Source: http://www.popoffvalve.com/2012/8/31/3282052/indycar-the-friday-setup-baltimore
Saturday
Chase Watch: OK, now it?s a two-man race. Promise.
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The two-man battle that emerged over the final laps of Sunday's AAA Texas 500 left two others in the dust. And little doubt that this pursuit of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series championship is a race between Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski and no one else.
Clint Bowyer entered Sunday's race third in the points standings, 26 points behind Jimmie Johnson. And in NASCAR nomenclature, he had a "good points day," running in the top five for most of the day and finishing sixth. But because Johnson and Keselowski were 1-2, he now trails by 36 points with two races to go in his first season with Michael Waltrip Racing.
"I've said this all along -- it's fun to be racing for the championship, but I'm more proud of where we're at contending for that championship, winning three races our first year together as a group," Bowyer said. �"Got a long time to work. We just keep polishing the edges and keep getting better fixing our program week in and week out. We'll be there."
And unfortunately for Bowyer, it's not going to be this year. The same goes for Kasey Kahne, who, much like Bowyer, ran near the front of the field all day. But after contact with Jeff Gordon on lap 321, Kahne cut down a left-rear tire that exploded in turns one and two on lap 322 and brought out a caution.
Kahne entered the race 29 points behind Johnson. Thanks to repairs for the damage, he finished 25th. He's now 58 points back.
Who's up? Matt Kenseth, who finished fourth and jumped to fifth in the points standings from eighth. If it wasn't for two horrible races to start the Chase, Flatline would be right in the midst of this thing.
Who's down? This is a tie between Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., who each fell two spots in the standings. It was especially surprising for both, given how well they've performed at Texas in the past. Truex finished 13th. Hamlin finished 20th.
Who's out? Are you named Jimmie Johnson or Brad Keselowski? No. OK, then you are.
MINI Paceman Unveiled At The Paris Motor Show 2012
MINI takes the Paris Motor Show 2012 to introduce the new model that expands the range and already there are seven models in the range of the brand. Here again the elegant sportiness that defines this new variant incorporating cabin configuration with two doors, a large tailgate and two seats in the back, but respecting [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/362-mini-paceman-unveiled-at-the-paris-motor-show-2012.html
Happy Hour: How forthcoming should drivers be about concussions?
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. Let's get to it, shall we?
This past weekend was another fuel mileage race. Ever had a fuel mileage race in real life? I've only run out of gas once. Prom Night. Except that I miscalculated and had already dropped my date off. Shouldn't have been conserving fuel, apparently. And my buddies were more brutal on me for that than any NASCAR media member. Deservedly so.
All right, to your letters!
There was so much praise for Junior for admitting to having a concussion after Talladega. Then Jeff Gordon made his comments that he would hide a concussion if there were 2 races left and he was in contention for the Championship. So many people are commenting about Jeff Gordon's statement saying how stupid and unsafe that would be. What I don't understand is why those same people aren't trashing Junior for actually having and hiding the concussion he got at Kansas during the tire test and then drove in six races afterwards. Junior actually hides a concussion, races for six weeks, get another concussion and finally speaks up after he is out of the Championship. Junior is a HERO! Jeff makes a statement on a hypothetical question and he is scum of the earth. Are people just so willing to trash Gordon for nothing really? Or is it just a case of Dale Junior can do no wrong?
? Eric
Charlotte, NC
When you were a teenager, did you ever stay out late? Hang with that hellraiser your mother warned you about? Take a nip from your dad's liquor cabinet? Go on a prom date with a guy too stupid to check his gas gauge beforehand? And if you did do those things, did you ask your parents for permission first? Hell no, you didn't. It's that classic aphorism: it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. That's exactly what's at work here. Earnhardt was, in a sense, asking for forgiveness, while Gordon was laying out a hypothetical and, while not asking for permission, talking about something that hadn't yet been done. I don't think that there's any inherent anti-Gordon bias, any more than the usual EVERYBODY HATES MY FAVORITE DRIVER WAAAAHHH bias that every fan trots out every season. Gordon was just in a position of strength rather than weakness; kicking Earnhardt when he just got out of his car seems cruel.
Of course, you can bet your Amp that nobody's going to be too thrilled about him getting back in a car after another big wreck without a thorough exam.
Let's continue along these lines, shall we?
____________________
Do you think if NASCAR allowed points earned by substitute/fill-in drivers to count towards the championship for the regular driver, it would encourage drivers who have possibly had concussions to be more open getting checked by doctors? If the penalty wasn't as great for coming out of the car for a race or two, I would think it would foster a safer environment for the drivers and their competitors. I realize this isn't ideal for sponsors and us fans, but who really gives a damn about dollars when drivers' safety is the concern.
? Levi Douglas
Music City, TN
I think you're dead-on right here. There's such a powerful disincentive to self-report injuries that it's no wonder no one does. If a quarterback gets a concussion, they don't sit the entire team the next week. The one-race mulligan could be an interesting addition, but I like the idea of not lopping points off just because the driver is out for injury. We've got precedent ? the "drive-till-you-puke" case when you have a sick driver and a replacement ? so why not allow this in very limited, doctor-approved circumstances?
