Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/smooth_button_masters_f1_great.html
Saturday
Introducing F1?s three new drivers for 2013 | 2013 F1 season
Introducing F1′s three new drivers for 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.
Which of the three new F1 drivers for 2013 was allowed to race in F3 despite being under-age? And whose sponsor's slogan is "The Joy of Welding"? Find out here.
Introducing F1′s three new drivers for 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/2013/01/02/introducing-f1s-drivers-2013/
Furniture Row Continues To Progress
Since coming to the Cup Series in 2005, Furniture Row Racing has grown into its current form gradually. Over the first several years of their existence, poor finishes and DNQs were the norm. But owner Barney Visser stayed the course, and with Regan Smith at the wheel, the team has gained respectability. Their first taste [...] 
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Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati
Friday
Jeep Wrangler CJ300 Matte Pearl Platinum by Kahn Design
Just four days into the New Year, Kahn Design has announced a sweet CJ300 Matte Pearl Platinum Edition based on the Jeep Wrangler.
The exterior kit includes a new front grille, new headlamps, Kahn enamel wing shields, side and rear panels. The tuner is also offering an optional quad exhaust system and a new set of 9-by-20-inch wheels available in smoked black. Also added in are brake calipers finished in copper.
The interior has also received a bespoke touch and features front and rear seats in black leather with orange inserts and carbon-fiber center stripe, a new dashboard center console in body color, speedo and rev counter fascia in orange and gear shifters wrapped in orange.
As usual, the tuner is offering each customer the possibility to express his or her own desire by offering a wide choice of colors and materials for the interior.
The new Jeep Wrangler CJ300 Matte Pearl Platinum by Kahn Design will make its debut on January 10th, 2013 at the annual Auto Sport Show at the N.E.C arena in Birmingham, UK.
Jeep Wrangler CJ300 Matte Pearl Platinum by Kahn Design originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 4 January 2013 12:00 EST.
BMW 3 Series Prepared By AC Schnitzer
We have before us the last work of AC Schnitzer, a renowned German trainer. It has taken its hero the BMW 3 Series and introduced a package composed of both aesthetic and mechanical changes. Come on, a house brand preparation Schnitzer fledged. Aesthetically, this preparation certainly stands by new front and rear spoilers which the [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/351-bmw-3-series-prepared-by-ac-schnitzer.html
JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore
Hopefully you didn?t deal with traffic like this on Black Friday
People are crazy. And there's no better example of that craziness than Black Friday, when many of us line up at ungodly hours of the night (or ungodly days before) to get a bargain.
Heck, there was an intense scene at a Victoria's Secret in Kansas City over yoga pants. Yes. Yoga pants.
Thankfully much of the mob scenes we'll see played throughout the day don't involve people in vehicles. If they did, we'd envision many scenes like in this compilation video of Russian driving, uh, habits.
So sit back, hit play, and be glad you didn't have to deal with a dump truck barreling at you while you reached for that last flat-screen TV at 3 a.m.
(H/T to @VariousPenguins for the link)
Thursday
Sebastian Vettel survives first lap spin, wet Brazilian Grand Prix to win 2012 F1 title
A potentially anti-climactic Formula 1 title race got turned on its head on the first lap on Sunday at the Interlagos Circuit. And for a moment, it looked like Fernando Alonso would be able to complete an incredible comeback.
Alonso entered Sunday's finale 13 points behind Sebastian Vettel for the title. Alonso started seventh, and Vettel fourth. On the first lap of a damp start, Alonso charged up to fourth, while Vettel slid back a bit and found himself three-wide with Bruno Senna to his inside.
Senna and Vettel made contact, destroying the front end of Senna's car and sending Vettel around for a spin. And then Vettel was hit again for good measure. Senna was unable to continue, and it looked like Vettel was going to be forced to retire or, at the very least, limp his way through the next 70-plus laps hoping for Alonso to fail.
There was significant damage to the diffuser on Vettel's left side (which is located in front of the rear wheel), but there was no tire puncture or suspension damage. After Vettel got his car pointed in the right direction and back up to speed, he started working his way back through the field.
