Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2012/05/wheldon-receives-winners-ring.html
Saturday
Happy Hour: Did Danica Patrick deserve punishment for wrecking Sam Hornish Jr.?
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.
I was at both the Kentucky Derby and Talladega this past weekend. This is what I came up with. I'm still exhausted. So let's get to your letters:
Given how polarizing a figure she is, do you think there will be (or should be) any disciplinary action taken by NASCAR towards Danica Patrick for intentionally wrecking Sam Hornish Jr. after the checked flag on Saturday?
? Eric Tien
[Video: Is Darlington Kyle Busch's to lose?]
Simple. Efficient. I like that kind of letter. Incidentally, this race was finishing exactly as the Kentucky Derby was starting, so I was darting back and forth between the press balcony overlooking the track and my laptop playing the race broadcast. Sure wish Bodemeister had turned I'll have Another in the final straightaway; I'd have a few more bucks right now.
So, my opinion: Yes, NASCAR should have taken some action against Patrick. At the very least, she should have been (say this with scary music in the background) Called To The Hauler to discuss exactly what happened. Did Hornish's brakes fail? Did Patrick not see him? Whatever, letting her bolt off into the Talladega night was exactly the wrong thing for NASCAR to do.
Now, as for the unhinged Danicahaters who scream that because Kyle Busch did almost the same thing at Texas last year, Patrick should be suspended or worse: shut up. Seriously. Just chill the heck out. This is not even remotely comparable. Busch's actions happened during a race (albeit under yellow), and took Ron Hornaday Jr. out of the running entirely. Busch's punishment was also the culmination of a series of run-ins with NASCAR brass. Patrick hasn't had that. She had a bad day and a bad moment. Does she deserve a little lecture, maybe even one of those not-so-secret-but-still-really-secret fines? Absolutely. And if she does it again, crank up the punishment. Beyond that, let it go, people. I'd have been a lot more disappointed if she'd gotten out of the car and started crying or something.
____________________
Was Tony Stewart so worried about the cost of tearing up cars when he was 'just' a driver? But I do agree with his sentiment. We fans pay the bills, but we're quite often stupid. And as a driver becomes more successful and rich, we become even more stupid, don't we? Honestly, I do not watch races just to see the wrecks. I don't like to see them just for the sake of all that carnage and personal danger. I'd rather see some passin' and rubbin', but not necessarily hittin' and wreckin'. But when they do occur, it's interesting to see who messed up and any drama resulting from it. I do like the drama...and Tony can be the king of producing drama...just by opening his mouth.
? Robert in Richmond
[ Power Rankings: Change at the top ]
You've got to hand it to Stewart, the man knows how to keep himself in headlines, and he knows how to get his point across. I have absolutely no problem with what he did, and I find it very interesting that many of the same fans who whoop and holler when he calls out the media or other drivers get all butthurt when he calls out YOU. Doesn't mean I agree with him entirely ... but let's save that for our next answer.
____________________
Reading all the "Sarcastic Smoke" accolades has exacerbated an irritation I already have with the idea that NASCAR fans simply want more wrecks. I hate wrecks. They make me physically ill as though each one of those drivers were my own baby boy. Of course, I am a woman, and likely in the minority of NASCAR fans. But seriously, I have never read or heard a complaint from any actual fan stating they need to see more wrecks to watch races more religiously on TV or to attend more races in person. Are these complaints actually in existence, or is this just one of those "media-hyped" (no offense) arguments? I'll grant that the possibility of wrecks increases the adrenaline, but wouldn't that just increase the longer you go WITHOUT a wreck? The argument alone is insulting, but now I have to listen to DW say the fans don't respect what the drivers do and hear Tony Stewart say we would prefer to see Talladega turned into a figure eight. Hogwash, I dare say. Where's the proof?
? BJP
Cleveland, Ohio
This is like proving a negative; how can we prove that fans like wrecks without having wrecks? I guess we could point to the fact that NASCAR has been in decline since the safety improvements that have kept every driver alive for the last decade-plus, but that's a bit grim, isn't it? And it's a cheap, and not necessarily direct, causal connection.
Basically, Stewart is just like anyone else with a strong opinion: He doesn't see a whole lot of nuance. Look, I get where he's coming from; if any of us were in a wreck like these guys all sustain five or six times a year (or many times that, for certain drivers), we wouldn't exactly be thrilled with the sentiment that there should be MORE wrecks. (We'd probably be curled in a fetal position and not get into another car for two years.) But saying the only options are wreck-filled demolition derbies or hours-long roundabouts is a false choice. There are ways to make the racing more interesting while keeping the drivers safe and the cars largely intact. Sticking your head in the sand and staying in only one camp or another does no good to anyone.
