Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/12/sebastian_vettels_second_world.html
Saturday
Why Is This News 50: Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne
It's almost time for the Daytona 500, and who better to talk with than the defending race champion? Today we chat with Trevor Bayne, who brings us all the information on the Great American Race, scheduled to run Sunday at 1pm on FOX.
Bayne talks about what has changed in his life since winning the race, what a first-timer can expect at Daytona, and what it's like being a religious athlete in a secular world. Enjoy, and be sure to check out the Daytona 500 on Sunday on Fox.
[Play the podcast: Why Is This News 50: Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne]
WHY IS THIS NEWS is the Yahoo! Sports Blogs' all-sports podcast, covering sports (and movies, and television, and whatever else strikes our fancy) through the eyes of our esteemed experts. We, as always, are Jay Busbee, the editor of From The Marbles and Devil Ball, and Kevin Kaduk, the editor of Big League Stew, and you are our reader/listener, and we thank you for that.
To play the podcast, click the link above or save it on your computer. You can also click right here for the RSS feed to the podcast. And if you can't get enough, you can follow us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @bigleaguestew for further updates.
Williams hoping the only way is up in 2012 | 2012 F1 season preview
Williams hoping the only way is up in 2012 is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Three top-ten finishes was all Williams had to show for their efforts in 2011. The team have to bounce back in 2012.
Williams hoping the only way is up in 2012 is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/03/09/williams-2012-f1-season-preview/
Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
Caption Competition 9: HRT drivers | Caption Competition
Caption Competition 9: HRT drivers is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
HRT quartet Pedro de la Rosa, Narain Karthikeyan, Dani Clos and Vitantonio Liuzzi feature in this week's Caption Competition.
Caption Competition 9: HRT drivers is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/03/10/competition-9-hrt-drivers/
Danica Patrick wins Nationwide pole at Daytona; gives naysayers something to chew on
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ? A moment of silence, if you please, for the "Danica Patrick gets gifts she doesn't deserve" argument. Cause of death: Patrick's triumphant capture of the pole for Saturday's Nationwide Series Drive4COPD 300.
Here it is: You have to either accept that Patrick is a bona fide, legit stock car driver, or you have to buy a conspiracy that the entire Nationwide field, including Daytona 500 and Sprint Cup champions, laid down for her.
"Anytime you show that you have a fast car, it's encouraging for people to want to help you," Patrick said. "That starts to earn you some respect and credibility."
The pole comes just 24 hours after 
Patrick walked away from a brutal crash in the Sprint Cup Series' Gatorade Duel 150, a qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500.
Patrick posted a speed of 182.741 mph, besting Trevor Bayne by only seven one-thousandths of a second. As driver after driver tried and failed to match her time ? the field includes Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski ? Patrick fidgeted nervously in the garage, talking with Earnhardt and Stewart. Cameras swarmed her as the results became official.
[Related: Why Danica Patrick can win the Daytona 500]
"That's so cool for her to start her season that way," Bayne said. "They were looking for a boost, and that's a good kick in the butt."
In and of itself, the pole won't mean much at Daytona other than a choice pit selection. As soon as the green flag drops, drivers will jockey for position, and everyone will take a turn at the front. Still, Patrick has demonstrated that she can wheel, and as much as the drivers appreciate the attention to the sport, they acknowledge that she belongs exactly where she is.
"In the last 24 months," Elliott Sadler said, "she's by far the most improved driver we have across all three series."
-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook right here.-
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
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? Y! TV: Jimmy Fallon sings Pearl Jam's 'Jeremy [Lin]'
Friday
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/
What went wrong for the back of the grid?
It was another frustrating season at the back of the grid for F1?s relative new boys. Lotus, HRT and Virgin all in their sophomore seasons in Formula One all failed, again, to score points in 2011. So what went wrong last season and what does 2012 have in store. Lotus They?ve arguably been the best [...]
Thursday
What word describes Danica Patrick and starts with a ?b??
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ? Haters gonna hate, as Danica Patrick well knows. Latest on board the Danica-sucks train: one Ross Shimabuku, sports anchor for the Fox affiliate in San Diego, offering a bit of unsolicited opinion about Ms. Patrick and the "chip on her shoulder." Bet Fox is just thrilled that ol' Ross is trashing one of the key drawing cards for the biggest race they'll telecast all year.
