Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/06/could_a_london_grand_prix_ever.html
Saturday
Emptying the i-Phone
Now and then I get home and plug my i-Phone into the MacBook Pro and download the snaps I have collected in my life along the way. It is always quite amusing to see where I have been and what captured my interest and this month there have been quite a few entertaining things. As [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/emptying-the-i-phone/
2012 Mugello Moto2 FP1 Result: Espargaro Holds Off Iannone
Pol Espargaro's dominance of practice continues, the Spaniard once again topping the first session of free practice for the Moto2 class at Mugello. His advantage over 2nd place man Andrea Iannone was minimal, however, the Speed Master rider less than a tenth slower than Espargaro. Thomas Luthi took 3rd spot, the Interwetten rider just pipping Tech 3's Bradley Smith. Marc Marquez, now officially confirmed in the Repsol Honda MotoGP team for next year, could manage only the 5th fastest time, a third of a second slower than Espargaro, but Marquez finished ahead of Simone Corsi and Scott Redding.
Results:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Batmobile. Who ya got?
OK, be forewarned: this is basically a big ad for Mountain Dew and the new Batman flick. We all good with that? Fine, let's roll. Dale Earnahrdt Jr. and the iconic "tumbler" from "The Dark Knight Rises" (they don't call it a Batmobile, but we know that's what it is) took to Michigan International Speedway for some hot laps. And while Junior's car clearly had the speed edge, the Batmobile likely would have put the 88 into the wall with little trouble had Batman (or whoever was driving the thing) been so inclined.
Alas, Junior's car doesn't appear in this movie the way it did in last summer's Transformers 3. Too bad; would have liked to see how Junior Nation would fare against Bane's army of creepy acolytes.
"The Dark Knight Rises" hits theaters July 20. Mountain Dew is on sale now. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. is hoping desperately to win his first race since 2008 this weekend.
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? GoDaddy's move away from the risqu� suits Danica Patrick just fine
? Beau Hossler leads the U.S. Open at age 17 ? for a few minutes
? Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders trashes his own turf
Friday
Facelift To The Mazda MX-5
The world’s best selling roadster. What topicazo. But the topics exist within the same world that proverbs: they are the most clear and concise certainties exist. It’s that simple. Mazda created a myth, and myths survive, walk on the time and nothing affects them. From time to time given some wiggle and money machine keeps [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/251-facelift-to-the-mazda-mx-5.html
Will Power breaks out the double middle finger salute again; this time towards EJ Viso
Very rarely is a sequel more subtle than its precursor. Very rarely is a sequel organic. And Will Power, yours was both during Saturday night's Izod IndyCar Series race at Iowa Speedway and we thank you for it.
Last summer at New Hampshire, Power became somewhat of a sensation for his double middle finger salute towards IndyCar officials after the series tried to finish the race under green on a damp track, causing a major pileup. Power flipped them again on Saturday, giving E.J. Viso the treatment in response to Viso's gesture towards him.
Power and Viso had just made contact in turn one, as Viso was on the inside of Power. The contact sent Power around and both drivers into the wall, with Viso's car ahead of Power's. As TV cameras were focused on Power, he flipped up his visor, unhooked his steering wheel and BAM, the double barrel salute subtly appeared. And then it disappeared. In fact, if you rewound your DVR, you may have had a hard time finding it. It existed for just a couple frames.
Viso's car ended up ahead of Power's on the track. It wasn't visible in the initial camera shot, but on replay, when Viso climbed from his car he gestured toward Power while pointing at his helmet, intimating that Power needed to use his head. Power responded with his trademark, and then Viso got the last motion with a gesture towards, uh, down there. (After he emerged from the infield care center, Power said he had simply lost the car, and then after looking at replays, apologized to Viso for not seeing him on the inside.)
Will, you're now the master of the exuberant and the low-key double bird flipping, perhaps the best road racer in the IndyCar Series and you can extinguish your own engine fire. Don't stop being you.
(Uncensored version below)
Danica Patrick crashes out with 17 laps to go at Daytona
Danica Patrick's fourth and final Daytona start in 2012 ended just like the first three; with a crash.
Patrick qualified third and spent most of the evening near the front, leading five times for a career-high 13 laps, and missed the race's 14-car pileup because she was at the head of the pack. It wouldn't have been a stretch to say that Patrick might have had the race's best car.