____________________
Is Jeff Gordon in a slump? Is he really the product of bad luck or is he going to be content with running good races and not winning like Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Now I'm not saying Junior is content with good finishes, but when it's been season after season, you start to wonder. I have poked fun at Junior fans who are happy with his top 10 runs all season but never getting the win, so can I be happy for Jeff if he starts doing the same? The guy has four titles, a great career, lots of money, lots of wins, but if he was to race another four seasons and only score top 10s for most of the races is his past enough to satisfy not winning?
? Wes R
Wes, that's a question you're going to have to answer for yourself. It is interesting how the troubles of one group of fans don't seem quite so funny when they're your troubles. I will say this: I cannot imagine that these guys enjoy losing race after race, year after year. But knowing when it's time to walk away is the toughest thing for any athlete to do; you don't know what's waiting for you after that last race ends, and that's scary when you've got half your life still ahead of you.
I don't believe Gordon has another title in him, but I do think he has plenty more wins. The guy still burns for this stuff. You'll have him around for quite a few years. And when you don't, there's another guy waiting right in the wings ...
____________________
Is Brad Keselowski the best interview or what? His quote in the media center is the greatest quote I've heard a driver say: "Hell, it's my job to be good. That's what I get paid for. I don't get paid to suck at this." Absolutely priceless. Bad luck hurt him the Chase last year, just hope the equipment is good enough for him until he starts driving a Ford next year. He is exactly what the doctor has ordered for NASCAR. If ever he is crowned a champion, he most definitely would be a hard act to follow.
? Kevin Mullins
Metairie, LA
I would rank Keselowski among my all-time favorite interview subjects, along with Chipper Jones, Charles Barkley and Tiger Woods. (Ha! Just seeing if you were paying attention. Tiger Woods is a terrible interview.) After that interview, someone in the media room suggested we print up bumper stickers saying "I don't get paid to suck at this," and I'd totally buy one.
Seriously, Keselowski answers the question you ask in a way that indicates he's taking the question seriously, not just killing time. I asked him about the wrecks at 'Dega, and he gave me the great answer about daredevils and chess players; moments like that as a writer you're going, "This is gold!" Makes up for a lot of "We had a good race tonight. I want to thank the boys at the shop"-type interviews.
Anyway, yeah, Keselowski has won a lot of people over in the last year, and he's driving like a champion, too. This dude might well be the future of NASCAR, which would be good news for all of us.
All right, let's wrap with a little money-where-your-mouth-is suggestion:
____________________
From now on fan tickets should include a retroactive surcharge for every wreck in a race. You never know how much your ticket is going to cost until the race is over. Then, with more wreckage and "car"nage, you receive more entertainment and you pay more for your ticket. For a "boring" race where all you got to see was smart, clean, hard driving and excellent pit crews, you walk away disappointed but you keep your money in your pocket. The surcharge then goes to the owners who have to pay for the wrecked cars. So everyone wins. Fans pay more for better racing and owners are more willing to give it to them because they don't have to pay for it, the fans do!
? Bill Carswell
Fontana and Pocono would sell out! And you'd have one guy buying a ticket to Talladega, and he'd have to pay $10.3 million for it. I love it!
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!
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Live: 2012 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying | F1 Fanatic Live
Live: 2012 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying 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 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session on F1 Fanatic Live.
Live: 2012 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying 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/2012/05/26/live-2012-monaco-grand-prix-qualifying/
Joey Logano beats Kyle Busch to line with last-gasp pass to win Talladega Nationwide race
In what could be a harbinger of things to come for Sunday's Cup race, Joey Logano pushed Kyle Busch close to the finish line and then passed him before the stripe, taking Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Talladega.
As the race restarted with two laps to go for the second attempt at a green-white-checker finish, the fight for the win quickly came down to tandem drafting, with Logano pushing Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in the Sprint Cup Series, and Ricky Stenhouse pushing Cole Whitt.
Whitt and Stenhouse, however, were unable to make a serious charge on the final lap, and by the time that they got to Logano's back bumper, he had already made the move to pass Busch on the outside as they exited the tri-oval, nipping Busch at the line.
While tandem drafting was pivotal in the outcome, the practice didn't dominate on Saturday, a good sign for those who dislike the tandem draft, as the Nationwide Series cars are capable of tandem drafting for longer periods of time than the Sprint Cup Series cars thanks to their larger radiators and grille openings.
The race wasn't without a significant heart-stopper though, and that moment came during "The Big One," which happened on the backstretch during the race's first green-white-checker finish attempt. Eric McClure was collected in the crash, which started when Michael Annett made contact with Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick at the front of the field. McClure slid head-on into the SAFER barrier on the inside backstretch wall.