[Hat tip: Deadspin]
Elliott Sadler bags Nationwide win and part-time Cup ride
Not a bad Saturday for Elliott Sadler.
Less than a week after Jimmie Johnson's Daytona 500 ended 199 laps early off his bumper, Sadler won Saturday's Nationwide race at Phoenix and was officially announced as the driver of the No. 55 car for five races for Michael Waltrip Racing in the Sprint Cup Series.
Sadler passed Brad Keselowski with 25 laps to go for the win, his first in the Nationwide Series since he joined the series full-time in 2011. (His last Nationwide Series win was in 1998.) He finished second in the points standings last year despite not reaching victory lane. The two drivers restarted next to each other with 33 laps to go after each took two tires on pit road.
Sadler will drive both races at Bristol and Martinsville and the first race at New Hampshire for MWR in the Cup Series, becoming the third driver for that car, along with Mark Martin and Michael Waltrip. Martin is on the pole for Sunday's Cup race at Phoenix.
He drove in the Daytona 500 in the No. 33 car for Richard Childress Racing, his Nationwide Series team. After fuel pressure problems in the 500, Sadler finished 27th.
Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti
Wednesday
Sauber face tough midfield competition in 2012 | 2012 F1 season preview
Sauber face tough midfield competition in 2012 is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Sauber moved up the order in 2011 but face a challenge to continue their progress this year in the face of stronger midfield opposition.
Sauber face tough midfield competition in 2012 is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/03/07/sauber-2012-f1-season-preview/
What?s Next For Dodge?
In a surprising announcement yesterday, Penske Racing said it would switch manufacturers to Ford at the end of the season. The team left Ford in 2003 and in recent years became the premier organization for Dodge. Together the two had a reasonable amount of success racking up 23 wins (a little less impressive considering 8 [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/Y26cJoStk1o/
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
Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris
Tuesday
Video: NASCAR drivers sure do love their sponsors
Via our pals at Deadspin, here's a compilation of every single sponsor mention from the rain delay at the Daytona 500. There's a sublime beauty to this tapestry of gratitude, executed as smoothly as exhaling. Which is much easier to do if you've got Claritin, an icy cold Coke and a Subway sandwich nearby, am I right?
Live chat with Bobby Labonte at 5:15 Eastern
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ? While we wait for the skies to clear at Daytona, we're happy to bring 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte on for a little chat. Ask him whatever you like. Thanks to JTG Daugherty Racing for making Bobby available on short notice. Enjoy!
6 Reasons why IndyCar is the Best Reality show on TV
Yes, I am aware there were two other marketing-of-indycar-type articles written today. What can I say, great minds think alike? Nothing earth shattering this week. With, for once, not much news of note happening right now it would be a … Continue reading 
Monday
2012 F1 testing day 12 in pictures | F1 pictures
2012 F1 testing day 12 in pictures is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Pictures from the final day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya.
2012 F1 testing day 12 in pictures is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/03/04/2012-f1-testing-day-12-pictures/
Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud
New Marussia MR01 runs at Silverstone
The Marussia MR01 has been shaken down at Silverstone today after the team failed to make the Barcelona test. The car failed the 18th and final FIA crash test, which forced the team to skip Spain and instead run it … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/03/05/new-marussia-mr01-runs-at-silverstone/
Who remembers the 1988 Australian Grand Prix?
We are not too far away from the 2012 Australian Grand Prix and everyone is rightly excited. You can check out the drivers that need to deliver in 2012 right here. However, we are going to be building up to Melbourne with a series of videos from races gone by. To begin with, do you [...]
Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk
Rubens Barrichello officially joins KV Racing and IndyCar Series
KV Racing Technology announced the addition of Formula 1 veteran Rubens Barrichello to the team on Thursday, as Barrichello will team with former Izod IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan.
Barrichello tested with the team over the winter and signed a one-year deal. Kanaan signed a two year deal.
Barrichello will participate in all 16 IndyCar races on the calendar, including the Indy 500 in May and the other four races on ovals.