____________________
With Dale Jr. out for two or more weeks, it's highly likely an insurance claim either by "Jr's brand" and/or HMS has been filed, that claim being worth almost equal to a Yahoo! sportswriter's weekly salary. It'll unquestionably increase premiums and knowing that insurance companies are always looking to minimize risk. Do you think they'll strongarm drivers, teams and NASCAR into "revisiting" the safety of plate tracks? Why not start with a traveling medical staff like Indy car has? Or what about slowing them down with an inner loop on the back stretch like the Glen's "bus stop"? Three wide stacked ten deep into the bus stop at 195mph. Now that's "bloodthirsty!"
? Ricky Bobby
Ricky Bobby. He wakes up in the morning and pens excellence. Or at least a good question. The only way NASCAR is going to make changes here is to bow to pressures greater than itself: sponsors and public opinion. The insurance angle is an interesting one; how much more is it going to cost to run these races, from an insurance perspective? The idea of a traveling medical staff is an absolute necessity; there should be enough trained medical personnel at a track to survey every driver in every wreck, no exceptions. It's not being safety-nannies, it's protecting these guys so that they'll be able to race for many more years on end.
Also, they should slow the cars to 45 mph. Just to be safe.
____________________
Can we dispel the myth that Kurt Busch is so talented the he will make a team better just by sitting in the driver's seat? I'm not saying he is not talented, he just doesn't make teams better. Phoenix Racing hired him to improve their finishes. Before hiring Busch they were a mid- to low-twenties owner points team; when he left the team they were a mid- to low-twenties owner points team. Busch's talent is not improving bad teams' it is taking a top flight team to one championship, then in the course of one year using a bad personality to make him not worth the trouble. He and his brother need to find their Darrell Waltrip moment, the realization that all the talent in the world doesn't matter unless you follow it up by being a good person.
? Keith Acquard
Bennington, NY
Well put. Kurt will continue to get chances, and it's continually up to him to prove he can handle all of the demands of modern-day NASCAR, which means putting on a good face for sponsors and fans. He'll continue to have his defenders and his detractors until that moment when he wins a championship, then saves a kitten from getting squished on the track. Hey, it could happen.
____________________
We all know why Regan Smith's engine failed Saturday night. It was an experimental engine that Hendrick wanted to test for reliability. If they didn't tell Dale Jr about the engine swap and the engine failed, that would preserve Dale Jr.'s ego in knowing that he would have been out of the Chase anyways regardless of his decision to step out of the car. I'm sure they had a very good idea that the engine would fail at
some point in the race.
? Mack Wingfield
Well, it makes as much sense as the "NASCAR is biased against [my driver] and that's why they [threw/didn't throw] that yellow flag."
I'm no engineer, but I'm not thinking that the Chase is the best place to start with an experimental engine.
____________________
I've been attending five or six races and camping every year for many years. I am about to drop to one or maybe two because most of the tracks prices are getting totally outrageous and the campsites are now so small we can hardly park our tow vehicles with our RV's.
? Don
Bristol, RI
I feel for you, Don. The cost for a NASCAR weekend now is phenomenal. And there's no easy answer; NASCAR needs to be appealing to the wide base of fans over the local race attendees if it's going to survive, but it can't ignore those local fans. Tracks need to remain inventive and innovative with pricing structures, and everybody needs to go after price-gouging hotel owners with a pointed stick.
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!
It?s no surprise that Jimmie Johnson is tops at Charlotte
Entering last year's Charlotte race, Jimmie Johnson trailed points leader Carl Edwards by four points. He left trailing by 35.
It was the perfect symbol for the end of Johnson's reign. He crashed at a track that he had dominated throughout his career. In his five championship seasons, the lowest Johnson had ever finished at Charlotte was 14th. That was in 2007, and after that race, he was in second, trailing teammate and points leader Jeff Gordon by 68 points ? or roughly 2o points converting to the current point system.
So this current 14 point deficit to Brad Keselowski? Nah, that's nothing. (For all of his success at Charlotte, Johnson has never taken the points lead during the race. In 2006 and 2007, he's entered and left trailing, and in 2008-2010, he was the points leader both before and after.)
Johnson's average finish at Charlotte is the highest of any Chase driver at 11.8, with six wins and 14 top 10s in 22 races. Yes, it's worth noting that since his last win (the 2009 fall race) that Johnson has finished 28th or lower three times in five races. But, it's Jimmie Johnson at Charlotte. After all, the dude did win four straight races there at one time.
Here's how the other Chasers stack up:
Kasey Kahne: Kahne's won the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this season and you can make a case that he's been the series' best on intermediate tracks this season. That bodes well, as four of the final six races are at 1.5 mile tracks. In his career at Charlotte, Kahne has three wins and an average finish of 12.7.
Tony Stewart: Think of how different the storylines would be surrounding Tony Stewart this week if he would have held onto the lead for another 1/3 of a lap. Anyway, Stewart's average finish is 14.0 at Charlotte and his lone win there came in 2003. In last year's race, he had the pole and led 94 laps, finishing 8th.
Matt Kenseth: Here's the man that won last year's Charlotte Chase race and the guy that won Sunday at Talladega, and he clocks in with a 14.2 average finish. Kenseth has 14 top 10s in 26 starts, and is going to need to repeat if he wants to get out of the Chase cellar.
Denny Hamlin: Hamlin's average finish at Charlotte is a nice, round, 15.0 and he's got 7 top 10s in 14 starts. He finished second in the Coca-Cola 600, and unless he finishes behind Johnson or Keselowski, I'm sure second this time would be just fine too.
