Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/11/benson.html
Thursday
Randy de Puniet Testing Suzuki MotoGP Bike In Japan This Week
Suzuki's return to MotoGP takes another step closer to being realized this week. Frenchman Randy de Puniet is flying to Japan today to test Suzuki's inline four MotoGP machine at Motegi, as part of the testing program to develop the bike ready for its return in 2014.
In an interview with the official MotoGP.com website, De Puniet said he would be departing on Monday. "We leave tomorrow to go to Japan to test at Motegi with Suzuki," he told MotoGP.com. "It will be a good experience for me, and I hope to do a great job." After testing at Motegi, De Puniet will fly back to Europe to take part in the next round of MotoGP with the Power Electronics Aspar team at Mugello, where he will ride the team's Aprilia ART machine.
Source:
Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon
Video: Volkswagen Golf R VII Pushed Hard at Nürburgring
Now that Volkswagen unveiled both the standard and GTI version of the seventh-generation Golf, the next model we expect is, of course, the R version. We’ve brought you plenty of spy photos of the 2014 Golf R, but this time we present to you a video showing the upcoming Golf R taking a beating on N�rburgring.
The upcoming Golf R will be powered by a revised version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a DSG or a six-speed transmission. The revised engine will deliver 256 horsepower in the U.S. version and 270 horsepower in the European model.
As for aesthetics, the next-gen Golf R will receive the same R treatment as the current model, but it will get the some of the design improvements seen on the other seventh-gen Golf variants, including: revised headlights and taillights; a new grille and front bumper; and a revised backside.
Stay tuned for more information and spy shots on the new Golf R as we slowly approach its debut.
Video: Volkswagen Golf R VII Pushed Hard at Nürburgring originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 15:00 EST.
Wednesday
Power Rankings: All-Star dream destinations
It's time for Power Rankings! After every race, we opine about who we think is at the top of the Sprint Cup heap and how and why they got there. But this week, it's different! The All-Star Race wasn't for points, so there's no point (pun!) in ranking the Sprint Cup field again. Besides we'd just put Jimmie Johnson back at the top.
Instead, let's stick with the All-Star theme. There's been some fantastic fodder for Happy Hour in the email inbox this week; people are incredibly passionate about the All-Star Race. So what if the All-Star Race was going to go to another track? Where would it go? Let's answer that question.
P.S. -- We're inverting the field this week. Why? Because we can. And we're dreaming big, too.
12. Rockingham: Let's start off with a fan favorite. Rockingham has produced some great racing since the Truck Series has returned to it, and given the multiple grooves through the corners and the tire wear, there would be no shortage of side-by-side racing. Of course, the size of the grandstands and the accessibility to the track would be a drawback, but this is a dream list, right? Let's not worry about stuff like that.
11. Texas World Speedway: The last NASCAR race at TWS was in 1981, but the two-mile track has been a testing site for some teams. It's got steeper banking than Michigan and older pavement, plus a road course if the oval (where Greg Biffle hit 218 in 2009) is too fast.
10. Daytona Road Course: If you're looking for a great test of both driver and car, you can't go wrong with the Daytona Road Course. Drivers would have to be able to navigate the road course turns in the Daytona infield with aplomb, hit the chicane on the backstretch perfectly, and then hope they have enough horsepower to pull away from the field through turns three and four and the tri-oval. Sounds fun, don't you think?
9. O'Reilly Raceway Park: The Nationwide Series should never have left this short track for the Brickyard, so the Cup Series should come back, if only for an exhibition race. How cool would it be to see half the field in the preferred high groove and half the field diving down as low as possible to attempt a slide job at the beginning of the final 10 lap sprint?
8. Talladega: Yes, anything can happen at Talladega, and it usually does. And yes, Talladega is on here because of its popularity amongst the NASCAR fanbase. Can you imagine the infield All-Star parties? That being said, is a restrictor plate track really the best venue?
7. Circuit of the Americas: Catch any of the V-8 Supercars race on Sunday at Austin? The Circuit of the Americas would be a fine host and the mad dash into the tight left-hand turn one after the field storms up the hill on a restart would be a hold-your-breath moment.
6. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: The track that's produced some of the most compelling Nationwide Series races in recent memory is unfortunately not on the schedule any longer. And given how awesome those races were, can you imagine watching a Cup race there? If this were to happen, there'd have to be a way to guarantee Robby Gordon's inclusion.
5. Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond: The current Cup Series short tracks are all here because each of them would make fine venues for an All-Star Race. But like Talladega, do we really want to see three races a year at each track? Because there's no way we should take away a points race from any of the three.
4. Laguna Seca: Cup cars in the Corkscrew. Need I say more? If you haven't seen it before, take a moment and watch Alex Zanardi's pass of Bryan Herta in 1996.
3. Eldora: Yeah, we've had a version of this with Tony Stewart's annual Prelude to the Dream dirt late-model race, but let's divide the field up into heats and run Cup cars minus the front splitters. Would anyone complain about that?
2. Monaco: Of all the farfetched ideas in this week's edition of Power Rankings, this is the one that's the most out there. Hell no, it ain't happening, but it's fun to dream about, right? Instead of luxury suites, team and series VIPs could be stationed on yachts and everyone would have a great time at the Monte Carlo Casino. This is also a great time to let you know that we're having a live chat for Sunday's F1 race at Monaco. The chat triple!
1. Iowa Speedway: You've likely noticed that most of the tracks on this list don't currently host a Cup Series race. That's by design. If the race is going to change venues, the ideal place is a new track. Iowa gets rave reviews from drivers, has multiple grooves and provides a unique short track to the schedule. Plus, of all of these possibilities on the list, it could be the one that has the best chance of happening, don't you think?
MIT officer killed was brother of Hendrick Motorsports employee
Sean Collier, the officer at MIT who according to authorities was killed by the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings, was the brother of Andrew Collier, a machinist in the engine department at Hendrick Motorsports.
"The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports are with Andrew Collier and his family," the team said in a statement. "Andrew, a machinist in the Hendrick Motorsports engine department, tragically lost his brother, Officer Sean Collier, last night in Cambridge, Mass. We ask that the family?s privacy be considered during this difficult time."
"A very sad time, my thoughts and prayers are with the family, and I certainly know it's the same throughout Hendrick Motorsports," Jimmie Johnson said. "We're one big family and it's sad and unfortunate to see a fellow teammate and his family have such a tough time."
Collier, 26, responded to a disturbance on the MIT campus on Thursday evening. He was found shot in his vehicle when other officers responded to the scene after gunfire was reported.
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Randy de Puniet Testing Suzuki MotoGP Bike In Japan This Week
Suzuki's return to MotoGP takes another step closer to being realized this week. Frenchman Randy de Puniet is flying to Japan today to test Suzuki's inline four MotoGP machine at Motegi, as part of the testing program to develop the bike ready for its return in 2014.
In an interview with the official MotoGP.com website, De Puniet said he would be departing on Monday. "We leave tomorrow to go to Japan to test at Motegi with Suzuki," he told MotoGP.com. "It will be a good experience for me, and I hope to do a great job." After testing at Motegi, De Puniet will fly back to Europe to take part in the next round of MotoGP with the Power Electronics Aspar team at Mugello, where he will ride the team's Aprilia ART machine.
Source:
BMW denies Ecclestone?s comeback claim | F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: No F1 return says BMW ? Ecclestone says Williams still blocking customer cars ? Pirelli want "sportingly equitable" solution
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/05/21/f1-fanatic-roundup-2105/
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
Tuesday
They cite security is not up to Mercedes Benz
With just three stars, Mercedes goes home thinking about how to solve the problems of the quote after passing crash tests Euro NCAP. And it is even a commercial vehicle derived from Renault Kangoo leads the star on the front and, it must be said, I’ll come. The poor performance of the quote is no [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/456-they-cite-security-is-not-up-to-mercedes-benz.html
2013 Le Mans MotoGP Saturday Round Up: Of Exceptional Rookies, Real Race Pace, And What It Takes To Be Champion
Marc Marquez is just starting to let the mask slip. Asked in the press conference about the fact that he will start from pole at Le Mans, despite this weekend being the first time he has ridden a MotoGP bike at the French track, Marquez admitted he always has to play down his chances ahead of each weekend. "On Thursday, I always need to say something similar," he said.
His modesty is very becoming, and throughout the preseason and the early races, he has continued to dampen down overly-inflated expectations. Yes, pole is nice. Yes, winning is fantastic. No, he is not even thinking of the title yet. But everything about Marc Marquez screams ambition, the desire to win, to do what it takes to beat his rivals and prove to everyone what he believes, that he is the best rider in the world, a (self-)belief that motivates every top level athlete.
