Below is the press release issued by the Pramac Racing Team after Hector Barbera's surgery to fix the leg he injured in a training accident:
Year:
2012
Monday
Tire miscommunication costs Denny Hamlin near-certain Loudon win
When things aren't going Denny Hamlin's way, he doesn't hide his feelings. He doesn't turn the air blue like Kurt Busch or Dale Earnhardt Jr., and he doesn't chill the temperature in the cockpit with I'm-going-to-fire-you-all sarcasm like Tony Stewart. But when the day turns south for Hamlin, you can hear the shoulder-wilting depression in his voice.
On Sunday at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 in New Hampshire, Hamlin clearly had the best car in the field, leading 150 of the 301 laps. There was no one among Hamlin's competitors who had enough juice to get within three seconds of him; indeed, it appeared that the only way he could lose would be to beat himself.
And on the last pit call of the race, that's exactly what happened. Hamlin asked for tires, crew chief Darian Grubb ordered a four-tire stop when everyone else took two, and Hamlin went from leading the race to buried in the field.
"Oh, God. Oh, no," Hamlin said when he realized the mistake, and the sadness evident in his voice surely made all his female fans want to give him a hug.
Even so, Hamlin ripped upward through the field and very nearly made a race of it, closing to inside a second behind eventual race winner Kasey Kahne. But clean air ruled the day, and Kahne had enough room (and a caution-free final run) to keep Hamlin well behind him.
How could this happen? Hamlin walked through the process after the race.
"When the caution flies, when pit road opens, that time is so small, your time to communicate, figure out what you're going to do, you really have about 45 seconds to get it," he said. "Between all that, what happened was is Darian asked me, he said how much of the tires he felt like I used up.� I said I felt like I used them up a substantial amount.� I'd been on the lefts for quite a few laps. So my information to him was, yeah, I've used up the tires.� He said, I think two is the call.� I said, Okay, just give me tires and no adjustments. He took that as I meant four tires.� So it's just that small miscommunication just messed us up a little bit."
In the long run, this won't matter. Hamlin was already a dead-bang lock to make the Chase, and this is the kind of race that's forgotten once September rolls around. Unless Hamlin finishes the year three points or fewer out of first place, the total of bonus points this cost him by not getting a win, this will be little more than an object lesson for both Hamlin and his team.
"Darian was set on taking 2 tires but I told him that I needed tires and he took it as 4," Hamlin said after the race on Twitter. "Still had a hell of a run."
Hamlin and former crew chief Mike Ford famously crossed signals on a pit call at the end of the 2010 season that may well have cost them the Cup, and their relationship never recovered. Hamlin and Grubb have plenty of time to get past this one ... but we'd bet everybody knows exactly how many tires are going on the car every time down pit road from here on out.
Sunday
Vettel and Hamilton at odds over unlapping | F1 Fanatic round-up
Vettel and Hamilton at odds over unlapping is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
In the round-up: Vettel and Horner criticise Hamilton ? Alonso teases Button and Vettel after win ? Ecclestone avoids German round
Vettel and Hamilton at odds over unlapping is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/07/23/f1-fanatic-roundup-237/
Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco
Stefano Domenicali: ?We need to improve the car?
Ferrari boss Stefano Domencali agrees with Fernando Alonso?s assertion that the team still doesn?t have the fastest car ? despite the Spaniard?s healthy championship lead. Domenicali stressed that Ferrari cannot afford to fall behind in the development race, given the … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/07/22/stefano-domenicali-we-need-to-improve-the-car/
Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli
Is This System Helping Or Hindering Formula One?
Over the course of the last decade or so, the sheer lack of overtaking in Formula One caused the sports governing body, the FIA, to take drastic action. An increasing reliance on aerodynamic efficiency meant that following a car in its slipstream became a nightmare. It was nearly impossible to pass, no matter how much [...]
Lamborghini Urus
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With Porsche introducing an SUV in 2003, it was only a matter of time before the other premium sports car and supercar manufacturers joined in the fun. After years of rumors, whispers, and planning, Lamborghini is the next to cross over into the high-performance soccer mom world, AKA the SUV realm, with the oddly named Urus.
Though the name sounds odd, it is very appropriate for the model. The urus, also called the aurochs, is an ancient ancestor of the modern day cow, which went extinct in 1627. These things were massive, ranging from 61 to 71 inches tall at the shoulders and weighing in at 1,500 lbs ? phew, that’s a lot of quarter pounders. This makes the urus one of the largest bulls ever recorded, which is appropriate, considering the Lamborghini Urus is almost certainly going to end up being the largest to boast the raging bull emblem.
