Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/swiss-conundrums/
Tuesday
Swiss conundrums
Sauber heads to Spain with new versions of the as-yet unsuccessful C33, the team having reportedly shaved 15 kgs from the car and produced ?a significant aerodynamic update”, including a new engine cover and an upgraded front wing. The team says it will also have better software to enable the drivers to get more power […]
Volkswagen Golf R 400
The Volkswagen Golf R 400 Concept made its debut at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show and immediately, the hot hatch became one of the most exciting models on display. The positive reception was heard all the way in Germany and in response, VW has confirmed that the Golf R 400 Concept won’t be a concept for very long. Equally important, Volkswagen’s R&D boss Heinz-Jakob Neusser also revealed that the production model will produce more horsepower than the "400" in its name will alludes to.
All this should ring music to the ears of those pining to see a production version of the Golf R 400 Concept. Once its built, the Golf R 400 will end up being the crown jewel of the entire Golf lineup, which already includes luminaries like the Golf GTI and the Golf R.
All that though and we still can’t get over the treat of seeing a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine inside the sports hatch packing 400 horsepower. On top of that, it will also carry a dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.
Though specific performance details haven’t been announced, it’s reasonable to expect a 0-yo-60-mph time of under four seconds to go with a top speed of 174 mph. In the end, those numbers may even be conservative, if the production model has more than 400 ponies on tap.
Note: Concept version pictured here.
Click past the jump to read more about the Volkswagen Golf R400.
Volkswagen Golf R 400 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 12 May 2014 08:00 EST.
Source: http://feeds.topspeed.com/~r/topspeed/~3/gGVb-aZBIDg/2015-volkswagen-golf-r-400-ar163512.html
Monday
Kurt Busch says a successful double would be completing both races
KANSAS CITY, Kan. ? What constitutes a successful Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 for Kurt Busch? Simply completing all 1,100 miles.
"I think finishing both races," Busch said. "That's just a quick honest answer. I'd love to finish in the top half of th field at Indy. I'd love to stay out of trouble all day and just experience it all. But once this week gets further down the road, I think with just the comfort level that I will gain, I'll want more. But right now, it's a matter of just finishing both races. 1,100 miles is tough to do."
While it seems like a simple goal, making all the miles is a task that only one person has accomplished when racing both on the same day. That'd Busch's car owner Tony Stewart.
In 2001, Stewart finished sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte. Robby Gordon has come close twice, completing all the laps in the Indianapolis 500 twice and finishing 11 laps down in 2000 in the Coca-Cola 600 and a lap down in 2002.
What has Stewart told Busch about doing the double?
"He said, you know the IndyCars have less horsepower. They have less pick-up, acceleration, and feel even though the cars weigh 1500 pounds, IndyCars don't accelerate like stock cars do," Busch said. "So you have to look ahead. You have to anticipate. You have to digest what's happening in front of you when guys get side-by-side, how quick you're going to catch them."
Busch said he's gained three pounds through training for both events and recently completed the Indy 500 rookie orientation program. He said he thinks the most important part of his training is upper body strength.
"On the physical side of it, my hands have been very sore after each of the practice sessions just from the death grip on the wheel," Busch said. I need to relax more and just let the car come to me instead of me forcing the car. So, it's just getting comfortable with the dirver controls and knowing where everything is around me."
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
Sunday
Jimmie Johnson finished third at Darlington after an inauspicious beginning to the race
Jimmie Johnson's car was just flat out not good in the early stages of Saturday night's race at Darlington. And yet he still finished third.
Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were briefly befuddled with the handling of the No. 48. Johnson didn't qualify well on Friday, but instead of deliberately carving his way through the field from the drop of the green flag, he was as stagnant as two-month-old pond water.
At one point while the sun was still up he was racing Josh Wise and Parker Kligerman for 28th spot. No offense to either Wise or Kligerman, but it doesn't happen to often that the six-time champion is racing them for position.
But after some adjustments, Johnson was quickly on his way to the front. He broke into the top 10, and then the top five, and was then second to eventual race-winner Kevin Harvick as the laps counted down.
When the caution flag came out with 10 laps to go, Knaus and Johnson decided to go for track position and beat Harvick, who was taking four tires, out of the pits. It almost worked. Johnson had the lead when the green flag waved, but wasn't able to hold on to it.
"I thought we had a shot at a win," Johnson said after the race. "I think if things stayed green after our last pit stop, we had a good chance at it, good shot at it. I'm happy with Chad's decision to go with two, and there were enough cars that took two that it gave us a little bit of a cushion, maybe enough of a cushion to make it four or five laps there."
