MotoX News: 10/14/12

Saturday

Chase Power Rankings: Cue the Imperial March

The first race of the Chase is over, and that means it's time for Power Rankings! But we're doing things a little differently now that we're in the postseason. It's all-Chasers, all the time. Good job, good effort for those of you that didn't make it, but we've got bigger fish to focus on. We'll be judging who's running well, considering not just finishing position but quality of run, expected potential, and general gut feelings. As always, we hate your guy and are biased against him. Now, enjoy.

1. Jimmie Johnson: We call Jimmie Johnson "Vader" around these parts. (No, we've never figured out who Luke is, though we're cool with Chad Knaus being the Emperor.) It's because the 48 is relentless, like the Vader in the first two Star Wars movies, not the indecisive goof in "Return of the Jedi" or the whiny twit in the prequels. (Last week: 2)

2. Brad Keselowski: The Chase is all about keeping yourself in position, and Keselowski did exactly that by finishing sixth. If you can't win, keep the winner in your sights. (Last week: 1)

3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin made a guarantee of victory last Sunday, which was awesome. Then he backed off it on Friday, which was weak. And he made a Babe Ruth called-shot motion when he won, which was ridiculous. Ride it out, Hamlin. Own it. (Last week: 5)

4. Kasey Kahne: Exactly where he needs to be. After his early-season debacles, Kahne has specialized in keeping close without screwing up too badly. A top-5 finish? That'll do. For now. (Last week: 3)

5. Clint Bowyer: We didn't give Bowyer much of a chance to win this thing, and absent a couple victories we still don't, but hey ... there's always a chance. (Last week: 7)

6. Jeff Gordon: This is how badly one terrible finish can hurt you: Gordon is still mired in last place despite a third-place finish this week. He's running well but has zip to show for it. (Last week: 9)

7. Tony Stewart: Decent but unspectacular week for Smoke, but at least he's keeping himself in the mix. He's currently only a handful of points off the lead, which at this point is saying something. (Last week: 4)

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: About time to make that move, Junior. Two straight weeks of mid-high-pack finishes ain't gonna cut it. (Last week: 6)

9. Matt Kenseth: Looking a bit grim for Kenseth, who appears to have lost whatever single-digit mojo he had earlier this season. (Last week: 9)

10. Kevin Harvick: This is a 10th-place kind of year for Harvick, and fittingly enough, he finished 11th at Loudon. (Last week: 12)

11. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex may have seen his best chance to get in the Chase hunt pass him by before the Chase even began. (Last week: 11)

12. Greg Biffle: That points lead seems a long, long way away right now. (Last week: 10)

Non-Chaser of the week: Brian Vickers, with yet another top-10 performance that ought to get him a better ride next year. What's a brother got to do?

All right, your turn. Who goes where?

Fantasy Football video from Yahoo! Sports:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/chase-power-rankings-cue-imperial-march-031655430--nascar.html

Bill Aston Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer

We?ll be ready for 2014, says New Jersey promoter

New Jersey F1 promoter Leo Hindery insists that the Grand Prix of America will take place in 2014 after the race was dropped from next year?s calendar. A statement from the circuit said today that the delay was due to … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/10/19/well-be-ready-for-2014-says-new-jersey-promoter/

Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas Derek Daly Christian Danner

Kimball Fractures Hand In Mid-Ohio

Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2012/07/kimball-fractures-hand-in-mid-ohio.html

Hans Binder Clemente Biondetti Pablo Birger Art Bisch

Chase Watch: Keselowski?s empty fuel tank tightens up the points race

For a significant portion of Saturday night's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, status quo looked like it was going to be maintained at the top of the points standings.

Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, the top three drivers in the points standings entering the Chase, were bunched together at the front of the field and even occupied the top three spots in the race for a segment. It was going to take something big to catalyze a meaningful shift in the points standings.

When the caution flag flew on lap 223 for debris just after the field had cycled through green flag pit stops, Johnson and Hamlin pitted to try to make it the rest of the race on one stop. Keselowski stayed out. It wasn't terribly surprising; Johnson has admitted that saving fuel is a weak link for his team, the fuel mileage of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas has been much discussed and exceptional fuel mileage was a reason that Keselowski won two weeks ago at Dover.

