NASCAR again returns to a 1.5-mile track this weekend at Kansas, and we must ask: does the sport have too many of these cookie-cutter tracks? We also consider similar head-scratching questions like: Is air good for you? and Is the sky blue? But what other options are there? Ah, there's the rub. Your favorite Yahoo! Sports Jays, Busbee and Hart, kick around the cookie-cutters ... for at least a mile and a half. Enjoy.
Saturday
Pastrana To Debut With RAB Racing?
When Travis Pastrana, who was in attendance at Texas Motor Speedway, makes his NASCAR debut next weekend at Richmond International Raceway, it may be in a car associated with RAB Racing. Pastrana’s Pastrana 199 Racing has an alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing, but the team hasn’t run it’s #99 Nationwide car since last season and [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/DPHNPWC5dkY/
Friday
Eliseo Salazar Showcase Its Mini John Cooper Works WRC In The Mapocho
On Saturday 21 April at 10:30 hrs in the Mapocho (height between the bridges Pedro de Valdivia and Concepcion), the driver Eliseo Salazar of Chile show the car that will compete between 26 and 29 April in the fifth day of the World Rally Championship (WRC) to be held in Cordoba, Argentina. The car will [...]
Williams begin ?beginning of a rebuilding process?
If Ferrari fans thought that their team had perhaps not lived up its name last season then they should talk to fans of Williams. The team that dominated in the early 90?s winning multiple World Championships managed to score only five points last season. Five. It?s a sad fall from grace and one, that at [...]
Brad Keselowski adds extra element to two-car tandem and pulls away to win at Talladega
It wasn't a spur of the moment move. It wasn't a move that anyone expected. It was a move that team owner Roger Penske called "pretty amazing." And it was a move that made Brad Keselowski the winner of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega.
Most everyone expected the two-car tandem to be the deciding factor in Sunday's Aaron's 499, just like it was in Saturday's Nationwide Series race. And the common thought was that the driver in second place in that two-car tandem would have the advantage as the finish line approached. Keselowski confirmed the former. But not the latter.
Restarting on the inside of the front row with two laps to go, Keselowski had Kyle Busch (the driver he famously called a rear end in no uncertain terms once in Bristol driver intros) behind him. Race leader Matt Kenseth had his teammate Greg Biffle behind him on the outside line. Just like at Daytona, Kenseth had the dominant car on Sunday. And Just like at Daytona, Biffle couldn't get latched onto Kenseth's bumper in the closing laps. Yes, Kenseth's car might have been too good to win.
Enter Keselowski and Busch, who immediately latched together as Kenseth and Biffle pulled away at the restart. However, once Keselowski and Busch gathered steam while their bumpers were locked, Kenseth, Biffle and the rest of the field were left fighting for third place.
[Video: 'The Big One' claims Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards among others]
Keselowski led Busch high into turn three on the last lap. He knew that Busch would wait as long as possible to make his move to capitalize on the draft, so he made his move early, diving to the low-side of the banking, breaking contact between his rear bumper and Busch's front fender. Once that contact was broken, Busch's momentum was too, and Keselowski could focus more what was in front of him than was in his rear-view mirror.
"Then Kyle, I just knew the move I wanted to make and made it into three and disconnected us and that was the key right there. Once we got the air bubble in between the two cars, it was going to take two or three laps for him to pop that and we only had to go half a lap, and not quite that."
It was Keselowski's second win of 2012 and second win at Talladega, the first coming in 2009, the first time we'd see the tandem draft work to such extremes in the Sprint Cup Series. That, of course, was when Carl Edwards went flying off of Keselowski's front bumper in the tri-oval. Three years later, this move came from the front, and didn't involve flying sheetmetal.
And because it's Keselowski's second win of the season, it makes him a virtual lock for the Chase if he's not in the top 10 after the season's 26th race. A Sprint Cup Series title is the only thing that's eluded Penske, and he feels that Keselowski is the driver that can deliver it for him.
"He's matured a lot," Penske said of Keselowski. "He's been a tremendous asset to the team. He's not just for Brad Keselowski, he's for Penske Racing. You see that when he comes in the shop and he's spending a lot of time. I wouldn't trade him for anybody right now and you know that."
