Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/321-luxury-car-sales-jump-helps-gkn-boost-profits.html
Saturday
Luxury Car Sales Jump Helps GKN Boost Profits
British automotive and airplane parts maker GKN has seen profits soar as the demand for luxury cars worldwide has shot up. The main reason for the massive profits increase is due to GKN?s Driveline business, which produces car parts such as chassis, axles and drive shafts. The sales rose from �1.3billion to �1.7billion at Driveline [...]
VIDEO: Kurt Busch talks about moving to Furniture Row
Kurt Busch talked Friday at Dover about his impending move to Furniture Row Racing, one that will start before 2013.
Busch will take over at Furniture Row at Charlotte for the final six races of the 2012 season in preparation for driving the full season for the team in 2013. He's replacing Regan Smith, who will drive his final race for Furniture Row at Talladega. A replacement for Busch in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing entry that he currently drives hasn't been announced.
Allmendinger?s NASCAR Career Is Effectively Over
Since we broke the news on Twitter before Saturday night’s race that A.J. Allmendinger was being replaced by Sam Hornish, the Dinger’s world has come apart. NASCAR announced he had failed a drug test, and Allmendinger has since requested the B sample be tested and admitted he tested positive for a stimulant. Penske has tabbed [...] 
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Ryan Newman officially re-ups with Stewart-Haas Racing
Ryan Newman is returning to Stewart-Haas Racing.
The driver of the No. 39 was scheduled to be a free agent at the end of 2012, but will be back on a one-year deal for 2013. Over the summer, both Newman and team owner/driver Tony Stewart said a priority was Newman's contract renewal.
SHR will field three full-time cars in 2013; for Stewart, Newman and Danica Patrick. However, Patrick is the only one of the three that has full-season sponsorship announced. Newman has operated with a variety of different sponsors while at SHR, and the team's biggest sponsor, the U.S. Army, announced earlier in the year that it wouldn't be returning to the team in 2013. On Sunday at Atlanta, Office Depot, Stewart's largest sponsor, announced that it wouldn't be returning to the hood of Stewart's car next year either.
With a win Saturday night at Richmond, Newman, currently 17th in the Sprint Cup points standings, would qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. During his four-season tenure at Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman has qualified for the Chase twice.
Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion Concept
We saw the first rendition of the Golf BlueMotion Concept about five years ago and it was impressive, boasting a 62.8 mph rating and emitting just 119 grams of CO2 per km. We then got a look at the second-gen model in 2009 with its 74.3 mpg and 99 g/km of CO2. Here we are at the 2012 Paris Auto Show and Volkswagen has the third generation BlueMotion Golf ready to show off.
Volkswagen really has something to prove in the mpg department, as it is one of only a handful of automakers available in the U.S. that has openly protested the new CAF� standards. VW has attempted to make it clear that its reasoning behind protecting the standards is not because it doesn?t want to build fuel-efficient vehicles, but rather because it feels the yearly improvement numbers are skewed to making it easier on American car and truck manufacturers.
Well, here stands a chance for VW to truly prove that it is all in on saving us money at the pump. So let?s have a look at what Vee-dub-ya has served up.
Click past the jump to read our review on the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion Concept.
Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 28 September 2012 16:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/volkswagen/2013-volkswagen-golf-bluemotion-concept-ar135544.html
Friday
Stepped noses and Double DRS to go in 2013 | F1 Fanatic round-up
Stepped noses and Double DRS to go in 2013 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: F1 cars to get facelifts under 2013 rules ? Teams concerned over FIA costs ? Brawn says Schumacher decision "difficult"
Stepped noses and Double DRS to go in 2013 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/2012/09/28/f1-fanatic-roundup-289/
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell Vehicle
At the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Hyundai announced plans to become the first global automaker to begin commercial rollout of zero-emissions vehicles. Deliveries on their new ix35 Fuel Cell Vehicle will begin in December 2012 and by 2015, the company hopes to have built up to 1,000 units.