"I am thrilled, it is something very new to me," he said. "I'm very competitive and I'm not doing this just for fun, but I'll keep my feet on the ground in the beginning because I'll be a rookie despite of all my previous racing experience."
In 322 Formula 1 races from 1993-2011, Barichello notched 11 wins in 322 starts. His best season was in 2002, when he won four times as teammates with Michael Schumacher for Ferrari.
While Barrichello's signing is a positive and helps add a known name in the motorsports world to the IndyCar Series, it remains to be seen how much impact his presence will have on a series that Michael Andretti says could be helped by the departure of Danica Patrick.
For example, he's now one of three Brazilians in the IndyCar Series, along with teammate Kanaan and Helio Castroneves. Sure, Barrichello may be the most popular because of Formula 1's worldwide appeal, but how many Brazilian fans -- let alone motorsports fans from around the world -- are now going to pay attention to the IndyCar Series because of his presence?
And what's a good barometer of success for Barrichello, who has never driven a race on an oval? Is Takuma Sato, another Formula 1 veteran who spent the last two years with KV a good watermark? Sato, who had one podium in 90 Formula 1 races, had a highest finish of fourth at Mid-Ohio and had two poles. One factor in Barrichello's favor may be the new DW12 chassis' introduction, as he'll be learning on the fly about the new car along with the rest of the field.
NASCAR won?t penalize Keselowski for using Twitter during Daytona 500
Good news: In a decision that will make the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball choke, NASCAR has determined that Brad Keselowski not only didn't violate any rules of unauthorized communication for his Daytona 500 Twitterfest, but encouraged him. Perfect move, NASCAR.
"Nothing we've seen from Brad violates any current rules pertaining to the use of social media during races," NASCAR said in a statement. "As such, he won't be penalized. We encourage our drivers to use social media to express themselves as long as they do so without risking their safety or that of others."
[Related: Brad Keselowski triples his Twitter followers during long Daytona delay]
That is absolutely the right decision, and high praise to NASCAR for not clinging to some outmoded idea of technology. Keselowski has been winning accolades from all over the sports world for his move, and NASCAR would be foolish to restrict something that, in itself, has nothing but positive effects on the race and the sport's connection to fans.
On Tuesday morning, Keselowski noted on Twitter that he would keep bringing his phone to the track if NASCAR let him. Looks like it's a go.
[Photos: Fire on track halts Daytona 500]
For more about Keselowski, check out the rain-delay chat we did with him and many NASCAR fans on Sunday afternoon, and keep an eye out for his first exclusive journal for Yahoo! Sports later this week.
-For more, follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here.-
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
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Sunday
Tony Stewart finishes 22nd after car doesn?t refire under caution
Much of the talk around the entrance of the 2012 season was NASCAR's switch to electronic fuel injection from the standard carbureted engines that have been a staple of the series since its inception. And for the most part, drivers and teams said that not much would be affected when it came to to performance and on-track activity.
On Sunday, we might have seen the first glimpse at how electronic fuel injection could impact a race, and it came at the expense of Tony Stewart.
Stewart, perhaps the best driver in the series at saving fuel, flipped off his engine when a caution came out with 66 laps to go in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix. It was a standard fuel-saving practice: shut the car off, let it coast for a bit, and then refire it and sped up. Rinse, repeat as often as necessary, and voila, gas is saved. Stewart said he practiced the standard method on Monday at Daytona with no issue
However when Stewart went to refire the car on Sunday, it didn't start. Cars passed him under caution. It still wouldn't start. It coasted towards pit road. It still didn't start. Finally, after being pushed into his pit box by a wrecker and after going two laps down, the car started. Stewart didn't have time to make up those laps. He finished 22nd.
"I just shut the car off like we we did at Daytona to save fuel and turn it back on and it never refired, that's all I can tell you," Stewart said after the race. Finishes of 16th and 22nd to start the season have him in 15th in the points standings.
Crew chief Steve Addington said that the team had a circuit breaker turn off, which prevented the car from firing. Rodney Childers, crew chief for Mark Martin, tweeted that a breaker popped on the No. 55 car, and it impacted the team's fuel mileage significantly.