[Related: Drivers take differing points of view on wreck tally at Talladega]
Keselowski joined Penske late in 2009, and after just over a year in the No. 12 car that resulted in just two top 10s in 39 races, took over the Miller Lite No. 2 in 2011. In that No. 2, he's got five wins in 46 races. As a Wild-Card entrant into last year's Chase, Keselowski was still somewhat of a championship afterthought despite his three wins.
He finished the 2011 season fifth. Now in May of 2012, it'd be crazy to not consider him a prime contender when we get to November.
"He came to me, and we talked about before he went to work for us, he said 'Look, I'd like to come to Penske Racing and help you build a winning Cup team.' He said 'that's my goal,'" Penske said. "And I think he's certainly demonstrating that from his driving ability and the way he's been able to pull together and his chemistry with Paul Wolfe and that whole team has obviously made a difference because this is not just about the driver and the car or the sponsor, it's about the whole team and I think that he's the real package and what we're trying to do is give him everything we can to give him a winner and obviously one of the goals in my life is to sit up on that stage either in New York or Las Vegas sometime and I think he's the guy that can make it happen this year, hopefully."
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Pat Forde: Bodemeister has one the best runs by a losing horse in Derby history
? Lionel Messi sets new record with 72 goals in a season
? Justin Bieber joins Floyd Mayweather Jr. for walk to the ring for fight vs. Miguel Cotto
Fry says F1 needs Mercedes deal before flotation | F1 Fanatic round-up
Fry says F1 needs Mercedes deal before flotation is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
In the round-up: Mercedes CEO Nick Fry says F1 owners CVC should agree terms for them to remain in F1 before the planned flotation.
Fry says F1 needs Mercedes deal before flotation 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/2012/05/11/f1-fanatic-roundup-115/
Thursday
2012 Estoril Moto2 and Moto3 Sunday Post-Race Press Releases
Press releases from the Moto2 and Moto3 team after Sunday's race at Estoril:
Year:
2012
Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk
Mercedes and F1
Mercedes-Benz has been involved in Formula 1 non-stop since 1993, although it must be said that the decision to get more involved in the sport was taken 25 years ago. At the time Peter Sauber had been working with Mercedes engines in sports car racing for several years. He had made his breakthrough in 1986 [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/mercedes-and-f1/
Piero Carini Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto
2012 Estoril MotoGP Race Result: Winner Controls Race From The Front
Result and summary of the MotoGP race at Estoril:
Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
Drag car wreck at Bristol takes out fortunately unattended camera
We complain about robots taking over the world, but there are times when we'd like to leave some of the dirty jobs to our mechanical brethren. Like filming a drag race from right next to a track, for instance. Considering what could happen if things go off-kilter, how about you handle that one, WALL-E?
The above car belongs to Lizzy Musi, who, as you can see from the photo at right, is not your typical drag racer. Musi, the daughter of well-known NHRA/IHRA championship driver Pat Musi, got loose at Bristol Dragway and, as you can see from the video, took out a camera in the process.
Musi, a 21-year-old driver in her first year of racing, was running at the 2012 ADRL Spring Drags III at Bristol, and the wreck happened in a qualifying session. Aside from, you know, that wreck, she's done well so far; she hit 170 mph and cleared a 1/8-mile run in 4.34 seconds on Friday. And thankfully, she walked away from this wreck under her own power. She'll race again another day.
[Hat tip to Jalopnik and Tri-Cities.com]
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Which 10 non-goalie players have disappointed the most in 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
? UFC 145 recap: Jon Jones' length crucial in handling Rashad Evans for decision win
? Spanish soccer fans pelt pitch with tennis balls in protest
? Y! News blog: Tim Tebow, Jeremy Lin on Time's 'most influential' list
Wednesday
The surface of a track doesn?t tell the whole story when it comes to repaving
We've found out over the last few weeks that NASCAR drivers prefer a worn out, slick surface over a freshly paved track. And we know from experience that tracks, especially intermediate ones, typically have a break-in period of a few years as a second groove works its way in as the track surface weathers and ages.
Many drivers felt that the surface at Kansas Speedway was just reaching its sweet spot. The track's 15 degrees of banking in the corners was heavily featuring three different lines of racing, as the 11 years of Midwest winters and summers had worn the track.
However, the weather conditions took their toll underneath that top layer of asphalt.