Gordon: Gordon clocks in with an average finish of 15.7 and 21 top 10s in 39 starts. His last Charlotte win came in 2007. You know what will probably happen on Saturday night? He'll finish fourth... behind Keselowski, Johnson and Hamlin, in that order.
Keselowski: His fifth place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 was Keselowski's first top 10 in six Charlotte starts, and he finished 16th in last year's Bank of America 500. As we've said before, Keselowski is NASCAR's small sample size outlier, so his average finish (16.5), is likely the least indicative of anyone else's.
Greg Biffle: Being in Roush equipment for all of his 19 starts at Charlotte, doesn't it seem that Biffle's average finish would be higher than 17.1 and he would have won a race at the track before? Biffle has 4 top fives and 7 top 10s.
Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has finished outside the top 10 in his last four Charlotte starts, and was 13th in the 600 in May. His average finish is 17.5, and his best run came in 2007's fall race at the track, where he finished second and led 79 laps.
Kevin Harvick: Harvick's only victory at Charlotte came in last year's 600, when he seized the lead on the final lap when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas, the second of his four straight top 10 finishes at Charlotte. And he finished second and eighth in his two rookie Charlotte starts. But in the 17 races between his rookie year and the first of those top 10s, he only grabbed one top 10 finish. His average finish is 18.1.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has 11 top 10s in 26 Charlotte starts, with five top fives and no wins and an 18.8 average finish. He finished sixth in the 600, and 19th in last year's fall race. In between finishing fifth in the 2008 600 and seventh in the 2011 race, Junior's highest Charlotte finish was 22nd.
Martin Truex Jr.: Here's Other Junior, and his stats at Charlotte are slightly worse than Junior in the average finish department at 19.4. He's got two top 10s in 14 Charlotte starts and was 12th earlier in the year at the 600.
Ryan Newman: Newman has nine poles in his career at Charlotte, but the worst average finish of any Chaser at 20.1 Kind of weird, eh? Newman had the pole for both 2007 races, and promptly lost an engine in the 600 and crashed in the 500 for finishes of 39th and 28th. He was 10th in last year's Chase race here.
Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco
Friday
Karthikeyan Worried About F1 Future
HRT driver Narain Karthikeyan has admitted that he may be forced to leave the team ahead of the 2013 season. The Indian racer was confident of keeping his seat, but uncertainties surrounding the future of the outfit look to have harmed his plans,. He confessed to the Times of India newspaper that his upcoming plans [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/GinVNR-O16Y/karthikeyan-worried-about-f1-future
Thursday
The Clint Bowyer parodies have begun
You knew it wouldn't take long for the wizards of the Internet to get the Clint Bowyer dust-up into meme form, and here they come. Above, as referenced on SB Nation, we see an excellent Five-Hour Energy parody; we've seen this doggone commercial enough over the course of the season, so it's nice to get this new angle.
Below, our very own Nick Bromberg has begun his own series of Bowyer photos, on Twitter with the hashtag #ClintBowyerRunningWithThings. Behold, Bowyer vs. Bolt:
Bowyer also shows up chasing the Popemobile, running from the 1979 Daytona 500 fight, and on the beach in Chariots of Fire. Impressive, yes?
More news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Fantasy football advice for Monday night Chiefs-Steelers matchup
? Lance Armstrong's pious, shameless photo
? Video: Mild-mannered Jeff Gordon causes wreck, gets in post-race brawl
? Y! Travel: Vacation ideas that are not for wimps
2012 Charlotte Race Weeks Events Guide
Welcome to TNI’s annual look at things to do in Charlotte during All-Star and Coke 600 weeks. If you?re in town, or on your way, below is a list of things for you to do while you?re here. If you know of an event occurring in town not listed please feel free to add it [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/OTdiprCDtbQ/
Jimmie Johnson wins at Martinsville, seizes points lead from Brad Keselowski
After salvaging an eighth place finish after crashing at Kansas, Jimmie Johnson and team pointed to Sunday's race at Martinsville as their launching pad towards a sixth championship.
They had very good reason to. Johnson's average finish at the half mile paperclip was a striking 5.8, and Brad Keselowski, the man they trailed in the points standings by seven points, finished ninth at Martinsville in the spring, his highest career finish at the track.
And now, Johnson's stats at Martinsville are even better. He took the lead from Keselowski on a restart with 20 laps to go and held off Kyle Busch on a restart with five laps to go to win the TUMS Fast Relief 500 and take the lead from Keselowski by two points with three races remaining in the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Keselowski found himself with significant ground to make up on Johnson as soon as the green flag flew to start the race, as he started 32nd while Johnson started on pole. And throughout the first half of the race, he meticulously worked his way through the field, avoiding trouble and staying on the lead lap, while Johnson ran in the top five for most of the day.
Keselowski had moved his way up to sixth -- his highest running position of the day -- when the caution flag flew on lap 474 of the 500 lap race for Kevin Harvick's engine, he and Paul Wolfe had a decision to make.
[Also: Electrical problems destroy Denny Hamlin's championship hopes]
Johnson and Jeff Gordon, who were running 1-2 at the time, hit pit road, as did the three cars immediately behind them. Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't.
That meant that Keselowski restarted the race at the point, with Johnson immediately on his back bumper. Keselowski cleared Junior before the two reached turn one, but he couldn't shake off Johnson, who dove to the inside on the backstretch on lap 485 to take the lead for the final time.
