are some great mile and 1/2 mile tracks out there.
Lower the ticket prices for these events. An empty bleacher seat is a terrible thing to waste.
Thanks. -- Gary H., Newburgh, Ind.
Monte replies: Thanks to you and your friends for putting so much thought into this. We’d love to see Cup races on dirt, too, but there aren’t any dirt tracks capable of accommodating 50,000 or more fans.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sprint Car Racing in WA
Sprint Car racing in WA.
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Whelen Modified Tour Returning To Lime Rock For Sept. Race In 2011; K&N Pro Series East Gone From Schedule
Fall in Connecticut in 2011 will likely mean plenty of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing.
Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber confirmed Thursday that after a successful 2010 debut for the Whelen Modified Tour at the Salisbury road course, the track has decided to bring the division back next year.
Though the return of the division will come with some major changes.
Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber confirmed Thursday that after a successful 2010 debut for the Whelen Modified Tour at the Salisbury road course, the track has decided to bring the division back next year.
Though the return of the division will come with some major changes.
NASCAR highs and lows of 2010
Most improved driver: “Flame On” Harvick. Least improved auto manufacturer: Ford.
HIGH: Jimmie Johnson won a record fifth consecutive Sprint Cup championship, which is even more impressive in that no one else in the sport’s history as won more than three.
LOW: The exhortation of NASCAR vice president Robin Pemberton – “Have at it, boys” – proved to be emblematic of the season that followed. An on-track feud between drivers Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski boiled over in both the Cup and Nationwide Series. No one was hurt, but the crashes were scary and obviously intentional.
* * *
HIGH: Denny Hamlin’s run for the championship was inspirational and heartbreaking. Hamlin persevered in spite of a knee injury that required surgery … while he continued to race. He led Johnson by 33 points with two races remaining – and won two more races -- but wound up losing the championship by 39.
LOW: Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued to struggle. Ninety-three races have passed since his most recent victory. He will begin his fourth season at Hendrick Motorsports with his third crew chief, Steve Letarte. (A fourth, Brian Whitesell, just took the reins for one race.) He finished 21st in the standings and collected only three top-five finishes.
* * *
HIGH: Another driver who didn’t qualify for the Chase won the season’s two most prestigious races. Jamie McMurray captured both the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
LOW: Upset at being criticized, NASCAR officials tried to fine two drivers, Hamlin and Ryan Newman, in secrecy. Naturally, word leaked out, leading some to wonder what else the ruling body was hiding.
* * *
HIGH: The season’s two races at Talladega Superspeedway produced a total of 175 lead changes. The individual numbers were 88 and 87, the two highest such totals in the sport’s history.
LOW: Two of the sport’s more dignified drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, exchanged blows after Burton inexplicably wrecked Gordon’s Chevy under a caution flag at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 7. It’s difficult to buy Burton’s explanation that he didn’t mean to do it on purpose.
* * *
HIGH: The Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the Camping World Truck Series, Austin Dillon, actually won two races.
LOW: The rookie of the year in Cup, Kevin Conway, never finished higher than 14th and was 35th in the point standings.
* * *
HIGH: The most improved performance came from Kevin Harvick, who improved his average finish from 19.9 in 2009 to 8.7 in 2010. Under the point system in place prior to 2004, Harvick would have finished the season with 295 points more than any other driver.
LOW: Even though three of its drivers made the Chase, and Edwards won the season’s final two races, Ford’s NASCAR program still had a disappointing year. Chevys won 18 Cup races, and Toyotas won 12. Fords won four, and Dodge’s one-team, three-car effort claimed two.
HIGH: Jimmie Johnson won a record fifth consecutive Sprint Cup championship, which is even more impressive in that no one else in the sport’s history as won more than three.
LOW: The exhortation of NASCAR vice president Robin Pemberton – “Have at it, boys” – proved to be emblematic of the season that followed. An on-track feud between drivers Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski boiled over in both the Cup and Nationwide Series. No one was hurt, but the crashes were scary and obviously intentional.
* * *
HIGH: Denny Hamlin’s run for the championship was inspirational and heartbreaking. Hamlin persevered in spite of a knee injury that required surgery … while he continued to race. He led Johnson by 33 points with two races remaining – and won two more races -- but wound up losing the championship by 39.
LOW: Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued to struggle. Ninety-three races have passed since his most recent victory. He will begin his fourth season at Hendrick Motorsports with his third crew chief, Steve Letarte. (A fourth, Brian Whitesell, just took the reins for one race.) He finished 21st in the standings and collected only three top-five finishes.
* * *
HIGH: Another driver who didn’t qualify for the Chase won the season’s two most prestigious races. Jamie McMurray captured both the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
LOW: Upset at being criticized, NASCAR officials tried to fine two drivers, Hamlin and Ryan Newman, in secrecy. Naturally, word leaked out, leading some to wonder what else the ruling body was hiding.
* * *
HIGH: The season’s two races at Talladega Superspeedway produced a total of 175 lead changes. The individual numbers were 88 and 87, the two highest such totals in the sport’s history.
LOW: Two of the sport’s more dignified drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, exchanged blows after Burton inexplicably wrecked Gordon’s Chevy under a caution flag at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 7. It’s difficult to buy Burton’s explanation that he didn’t mean to do it on purpose.
* * *
HIGH: The Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the Camping World Truck Series, Austin Dillon, actually won two races.
LOW: The rookie of the year in Cup, Kevin Conway, never finished higher than 14th and was 35th in the point standings.
* * *
HIGH: The most improved performance came from Kevin Harvick, who improved his average finish from 19.9 in 2009 to 8.7 in 2010. Under the point system in place prior to 2004, Harvick would have finished the season with 295 points more than any other driver.
LOW: Even though three of its drivers made the Chase, and Edwards won the season’s final two races, Ford’s NASCAR program still had a disappointing year. Chevys won 18 Cup races, and Toyotas won 12. Fords won four, and Dodge’s one-team, three-car effort claimed two.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
108 qualifying points leader Fernando Alonso satisfied
Alonso Ferrari immediate access to the erection of “boss” status. AP Ferrari Fernando – Alonso’s 19 games in the 2010 race season, there are among the 15 qualifying teammate Felipe – Massa, before it is in the drivers championship wide lead of 108 Brazilian points. In an interview with Italian radio station Onda Cero’s interview [...]
Patrick looking forward to taking on Bristol in March
Danica Patrick has raced at a number of venues throughout her IndyCar and Nationwide Series career. However, March 19 she will come to face to face with a track like no other when she competes in the Scotts EZ Seed 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Swan Song Victory?: Ron Silk Wins In Possible Last SK Modified Race At Thompson For Owner Ed Partridge
THOMPSON - If this was it for car owner Ed Partridge and driver Ron Silk in the Whelen All-American Series SK Modified division at Thompson International Speedway, they went out with a bang.
Silk, of Norwalk, drove away from Ted Christopher on a lap 26 restart and won the 30-lap SK Modified feature at the World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson Sunday.
It was the second consecutive victory of the season for Silk, who went winless in 2010 before finding victory lane in the most previous event on Sept. 26.
"We found something here the last weekly race," Silk said. "We struggled a good part of the year, but the car drove great all weekend since we unloaded it."
Silk, of Norwalk, drove away from Ted Christopher on a lap 26 restart and won the 30-lap SK Modified feature at the World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson Sunday.
It was the second consecutive victory of the season for Silk, who went winless in 2010 before finding victory lane in the most previous event on Sept. 26.
"We found something here the last weekly race," Silk said. "We struggled a good part of the year, but the car drove great all weekend since we unloaded it."
