Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2013/05/q-with-aj-allmendinger.html
Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
Saturday
Dale Earnhardt Jr. to start first at Kentucky
Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his first pole of the season Friday and will lead the field to green in Sunday's Quaker State 400 which was postponed from its Saturday night time slot due to rain.
Junior's lap of 183.636 MPH was enough to beat Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, the only two other drivers to break the 183 MPH barrier. And, has become customary this season with NASCAR's new car, Junior's pole speed was a track record. (Nine drivers broke the previous track record.)
It's the 12th career pole for the series' most popular driver and his first since the fall race at Richmond last season. Last year at Kentucky, he started seventh and finished fourth.
Kyle Busch will start fourth and Marcos Ambrose starts fifth. There were just 43 cars at Kentucky, so no one will miss the race.
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Danica Patrick responds to Kyle Petty criticism
? Kyle Petty: Danica Patrick not a race car driver
? Warped Wednesday: NASCAR's tribute to horse racing
Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers
Kyle Busch leads Toyota 1-2-3 in Daytona qualifying
Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth will start on the front row for Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.
Busch ran a lap of 193.723 MPH to beat Kenseth's 193.299, and Clint Bowyer, another Toyota driver, will start third. The top eight drivers in the field broke the 193 MPH mark.
At Daytona in February, Busch and Kenseth were at the front of the field when they suffered engine issues within laps of each other. Kenseth was leading when his engine went sour on lap 148 and that malady handed the lead over to Busch, who promptly had engine woes just two laps later.
And the driver that qualified fourth? That's none other than Kasey Kahne, who can't seem to get much distance between himself and Busch at restrictor plate tracks. Kahne went spinning off of Busch's bumper in the Daytona 500 and then crashed again at Talladega after contact from Busch. (Busch was collected in that accident.) The two drivers also finished 1-2 in the second Budweiser Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500.
The Toyotas of Martin Truex Jr. and Michael Waltrip start fifth and seventh. Danica Patrick, the polesitter for the 500, will start 11th.
It's Busch's 13th career Sprint Cup Series pole and his first at a restrictor plate track. 43 cars are entered for the race so no driver failed to qualify.
Friday
Importance of Trucking and Transportation
Transportation is vital to every business, as your business would have many needs that would be fulfilled with the help of transportation. Transporting products from one place to another requires a good fleet of trucking and transportation facility and making sure that you have a good business that will help your business transfer products in [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/514-importance-of-trucking-and-transportation-2.html
FIA introduces 2014 pit safety rules for this season
The FIA has reacted swiftly to the Nurburgring pit incident by introducing with immediate effect two rules already approved for 2014. The speed limit will come down from 100km/h to 80, and pit crews will have to wear helmets. In … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/07/09/fia-fats-tracks-2014-pit-safety-rules-for-this-season/
Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh
Thursday
A Car of Tomorrow Renaissance
I read a post the other day over at Autoextremist�(a fantastic automotive blog)�about the optimism surrounding the introduction of the Gen 6 car even in the face of continuing struggles for NASCAR, and it got me thinking about the recent evolution of our race cars. In the post, Mr. De Lorenzo talks about NASCAR’s unwillingness [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/kBBTXioYbPE/
Top FIVE Drivers ? German Grand Prix
While the issue of tyres delaminating was seemingly addressed this weekend, there was no warning for the loose wheel that flew down the pit-lane off of Mark Webber?s car and hit an unsuspecting cameraman. Having been taken to hospital, there was more drama as the Marussia of Jules Bianchi rolled down the track on its [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/XyCZwevKvbY/top-five-drivers-german-grand-prix
Jimmie Johnson dominates for win at Pocono
Sometimes you get a race that's so thoroughly controlled by one car that no matter what happens, it seems inevitable that car will take the checkered flag.
Sunday at Pocono was one of those days. Jimmie Johnson, the five-time champion and Sprint Cup Series points leader, led 128 of the race's 160 laps en route to his third win of the season.
And, unlike the previous week at Dover, when a late-race restart cost Johnson a victory with a dominating car, this week, this race's cluster of late lap restarts was not going to deny Johnson the win.