Game on.
As the rain continued to fall, teams were forced to put on the intermediate rain tires, though some waited longer than others. The two that lasted the longest on slick tires were Nico Hulkenberg and Jenson Button, who by virtue of not pitting, had a 43-second lead over the rest of the field in the slippery conditions.
Had the race gone caution free, that significant advantage (barring a catastrophe for either driver) meant that Alonso, who ran in fourth, would likely do no better than third. Vettel was just a few positions back, enough to maintain his edge. But the caution flag flew for debris -- yes, those happen in F1 too, though not nearly as often -- erasing the the monster gap. Alonso had his chance.
He moved up to second thanks to a crash in the first turn between Lewis Hamilton, driving his final race for McLaren before moving to Mercedes, and Hulkenberg, but Button, who won the race, was long gone. Alonso needed Vettel to fall back. He didn't.
Vettel and his damaged car finished in sixth, while Alonso maintained second. Vettel won the championship by three points for his third consecutive title.
While the 25-year-old's performance this season wasn't as dominant as his 2011 one where he won 11 times and finished on the podium all but twice, Vettel won five times (including four straight) and finished on the podium 10 times in a 2012 that featured eight different winners.
Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth
Danica Patrick announces her divorce
Tough personal news out of NASCAR Tuesday, as Danica Patrick has announced via her Facebook page that she and Paul Hospenthal, her husband of seven years, will be divorcing.
"I am sad to inform my fans that after seven years, Paul and I have decided to amicably end our marriage," Patrick wrote in a statement. "This isn't easy for either of us, but mutually it has come to this. He has been an important person and friend in my life and that's how we will remain moving forward."
[Photos: Danica Patrick and Paul Hospenthal]
Hospenthal, a physical therapist, was not often present by Patrick's side during pre-race events in the way that many other NASCAR spouses are. The two met while he was treating Patrick for a non-racing injury, and married in 2005.
This year, Patrick was named the most popular driver in NASCAR's Nationwide series, and will begin racing full time in the top-level Sprint Cup series next year for Tony Stewart's Stewart-Haas Racing.
[Related: Looking back at the 2012 NASCAR season]
In 33 Nationwide races this year, Patrick ranked 10th and posted an average finish of 18.8, a year that included four top 10s. In the tougher Sprint Cup series, her average finish over 10 races was 28.3.
-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-
More Danica Patrick coverage from Yahoo! Sports:
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Schumacher: F1 Very Close
Michael Schumacher believes that the level of competition in F1 is much higher than during his title winning era. The German retired at the end of last season, ending a long and successful period in the sport. His second spell behind the wheel with Mercedes was less fruitful than his time at Ferrari, and he [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/PNVu4QJPBsQ/schumacher-f1-very-close
FIA moves German GP to make space for 20th race
The FIA World Motor Sport Council says� that the 2013 German GP will be moved to July 7, one week after the British GP. The change has been made to free up July 21 for what it terms ?another European … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/12/05/fia-moves-german-gp-to-make-space-for-20th-race/
2012 season in the rear view: Kurt Busch
Vitals: 25th in the points standings. 0 wins, 1 top 5, 5 top 10s. 6 DNFs.
Moment to remember: Let's start with the positive, shall we? Busch finished third at Sonoma and was a contender for the win until he suffered a broken trackbar. But yet, he still finished third. It was a testament to Busch's driving ability and why he wasn't rideless for the 2012 season. The dude can wheel a race car.
Moment to forget: What else can we write about Busch that hasn't been written already? Here are the moments that Busch would like you to forget or believe were taken out of context or blown out of proportion in 2012:
-- Being confronted by Ryan Newman's gas can man after the race at Darlington. Newman's crew was mad that Busch smoked his tires through their box after both drivers had gone for a spin late in the race.
-- Threatening a reporter after being asked a question about racing Justin Allgaier in the Nationwide Series race at Dover while being on probation. Busch was subsequently suspended for the next week's race at Pocono.