What happened next was surprising, however. As the field started the green flag pit stop cycle again, Keselowski, who was the race leader and had led the most laps, cruised past the entrance to pit road with 59 laps remaining in the race. His car started sputtering.

Keselowski coasted around to the pits, losing precious seconds both while he coasted on the track and in the pits as the crew worked to refire the car. He rejoined the race in 16th place, and was going to need to pit again to make it to the end on fuel.

He moved up to 11th by the time the checkered flag flew thanks to a combination of differing strategies and the speed of his car, but the (minimal) damage had been done. Thanks to that caution flag pit stop, Hamlin was able to push until the end and finished second, and while Johnson had to back off the throttle significantly over the final few laps, the cushion he had built in third was more than enough to maintain the position.

"It's like playing blackjack. Sometimes you get a good deal but you're not going to win them all," Keselowski said. "You know that, and you hope that when you're sitting there with 13 that you can just not have a lot of chips in the pile. We didn't lose too much. We got 11th out of day where everything kind of fell against us; the cautions at the beginning and the lack of them at the end and we still put out a respectable effort."

But yes, like Keselowski said, the damage in the points standings could have been much worse; it's not often that drivers who run out of fuel for an entire lap late in a race come back to finish 11th. And the points lead is still Keselowski's, the cushion is just smaller.

Who's up? We'll give this one to Hamlin and Johnson. While Clint Bowyer might have just made this Chase a four man race, Johnson essentially cut the deficit between he and Keselowski in half to seven, and Hamlin is now 15 points back. After this race last year, Tony Stewart was 24 points behind.

Who's down? No, this is not going to be a cop-out paragraph that will just say Dale Earnhardt Jr. and then be done with it. This award goes to Jeff Gordon, whose pit road speeding violation on lap 219 meant that he went a lap down serving the penalty. Gordon was never able to make the lap back and finished 18th, the lowest finishing position of any Chaser.

Who's out? And Gordon's penalty leads us to this. Sorry Jeff, you're now officially in the out column, 50 points back of Keselowski in 9th place. The same goes for you Tony Stewart. Smoke and company made a valiant effort after sustaining some substantial front-end damage on a restart crash early in the race, but a 50 point deficit is too much to overcome at this point. We're not going to split hairs, either. at 49 points back, you're done too, Martin Truex Jr.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/chase-watch-keselowski-running-fuel-tightens-points-race-035206098--nascar.html

Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli

Racin? for bacon: Almirola hands out 600 pounds of bacon at Talladega

If you're like us around here, you greeted the recent rumors of an impending worldwide bacon shortage with a mixture of sadness and sheer terror. A world without bacon is not a world we want to live in, friends.

But fear not! Aric Almirola and Richard Petty Motorsports are teaming with Gwaltney this weekend at Talladega to dispute such fearmongering reports.

"It's great timing to have Gwaltney on our car this week with all this talk about a bacon shortage," Almirola said. "We kind of joke about the rumors and people are calling it the 'Aporkalypse,' but it's actually a serious matter that affects farmers across the country.� It was a rough summer with the drought and we all hope that everyone recovers from it financially.� But for this race week, we're here to assure race fans that they don't have to worry about the bacon case at the grocery store being empty.� Gwaltney will be there, no matter what."

Almirola and Gwaltney put their bacon where their mouths are on Saturday by distributing 600 pounds of bacon in the garage. And it's a good thing they put that news out after the fact; "free bacon" is an incitement to riot in most parts of the South.

Almirola will start Sunday's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 in 18th position, which at Talladega means absolutely nothing. If he wins, Almirola hasn't exactly promised bacon for all, but it'll be a victory for the forces of bacon nonetheless.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/racin-bacon-almirola-hands-600-pounds-bacon-talladega-153822017--nascar.html

Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim Clark† Kevin Cogan

Friday

Lewis Hamilton: ?This is a year to forget I think??

Lewis Hamilton managed to finish 10th in Korea after what team boss Martin Whitmarsh called a ?heroic? effort with a crippled car ? and then conceded that his 2012 championship hopes are now over. Hamilton suffered a rear anti-roll bar … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/10/14/lewis-hamilton-this-is-a-year-to-forget-i-think/

Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella

Matt Kenseth says Talladega win was a boost for his final six races at Roush

Still in 12th in the Chase points standings after Sunday's win at Talladega, Matt Kenseth's championship hopes are pretty much nonexistent in his final season at Roush Fenway Racing, and Kenseth said Tuesday that the win was integral in helping him feel better about he and the team's split when they officially part ways in six more races.