Just how good was Johnson's car? Well, these words were the first words he said after emerging from his car in victory lane. Mind you, this is a guy who just won his 63rd Sprint Cup race; and did we mention he was a five-time Sprint Cup Series champion?
"That's the best car I've had in a long, long, long, long, long, long time," Johnson said. "Not only a good race car but a good engine. Had fuel mileage and plenty of power. It was awesome on the straightaways today to be able to do what I wanted around other cars.
The fuel mileage aspect came in handy because until that spate of caution flags, the race seemed destined to become a fuel mileage race. That's a strategy that's bitten Johnson and team before, and looked to be the only possibility of derailing the No. 48 on it's train tracks directly towards the checkered flag.
The power aspect came in after those caution flags fell. Four of the race's six cautions came in the final 30 laps, and for each of those restarts, Johnson was in the lead. Every single time he was clear of the field through turn one.
Greg Biffle finished second and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third. Dover winner Tony Stewart was fourth and his teammate, Ryan Newman, was fifth. Newman, thanks to an off-sequence pit-stop strategy, was the only driver outside of Johnson to lead the race outside of green flag pit stop cycles since Johnson took the lead on lap 9 from Carl Edwards. Johnson started first by rule because Friday's qualifying session was washed out.
Related NASCAR video on Yahoo! Sports
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Nationwide Craziest Moment: Hit from Pastrana lifts Papis' rear wheels off ground
? Trevor Bayne wins NASCAR Nationwide race in Iowa
? Jim Brown visits with NASCAR's Petty, Patrick
Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi
Volkswagen Passat 2014
The Volkswagen Passat 2014, which hit the market in August this year, has been wearing a much more attractive design. It is clear that Volkswagen design line has changed: the rounded forms have given way to straight lines and angular. It is not just that the designers keep the sign of the times, but every [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/505-volkswagen-passat-2014.html
Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud
Aspar's Dilemma: Gino Borsoi On Aprilia, Honda Or Yamaha For 2014
The Power Electronics Aspar team have seized the opportunity offered by the CRT rules with both hands. By teaming up with Aprilia and employing two talented and fast riders, Aspar has helped turn the RSV4-based ART machine into a genuinely competitive machine, in every respect except for horsepower. At Assen, Aleix Espargaro finished eighth, ahead of two factory Ducatis and three other satellite MotoGP machines. The bike is clearly good.
For 2014, however, Aspar must face a dilemma. With the introduction of the spec electronics system, teams choosing to race the ART bikes will lose the current advantage those machines have, a highly-developed and very effective electronics package. Teams running ART machines must choose, either to accept the Magneti Marelli developed software, and keep 24 liters of fuel and 12 engines, or persuade Aprilia to port their software to the spec Marelli ECU, and try to race with 20 liters of fuel and either 5 or 9 engines, depending on whether the Grand Prix Commission decided Aprilia had already been competing in MotoGP as an MSMA member or not.
The subject is highly sensitive in the Aspar team. When I asked team manager Gino Borsoi about the team's plans for 2014, his first response was to deflect the question with a joke: "I will be on holiday, so I don't know what the team is doing!" More seriously, Borsoi said the team faced some serious decisions ahead of them.
Wednesday
Robin Pemberton reiterates NASCAR policy on debris cautions
How did Denny Hamlin get his lap back early in Sunday's race at Kentucky Speedway? According to NASCAR's Robin Pemberton, it's because the debris was unintentional.
Let's replay the scene for just a second. Hamlin had suffered a flat tire in turn four and limped his car all the way back to pit road. While he was on the access road to the pits in turns three and four, the tread from that flat right front tire shot across the track in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, who both hit it.
NASCAR threw the caution flag. Because he had just been lapped, Hamlin was the first car a lap down and received the Free Pass from NASCAR, despite the fact that his tire was the reason for the caution flag.
The official reason listed in the box score of the race was debris.
?The debris causes the caution, not (the car),? Pemberton, NASCAR's Vice President for Competition said Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. ?That?s the way we?ve looked at it for years since I can remember.
?Debris is debris.?
