Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2013/01/panther-drr-announces-sponsor.html
Saturday
Sutil: I?ve Done All I Can
Adrian Sutil feels that he has done all he can to make a return to F1. The German driver featured for Force India at testing in Barcelona, as the team look to make a decision between their former racer and rookie Jules Bianchi. Sutil is confident that he did a good job, and says there [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/xp6Hn6xUxY0/sutil-ive-done-all-i-can
Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati
Friday
Eric Boullier: ?We know the car works well?
Lotus team principal Eric Boullier says that he was encouraged by the form of the new E21 on its first outing at Jerez last week. Lotus drivers Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen topped the times on the second and fourth … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/02/12/eric-boullier-we-know-the-car-works-well/
Kyle Busch wins second Budweiser Duel in caution-free fashion
Kyle Busch capitalized on a Jeff Gordon pit road speeding penalty to capture the second Budweiser Duel qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500.
Gordon started on the pole for the race by virtue of qualifying second during last weekend's pole qualifying session and kept Busch, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth and others at bay until the race's first set of pit stops.
As Gordon led the field onto pit road, he was penalized for speeding entering pit road in sections four and five of the race. It was a penalty that puzzled Gordon, who said he was under his prescribed tachometer reading while he drove to his pit at the far end of pit lane.
[Related: New Daytona 500 favorite emerges after Duel 1]
"We've got a major problem with the tach then, I was way under," Gordon radioed to his team after he was informed of the penalty, which put him a half a lap behind.
That handed the lead to Busch, whose team had audibled as he entered his pit stall. Instead of taking two tires as they had planned, crew chief Dave Rogers made the decision to take fuel only, and it put Busch at the head of the pack, a position he held for all but one lap the rest of the way. He'll start fourth in Sunday's Daytona 500.
On the final lap, Kahne was able to get around Kenseth on the backstretch for second, but didn't have enough time or momentum to make a move on Busch before the checkered flag. Much like the first duel race, this race was dominated by cars on the outside line of the banking. But unlike the first race, which saw a late caution bunch up the field and provide a flurry of multi-lane racing to the finish, this race never got one.
[Related: Danica Patrick flying high personally and professionally]
And that caution flag would have been Gordon's only hope of getting back within sniffing distance of the lead. The race's only moment that could have been caution-worthy happened just before Gordon's speeding penalty. As he was entering the pits behind Gordon and others, Ryan Newman's car wheel hopped under braking, and he spun towards the outside wall at the entrance to the tri-oval. But because the field was spread out due to the green flag pit stops and he was able to continue on his own, it didn't fly.
Gordon finished 12th.
Mike Bliss, who had to serve a black-flag penalty early in the race because his window net fell down, finished 22nd and joined Brian Keselowski as the only two drivers to miss the Daytona 500.
The full Daytona 500 lineup:
1. Danica Patrick
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Kyle Busch
5. Greg Biffle
6. Kasey Kahne
7. Juan Pablo Montoya
8. Austin Dillon
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Clint Bowyer
11. Kurt Busch
12. Matt Kenseth
13. Tony Stewart
14. Mark Martin
15. Brad Keselowski
16. Paul Menard
17. Casey Mears
18. Jeff Burton
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
20. Jamie McMurray
21. Joey Logano
22. David Ragan
23. Bobby Labonte
24. Marcos Ambrose
25. David Gilliland
26. Aric Almirola
27. Joe Nemechek
28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
29. Michael Waltrip
30. Dave Blaney
31. Scott Speed
32. Josh Wise
33. Trevor Bayne
34. Ryan Newman
35. Denny Hamlin
36. Carl Edwards
37. Martin Truex Jr.
38. Michael McDowell
39. Terry Labonte
40. Regan Smith
41. JJ Yeley
42. David Reutimann
43. Travis Kvapil
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Thursday
Saved From Destruction: Historic Racing Photographs, circa ?60s-?80s
Hello and welcome back, again! Long time readers of this blog know that I am quite the racing history junkie and today we will indulge ourselves with some lost photos. I have a friend who recovered these pictures from a … Continue reading 
Ross Brawn: ?Lewis is part of the solution?
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn says he?s happy with the way Lewis Hamilton is settling into the team, despite the inevitable disruptions caused by the problems the W04 encountered at Jerez this week. After a shaky start Nico Rosberg ran … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/02/08/ross-brawn-lewis-is-part-of-the-solution/
Landon Cassill not returning to BK Racing in 2013
Landon Cassill won't be returning to BK Racing in 2013. Last season, Cassill drove for the team full-time -- his first full season in the Sprint Cup Series -- and finished 31st in the points standings.
"We couldn't work it out," Cassill told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. "It's unfortunate because it's so late in the game. I had planned on being on BK Racing all through the offseason and hadn't explored any other opportunities. It just didn't work out."
Cassill declined to go into specifics about why he felt it was best to separate from the team at such a late date. As recently as Friday, Cassill was working on his helmet and talking to the team about firesuits; by Monday, he felt a change was necessary.
Before coming to BK Racing, Cassill drove for Phoenix Racing in 32 races in 2011. The 23 year old driver got his start in the Nationwide Series in 2007 driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and first moved to the Cup Series in 2010 driving for multiple start-and-park teams. Cassill's highest finish of the season last year was 18th (twice).
BK Racing started last season after purchasing the assets of the now-defunct Red Bull Racing team after the 2011 season. Travis Kvapil, who also drove for the team last season, tested for the team at Daytona, and will be in the No. 93 car again in 2013.
Cassill acknowledged to USA Today that the decision to leave BK wasn't the best scenario for his short term future but that it was the right decision for his career. There aren't any opening among teams planning (at the moment) to run the entire Sprint Cup schedule, so Cassill may be looking at a start-and-park ride or partial schedule if he elects to stay in the Cup Series. But since he's only 23, an opportunity (if it arises) to run in the Camping World Truck or Nationwide Series in good equipment may be the best thing for his career.
Jack Brabham† Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla
Jeremy Mayfield calls in to radio show to talk to Brian France
OK, we'll do it quickly, promise. Mayfield is still indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for failing a drug test in 2009. Since then, he's been involved in a number of legal battles outside of his one with NASCAR including an incident involving his dogs and a postal worker and, most recently, is facing multiple felony charges including possession of methamphetamine and stolen goods.
Anyway, NASCAR CEO Brian France was a guest on Motor Racing Network's NASCAR Live on Tuesday night and Mayfield called in. And Mayfield was put through on-air to France.
We know what's going through your head right now; you likely have visions of an epic radio disaster. But believe it or not, it was civil -- no one was called a whore.
You can click here to listen to the clip. We've transcribed it below.
Mayfield, after host Eli Gold (also the radio voice of Alabama football) introduces him to the show: Hey thank you. I thought I was going to call in and see how you guys were doing and Brian, Eli, I haven't been around much and got to talk to you guys lately and just want to ask Brian if he's willing to accept the fact that I'd like to come back racing. And if we can sit down and talk about it and figure out what we need to do to make that work.
France: Well, Jeremy, you know the path back for you, it's the path back for anybody and, you know, I've always hoped that you would choose the right path and not litigation and bunch of other things, but that's up to you and we -- you know you have a welcome, you know, mat out any time you want and that's, you know there's a standard process that, you know, AJ Allmendinger just went through and welcomed him back and it's terrific. That's up to you.
Mayfield: OK, well I appreciate that. I didn't mean to bother you on the show but that was the only way I could get ahold of you and I figured it'd be a great opportunity to do that. And you guys have a good night and I appreciate it (inaudible)
According to MRN producer Tony Rizzuti, France agreed to take Mayfield's call on air. To Mayfield's credit, he kept the discussion respectful. And while you may come away from the call thinking that Mayfield is ready and willing to complete NASCAR's Road to Recovery program, he first has to worry about those felony charges in court on January 14 and February 18, plea deal or no plea deal.
Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels
Wednesday
2013 Preseason Preview: No. 11 Greg Biffle
As we count down to the 2013 Daytona 500, we're also counting down how we think the Chase will play out this season as predicted by Nick Bromberg, Jay Busbee, Jay Hart and Geoffrey Miller. So sit back, relax, and watch the 2013 Chase unfold before your very eyes. Though you should be warned, we picked Carl Edwards to win last year.
2012 Finish: 5th. Two wins (Texas and Michigan)
2013 Predictions:
Bromberg: 10th
Busbee: 9th
Hart: 12th
Miller: 7th
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia
When we last saw Biffle: He was proclaiming his Chase contention after winning at Michigan in August. It wasn't an outlandish claim; Biffle had just recorded his second victory of the year and had inherited the points lead, which he kept until the points reset for the Chase. But after starting the Chase in fifth, finishes of 13th, 18th and 16th in the first three races knocked him back to 11th and out of the title hunt.
Big Question for 2013: The first time that Biffle was a Sprint Cup Series points leader was in 2005, when he held the lead for a race after Sonoma. That year, he finished second. Last year was the second time, and he led twice for a total of 14 races. In the two years after 2005, Biffle finished 13th and 14th. By no means does that mean that Biffle will immediately fall out of the Chase this year, but a big part of his 2012 success hinged upon his ability to stay on the lead lap and avoid a single DNF. Some natural regression is to be expected, but how much will it be?
Track most likely to win at: An intermediate track. 11 of Biffle's 18 career wins have come at tracks 1.5 or 2 miles in length, and if we extend the category to Darlington, it jumps to 13. If you're playing fantasy NASCAR this year, you know where to utilize The Biff.
Track most likely to require a miracle to win at: Martinsville. In 20 starts, Biffle has three top 10s: a seventh and two tenth place finishes.
How Biffle could win the Chase: Simply put, it's by taking the first 26 races of last year and extending the run of good form another 10 races. The first time Biffle had finished outside the top 10 for three consecutive races was in the first three Chase races. Had he avoided that, he would have been in the championship conversation at the end of the year.
How Biffle couldn't: The luck of 2011 strikes again and that regression that we talked about earlier is large. That year, Biffle was fast, but had just three top fives and 10 top 10s to show for it thanks to, among other things, a fuel can that didn't engage fully at Las Vegas and pit road miscues and a kiss of the wall at Charlotte.
A Haiku:
The Biff. He's real fast.
Is he fast enough to win?
Or will he be slow?
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Gerhard Berger Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia
Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Following the updates offered for the Continental GT and the Continental GTC models, Bentley is also offering an update for its Flying Spur model. Just like with the other models, the Flying Spur will receive both exterior and interior changes, while the engine only received some minor upgrades.
Just like with the other two Continental models, the Flying Spur will receive a tricked out exterior with a more aggressive front fascia, a vented hood, and new headlights. For the rear, the luxury full-size vehicle will get a new trunk-mounted spoiler, slimmer taillights, and a revised exhaust system. The interior will feature even more luxury, thanks to the addition of higher-quality materials and improved technologies.
The new Flying Spur will be about 110 pounds lighter than the previous model, and, according to Bentley it offers no less than 600 new parts.
Updated 02/20/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the new Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
Bentley Continental Flying Spur originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/bentley/2014-bentley-continental-flying-spur-ar122218.html
Getting a Sprint Cup championship was hard; holding onto it could be even harder
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 2012 Sprint Cup championship was decided 89 days ago about 290 miles south of here, but for Jimmie Johnson, the battle to get into Brad Keselowski's head rolls on. Getting to the top is hard enough, Johnson suggested; staying there could be even harder.
"Once you are a champion, at any point following that when you don?t run like you should for a period of time, the questions will come," he said. "That is when any driver and team is tested. It just depends on when that moment in time is. Brad and (crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) are both very strong together. I don?t see it affecting them and preventing them from succeeding, but they will be reminded often that you have to go out there and earn each and every week. It?s not a layup."
[Also: Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch crash just minutes into Sprint Unlimited practice]
Easy enough. Some typical mind-games talk. But then Johnson turned up the heat: "Watching him on Sports Center following the race trying to drink a beer was not sure the best thing for our sport and how he handled that," he laughed. "But honestly, he and Paul (Wolfe, crew chief) did an amazing job ... What I was laughing about is Brad, as mature as he wants to portray himself as, he had some growing to do. Now he is in the spotlight as the champion, and I think we all sit back and chuckle at times at some of the things he says and does. He is a great guy. He has the best of intentions for our sport; for his sponsor; for his team. He just needs to mature a little. I'm sure people can look back on my '06 year and have plenty of things to point fingers at."