"I felt like (staying out) was going to be a problem for him," Johnson said. "We've stayed out before and been beat. I expected him to drop a bit further back, so to have a two point margin on him he must have stayed up in the top five somewhere, but you just can't count out good race teams. When you get to the playoffs, it doesn't matter what sport it is, teams step up and show what they're made of and we've seen a lot of teams do it this Chase. Our team came out on top today and a few more races of doing that and we should be in good shape."
[Related: Junior admits concussion was scary]
Keselowski fought valiantly on old tires to the drivers on two tires behind him, and fended off Jeff Gordon on the final lap to finish sixth, exactly where he was when the caution flew for Harvick's engine. But no one was stopping Johnson over the final laps of the race, and as the white flag flew, Busch was only able to close in on Johnson's bumper and unable to prevent him from swiping the points lead from Keselowski.
And as the Cup Series heads to Texas, it's certainly easy to draw conclusions with the five-time champion's name atop the points standings. But this wasn't a case of Keselowski folding to the pressure from a champion, or choking with the win on the line and the chance to extend the points lead. He instead made about the best of what he could in a daunting situation. It's just that Johnson did about the best he could do too.
It's going to be a fun final three weeks.
Related NASCAR video from Yahoo! Sports:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Steelers' throwback uniforms reach new level of horrible
? Surprise trade sends James Harden from OKC to Houston
? Mack Brown blames $300 million TV deal for Texas woes
? GrindTV: Hear first man-made sonic boom
Wednesday
Toyota ProAce Launch In The First Quarter Of 2013
The Japanese automaker Toyota launched during the first quarter of next year in the European market commercialization of its new commercial vehicle ProAce, but the first units will arrive in the second quarter of next year, the company said in a statement. The corporation said that the arrival of this new business will allow you [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/368-toyota-proace-launch-in-the-first-quarter-of-2013.html
Power Rankings: Gearing up for the big finish
The eighth 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. Relentless. You want a statement? Winning two straight races is it. This is a thoroughly impressive Chase from Johnson, who's got the inside line on his sixth championship. Indeed, in almost any other year, it'd be a cakewalk. Except ... Last week: 1.
2. Brad Keselowski. Seven points down after two Johnson victories? That's got to count as success for @Kes. The most important race of his life is coming up this weekend in Phoenix; if he can stay close to Johnson, and perhaps even shave a couple points off the lead, Homestead becomes a fascinating showdown. Last week: 2.
3. Clint Bowyer. Although all the returns aren't yet in, we're calling it: Clint Bowyer and everyone after him has lost the Chase. With that in mind, we'll take these next three weeks to give thumbnail summaries of the Chase drivers' runs. For Bowyer, this Chase has been nothing short of exceptional. He won a race, stayed in the mix until the last couple weeks, and showed he's the elite driver Waltrip hired him to be. Last week: 3.
4. Kasey Kahne. Kahne entered the Chase after a strong summer run, and managed to stay closer to the front than most. He snagged a couple poles and a couple of third-place finishes, but that wasn't quite enough to stay with the lead dogs. Last week: 5.
5. Matt Kenseth. This guy was the reason for the creation of the Chase, and he might be the reason for the reworking of it. He's won twice and yet remains buried in the field. Fair? Depends on if you're a Kenseth fan or not. Last week: 8.
6. Denny Hamlin. Like a driver trying, and failing, to stretch at Michigan, Hamlin has run out of gas. This year isn't as devastating as 2010, but he's one more bad Chase away from getting that full-sized monkey on his back. Last week: 4.
7. Jeff Gordon. He may have used up the last of his mojo trying to get into the Chase, because his awful finish in the first week basically killed any chance he had of winning this. Still, Gordon is still relevant and competitive, and should be back again next year. Last week: 7.
8. Martin Truex Jr. With Bowyer, he's helped lift Michael Waltrip Racing to a position of prominence in NASCAR, and he's with the team for the long haul. This was a critical turning-point year for Truex, and even if he faded from the Chase, he should be a fixture. Last week: 6.
9. Tony Stewart. The 2011 champion was never a factor in the 2012 Chase, and remained uncharacteristically quiet for most of it. His wreck at Talladega may alter the entire sport itself, if concussion concerns take root. Last week: 10.
10. Greg Biffle. The curse of the regular-season leader continues. Biffle complained that he didn't get respect as a championship challenger. We'll be genteel and not point out that, well, champions are made in the Chase. Last week: 9.
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr. His concussion obviously put an end to any hopes he might have had of a championship, but this is a watershed season for Earnhardt: the year he re-established himself as one of NASCAR's preeminent drivers. Last week: 11.
12. Kevin Harvick. Is it 2013 yet? Harvick has to be ready to be done with this misfire of a season, but at least he's got the Chase berth to hold onto. Last week: 12.
Non-Chaser(s) of the Week: The Busch bros. Both finished in the top 10, and that's no small achievement. Kyle is showing that he could have actually done some damage had he figured out how to make the Chase, while Kurt is showing that he can drive the wheels off a car when he doesn't, you know, drive the wheels off the car.
All right, you're up. Who goes where? Have your say.
