TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/527IvTHlEAI/
Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy
Thursday
Some Advice For Christmas
There was an article in the Charlotte Observer last week�about a woman named Christmas Abbott who is attempting to become a tire changer. She’s being supported in her effort by Turner Motorsports and is being coached by veteran jackman and coach Shaun Peet and the guys at Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR and Turner have a [...] 
Wednesday
Happy Hour: The last words on the Bowyer-Gordon Donnybrook in the Desert
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 the season finale, and you know what that means: ten more days till Daytona! Or at least it seems that way. We'll be here with you throughout the offseason, so don't fret and keep sending in your questions. For now, we wrap up with a cavalcade of letters about, well, you know. We received more letters on this topic than anything ever, including all the Busch bros. antics, so here's a representative sampling...
Jeff Gordon. Yes, fine him, suspend him, whatever. But taking 25 points away this late in the season is nothing. Probation. Nothing. $100,000. I am sure they made that much selling hats at the team hauler. If NASCAR wants any credibility at all, when they know, and there is conclusive evidence or proof of intent, the offending driver's team should have to pay for the replacement cost for any/all cars his actions cost. So if Jeff took out 5 cars, Hendrick pays a fine equal to the replacement of those 5 cars. Want to make it more on the driver? Then you put the driver on probation for the next 10 races regardless of what season that race is in. So this season would be 1, and then the next 9 of 2013. You also strip him of Champions Provisional for the year and start him from the back of the pack for the first 5 races regardless of qualifying position. I think that would send a message. Have at it, but be prepared for the consequences.
? Brian Williams
Auburn, WA
___________________
Was the penalty [on Gordon] enough? Way too much! His move was so subtle, he could have done a lot worse. NASCAR, wake up! What happened to "have at it boys"? You're in the entertainment business and the way I see it, it was a touchdown!
? Bob
___________________
I'm neither a supporter or hater of either Jeff Gordon or Clint Bowyer, but I have to take Clint's side on what happened Sunday. As an avid race watcher I do not feel that Jeff's assumption that Clint has been racing him in a questionable manner all year is true. There has been hard racing, yes, but that takes place between many drivers over the course of the year. I feel Jeff is just trying to blame someone else for his bad year and the fact that he is no longer the hotshot on the track that he once was. Over the past few years he has taken potshots at several others to cover his career ebbing from what it one was. Even Jimmie Johnson has been the recipient of his ire.
? Joyce Keith
___________________
What ever happened to two guys meeting out behind the barn for a good old fashioned meeting of the minds butt-kicking contest? Whoever walks out is the winner. Guess the current crop of drivers just don't have the guts for that kind of thing. Might screw up their next photo shoot or commercial. Every time I see Tony Stewart or Gordon or even Harvick run their mouth it invariably makes me want to reach through the screen and smack them. It is always funny how their pit crew is around to protect them. Where are the Allisons, Earnhardts, Yarboroughs, Waltrips, Bakers and a host of others who settle issues in a heartbeat the old fashioned way? NASCAR should just put up a boxing ring at every event and instead of bringing drivers to the NASCAR hauler, just have them meet in the ring and settle their differences there!
? John Lewis Neatherlin
___________________
So from here in the Heartland what Jeff did to Clint looks like a good ole boy just getting even. Jeff loses a mere $100,000 but does he stands to make a bit more 'cause his car (48) finishes the season at worst number two in the standings and maybe his teammate gets the third-place trophy. Admittedly, I am a little biased seeing as how I am from just up the road from Emporia [Bowyer's hometown] but what an opportunity to take one for the team by saying "I was tired of this crap."
? Ozawkie N. G.
___________________
All of the shenanigans that happened this weekend are what NASCAR needed! Right or wrong on all of the issues (wrecks, cautions, fines, etc), it brought NASCAR alive and has the fans excited. Let's be honest, the majority of the year has been logging laps and everyone getting along. Let's hope some of the excitement continues into 2013!
? Dayna B.
California
___________________
I went to my first NASCAR race when I was 9 yrs old in 1974. I've never been so disappointed in a truly great driver as I am in Jeff Gordon right now. Completely uncalled for. Took out a championship contender and almost took out the #2. Aggressive racing, yes, but there was a handful of laps to go. Won't be wearing my #24 shirt anytime soon.