"(It was a) solid performance, granted we struggled in qualifying.� We struggled the first run or two of the race, but we got the car turning for me and came to life and really did it the old?fashioned way and kind of drove up through the field before the last pit stop, so proud of the hard work."
Had the race stayed green after the restart with five laps to go, Johnson would have likely been in victory lane. But two caution flags came after it, giving Harvick the opportunity to capitalize with his fresher tires.
As the series heads to its first off-week of the year and Johnson is winless, there's likely little panic from the No. 48 bunch. They may not know the minute details of what they're missing every week, but they know the area that they need to work on. We know we're not going out on much of a limb here, but we bet Johnson gets a win in the next month. Besides, the season still isn't 25 percent complete.
"For us it's just unloading closer," Johnson said. "We seem to find a way come race time to get a good finish and honestly have a shot to win some races. But showing up at the track a little bit closer is key for us.� We're really just trying to get a grasp on these rules, and we go home with what we've learned from a previous race, bring a new mousetrap, and unfortunately we've had to continue to work on it each week.� That's really our goal is to show up closer."
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
Saturday
Happy Hour: The fall of Swan Racing, NASCAR vs. the NFL and a no-win champ?
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.
This week we've got some great topics, but before we dive into them, what do you think about Brad Keselowski's schedule idea? It's perfect in a vortex, but that's also the drawback. We don't live in a vortex and NASCAR wouldn't go to those lengths to dramatically overhaul the schedule.
I love the idea of weeknight summer races and I think it'd be a huge asset for the sport in June and July. A race on the night after the MLB All-Star game when there is no baseball would be perfect. I hope it's closer to a reality than we think it is.
Let's get to it, shall we?
If you haven't heard about what happened to Swan, on Wednesday the team basically divested itself of its two cars. The No. 26 is now a part of BK Racing and Cole Whitt will continue to drive it. The worst name in racing, XXXtreme Motorsports, bought the No. 30 from the team and will run it this week before running the No. 44 next week. J.J. Yeley is the driver for that team. Parker Kligerman is still under contract with Swan, though it's unclear when or where he'll drive next.
Now, onto the question and it's a fascinating one. I lean to the Nationwide Series, however I think this question can be asked two different ways. Is this a driver who is simply looking to make it to the Cup Series or is it a driver who has the potential to be a perennial Chase contender. If it's the former, then I can see the reasoning for driving an underfunded Cup team. If it's the latter, it's still the Nationwide Series.
- Drivers need to learn to run at the front of the field. The best way to do that is with a competitive Nationwide Series ride. A driver will deal with lapping cars, see the benefit of not overadjusting a car to go from fast to not-so-fast, and he or she would get to race for position with Cup Series drivers. Yes, I'm an advocate for limiting Cup drivers' appearances in the Nationwide Series, but I'm living in the real world, not a utopian alternate universe.
- Drivers need to win, whether it's in the Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series. A national win shouldn't be a requirement to get to the Cup Series (see: Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson) but it should be strongly encouraged. Not only is it a confidence booster, but it's a reputation-enhancer too. Look what it did for David Gilliland's career.
- Here's the flipside to that, however. There just aren't that many good rides available in the Cup Series (and, for that matter, the Nationwide Series) so you can't necessarily fault a driver for wanting to make the leap to the Cup Series at the first good opportunity. But is it the best pathway to future success?
I did some quick research and there are 16 drivers competing full-time in the Sprint Cup Series in 2014 who have made a Chase previously. Five drivers are with the same team they started with in the Cup Series. Of the remaining 11, all but three qualified for the Chase with their first Sprint Cup Series team. The three? Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Brian Vickers.
However, Keselowski may be a bit of a misnomer given his status as a Hendrick developmental driver and his part-time rides with Phoenix and Hendrick.
Of course, the common theme is that all 16 of the drivers above had big-team backing at NASCAR's lower levels before they made it to the Cup Series. Many drivers don't have the luxury.
With the release of the NFL schedule, how often do NASCAR and the NFL go head-to-head in the same (or a nearby) city? It's increased from none in the last two years.
In 2012, the NASCAR was not in the same city or very close to a NFL game on the same weekend. The closest would be Dover weekend, when the New York Jets played at home. And that's a stretch.
In 2013, The Bears were home during Chicago race weekend, the Patriots were during New Hampshire race weekend, the Cowboys were home when NASCAR was at Texas, the Cardinals were home when NASCAR was at Phoenix and the Dolphins were home when NASCAR ended at Homestead.