Related NASCAR news from Yahoo! Sports:
Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell
Brad Keselowski cites Ray Lewis as inspiration
Well, not just any commercial. An EA Sports/Madden 13 commercial featuring an inspirational Ray Lewis. Yes, this is the world we're living in now. Keselowski said on Twitter that he's "watched it 100 times and think about it every chase race." See what you think:
Look, put aside the fact that Ray Lewis has, at the very least, a checkered personal history; the man knows how to motivate. If you're not ready to run through a wall after watching that, you may in fact be asleep. Or worse.
Keselowski's 2012 championship run will end, one way or another, in Miami, which coincidentally enough is where Lewis played his college football. If Lewis does show up on Keselowski's pit box on Sunday, we'd imagine there wouldn't be any drivers trying to pull a Clint Bowyer chase-down on the No. 2.
More news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Fantasy football advice for Monday night Chiefs-Steelers matchup
? Video: Mild-mannered Jeff Gordon causes wreck, gets in post-race brawl
? Viewer's guide to Tuesday's 24-hour college basketball marathon
? Y! Shopping: Ten gadget gifts everyone wants this year
The Benefits of a Hybrid Car
Everyone’s heard of hybrid cars, but not many people take the time to fully realise the benefits. Whether it?s the financial or environmental advantages, or simply considering it as investment for the future, there are a number of advantages that can’t be found on strictly-petrol based vehicles. Hybrid cars also aren’t brand new, either. The [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/338-the-benefits-of-a-hybrid-car.html
Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok
Pirelli: USA ?Biggest Challenge? Of The Season
Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery has confessed that this weekend?s United States Grand Prix will be a ?challenge.? The Texas circuit will be making its debut in F1, presenting a test for all involved. Due to this Pirelli have allocated an extra set of hard tyres to allow everybody to prepare sufficiently: ?Austin is one [...]
Tuesday
Can Keselowski maintain his advantage over Johnson and Hamlin at Martinsville?
Is Martinsville the track that's the best barometer for Brad Keselowski's Chase chances?
Yes, he's the points leader, and no one is doubting the legitimacy of Keselowski's Chase bid. But his two closest pursuers are pretty good at Martinsville.
Scratch that. Really damn good.
Jimmie Johnson is seven points back of Keselowski after drawing even with him at Kansas, damaged race car and all. In 21 Martinsville starts, Johnson has six wins, 14 top fives and 18 top 10s. Yes, he's only finished outside the top 10 three times. His average finish is an astounding 5.8, and he's led over 17 percent of the laps he's completed at Martinsville.
Denny Hamlin isn't far behind Johnson. Hamlin has four wins in 14 starts and has finished in the top 10 in all but two Martinsville races. And he's led over 16 percent of the laps he's completed. Hamlin's average finish is 6.4.
While not in the same stratosphere as Johnson and Hamlin, Keselowski hasn't been too bad at Martinsville in his five starts, with an average finish of 13.4 and two top 10s. Problem is, if the averages hold on Sunday, Johnson would be tied with Keselowski atop the standings.
That's why Sunday may be our best indicator of how the final three races will play out. If Keselowski can keep or maintain his seven point edge over Johnson, he's got the favorite status and the mental boost that comes from stagnating the five-time champion at his favorite track. If Johnson and/or Hamlin can close in or draw even with Keselowski, then we've got no favorite anymore.
Here's a look at how the other Chasers perform at Martinsville.
Jeff Gordon: Four-time is the third best driver at Martinsville, and was in position to either win or finish second to Johnson in the spring until the late race restart and ensuing chaos. Gordon's average finish is 7.1 and he has 31 top 10s in 39 starts.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior's never won at Martinsville but has 14 top 10s in 25 starts and has an average finish of 12.6. How crazy would it be if his first Martinsville win came after sitting out these last two races?
Tony Stewart: This just in: many of the best drivers in the sport are the best drivers at Martinsville. Smoke has three wins in 27 starts and 15 top 10s. His average finish is 13.2, and he won this race last year on the way to the title.
Clint Bowyer: Bowyer's most memorable Martinsville moment may be that aforementioned chaos in the spring, that saw him go spinning along with Gordon and Johnson. In 13 starts, Bowyer has seven top 10s and an average finish of 14.7.
Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has eight top 10s in 25 Martinsville starts, so no, this isn't Flatline's best track, even though you would think with a name like Flatline he would be better on flat tracks. (Bad joke, I know.) His average finish is 16.0.
Kevin Harvick: Cupcake's only Martinsville win came last year in the spring when he ran down and passed Junior for the win. His average finish in 22 Martinsville starts is also 16.0. Random fact: Carl Edwards' average finish is also 16.0.
Martin Truex Jr.: Here's where the separation begins, and Truex heads the list of the three Chasers who have average finishes outside the top 20. In 13 starts, Truex has two top fives and four top 10s. Average finish? 21.4
Kasey Kahne: Kahne's last (and second) top 10 at Martinsville came in the fall of 2006. Seriously. Since then, his best finish was a 14th place one in the fall race of 2010. It hasn't been pretty. His average finish in 19 races is 21.7, though he qualified on the pole for the spring. He ended up finishing that race in 28th because of a blown engine.
Greg Biffle: Bringing up the rear is the Biff, who should go out and win the race just to screw with the averages. His average finish is 21.9 and he has no top fives and two top 10s in 19 Martinsville starts.