Now that we have turned off Animal Planet, we can continue with the Lamborghini Urus and not the extinct cow relative. There is some debate as to whether Lamborghini can actually support an SUV, especially after the LM002, the original Lambo SUV, fizzled out in 1993 with only 328 models ever produced.
So, can Lambo actually have a successful SUV this time around, and how does it stack up against the Porsche and the upcoming Bentley SUVs?
You’ll have to click past the jump to find out.
Lamborghini Urus originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 20 July 2012 16:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/lamborghini/2017-lamborghini-urus-ar132643.html
Saturday
Woman watched NASCAR with deceased man for over a year
Follow Nick Bromberg on Twitter.
Many of us like watching races in the company of other NASCAR fans, but Linda Chase of Jackson, Mich., might have taken that just a bit too far.
For the past 10 years, she lived together with Charles Zigler. And when Zigler passed away, they continued to live and watch NASCAR together for approximately 18 months until authorities found Zigler's body on Friday.
We'll let the Jackson Citizen Patriot take it from here:
Zigler, known as Charlie, died naturally, Linda Chase said. "He just fell asleep." She kept him in his chair after he died, keeping him dressed and cleaned. His body did not stink, she said. She would talk to him and watch NASCAR races on television with him.
Jackson officials believe that Zigler, who would have been 67 or 68, died around Christmas of 2010. That was 18 months ago. When Zigler's family members went to check on him after not hearing from him for a while, they went to the police, who found Zigler's body in his chair.
[Also: Kasey Kahne completes major turnaround with win at Loudon]
Chase kept Zigler's body around for more than NASCAR races, however. She's admitted to cashing his social security checks, saying "I'm probably going to prison." She's currently being investigated. When family members, with whom Zigler did not have a close relationship, tried to contact him, Chase would tell them that he was gone. She told the paper that "It's not that I'm heartless. It's just that after so many bad things happen to you, I don't know.
"I didn't want to be alone. He was the only guy who was ever nice to me."
So, next time you have friends over for a race, check on them every once in a while. Yeah, they could be just taking a nap because it's Pocono, but you never know.
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Subaru BRZ by Accelerated Performance
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We cannot say that no one has boosted a Subaru BRZ up until now, as we really don’t know if someone may have already done it and just not plastered it all over the Interwebz yet. That said, we can at least now say that there is officially a turbocharged BRZ running the streets. Its builder is Toledo, Ohio-based Accelerated Performance.
These guys and gals fitted a custom-built turbo onto the intake of the 200-horsepower (161 wheel horsepower) 2.0-liter 4-banger and netted some decent results. After running it on a dyno, they found that the boost netted the BRZ a cool 54.5 horsepower.
Many of you are probably wondering why in the world only 54.5 horsepower, as a turbo is typically good for 100, or more, ponies. Well, the BRZ boasts a 12.5-to-1 compression ratio and Accelerated Performance calculated that with such high compression, they could only run about 4 psi of boost ? roughly 5 psi less than most aftermarket turbo cars push out.
Soon enough someone will tune the ECU a little more and throw in a much-needed set of low compression rings on the FA20 engine. Get that compression ratio down to about 8.5-to-1 and you can safely run 9 to 12 psi of boost through the engine without issue. That would get the BRZ near the 250- to 300-wheel-horsepower mark.
Maybe once people really start throwing turbos on the BRZ and have relative success with it, Subaru will finally add a BRZ Turbo to the mix. There have been rumors of a factory-turbocharged BRZ in the works, but nothing confirmed yet. For now, we just have to rely on savvy modifiers.
Hit the jump for a video of the Subaru BRZ by Accelerated Performance.
Subaru BRZ by Accelerated Performance originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 20 July 2012 18:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/subaru/2013-subaru-brz-by-accelerated-performance-ar132661.html
Assessing drivers? wild card chances with seven races before the Chase
If you thought the wild card field was muddled with four drivers between 11th and 20th sitting on a win apiece, what do you think about it now?
With seven races to go before the Chase field is set, Kasey Kahne now has two wins. That leaves Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano (for now) in line for the final wild card spot, just 12 points apart.