"Well, it's made me feel a little bit better about certain things," Kenseth said."I mean, it's really important for me to finish this thing off on a high note.�It would just break my heart if the thing was broken when I left.�So I certainly didn't want that."

"And we had a really rough few weeks in The Chase with parts breaking and following off and not getting good finishes and not running good and everybody was getting close to being at each other's throats and things like that.� So it's important for me to try to really try to keep that whole unit as a cohesive front-running championship-contending unit.� So I'm hoping in the next six weeks we can continue this momentum, hoping we can get another win or two and finish as high as we can in the points and end this thing on a high note."

Kenseth was the series' best driver at restrictor plate tracks this season, also winning the Daytona 500 and finishing third twice. Drivers rarely move on to other teams when things are going well, so that's one reason that Kenseth became just the third different Chase driver, along with Tony Stewart in 2008 and Kurt Busch last year, to win a Chase race the season before leaving for a new team. But Kenseth said that once he met with Joe and JD Gibbs, his decision to take over the driving duties of the No. 20 wasn't as difficult as you might have expected.

"When I've talked to Joe and JD and went and saw some of their stuff and spent some time with them, I just really felt like that was the right place for me," Kenseth said. "I felt really comfortable with everything.� I feel really good about their stuff, when you watch how good all their cars perform on the racetrack and how many races they win and all that kind of stuff, I just felt like that was the place for me."

"It really wasn't as hard or I wasn't probably as conflicted as one might think."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/matt-kenseth-says-talladega-win-boost-final-six-215319505--nascar.html

Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford

102 and still Running Strong!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/o0CLImYuzmM/102-and-still-running-strong.html

Ivan Capelli Piero Carini Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti

Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle are at the head of the field at Kansas

What impact will the new surface at Kansas Speedway have on Sunday?

That's the question that you'll hear more times than you can count over the course of this week, as Sunday's race is the first Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas since the track repaved. Gone is the consistent 15 degrees of banking throughout the track's four corners, replaced by variable banking of 17 degrees near the white line and 20 degrees near the wall.

So, we ask again, what impact will the new surface have? Since racing can be such a finicky beast, it's probably impossible to figure out the exact significance of past performance at a remodeled racetrack. You certainly can't look back to the last few races on the old surface for a reliable indicator, but can you throw out the results completely?

The result is probably somewhere in the middle. What we do know, however, is that Jimmie Johnson (surprise!) and Greg Biffle were the two best drivers at Kansas before the repave. And it wouldn't be stunning if they were two of the best drivers at Kansas after the repave. But how much of it is the driver and the car instead of the track?

Johnson: Vader has two wins and 10 top 10 finishes at Kansas Speedway for an average finish of 7.9. He won last year's fall race here and was in the thick of the Chase mix until the following week at Charlotte. He was also third in the spring.

Biffle: Biffle is just fractionally worse than Johnson at Kansas with an average finish of 8.0, and that can be traced back to his only nine top 10s in 12 starts. Biffle also has two wins at Kansas; in the near darkness in 2007, and in the fall race in 2010.

Brad Keselowski: Jetski's first Sprint Cup Series win for Roger Penske came in the 2011 spring race at Kansas, when he conserved enough fuel over the final laps to pull away from the field. Back then, it was a surprising win. Now? No, not at all, and we're surprised when Keselowski and Paul Wolfe don't make their fuel supply last longer than everyone else's. His average finish is 10.2.

Jeff Gordon: The winner of the first two races at Kansas hasn't won since, but has nine top 10s in 13 starts at the track. His average finish is 11.1, but his last two Kansas finishes have been 34th thanks to an engine failure, and 21st.

Tony Stewart: Stewart showed Keselowski how to win a fuel mileage race at Kansas in 2006, when he coasted more than a half of a lap without fuel to the win. In 2009, he won without the benefit of fuel mileage, outrunning Gordon to the finish over the race's final green flag segment. His average finish is 12.2.

Kevin Harvick: Harvick's average finish isn't too far behind Stewart's at 13.0, but he hasn't been to victory lane at Kansas. Harvick has six top 10s in 13 Kansas starts, and with the way that RCR is going this year, it wouldn't be surprising if Harvick made it seven in 14 without sniffing the lead.