NASCAR's rule states that a car can't receive the Free Pass when in the judgment of NASCAR officials, the car was involved in or the reason for the preceding caution. That seems like it would apply to Hamlin, but because the reason listed on the box score was debris, it didn't.
Had Hamlin stopped on the track because of the flat tire or hit the wall to draw the caution flag, he would have been listed as the official reason for the caution and unable to receive the free pass. Ultimately, Hamlin getting back onto the lead lap didn't matter in the final outcome of the race as he suffered another tire problem and finished 35th.
But does the rule need to be tweaked? Many times caution-causing debris is untraceable, or if the debris is traceable, the chances of it coming from the car in the Free Pass position are minimal. (There are penalties for drivers intentionally attempting to cause a debris caution, a la Robby Gordon throwing padding out of his car at Atlanta many years ago.)
It's already left open to the discretion of NASCAR officials, so it seems that while debris may be debris, Hamlin's situation fell right into the crosshairs of the rule and the rule as it's written could have been used to also justify denying Hamlin of the Free Pass.
Should Hamlin have gotten the Free Pass? Does the rule need to be changed? Let us know in the comments below.
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Is Jimmie Johnson's agitation over restarts a cause for concern?
? Power Rankings: Matt Kenseth displaces Jimmie Johnson
? Carl Edwards wants to run an armored car at Daytona
JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd
Williams is passed to the Mercedes for 2014
The Williams F1 Team will use Mercedes engines from the 2014 season. Thus, Renault will supply engines to the British team after a brief period of two years of collaboration between two of the most established names in the F1 World (Toro Rosso confirmed a few days left to use Ferrari engines to start to [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/491-williams-is-passed-to-the-mercedes-for-2014.html
Tuesday
The Top TEN Driver Outbursts
Formula One drivers have been known in the past for having a short temper, so when their thoughts and feelings spill over, we get treated to an inside look at what its like to be an elite sportsman. Over the years we have seen fights in the pits, outlandish remarks and one or two sarcastic [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/MhkvFfn1Mfc/the-top-ten-driver-outbursts-2
Q1: Massa leads the way
Felipe Massa set the pace in the Q1 session at the Nurburgring on Saturday afternoon, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. The big surprise was Daniel Ricciardo in fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Jenson Button, Romain Grosjean, Sebastian Vettel and Adrian Sutil. Nico Rosberg was a conservative 11th ahead of Paul di […]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/q1-massa-leads-the-way/
Happy Hour: An omen for Johnson, entry lists and what if Tony Soprano was a car owner?
Throughout the week you can send us your best questions, jokes, rants and just plain miscellaneous thoughts to happyhourmailbag@yahoo.com or @NickBromberg. We'll post them here, have a good time and everyone's happy. Right? Oh who are we kidding, this is NASCAR. No one is ever happy.
Who else is excited for some road course racing this weekend? This may be the best summer weekend on the schedule (assuming you like your drivers to make both left and right turns), and a 5 p.m. ET start for the Nationwide Series race on Saturday is perfect. Don't be stunned if we see a first-time road course winner in each race. Plus, the weekend is made better with the return of Jacques Villeneuve to the Sprint Cup Series. (How could I forget his first foray into NASCAR with the UNICEF car?)
Let's start with a discovery, shall we?
I think I have finally reasoned out why so many people hate Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus, and I don?t think you will be surprised. You may have even had an inkling along these lines, but couldn?t quite put your finger on it. You see, Jimmie Johnson is the Beast and Chad has sold his soul to become his successful chew chief. While I cannot yet prove these allegations, I do believe all will become clear at the end of this season. I predict Johnson will win six races this year finishing the season with 66 wins. He will also win his sixth championship, thus revealing his marking as the Beast (666).
There is a reason for the haters to rejoice though, because after his true nature is revealed, Jimmie will no longer be able to hide his true form making him unable to fit inside even the new Gen-6 car. He and Chad will be forced to leave NASCAR and withdraw from public.
- Bill
In case you were wondering about Bill's math, he's right on. Johnson has three wins this season, which gives him 63 for his career. And we all know he has five titles, so, yeah, is this the reason he's so polarizing to so many?