Tommy Milton Wins his Second Indianapolis 500
Tommy Milton Wins his Second Indianapolis 500
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Friday, January 21, 2011
Johnson, Harvick turn up heat on Hamlin
Look out, Denny Hamlin. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are right behind you -- and they're making sure you know it.
Restrictor plate bigger this time around
The Nationwide Series may have a new car this weekend in Daytona, but the Sprint Cup Series has something new of its own — a new restrictor plate. The plate that’ll be used for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 will have 1 1/32-inch openings, the largest opening ever. Full Story
Kyle Busch wins at Homestead, clinches truck series' owners title
Pager item text:
Kyle Busch wins at Homestead
Slide text:
Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and won the race by .577 seconds over last year?s series champion.
In winning for the eighth time in 16 starts this season and the 24th time in his career, Busch locked up the owners? championship for his No. 18 Toyota in his first year as an owner in the series.
Johnny Sauter ran third, followed by 2010 truck series champion Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola, second in the standings this year.
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Kyle Busch wins at Homestead
Slide text:
Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and won the race by .577 seconds over last year?s series champion.
In winning for the eighth time in 16 starts this season and the 24th time in his career, Busch locked up the owners? championship for his No. 18 Toyota in his first year as an owner in the series.
Johnny Sauter ran third, followed by 2010 truck series champion Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola, second in the standings this year.
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IMS Photo: ?What do you do in the ?off-season??
After a few days of shooting for both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR with the AARWBA Banquet during which Dario Franchitti won the ?Jerry Titus Award? for the most votes from the media for the 1st Team, the next evening shooting the ?Night at the Museum? function for INDYCAR Ministries which was a fun [...]
NASCAR forcing drivers to choose which series they want points in
No more chances for multiple titles in NASCAR's big 3 series starting with 2011 season
Thursday, January 20, 2011
2011 Dakar Notes: Stage-2
And speaking ?O Princess; Gee Wally! Lookee ?Dar ? somebody?s already PEAK-ing... And the racing season?s barely begun; YIKES!As I sat down to watch the late night airing of Dakar ? would you be shocked if I told Yuhs the very first commercial outta the chute was DannaWho?Meanwhile two of the four ?Yanks: Mark Miller & Robby Gordon certainly look like they?ve PEAKED in this year?s Dakar, as Miller became the first major catastrophe when he managed to roll-over his VW Race Touareg 3 on another slithery day?s outing, dropping some 40+ minutes behind.How Many FIAT?s does it take to Move a Hummer?(Whale certainly MORE than One...)As this was the $64,000 question Robby Gordon was dying to find out the answer too ? after apparently having missed a turn and subsequently HIT a rock and then became High-centered, Err stranded on the Isle... As a local in a FIAT tried to push Gordon?s SPEED-energy Drinks HumDinger off of its precarious perch to NO avail!According to Gernot Bauer, the No. 303 Hummer ended up being stuck for 1hr (plus?) while Robby?s Navigator got food poisoning - reportedly throwing-up 5-times in the truck; Aye Karumba! DON'T even wanna think 'bout how 'Juan throws up with a full face helmet on, eh?
On second thought ?
Team owner Rick Hendrick and drivers with swapped crew chiefs: Mark Martin (who now has Lance McGrew), Dale Earnhardt (Steve Letarte), and Jeff Gordon (Alan Gustafson).
First, a preface. On Monday night, I was on Mojo Nixon’s Sirius NASCAR Channel show, “Manifold Destiny.” I noted that many Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans had been suggesting, no, demanding, that Earnhardt be given crew chief Chad Knaus, who assisted Jimmie Johnson in winning the last five Sprint Cup championships.
I said that, based on my knowledge of both men, Junior and Knaus wouldn’t get along for 15 minutes. I then said that I thought Steve Letarte, Jeff Gordon’s crew chief, would be a better match for Junior.
The next day Hendrick Motorsports announced that it was swapping the teams of the three drivers other than Johnson. Letarte moved to Earnhardt’s team. Lance McGrew moved to Mark Martin’s team, and Alan Gustafson moved to Gordon’s.
It looked as if I had had inside information. I hadn’t. It was just an observation that happened to occur the very next day. It made sense to me. I guess it made sense to Rick Hendrick, too. Skill is rewarding, but luck is more fun.
On Wednesday, I co-hosted another Sirius NASCAR (Ch. 128) show, “Trading Paint,” with Danny “Chocolate” Myers, who worked with Dale Earnhardt for years and is still affiliated with Richard Childress Racing.
On the day before, while driving, I had listened to some of the NASCAR Channel, just to see what everyone was talking about. Everyone was talking about the Hendrick moves and still were when Choc and I answered their calls and talked about them for most of four hours.
On Tuesday, while I was listening, almost everyone had been angry, particularly the fans of Earnhardt and Gordon.
On Wednesday, while I was talking to them and trying to answer their questions, most all of them had reconsidered.
The transition didn’t particularly surprise me. It’s not unusual for people to overreact on first impression, then think it through and come around. The near unanimity of the change is what surprised me.
The day before, it was the same show, Choc paired with his regular sidekick, Rick Benjamin. I was just substituting.
That made me the variable, I guess, but I don’t really think that had anything to do with it.
AP Source: NASCAR may scrap points system
The sanctioning body wants to go to a scoring system that would award 43 points to the race winner, and one point less for each ensuing position
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
NASCAR Notebook: Johnson ?qualified? to win
Four-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has cameras follow his every move in the garage during practice Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. for Sunday's Ford 400. Johnson qualified sixth, well ahead of Kevin Harvick (28th) and Denny Hamlin (37th). (Photo: Getty Images)
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – For the two contenders seeking to deprive Jimmie Johnson of a fifth straight Sprint Cup championship, qualifying was no cause for celebration.
Johnson qualified sixth at176.482 mph. It was a nice solid run, leaving him well situated for the start of Sunday’s Ford 400.
Kevin Harvick qualified 28th, which wasn’t that unusual. Denny Hamlin qualified 37th, which was. Hamlin’s previous low in qualifying was 34th at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 8. On the positive side, Hamlin did manage to salvage top-10 finishes in each of his previous qualifying performances that were 30th or worse, and he won after starting 30th just two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway.
A poor qualifying performance is also a poor predictor of race-day success, but starting deep in the field adds a certain amount of pressure to an already overheated championship battle.
Johnson held a press conference before qualifying, but what he said seemed pertinent: “I slept great. I don’t know if Denny (Hamlin) did, but I know I did.”
Hamlin’s response? “I feel the same as I do every week. No, I’m never uptight.”
* * *
SPEECHLESS--If Foster Gillett meant to quiet rumors regarding the future of Richard Petty Motorsports, this wasn’t the way to do it.
Gillett, whose father George is the official owner of the team that carries the seven-time champion’s name, was at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday. His presence spread quickly, but he refused to responded to any questions posed by media members.
Rumors have the team going out of business, going out of business temporarily while other investors are acquired and being sunk by the reputed mountain of indebtedness faced by the Gillett family.
Foster Gillett’s presence reportedly did nothing to allay fears among team members that their jobs are endangered.
* * *
STEWART’S TAKE-- Tony Stewart is the only driver who has won championships under both the “season-long” and current “Chase” format. Long relegated to the nether regions of the Chase field, Stewart offered his analysis of the three-way battle for the title.
“I think they’re all playing mind games with each other,” he said. “You don’t get this far in the season and be in this position by racing guys dirty. I don’t see it coming down to the last race with guys racing each other dirty.”
* * *
TITLE MAY GO THROUGH HIM--As expected, Carl Edwards established himself as a contender to win the race. He ended a 70-race winless streak last week at Phoenix and qualified second. Edwards won this race in 2008 and has finished eighth or better in five straight races at Homestead.