? Don Mulder
Naperville, IL
Whew. There you go. I think we covered the gamut there, right? My take: Gordon should have been suspended. I can understand, in NASCAR's reasoning, why Gordon is racing (no prior history, golden child, etc.) but to me, the black flag and the championship contention for Bowyer outweigh that. Anyway, all done now.
___________________
The tragedy of Phoenix is that the high-school stuff between Gordon and Bowyer is taking the place of what should be talked about. And that is the fact that NASCAR, in their never-ending quest for safety, decided to continue the race after Danica Patrick walloped the turn four wall. As she tried to get her car out of the way, NASCAR simply let the race go to completion. Didn't anyone see that there was a crippled car in the way of the oncoming herd?
[Related: Is NASCAR a sport or is it entertainment?]
I'm sick of NASCAR puffing up their chest with safety-first messages, when they clearly were not inclined to put safety first and stop the race. Is the media so concerned about being deprived of access that they are not even talking about this issue?
So, a complicit media talks and talks about the pushin', shovin', and "boys, have at it." All the while NASCAR is thanking God above for Gordon and Bowyer, because of the cover that it gave them.
? Jim Bromwell
Allentown, PA
I saw several articles focused on the Danica/no-flag issue, actually. The issue wasn't so much that Patrick's car was in the way (it wasn't) as that it was dropping oil on the track. NASCAR officials claimed they couldn't see the oil, and others backed them up on that. But it's a judgment call, and after the debacle that we'd just seen, NASCAR wasn't going to throw a caution for anything short of a thermonuclear strike.
___________________
I'm afraid I will be joining that list of "I'll never watch NASCAR again" fans. Well, I'm not going to rant like most of them and I'm not drunk while composing this email. But I am very displeased. I am a long time fan who spends money on the NASCAR industry ... tickets, racing junk (hats, shirts, etc...), and other related items. What's my beef? The same as many. One bad wreck in the Chase and you are out of it. I know that applies to other sports (you lose a game and you're gone) but until NASCAR has a playoff like those sports the comparison doesn't stand. We have the weirdest system and it's broke.
Until NASCAR fixes the problem, they won't get any more of my money. I'll check the news ever once and a while to see if things have changed but otherwise I'm looking for a new sport to waste my money on.
? Tim Palmer
I suggest college football. That sport makes total sense and is so well organized. You'll love it.
___________________
I realize the media is always looking for a good story. But I spent all last week (before the Phoenix race) laughing at every article/video/talking head I saw that basically stated the Sprint Cup Championship was over. No one could make up 7 points on JJ. And now (while I laugh more this week) the tide has turned and all those same folks are talking about how it is anything but locked up for BK because "20 points is nothing." I even saw a noted NASCAR reporter state that Jimmie made up 15 points in the final race in 2010 to beat Denny Hamlin. Does he not realize that was the equivalent of 3 positions on the track, and not 20 in today's point system?
? Ken Hall
Yukon OK
Uh ... I think he's talking about me. (Well, except for the "noted" and the "reporter" part.) I confess I made that error when discussing the Chase, and I flat-out forgot the points change. Of course, Hamlin fumbled so badly in 2010 that Johnson could've been a thousand points back and still won. (Not really.) Still, I will cop to the fact that I thought, absent a dramatic catastrophe, I thought this was Johnson's Chase to lose. And so did you. But hey, that's why they run the races.
___________________
What are you thinking? Clint Bowyer can call people "retards" all he wants, but you don't have to reprint that. It is hate speech. When I was a kid I used to play with Billie Coyle, who has Down's Syndrome. Billie is great guy. People who use these terms cause folks like Billie a great deal of pain.
I expect better from you Jay.
? Dean
Centerton, AR
We went back and forth over whether to print the "retard" line and ultimately went with the news value, rather than shock value or indifference. At this point in our society, the "r-word" has not yet ascended to the level of offensiveness of the "n-word", but I can certainly see how plenty of people feel that it has. Dean helpfully sent along a link to a letter a member of the Special Olympics sent Fox News commentator Ann Coulter decrying the use of the "r-word"; I previously wrote about that here. It's well worth reading.