I kid, I kid. I don't think anyone expects Johnson to stay on six titles and 66 wins for very long. And you know what? It's entirely possible he could get more than three wins the rest of the year anyway.
_____________________
Again this week we see a short entry list with only 43. Included is Paulie Harraka, a "gentleman driver" for the #52 Brian Keselowski team? The #51 team publicly announcing their last race will be at Indy. Bruton's start and park campaign to financially penalize them 4k a position. Rumors of a high dollar "Gen6" engine. Is it likely that we will see an unfilled grid soon in the cup series?
- Ricky Bobby
Harraka has made 15 NASCAR starts; four in the Nationwide Series and 11 in the Craftsman Truck Series. He's only got one start on a road course (2010 at Montreal) and he finished 29th there. By any traditional means of "working your way up the ladder," this is quite the leap of rungs. But this is NASCAR in 2013, and sponsorship is golden. (It's also worth noting that Harraka is the first member of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program to make a Sprint Cup Series start.)
It's very possible that we'll see short fields this year, especially if Finch closes up shop after Indy. However, it does need to be pointed out that Finch has talked about closing his race team before, and he's still here.
But given the prevalence of starting and parking because of the costs of NASCAR and the lack of sponsorship, how much of a detraction is it if there's a few races this season with 42 cars? Many weeks there aren't 43 cars on the track past lap 20. P.S. Starting and parking is not going away as long as it doesn't continue to be financially advantageous for underfunded teams to run an entire race.
_____________________
TNT's race coverage SUCKS! It has always sucked. Somebody needs to get it thru the thick skulls of NASCAR that we are changing the channel. The commentators are just plain boring (rears) that need to move on. TNT having a huge banner across the top of the TV is (manure). I will not watch another race that does that. I already mute the TV because I can't stand people who say "Huh" after every other word and saying "I mean" trying to explain a simple thing 10 different ways. The commentators talk like a bunch of ignoramuses. It would be 100 times better if they played music instead of these knuckle heads that spend the entire race trying to one up each other or kissing Kyle Petty's (rear). It should be federal law that only Mike Joy is allowed to call NASCAR races. The rest of them act like they have jelly marbles for brains. About the only time I listen to them is after a commercial to find out why there's a caution. That's enough to make a man insane. Show the race and shut up, they should only be allowed to talk during commercials.
- Darrell
Wow, Darrell is not a fan of the current broadcaster of NASCAR.
I do have to give TNT credit for making the size of their banner ad atop the ticker a bit smaller at Michigan. (If it wasn't, it certainly looked less invasive than it did at Pocono.) It's worth pointing out, thanks to the wonderful folks at CawsNJaws.com that TNT's broadcast of this year's Michigan race had 10 minutes more race broadcast and seven minutes more commercials than last years race.
I know complaining about commercials and TV coverage has gotten to be cliche -- and I can contribute to that on race day on Twitter, I admit -- but that's definitely not a relative jump compared to the minutes of racing and commercials. And, not related, but TNT's ratings were down significantly from last year. Though those were helped by a rain delay and the Junior effect.
Related note: Would From the Jelly Marbles be a good blog name?
Now for a fascinating question.
_____________________
Hey Nick -- in rememberance of James Gandolfini, say there was a plot twist and Tony Soprano owned a NASCAR team. 1) Who would drive for him? 2) Who would sponsor that team (both publicly and privately) 3) How would it benefit the Mob? and 4) What underhanded tactics would they use to win races? I'll hang up and listen. Thanks
- Bob
The Sopranos was such a transcendent TV show for so many people, and it was one that cast a person who wouldn't normally be the protagonist in a formulaic drama into that position. That complicates the first part of this question, doesn't it? The easy answer would be saying a driver that gets a lot of boos -- but people didn't boo Tony Soprano. However, does Kyle Busch fit the bill? He's more popular than the people that boo him think, but he's still cast in a bad guy role in many people's eyes.