Referring to Hamlin, Johnson and Harvick, Edwards said, “They’re all going to be aggressive. That’s the way it’s going to be, no matter what they say. That’s how they got in the position they’re in, and now it’s going to be a great race for everyone to watch.
“I hope I’m watching the whole thing in my rear-view mirror, though.”
Lorenzo edges Stoner for MotoGP pole, Rossi 4th in Germany
Jorge Lorenzo squeaked out another pole position in MotoGP qualifying today, just besting Casey Stoner at qualifying for the MotoGP German Grand Prix. Lorenzo's time of 1:21.82 was only .02 seconds faster than Stoner, and just .13 seconds quicker than fellow countryman, Dani Pedrosa.
Strangely, Lorenzo's leaky motorcycle was nearly ...
Strangely, Lorenzo's leaky motorcycle was nearly ...
Tyrrell Six-wheeler Designer Perishes
So whilst doing my morning perusal ?O BloggerLand, (Tuesday) in order to cut ?N paste the day?s riveting news... I came across the sad news that Derek Gardner had passed away at the age of 79yrs old, as this name immediately made me say ? I know that name...As Messer Gardner was the Engineer who secretly designed Uncle Chopper?s (Ken Tyrrell) very first F1 racecar ? no less than in his own garage! After having begun his Formula 1 career as a Transmission specialist for Harry Ferguson, developing Matra?s four wheel drive system during the ?69 season.This was during the time that Ken Tyrrell was running customer March chassis as the Matra International Squad that had won both the Drivers & Constructors championships the year prior for the French manufacturer with The ?Wee Scot; Sir Jackie Stewart at the wheel.Gardner?s Tyrrell?s 003 & 005/006; evolutionary designs of the original 001 chassis would take JYS to his second & third World Championship titles in 1971, 1973 before Stewart walked away from the sport.Yet Derek?s most revolutionary chassis, which I see is now being called iconic ? is without doubt my most favourite Tyrrell of all time; those wild P34 Six-wheelers that caused quite a stir upon their debut back in 1976 ? their most successful season, when Jody Scheckter led Patrick Depailler home at Anderstorp to a historic 1-2 finish in the Swedish GP!And although not nearly as successful the following season, I personally like the ?77 paint scheme best, which was campaigned by the deceased duo of Ronnie Peterson and Depailler...
Ferrari deny that the ?disposal? Dell 2011 will usher in
Alonso wrong choice for the 15th lap championship come to naught. ??AP Ferrari technical director Aldo – Costa denied that the team will dispose of ending points leader Chris tactical error – Dell (Chris Dyer).blog ??8-point lead with Alonso finishing up a decisive battle was thought certain to win, the result as the team’s tactical [...]
Whelen Modified Tour Returning To Lime Rock For Sept. Race In 2011; K&N Pro Series East Gone From Schedule
Fall in Connecticut in 2011 will likely mean plenty of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing.
Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber confirmed Thursday that after a successful 2010 debut for the Whelen Modified Tour at the Salisbury road course, the track has decided to bring the division back next year.
Though the return of the division will come with some major changes.
Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber confirmed Thursday that after a successful 2010 debut for the Whelen Modified Tour at the Salisbury road course, the track has decided to bring the division back next year.
Though the return of the division will come with some major changes.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Kyle Busch wins at Homestead, clinches truck series' owners title
Pager item text:
Kyle Busch wins at Homestead
Slide text:
Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and won the race by .577 seconds over last year?s series champion.
In winning for the eighth time in 16 starts this season and the 24th time in his career, Busch locked up the owners? championship for his No. 18 Toyota in his first year as an owner in the series.
Johnny Sauter ran third, followed by 2010 truck series champion Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola, second in the standings this year.
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Kyle Busch wins at Homestead
Slide text:
Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and won the race by .577 seconds over last year?s series champion.
In winning for the eighth time in 16 starts this season and the 24th time in his career, Busch locked up the owners? championship for his No. 18 Toyota in his first year as an owner in the series.
Johnny Sauter ran third, followed by 2010 truck series champion Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola, second in the standings this year.
read more
Supercross: Will Dungey repeat in 2011?
As the Seattle Seahawks couldn?t hold my attention whilst losing on the road (once again) to the Tampa Bay Bucaneers; (Back on Dec 26th...) GEEZ! Uze meenze duh SEA-CHICKENS still had a chance to claim the Division NOBODY wants to win... Even after losing to the Buc?s on the road. Yet, somewhat shockingly - they won the NFC West Division over the St Louis Rams.And while I?ve been told repeatedly that the Seahawks are the Milka Duno of the National Football League ? after becoming the very first ever team in NFL history to win their division, along with making the playoffs with a losing record. (7-9) Nevertheless, Seattle?s in, after garnering NBC a ?Mega 12.6 rating for the Nail-biter Sunday night primetime finale...But back to a different week, when the NFL was asking Milka, Err the Seahawks to park-IT! Did I mention that I think Milkalicious is on Special Assignment for this year?s DAKAR? Hya! But I digress ? and thus, I was surprised to bounce into a 2011 AMA Supercross preview show being aired upon CBS ? WTF?2011 Supercross Preview ShowSupercross Legends Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Jeff Emig and Jeff Stanton breakdown the most competitive season ever...So I watched a bit of it, although I was a bit BUMMED by the Quartet?s ?O Champions seemingly Dissin? my Homeboy Ryan Villopoto, as NONE of these former two-wheeler?s included Villopoto in their title pick ? claiming that Ryan Flyin? V just doesn?t have the stamina to last a whole season ? being prone to crashing...As Carmichael, Emig & Stanton all picked Ryan Dungey to repeat as Champion in 2011; while McGrath proclaimed boldly how he never followed the pack ? thus he was picking rookie Trey B.T. Canard to pick up the scraps when Chad Reed, James ?Bubba? Stewart ?N Ryan Dungey all beat themselves into the ground while fighting for the crown.And whilst discussing the trio of upcoming ?Standout? rookies; Canard, Jake Weimer & a Player to be named later, (Sorry ? but I didn?t catch the third Amigos name) it was noted how preposterous it was that reigning two-time Lights East Champion Christophe Pourcel was without a ride! Which kinda made me think of the current plight ?O Indy Lights... As we?re still waiting for the FIL Boyz (and Girls) to actually have an impact upon the Big Carz, nee IndyCar; since currently reigning Indy Lights Champion J.K. Vernay is still without a drive for 2011, although I?m hoping he?ll wind-up in the second Conquest Racing seat, thanks in part to his potential Championship bonus from Mazda... Kinda like how ?Symone PaginNo? (Simon Pagenaud) did with his Atlantics cheque to become Will Power?s teammate in the waning Champ Car dazes...As the 2011 ICS season looks likely to be a potential Breakout year for the Indy Lights class with J.R. Hildebrand at Panther, Charlie Kimball at Chip Ganassi?s ?Seester B-Team. While hopefully Vernay, the Mayor ?O Hingetown (James Hinchcliffe) and ?Plowie (Martin Plowman) graduate to the Big Leagues this year...So, wouldn?t it be nice if Versus did a similar Preview show for the upcoming IndyCar season, with say ? Oh I don?t? know; Hmm? ?Lil Al, ?EMMO,? Booby Ray-X and Rick Mears as the Driver Expert?s panel ? instead of running another gauntlet ?O DannaWho? Promo-show?s...Meanwhile, I?ll stick with ?mize Homeboy Ryan Flyin? V (Villopoto) - who was on track to win the title last year before going down hard while chasing Dungey. While you can check out all the action from the Twenty-eleven season opener from Anaheim, CA live on SPEED at 7PM (PACIFIC) January 8th...