Because of the gap between 10th place Brad Keselowski and 11th place Carl Edwards (46 points), the wild-card drivers are likely to come from the drivers currently 11th-20th in the points standings. (In other words, it's unlikely anyone currently inside the top 10 will fall out.) Will it be two of the four drivers with at least a win? Or will it include someone else like Edwards or Jeff Gordon?
Kasey Kahne (2 wins, 12th place, -66 points from 10th): If you take away Kahne's crashes at Michigan and Pocono, his lowest finish since blowing an engine at Martinsville 13 races ago is 14th. And that 14th-place finish is his only finish outside the top 10 during that span when he's been running at the end. Kahne's only real weakness on the tracks remaining before the Chase begins is at Watkins Glen, where he doesn't have any top 10s. However, with the way he's rolling, another win or two isn't farfetched. Chase chances: 75%
[Related: Kasey Kahne completes remarkable turnaround in win at Loudon]
Kyle Busch (1 win, 13th place, -68): We all know he's capable of reeling off consecutive victories at any track over the next seven races. But here's the thing: With the way that his season's gone, he's also proved that it's prone to have engine failure in three consecutive races. Pit-road troubles befell Busch at Loudon when a bad pit stop coupled with a speeding penalty on the first round of pit stops ruined his day. But he started on the pole and had one of the fastest cars on the track. Based on his record at Bristol (5 wins) and Richmond (4 wins), he's still strongly in the mix. But over the last seven races, he hasn't finished higher than 10th. Chase chances: 40%
Ryan Newman (1 win, 14th place, -77): Does anyone really know what to make of Newman? He's stayed around the top 10 by consistently finishing in the top half of the field, but hasn't really challenged for a win. And let's be honest, his win at Martinsville was just a tad fluky. Without it, Newman is likely an afterthought in the Chase discussion. He does have wins at Michigan and Richmond, but they were in 2004 and 2003. His best bet may be to outpoint Busch and hope he doesn't win again. Chase chances: 20%
Joey Logano (1 win, 16th place, -80): Newman's arch-enemy is legitimately in the Chase discussion for the first time in his career. But like Newman, where would you say that Logano has a very good chance of winning before the Chase? He's led 51 laps all year: 2 in the Daytona 500 and 49 in his win at Pocono. But there is still a race remaining at Pocono. If he doesn't repeat there, he's probably going to have to go on the Newman plan. Hope they'll be OK with each other on the same strategy. Chase chances: 20%
Carl Edwards (0 wins, 11th place, -46): If it hasn't been said enough, we'll say it one more time: The time is now for Carl Edwards. He's been on the precipice of being able to sneak into the top 10 without the virtue of a win, but with the way he's been running and the gap between he and Keselowski, his Chase chances rest on his ability to get to victory lane. Given his domination until a restart penalty at Richmond earlier in the year, Edwards going for a win and a Chase berth with a great car could give us some high drama there in September. Chase chances: 10%
[Related: Tire snafu dooms Denny Hamlin at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301]
Jeff Gordon (0 wins, 17th place, -89): Much like Edwards, the time has been now for Gordon for a while now. Is he capable of two wins in seven races? Yes. Will it happen? Probably not. But we've seen what Kahne's done shaking off the bad luck bug and Gordon's due for some good karma. That, coupled with fast race cars? Well, his chances aren't dead... yet. Chase chances: 10%
Paul Menard (0 wins, 15th place, -79): Menard is the highest ranking driver outside the top 10 without a top five. That speaks to his ability to avoid devastating finishes but not to his ability to win a race or two to get a wild-card berth. But hey, we're heading to Indy, where he won last year on fuel mileage. Never say never, but we're not optimistic. Chase chances: 4%
Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya and Aric Almirola (0 wins, 18th-22nd): If all the drivers ahead were sitting on one win, Watkins Glen could play a pivotal role for Ambrose and Montoya. However, given their points position, a win doesn't do them much good. Burton's two top fives have come at restrictor plate tracks. McMurray and Almirola don't have any top fives. Collective Chase chances: 1%
Who you got? Let us know below.
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Friday
Live: 2012 German Grand Prix second practice | F1 Fanatic Live
Live: 2012 German Grand Prix second practice is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Follow the 2012 German Grand Prix second practice session on F1 Fanatic Live.
Live: 2012 German Grand Prix second practice is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/07/20/live-2012-german-grand-prix-practice-3/
Tony Stewart and Austin Dillon each docked points for Daytona qualifying violations
Tony Stewart and Austin Dillon now have six points fewer than they did yesterday, and for Dillon, it's the second consecutive week he's lost points.