Keselowski laughed at the idea that he might be a little less than serious. ?There's nothing wrong with a little style, is there? Everyone likes a little style," he said. "I feel like I have a little style. I'm wearing white shoes. Who else wears white shoes? Dario [Franchitti], right??
White shoes or not, Keselowski knows exactly the kind of NASCAR symbol he wants to be. "I am going to be my own person and look out for what is best for the sport," he said. "I have always felt that way, whether I was a champion or not. I feel like every driver has a responsibility to make the sport better and all it can be. I might have a louder voice now, but I took it seriously before I was a champion."
-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-
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Tuesday
Fernando Alonso: ?The car is on another planet??
Fernando Alonso professed himself happy with the Ferrari F138 after trying it for the first time in Barcelona today, noting that it was a much better starting point than last year. Alonso, who focussed on data gathering and tyre work … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/02/19/fernando-alonso-the-car-is-on-another-planet/
Rolls-Royce Wants New Engines and Even a SUV for 2017
Maybe and especially thanks to the huge increase in sales lately getting Rolls-Royce BMW allows pressure to let them develop a little more freely. Because of this we learned that the leaders of the English company have in mind not only offer high luxury SUV, but extend the range of their vehicle engines not always [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/423-rolls-royce-wants-new-engines-and-even-a-suv-for-2017.html
Williams shows the FW35 in Barcelona
Williams became the last team to unveil its 2013 car when it rolled the FW35 out onto the Barcelona pit lane this morning. The team opted to spend two extra weeks on R&D and devote the first Jerez test to … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/02/19/williams-shows-the-fw35-in-barcelona/
Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy Colin Chapman
SP-Engineering gets a Nissan Juke R 1.000 horses to the wheels
By now we all know the peculiarities of the Nissan Juke R , a car that Nissan will market finally a disproportionate price in a limited edition only available for a few millionaires. It was hoped that, with a machine like this on the market, some other coach would be challenged to go a little [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/397-sp-engineering-gets-a-nissan-juke-r-1-000-horses-to-the-wheels.html
Piero Carini Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto
Monday
Cuba
Right, I’m back in action again and suitably relaxed after a pleasant sojourn in Cuba. Before I get back to F1, I’d like to write a little about that. It is not such a famous place for motor sport (which was one reason why it was chosen for the visit), but one can imagine that [...]
Kevin Harvick says fatherhood hasn?t dulled his edge on the track
On Thursday at Media Day, Kevin Harvick, a father since July, shared some of his perspective on how fatherhood has ? and, for racing purposes, hasn't ? changed him.
"I think having my son has really helped keep a new balance on life that you didn't really understand until you had a child," he said. "For me, I become so emotional and so attached to what happens on the racetrack, if it's going good, if it's going bad. Now you have this way of coming home and letting all those things go for two or three days, then you come back to the track and you hadn't thought about it all week and you're really focused at being at the racetrack."
[Also: Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch crash just minutes into Sprint Unlimited practice]
But when something new comes into an already-full life, something else has to go. For Harvick, the decision to shutter his truck team at the end of the 2011 season was a necessary move. "Couldn't be dad, team owner and driver on Sunday and be successful, probably at any of them," he said. "We had to eliminate one. That new balance adds to your life, lets you be more focused and hopefully more competitive on the weekends."
2012 was a disappointment for Harvick; while he made the Chase, he never got out of the lower-top-10 range, and his lone win came in the season's penultimate race in Phoenix. He's a lame duck this year at Richard Childress Racing as he prepares to move to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.
The odds on lame-duck drivers having success aren't good; everyone's got an eye on next year. But if Harvick does fall short this season, at least he won't be blaming his kid. That's good news.