For sponsorship, I would imagine it would be some sort of Jersey Shore resort conglomerate. That's a good front for mob activity, right? How would it benefit the mob? Well, if that aforementioned sponsorship was in-house, there's probably some creativity to be had, though as someone who wasn't a Sopranos viewer, I'm not sure I could give an adequate answer.
The underhanded tactics are easy. Imagine the trouble you could cause by surreptitiously messing with teams' equipment. Easier said than done, but this is Tony Soprano we're talking about. Jamming an air gun, sabotaging fuel and gluing toolboxes shut wouldn't be out of scope, would it? I imagine this is great fodder for the comments below. Y'all have at it.
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson leads a familiar cast
? Jeff Gordon's turnaround must start at Sonoma
? Drag racin' yoga instructor pulls out of scary spin
Monday
Jason Leffler dies from injuries suffered at Bridgeport Speedway race
New Jersey state police have announced that NASCAR driver Jason Leffler has died as a result of injuries suffered in a wreck at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey, according to the Associated Press. Leffler was 37.
Leffler was racing a Sprint Car at the track's "Night of Wings" when his car apparently flipped on the front stretch of the 5/8-mile, high-banked dirt oval. "Jason's left rear tire blew coming out of turn 4 and it made his car spin directly toward the wall," Connor Ferrell, who was at the race, wrote to Yahoo! Sports. "He did 3 or 4 flips before his car came to a stop." According to eyewitness accounts, he was extracted from the car on a board and airlifted out of the track via helicopter. The remainder of the night's racing was cancelled.
According to state police, Leffler was pronounced dead at 9:02 p.m. ET.
Leffler, from Long Beach, Calif., spent most of his decade-plus NASCAR career in the Nationwide series, running full schedules from 2006 to 2011. He had two wins, 42 top fives and 107 top 10s in the Nationwide series. He's also run 73 races in Sprint Cup, most recently at Pocono last week, and 56 races in the Camping World Truck Series, where he posted one victory.
"NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening," NASCAR said in a statement. "For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed."
Prior to NASCAR, Leffler won three straight USAC midget championships (1997-99). He also competed in the 2000 Indianapolis 500, where he finished 17th.
He'd only this year returned to Sprint Car racing, where he planned on competing in 50-65 races. According to his web site, "Jason is excited to get back to the grass roots of racing to connect with fans and old rivalries."
Leffler was extremely close to his son Charlie Dean, who had only recently finished kindergarten. Leffler's Instagram page is full of shots of Charlie Dean, including this poignant one:
Drivers took to Twitter to share thoughts and condolences:
Really sad for Jason Leffler and his family. Thinking about his little boy...
? Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) June 13, 2013
Extremely sad to hear about @jasonleffler. spent a lot of time racing with him. Gone way too soon. Prayers to his entire family.
? Joey Logano (@joeylogano) June 13, 2013
My heart goes out to @jasonleffler family. He was a great guy. So friendly and a hell of a racecar driver. So saddened by this. #Restinpeace
? AJ Allmendinger (@AJDinger) June 13, 2013
? Tony Kanaan (@TonyKanaan) June 13, 2013
Deeply saddened by the passing of @jasonleffler tonight. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. #LEFturn
? Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) June 13, 2013
So sad. RIP #LefTurn
? Travis Kvapil (@TravisKvapil) June 13, 2013
My thoughts and prayers are with Jason's family and friends. Breaks my heart thinking of his little boy
? Jeff Burton (@RCR31JeffBurton) June 13, 2013
Thoughts and prayers for Jason Leffler and his family.
? Juan Pablo Montoya (@jpmontoya) June 13, 2013
4 Race car drivers immortality is a way of life. 1 day we find 1 of us 2 be mortal is a day in which we struggle 2 comprehend@jasonleffler
? Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) June 13, 2013
Lost a good guy tonight in Jason Leffler. Prayers with your family!.
? Bobby Labonte (@Bobby_Labonte) June 13, 2013
I'm completely devastated to hear a bout Jason Leffler. It doesn't seem real. Pray for his family tonight
? Trevor Bayne (@Tbayne21) June 13, 2013
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Hot/Not: 'Clarity' for Jimmie Johnson could turn ugly for the competition
? Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson stands alone
? Are Bobby Labonte's days numbered in the 47 car?