The race was immediately red-flagged and track safety workers had to cut the roof off of McClure's car to extricate him. (The process took approximately 10 tense minutes.) McClure, who NASCAR said was talking with safety workers during the extrication process, was removed from the car and taken to an ambulance on a stretcher. He was transported to a local hospital, where according to NASCAR, he is under evaluation.
Friday
Interesting news for sponsor-hunters
There is some interesting news today from Quebec City where the International Olympic Committee’s executive has been whittling down the host cities for the 2020 Olympic Games. Istanbul, Tokyo and Madrid are still in the running, but Doha and Baku are out of the running. Both had previously been rejected for the 2016 Games as [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/interesting-news-for-sponsor-hunters/
NASCAR Team Owner For Senate
In recent years, politics and NASCAR have played hand-in-hand. Presidents from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush (First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden were at Homestead last season) have come to races and candidates for the office have made it an obligatory stop – Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were at [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/q1ayvZn-V0k/
Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion
Social Media Garage? What?s It All About?
The first annual Social Media Garage is primed to kick off in just a few short days at the World?s Greatest Race Course. I will be joining a few of my partners in crime compatriots in Formula 1 garage 35 … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/social-media-garage-whats-it-all-about/
Joey Logano wins Nationwide race after bumping Elliott Sadler from the lead and out of race
For the second straight Nationwide race, Joey Logano went from being on the back bumper of the race leader in the closing laps to victory lane. It's just that the circumstances Friday night at Darlington were a bit different than they were at Talladega.
Six days after slingshotting around Kyle Busch right before the checkered flag, Logano restarted in third, directly behind race leader Elliott Sadler with five laps to go on Friday. As the green flag flew, Logano started pushing Sadler in an attempt to leave second-place car Denny Hamlin out to dry. However, Sadler didn't get going as well as Logano did, and the contact wobbled his car and into Hamlin on the outside line.
The contact turned Sadler into the wall and ended his night.
"First off I want to apologize to Elliott," a subdued Logano said in victory lane. "That was obviously not on purpose. We worked so well together at Talladega last week that we were helping each other again there it seemed like and I pushed him ahead on the restart before and got him out front. I was going to do the same thing and I guess he was just spinning his tires still and I was trying to push him ahead and car got squirrely and he starts right."
Sadler, who is racing for the Nationwide Series points championship again after finishing second last year to Ricky Stenhouse Jr., was out front late because of a two-tire pit stop. Hamlin, who finished second after losing a cylinder on the green-white-checker finish, dominated the race, leading by as much as six seconds before the caution flag flew with 19 laps to go.
Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler
Thursday
Montezemolo: ?The championship is very open?
Luca di Montezemolo has attempted to rally the Ferrari staff by telling them that the 2012 title can still be won. The company president made the comments in an open letter to his employees. Fernando Alonso is currently an impressive … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/21/montezemolo-the-championship-is-very-open/
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
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/CASm6VoO-c4/
Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi
2012 Formula 1 season ? Time to get in the mood!
The 2012 Formula 1 season gets underway this month and here are some videos to get you in the mood. While you are here, why not check out which drivers are under pressure in 2012? Enjoy these videos! More to come! [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog [...]
Video: 1,000 horsepower Toyota Supra meets group of motorcycles in Sweden
 |
Tuning firms have always loved customizing Toyota Supra?s from the mid-90?s, and there are literally dozens of Supra?s roaming U.S. streets with in excess of 1,000 horsepower. The silver unit is no exception to that rule, except for the fact that it lives in chilly Sweden.
In a short two and half minute video, producers gathered the insane aforementioned Supra with a group of Supermoto motorcycles and let them loose on some Swedish roads in V�ster�s, approximately 62 miles from Stockholm.
We?ve seen similar videos on numerous occasions, where high performance sports cars drive and drift around public roads, but this one takes the crown for stupidity. It seems the roads remained open for public use during filming, and drifting a car with as much power as this Supra obviously poses numerous health and safety issues. Combine that with a half a dozen high performance motorcycles, and you seemingly have a recipe for disaster.
Thankfully however, no incidents were reported during filming, but the mysterious appearance of a police car in the closing seconds of the video begs the question as to if the hooligans were fined and reprimanded in any way.
Whatever happened after the director said cut doesn?t really matter, as you can still check out the video above.
Video: 1,000 horsepower Toyota Supra meets group of motorcycles in Sweden originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 24 May 2012 02:00 EST.
Wednesday
Vaughn Gittin Jr. Dedicates World Drift Series Win to Carroll Shelby
| |
Recently deceased automotive master and all-around great person, Carroll Shelby, has a history that few can compete with. Not only was he one of the best American road racers, but was also a legendary car designer. But his legend is seemingly endless in the automotive field, as even racers in drift series races are influenced by him.
