MotoX News: 2/3/13

Saturday

2013 MotoGP Sepang 1 Test, Day 1 Times Comparison: 2012 vs 2013

With the first full day of MotoGP testing behind us, we can start to compare times between this year and last year. Conditions were broadly similar, though as the CRT bikes had done a few laps over the past couple of days, there was slightly more rubber on the track than at the end of January in 2012. But discarding the difference in conditions between the two tests, a pattern emerges from the relative improvement or decline of the various riders.

The rider who improved most between 2012 and 2013 is a bit of a surprise: Honda test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi made a huge leap of over 4 seconds between this year and last, but other than the occasional wildcard, Akiyoshi will take no part in 2013, and so not too much should be read into those times.

Stefan Bradl made a huge leap forward: unsurprisingly, given that Sepang in January last year was the first time the German got to ride the 1000cc version of Honda's RC213V, having only tested the 800cc bike at Valencia three months' earlier. Much of the improvement comes from Bradl himself; the LCR Honda man has learned a lot in his rookie year, and will clearly be a factor in 2013. Cutting nearly 1.9 seconds off his time between 2012 and 2013 is a very positive achievement.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/KqbGtSRunnQ/2013_motogp_sepang_1_test_day_1_times_co.html

Bernard Collomb Alberto Colombo Erik Comas Franco Comotti

2013 Preseason Preview: No. 12 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

As we count down to the 2013 Daytona 500, we're also counting down how we think the Chase will play out this season as predicted by Nick Bromberg, Jay Busbee, Jay Hart and Geoffrey Miller. So sit back, relax, and watch the 2013 Chase unfold before your very eyes. Though you should be warned, we picked Carl Edwards to win last year.

2012 Finish: 12th. One win (Michigan)

2013 Predictions:
Bromberg: 11th
Busbee: 11th
Hart: 11th
Miller: 11th

Wait, you all have Dale Earnhardt Jr. 11th. How is he 12th? We each submitted a top 12 and assigned points on a 12-1 sliding scale to each driver. Because of (slight) variation amongst our top 12 drivers, Junior ended up with the 12th highest average despite coming in at 11th in all of our rankings.

Crew Chief: Steve Letarte

When we last saw Junior: He was missing two races in the Chase after sustaining a concussion in a crash at Talladega. Because he missed Kansas and Charlotte, he finished 12th in the Chase standings.

Big Question for 2013: Can the man win anywhere other than Michigan International Speedway? If Junior doesn't win any of the first 10 races of the season, it will be seven years since he last won at a non-Michigan track. (Richmond, 2006) You know what the number one song was that week? Daniel Powter's "Bad Day," that horrendously annoying yet stick-in-your head catchy tune that American Idol used. And no, no apologies for making it get stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Track most likely to win at: Duh. In the non-Michigan category, it seems like a cop-out to pick Talladega and Daytona, and while Junior is really good at Martinsville, there's that whole Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson thing. So let's say Texas, where Junior has only finished outside the top ten once in his last six starts.

Track most likely to require a miracle to win at: A road course. Junior has finished in the top 10 just twice at a road course, and both those were at Watkins Glen in 2003 and 2004.

How Junior could win the Chase: Those consistent top 10s from last year turn into top fives and multiple victories. The formula doesn't need to change much; Junior lept from an average finish of 14.5 in 2011 to 10.9 in 2012. Another jump like that and we're talking about a title other than Most Popular Driver.

How Junior couldn't: It's much harder to make the leap from top 10s to almost top 5s than it is from the mid-teens to the top 10. There's no disputing that the combination of Junior and Steve Letarte is Chase-worthy, but they won't be championship worthy in 2013.

A Haiku:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
He's a popular driver
Can he be a champ?

NHL video from Yahoo! Sports:

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/2013-preseason-preview-no-12-dale-earnhardt-jr-234238078--nascar.html

Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta Allen Berg

Man shoots collection of Dale Earnhardt memorabilia after death of pet snake

A man in Denver, NC said he was so distraught over the death of his 17 year old pet snake that he shot the cabinet that contained his Dale Earnhardt collection.