The ix35 Fuel Cell Vehicle is powered by hydrogen, with a fuel cell stack converting the hydrogen into electricity, which in turn charges the Lithium Polymer battery that powers the vehicle’s electric motor. Other technologies include kinetic energy regeneration system that charges the battery when the driver applies the brakes or drives downhill, plus a start/stop system which helps minimize energy loss in city driving. The only emission generated by the ix35 Fuel Cell is water steam. The ix35 Fuel Cell will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 12.5 seconds, can hit a top speed of 100 mph, and can travel 588km (365miles) without refueling.
"The ix35 Fuel Cell is the pinnacle of Hyundai?s advanced engineering and our most powerful commitment to be the industry leader in eco-friendly mobility," said Vice Chairman Woong Chul Yang, head of Hyundai R&D. "Zero-emissions cars are no longer a dream. Our ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle is here today, and ready for commercial use.
Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell Vehicle originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 28 September 2012 04:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/hyundai/2013-hyundai-ix35-fuel-cell-vehicle-ar135548.html
The 2013 Sprint Cup schedule: what?s new is, well, largely the same
As tracks started announcing their upcoming race dates, the 2013 schedule was beginning to be pieced together, and NASCAR gave the complete answer on Tuesday when it released the official 2013 Sprint Cup Series schedule. And it's pretty much the same as this year's schedule.
All 10 Chase tracks remain the same, and eight of them keep their order in the Chase. The only swap comes between Kansas and Talladega, as Kansas moves up to the fourth Chase race after being the sixth Chase race this year.
With Easter weekend falling on the final weekend of March, the spring Martinsville race remains on the first Sunday in April. The last off weekend of the season will be Sunday, July 21st.
The complete 2013 Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series schedules will be released later in the fall. The complete Cup Series schedule is below:
February 16: Shootout (Saturday night)
February 24: Daytona 500
March 3: Phoenix
March 10: Las Vegas
March 17: Bristol
March 24: Auto Club
April 7: Martinsville
April 13: Texas (Saturday night)
April 21: Kansas
April 27: Richmond (Saturday night)
May 5: Talladega
May 11: Darlington (Saturday night)
May 18: All Star Race
May 26: Charlotte (Sunday night)
June 2: Dover
June 9: Pocono
June 16: Michigan
June 23: Sonoma
June 29: Kentucky (Saturday night)
July 6: Daytona (Saturday night)
July 14: New Hampshire
July 28: Indianapolis
August 4: Pocono
August 11: Watkins Glen
August 18: Michigan
August 24: Bristol (Saturday night)
September 1: Atlanta (Sunday night)
September 7: Richmond (Saturday night)
September 15: Chicagoland
September 22: New Hampshire
September 29: Dover
October 6: Kansas
October 12: Charlotte (Saturday night)
October 20: Talladega
October 27: Martinsville
November 3: Texas
November 10: Phoenix
November 17: Homestead
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How I saw It? That First Caution is a Doozy Edition
That really wasn?t that bad, and we have undoubtedly seen worse at Sonoma Raceway. Who had Sebastien Bourdais in the who-will-bring-the-first-yellow pool at work? I sure didn?t and I am shocked his unforced error was as dramatic as it was. … Continue reading 
Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti
Thursday
2012 Portimao WSBK Saturday Round Up: Forget Next Year, This One Isn't Over Yet
As teams announce new lineups and new tracks are added to the 2013 calendar this weekend, one could easily be forgiven for thinking the 2012 season has finished. With two races to go, and one hundred points still up for grabs, nothing could be further than the truth.
Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen
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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Into The Crystal Ball? Welcome to Wine Country Edition
Sonoma raceway is the third leg of the ?trinity of boredom? and location of the final run to the championship. Barber Motorsports Park and Mid-Ohio Sports Car complete said trinity, but if those two races were any indication of what … Continue reading 
Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy
2012 Chase Prospects: Tony Stewart goes for title number four
The battle between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards will be the standard on which all Sprint Cup championship battles will be judged from here on out. And if that's not enough by itself, Stewart's five Chase wins, the most by any Championship winning driver, is also a new benchmark.