"Visually, looking at the surface, the asphalt ? if you go take a look at it ? doesn't look bad," ISC director of engineering Martin Flugger said. "But the problem isn't� so much on the top layer, it's the bond between the layers and then the cracking itself. So there's the real possibility that a section of the track could actually ? that a layer of the top surface could pull off."
Yes, that means you, Daytona pothole.
"Everybody thought Daytona looked great until that hole opened up in the middle of Turn 1 and 2 because of problems that weren't necessarily right at the top but were basically down into the asphalt," Flugger explained.
Repaving Sprint Cup tracks has become very common over the last 10 years ?�there are more ovals on the 2012 schedule with pavement in the single digits than not ?�and as track technology has advanced, progressive banking has emerged as the preferred option. (Well, OK, maybe not in the case of Bristol, which announced on Wednesday that the top groove in the corners of the track would be ground down. But according to Dale Earnhardt Jr., progressive banking on concrete is a different proposition than it is on asphalt.)
Progressive banking is when the degree of banking in the corners increases as you go from the white line to the wall. The idea is to create multiple lanes of racing immediately.
"What we're trying to do on is, on the front end, build in multiple lines coming through the corner," Flugger said. "In order to do that, we have to bring up the banking a little bit and give a little bit of banking to each of the lanes incrementally, so you're a little flatter at the bottom and slowly work your way up to the top with a little more banking."
The birthplace of progressive banking in the Sprint Cup Series can be traced back to Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"It really kind of came about back when we were looking at Homestead, which was some nine years ago," Flugger said. "And they knew the repave was coming, they knew they were going to change the track and they were trying to look at ways they could, in their opinion at the time, make it better."
At Homestead, the track was reconfigured from it's flat, more-rectangular layout to an oval with 18-20 degrees of banking in the corners in 2003.
"I think a lot of tracks I can look at and think about ones they reconfigured and I don't think they made better, but if you want to use Homestead for an example, that's just about a perfect race track," Matt Kenseth said on Friday. "They did the variable banking and it used to be so flat. It's got the most banking on the top, but not very much more, and it's pretty darn competitive."
The shape and size of Kansas is staying the same, while the banking is moving to 17-20 degrees in the corners, the steepest possible within the track's current configuration.
"We've got an existing system around the outside of the track right now. To get from 15 degrees, as you start to ramp up to 20 degrees, you have to get that real estate from somewhere, and to hold the inside of the track where it is right now and try to get 24 degrees (of banking), well it starts to incrementally climb up that wall to the point where if I'm at 24 degrees, I'm probably over the top of the wall," Flugger said, angling a business card on the table in front of him as a demonstration.
"You kind of work within the box that you have to see how much you can get out of it without climbing the wall too much [or] without taking away too much of the remaining track."
At Kansas, the white line will be further to the inside of where it was, meaning that during the repave process the track will be taking a scoop out of the bottom portions of the banking while raising the hill towards the wall. The track is banked in sections, rather than in a linear fashion, so the bottom 13 feet of the track will be at 17 degrees while the top 19 feet will be at 20 degrees.
After it's decided what the maximum banking can be within the limitations of the facility, Flugger said that computer simulations are run over and over to find the ideal gradient and banking increase to attempt to ensure that multiple lines of racing will be equally competitive as soon as the track opens. Once the simulation finds two lines to be as equal as possible, other lines are explored. According to Flugger, the new Kansas setup will have three lines.
"As soon as you start to basically get those numbers closer and closer, once you get within that window, then all of the sudden a second line is now as fast as the preferred line, and then you start to build on that. And then that's where you start to work in a third line, and if you can, a fourth line," Flugger said.
How many lines will there immediately be once cars take to the track? We'll find out in October.
Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels
Webber ?will threaten? Vettel in 2012
Bernie Ecclestone has stated his belief that Mark Webber could be Sebastian Vettel’s biggest rival for the title this year. Check out our review of Red Bull in 2011! Webber failed to win a race last year of course, but Ecclestone is convinced that the Australian will improve, threatening his Red Bull team-mate along the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/WvCtgq-iUMQ/webber-will-threaten-vettel-in-2012
Jacques Villeneuve leads tribute to Gilles at the wheel of his Ferrari | F1 pictures
Jacques Villeneuve leads tribute to Gilles at the wheel of his Ferrari is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
The 30th anniversary of the death of Gilles Villeneuve was commemorated today at the Fiorano circuit.