-- After crashing at Talladega in October, Busch drove away from the accident scene with safety officials near his car and even a bag of equipment atop his car. As he was driving away from the scene, Busch had his helmet off, and said he couldn't hear the calls to stop his car.
-- Nicknaming himself "Outlaw." OK, so Busch wants you to remember that, but it's not in good form to give yourself a nickname, especially if it's going to be "Outlaw." It's best everyone forgets that one.
The wrap: This was supposed to be a redemptive year for Busch, right? One that was supposed to show how he was going to get back to "old school" racing and redeem himself after unceremoniously parting ways with Penske after 2011. Instead, Busch found himself in the spotlight under much the same circumstances in 2012. He moved to Furniture Row Racing for the final six races of the season, and closed out the year with three top 10s after scoring just two in 30 races for Phoenix Racing. Will the honeymoon period extend into 2013, or will Furniture Row and Busch be a good fit for each other?
Wednesday
BMW 3 Series Prepared By AC Schnitzer
We have before us the last work of AC Schnitzer, a renowned German trainer. It has taken its hero the BMW 3 Series and introduced a package composed of both aesthetic and mechanical changes. Come on, a house brand preparation Schnitzer fledged. Aesthetically, this preparation certainly stands by new front and rear spoilers which the [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/351-bmw-3-series-prepared-by-ac-schnitzer.html
Editor's Blog: MotoMatters.com Voted MotoGP Blogger Of The Year In Silverstone Media Awards
MotoMatters.com has won the MotoGP Blogger of the Year awared in Silverstone's annual media awards for the second consecutive year. After more than 3,500 votes had been counted, we were voted best MotoGP blogger for the second year running.
Firstly, we'd like to thank everyone who voted for us. It is a truly humbling experience to have so many people make the effort to show their appreciation with their votes. And thanks to the people who help to make the site what it is: Scott Jones, one of the very, very best photographers in the MotoGP paddock, Jared Earle, who has taken on coverage of World Superbikes and made it far better than I could ever have hoped to on my own, Venancio Luis Nieto for adding so much insight into the Moto2 class, and the other contributors who help to make the site what it is, Andrew Gosling, Ben Davies, Jules Cisek, and Russ, Joe, Dave, Len and many others for help behind the scenes. The encouragement we receive is what keeps us going, through both hard times and good times.
Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok
2012 season in the rear view: Paul Menard
Vitals: 16th in the points standings. 0 wins, 1 top 5, 9 top 10s, 1 DNF.
Moment to remember: Menard's lone top five of the season came at newly repaved Kansas Speedway, where he finished third, the highest finishing Chaser of the race and led six laps. It was crew chief Slugger Labbe's first race back from a suspension after Menard's car was found to have altered framerails after the August Michigan race. In that race, Menard finished 9th.
Moment to forget: With one DNF, it seems pretty easy to pinpoint, right? Well, we won't go with it. That DNF came in the fall race at Talladega, when Menard was caught up in that mass of sheetmetal with almost everyone else on the final lap and finished 28th. That was his second lowest finish of the season.
For the forgettable moments, we'll say both Phoenix races. His worst finish of the season came in the first Phoenix race when he finished 31st and in the second race there he was caught up in that final lap carnage and ended up with Danica Patrick's car on top of his hood for a brief second.
The wrap: Menard's post-race comments after that third place finish at Kansas summed up his season quite nicely.
"This year we've lacked speed overall week?to?week.� Last year we qualified really well, had a lot of good speed, but very inconsistent results." Menard said.
"This year RCR as a whole has kind of lacked speed.� We found some things in the last month or two that's helped us pick up just overall speed. �Then our consistency this year we've had, even though we haven't been as fast, we've been more consistent.� This is just one of the weekends where we put it all together."
When your two lowest finishes on the season are 28th and 31st, you know you're doing pretty well. However, Menard didn't have many of those weekends where his team put it all together, and that's why he was never really considered a true Chase threat despite being mathematically alive up until Richmond.