? Greg Biffle back in the Race for the Chase
Allan Simonsen dies from injuries suffered during crash at 24 Hours of Le Mans
Allan Simonsen died after he was injured in a crash on his fourth lap of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Saturday.
The 34-year-old Dane was making his seventh start in the iconic race. Driving the No. 95 Aston Martin Vantage, Simonsen crashed in the Tertre Rouge corner of the Circuit de la Sarthe at Le Mans, France.
"The driver was immediately attended on the scene by the doctors from the Automobile Club de l?Ouest?s Medical Service," an official statement from the race organizers said.
"In a serious condition, Allan Simonsen was transferred immediately to the Circuit Medical Centre where he died soon after due to his injuries.
"Allan Simonsen?s family has been informed immediately by David Richards, Principal of the Aston Martin Racing team."
After starting first in the LM GTE Am class, Simonsen's car appeared to snap loose on the damp and slick track, then immediately turned back to the left has he corrected and slid into a steel barrier.
The race continued behind a safety car for almost an hour following the crash while the barrier was repaired. A tree sits behind the barrier where Simonsen crashed and the impact from the guardrail sheared bark off the tree.
�
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Police ID cause of deadly Jason Leffler crash
? Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson leads a familiar cast
? Daytona International Speedway plans major redesign
Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto
Sunday
Felipe Massa stays ahead
Felipe Massa set the fastest time of the Q2 session at the Nurburgring, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, while Sebastain Vettel, Romain grosjean, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Dan Ricciardo, Nico Hulkenberg and Jenson Button went through to Q3. The session saw Nico Rosberg, Paul di Resta, Sergio Perez, Esteban Gutierrez, Adrian Sutil and […]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/felipe-massa-stays-ahead/
The Cessna car was flying: Jamie McMurray to start Sonoma race on the pole
An Earnhardt Ganassi car is on the pole for Sunday's road course race at Sonoma and it's not Juan Pablo Montoya.
Yes, that means it's Jamie McMurray, who turned a lap of 94.986 mph to top Marcos Ambrose in the session's final group of cars. It's McMurray's second pole at Sonoma and his fourth front row start.
It was the Sprint Cup Series' first time using a group setup in qualifying. The field of 43 was divided into eight groups (three of six and five of five), and each bunch got five minutes to turn a fast lap.
The Nationwide Series has been using this procedure and typically the group format has presented some final-minute drama as drivers get faster throughout the session. However, on Saturday at Sonoma, that wasn't the case because of rapid tire wear. The tires were wearing so quickly that drivers weren't able to improve upon their first lap unless a mistake was made. That was evidenced by Ambrose, who turned two additional laps to try to unseat McMurray from the top spot but was ultimately unsuccessful. Ambrose, who was fastest in Friday's practice sessions, said that his car's motor shut off briefly as he was taking the green flag for his first lap.
The tire wear could also affect the strategy of Sunday's race and make it a race unlike what we've seen at Sonoma recently. On road courses, teams will back up their fuel calculations from the scheduled race distance end to minimize their time spent on pit road. Four of the last six race winners have pitted twice, while the other two were on a three-stop strategy.
Now, the gambit to pit just twice and stay out, especially if a caution comes out during the final fuel run, may be in jeopardy because of the tire wear. Speeds were falling off so quickly that tires could be at so much of a premium that the prevalent strategy may be to pit under caution for fresh tires rather than stay out.
Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer, last year's race winner, rounded out the top five. Jeff Gordon, a five-time Sonoma winner, was 10th and Tony Stewart, who finished second last season, was 11th.
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Police ID cause of deadly Jason Leffler crash
? Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson leads a familiar cast
? Happy Hour: Fans weigh in on JJ, entry lists and more
Dacia Logan 2013
the second generation test The second generation Dacia Logan weighs just 1,059 kilos, which allows you to average consumption pretty tight. The Dacia Logan 2013 surprised by the step forward that has occurred in regard to the design. Now looks like a current car, something that his predecessor could not boast. First test passed. Once [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/497-dacia-logan-2013.html
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)