___________________
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was docked 25 points several years ago for saying _____ ... and not even while mad! Brad Keselowski says every _____ing word in the _ _ _ _ing book during his _____ing interview and calls a half dozen drivers a bunch of _____ing _____holes! Where is his _____ing fine and points deduction?!?! I am not a Johnson fan and would rather see Brad win it, but what is the� _____ deal with one being fined and docked and not the other? That is bull _____, and it pisses me off!
? _____hole Frankie in _____ing Virginia
That was _____ing beautiful. Only reason I can think of why Keselowski skated was that the press conference, while freely available online, was not broadcast on television. But oh, his lines were far worse than Junior's. Can you imagine if NASCAR had deducted points from Keselowski? Apocalypse!
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!
Related NASCAR video from Yahoo! Sports
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Note to backup QBs: Your start is not an audition
? Former bad boy Rasheed Wallace returns with new attitude
? Hoops prospect chooses Tar Heels over Hoyas
? Y! News: Teen kills friend, sentenced to church
How I Saw It? 2012 Super Review Part The Final, The People Edition
2012 was the year of competition. Even with an unproven hardware package, the fight from the front to the back of the field was close and intense all year long. A new car, new engines, the reworked rulebook, a cleaned … Continue reading 
Kamui Kobayashi: ?I have to admit that it is very sad?
With Romain Grosjean confirmed at Lotus earlier today Kamui Kobayashi has now conceded that he won?t have an F1 race seat for next season ? but he insists that he will return in 2014. The Japanese driver has been ousted … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/12/17/kamui-kobayashi-i-have-to-admit-that-it-is-very-sad/
BMW Press Release: Testing Concludes At Jerez
BMW issued the following press release after the final World Superbike test of the year at Jerez:
Year:
2013
Tuesday
Video: Prototype Alfa Romeo 4C Crashes Into Side of the Road
When a car is in its testing stages, most engineers will push it to the limits of survival, be it the icy cold terrain, the unbearing heat of Death Valley or the sharp corners at The Ring. They do it for a living. So they’re, what we call, "lucky"...
But not all tests can yield perfect tests. Like this Alfa Romeo 4C in the video above, for instance.
Most sportscars don’t really cooperate well under harsh weather conditions and slippery roads. This video proves just about that.
Thanks to the not-so-good traction on the road, the Italian sportscar had skidded and landed into a ditch by the side of the road- that’s what we assume- and looks like it is in need of a tow. Luckily, the engineers had a another car during the test.
Unluckily, that car was a prototype of what looks like a Maserati Ghibli, a car not exactly your everyday towing vehicle.
With the Alfa Romeo 4C production version launch delayed, Alfa can’t stand another setback like this. And neither do the handful of fans they have.
Video: Prototype Alfa Romeo 4C Crashes Into Side of the Road originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 18 December 2012 15:00 EST.
Bigger, Better, More Beautiful: The MotoMatters.com 2013 Motorcycle Racing Calendar
$27.95
Back by popular demand, and bigger and better. The MotoMatters.com 2013 Motorcycle Racing Calendar is on the presses and getting ready for delivery. The highlight of the calendar is, as always, the fantastic photos taken by Scott Jones, and to give them the room they deserve, we have increased the size of the calendar by 10%. The larger size means the calendar will make an even more dynamic impact on your wall. If the calendar was great in previous years, it's absolutely fantastic in 2013.
$27.95
2013 Silly Season? Who?s Where, and What?s What
It may only be October, but it?s never too early to start thinking about silly season in indycar world. Without the post-Vegas fallout to contend with this year, silly season has picked up steam much earlier this year than in … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/2013-silly-season-whos-where-and-whats-what/
The fix is in? NASCAR advertises ?Six-Time? merchandise before season finale
This is it, people! The smoking gun! Proof positive that NASCAR is one big conspiracy designed to load up Jimmie Johnson with championships! It's right here, people!
This, via NASCAR.com, is a shot of a commemorative "six-time" plaque honoring Jimmie Johnson's 2012 victory at Homestead ... problem is, that "victory" hasn't happened yet. Now, Johnson has a huge hill to climb to win the Sprint Cup, but if he does ... well, you'll know something's up, won't you?
(Via @dustinlong)
Monday
Sachsenring MotoGP Round Could Move Back To July 14th After F1 Calendar Change
The date of the German round of MotoGP at the Sachsenring is once again surrounded by uncertainty. A minor readjustment of the Formula One calendar means that the German F1 and MotoGP races are once again scheduled for the same date, July 7th, meaning that the Sachsenring race could well be forced to move, with the following week, July 14th being an option, according to German-language website Speedweek.de.