The most recent evidence was when American driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. took home 1st place in round 1 of the World Drift Series in China while driving his Mustang RTR. Though Mr. Shelby never had a hand in drifting, it is obvious that he had a huge influence on Gittin, as he dedicated this victory to the memory of Mr. Carroll Shelby.
After being declared the winner, Gittin was quoted saying ?I would like to dedicate this to win to a very special man that we lost recently, someone I had the opportunity to meet just a few times, and someone that was a true inspiration to me personally and to the automotive world as a whole. That man is Carroll Shelby. He is someone that always did what he wanted to do no matter what anyone thought and I know he would be proud to know we are drifting Mustangs in Olympic stadiums here in China and bringing home a huge first place trophy back to the USA!?
Our congratulations have to go out to Gittin for his victory, but the victory pales in comparison to his heartfelt dedication to the man that helped make the Mustang that won the race what it is today. To say that Gittin has our support throughout the rest of the WDS is an understatement.
Somewhere, Mr. Shelby was smiling as this Ford Mustang slid its way around imports and into first place?
Click past the jump to read the full press release.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. Dedicates World Drift Series Win to Carroll Shelby originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 15:00 EST.
Inappropriate Twitter name makes it onscreen during ?Wind Tunnel?
Mistakes happen.
It's what we tell ourselves, anyway, and speaking from NASCAR Live Chat experience, you sometimes don't know that you've let in something a tad inappropriate until it's a little too late.
That's what happened on Sunday night's episode of "Wind Tunnel." Dave Despain and Larry McReynolds were taking questions from Twitter, and when they went to answer the final question (about drivers and anger issues, of course), well, you can see from the picture above that it's highly unlikely that Mr. McGee is using his given name.
Video can be found here. Props to Despain for catching himself and rolling right along with it as he's reading the teleprompter. But how in the world did McReynolds not react? That's either the greatest stifle of amusement in history or he totally missed it.
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Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mбrio de Araъjo Cabral Frank Armi
The Physics of Carl?s Restart Penalty
A late race penalty on a restart for what some think was a questionable caution at Richmond set into motion circumstances that likely shifted the outcome of the race Saturday night. Once again, NASCAR’s restart rules claimed a victim – this time, Carl Edwards. Angry after the race, Edwards said NASCAR had repeatedly told his [...] 
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2012 Le Mans MotoGP Saturday Post-Qualifying Press Releases
Press releases from the MotoGP teams after qualifying at Le Mans for tomorrow's French Grand Prix:
Year:
2012
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
Tuesday
Laguna Seca track record unofficially falls to Ferrari?s Gene | F1 pictures
Laguna Seca track record unofficially falls to Ferrari’s Gene is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Marc Gene has unofficially beaten the track record at the Laguna Seca circuit in the USA driving a 2003 Ferrar1 F2003-GA.
Laguna Seca track record unofficially falls to Ferrari’s Gene 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/2012/05/21/laguna-seca-track-record-unofficially-falls-ferraris-gene/
Perfect? yet more allegations
A former Conservative Party chairman, David Davis, has claimed that he was approached by businessman Sir Alan Curtis 10 years ago, with an offer of money from Bernie Ecclestone if the party would find a safe parliamentary seat in Britain for FIA President Max Mosley. The allegations appeared in the Mail on Sunday in Britain [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/perfect-yet-more-allegations/
Monday
Social Media Garage? What?s It All About?
The first annual Social Media Garage is primed to kick off in just a few short days at the World?s Greatest Race Course. I will be joining a few of my partners in crime compatriots in Formula 1 garage 35 … Continue reading
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/social-media-garage-whats-it-all-about/
Perfect? yet more allegations
A former Conservative Party chairman, David Davis, has claimed that he was approached by businessman Sir Alan Curtis 10 years ago, with an offer of money from Bernie Ecclestone if the party would find a safe parliamentary seat in Britain for FIA President Max Mosley. The allegations appeared in the Mail on Sunday in Britain [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/perfect-yet-more-allegations/
Video: Danica Patrick crewman almost run over by Landon Cassill on pit road
Ever been told to keep your head on a swivel? That's one of the most important adages when working on pit road, and a crew member for Danica Patrick's team almost found out what it can be like when you don't during Saturday night's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway as Landon Cassill came to the pits in the stall immediately behind Patrick's.
Close call, eh? Thankfully for the NASCAR official in Patrick's pit, a frightening situation was narrowly avoided.
Sunday
Jaguar C-X75 Supercar Hibrida
Create supercars is not an easy task since they are created in order to seduce people with high purchasing power with high demands on the time of taking a car of this kind at home, plus the super cars that are constantly competing against monsters such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, among others. Therefore, the arrival [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/199-jaguar-c-x75-supercar-hibrida.html
Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca
2012 Le Mans Moto2 Race Result: Dominant Display In The Rain
Result and summary of the Moto2 race at Le Mans:
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