Yes, that's right, a circuit breaker. Have we ever talked about a circuit breaker as a culprit for ruining a good finish before? While we don't know how much EFI had to do with the issues that Stewart and Martin had right now, the rest of the garage will probably be looking closely to see what answers each team finds. And in Stewart's case, if fuel conservation methods will have to be adapted.
Range Rover Evoque by Hamann
 |
Hamann Motorsport is getting ready to troop to Geneva for one of the biggest auto shows in the world and one of the vehicles that they’ll be proudly showing off is the new Range Rover Evoque. Their rendition of the luxury SUV has been decked from head to rear with the kind of comprehensive tuning program that Hamann is known for.
On the outside, the German tuning company fitted the British SUV with a bold aerodynamic package that includes a two-part front spoiler, side wing extensions, side sill sets that have widened the Evoque’s body by 70mm at the front and 80mm at the rear, and a new set of 22" wheels to go with a one-piece 22" wheel that is currently being offered in either the Anniversary Evo and Anniversary Evo Black line.
Inside, Hamann is offering customers an opportunity to customize the interior of their Range Rover Evoque, complete with a full-leather upholstery, personalized floor mats, and customized trim options.
The other highlight of Hamann’s program for the Range Rover Evoque is the engine modification. Thanks to a comprehensive program that includes a new exhaust system, a new sports air filter, and a remapped ECU unit, Hamann was able to achieve significant output improvements on all three engine options of the Evoque. The first one is the 2.2-liter TD4 engine, which saw its output increase from 148 horsepower to 179 horsepower. The second engine - the 2.2-liter ED4 engine - saw its output jump from 187 horsepower to 218 horsepower. Finally, the most powerful of the three Evoque engines - the 2.2 Si4 - increased its output from 240 horsepower to 278 horsepower.
Range Rover Evoque by Hamann originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 4 March 2012 12:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/landrover/2012-range-rover-evoque-by-hamann-ar125713.html
JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd
Jeff Gordon talked with his daughter about his wreck
NASCAR, more than any other sport, carries the specter of grievous injury, or worse, with it every time the green flag drops. You see the drivers kiss their families goodbye before every race, and there's a part of you that starts wondering what if. Let's face it, nobody expects the worst when a pitcher goes out to throw a few innings.
Where the pathos ratchets up exponentially is when kids come into the equation. The idea of watching your dad (or mom, let's be fair) drive 200-plus mph has to be a thrilling one, but what about when things don't go so well? Jeff Gordon faced just such a scenario this past weekend, and fortunately, he was able to walk his 4-year-old daughter Ella through the wreck replay from a safe distance.
As Scene Daily notes, father and daughter watched the wreck together on Sunday morning, as Ella was asleep when the wreck happened. And thankfully, Gordon could assure his daughter that he was just fine.
"That is the downside of being a parent as a race-car driver when things like that happen," he said. "Had she been awake and heard the reaction of my wife, that probably would have gotten her more concerned than anything else."
Scene noted that Jeff Burton, who has older children, has a broad sense of perspective. "You shouldn't be stupid in the decisions that you make, but you have to do the things that make you alive," he said. "Part of living is experiencing it. If you shelter yourself, you'd never enjoy things. I want my kids to take chances in life, but I also want them to be calculating and understand the risks."
Thankfully for the fans, but especially for the drivers and their families, safety advances are such that drivers can walk (or, in some cases, limp) away from these wrecks. Here's hoping that's the worst these kids see.
Words of Comfort [Scene Daily]
Why Thursday Won?t Be As Dramatic As You?d Hoped
Qualifying is already in the books for the Daytona 500, but because of the 500′s unique format, the lineup hasn’t yet been set. Only the drivers that qualified on the front row (Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle for this year) know where they will start. Where teams finish in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel races will determine [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/fDG0xOUXqzk/
What?s Next For Dodge?
In a surprising announcement yesterday, Penske Racing said it would switch manufacturers to Ford at the end of the season. The team left Ford in 2003 and in recent years became the premier organization for Dodge. Together the two had a reasonable amount of success racking up 23 wins (a little less impressive considering 8 [...]
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/Y26cJoStk1o/
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