This year, there are four overlaps. The Patriots are home again, the Ravens are at home on Dover Sunday, and the Cowboys and Cardinals are home again. The Dolphins are home on Homestead weekend but play on Thursday night.
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With the Chase and the ultimate championship the way it is, do you think it is possible for a driver (Jeff Gordon for example) to go all the way without a win? Let?s say he stays at the top of points and gets into the Chase on that alone. Then he gets consistent finishes and manages to avoid elimination and then becomes the highest finisher at Homestead. Imagine what they would do then?!? The Chase was invented in response to Matt Kenseth only having one win in his championship run. What would happen if the champion had NO wins. I don?t see it happening, but in theory, it IS possible. Yes? - Brian
Yes, I do. If you assume that the average will again hold and 13 drivers will win in the first 26 races, three drivers will get in on points. And since those drivers are getting in on points (and are likely pretty high in the points standings), they've been pretty strong all season.
By that token, a winless driver would then not be a "fluky" driver, and simply running in the top five throughout the Chase will be enough to stave off elimination.
Remember, the simulation of this year's model had Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning it all last year. Is it likely? No, I wouldn't say it's likely. But it's definitely possible. I'd say the chances are 15 percent.
Friday
Unfiltered Race Notes ? Long Beach 2014
Note for the notes: I write something like this for every race, but never really released these to the public. More content is always fun so I thought it would be a good time to start posting these. Not totally … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/unfiltered-race-notes-long-beach-2014/
Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis
Thursday
Here's what Josh Wise's Dogecoin car will look like at Talladega
We can confirm that the Dogecoin car is real.
The internet currency movement raised enough money to sponsor Josh Wise at Talladega and on Sunday night, Wise's Phil Parsons Racing team released pictures of what the car will look like when it takes to the track on Friday.
There's no denying its a Dogecoin car. We especially love the dog on the back bumper. That's an intimidating image for anyone behind Wise. Will it prevent him from having any drafting partners?
The wrap for the car was $55,000 and the Dogecoin subforum over at Reddit already has a question-and-answer thread up for anyone intrigued by the car over the weekend.
Before sponsoring Wise, Dogecoin sponsored an Indian luger and the Jamaican bobsled team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
Arm Pump Update: Pedrosa Has Surgery Tuesday, Bradl To Be Operated Wednesday
Jerez was a tough round for MotoGP riders. Stefan Bradl suffered severe arm pump during the race on Sunday, where he finished in 10th place. But it seems that Dani Pedrosa was also suffering from a similar problem, despite riding to 3rd just short Valentino Rossi.
Despite not mentioning the problem all weekend, Pedrosa underwent surgery on Tuesday to help correct the problem. He was operated on by MotoGP's favorite Spanish surgeon, Dr Xavier Mir, who used microsurgery to expand the fascia in the muscles in his right forearm. The surgery was deemed a success, and Pedrosa will be released from hospital tomorrow morning.
Stefan Bradl will be entering hospital for a similar operation just as Pedrosa is returning home. Bradl already had surgery in Barcelona, from the same Dr Mir, back in 2012, which fixed the problem in the rear part of his arm. Now, however, Bradl is suffering problems in the front of his arm, and is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday morning in Germany, according to Speedweek.
Wednesday
Kyle Larson starts first after Richmond qualifying is washed out
Rookie Kyle Larson will start first in the Sprint Cup Series for the first time Saturday night at Richmond, but it's not because of qualifying.
Friday's qualifying session was rained out and the field was set by speeds from the day's first practice session. Since Larson was on top of the charts in it, he's now got the top spot in the race.
It's the first time in 2014 that rain has halted Sprint Cup Series qualifying. Three races have been delayed by rain.
Larson's first career NASCAR pole came in the Nationwide Series earlier this year at Bristol. He finished second in that race. His highest start in the Cup Series this year had been an 8th at Phoenix.
The starting spot puts him in a good position to net his fifth top 10 in the last six races. After finishing 10th at Bristol, Larson finished second at Fontana, fifth at Texas and eighth at Darlington.
The rainout of qualifying didn't hurt Team Penske's front row run, however. Brad Keselowski will start alongside Larson on the front row. Clint Bowyer starts third, Kasey Kahne is fourth and Kevin Harvick, the defending champion of this race last year, starts fifth.