Chicago Auto Show 2011
2011 is the 103rd edition of North America’s largest auto show. The Media Preview will take place from 9 to 10 February 2011; the First Look For Charity on 10 February 2011; and the Public Show from 11 to 20 February 2011. Exhibitions at the Chicago Auto Show will include domestic and imported trucks and [...]
Related posts:Dallas Auto Show 2011North American International Auto Show 2011Calgary International Auto & Truck Show 2011
Related posts:Dallas Auto Show 2011North American International Auto Show 2011Calgary International Auto & Truck Show 2011
From the snail-mail bag, five great suggestions for getting fans interested again in NASCAR
Great idea #4: Sprint Cup racin' on dirt tracks.
Dear NASCAR This Week,
I read your newspaper offerings weekly, and enjoy them, especially the comments from NASCAR fans. I've been a race fan for 65-plus years and enjoy sprints on dirt and NASCAR. Was talking to some buddies recently about what NASCAR could do to get fans “returning to the track,” and we came up with some suggestions:
Eliminate qualifying in its present format. At each event, have two qualifying races, starting half of the entries in each qualifier. The qualifier starting positions could be set by pulling numbers out of a hat, or something similar. The qualifier races should be short, maybe 50 miles at the max. Then take the top 20 finishers from each qualifier for the feature event. The features should be no more than 300 miles in length (with special exceptions). The races, as they are today, are too long, and real racing is usually put off until the last few laps. Shorter-distance races would encourage more intense competition throughout the event.
Eliminate this top-35 thing entirely. All that does is prevent potential new teams from being able to compete.
The points battle needs to return to the old format. Too much hype on the top 12 thing.
Maybe a couple of Sprint Cup races on dirt? There are some great mile and 1/2 mile tracks out there.
Lower the ticket prices for these events. An empty bleacher seat is a terrible thing to waste.
Thanks. -- Gary H., Newburgh, Ind.
Monte replies: Thanks to you and your friends for putting so much thought into this. We’d love to see Cup races on dirt, too, but there aren’t any dirt tracks capable of accommodating 50,000 or more fans.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Austin Breaks Ground on future Grand Prix site
?The unofficial lap record for a car to negotiate the bumpy terrain is reportedly 31 minutes...?According to the Austin American Statesman - organizers of the future United States Grand Prix; who had hoped to begin construction work by the end of the year, have made good on this objective. As a small fleet of machinery attacked the proposed Turn 11 when breaking ground just days prior to that glitzy Disco Ball droppin? in NY?s Times Square.Work on the 970-acre site in southeast Austin is expected to be completed Just-in-Time for a June, 2012 date ? to most likely coincide with the Canadian GP at Il Notre Dam...Construction finally underway on Austin?s F1 facility
The Power and Sounds of Formula One Racing in Shanghai
2006 Sinopec F1 Chinese Grand Prix — Hear the power of Schumi, Alonso and Raikkonen ferrari and honda etc.. Alonso had an early lead only to see Micheal win it in the end… F1 Shanghai is a great experience, plus hitting the Amber Lounge Party afterwards and gettings a chance to meet all the drivers…
Related [...]
Related [...]
Harvick has high hopes for Martinsville Cup race
With only five races remaining in a season in which he led the points standings for 20 total weeks, Kevin Harvick has done his research for Sunday’s Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville.
VIDEO: Will Hendrick Score Again At Auction?
Rick Hendrick bought the first 2010 Chevrolet Camaro two years ago at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale...
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Lorenzo edges Stoner for MotoGP pole, Rossi 4th in Germany
Jorge Lorenzo squeaked out another pole position in MotoGP qualifying today, just besting Casey Stoner at qualifying for the MotoGP German Grand Prix. Lorenzo's time of 1:21.82 was only .02 seconds faster than Stoner, and just .13 seconds quicker than fellow countryman, Dani Pedrosa.
Strangely, Lorenzo's leaky motorcycle was nearly ...
Strangely, Lorenzo's leaky motorcycle was nearly ...
Hamlin, Harvick make gains on Johnson with strong Martinsville runs
Denny Hamlin outraced Chase leader Jimmie Johnson in Sunday’s TUMS Fast Relief 500 and closed a 41-point gap down to a mere six points with four races to go — the smallest margin ever at this point in the Chase since its inception in 2004.
NASCAR This Week ends operations today
It's been a hoot, but we gotta scoot.
NASCAR This Week is ending operations on Monday, December 6, and will go offline on Dec. 17.
While traffic to the site has continued to grow since April 2008 when we came online, NASCAR This Week failed to meet its financial expectations.
We’d like to thank Monte for his generous permission to feed all his stories to this site. We still believe he’s the best NASCAR journalist out there, and wonder if the NASCAR heat we got last summer was due more to Monte’s voice than the few bucks we were making off advertising.
Keep giving ‘em hell, Monte!
Monte will continue to cover NASCAR. You can find his stories on the NASCAR page at the Gaston Gazette where he works, as well as his blog, also located on the Gaston Gazette website. Monte also posts blogs on his personal MySpace page, and he also maintains a music MySpace page where you can hear his songs and find out where he’s performing next. He also has a page on Facebook.
We also want to thank all of you for stopping by over the past few years to catch Monte’s latest, join in the comment conversation or just enjoying some NASCAR octane.
Please leave us a message of farewell if you care to in the comments section below.
For the next couple of weeks we’ll leave up some of Monte’s best stories from the season. We think they offer ample evidence of why you should continue to follow Monte where you can. As we said, we think he’s the best around.
Here’s to great racin’ in the years to come!
-- Ovalscream
Real Formula one racing
Amazing driving, this is the last 3 laps, of the French Grand Prix, the Renault (yellow car) is attempting to take the lead of the Ferrari, but it’s not what the driver of the Ferrari (Gilles Villeneuve) this drivers were not going to back down, and hit wheels an incredible 6 times, and kept fighting.
Related [...]
Related [...]
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Re-Load: Risi seeks to build on Utah win in ALMS GT battle at Lime Rock
Houston, Texas - Tuesday, July 20 - Hot on the heels of its dominant GT victory in the Utah Grand Prix, Risi Competizione now heads to Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, for the second round of the five-race ALMS summer odyssey.
Its central aims will be to not only ...
Its central aims will be to not only ...
Hendrick Motorsports? Jimmie Johnson, wife expecting first child
Four-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and his wife, Chandra, are expecting their first child in July, spokesman Kristine Curley confirmed Monday. nascar.com
South Boston's Burton comes up short again at Martinsville
A victory at the race track located a little more than an hour away from his hometown just wasn’t meant to be yet again for Jeff Burton. The South Boston native made a strong showing throughout much of the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at the Martinsville Speedway, and arguably had ...
Friday, January 14, 2011
NASCAR forcing drivers to choose which series they want points in
No more chances for multiple titles in NASCAR's big 3 series starting with 2011 season
From the snail-mail bag, five great suggestions for getting fans interested again in NASCAR
Great idea #4: Sprint Cup racin' on dirt tracks.
Dear NASCAR This Week,
I read your newspaper offerings weekly, and enjoy them, especially the comments from NASCAR fans. I've been a race fan for 65-plus years and enjoy sprints on dirt and NASCAR. Was talking to some buddies recently about what NASCAR could do to get fans “returning to the track,” and we came up with some suggestions:
Eliminate qualifying in its present format. At each event, have two qualifying races, starting half of the entries in each qualifier. The qualifier starting positions could be set by pulling numbers out of a hat, or something similar. The qualifier races should be short, maybe 50 miles at the max. Then take the top 20 finishers from each qualifier for the feature event. The features should be no more than 300 miles in length (with special exceptions). The races, as they are today, are too long, and real racing is usually put off until the last few laps. Shorter-distance races would encourage more intense competition throughout the event.
Eliminate this top-35 thing entirely. All that does is prevent potential new teams from being able to compete.