And Stewart has another benchmark too. In his first Chase win in 2005, he won the title without winning a single Chase race -- the only driver to do that too. (Note: that's probably why he was so dismissive of any questions about a specific Chase-winning formula on Friday.)
What does this mean? Well it means that Stewart will win 10 races when he wins his third Chase, but that won't happen until 2017. So sorry Tony, you'll have to wait a while.
Honestly, Stewart winning the Chase this year may be as much of a surprise as it was last year. After starting off strongly with wins at Las Vegas and Fontana, Stewart, who (obligatory comment about how awesome he usually is in the summer), has finished outside the top 10 in six of the last 10 races leading up to the Chase. Yeah, he does have one win in that stretch (Daytona), but last year heading into the Chase, he had five top 10s in the final 10 regular season races.
Best Chase Track: That's Chicago, site of tomorrow's Geico 400. Stewart has three wins and 9 top 10s in 11 starts there. Pretty good.
Worst Chase Track: By average finish, it's Talladega, but doesn't it seem that Talladega is low on the list for everyon? It's that whole lottery thing. Stewart's second worst average finish at a Chase track is at Charlotte, where he has one win and 12 top 10s in 27 starts.
NB's Prediction: 4th. Stewart gets the benefit of the doubt here because of his performance last year. This is the ultimate in toss-up scenarios for Smoke. Given last year, it's not surprising if he's in the battle for the title until the final race. Given the last 10 races, it's equally not as surprising if he's not.
Wednesday
Dale Earnhardt Jr.?s moving letter to his 16-year-old self
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had a life that few of us could even imagine, and there are times when even he doesn't seem to be able to believe he is where he is. In a moving segment on "CBS This Morning," Earnhardt reads a letter to his 16-year-old self, advising him on family, racing and confidence. It's some powerful stuff, and it might just inspire you to think a little differently about the 88.
[H/t to Highflyjet]
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Horner hoping for alternator fix by Suzuka
Christian Horner is hoping that Renault will have its upgraded alternator ready to race as soon as the Japanese GP. Sebastian Vettel has had two failures this year, one while leading in Valencia, and another in Monza. Red Bull had … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/09/24/horner-hoping-for-alternator-fix-by-suzuka/
Chase Power Rankings: Cue the Imperial March
The first race of the Chase is over, and that means it's time for Power Rankings! But we're doing things a little differently now that we're in the postseason. It's all-Chasers, all the time. Good job, good effort for those of you that didn't make it, but we've got bigger fish to focus on. We'll be judging who's running well, considering not just finishing position but quality of run, expected potential, and general gut feelings. As always, we hate your guy and are biased against him. Now, enjoy.
1. Jimmie Johnson: We call Jimmie Johnson "Vader" around these parts. (No, we've never figured out who Luke is, though we're cool with Chad Knaus being the Emperor.) It's because the 48 is relentless, like the Vader in the first two Star Wars movies, not the indecisive goof in "Return of the Jedi" or the whiny twit in the prequels. (Last week: 2)
2. Brad Keselowski: The Chase is all about keeping yourself in position, and Keselowski did exactly that by finishing sixth. If you can't win, keep the winner in your sights. (Last week: 1)
3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin made a guarantee of victory last Sunday, which was awesome. Then he backed off it on Friday, which was weak. And he made a Babe Ruth called-shot motion when he won, which was ridiculous. Ride it out, Hamlin. Own it. (Last week: 5)
4. Kasey Kahne: Exactly where he needs to be. After his early-season debacles, Kahne has specialized in keeping close without screwing up too badly. A top-5 finish? That'll do. For now. (Last week: 3)
5. Clint Bowyer: We didn't give Bowyer much of a chance to win this thing, and absent a couple victories we still don't, but hey ... there's always a chance. (Last week: 7)
6. Jeff Gordon: This is how badly one terrible finish can hurt you: Gordon is still mired in last place despite a third-place finish this week. He's running well but has zip to show for it. (Last week: 9)
7. Tony Stewart: Decent but unspectacular week for Smoke, but at least he's keeping himself in the mix. He's currently only a handful of points off the lead, which at this point is saying something. (Last week: 4)
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: About time to make that move, Junior. Two straight weeks of mid-high-pack finishes ain't gonna cut it. (Last week: 6)
9. Matt Kenseth: Looking a bit grim for Kenseth, who appears to have lost whatever single-digit mojo he had earlier this season. (Last week: 9)
10. Kevin Harvick: This is a 10th-place kind of year for Harvick, and fittingly enough, he finished 11th at Loudon. (Last week: 12)
11. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex may have seen his best chance to get in the Chase hunt pass him by before the Chase even began. (Last week: 11)
12. Greg Biffle: That points lead seems a long, long way away right now. (Last week: 10)
Non-Chaser of the week: Brian Vickers, with yet another top-10 performance that ought to get him a better ride next year. What's a brother got to do?