How the snake died, however, is up for debate. Gary Wayne Ericcson says he shot the snake after it was dead, however, he was arrested Sunday and charged with killing it himself.

From the Charlotte Observer:

Gary Wayne Ericcson, 46, was arrested Sunday on multiple charges, including cruelty to animals, after the shooting at his home. He was released from custody after posting a $20,000 bond.

But Ericcson says the snake, which he said was named Anonymous, had died before the shooting.

He told NBC Charlotte that he couldn't bury the snake because "the other animals would get him." Ericcson said that he and his wife can't have children, so their pets, which include two cats and a dog, are their children.

There has been no word on the status of his Earnhardt collection.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/man-shoots-collection-dale-earnhardt-memorabilia-death-pet-152708074--nascar.html

Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler

Ross Brawn: ?Lewis is part of the solution?

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn says he?s happy with the way Lewis Hamilton is settling into the team, despite the inevitable disruptions caused by the problems the W04 encountered at Jerez this week. After a shaky start Nico Rosberg ran … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/02/08/ross-brawn-lewis-is-part-of-the-solution/

Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen

The Nationwide Series Is Going To Be Awesome In 2013

Thanks to a strong mix of young drivers and veterans trying to fight their way back to the top, with help from the NASCAR rule limiting drivers to one series for points, we are about to see the re-emergence of the Nationwide Series in 2013. I mean, have you seen the driver lineup? Instead of [...]

TheNASCARInsiders.com

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/KUw4CLqEnOI/

Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli

Friday

It?s time for Sprint Cup Series testing at Daytona

The Sprint Cup Series' annual preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway gets underway on Thursday, and while it's the second superspeedway test of the new Sprint Cup Series car, it will be the first time in the car at a restrictor plate track for many drivers. Seven teams participated in the Talladega test.

Of course, the big storyline over the weekend will once again be the new cars and how they drive and handle, especially in the draft. Drafting will be allowed in the afternoon test sessions. For those of you who aren't fans of the tandem drafting, you got a good early sign at Talladega when the new Gen-6 car was generally more unstable in a two car tandem than the COTs were.

Daytona testing will probably be the biggest indicator of how recognizable the new body styles are for manufacturers, given that many cars will feature bare paint schemes. With the COT, cars without manufacturer decals were virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye without other visual cues. With the closer resemblances to cars on the showroom floor, the goal is that all fans should be able to recognize and distinguish the three manufacturers' car models from each other.

It's also pretty much anyone's guess who will top the speed charts. The Roush Fords (namely, Matt Kenseth) were incredible at plate tracks last year, but it stands to reason that with the new rules package, that advantage could be gone.

If you're looking for your NASCAR fix, testing coverage is available on SPEED.com in the mornings and on SPEED channel in the afternoons on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If you find yourself checking in on single car runs at work on Thursday and Friday, you likely have an addiction. And it's nice to find others who do.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/time-sprint-cup-series-testing-daytona-041113585--nascar.html

Erik Comas Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine

Thursday

Webber: Red Bull Have Improved

Red Bull?s Mark Webber believes that the new RB9 car will make the team stronger than ever. The Austrian squad have won the last three Constructors? and Drivers? titles, with Webber and Sebastian Vettel forming a convincing partnership. After some shaky moments last term, the Aussie believes that the team have improved: “I think in [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/FKpPuDA6zzs/webber-red-bull-have-improved

Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti

F1 Legends: John Surtees

The list of great drivers includes many with dual talents. However, arguably the most versatile of these is John Surtees, who holds the honour of being the only driver to possess both a Formula One title and Motorcycling World Championship. He was born in Tatsfield, Surrey on the 11th February, 1934 and was hooked on [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/HAtQHFdG1-g/f1-legends-john-surtees-2

Peter Collins Bernard Collomb Alberto Colombo Erik Comas

Holy Retirement Funds Batman!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/G48bn0qV6vo/holy-retirement-funds-batman.html

Geoff Crossley Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas Derek Daly