The points battle needs to return to the old format. Too much hype on the top 12 thing.
Maybe a couple of Sprint Cup races on dirt? There are some great mile and 1/2 mile tracks out there.
Lower the ticket prices for these events. An empty bleacher seat is a terrible thing to waste.
Thanks. -- Gary H., Newburgh, Ind.
Monte replies: Thanks to you and your friends for putting so much thought into this. We’d love to see Cup races on dirt, too, but there aren’t any dirt tracks capable of accommodating 50,000 or more fans.
Memorial Day weekend brings more than 500 miles
The month of May is a busy month for the IndyCar teams, employees and fans of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway preparing for the Indianapolis 500. Preparation for a fan is key to having an exciting and unforgettable experience.
Before I was old enough to understand the importance of the Indianapolis 500, I was strutting through Lot [...]
Before I was old enough to understand the importance of the Indianapolis 500, I was strutting through Lot [...]
Whelen Modified Tour Returning To Lime Rock For Sept. Race In 2011; K&N Pro Series East Gone From Schedule
Fall in Connecticut in 2011 will likely mean plenty of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing.
Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber confirmed Thursday that after a successful 2010 debut for the Whelen Modified Tour at the Salisbury road course, the track has decided to bring the division back next year.
Though the return of the division will come with some major changes.
Lime Rock Park owner Skip Barber confirmed Thursday that after a successful 2010 debut for the Whelen Modified Tour at the Salisbury road course, the track has decided to bring the division back next year.
Though the return of the division will come with some major changes.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Dale Jarrett's transition to top NASCAR analyst going well
Dale Jarrett, ESPN’s lead NASCAR analyst, has made the transition from a championship NASCAR driver to the television booth as smoothly as his farther, NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, made when the sport needed an analyst to give the viewers insight into the driver’s seat from the press box.
Tom Walkinshaw fades away...
Perhaps Y?all have heard that Tom Walkinshaw, the guiding force behind TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) passed away on Sunday, December 12, 2010, at the tender age of 64yrs old ? having succumbed to his 3-year battle against Cancer...Tom Walkinshaw R.I.P. 1946-2010So, I?m not gonna try recapping his illustrious Motorsports career, which has been done all over the Blogosphere... But instead I?ll simply touch upon a few aspects of how I remember Messer Walkinshaw.I first became aware of Mister Walkinshaw during those heady Jaguar days ? when those iconic blue & white Bud Light XJR-Jaguar IMSA GTP Prototypes were carving up the Sports Cars landscape... As I seem to recall the North America?s lead driver being Davy Jones, along with Price Cobb... Although I?m certain there were many more - as Raul Bosel, Martin ?Billy Bob? Brundle and Arie Luyendyk most easily come to mind for me. Although I tend to remember something ?bout Derek Daly doin? 240mph+ on le Mulsanne Straight in those dominant Jaguar XJR-9?s... When the TWR-cars won the classic 24 Heurs du Mans twice, while gosh-gee-wilikers... I now seem to think someone name Eddie Cheever drove for The Cat too, eh?And I mostly saw The Cat?s at; Yep! You guessed it... Portland International Raceway, as they always put on a very good show, albeit I had a most enjoyable outing whilst once attending an IMSA GTP race in San Diego, CA. As a guest of an ex-Jaguar Test Driver, who took me to sleepy ?Ol Del Mar in a Jaguar XJS V-12 (making mincemeat of a Lincoln Mercury XKR-7? Who wanted to play with us...) to watch the super fast Bud Light twin turbo Jag?s dominate the field ?round the Del Mar Horsetrack grounds... As I can?t remember exactly what year this was, ?cept ?Gentleman John (Andretti) was driving a gold & white Miller Beer Porsche 962 ? which I?ve got pic?s of stashed awayz some where?s...Yet my favourite Jaguar was the menacing looking XJR-14 green Silk Cut World Sports Car (WSC) racecar ? which to me was most radical looking... A sorta Formula 1 racecar on Steroids, with the ubiquitous Airbox overheads of the extremely narrow cockpit surround. As I?d forgotten that that chassis was running a rebadged 3.5-liter normally aspirated Ford HB V-8, taken off of the 1990-91 Benetton-Ford?s lump, albeit slightly detuned in hopes of reliability concerns... As this was the era when Ford owned Jaguar and hence the Ford engine connection ? as the HB lump was quite competitive in Formula One during this time period...And although not directly concerning TWR, as Jaguar Racing F1 was born outta the Stewart Grand Prix concern, I?ll always chuckle to myself when recalling seeing ?Scooter, nee Scott Pruett sandwiched between those Jagg-U-war Boyz Mark ?Bicycles R-Us? Webber and Justin BIG UNIT Wilson; as Pruett was piloting a Bud Light Cat at Daytona that year...And while Walkinshaw was instrumental in Benetton?s rise to power as a Formula One Champion, most notably for bringing their Technical knowledge to the forefront; not to mention bringing Ross Brawn to the party... Yet for Mwah, Tom was best known for poaching a very young German by the name of Michael Schumacher from EJ, (Eddie Jordan) before ultimately falling out with Flavour Flav (Flavio Briatore) and buying the Arrows Grand Prix team...But sadly thru all of Walkinshaw?s accomplishments, my strongest memory of tom will always be the FUCK TOM! T-Shirts at the Nurburgring... Which I scribbled ?bout in my Nurburgring, 2002 Trip recap; as apparently Yuhs simply DON?T PISS OFF the Dutch ? Yuhs Here!European GP: Nurburgring ? June 21-23, 2002With evening having fallen, becoming dark outside, tired and feeling relaxed after the Bitburger?s; I fell asleep while Mary Ellen went out on her own; as she told me there were several drunks everywhere and that the Dutch seemed to be the rowdiest.She told me they were wearing T-Shirts that said: ?FUCK TOM!? What?s that all about? I just lay there laughing out loud? I explained how Tom Walkinshaw had just (let-go) fired Jos ?THE BOSS? Verstappen from Arrows... Replacing him with ?Heinz 57.? (Heinz Harald Frentzen) As apparently the Dutch are very loyal about their race drivers! As I still chuckle about this even now. It makes me very happy to see such devotion publicly displayed and as it turned out Walkinshaw was a total ?Wanker!?Nurburgring, 2002
New Year?s Tidings
Welcome to the year Twenty-eleven and Happy New Year?s Y?all!As now that I think ? Think Pink! The Christmas lights have been returned to their boxes and the petrol-fried, Err petrified trees have been discarded? I?m gonna throw a few Bones out ? which are in NO way intended to set a FUNK towards the overly fast approaching Two thousand-eleven racing season...Just a few things I?ve been sitting on until the Holiday Season was over, the last of Ye Eggnogg was downed and the final slivers ?O Holdazes Fudge was consumed, eh?Bone-1Thus, sounding like a broken record... Especially since I believe I?d commented on it befores, albeit I cannot seem to locate said Post; ?nor definitely (NOT!) being as eloquent as Geo. Phillips...It?s Time TO Fix The Record BookBut have Y?all ever tried to disseminate the Overall Indy Car winners tally totals... As it?s about as clear as mud on a rainy day! Since the Indy Racing League, which I used to call the inDEE Retirement league ? Yoose knows when all of the ?Washed-up CART Starz bolted for the greener (Dinero) pastures of Ronnie Georges rival ALL Oval racin? series; OOPS! ?Dat sure was a long time ago, eh?Yet, since Randy ?where?s-duh-Beef? Bernard has declared the Open