Denny Hamlin: The Hamster is going for a rare sweep of two wins in the same season at the same track that really isn't the same track. He ran down and passed Martin Truex Jr. in the spring after the sun came out late at Kansas in the spring for his only win and just his third top 10 at the track. His average finish is 14.1, thanks in part to Hamlin completing all but four laps in his Kansas races.

Clint Bowyer: Saturday night's winner hasn't had the best luck at the track that's just an hour and change from his hometown of Emporia, KS. Since finishing second in his second Kansas start, Bowyer has only finished higher than 12th once. His average finish is 15.0. (Did you know that Bowyer's win at Charlotte was his first at a 1.5 mile track?)

Kasey Kahne: Kahne, who has an average finish of 16.1, has started on the pole twice at Kansas, but in those two starts, he's finished 33rd and 37th. Kasey, you may not want to lead the field to green on Sunday. He was second in this race last year for Red Bull Racing, and was 8th in the spring.

Matt Kenseth: Kind of surprising to see Kenseth so far down the list, no? His average finis is 16.9, and that's after finishes of seventh, sixth, fourth and fourth in the last four Kansas races. Four finishes of 32nd or worse will do that to you.

Martin Truex, Jr.: This would be a different paragraph if Truex would have been able to hold on in the spring. He dominated the race, leading 173 of 267 laps on his way to a second place finish. And that second place finish? That was his first notable finish at Kansas; his previous high finish was 11th, and that came in his first start at the track. Hence the average finish of 23.2.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/jimmie-johnson-greg-biffle-head-field-kansas-124156994--nascar.html

Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso

2012 Sepang Moto3 FP2 Result: Folger Faster Than Cortese And Khairuddin

Jonas Folger completed the first day of free practice for the Moto3 class firmly in control of the timesheets, ending FP2 a quarter of a second clear of the men chasing him. Sandro Cortese took 2nd spot, just edging out his teammate Zulfahmi Khairuddin, the Malaysian rider keen for a strong result at his home round. Miguel Oliveira took 4th, behind the leading KTMs, and ahead of flock of FTR Hondas, lead by Alessandro Tonucci.

Results:

Race Details

Round Number:

2012

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/ZG58nPo4aJM/2012_sepang_moto3_fp2_result_folger_fast.html

Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso

Thursday

A lot of talk in Thailand?

Bernie Ecclestone likes race promoters who do not talk a lot and deliver deals – before they go public. Thus he cannot be overly impressed with the Thailand’s government’s sports authority, which has been putting out stories for some weeks that it will be hosting a Formula 1 race in Bangkok in 2014. If a [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/a-lot-of-talk-in-thailand/

Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo

Happy Hour: Should Dale Jr. and Chad Knaus join forces?

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 or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face.

It's Talladega week, one of my most favorite weeks of the year! I love everything about this race, from the on-track action to the infield, and even the watered-down version of Talladega we're seeing these days is better than most other tracks. If you've got a great infield story to share, spill. We want to know!

For now, your letters.

Rick Hendrick has bent over backwards to give Dale Jr. a shot at winning the title (different crew chief, garage, etc.). Do you think if he fails AGAIN, Hendrick will give him Chad Knaus?

? Becky Kemp
Bowling Green, OH

This is perilously close to one of those trolling letters that always fill my inbox ? "Hey, Busbee: since Dale Jr. sucks so much, you think he ought to just go to France where he can be sucky among a bunch of other sucks?" But let's be generous today and take it at face value.

For starters, I think Rick Hendrick has to be delighted with how Junior has done so far. The guy finished second in the regular season, for heaven's sake. And while he's not exactly tearing up the Chase, nor are 39 other drivers. I'd consider this season an exceptional success, and a solid building block for the future. So, no, I don't think Hendrick will be replacing anybody on Junior's team, least of all his crew chief. I'd love to see what Knaus does with a different driver, but I've got to think it'd be one of those David Lee Roth-Eddie Van Halen situations where they're amazing together but utter garbage when they're apart.

____________________

Did football come over to NASCAR? Is there really a bounty for anyone who wrecks Danica? Sure seems like the guys can't handle her racing with them, especially if it looks like she might have a good run. I have watched many of the times she has been wrecked and yea a few she should have known better but most sure look like the boys can't man up and let her race with them!