Jacques Villeneuve leads tribute to Gilles at the wheel of his Ferrari 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/2012/05/08/jacques-villeneuve-leads-tribute-gilles-wheel-ferrari/
Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain
Tuesday
Bristol, Bruton and The Changes Coming Our Way
Before I begin, let me just say how much I enjoy Bruton Smith. He’s a non-stop source of unforgettable quotes and over the top bluster – oh and we can’t forget the Liz Taylor sunglasses. I seldom get more excited than when there’s going to be a Bruton press conference. “I have built more speedways [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/mEOann7z-qU/
JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta Allen Berg Georges Berger
Fernando Alonso: ?We limited the damage again?
Fernando Alonso may have finished only seventh in Bahrain on Sunday, but the Spaniard was pleased to have bagged some useful points ? and ended the run of the first four flyaway races just 10 points off the World Championship … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/04/24/fernando-alonso-we-limited-the-damage-again/
Opel Adam
 |
It is no longer a secret that Opel has been working on a new model to be placed under the current Corsa. At this point, the new vehicle is being called the "Opel Junior," but it is believed that the future model will be called Allegra and that it will debut in 2013 as a competitor for models like the Volkswagen Up and the Fiat 500.
Be it Opel Junior or Allegra, the new model has been caught testing for the first time outside a test facility while driving on public roads. The model will be about 3.7 meters long and will only be offered in a three-door variant.
As far as power is concerned, Opel has yet to officially announce the engine lineup for the Junior/Allegra. However, it is believed that it will be powered by a new family of engines, which we may also be seeing in the next generation Opel Corsa. Considering the fact that Opel is already preparing an electric powertrain for the Rak, expect to see an electric version of the Junior as well.
UPDATE 03/23/2012: Opel will unveil its new Junior model in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. The car will use a small engine family of three- and four-cylinder units co-developed with Opel’s China partner, SAIC. The engines will have displacements from 1.0 liters to 1.4 liters and will all feature direct injection and turbocharging capability. The new engines - next to a 1.6-liter diesel and a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline unit - "will have replaced a substantial amount of our current engines by the end of the decade," said Jeff Lux, Opel’s head of powertrain engineering in an interview with Automotive News.
UPDATE 05/07/2012: Opel has officially confirmed that their new model will be called Adam and that it will make its official debut in autumn at the Paris Auto Show.
Opel Adam originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 8 May 2012 11:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/opel/2013-opel-adam-ar116694.html
Monday
Silly stories
There are a bunch of stories knocking around this morning which are designed to be noticed. One is the suggestion that there could be a Bahraini on the board of the Formula One group, another that Mercedes-Benz could pull out of F1. Neither are to be taken too seriously. If one looks at the ownership [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/silly-stories/
Webber ?will threaten? Vettel in 2012
Bernie Ecclestone has stated his belief that Mark Webber could be Sebastian Vettel’s biggest rival for the title this year. Check out our review of Red Bull in 2011! Webber failed to win a race last year of course, but Ecclestone is convinced that the Australian will improve, threatening his Red Bull team-mate along the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/WvCtgq-iUMQ/webber-will-threaten-vettel-in-2012
Martin Truex Jr.?s strong run vaults him to second in points standings
KANSAS CITY, Kan. ? Before the checkered flag flew on Sunday's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. was apologizing to his team for his second-place finish. Truex had dominated the race, leading four times for 173 laps before being passed by Denny Hamlin for the lead with 31 laps to go.
There was a time, oh, say, any other season in the team's six-year existence, where a second-place finish at Michael Waltrip Racing would be seen as growth, a sign of potential things to come. On Sunday, it was a vindication of Truex and MWR's performance in the season's first eight races. But it was also disappointing.
"I felt like today was kind of a day where I thought I was back and felt really strong that we'd have a car that could contend for the win going into the race," Truex said. "And then to be able to do that all day long, it was a good feeling.
"You know, as disappointed as I am with this second place, this is a big day for us as a team. It's kind of a statement for us that we're here for the long haul; we're here for the rest of the season.� This isn't ?�we're not just a flash in the pan."
Last week at Texas, Truex led 69 laps on the way to a sixth-place finish. At Kansas, he led more laps in one race than he had in all of 2011 en route to his third top five- and sixth top-10 finish of the season and is now just 15 points behind points leader Greg Biffle. Last year, he had three top fives and 12 top 10s in 36 races.