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Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert
Sunday
Regan Smith and AJ Allmendinger likely to split full season for Phoenix Racing
Regan Smith will drive Phoenix Racing?s No. 51 for the Daytona 500 and will likely split the ride with AJ Allmendinger in 2013 according to Phoenix general manager Steve Barkdoll.
Both Smith and Allmendinger drove for the team at the end of 2012 after Kurt Busch left to start his sting with Furniture Row Racing before the end of the season. Smith was scheduled to finish out the season, but was called up to drive at Charlotte and Kansas for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Allmendinger was called in as his replacement and drove four races for the team while Smith drove two.
?It will be more than likely AJ at Phoenix and the next handful of races,? Barkdoll said. ?Regan, with his concentration on the Nationwide deal, he?s going to pick and choose the ones that he wants. ? I talked to AJ yesterday and he doesn?t have anything going right now and he did us a really good job.
Allmendinger had said the same publicly over the weekend at the Roar Before the 24 Grand-Am test. It?s a great opportunity for the driver who was suspended before the July Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona after testing positive for amphetamine.
Smith is running full-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports and will be unable to accumulate driver points in the Sprint Cup Series (though the team will still get owner?s points). Smith is the driver that Busch replaced at Furniture Row after last fall?s Talladega race.
The team is also looking to keep its association with Busch and wants to compete in the three Nationwide Series restrictor plate races with him, Barkdoll said. Busch won the July Daytona Nationwide Series race driving for Phoenix.
The team finished 27th in the owner?s standings in 2012. It?s highest finish came at Sonoma with Busch behind the wheel. He finished third.
2012 season in the rear view: Clint Bowyer
Vitals: 2nd in the points standings. 3 wins, 10 top 5s, 13 top 10s. 4 DNFs.
Moment to remember: Clint Bowyer's first season at Michael Waltrip Racing netted him his first road course victory and (surprisingly) his first victory at a 1.5 mile track in the Sprint Cup Series.
In June at Sonoma, Bowyer started sixth and was damn good, leading 71 of the race's 110 laps. He had Kurt Busch alongside him and Tony Stewart behind him when a caution to bring out a green, white, checkered restart flew, but easily pulled away from Stewart and Busch over the final two laps for the win.
In the fall race at Charlotte, Bowyer took the lead on lap 310 from Greg Biffle and made it to the end on fuel for the win. The victory moved Bowyer to within 28 points of leader Brad Keselowski with five races to go.
Moment to forget: This is only here because of the impact it had on Bowyer's Chase chances, because this sure as hell isn't a forgettable moment.
After Bowyer and Jeff Gordon made contact racing for position, Gordon took matters into his own hands (car? fender?) and took out Bowyer. And then that led to one of the greatest garage sprints in NASCAR history.
Bowyer left Phoenix 52 points behind Brad Keselowski, mathematically out of championship contention.
The impact of Gordon's retaliation to Bowyer's championship hopes was an afterthought to the chaos that had occurred. But when Jimmie Johnson had his issue at Homestead, that allowed Bowyer to slip into second place behind Keselowski.
Bowyer was running in the top 10 at the time of his contact with Gordon, and by virtue of his 28th place finish, likely lost about 20 points. His chances going into Homestead would have been slim, and he wouldn't have caught Keselowski regardless, but Bowyer would have been at the championship press conference and in the discussion. Instead, while he was storyline 1A at Homestead thanks to the conflict, his championship hopes were an afterthought.
The wrap: Speaking of afterthoughts, when we look back on the 2012 season in five or 10 years, will people instinctively think that Johnson finished second to Keselowski? That's not discounting anything that Bowyer did -- what he accomplished with a new team and the improvement that Michael Waltrip Racing made is one of the best stories of the year.
It's just that the championship battle moments, the duel at Texas, the comeback at Kansas, the turning point at Phoenix, all involved Keselowski and Johnson. Yeah, even the most casual fans of NASCAR will remember Bowyer for what happened at Phoenix, but hopefully they'll remember that he finished second too.
A brief respite
It may seem like an odd time to be doing this, but there is never much time off for the F1 journalists of the world. However there are also times in life when one needs to make time, so I am taking the next 10 days off in order to go on honeymoon. I will [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/a-brief-respite-2/
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