Tuesday
Bottas Confident Of Success
New Williams driver Valtteri Bottas believes that he can achieve success in his debut season. The Finn will replace Bruno Senna ahead of the 2013 campaign, after impressing as the team?s reserve racer. Despite lacking experience in an F1 car, Bottas feels that he can be a surprise package: “Being successful in the future, that [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/e4V0qUPdS5E/bottas-confident-of-success
2012 season in the rear view: Mark Martin
Vitals: 26th in the points standings. 0 wins, 4 top 5s, 10 top 10s. 5 DNFs. (24 races)
Moment to remember: Sometimes, a driver's moment to remember on the season isn't one to remember because it's a positive one. And for Mark Martin, that's definitely the case.
Martin qualified on the pole at Michigan (one of four he scored all season) and was the class of the field. However, while leading what would have been his 55th lap of the day on the 65th lap of the race, Martin lost control of his car off of turn four and went skidding through the infield grass.
What happened next was one of the most replayed moments of the season. Martin's car barreled towards the edge of an opening from the garage to pit road and his car was impaled by the end of one of the walls at the opening just in front of the left rear tire.
It was a point of impact that could have had far more severe consequences if Martin had hit a few feet closer to the front of the car. Will it lead to new designs in the openings on pit road walls? We'll see.
Moment to forget: Martin suffered three engine failures in a span of seven races in the spring and early summer. All of those were at intermediate tracks.
The wrap: Even with those engine failures and the two accidents that put him out of races five times, his average finish was 15.2. One problem... his average start was 9.2. All too often was Martin a factor at the beginning of the race, only to fade to Bolivian at the end. He's back for a similar schedule again in 2013, and if another year with Rodney Childers and the rest of the No. 55 crew can help fix the propensity to fade in the latter stages of races, watch out victory lane.
2012 season in the rear view: Juan Pablo Montoya
Vitals: 22nd in the points standings. 0 wins, 0 top 5s, 2 top 10s. 5 DNFs.
Moment to remember: Oh, gee, what could it be?
Even if Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2012 Sprint Cup Series title, nothing was going to top the jet dryer incident at Daytona in February. Nothing. And Montoya obviously didn't win the championship, so nothing was really a close second either.
So when it comes to performance on the box score (the blaze was performance art at its finest), the highlight of Montoya's season are the back-to-back poles that he scored at Pocono at Watkins Glen in August. But, as Montoya's 2012 tended to go, they lead us directly into the next section.
Moment to forget: Those two poles could have been a great launching point for Montoya to grab a win, jump into the top 20 and suddenly be in the discussion for a Chase wild card berth over the final three races of the regular season. But instead, Montoya finished 20th at Pocono and then 33rd at Watkins Glen after issues with his left front tire. And it wasn't like Montoya was at the front for very long in each of those races. He led a combined eight laps.
The wrap: Chip Ganassi made some personnel switches at Earnhardt Ganassi before the season, including putting Chris Heroy atop Montoya's pit box for the season, and hinted that there could be more on the way if the team's performance didn't pick up. And it didn't. Teammate Jamie McMurray was just one spot ahead of Montoya in the standings.
The team announced that it would field Hendrick engines next year, switching from Earnhardt-Childress Racing engines. Will the powerplant swap be a catalyst for an uptick in performance in 2013? Or is there more to Earnhardt-Ganassi's struggles?
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We Lost A Big Hat on Sunday
Jimmie Johnson won the race on Sunday and edged a little closer to the points lead, but I think the bigger story was something that happened off the track. After 30 years on pit road, reporter Dr. Dick Berggren retired, making Dover his last race. Berggren, like so many broadcasting greats who came before him [...] 
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Monday
2012 season in the rear view: Marcos Ambrose
Vitals: 18th in the points standings. 1 win, 3 top 5s, 8 top 10s. 4 DNFs.
Moment to remember: Hey, we have a winner! Being the lowest ranked winner in the points standings isn't much of an honor, but Marcos Ambrose's win was sure fun to watch. Let's watch it again.
That win was followed by two top five finishes, suddenly making Ambrose a legitimate Chase contender as the Sprint Cup marched towards the final race before the Chase at Richmond.