On Sunday, Truex carried the MWR banner, as teammates Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer suffered valve train issues that led to engine failures. Truex credits the addition of crew chief Chad Johnston, who ascended to the role during the 2011 season, and MWR vice president of competition Scott Miller, formerly of Richard Childress Racing, as key reasons for the team's performance.
"[Miller] came on at a time when we were changing the way we build our cars and did our program," Truex said. "That was a really good thing for us. He came in and streamlined the process, made sure it was consistent, made sure we were getting everything out of the people on the floor building the race cars and things.� Scott has been a lot of fun to work with.� He was my crew chief when Chad was suspended for a few races last year and really got to know him well.� He got a really, really good inside look at our cars and what we were battling with and what we needed to do better with, and as bad as it was to have Chad get suspended and all that stuff, it was a really good opportunity for Scott to really take a good look at the whole program and be a part of the program and say, okay, these are the things that I need to do this winter."
Despite Sunday's engine failures, the No. 55 and Bowyer's 15 aren't too far behind Truex in the standings. Bowyer sits 11th, while the No. 55, driven by Mark Martin in six races and Brian Vickers in two, is 11th in the owner's points standings. (Remember, all three cars finished in the top five at Bristol). Through the first quarter of the season, there's no ignoring Michael Waltrip Racing.
"To sit here and be disappointed with second place is saying something for us," Truex said. "Just looking forward to coming back to the racetrack next week. I really enjoy working with this team. They're doing a phenomenal job. I can't even tell you how much fun we're having to be honest. Once I get over the defeat in a few hours, I'm going to look at all the positives, and there's a lot of positives we can take out of this weekend and so far this season. We're not near as good as we can be yet, and we're going to keep pushing forward and try to keep getting better. I know our wins are going to come soon."
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? College hoops transfers who will be missed by their teams next season
? Eric Adelson: Tiger Stadium opened same day as Fenway Park but ignored in Detroit
? Olympics mascots have ranged from weird to wonderful through the years
Kasey Kahne victorious in NASCAR return to Rockingham Speedway
Kasey Kahne climbed through the field after starting in the back to win Sunday's Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway, the first NASCAR race at the track since 2004.
Kahne started at the back of the field because he missed practice and qualifying thanks to his Sprint Cup duties at Texas Motor Speedway, but quickly broke into the top 10 and planted himself there. He took the lead under green from pole-sitter Nelson Piquet Jr., and stayed out front after a restart with 26 laps to go.
[ Also: Rick Hendrick puts four cars in the top 10 at Texas, but none at No. 1 ]
Piquet was starting to reel in Kahne before that caution flag, and exited the pits in second behind Kahne. However, he was tagged for speeding as he accelerated out of his pit box ? the final pit stall on pit road ? and had to start at the rear of the field. He finished seventh after dominating the race, leading 107 laps. (A Piquet win would have been symbolic of the changes in NASCAR since the sanctioning body's final race at The Rock in 2004, a track with limited corporate amenities that was struggling to sell tickets. Who would have thought eight years ago, the driver with the most laps led at the track's next NASCAR race would be a Brazilian former Formula 1 driver?)
The racing was great, thanks to Rockingham's abrasive surface, multiple grooves and significant tire fall-off. As NASCAR officials crowed about the sanctioning body's return to the track rehabbed by owner Andy Hillenburg, it sparked thoughts this was potentially a case of never missing a good thing until it's gone. And for the sake of racing and racing fans, let's hope the track isn't gone again any time soon.
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Rivals.com Position U.: Who makes best NFL RBs? | Video: Raising 'Canes
? Cardinals put 'Rally Squirrel' on championship rings
? Video: Rangers, Senators play with two pucks on ice during bizarre Game 2 sequence
Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers
Into the Crystal Ball? Drama in the LBC, Edition
Pandora’s box has surely been opened this week. Nearly half the field will see grid penalties this weekend in Long Beach, the setting for the longest running street race in the western hemisphere. Open wheel racing has descended on the … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/into-the-crystal-ball-drama-in-the-lbc-edition/
Sunday
Garage House In Tokyo Subway Cars Placed Directly Into The Living
If there is something I like even more than cars are modern art and design (although I do something completely different), so it’s not hard to imagine how I envy disfigured face when I saw these images. Because you have to make something clear, one thing is the love you have for cars is quite [...]
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)