Wheel Racing Series to henceforth be known as IndyCar ? will you pleas for the LUV ?O Chump Carz fix your stinkin? Historical records ? instead of continuing to admonish the CART/Champ Car drivers for having raced there previous to the IRL! As I believe that CART NEVER did this, since I?ve always understood since becoming a dedicated Fan (participant) nearly one-quarter century ago; YIKES! That the following USAC driver?s rooled the roost for overall victories in the Championship Auto Racing Teams record books...1979-2010(Rank/Driver/Wins)1. A.J. Foyt 672. Mario Andretti 523. Michael Andretti 424. Al Unser 385. Sebastian Bourdais 315. Paul Tracy 31 5. Al Unser, Jr 318. Bobby Unser 299. Rick Mears 2810. Rodger Ward 2711. Dario Franchitti 2612. Ralph DePalma 2512. Scott Dixon 25*12. Johnny Rutherford 2515. Bobby Rahal 2416. Jimmy Bryan 2316. Emerson Fittipaldi 2316. Gordon Johncock 2316. Tommy Milton 2320. Tony Bettenhausen 2120. Earl Cooper 2122. Helio Castroneves 1922. Ralph Mulford 1924. Danny Sullivan 1725. Alex Zanardi 1526. Tony Kanaan 14NOTEThis list was simply compiled by myself from some old statistics floating around in the No Fenders Archives ? Circa ?05; having NO idea where I found it upon ze internets... Therefore, it?s definitely NOT official by any means. (Use at your own risk...)Scott Dixon*; Don?t know/think that his current indicated wins tally of 24 includes his lone 2001 Nazareth, PA CART victory...Bone-2Although I know I should resist the temptations ?O commenting towards this, nevertheless ? it?s been drivin? me a ?Wee bit crazy... As ?Juan Blogger mentioned late last year how all of the Bloggeratzi had quit bloggin? now that the IndyCar season was over... HERROE? I posted stories ALL the way up to Christmas Eve ? Even if they?d been percolatin? awhiles in the No Fenders story hopper, eh?Since if there?s anything I do too MUCH of... It?s spending copious amounts ?O time poondin? awaze on meeze keebords... Err, getting? mize nucel?s BLOODY whilst scribblin? meeze heartz ?N eyeballz away! As an official card carryin? member of the now defunct United Open Wheel Word butcher?s Association. (Not to mention having to reformat this 'N other posts; Thanxs Blogger!)And that?s not to mention how I also kinda feel like a new Split is occurring in Bloggerland? As it seems you?re either an IRL Blogger, Uhm? IndyCar bloghead or an Open Wheel Blogger; Hmm? What?s that ?Ol saying ?bout sometimes Yuhs feels like a NUT; sometimes Yoose DON?T; Hya!Thus, being ?Juan of the latter, hence one receives way less coverage upon the Blogosphere ? even dare I say it? Being left outta weekly compilingz ?O Indy Car lore... As yeah, I know; I?m breaking rule No. 2 of the Four Secrets by taking this personally... so; Here?s My Sign, Eh! (As there ? I finally let it go...)Bone-3And I really know I should just finally let go of this ?Juan too, especially since Randy ?The CandyMann? Bernard is tryin? to instill an ALL sunshine policy (NOT to be Cornfuzed with the DannaWho Rainbowz ?N Bunnies World Tour...) as in: Who can make the IndyCarLand Zoom-Zoom again; Randy CAN!BUTT - Psst... Here?s an idea Mr. Bernard. If you truly wish to recover those 15-20 million Fans you lost during The Split... Then by all means QUIT punishing Portland and the Northwest for having been such devoted CART/Champ Car Fans and bring a FREAKIN? race back to Portland International Raceway! Of course you?ll haveda start some sorta new marketing ploy, now that you?ve given PIR?s traditional Father?s Day race weekend date away to Ahem... A Midwest track that traditionally draws a SMALLER audience then Portland did during its Heydays...As in case Yuhs can?t guess? I?m a bit partial to my Hometrack of some 20-years being given what I consider the Cold Shoulder... As I just DON?T get it; Yuh?s mean?s to tell me the Pacific Northwest AIN?T a desirable market? Oh Whale ? Never Mind!Hey IndyCar ? I think Portland?s still available...Bone-4For all of those Hosers Up North Eh! Especially that fine ?KuhNaidiun Lass Meesh ? would somebody step up to the plate and give Messer chrome Horn ? The Thrill from the West Hill, a.k.a. Paul Tracy a Fulltime ride in 2011, so we can see ?Ol PT go out in a blaze ?O glory, eh?And for IndyCarz sakes ? please QUIT clowning ?round and confirm the return of Edmonton, will Yuhs! As it?s apparently become my new Hometrack and I?d like to purchase my ticket in the track?s new configuration...Bone-5And lastly, whilst some think the replacing of Bob Jenkins by LyndieCar for the Versus IZOD IndyCar Central Pre-race show is a good thing; Hmm? Lindy Thackston or Mr. Oldie ? wonder which?s easier on the eyes, eh? Hey! Mr. Jenkins did host a Golden Oldies show; 1950-1960?s show on Radio Brownsburg last year...But just do me ?Juan BIG favour Versus... QUIT tryin? to replicate RASSCAR with a 1:43hrs LONG Preamble... Preferably just make it a consistent half-hour Preview show, or otherwise at least tell us when the race will start so we DON?T haveda be tortured by the starts coming up in just minutes, really, honest...And hey, if The Wanderin? Milka isn?t gonna be out on the track this year... Why not make her the ?Ofical Post-race winner?s interviewer? And Yuhs could even call it the CITGO Winners Circles Show ? all in the name of Commercialism... Or perhaps Versus could give Milkalicious her own TV show? Hey, if they can have Mouth ?N Mouthier doin? a 30min talk show ? as in the T?OuchOe Show, then why NOT Milka!
NASCAR?s big, but not that big, here
Will Denny Hamlin join the Miami posse of Lebron James? The opposite is unlikely.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It’s all about the South down here. No drawls. No plantations (well, there is a city near here called Plantation). But there’s South Beach, and the geography is unmistakable. Homestead-Miami Speedway may not be Southern but it’s as south as the United States of America gets.
NASCAR takes its traveling show to most parts of the country, but it doesn’t get much glitzier than this. Juan Pablo Montoya held his annual South Beach gala – or soiree or extravaganza, or whatever – on Thursday night.
In other big news, Denny Hamlin met LeBron James.
“It was just at our hotel, basically,” said the Sprint Cup point leader. “One of the guys that I know, that works at the hotel, asked if I cared to meet him, and I said, ‘Of course. Sure.’ I just briefly talked to him for just a second. It really wasn’t anything too big. Obviously, he’s one of the most interesting guys of the past year, so it was good to experience that.”
Asked if the NBA star knew anything about NASCAR, Hamlin said not too much.
“He’s heard of it. I don’t know,” said Hamlin. “I really didn’t ask him too much about to be honest with you. I got to thinking, though, I was sitting there and looking around and the scene around him, and what-not, and I was thinking, why in the world would he leave Cleveland for this?”
It may have been a bit like the time Red Grange visited the White House. Grange was introduced to Pres. Calvin Coolidge, who was told, “This is Red Grange of the Chicago Bears,” and the president replied, “I’ve always enjoyed animal acts.”
NASCAR is known here. Every Chase has ended here, not to mention the seasons of 2002-03 before there was a Chase. NASCAR holds its grand finale in a city made famous at various times by Jackie Gleason, Tony Montana and Dan Marino. It’s going to take at least a Montoya championship to make NASCAR a household name.
Or maybe Hamlin can win the championship and thus earn a place in LeBron’s posse.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It’s all about the South down here. No drawls. No plantations (well, there is a city near here called Plantation). But there’s South Beach, and the geography is unmistakable. Homestead-Miami Speedway may not be Southern but it’s as south as the United States of America gets.
