Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/01/how_good_is_bruno_senna.html
Friday
Greatest Hits of 2011
As we welcome 2012 with open arms, I thought it would be pertinent to look back as the best posts on anotherindycarblog from 2011. I have these posts in no particular order and no solid metrics were used in creating … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/greatest-hits-of-2011/
George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage
Happy Hour: Should NASCAR distance itself from wrestling?
Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com (note new address) or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face.
Dig this! It's our last non-racing week until Thanksgiving! So let's get rolling with some discussion of non-racing racing topics, shall we? Take it away, readers ...
If Daytona is going to get John Cena as the starter, why not go all in? Get Grave Digger as pace car. Let Newt, Mitt and Obama debate whether the halfway purse is really a government handout. Bigfoot can run out on the track with 10 laps left and cause the phantom "bunch the field" late race caution. Have Snooki and Kim Kardashian act as Sprint Cup Girls and get Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy to commentate the race. Heck, Let Maury Povich do postrace interviews with the Busch brothers, and Dr. Phil can interview the runner up.
Can't NASCAR stand on its own two feet? It already has to fight misguided stereotypes. Why add more?
? Brian Hay
@hay_brian
Orange County, Calif.
I get what you're saying here, but let's remember that the Super Bowl just featured an aging glamour icon as its centerpiece ... oh, and Madonna too, who made almost as many headlines as Tom Brady did. Point being: it's not about sports anymore, especially in these big-time events; it's about the spectacle. I don't have a problem with Cena being a part of the festivities, though I get that people want to distance NASCAR from the "fake wrestling" image. (Conspiracy theorists take note: which driver compared NASCAR to the WWE? The same one who just won the championship! They totally co-opted Tony Stewart!)
Now, I will say that I'm with you on the obvious pandering, like Snooki last year at Richmond. But as long as they don't start putting gimmicks behind the wheel, I'm good. (And ... cue the Danica Patrick haters!)
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Sorry to say but I have always (since 1984) belonged to the group that did NOT love Dale Earnhardt. But since Dale Earnhardt Jr. started in Cup, he's seemed to be more his mother's son. A little softer around the edges, so to speak. He had the drive but none of the arrogant "get out of the way, I'm coming through" mentality. That being said, am I the only one to notice that he hasn't been the same since his concussion in Texas (which he covered up) and his flaming crash in the Corvette which he claimed to have had help from his Dad to escape? I do belong to Junior Nation but I'm just saying...
? Concerned Mary in Indiana
Take heart, Mary; I don't believe that Junior's wrecks have damaged him beyond repair. I've heard the "fiery Corvette wreck" story before, but that strikes me as more after-the-fact justification than cause-and-effect. What I think we're seeing is that Junior's "softness around the edges," which I don't mean as a criticism, may be part of the difference between him and a championship driver.
Still, check out video from the wreck, from 2004. Pay attention to what the cockpit looks like at about the 1:15 mark:
Sweet heaven. I think I'd walk everywhere in my life after that.
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As a fan of NASCAR for almost 60 years what I would love to see is a race with "stock cars." Have NASCAR buy eight stock cars from the four different manufactures that race in NASCAR and have them basically stock except safety equipment. Assign drivers at random to the cars and race them for a hundred miles and see what happens. It would be even more fun if they were made to race with stock tires, and stock transmissions. And run the infield course like they do in the 24hrs. just before the 500. No pit stops, the car stops it's out of the race. I think the stock tires would really give the fans something great to watch. I don't think any car would last 100 miles today. Could prove me wrong, though.
? Dan
I'll do you one better. Give the drivers one hour to go to the nearest dealership, make a deal, get back with the car and drive. Or, hell, have fans volunteer their cars for their favorite driver. Who wouldn't want to see Tony Stewart tooling a minivan around the track, trying to hold off Carl Edwards in a Ford Fiesta?
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With the news that Kansas will be adding a road course in time for the 2013 season, there is now an easy fix to getting a road course in the Chase. At Kansas NASCAR can now run the oval in the Spring and the road course in the Fall. No schedule shuffling or another track losing one of its weekends, and many fans will be happy that there is finally a road course in the Chase. The racing at Kansas has never been that great, so now you have 2 races at the same track but 2 different racing configurations. This would also challenge the drivers as the cars/setups would be completely different. What do you think?
? Jim
Sterling, Va.
Works for me. Kansas is already angling for a night race for that second race. Now, the idea of throwing a completely new track into the mix in the Chase would probably make drivers mad enough to throw kittens.
For a more on-the-ground perspective, I asked our Nick Bromberg, a Kansas aficionado, what he thought. "I actually LOVE the idea because I love road racing," he said. (Yes, I can get a quote from Nick in instants. Jealous?) "However, and this is just me thinking out loud, would the Cup cars have an issue going from banking and a couple of banked turns to a bunch of flat ones within the course of a lap? It doesn't seem like much of a road course for a Cup car, honestly ... five to seven turns, depending on what counts as a corner."