Paris Motor Show 2012: Ferrari Produced Letters By 2013
Ferrari did not make too much noise in the Paris Salon; too noisy if we talk about the introduction of new models because, in their future, let new and interesting conclusions about its first hybrid model, developed from the KERS your the F1 car and hit the market in 2013 to replace the Enzo. Together [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/345-paris-motor-show-2012-ferrari-produced-letters-by-2013.html
Monday
Matt Kenseth says Talladega win was a boost for his final six races at Roush
Still in 12th in the Chase points standings after Sunday's win at Talladega, Matt Kenseth's championship hopes are pretty much nonexistent in his final season at Roush Fenway Racing, and Kenseth said Tuesday that the win was integral in helping him feel better about he and the team's split when they officially part ways in six more races.
"Well, it's made me feel a little bit better about certain things," Kenseth said."I mean, it's really important for me to finish this thing off on a high note.�It would just break my heart if the thing was broken when I left.�So I certainly didn't want that."
"And we had a really rough few weeks in The Chase with parts breaking and following off and not getting good finishes and not running good and everybody was getting close to being at each other's throats and things like that.� So it's important for me to try to really try to keep that whole unit as a cohesive front-running championship-contending unit.� So I'm hoping in the next six weeks we can continue this momentum, hoping we can get another win or two and finish as high as we can in the points and end this thing on a high note."
Kenseth was the series' best driver at restrictor plate tracks this season, also winning the Daytona 500 and finishing third twice. Drivers rarely move on to other teams when things are going well, so that's one reason that Kenseth became just the third different Chase driver, along with Tony Stewart in 2008 and Kurt Busch last year, to win a Chase race the season before leaving for a new team. But Kenseth said that once he met with Joe and JD Gibbs, his decision to take over the driving duties of the No. 20 wasn't as difficult as you might have expected.
"When I've talked to Joe and JD and went and saw some of their stuff and spent some time with them, I just really felt like that was the right place for me," Kenseth said. "I felt really comfortable with everything.� I feel really good about their stuff, when you watch how good all their cars perform on the racetrack and how many races they win and all that kind of stuff, I just felt like that was the place for me."
"It really wasn't as hard or I wasn't probably as conflicted as one might think."
Take the F1 Fanatic United States Grand Prix quiz | F1 Fanatic Quiz
Take the F1 Fanatic United States Grand Prix quiz is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
How well do you know this weekend's Grand Prix? Put your knowledge to the test with this new quiz on F1 races in the USA.
Take the F1 Fanatic United States Grand Prix quiz 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/2012/11/12/f1-fanatic-united-states-grand-prix-quiz/
Brad Keselowski takes the points lead at Dover with his second Chase win
On a Sunday at Dover that saw the Joe Gibbs Racing cars of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch lead the first 311 laps only to be usurped by Jimmie Johnson on pit road under caution, Brad Keselowski lurked in the weeds behind them and struck when everyone's fuel supply started dwindling, taking the AAA 400 for his second win of the Chase and seizing the points lead by five over Johnson.
Keselowski emerged from the final set of caution flag pit stops third, ahead of Hamlin and behind Johnson and Busch, but when the field took the green flag after a second caution flag for Matt Kenseth, he immediately radioed his crew that the car was hitting the splitter in the corners. At that point, it was looking like simply a race to stay as close as possible to Johnson, who entered the day with the points lead.
The combination of Keselowski, Wolfe and the Penske engine program has meant some of the best fuel mileage in the Cup Series. The race stayed green until the finish. You can guess what that meant.
Johnson held onto the lead after the restart and maintained his advantage over Busch, who had been almost untouchable since taking the lead from Hamlin after lap 36. Hamlin had snuck by Keselowski for third, but the JGR cars were going to be short on fuel. Keselowski's only competition was going to be Johnson, who was right on the edge of making it to the finish under power.
As the laps ticked down, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus made the decision to back off to save fuel, knowing that the JGR cars couldn't make it to the finish. Busch went by. Hamlin went by. And then Keselowski closed in on his bumper. It was going to be a battle for the race win and the Chase lead.
Keselowski's presence and superior mileage meant that Johnson couldn't be in full conservation anymore. He needed to stay ahead of the Blue Deuce, who could make it to the finish.
Did that force Johnson to push the fuel envelope more than he wanted? After Keselowski snuck by with less than 15 laps to go, Knaus told Johnson, who ended up third behind teammate Jeff Gordon, that he was a lap short on fuel and to back it down even further, allowing Keselowski to pull away and play his own conservation game to ensure that he would have plenty of fuel in the tank at the end and be atop the Sprint Cup points standings.
But Keselowski said after the race that it's still too early to consider he and his team the favorite in the Chase.
"There are seven races to go and it feels great to win, I'm so proud of my team, but I can't state loudly enough how much longer this battle is," Keselowski said. "It's very tempting, whether it's the media or the teams themselves, to get in a comfort zone of saying 'such-and-such has control of this Chase' but there's a reason why it's 10 rounds. And we're not even halfway, we're three rounds in, and by no means do I think we're the favorite. Certainly we're not the underdog probably at this point, but you know, I think there's so much racing to go and so many opportunities for things to go wrong, or right, for anyone out there, that it's way too early to point those fingers and say those things."
Fantasy football on Yahoo! Sports:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Phillies' Ryan Howard done for season after suffering broken toe
? WVU's Geno Smith the most exciting thing in college football
? Rasheed Wallace returning to NBA
? Y! News: Bounties in Pop Warner football?