NASCAR takes its traveling show to most parts of the country, but it doesn’t get much glitzier than this. Juan Pablo Montoya held his annual South Beach gala – or soiree or extravaganza, or whatever – on Thursday night.
In other big news, Denny Hamlin met LeBron James.
“It was just at our hotel, basically,” said the Sprint Cup point leader. “One of the guys that I know, that works at the hotel, asked if I cared to meet him, and I said, ‘Of course. Sure.’ I just briefly talked to him for just a second. It really wasn’t anything too big. Obviously, he’s one of the most interesting guys of the past year, so it was good to experience that.”
Asked if the NBA star knew anything about NASCAR, Hamlin said not too much.
“He’s heard of it. I don’t know,” said Hamlin. “I really didn’t ask him too much about to be honest with you. I got to thinking, though, I was sitting there and looking around and the scene around him, and what-not, and I was thinking, why in the world would he leave Cleveland for this?”
It may have been a bit like the time Red Grange visited the White House. Grange was introduced to Pres. Calvin Coolidge, who was told, “This is Red Grange of the Chicago Bears,” and the president replied, “I’ve always enjoyed animal acts.”
NASCAR is known here. Every Chase has ended here, not to mention the seasons of 2002-03 before there was a Chase. NASCAR holds its grand finale in a city made famous at various times by Jackie Gleason, Tony Montana and Dan Marino. It’s going to take at least a Montoya championship to make NASCAR a household name.
Or maybe Hamlin can win the championship and thus earn a place in LeBron’s posse.
Formula 1 2010 ? Red Bull Racing ? Car Launch
Just missing the mid-morning rain, the RB6 was unveiled to the public in Spain today. Mark and Sebastian drew back the cover to reveal the Adrian Newey-design car which will challenge for points, podiums and trophies in 2010. Following a brief photo session where the drivers were joined by our chief technical officer and team [...]
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Power and Sounds of Formula One Racing in Shanghai
2006 Sinopec F1 Chinese Grand Prix — Hear the power of Schumi, Alonso and Raikkonen ferrari and honda etc.. Alonso had an early lead only to see Micheal win it in the end… F1 Shanghai is a great experience, plus hitting the Amber Lounge Party afterwards and gettings a chance to meet all the drivers…
Related [...]
Related [...]
Lorenzo?s super season continues, takes Silverstone pole
Jorge Lorenzo will start from pole postion for the MotoGP British Grand Prix after setting the best time in today's qualifying at Silverstone. Lorenzo has rocketed to two wins this year, and is poised to take control of the MotoGP championship if he can win from pole again this ...
This week's Stockcartoon from Mike Smith
Stockcartoons are created by Mike Smith, editorial cartoonist for the Las Vegas Sun, and syndicated through King Features Syndicate. Mike generously shares them with us here.
Mike is also the primary contributor to the Las Vegas Sun's NASCAR blog,"Bloggity, Bloggity, Bloggity."
North American International Auto Show 2011
The North American International Auto Show actually consists of four shows in one: The Press Preview (10 & 11 January 2011), the Industry Preview (12 & 13 January 2011), the Charity Preview (14 January 2011) and the Public Show (15 to 23 January 2011). The Industry Preview is a great opportunity for professionals from some [...]
Related posts:North American International Auto Show 2010Chicago Auto Show 20112008 North American International Auto Show
Related posts:North American International Auto Show 2010Chicago Auto Show 20112008 North American International Auto Show
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Real Formula one racing
Amazing driving, this is the last 3 laps, of the French Grand Prix, the Renault (yellow car) is attempting to take the lead of the Ferrari, but it’s not what the driver of the Ferrari (Gilles Villeneuve) this drivers were not going to back down, and hit wheels an incredible 6 times, and kept fighting.
Related [...]
Related [...]
Lorenzo edges Stoner for MotoGP pole, Rossi 4th in Germany
Jorge Lorenzo squeaked out another pole position in MotoGP qualifying today, just besting Casey Stoner at qualifying for the MotoGP German Grand Prix. Lorenzo's time of 1:21.82 was only .02 seconds faster than Stoner, and just .13 seconds quicker than fellow countryman, Dani Pedrosa.
Strangely, Lorenzo's leaky motorcycle was nearly ...
Strangely, Lorenzo's leaky motorcycle was nearly ...
2011 Dakar Notes: Stage-2
And speaking ?O Princess; Gee Wally! Lookee ?Dar ? somebody?s already PEAK-ing... And the racing season?s barely begun; YIKES!As I sat down to watch the late night airing of Dakar ? would you be shocked if I told Yuhs the very first commercial outta the chute was DannaWho?Meanwhile two of the four ?Yanks: Mark Miller & Robby Gordon certainly look like they?ve PEAKED in this year?s Dakar, as Miller became the first major catastrophe when he managed to roll-over his VW Race Touareg 3 on another slithery day?s outing, dropping some 40+ minutes behind.How Many FIAT?s does it take to Move a Hummer?(Whale certainly MORE than One...)As this was the $64,000 question Robby Gordon was dying to find out the answer too ? after apparently having missed a turn and subsequently HIT a rock and then became High-centered, Err stranded on the Isle... As a local in a FIAT tried to push Gordon?s SPEED-energy Drinks HumDinger off of its precarious perch to NO avail!According to Gernot Bauer, the No. 303 Hummer ended up being stuck for 1hr (plus?) while Robby?s Navigator got food poisoning - reportedly throwing-up 5-times in the truck; Aye Karumba! DON'T even wanna think 'bout how 'Juan throws up with a full face helmet on, eh?
NASCAR: Knaus defends Gordon-Johnson crew switch
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Chad Knaus defended the decision to dump Jimmie Johnson's crew with two races left, a move he said was done for the overall good of Hendrick Motorsports. "I don't think people understand it's not an easy decision," the crew chief said yesterday, a day after Hendrick Motorsports ...
Monday, January 10, 2011
Back before things got rotten
photo: Jim Hunter, NASCAR communications exec who died last Friday of cancer at age 71.
TALLADEGA, Ala. – It’s Halloween at Talladega, and neither Jim Hunter nor Ed Shull is here.
Where are the grown-ups going to get their tricks and treats? Beats me.
Kids live in a Halloween world in which one night of the year, they get apples and candied corn and Zagnuts and all kinds of stuff that cost a penny when I was a kid and now runs at least a quarter.
Grown-ups live in a Halloween world all the time, and guys like Hunter and Shull made it bearable, doling out jokes and smart-alecky remarks, all of which, on balance, were enjoyable. Both could, when necessary, spew what seemed like acid from their tongues, sort of like unto a velociraptor, but the taste left in your mouth was never worse than dark, semi-sweet chocolate. Both could also charm a cobra without need of a flute.
Hunter, who died Friday night, was titular. He always held positions of influence: vice president of this or that, president of Darlington Raceway. Hunter never got sent out to a pasture that would hold him long. He could wield power and influence whether occupying the crown or just telling the despot in training what to do in order to keep the rabble in check. In terms of public relations, Hunter was the equivalent of what Jake Gaither said about Bear Bryant: He could take his’uns and beat y’ourn or take y’ourn and beat his’uns. I’d have liked a “flack-off” between Hunter and Humpy Wheeler. There’s no way the National Stock Car Racing Commission could have judged the outcome. The Supreme Court would have had to flip a coin.
The two men, Hunter and Wheeler, once played football, at the same time, at the University of South Carolina, on teams that weren’t notably successful. That’s almost certainly coincidental, but one can’t help but wonder what the Gamecocks had in the water coolers on the sidelines back in the late 1950s.