All right, your turn. Who goes where?
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Tuesday
2012 Chase Prospects: Can Matt Kenseth close his Roush career with another Cup?
Can he do it? Of course he can, he's in the Chase. Will he? That's a tougher order. He's only got one top 5 finish in the last five races, down from seven in the last 20 races. He's riding a 9th and a 5th place finish in the last two races, but before that he'd had trouble maintaining his previously series-leading run.
Bottom line: Kenseth and his team are pros, and they'll do all they can to bring home a Cup for Jack Roush. But they've got to be at their very best over the next 10 weeks, and that means screening out any and all distractions of what they'll be doing the day after Homestead.
Best Chase track: Texas, where he has an average finish of 8.6. Since 2005, he's only had two finishes outside the top 10. His last four finishes? 2, 1, 4, 5. That's not bad, and Texas hits in the perfect point in the schedule for Kenseth to keep himself in the mix.
Worst Chase track: Talladega, where his average finish of 18.6 is, well, not so good. Obviously, that's Talladega, where everyone has troubles. And its earlier slot in the Chase means there's time to get past any weak performances.
JB's take: Kenseth has had another long, slow slide from the top of the heap this season, and while he was a constant threat early in the year, he doesn't inspire the same sort of confidence now that he might have back in the springtime. Staying close to the top isn't good enough in the Chase; you need to be able to win at any time. Kenseth will get in the top 10, but he won't be a factor come Homestead.
2012 Chase Prospects: Can Clint Bowyer bring Michael Waltrip a championship?
It's not supposed to be this easy. You don't take a team that's a punchline, slap a Chase-worthy driver in there and see immediate dividends. Yet that's exactly what happened with Michael Waltrip Racing and its star acquisition, Clint Bowyer.
Sure, Bowyer and Waltrip haven't had the best history, but they learned this year that winning is a powerful bandage, and hurt feelings have no place in victory lane. Combined with new crew chief Brian Pattie, Bowyer rolled off two wins this year, including a regular season-ender at Richmond just a few days ago. He spent the entire season in the top 10, never in any real danger of losing his Chase berth.
Bowyer never really comes up in championship conversation, mainly because he's always one of those guys who's not quite mounting up enough top 5 finishes to really scare the leaders. But he has a right-place, right-time knack, and if he's able to secure some early wins, you never know. You never know!
Best Chase track: Things start off well for Bowyer; his best track is Chicago, where he's got an average finish of 10.2 over six races. He'll need an early start to get ahead of the projected leaders; a victory in one of the first few races will keep him in the hunt far longer than his usual good-but-not-great runs of late. (Richmond excepted, of course.)
Worst Chase track: Charlotte, where he's achieved only a 17.5 average finish. That's not the kind of finish you want on your record in the Chase, since it necessitates two to three top 5 finishes to offset it. But hey, you know that going in, you can prepare.