Jimmie Johnson starts 10th, while Matt Kenseth starts 12th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. starts 13th. Michael McDowell and Dave Blaney will miss the race.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
Tuesday
2014 Jerez Moto2 And Moto3 Saturday Post-Qualifying Press Releases
Press releases from the Moto2 and Moto3 teams after qualifying at Jerez:
Round Number:
4 Year:
2014 Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris
Monday
Sunday
Saturday
Fernando Alonso?s route to F1 | Route to F1
Fernando Alonso was the first Spanish driver to achieve major success in F1. Ahead of his home race next week, here's how he made his way to the top of a sport which was not widely followed in his home country.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/05/02/route-f1-fernando-alonso/
Friday
Nigel Stepney 1958 ? 2014
Some obituaries are easy to write, others are more difficult. Nigel Stepney’s story is likely to end up being contentious because he was man of many talents and much energy but he also had some major flaws. He ended up being famous for all the wrong reasons and while he deserved some of the criticism, […]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/nigel-stepney-1958-2014-2/
Thursday
Motocourse Feature: 1978 - Mike Hailwood, the man behind the TT legend
MotoMatters.com is delighted to announce that we will be partnering with Motocourse, the bible of world championship motorcycle racing, to bring readers some highlights from the history of the sport. We will be regularly posting features from the early editions of Motocourse, to help bring some insight into the history of motorcycle racing, and how we got where we are today. There are some fascinating parallels to events in the present, and much to be learned from the past. If you enjoy these articles, Motocourse have editions available in their electronic archive and via their free iPad app.
Today's article is a background piece on the legendary Mike Hailwood, written after his legendary return to the Isle of Man TT in 1978, winning the TT Formula One race on a Ducati. As the article consists of a series of scans, click on the image to expand it to full size, then navigate through the pages by clicking on the right or left hand side of the images.
Source:
Wednesday
Tuesday
After contact on pit road, Brad Keselowski spoke and showed his displeasure with Kurt Busch
Brad Keselowski has said that he learned a lot from Kurt Busch when the two drivers were together at Team Penske. On Sunday, that education didn't prevent Keselowski from being infuriated with Busch at Martinsville.
Though given his hand gestures, does he think Busch is No. 1?
Keselowski ran into Kasey Kahne on pit road and as Busch tried to get by, he plowed into Keselowski with the side of his car. It knocked the front of Keselowski's car all out of alignment and the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champ was forced to go to the garage for repairs. While he was there, he told Fox in an interview that he was tired of Busch's "recklessness" and sarcastically told him "thanks."
When Keselowski got back on track, he showed Busch his displeasure with a certain finger on his left hand.
(As you can guess, the video below contains an inappropriate gesture. Play at your own risk.)
The two Penske teammates in 2010 and 2011 then bumped back and forth as Keselowski drove without a front-end to his car. However, we have a feeling this may not be over. There's still a lot of time left in Sunday's race and Busch isn't the type to let something go, as he referenced a post-race confrontation over his radio.
Is it Kurt being Kurt? We'll find out.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
Monday
Chrome Horn Post-Fontana Debrief: There's no need to exaggerate a great race
It's some mid-week Chrome Horn action for you.
Join Geoffrey Miller and yours truly as we discuss everything and anything Fontana, including the tire issues, NASCAR officials getting their uniforms caught in the fence, and how the race was a very good one even without the final restart.
And speaking of that final restart, I'll dive in to why there's absolutely no need to exaggerate the moments that happened on Sunday and turn them into something greater than they were.
In a brief span Monday afternoon, two prominent NASCAR media members described the moments after the green flag waved for the final restart as "seven-wide." While cars may have been using seven different lanes, they most certainly were not "seven-wide."
It's like the NASCAR version of the fish story with an event that happened hours, not years, ago. And it shouldn't be necessary to trumpet what was a thrilling race. Sometimes things need no exaggeration.
Give it a listen. Click here to listen or click here to download. Find us on iTunes here.
�
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler
Sunday
Casey Mears says Marcos Ambrose's punch 'got me pretty good'
Casey Mears participated in Jimmie Johnson's charity 5K race Sunday morning and admitted that yes, Marcos Ambrose did land the punch he threw towards Mears Saturday night.
Mears said his left-eye area, the place where Ambrose connected, was fine and had a sense of humor about the incident.
It's OK, he got me good though," Mears said. "He did. That's one thing I can say, is that out of all the NASCAR fights or punches or when you see people swing, usually it's a lot of fly swatting. He actually connected, so that was pretty good."
Ambrose was 18th while Mears was 19th. Mears also didn't rule out retaliation in the future, though we're not sure what the on-track protocol for punch revenge is.
"I don't think it something you just forget," Mears said. "Obviously, that's kind of where it sits."
NASCAR is investigatiing the incident and penalties, if there are any, will likely be announced on Tuesday.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
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