But 17 laps later, Patrick wasn't so lucky. Jeffrey Earnhardt went around off the bumper of Ricky Stenhouse ahead of Patrick, and Patrick, who was on the outside as the field exited Turn 2, darted to the inside to miss Earnhardt's car. But as she made her move to the left, she clipped the front bumper of a car and off she went towards the inside wall.
[Also: Tony Stewart pulls off dramatic comeback win at Coke Zero 400]
It was a violent impact that knocked her steering wheel straight up in the air ? an extraordinary sight from the in-car camera. (Patrick was OK.) And it was eerily reminiscent of her crash in the Gatorade Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500, where she also slammed into the inside backstretch wall. In the first Nationwide race at Daytona, she crashed after she and teammate Cole Whitt made contact and was caught up in a crash along with Jimmie Johnson three laps into the 500.
Patrick's next scheduled restrictor plate start? Speedweeks in Daytona next year. Will the turn of the calendar also turn her luck?
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Breaking down the Team USA roster player-by-player
? Roger Federer's second-set break fueled his historic Wimbledon win
? Y! Autos: New Porsche 911 features wild sound effect
Thursday
Power Rankings: If it?s hot, Smoke is rising
The race is done, and that means it's time for Power Rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. It is not scientific, nor is it meant to be. And remember, whoever your favorite driver is, we're biased against him and like someone else better. We continue with a guy who's back again...
1. Tony Stewart: You know, just when you're about to write ol' Smoke off as coasting until he hits the Chase, he goes and rips off three straight top-3 performances. He is never. Going. Away. And anybody who takes him for granted until the final lap of Homestead is going to be chasing him before they know it. Last week: 5.
2. Jimmie Johnson: When an unremarkable week for Johnson is a fifth-place finish, you know we're in for something good come Chase time. Could this be the year that we finally get an all-out battle between the guys who've held the Cup every year since 2004? It very well could be. (And yes, the clown-wig pic stays. Deal with it.)� Last week: 3.
3. Greg Biffle: The Biffle/Kenseth fan bases are going to scream that the top two drivers in the series are ranked third and fourth, but tough. Both guys were good but not good enough at Sonoma, which is reason enough that some people might not want to scream too loudly about adding a road course to the Chase. It's a decided disadvantage to a large chunk of drivers. Last week: 4.
4. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth tooled around the lower edges of the top 10 most of the afternoon before settling for a 13th-place finish. For him and others not completely at ease on a road course, that's ... well, that's not a victory, but it's still good news, and now he's gotten away from the right turns for a few weeks. Last week: 2.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: You remember when you were in school, and you busted your butt to get an A average, and then you hypothetically slept through just one freaking exam, hypothetically, and it destroyed your grade? Same principle applies here. Junior could get right back up top, but in the meantime: CAN JUNIOR SNAP HIS LOSING STREAK IN KENTUCKY? Last week: 1.
6. Clint Bowyer: Great run by Bowyer, who's validating all the faith shown in him by Michael Waltrip. He's now ranked 7th in the Chase standings and is becoming a legit threat to last halfway through the Chase as a contender. One question: what happens when you mix wine with Five-Hour Energy? Last week: 8.
7. Kasey Kahne: This is why Kahne's ugly start was so damaging; he's now got to run well every single race in order to have any prayer of getting into the Chase. Right now, he sits fourth in the wild card standings, behind Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano. No margin for error any longer. Last week: 9.
8. Jeff Gordon: On the season, he's been wretched, but over the last two weeks, he's notched two sixth-place finishes, which averages out to ... hey, sixth place! How about that? As with Kahne, he may have waited too long to make his move. But coming back to finish so well after running out of gas on Sunday was a definite step forward ... after running over your own foot. Last week: 12.
9. Martin Truex Jr.: Time's a-wasting for the Other Junior. He's already gotten passed as the marquee driver in the Waltrip stable, and he's now in ninth place in the standings. He ought to be able to hold the 41-point edge he has over 11th place, but he'll need to put together some stronger full-race runs. Last week: 7.
10. Kevin Harvick: Another double-digit finish for Harvick, who hasn't finished higher than 10th since Dover back in the first weekend of the month. No reason to worry yet, of course, but no reason to get particularly inspired, either. He's like the Nickelback of NASCAR at the moment. Last week: 6.
11. Marcos Ambrose: Oh! So many hopes dashed for Ambrose this weekend! He had it all right there in front of him ... literally, since he started on the pole. But it wasn't to be, and now he's left to wonder if he let one of his best chances slip away. (Spoiler: yes, yes he did.) Last week: 11.
12. Denny Hamlin: Two straight finishes in the 30s, and it's time for the Denny Hamlin fans to push the panic button! Really! His season is on the brink! He's screwed! It's all gonna be a - wait, what? He's got two wins? Oh, right. Never mind. Keep calm and carry on, Hamlinoids. Last week: 10.
Dropping out of the rankings: Nobody.
Lucky Dog: A tie between Kurt Busch and Brian Vickers. Two guys written off at the start of the season come back to post top-5 finishes. Great job by both of 'em; will it lead to more work?
DNF: Juan Pablo Montoya. There was reason to hope for JPM at Sonoma, since it's one of two tracks he's won on in Sprint Cup. Alas, it wasn't to be, and he's in real trouble now.
All right, your turn. Fire away, friends.
2012 MotoGP Championship Standings After Round 8, Sachsenring
MotoGP Championship standings for round 8, 2012
Video: Can Dale Jr. keep the win streak going at Sonoma? (Spoiler: no.)
It's time for the first road course of the season, and let's chat a bit about who's going to win. Your favorite Yahoo! Jays, Hart and Busbee, discuss how this race could very well affect THE ENTIRE CHASE. It's true, it could happen. Also, we don't think Junior will win this weekend. Enjoy the video presentation anyway.
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
Mark Webber Q&A: ?There were discussions with Ferrari??
Red Bull has issued an intriguing Q&A with Mark Webber, who confirms that he turned down Ferrari. Q: Was signing with Red Bull Racing for 2013 an easy decision? MW: In the end, yes it was. It?s been an interesting … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/07/10/mark-webber-qa-there-were-discussions-with-ferrari/
Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy Colin Chapman
Wednesday
Mini-racing: Get the entire Junior-wins-Michigan experience in 12 minutes
Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, you're going to want to clip and save this video. No, not because a win won't come around for another four years; we can be optimistic, can't we? At Michigan on Sunday, Dale Junior absolutely throttled the field, putting together the kind of dominating win that removes all doubt from the minds of anyone except the tinfoil-hat crowd that he actually is one of the best drivers in the sport right now. So, have at it. We'll probably be covering this topic in more depth throughout the week.
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Les Carpenter: Verdict in Roger Clemens' perjury case yields no winners
? Adrian Wojnarowski: Hornets won't need to see a workout before drafting Anthony Davis
? Tito Ortiz talks about UFC 148, the Hall of Fame and the next chapter
Tuesday
Chilton and Haryanto to test for Marussia | 2012 F1 season
Chilton and Haryanto to test for Marussia is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Max Chilton and Rio Haryanto will drive for Marussia in the Young Drivers' Test at Silverstone on Thursday and Friday this week.
Chilton and Haryanto to test for Marussia 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/2012/07/10/chilton-haryanto-test-marussia-silverstone/
Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais
Lewis Hamilton: ?I was flat out right to the end?
Lewis Hamilton admitted he was surprised to find himself finishing the British GP in the same eighth place that he started from, after McLaren struggled to find enough pace over the course of the afternoon. In fact both Lewis and … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/07/08/lewis-hamilton-i-was-flat-out-right-to-the-end/
Monday
Scary moment on Daytona pit road as Ryan Newman nearly takes out pit crew member
Almost a very scary moment at Daytona on Saturday night as Ryan Newman found himself spun around on pit road. And if there's one place you don't want to be traveling backwards at high speed, it's the one place on the track where there are actual unprotected people walking around. Some fast dancing by the men on pit road averted disaster, but still ... whew. This could've been a whole lot worse.
Alain de Changy Colin Chapman Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves
My Indy 500 Race Weekend
As usual, we arrived at the infamous Coke Lot 1C on Thursday afternoon to stake our claim in the sorry, Treeless excuse for a campground. The temperature was right around 90 degrees that afternoon and the heat had a noticeable … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/my-indy-500-race-weekend/
Lexus LS
 |
At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Lexus unveiled the new generation RX, as well as a video that shows RX chief engineer Takayuki Katsuda describing the car i detail. What that video also offered was the first teaser image of the next generation LS sedan that is set to be unveiled sometime by the end of the2012, as promised by Lexus.
While the teaser image doesn’t show much, you can still see that the upcoming LS will borrow some design elements from the recently launched GS sedan, like Lexus’ new spindle grille with one of the boldest interpretations yet. It also appears that the LS may have a full chrome hourglass shape around the grille, as well as a new set of headlamps.
Hit the jump to see the video of Takayuki Katsuda talking about the RX. Keep an eye out for the teaser image of the LS, as well as other teaser images showing the next generation IS and ES.
UPDATE 07/09/2012: The next generation Lexus LS will be making its official debut on July 30th, next to the all-new LS F Sport.
Lexus LS originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 9 July 2012 11:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/lexus/2013-lexus-ls-ar126667.html
Sunday
Joey Logano captures win at, yes, an interesting Pocono race
Say what you will about Sunday's race at Pocono, but it was never boring.
Long derided by both fans and drivers alike as one of the least popular tracks on the circuit, Pocono proved to have more than a few twists on Sunday in the Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR, albeit not, perhaps, in the expected fashion.
But more on that in a moment. First, a tip of the orange-and-black cap to Joey Logano, who won his first race since 2009 (and first-ever non-rain-shortened Sprint Cup race). Logano had the pole and never strayed too far from the lead, putting together a masterful strategic race that kept far stronger challengers at bay.
Logano very nearly lost the race at the last moment when Mark Martin passed him on a late restart but took advantage of a Martin bobble to snag the lead for good. "I was going to be on suicide watch if I gave [the lead] away like that," Logano said. "But, man, it was awesome to get it back."
Of course, it also helps when many of your chief competitors fall by the wayside, victims of their own throttle. Pit road penalties hammered the field, most notably Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, meaning many of the field's best drivers couldn't get within sight of the front.
But let's take nothing away from Logano, who may well have salvaged his Joe Gibbs Racing career with this victory. He's been on a hot seat for so long he's got to have a callused rear end, but in recent weeks Logano has won three of four Nationwide races and now, a wire-to-wire Sprint Cup one. Given that everyone from Carl Edwards to Kurt Busch has been mentioned in connection with the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota within the last year, it has to be a relief for Logano to have a little bit of breathing room. "I hope it shuts [critics] up, is what I hope," he said.
And as for this season, Logano has vaulted himself straight into wild-card contention; he and Ryan Newman are mathematically tied for the second wild-card spot right now. Another win, or at least a strong second-half showing, and he could get into the Chase after all, right on schedule if not on the predicted path.
The pit road penalties dominated the talk of the race early on, but once teams figured out the issue, most were able to proceed effectively through the rest of the race with little incident. The early pit strangeness led to some fuel conservation strategies; it briefly seemed as if Pocono would become a legitimate fuel mileage race. But Logano had little trouble reaching the finish line, and those who had considered stretching, like Dale Earnhardt Jr., came into the pits with only a few laps remaining.
Earnhardt's odyssey was one of the more fascinating elements of the afternoon. He clearly had one of the strongest cars on the track, and ended up second only to Logano in laps led. If you like the "as they run" points standings, note that Earnhardt was briefly leading the Sprint Cup standings, in June yet. Still, in the end, he had to settle for an eighth-place finish, but continued his top-10 streak ... as well as his winless one, of course.
Afterward, he conceded that he played it safe. "I don't like running out of gas," he said. "I ran out of gas here one year and that pisses me off so bad that it's just hard to recover from it, mentally, you know; in the next couple of weeks. There's just no excuse in running out of gas. You put fuel in it and you go run ... I'm not going to give up 30 points or 20 points in a race [by running out of gas], not just yet, you know?"
Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, a surprisingly resilient Johnson and established Pocono honcho Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five. Kyle Busch had to leave the track early, the victim of the second blown engine in two weeks.
As for the repave, the track ran fast, perhaps surprisingly so to some drivers, causing a first-lap wreck. Overall, the Tricky Triangle proved to be a surprisingly fascinating race. Miracles truly can happen anywhere.
2012 Charlotte Race Weeks Events Guide
Welcome to TNI’s annual look at things to do in Charlotte during All-Star and Coke 600 weeks. If you?re in town, or on your way, below is a list of things for you to do while you?re here. If you know of an event occurring in town not listed please feel free to add it [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/OTdiprCDtbQ/
How I Saw It?Thank You Iowa Edition
Are we enjoying our week off? I bet the teams and drivers are! A five straight race stint is a tall order when you are dealing with carbon fiber constructed open wheeled cars, but the teams took the challenge with … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/how-i-saw-it-thank-you-iowa-edition/
New All-Star Format Fell Short
Sandbagging (verb): To hold back; what happened Saturday night at the Sprint All-Star race. The collective oxygen this morning is being taken up with discussion about what happened Saturday night. A new format and $1 million on the line led the winner of the race to sandbag his way to the end. NASCAR in its [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/CASm6VoO-c4/
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)