Earnhardt Childress Racing won?t change name after Earnhardt Ganassi switch to Hendrick power
The partnership between Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and Earnhardt-Childress Racing was easy to understand. Earnhardt-Ganassi was the team that fielded cars for Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya in the Sprint Cup Series, and the engine shop was Earnhardt-Childress Racing, which supplied horsepower for those two cars as well as the teams of Richard Childress Racing.
Pretty straightforward, huh?
[Related: Matt Kenseth could play spoiler in Texas]
On Friday, EGR announced that it would be switching to Hendrick horsepower for the 2013 season. So that meant that the engine shop known as Earnhardt-Childress would disappear since Earnhardt-Ganassi wasn't going to be involved anymore, right?
Earnhardt Childress Racing was formed when Richard Childress Racing merged its engine-building operation with Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Sprint Cup team in 2007. DEI then merged with Chip Ganassi Racing in late 2008, changing the team's name to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.
Because DEI independently remains a partner in Ganassi's Sprint Cup team and in Childress' engine shop, neither entity is changing its name.
On Friday, Childress said that EGR's decision wouldn't have a huge impact on ECR's operations, as the shop will continue to provide engines for his three Sprint Cup teams (and Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series teams), Furniture Row Racing and other race teams.
McMurray and Montoya are in 20th and 22nd in the Sprint Cup points standings, respectively. The highest driver with ECR power is Kevin Harvick in 11th, behind four drivers who have Hendrick horsepower. No ECR car has a race win -- compare that with 12 for Hendrick powered cars.
However, it's important to note that the Hendrick cars also have Hendrick chassis, an almost equally vital part of the mechanical spectrum. Will the simple switch in power plants for EGR lead to better performance, or is the Hendrick secret the total package? We'll find out in 2013.
NASCAR video on Yahoo! Sports
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? N.J. Governor supports NFL's decision to play Steelers-Giants game
? Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke among players eyeing big free agency payoffs
? Kobe Bryant succinct in reply to Lakers critics: Shut up
? Y! News: How to help relief efforts for Sandy | Photos
Sunday
Tony Stewart picks up Bass Pro Shops sponsorship for 18 races in 2013
Bass Pro Shops announced their partnership with Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing on Thursday night and on Friday at Talladega, they revealed the terms of the sponsorship agreement that will see the company on the hood of Stewart's No. 14 car for 18 races in 2013.
Stewart said Friday that the team approached Bass Pro when it became uncertain if Office Depot would return in 2013. Bass Pro sponsored Jamie McMurray in the Earnhardt Ganassi No. 1 car for 18 races in 2012. Office Depot and SHR announced in September that the company wouldn't be returning.
"We worked on it then we went to Johnny (Morris, CEO of Bass Pro Shops) and knew that there might be the possibility that Office Depot might be leaving but at the same time we know that the U.S. Army had already made their decision that they were leaving. We gave him different options," Stewart said. "The one thing about Johnny is he is very loyal. We weren't trying to steal him away from anybody but we just threw it out there that if he ever decided to make a change that we had opportunities now that we really hadn't had in the past to do something. When Office Depot made their announcement then it was very clear that we had an opportunity on our car as well. That is when we went to him and we worked on it I would say all the way pretty much through Richmond until we made a decision."
Morris said that Bass Pro would continue to be involved with Austin and Ty Dillon, and that he hoped to stay associated with McMurray in some capacity.
Mobil 1, currently a co-primary sponsor on Stewart's car, will be back with the team for 11 races, leaving nine races that the team is still in need of primary sponsorship for. Unfortunately, From the Marbles won't be able to be that sponsor. We're still working on our 2013 plans.
"Well it's important that we fill it, but I've got a great partner with Gene Haas," Stewart said. "Obviously he is all in with this program. He is not going to let it not succeed. Haas Automation could fill in if we needed to, but it's our hope that we can find somebody that can carry those last nine races for us and be a good partner with Bass Pro Shops and Mobil 1 and really tie this all together and complete it. We do have Haas Automation as a safety net so to speak if we really needed it. My goal as his business partner is to not have to all back on him and have to utilize his resource that way."
NASCAR video from Yahoo! Sports:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
? Call leaves baseball with a mess on its hands
? Video: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are poised to renew their rivalry
? Geno Smith becomes college football's most powerful weapon
? Y! TV video: Kate Middleton imposter
Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever
Happy Hour: When is a guarantee not a guarantee?
Yeah, we're late this week. Sorry. Anyway, right now in golf there's the Ryder Cup, which I know you probably don't care about but hear me out. It's a team-vs.-team competition. How awesome would that be for NASCAR? Two-on-two battles, head-to-head showdowns? Tell me you wouldn't want to see a 20-lap showdown between Jimmie Johnson/Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin/Kyle Busch. Brad Keselowski vs. Kevin Harvick for all the marbles? Make this happen, NASCAR.
Also, update on our Last Chaser Standing competition: Greg Biffle came in last among eligible Chasers last week, so he joins Jeff Gordon on the virtual sidelines.
All right, your letters:
Seriously, why is the media playing up Denny Hamlin's supposed "called shot" so much? If anything, it was a balk at best. He kept saying in all of his interviews heading into the race, that he didn't mean it as a called shot and only meant it like every other driver that says "we'll go get 'em next week." But then after he won, because the media hyped the false intention of the statement, he plays it up like he really did call the shot with his antics after getting out the car and pointing, then swinging.