Wheeler said, via one of dozens of statements circulated on Saturday and one of the few that meant anything other than to meet perceived obligations, “Jim Hunter will be sorely missed because he knew more about pure media relations, and particularly how it relates to the fan, than anyone in motor racing. He was best in crisis, always giving sage advice behind the scenes. He also knew when to interject humor when everyone was ready to crack.”
That’s a fact. Several times he talked to me when I was ready to crack.
Not as many knew Shull, who passed away earlier in the week. A pity. I only had lunch with Hunter once, back in those confused days before NASCAR wrote guys like me off. Hunter and I didn’t dine more often because he probably had a purpose in mind any time he dined. It was in Michigan, back in the 1990s, and Hunter got me together with Jim France, probably because he suspected I had an aversion to anyone with that last name, and he wanted to preserve the reputation of at least one member of the ruling family in my jaded mind.
In one way, it worked. I enjoyed it. In another way, it didn’t. I don’t think Jim France and I have exchanged a word since. I’d be shocked if he has any idea who I am. I do think the quiet member of the family has a lot of sense, which may have something to do with why he doesn’t often traffic in sportswriters.
Shull and I had dinner many times, not because there was any notable reason but more because we enjoyed each other’s company. A typical Shull confab might include yours truly, David Poole, Ray Cooper, Dan Zacharias and a few others, and it might take the form of meeting at (a.) a restaurant that hardly anyone other than us knew about, or (b.) a ballgame, usually involving a pass to one of the luxury suites Gatorade used to have in most of the country’s venues. Shull once invited me to the World Series, which I turned down because I thought my presence alone would contribute to the likelihood of a victory by the New York Yankees. I didn’t go and the Yankees didn’t win, so I’ve no regrets even though it’s probably the only chance I’m ever going to have at seeing the World Series, given this infernal world I’m in.
That was a different century, and in terms of what I do for a living and what Shull did, a different world.
A man in my shoes can’t afford to compromise himself, and that was never an issue with either Hunter or Shull. I hardly ever go to dinner or ballgames or concerts anymore with any “official” who invites me. Then again, hardly anyone ever invites me.
Everything nowadays has to be for a purpose. Influence the media. Affect the outcome. Target the market. Grease the skids. Stuff the ballots.
Most of my dealings with Hunter and Shull were because I liked them, and they liked me. They knew I was too stubborn to be influenced, and I’m pretty sure I told both of them, “Now, you realize, just to make sure there isn’t an issue, I’m going to have to rip you.”
It was a point I didn’t need to get across. I was mainly kidding. They both laughed. Now they’re gone. So are Poole and Cooper. And I don’t laugh quite as often.
Kyle Busch wins at Homestead, clinches truck series' owners title
Pager item text:
Kyle Busch wins at Homestead
Slide text:
Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and won the race by .577 seconds over last year?s series champion.
In winning for the eighth time in 16 starts this season and the 24th time in his career, Busch locked up the owners? championship for his No. 18 Toyota in his first year as an owner in the series.
Johnny Sauter ran third, followed by 2010 truck series champion Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola, second in the standings this year.
read more
Kyle Busch wins at Homestead
Slide text:
Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Kyle Busch ran away from Ron Hornaday Jr. after a restart with four laps left in Friday night?s Ford 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and won the race by .577 seconds over last year?s series champion.
In winning for the eighth time in 16 starts this season and the 24th time in his career, Busch locked up the owners? championship for his No. 18 Toyota in his first year as an owner in the series.
Johnny Sauter ran third, followed by 2010 truck series champion Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola, second in the standings this year.
read more
Lorenzo?s super season continues, takes Silverstone pole
Jorge Lorenzo will start from pole postion for the MotoGP British Grand Prix after setting the best time in today's qualifying at Silverstone. Lorenzo has rocketed to two wins this year, and is poised to take control of the MotoGP championship if he can win from pole again this ...
Dale Jarrett's transition to top NASCAR analyst going well
Dale Jarrett, ESPN’s lead NASCAR analyst, has made the transition from a championship NASCAR driver to the television booth as smoothly as his farther, NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, made when the sport needed an analyst to give the viewers insight into the driver’s seat from the press box.
AMA SX: Villopoto Storms To Easy A1 Win
Ryan Villopoto walked away with a convincing victory in the 2011 AMA Supercross season opener at Anaheim 1.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
NASCAR?s big, but not that big, here
Will Denny Hamlin join the Miami posse of Lebron James? The opposite is unlikely.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It’s all about the South down here. No drawls. No plantations (well, there is a city near here called Plantation). But there’s South Beach, and the geography is unmistakable. Homestead-Miami Speedway may not be Southern but it’s as south as the United States of America gets.
NASCAR takes its traveling show to most parts of the country, but it doesn’t get much glitzier than this. Juan Pablo Montoya held his annual South Beach gala – or soiree or extravaganza, or whatever – on Thursday night.
In other big news, Denny Hamlin met LeBron James.
“It was just at our hotel, basically,” said the Sprint Cup point leader. “One of the guys that I know, that works at the hotel, asked if I cared to meet him, and I said, ‘Of course. Sure.’ I just briefly talked to him for just a second. It really wasn’t anything too big. Obviously, he’s one of the most interesting guys of the past year, so it was good to experience that.”
Asked if the NBA star knew anything about NASCAR, Hamlin said not too much.
“He’s heard of it. I don’t know,” said Hamlin. “I really didn’t ask him too much about to be honest with you. I got to thinking, though, I was sitting there and looking around and the scene around him, and what-not, and I was thinking, why in the world would he leave Cleveland for this?”
It may have been a bit like the time Red Grange visited the White House. Grange was introduced to Pres. Calvin Coolidge, who was told, “This is Red Grange of the Chicago Bears,” and the president replied, “I’ve always enjoyed animal acts.”
NASCAR is known here. Every Chase has ended here, not to mention the seasons of 2002-03 before there was a Chase. NASCAR holds its grand finale in a city made famous at various times by Jackie Gleason, Tony Montana and Dan Marino. It’s going to take at least a Montoya championship to make NASCAR a household name.
Or maybe Hamlin can win the championship and thus earn a place in LeBron’s posse.
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It’s all about the South down here. No drawls. No plantations (well, there is a city near here called Plantation). But there’s South Beach, and the geography is unmistakable. Homestead-Miami Speedway may not be Southern but it’s as south as the United States of America gets.
NASCAR takes its traveling show to most parts of the country, but it doesn’t get much glitzier than this. Juan Pablo Montoya held his annual South Beach gala – or soiree or extravaganza, or whatever – on Thursday night.
In other big news, Denny Hamlin met LeBron James.
“It was just at our hotel, basically,” said the Sprint Cup point leader. “One of the guys that I know, that works at the hotel, asked if I cared to meet him, and I said, ‘Of course. Sure.’ I just briefly talked to him for just a second. It really wasn’t anything too big. Obviously, he’s one of the most interesting guys of the past year, so it was good to experience that.”
Asked if the NBA star knew anything about NASCAR, Hamlin said not too much.
“He’s heard of it. I don’t know,” said Hamlin. “I really didn’t ask him too much about to be honest with you. I got to thinking, though, I was sitting there and looking around and the scene around him, and what-not, and I was thinking, why in the world would he leave Cleveland for this?”
It may have been a bit like the time Red Grange visited the White House. Grange was introduced to Pres. Calvin Coolidge, who was told, “This is Red Grange of the Chicago Bears,” and the president replied, “I’ve always enjoyed animal acts.”
NASCAR is known here. Every Chase has ended here, not to mention the seasons of 2002-03 before there was a Chase. NASCAR holds its grand finale in a city made famous at various times by Jackie Gleason, Tony Montana and Dan Marino. It’s going to take at least a Montoya championship to make NASCAR a household name.
Or maybe Hamlin can win the championship and thus earn a place in LeBron’s posse.
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