Moment to forget: And then things started sputtering from there. In the 12 races since his fifth place finish at Bristol, Ambrose's highest finish was a 12th place at Kansas Speedway. In that stretch, Ambrose had three crew chiefs (Todd Parrott, Mike Ford and Drew Blickensderfer) and finished outside the top 20 six times, including crashing at Talladega and then at Texas after losing a tire.
The wrap: After Richmond, Ambrose was 15th in the points standings, but was 17th after Chicago and then settled into 18th. He showed enough flashes at non road courses to stay inside the top 20 for the final 26 races, but was only a true threat to win at Watkins Glen.
Eight Late Gifts For A Motorcycle Racing Fan
With just one more day to go until Christmas, time is running out to find the perfect gift for the motorcycle racing fan in your life. Fortunately, there are still a few options left open to you. Some, you will be able to present to your loved one on the day itself, others may not arrive in time for Christmas, but you can be certain they will be a massive success for the diehard motorcycle racing fan. Below are eight options for when the shops are shut:
Motocourse Annual
The annual is available at Amazon and other sellers, but anyone buying the book directly from the Motocourse website will also receive a bonus worth the purchase price alone: access to Motocourse's online archive of historic editions, currently featuring the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 2010. The online archive is also available as a separate digitial subscription, giving access to the same historic editions.
Price: GBP 35 for the 2012 Motocourse Annual, GBP 25 for the online subscription.
More information: The Motocourse website
F1 WAG: Gabriela Tarkanyi
Some may have questioned Pastor Maldonado’s ability on the track this season, but�judging�by the lovely�Gabriela Tarkanyi, few can argue aginst his prowess with the opposite sex. We think the Williams man has bagged himself a beauty in the shape of Gabriela, but we’ll let you decide for yourself by viewing out image gallery CLICK HERE [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/e1LoRIKk-Ys/f1-wag-gabriela-tarkanyi
Sunday
The 2013 Schedule? On Double Headers, Balance and ABC
The 2013 Indycar schedule came out on Sunday and fans have shown equals parts joy, hate and total indifference. I am positive you readers have had about enough of the scheduling talk, but I?ve got a few things to say … Continue reading 
2012 season in the rear view: David Ragan
The vitals: 28th in points. 0 wins, 1 top 5, 2 top 10s. 5 DNFs.
Moment to remember: Yeah, many people think that restrictor plate racing is a crapshoot, but given the team's performances, it seems pretty safe to say that plate racing has become Front Row Motorsports' strength. Much like his teammate first-name brother, David Ragan's best two efforts of the season came at Talladega, where he finished seventh in the spring and fourth in the fall. That fourth place finish came when somehow, some way, Ragan escaped from that final lap melee, battered race car and all, despite being the fourth car on the high line and in the thick of the accident.
And he also ran that awesome Where's Waldo car at Bristol.
Moment to forget: Much like the restrictor plate racing karma giveths, it also takes away. Maybe it was the deposit for the withdrawal that Ragan was to make at the final restrictor plate race of the season, but he was caught up in the crash on lap two of the Daytona 500 that ended the chances of Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and others. Ragan finished 43rd.
The wrap: A year after scoring his first career win and eight top tens for Roush Fenway Racing, Ragan found himself out of a ride when sponsor UPS scaled back its NASCAR commitment and Jack Roush then went to three teams. Without many options, Ragan stayed in the Ford camp at Front Row, and ended up with an average finish in 2012 that was eight places lower than 2011 and completed the fewest laps of his Cup career.
New Beetle Cabrio Novelty For The Hall Los Angeles 2012
The new Beetle Cabrio reach the European market in spring 2013, and follows the Beetle Cabrio 1949 New Beetle and 2002. And while it is always said that third parties were never good, this third generation of the Volkswagen New Beetle hit the market and stomping fun driving this convertible vehicle insured for four people. [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/359-new-beetle-cabrio-novelty-for-the-hall-los-angeles-2012.html
Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mбrio de Araъjo Cabral Frank Armi
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