Both were docked six points in the driver and owner standings for cooling hose infractions during their qualifying runs at Daytona; Stewart in the Sprint Cup Series and Dillon in the Nationwide Series. Stewart would have started second and Dillon would have started first. Because of the violations, each had to start at the back of the pack. Stewart won while Dillon finished fourth.
Stewart's crew chief, Steve Addington was fined $25,000, and car chief Jeff Meendering was placed on probation with Addington until August 22nd. Dillon's crew chief Danny Stockman and car chief Robert Strmiska were suspended for two races because they were already on probation for rules infractions at Richmond and Stockman was fined $10,000. Dillon was penalized six points after winning the previous race at Kentucky because the car was too low. The team said it was because a clamp had failed on the right-rear jack bolt.
In addition to the Dillon and Stewart violations, the Nationwide Series No. 18 car of Joe Gibbs Racing, driven by Joey Logano at Daytona, was also penalized six points and crew chief Adam Stevens was fined $10,000 and placed on probation. Since Logano declared for the Sprint Cup Series, he was not fined points because he doesn't accumulate points in the Nationwide Series.
Thursday
Carl Edwards candid after late pit stop for fuel relegates him to 20th place finish
Sitting outside the top 10 in points without a win, every race that ticks by without a trip to victory lane decreases Carl Edwards' window of opportunity to make the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup. And after finishing 20th Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, Edwards admitted that the team needed to pick up the pace.
After steadily working his way through the field, Edwards restarted in third with 48 laps to go after a lengthy caution for Ryan Newman's expired engine came out with many teams on the precipice of their fuel windows. Edwards was one of those on the edge.
Some cars chose to top off their fuel tanks while others stayed out. When Edwards got the call to come in to top off to make it safely to the end, he was already committed to the racetrack. He was going to need another caution to make it to the checkered flag on fuel. He never got it, and was forced to pit from fourth place with seven laps to go.
He finished 20th.
[Related: Brad Keselowski notches Sprint Cup-leading third win of the year]
"(Crew chief) Bob (Osborne) called me on to pit road, he knew we should have pitted that last time but I was already so far around the cone, I just didn't feel right cutting across traffic and slamming the splitter down and trying to make it to pit road," Edwards said. "So we were put in a box and we hoped that there would be a caution and there wasn't. But it's just time for us to get it in gear. We gotta go. I'm real frustrated, Bob's real frustrated. I know we can do this though ? we ran as well as any Ford out here tonight and at the end with some fuel I think we would have had a chance to win it."
Edwards is now 11th in the points standings, 34 points behind Kentucky winner Brad Keselowski for 10th. But because he's winless so far this year -- his highest finish is fifth -- he's behind Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano, drivers all with a win, in the Wild Card pecking order.
From the expression on Edwards' face and his meaningful delivery of his post-race comments, you could tell that the (relative) struggles of his race team were very real. Just last year he was tied with Tony Stewart for the championship, only to lose that tiebreaker five to one on wins. Now, crazily enough, he's a driver in badly need of a win on a 50(!) race winless streak.
And perhaps he's cognizant of the second place slump that's haunted himself and other drivers recently. After finishing second to Jimmie Johnson and leading the circuit in wins in 2008, Edwards went winless and finished 11th in 2009. Mark Martin, who finished second that year, was 13th in 2010. And Denny Hamlin, who was second in 10 and, like Edwards in 2008, led the series in wins, finished 9th in 2011.
[Related: Complete results from Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway]
Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford parted ways at the end of 2011. Edwards was quick to shoot down any thoughts of parting ways with Osborne, or any other popular theory that's been floated as a reason for the team's struggles. (Edwards and Osborne have been together since the beginning of Edwards' Sprint Cup career, save for 27 races in the middle of 2006.)
"We have to stick together as a team," Edwards said. "That's what Bob and I talked about last week I mean ? I hear it all, I hear everything ? 'Oh, he's focused on the booth,' 'He's tore up over Tony's deal last year,' 'He needs a new crew chief' ? all these things. None of that's true. We're having some bad luck and we're having some bad communication here. And we can do this together. So we could divide right now or we could come together. I've got the best crew chief in the business, he proved it at the end of the year last year. We got beat on a crazy call by (former Tony Stewart crew chief) Darian (Grubb) and those guys (when Stewart stayed out longer than Edwards and others at Homestead). But we just need to go and keep going and get this Ford in victory lane for Fastenal and all the people who support us."
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