The last-corner lunge inside Jorge Lorenzo at Jerez will be cited as evidence, but more than that, the desperate attempts in the preceding laps were proof enough, if proof were needed. Is Marc Marquez thinking of winning the MotoGP championship in his first year, a feat previously only achieved by Kenny Roberts? No, it is not chief among his concerns. Is he trying to win as many races as possible, an objective that will bring him the 2013 title if he succeeds? Of course he is. He may not be thinking about the championship, but he is definitely trying to win it.
Source:
Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich
NASCAR upholds Penske penalties; team plans new appeal
NASCAR has upheld its ruling dealing severe penalties to the Penske teams of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. The Penske teams have indicated they will appeal the decision of the three-person panel to NASCAR's Chief Appellate Officer.
The Penske teams' penalties stemmed from violations of NASCAR's Sections 12-1, 12-4J and 20-12. Both teams' crew chiefs, car chiefs, engineers and competition directors were suspended for six races, including the All-Star Race in Charlotte. The crew chiefs were fined $100,000 apiece. And both teams lost 25 championship points.
The National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel had the ability to uphold, reduce or increase the penalties. The panel heard the appeal beginning at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, and rendered its verdict at 3 p.m. The violations stemmed from concerns about the rear-end housings of both the 2 and 22 cars at Texas in mid-April.
The appeal means that the suspended crew members could be permitted to continue with track activities, provided the appellate officer, John Middlebrook, defers the suspensions.
?We need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best,? Logano said in recent weeks. ?So we will prepare for the worst. We?ll obviously bring some extra people to try to have some overlap within our team to prepare for if the appeal doesn?t go the way we expect it to. So we need to always do that. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and we?ll get through this. Penske Racing has a lot of depth in the company. They?re very strong, and we will get through this.?
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Monday
Mercedes confirms Lowe
Mercedes AMG Petronas has confirmed Paddy Lowe as Executive Director (Technical). He will work alongside Executive Director (Business) Toto Wolff and Team Principal Ross Brawn. He will start work on June 3, six months after leaving McLaren. “I am excited to become part of a highly talented and capable technical organisation,” Lowe said. “The team […]
Source: https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/mercedes-confirms-lowe/
Do You Remember The 2002 Season (Video)
The 2002 season was utterly dominated by Ferrari, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello winning all but two races. David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher won the other two races, in a campaign that enjoyed many highlights and great moments, as this video shows. [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/mQOH-ZKrVIg/do-you-remember-the-2002-season-video
Sunday
Video: Jaguar F-Type "Your Turn" Advertising Campaign
Jaguar F-Type arrives in U.S. showrooms this month and, in order to promote the sports car the company launched a global advertising and marketing campaign called "Your Turn." It will include span across TV, cinema, print, digital, mobile and tablet, as well as experiential and social media. The first commercial aired a few days ago during the season finale of ABC’s ’Once Upon A Time’.
Jaguar is also offering you the possibility to test drive the new F-Type sports roadster, so if you want to be among the winners, go on Jaguar USA’s Facebook page and let them know why you should be one of the first to win a test drive in the all-new Jaguar F-Type!
Four winners will be selected based on their submission and the test drives will be held in different regions of the country: New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. The drives will be filmed and shared across Jaguar USA’s social channels.
Click past the jump for one more video.
Video: Jaguar F-Type "Your Turn" Advertising Campaign originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 19 May 2013 06:00 EST.
Top TEN Funny Radio Messages (Video)
In the heat of the moment F1 drivers have been known to get a little irate over the radio. From moaning about rivals, to whinging about downforce (Jenson), or even cracking the occasional joke, there have been some truly memorable transmissions, and here are ten of the best. [There is a video that cannot be [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/Ph9Ayl0Nc9o/top-ten-funny-radio-messages-video
2013 Le Mans Moto3 Warm Up Result: Miller Tops Wet Session
The weather has finally turned at Le Mans, the track is wet, and though it is not currently raining, it could start at any moment. A wet track means new names at the top of the timesheets, with Jack Miller setting the fastest time in the wet, ahead of Miguel Oliveira and Miller's Racing Team Germany teammate John McPhee.
Results:
Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler
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