? diniwoyali

Eh, I think we're past the whole "Oooh, Danica's a gurl HOW CAN SHE RACE WHILE SHE'S PUTTIN' ON HER MAKEUP HA HA HA" nonsense by now. The big question at this point is whether she actually can race in the first place, and the consensus still seems to be that while she has SOME talent, she's got a long way to go before she's able to hang at the highest level. Could she at some day? Sure, and she's getting every chance to prove herself. But if she fails, it's not going to be because of some grand conspiracy. Danica brings in tons of new money to NASCAR, and for that reason, she'll be around as long as she wants to be.

___________________

I've convinced myself that the racing would be better if NASCAR could find a way to get the cars to sit off the track a couple inches. Let the air underneath the car. This would lower cornering speeds and maybe just maybe get rid of the aero advantage of being out front. Just a thought.

? Hobo Joe

Like most media members, I was an English major in college, so I'm not even going to pretend I have a working knowledge of aerodynamics and automotive engineering. But, yes, the virtues of clean air for drivers tend to make for the most boring races imaginable. The trick, of course, isn't technological, it's moral: just how much manipulation of the engineering should you do to force competition? Anything that frees up standards, I'm all for, because that rewards engineering genius, but then that gives us the very real possibility that somebody will figure out something that wins them ten straight races.

___________________

As talented as Kyle and Kurt Busch are, both these guys have still got some learning to do with handling interviews and questions. As we saw at Richmond, it appears whatever niceties Kyle is handing out are because he is being watched closely and "coached." As for Kurt, his comment about being back on a "quality" team doesn't give him points for appreciating all Finch went thru for him over the past few months. A big "thank you for giving me a chance, and I wish your team the best in the future" would have gone a lot further with everyone. I wonder if it sent a chill through the Furniture Row people as a clue to what they may still have to deal with?

? Joyce Keith

We could psychoanalyze all afternoon about why it is that these guys seem to have so much trouble with the media, but what's indisputable is that, more often than not, they create their own problems. Kyle can't be surprised that no one wants to talk to him if he's given them gritted-teeth, just-doing-this-'cause-I-have-to interview quote-bits.

Kurt's a bit more problematic. The guy seems hell-bent on burning every bridge, often while he's still standing on it. He's a fascinating character study, but yes, you have to know exactly what you're in for when you bring him onto your team. But it sure is fun for us to watch.

____________________

I might actually be the only NASCAR fan in all of NYC. No, really. I don't think I've ever met another NASCAR fan in the whole city. The first race I ever watched was the 2001 Daytona 500. Seeing DJ urge on Mikey in the last lap totally hooked me. (When I heard later that some guy died in the last lap crash I was sad for him, but didn't get the implications or impact that would have on the sport.) I've been a Waltrip fan ever since. It's been a fun year with two wins and two in the Chase. Go 15, 55, 56!

? John C
Huntington NY

I think we have a couple other NASCAR fans in NYC, but yeah, it's always funny seeing NASCAR try to edge its way into the Big Apple. They used to run the cars through the concrete canyons of Manhattan, you'll recall. Now, if that happened anywhere south of Washington, D.C., you'd have crowds losing their minds and glomming onto every driver wherever they walked. But in New York? If any of those surly Yanks even looked up from reading the latest "Headless Body in Topless Bar" story in the Post, they'd just snarl, "Hey! I'm walkin' here, country boy! Take your fancy-colored cars and get the [censored] outta my city! Go Jeter!"

Anyway, keep the faith, John.

___________________

Perhaps I'm in the minority here, but I loathe road course races. If cars aren't screaming at 175-200 MPH, it's a snooze fest for me. Maybe this is why NASCAR won't use road course tracks in the Chase. They assume it's an automatic tune out for the fans who want speed. What's that famous line in Top Gun...? Oh yeah, "I feel the need... the need for speed!"�

? Robert B.
Mesquite, TX

Yeah, but that doesn't explain why Martinsville is in the Chase. I don't like Martinsville for the exact same reasons. To re-use my same comparison, to me it's like watching 43 cars look for a parking space at the mall at Christmas. Road courses, I get it: they can be the same way for some people. Personally, I dig 'em; seeing familiar cars shoot up over hillsides and diving into turns is a pleasant change of pace, like hockey's outdoor Winter Classic. Until we actually have a road course on an actual road, though, I won't be satisfied.