The clash between the two series was caused by Formula One rescheduling the German F1 GP, the second time it has done so. A previous change had forced the Sachsenring to move from July 14th to July 7th, to accommodate F1 on the 14th. But now, the German F1 GP has been moved forward a week, to allow an extra race to be inserted in the calendar on July 21st.
Under an agreement between MotoGP and Formula One, the two series attempt to avoid schedule clashes as much as possible, and especially not to race in the same country on the same date. Holding both F1 and MotoGP in Germany on July 7th would cause major dilemmas for TV companies around the world, but especially in Germany, as to which to focus their resources on.
Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham
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/
New Beetle Cabrio Novelty For The Hall Los Angeles 2012
The new Beetle Cabrio reach the European market in spring 2013, and follows the Beetle Cabrio 1949 New Beetle and 2002. And while it is always said that third parties were never good, this third generation of the Volkswagen New Beetle hit the market and stomping fun driving this convertible vehicle insured for four people. [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/359-new-beetle-cabrio-novelty-for-the-hall-los-angeles-2012.html
Sunday
Continued Performance, Not One Win, Will Save Logano
Before Pocono, all the talk about Joey Logano was that he may be on his way out of a Cup ride at Joe Gibbs Racing. Following a win from the pole on Sunday, the discussion about Logano is now about how the win saved his ride. But I’m not convinced that is the case. 2012 [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/zVfDW6soOBI/
2012 season in the rear view: Jeff Burton
Vitals: 19th in the standings. 0 wins, 2 top 5s, 6 top 10s. 2 DNFs.
Moment to remember: Anything that happened at Daytona. In February, Jeff Burton led 24 laps and finished fifth. In July, Burton avoided the final lap melee and finished second to Tony Stewart. So if you're counting at home, that's two top fives. And Burton had two top fives all season.
Moment to forget: Burton was in the top 10 for a grand total of one week. He fell out at Phoenix after leading seven laps because of an engine failure. He finished 33rd and fell to 12th in the standings. Adios, top 10. Burton hardly knew ye.
The wrap: 2010 seems like a long time ago for Burton. Since making the Chase (and finishing 12th) that season, he's finished in the top 5 just four times and in the top 10 11 times. And he hasn't been to victory lane since 2008.
Since Burton last made the Chase, Kevin Harvick has been the only Richard Childress Racing driver to make NASCAR's playoffs. Both years, Burton has been the lowest ranking Childress driver, and it's been hard not to wonder at times if he's merely keeping a seat warm at RCR for one of the Dillons. He'll be working with Luke Lambert again in 2013. Lambert was Burton's crew chief for the final 17 races of 2011. Will their partnership equal a career rebirth for the Mayor?
2012 season in the rear view: Landon Cassill
We're going to be reviewing the Sprint Cup Series season for every driver over the month of December. First up is Landon Cassill.
Vitals: 31st in the points standings. 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s. 4 DNFs.
Moment to remember: Did you know that Landon Cassill's highest finish of the season came at Kansas in the fall? Wait, you don't? Yeah, it kind of got overshadowed.
At Kansas, Danica Patrick crashed herself while trying to crash Cassill after the two raced closely the lap before. Cassill continued on to an 18th place finish and Patrick was in the garage with a wrecked race car. (Cassill also finished 18th at Charlotte in the spring.)
Moment to forget: Not being able to complete a lap at Pocono in June. On turn three of the first lap of the race, Cassill got loose and slid down the racetrack, collecting Martin Truex, Jr. and AJ Allmendinger and then sliding back into the SAFER barrier in the outside wall. Cassill finished dead last.
The wrap: 2012 was the first time that Cassill had competed in a season's entire Sprint Cup Series schedule. And unlike last year, when he start and parked his first three races of the season, he started each race with the intent of going the distance. And you know what? He performed pretty admirably, scoring seven top 20 finishes. It remains to be seen how the introduction of the new car will affect BK Racing in 2013 -- it acquired the equipment from Red Bull Racing after that team folded -- but if the team hits on something early as the field is still shaking out the new car, it wouldn't be too crazy to see Cassill swipe a top 15.
Marco Apicella Mбrio de Araъjo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)