Next, in response to my idea from last week of a consolation race for the drivers who didn't make it into the week's race on speed or points ...
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I love the idea, Jay, but I think it would be better taking it one step further. Say 42 cars qualify for the race like the current system, then have the 10-lap opening act, with the winner transferring the main event, kinda like our small local short track racing. I would tune in for the pre-race coverage for once, and maybe watch it live instead of DVR'd. NASCAR needs to do something to spice it up a little, and make fans believe they're not as biased as they seem.
? Greg LeJeune
Gladstone, Mich.
Boom. That's it. That's your idea. The only problem I see is logistically; the track is a mess on race day with people going to and fro, hanging out on the pavement to watch the musical act, signing the finish line with Sharpies, or wearing all white and sitting veeeery still against the SAFER barriers. ("This is gonna be the best seat EVER!") Maybe just a foot race? Potato sack? Three-legged with the driver and his crew chief? There's gotta be a way to make this happen.
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I find it amusing that we're talking about Danica using her looks to get into NASCAR. I can't think of a single one of the male drivers who isn't good looking, too. It's what sponsors want. Danica stands out simply because she's the most visible woman at this level. All of the rest of them are selling sex appeal, too, just in a more subtle way. Ask any female fan.
? Alex Sargeant
Seattle
Hmm. In the interest of preserving future access and not getting my clock cleaned at Media Day, I'll refrain from providing a rebuttal to your "all the male drivers are good looking" thesis. I will say that while a guy like Carl Edwards doesn't embarrass himself when he runs around shirtless and greased up for magazine shoots (and probably summons up a few confused feelings in some fans while he does so), there are many more drivers whom I'm very happy to see in full-body firesuits, and ONLY full-body firesuits.
Finally, today in spam:
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?? ???????? ??????????? ??????????? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ??????
???????? ????? ??????????? ????? ???????.
???????? ?????!!!
? ????????? ??????
Somebody keep Ward Burton away from the computer, please.
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here.� Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Thursday
Caterham principal aims for ?fresh impetus?
Caterham team principal Tony Fernandes has spoken about the decision�to axe�Jarno Trulli in favour of�Vitaly Petrov for the 2012 season. Go here for Red Bull v Cowboys! You heard right! Trulli was under contract for the team, but his future in Formula 1 now looks uncertain after being replaced by the Russian. Speaking about the [...]
Citroen C4 Picasso 2012: Information Mechanics And Equipment
A few days ago saw the first spy shots of Chevrolet Corvette C7, the new generation of sporting excellence of General Motors, which has been allowed to see. Of course, with a camouflage worthy of presentation. Despite the strong camouflage, the C7 Corvette cannot hide part of their news, today we present you on the [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/144-citroen-c4-picasso-2012-information-mechanics-and-equipment.html
George Connor George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard
SuperCars from an IndyCar Fanatic?s Perspective
January, 27th. That was the day. The entire city has been in a state of mobilization for quite a while, but Friday was the day when all the hard work and planning was finally going to pay off. My fair … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/supercars-from-an-indycar-fanatics-perspective/
2012 Jerez Private Test Press Release From Ducati Corse: Test Team Works On Electronics
Below is the official press release supplied by Ducati Corse after the Test Team completed its work at Jerez, alongside the CRT teams:
Year:
2012
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series Coupe Animals That Reach 300 km / h
A few months ago that talked about the Auto blog Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Black Series Coupe. This is the most powerful and radical version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. We speak then of the 517 hp provided by its 6.3-liter V8 engine, acceleration capacity (4.2 seconds to 100 km / h), and even his gearbox [...]
Wednesday
2012 Phillip Island Test Day 1 WSS Times: Foret And Sofuoglu Lead The Way
The Kawasakis lead the way after the first day of the official World Supersport test at Phillip Island, with Fabien Foret already closing in on his race lap record of 1'34.941 set last year. Foret finished a quarter of a second ahead of former WSS champion Kenan Sofuoglu, returning to the series after an unsuccessful foray into Moto2 in 2011. Ten Kate Honda's Broc Parkes was fastest in the afternoon session, but the Australian was unable to beat the outright times of the Kawasakis, falling just short of Sofuoglu's time, while Bodganka PTR's Sam Lowes ended both sessions a quarter of a second off the time of Parkes, and nearly half a second ahead of another Moto2 refugee, Jules Cluzel.
Testing continues tomorrow.
Results:
George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage
Join the Yahoo! Sports/Marbles fantasy league!
All right, here's the deal: Fantasy NASCAR is coming up soon, and we at Yahoo! Sports want to fantasize with you. (Wait, that sounded really wrong.) Anyway, you need to get in on this action. Go to the Fantasy NASCAR homepage and sign up for a team. Then make sure you jump in on our special private league:
Fans of From The Marbles
Group ID: 31
Password: marbles
(sneaky password, yes?)
Anyway, the whole deal begins in a month or so with the Daytona 500. There'll be acclaim and love for the weekly winners, and you'll get the satisfaction of knowing that you're a better race analyst than [insert announcer name here]. Win-win all the way around. Get on it!