JB's take: Not this year, but this is a case where just getting into the Chase is a huge achievement. Bowyer was brought to MWR as a Chase-worthy driver, and he delivered immediately. That's the kind of foundation that the team can build on in future seasons. At the moment, Bowyer doesn't have the squad to hang with the Johnsons and Hamlins of the world, but before long, he just might.
AJ Allmendinger completes ?Road to Recovery,? reinstated by NASCAR
Allmendinger had been suspended indefinitely earlier this summer for testing positive for a still-unrevealed stimulant at the Kentucky race. Allmendinger and his team had initially called the test results into question, but once a second sample turned up the same result, he consented to NASCAR's judgment. He told a curious story about taking Adderall, but in the end, he didn't disagree with the sport's judgment.
The knock on Allmendinger was that he would follow in Jeremy Mayfield's footsteps, fighting every inch of the way. He didn't; he took the wiser route and is now back in the sport faster than perhaps anyone expected.
Of course, he returns to a NASCAR changed even since he was suspended in July. Joey Logano has taken over his old seat, and there's no guarantee of another coming available for him anytime soon. He's indicated that he'll take time to explore his options. But at least now he has them.
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2012 Portimao World Superbike And World Supersport Saturday Post-Qualifying Press Releases
Press releases from the World Superbike and World Supersport teams, as well as the WSBK press office, after qualifying at Portimao:
Round Number:
13 Year:
2012
Monday
2012 Chase Prospects: Is it Denny Time?
You have to wonder how many times Denny Hamlin has played out the final two weeks of the 2010 Chase in his head.
By now, you know the story just as well as Hamlin does: dominating the season's penultimate race at Phoenix, fuel mileage came into play and Hamlin and then-crew chief Mike Ford pitted for fuel late in the race to ensure that his car would make it to the end under power. Hamlin finished 12th, and Jimmie Johnson finished fifth, closing the gap between himself and Hamlin at the top of the standings. Hamlin was dejected.
Hamlin was still the points leader by 15, but qualified poorly at Homestead and spun and damaged his splitter early in the race. His team scrambled all race and scraped out a 14th place finish. Meanwhile, Johnson qualified sixth and finished second. He won by 39 points. Hamlin was even more dejected.
Hamlin was a non-factor in the Chase in 2011 and started working with a sports psychologist to help his attitude.
Now, as we enter the 2012 Chase, Hamlin's atop the points standings and brimming with positivity. Can you blame him? He ripped off back-to-back wins at Bristol and Atlanta, and hasn't finished outside the top 20 all season except for accidents or mechanical failures. Hamlin's in a prime spot to be in the same position that he was in 2010, and does anyone think the script won't change if that's the case?
Best Chase Track: It's Martinsville, but you probably already knew that too. Hamlin has four wins and 12 top 10s in 14 starts. Given that Martinsville is also Jimmie Johnson's strength, Hamlin has to beat him here.
Worst Chase Track: Dover, where Hamlin has an average finish outside the top 20 and only two top 10s to his credit. He hasn't been incredibly sharp at Chicagoland either, so if he can buttress Loudon (a track where he's good at) with good finishes at Chicago and Dover, watch out.
NB's Prediction: 3rd. This is going to be a three team race down to the wire, and Hamlin will be one of the involved parties. If he's ahead of Johnson after Martinsville, the seventh race of the Chase, it will be advantage, Hamlin.
Power Rankings: It?s Denny Time
The race is done, and that means it's time for Power Rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. It is not scientific, nor is it meant to be. And remember, whoever your favorite driver is, we're biased against him and like someone else better. We continue with a guy who's back:
Dropping out of the rankings: Marcos Ambrose. How do you say "Hail Mary" in Australian?
Lucky Dog: Mark Martin. See above for MWR commentary.
The Carl Edwards DNF: Sam Hornish Jr., who did everything he could to get back in that No. 22 and still couldn't get it. Sorry, DWW.
All right, your turn. Fire away, friends.
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