Finally, today in spam ...

____________________

Attn: Luboil Rigs International Co. Ltd is a company in the United Kingdom which is penetrating the oil and gas industry in Ghana. Oil rig operators, geologists, drillers, engineers and project managers are needed for Production, Exploration, Refining of petroleum products. The company has international projects in 27 countries. We are currently looking for strong, innovative, experienced and capable hands on board for our latest oil rig in Tarkoradi Ghana West-Africa which would commence at the end of December 2012.

"AJ! Sam! Hey, it's Roger Penske ... No, I'm not calling to offer you your old job back. But I know of a place that's looking for guys like you ... "

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!

NASCAR video from Yahoo! Sports:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/happy-hour-dale-jr-chad-knaus-join-forces-124636633--nascar.html

Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies Colin Davis

2013 Indy Car Series Schedule announced

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/gH8y5g0N7dk/2013-indy-car-series-schedule-announced.html

Yannick Dalmas Derek Daly Christian Danner Jorge Daponte

2012 Motegi Moto3 Race Result: Dramatic Last Lap Produces Thrilling Win

Results:

Race Details

Round Number:

2012

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/1nUWvBgOjBk/2012_motegi_moto3_race_result_dramatic_l.html

Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso

Wednesday

Ferrari set to confirm Massa for 2013

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali all but confirmed tonight that the team will soon announce that Felipe Massa is staying on in 2013. Massa had another strong race in Korea, shadowing Fernando Alonso to the flag in fourth place. ?Very … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/10/14/ferrari-set-to-confirm-massa-for-2013/

Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra Derek Bell

Tony Stewart picks up Bass Pro Shops sponsorship for 18 races in 2013

Bass Pro Shops announced their partnership with Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing on Thursday night and on Friday at Talladega, they revealed the terms of the sponsorship agreement that will see the company on the hood of Stewart's No. 14 car for 18 races in 2013.

Stewart said Friday that the team approached Bass Pro when it became uncertain if Office Depot would return in 2013. Bass Pro sponsored Jamie McMurray in the Earnhardt Ganassi No. 1 car for 18 races in 2012. Office Depot and SHR announced in September that the company wouldn't be returning.

"We worked on it then we went to Johnny (Morris, CEO of Bass Pro Shops) and knew that there might be the possibility that Office Depot might be leaving but at the same time we know that the U.S. Army had already made their decision that they were leaving. We gave him different options," Stewart said. "The one thing about Johnny is he is very loyal. We weren't trying to steal him away from anybody but we just threw it out there that if he ever decided to make a change that we had opportunities now that we really hadn't had in the past to do something. When Office Depot made their announcement then it was very clear that we had an opportunity on our car as well. That is when we went to him and we worked on it I would say all the way pretty much through Richmond until we made a decision."

Morris said that Bass Pro would continue to be involved with Austin and Ty Dillon, and that he hoped to stay associated with McMurray in some capacity.

Mobil 1, currently a co-primary sponsor on Stewart's car, will be back with the team for 11 races, leaving nine races that the team is still in need of primary sponsorship for. Unfortunately, From the Marbles won't be able to be that sponsor. We're still working on our 2013 plans.

"Well it's important that we fill it, but I've got a great partner with Gene Haas," Stewart said. "Obviously he is all in with this program. He is not going to let it not succeed. Haas Automation could fill in if we needed to, but it's our hope that we can find somebody that can carry those last nine races for us and be a good partner with Bass Pro Shops and Mobil 1 and really tie this all together and complete it. We do have Haas Automation as a safety net so to speak if we really needed it. My goal as his business partner is to not have to all back on him and have to utilize his resource that way."

NASCAR video from Yahoo! Sports:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/tony-stewart-picks-bass-pro-shops-sponsorship-18-222635613--nascar.html

Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow

ALMS and Grand Am merge - finally

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/sBA4O8iggcM/alms-and-grand-am-merge-finally.html

Andrea Chiesa Ettore Chimeri Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood

Juan Pablo Montoya: F1?s Ultimate ?Hot-Head??