Tuesday
Ross Brawn explains how F1?s ugly noses could have been avoided | 2012 F1 season
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn says F1 could have been spared the awkward look of 2012-style noses.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/02/21/ross-brawn-explains-f1s-ugly-noses-avoided/
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
2012 Phillip Island Test Day 2 WSBK And WSS Press Releases
Press releases from Infront, and the World Superbike and World Supersport teams after the two-day test at Phillip Island:
Year:
2012
Lotus: It?s very difficult to know where Raikkonen should be
Lotus have been speaking about Kimi Rakkonen’s successful return to Formula 1. The former World Champion took part in his first test for the team this week following two years away from the sport. Speaking about how it went, Trackside operations director�Alan Permane said: “From the first run he was pretty much there.” “It’s very [...]
Marco Apicella MŠ±rio de AraŃjo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold
Monday
The NASCAR Week That Was: Nov. 13-19
The fight for the Championship was the biggest story of the week as Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart sat just three points apart going into Homestead. The winner will become the sport’s first new Cup champion since 2005. In other news, NASCAR issued an unannounced penalty to Brad Keselowski this week after the driver criticized [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/ZNbAabDxX7w/
Great Flexibility in Production and Distribution Vehicles
It produces small urban electric vehicle. No intention of entering the competition of the great automotive industry. A very specific niche market that allows great flexibility in the production and distribution of vehicles. The company e-ride Industries produces several models and are manufactured with aluminum chassis, Fiberglass body and motor of 72 volts. Clearly, the [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/162-great-flexibility-in-production-and-distribution-vehicles.html
2012 Phillip Island Test Day 1 WSBK Times: Checa Holds Biaggi At Bay
Less than a week after the private test concluded at the Phillip Island circuit, the World Superbike riders were back in action again on Monday, for the first day of the official preseason test ahead of this weekend's WSBK season opener. Carlos Checa picked up where he left off, topping the timesheets in both the morning and afternoon sessions, and immediately within a tenth of a second of the fastest time the Althea Ducati rider set here last week.
Challenging Checa was the Italian Armada who pushed him for the title in 2011. Aprilia's Max Biaggi led the way, getting within a couple of tenths of the Spaniard, while Marco Melandri and his team at BMW clearly learned a lot at last week's test, the Italian posting the 3rd fastest time just under three tenths off the time of Checa. Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea - resplendent in a new Honda livery - was a little further behind in 4th, the Ulsterman having tested here privately back in January, while the unfortunate Leon Haslam took the 5th fastest time, though his day ended during the first session, after the BMW rider crashed heavily in the final corner, and taken to hospital with an ankle injury. Haslam was later diagnosed with a fractured heel and a damaged tibia, Haslam is currently waiting to have a screw inserted in his leg, in the hope of being fit enough to race this weekend.
Hard times in Maranello?
The world economic situation is not good. The Ferrari Formula 1 team won only one race in 2011. And yet Ferrari was able to report that it has increased its sales from 6,573 in 2010 to 7,195 in 2011, an increase of more than nine percent. This included a mammoth leap in the Greater China [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/hard-times-in-maranello/
Sunday
Citroen C4 Picasso 2012: Information Mechanics And Equipment
A few days ago saw the first spy shots of Chevrolet Corvette C7, the new generation of sporting excellence of General Motors, which has been allowed to see. Of course, with a camouflage worthy of presentation. Despite the strong camouflage, the C7 Corvette cannot hide part of their news, today we present you on the [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/144-citroen-c4-picasso-2012-information-mechanics-and-equipment.html
Breitling Bentley GMT V8 Limited Edition Timepiece
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British luxury automaker, Bentley, and Swiss timepiece maker, Breitling, have been partners-in-crime far longer than any of us can remember. So it only seemed appropriate that the latter would commemorate the launch of the new Continental V8 with a limited edition timepiece.
The Breitling for Bentley GMT V8 is a limited piece luxury watch that pays homage to the newest model in the Bentley line-up. Among the features of the Breitling for Bentley GMT V8 include a metallic red inner city bezel that plays a nice contrast with the watch’s black dial and the Royal Ebony dial. There are also cambered sapphire crystal that have been glare proofed on both sides with 38 additional jewels. There’s also a red triangle-tipped hour hand that completes one rotation every 24 hours, a multiple timezone display, an automatic COSC-chronometer-certified chronograph with a Breitling exclusive ?30-second chronograph,? 6-hour, 15-minute, and 30-second totalizers, a screw-locked crown, and a sweep seconds hand that makes one full turn of the dial in half-a-minute, allowing readings that are accurate to an amazing 1/8th of a second.
For all of its unique characteristics - and the fact that it’s a Breitling - the 250-piece limited edition watch costs $10,590 a pop. It’s expensive for a watch, but it’s a bargain compared to actually buying the car itself, which by the way, costs 20 times as much.
Breitling Bentley GMT V8 Limited Edition Timepiece originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 18 February 2012 18:00 EST.
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