Either own it or don't, but don't take credit for it after you retracted your call, Denny.
? Nick J
Los Angeles, CA
OK, look, I'm biased here, but is there ANY chance that both drivers and fans won't default to the tired "it's the media's fault!" every time a storyline doesn't play out exactly the way they want? I thought Hamlin not only did a great thing by guaranteeing a win at Loudon, I thought he shot himself in the foot by backing off of it.
Here's the thing that both athletes and fans are realizing, now that they've got instant access via social media: maybe the media does serve a purpose after all. Denny wasn't misquoted when he guaranteed that win; that was straight from his phone to your eyes. Every time an athlete says something dumb/provocative/misguided on Twitter, the whole "the media twists our words" argument gets that much weaker.
But enough Journalistic Whining. Hamlin should've owned the guarantee from the start. Playing it tentative is what people hate about NASCAR these days; what's the harm in talking big at a track where you know you have success?
____________________
After perusing the new schedule I think it would help NASCAR if a few changes were made. Swap Miami with Vegas. Take the second race at Pocono and Michigan and replace them with North Wilkesboro and Rockingham. Last but not least put that shiny new road course at Kansas in the Chase as their second date. I would love to see all the west coast stuff back-to-back as well for logistical reasons for smaller teams, but some concessions have to made.
? Matt Lightner
The biggest problem with that scenario is that Vegas is owned by SMI and Homestead by ISC, and no way ISC is giving up that plum season-ending date without some serious compensation. Also, the North Wilkesboro and Rockingham tracks aren't really Sprint Cup-ready (sorry, guys). The Kansas road course is a great idea, but for whatever reason NASCAR is against a road course in the Chase. Nice thoughts, though.
____________________
Did I see the headline right: "Kyle Busch annoyed with lack of TV interviews"? Are you kiddin' me? He can't be serious. "I've had a second-place, third-place, fourth-place, fifth-place and sixth-place finish this year with no drama throughout the race and don't get a TV interview." Think about it, Kyle, if you weren't such a butt-head when the TV people did interview you, maybe if you didn't storm off like a kid who just got his favorite toy taken away, maybe if you didn't just give two-word answers to questions ... I'm just sayin'.
? Steve Donovan
Davenport, Iowa
Yeah, that was a bit curious to me too ... to be fair, Kyle has been a lot better in interviews this year, but truth is, he hasn't yet hit that sweet spot of interesting-without-drama; other drivers, like Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, can be engaging even when they've had a bad day. With Kyle, you never know what you're going to get. That's the way it goes, though. There are ways to change that, though, Kyle.
____________________
A NASCAR fan in a "non-NASCAR city" ... that's the story of my life. I'm from Long Island, born and raised. The Island used to have a big racing culture with Islip Speedway and Freeport open as well as the still-operating Riverhead Raceway. But Islip and Freeport are gone. Riverhead is barely surviving. The NY media could care less about racing. If it isn't about Mark Sanchez, Eli Manning, David Wright or Derek Jeter, the NY sports media doesn't want to hear about it.
And that is reflected in the culture here now. All I heard from pre-K through 12th grade was the traditional "how can watch cars go in circles?" If I go to a place like Buffalo Wild Wings, I have to ask at least three times to get the race on one of the TVs. Contrast that with the BWW in Charlotte at the Hall of Fame, racing is always on.
Don't get me wrong, I love Long Island (minus how damn expensive the place is to live). But it's very frustrating being a race fan from NY.
? Rob
Long Island
What, no Tebow? Keep fightin' the good fight, Rob.
____________________
The mile and a half tracks with long green flag runs have gotten really boring. Tires are reliable. Engines are reliable. Cars are tough and hold up under moderate pounding. The winner is the driver that can best get his 800+ hp down to the pavement. It is a chassis tuner's race and less of a driver's race.
How can we make this more of a driver's race? Oval tracks are so 19th century, when cars raced on horse tracks because the roads weren't fit to race on. How about putting wedge and track bar electric adjusters inside the cars for the drivers to adjust ( or maladjust) as conditions change? Maybe even regular competition restarts to liven things up (which are now called competition cautions). There must be some way put more driver skills and
thrills back in front of the fans.
? Ken
Here's what you do: switch the stickers on the cars between qualifying and the race. So Jimmie Johnson might qualify with a rocket and find himself driving a sled. Stephen Leicht might find himself behind the wheel of a winning automobile. Hey, you got a better idea?
____________________
The original Indy 500s went on for 7 or more hours and were an endurance run as well as for flat out speed. Using that as a model, shouldn't someone build a five-mile track and run a 1000-mile race?
? Greg Spahr
Head Coach
Cape Fear Fencing Association
As nice as the idea is in theory, the truth is that if you think the Pocono and Michigan races are too long at 400-500 miles, you're going to loathe one that goes on twice that long. Unless it was a thousand miles in a straight line, Cannonball Run-style. Then I'm all over 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!
The Land Rover Discovery 4 Increases Its Equipment For 2013
While his bombshell, the new Range Rover continues its coming-out in the Paris Motor Show, Land Rover does not forget the lower range model, the Discovery 4. It receives a series of renovations for the 2013 model. These mainly affect restructured its equipment, but there are more colors, tires or technology. The Discovery April 2013 [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/348-the-land-rover-discovery-4-increases-its-equipment-for-2013.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)