They broke the mould in every sense when they made Juan Pablo Montoya: a temperamental, enigmatic firebrand from Bogota, Colombia, who once had the nerve to brand seven-time champion Michael Schumacher ?nothing special.? Catapulted into the BMW-Williams team alongside Ralf Schumacher in 2001, it was only a matter of time before the former Indy 500 [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/X0dC_EAOxaE/juan-pablo-montoya-f1s-ultimate-hot-head

JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd

Allmendinger?s NASCAR Career Is Effectively Over

Since we broke the news on Twitter before Saturday night’s race that A.J. Allmendinger was being replaced by Sam Hornish, the Dinger’s world has come apart. NASCAR announced he had failed a drug test, and Allmendinger has since requested the B sample be tested and admitted he tested positive for a stimulant. Penske has tabbed [...]

TheNASCARInsiders.com

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Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto

Tuesday

Teams win key concession over F1 governance | F1 Fanatic round-up

Teams win key concession over F1 governance 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: Plan to cut team representation halted ? Hamilton tips Alonso for title ? Stewart says Vettel 'isn't a great yet'

Teams win key concession over F1 governance 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/2012/10/17/f1-fanatic-roundup-1710/

Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto

Renault Clio Renaultsport Cup

Renault just unveiled its all-new Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo road-going car in Paris and we all knew it was in for big things. Well, now we know exactly what plans Renault had for it, as the French automaker has announced that a racing version, the Clio Renaultsport Cup will be offered for competition in time for the 2014 British Touring Car Championship.

The Clio Renaultsport Cup will feature an Oreca Magny-Cours-tuned 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-banger that pumps out a stout 220 horsepower and 270 Nm (199 pound-feet) of torque mated to a 6-speed sequential gearbox via an AP Racing clutch. The power is delivered to the wheels via a limited-slip differential. Buyers can opt for a paddle-shift interface, if they desire.

Bringing this high-performance Clio to a halt are 320 mm (12.6-inch) AP Racing front rotors, which are squeezed by quad-piston calipers. One-way ZF-Sachs adjustable dampers are on the corners with custom-built aluminum wishbones. Also on the corners are 17-inch Speedline Corse alloy rims, wrapped in performance rubber to keep the Clio glued to the track. Keeping up with the times, Renault will fit the Clio Cup with a data acquisition system integrated into a color TFT screen, so the driver can pull all of his race data immediately.

The body boasts a large rear spoiler that puts down about 40 kg (88.2 lbs) of down-force at 125 mph, helping keep the tires on the ground at high speeds. The press car is draped in white with checkered livery, but we figure you can snag up the Clio Renaultsport Cup in a variety of color schemes.

There?s no mention of pre-installed safety equipment, so we are left to assume that this is something that you need to install to fit whichever racing series you choose to run the Clio Renaultsport Cup in.

This awesome racer will be ready for delivery in the UK in September 2013, so we have a while to wait. You?ll need all of that extra time to save up the whopping ?37,800 (about $49,286 at the current rates), plus VAT, attached to this hot hatchback.

Click past the jump to read Renault?s presser.

gallery: 2013 Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo

Renault Clio Renaultsport Cup originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 15:00 EST.

Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/renault/2014-renault-clio-renaultsport-cup-ar136362.html

Larry Crockett Tony Crook Art Cross Geoff Crossley

2012 Aragon World Superbike Winter Test Day 1 Result: Camier Fastest As 2013 Season Gets Underway

With the 2012 World Superbike championship in the bag, preparations are already underway for next season. A significant part of the 2013 WSBK grid is at Aragon and testing ahead of next year, with some interesting developments apparent at the Spanish track.

Conditions were far from ideal with strong winds hampering progress, but despite the problems, times were extremely fast. Leon Camier was the fastest man on the day, circulating at lap record pace on the Suzuki, and four tenths quicker than Tom Sykes on the Kawasaki, while 2012 World Champion Max Biaggi was a tenth slower than Sykes. Camier was meant to be joined by Sylvain Guintoli, who already had a signed contract with the Fixi Crescent Suzuki squad, but had that contract torn up when Crescent found the Frenchman was still negotiating with another team to race an Aprilia, according to the ever-reliable Bikesportnews.com.

Race Details

2012

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/ksrjn3t5umM/2012_aragon_world_superbike_winter_test_.html

Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal