Press releases from the World Superbike and World Supersport teams after the first day of practice at Monza:
Round Number:
4 Year:
2013 
Saturday
Ninth a ?great result? ? Perez | 2013 Spanish Grand Prix
Sergio Perez said he got the most he could out of the MP4-28 to qualify ninth of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/05/11/ninth-great-result-perez/
Colin Chapman Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg
Vettel: Room For Improvement
Sebastian Vettel believes that there is still plenty of room for improvement, both for himself and the Red Bull team. The German is the only double winner of the season so far, securing maximum points in Bahrain and Malaysia, albeit controversially. But, he believes that there is still work to be done if he is [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/9Cwizec57-g/vettel-room-for-improvement
Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain
Michael Waltrip Racing car numbers to be on racing bib in honor of Boston Marathon victims
This is a pretty cool gesture from the Michael Waltrip Racing teams to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon explosions at Kansas. The numbers on the side of the cars of Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin will be emblazoned on a replica Boston Marathon Racing bib.
Team owner Waltrip ran the event in 2000.
?The news coming out of Boston this week was very personal to me,? Waltrip said in a statement. ?When I ran the Boston Marathon in 2000, I remember thinking about what a privilege it was to be able to participate and all the hard work it took to be there. When you can see those international flags flying in Copley Square, you know you are about to complete your journey. I know the joy those runners were feeling at that moment when their worlds changed."
In addition, Roush Fenway Racing, of which 50 percent is owned by the Fenway Sports Group, will run a decal with the Boston Red Sox logo and the word "strong" below it on each of its cars.
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Friday
Kyle Busch starts early Talladega wreck that claims 13 cars, including Kahne, Harvick, Biffle
TALLADEGA, Ala. - Some of the world's greatest drivers are circling at Talladega. And to the high banks of the superspeedway, that doesn't matter one bit. The track can force even the best among them into mistakes like they were rookies.
In turn 1 of lap 44 of the Aaron's 499, Kyle Busch made an ill-advised move to try to get around Kasey Kahne. The resulting spiral of carnage took out 13 cars, including nine of the top 14. Involved in the accident were Kevin Harvick, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, and many others.
"I don't really know what happened," Busch said afterward. "I know I got in the back of the 5 and I guess I was trying to go to the outside of him, but he just moved up in front of me and I wasn't expecting it. I tried to got o the outside of him and before I could get to the outside of him, I got in the back of him."
"Felt the No. 18 pushing me and next thing I know I was spinning," Kahne said. "You just can?t push with these cars. We learned that at Daytona, he was pushing me and spun me in the wall and then happened again, so that is what it is."
The crews of Busch, Vickers, Biffle and Kahne worked furiously to get their cars back into shape for the rest of the race. Harvick and Stewart were able to return to the track immediately, though both with significant impact to their performance.
Of note: Vickers took over the No. 11 just minutes before the wreck, substituting for Denny Hamlin. This was Hamlin's first race after four weeks out because of a back injury, and a vicious wreck that collected him was the absolute worst-case scenario. Hamlin may be the only one in the entire wreck feeling fortunate.
"I just hate that I caused a hell of a melee for everybody," Busch said. "I hate that. A lot of cars got torn up, and it's way too early in the race to be doing any of those sorts of moves, whether he made it or I made it."
-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-
Ferrari on top in rain-hit first practice session | 2013 Spanish Grand Prix first practice
Fernando Alonso headed a Ferrari one-two in a rain-hit first practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/05/10/ferrari-top-rainhit-practice-session/
Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca
Thursday
MIT officer killed was brother of Hendrick Motorsports employee
"The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports are with Andrew Collier and his family," the team said in a statement. "Andrew, a machinist in the Hendrick Motorsports engine department, tragically lost his brother, Officer Sean Collier, last night in Cambridge, Mass. We ask that the family?s privacy be considered during this difficult time."
"A very sad time, my thoughts and prayers are with the family, and I certainly know it's the same throughout Hendrick Motorsports," Jimmie Johnson said. "We're one big family and it's sad and unfortunate to see a fellow teammate and his family have such a tough time."
Collier, 26, responded to a disturbance on the MIT campus on Thursday evening. He was found shot in his vehicle when other officers responded to the scene after gunfire was reported.
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Power Rankings: Another race, another week of Five-Time
It's time for Power Rankings! After every race, we'll opine about who we think is at the top of the Sprint Cup heap and how and why they got there. Remember, this isn't scientific, as our formula is the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver. So let's get on with it, shall we?
8
Dropped Out: Greg Biffle, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon
Lucky Dog: Jeff Gordon. Finished 13th in a backup car that started at the back of the field and was almost start-and-park slow during Saturday's practices.
The DNF: Huzzah, Tony Stewart! You've handed off the title of this award despite finishing 21st and finishing outside the top 20 for the fifth time this year. In your place comes Marcos Ambrose, who crashed for the second straight race. Wait, what was that? Ambrose still finished a spot ahead of Smoke? Oh, yikes.
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Into the Crystal Ball? The Sambadrome Edition
Welcome to May! Before we hit the famed Brickyard, there is one more stop to make: The Streets of Sao Paulo Brazil. Without a doubt, this track is a favorite of fans and drivers alike. Half of the circuit consists … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/into-the-crystal-ball-the-sambadrome-edition-2/
Fun and games at Renault Sport
Renault has always enjoyed showing the public that the developments in Formula 1 do have uses on Renault road cars, even if the point is slightly overstated on occasion. The most famous case of this was the wild Renault Espace F1 that was developed in 1994 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the hugely-successful multi-purpose [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/fun-and-games-at-renault-sport/
Wednesday
The Tattletale Issue
Let me just say this first: I don’t care that somebody threw the Penske guys under the bus. There, I said it. (Cue the “you work for Hendrick” trolling in 3…2…1…) Last week, after both Penske cars were busted by NASCAR at Texas for some creative rear-end components, Jenna Fryer wrote that NASCAR may have [...] 
TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/TKI9I0UF9Q0/
Extra tyres to boost practice running in Spain | 2013 Spanish Grand Prix
Teams will get an extra set of tyres for the first practice session at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/05/06/extra-tyres-boost-practice-running-spain/
Brawn expecting improved Mercedes race performance
Mercedes believes that it has got to the bottom of its poor race performances thus far in 2013 – although that knowledge might not fully translate to the track for a while. The team has earned two poles in the … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/05/03/brawn-expecting-improved-merecdes-race-performance/
Tuesday
Rain washes out qualifying at Talladega; Carl Edwards will get the pole
Rain has washed out qualifying for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, meaning that the field will be set based on the first practice speeds from Friday. That puts Carl Edwards at the front of the field. However, Mother Nature being fickle, even though Edwards starts at the front he won't benefit from the pole position for the purposes of qualifying for the 2014 Sprint Unlimited.
"We were all driving like idiots out there in first practice knowing it was probably going to rain today," Marcos Ambrose said shortly after qualifying was rained out. Ambrose will start third, and he's pleased: "It's good to start at the front. It eliminates a lot of accidents."
Edwards paced the field with a time of 47.958 seconds for 199.675 miles per hour. Lining up alongside him on the front row is Martin Truex Jr., who was just 0.025 mph slower than Edwards. Filling out the rest of the top 10: Ambrose, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. (Full qualifying order via practice is right here.)
Hamlin will be the focus of the early segment of the race. Out for the past four weeks after suffering a compression fracture in his back, Hamlin ran 16 laps in practice on Friday and felt so good he allowed for the possibility that he might run the entire race.
''If it wasn't for my crew chief, I would have ran it out of gas,'' he said after his qualifying session. ''I just wanted to feel speed again. We're competitors and when you see the people on TV in other sports fighting through injuries to come back to the field or the court, we feel that same thing. We have alligator blood. I don't know what to say. We're a different breed. We're willing to throw caution to the wind just to get back to what we are doing.''
More likely, he'll turn over the car to Brian Vickers during a caution. Hamlin and Vickers practiced the driver switch on Friday and were able to pull off the exchange in about a minute. That maneuver will allow Hamlin to receive points for the weekend's race and aid him in trying to clamber back into the hunt for the 2013 Chase.
Left out of Sunday's race: Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 81 Alert Energy Gum Toyota. NASCAR's rules for rainouts left Sadler on the outside looking in even though he ran the 36th fastest speed. Only 44 cars had sought to qualify for Talladega.
Rain will almost certainly be a factor in Sunday's race, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. The National Weather Service is predicting a 70 percent change of rain. Talladega has no lights, and sunset is about 8:30 p.m. ET. NASCAR's new Air Titan track-drying system could dry the track in well under the typical two hours necessary to get the track in racing condition.
-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-
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Why Danica?s Success, Or Lack Thereof, Might Not Matter
There have been several times over the last two months that I’ve started writing a post about Danica Patrick and her prospects for the future. Once, I even wrote a full post before deleting it after a conversation with Journo on it’s content. I, like many, believe she is no where near ready to jump [...] 
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/F27NE9vxvi8/
Monday
Martin Whitmarsh: ?I had a lot of noise in my ear??
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh says he was happy to see Sergio Perez in fighting form in Bahrain ? but concedes that the Mexican overstepped the mark when he made contact with team mate Jenson Button. Perez, who was recently encouraged … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/04/23/martin-whitmarsh-i-had-a-lot-of-noise-in-my-ear/
The Nationwide Series Is Going To Be Awesome In 2013
Thanks to a strong mix of young drivers and veterans trying to fight their way back to the top, with help from the NASCAR rule limiting drivers to one series for points, we are about to see the re-emergence of the Nationwide Series in 2013. I mean, have you seen the driver lineup? Instead of [...] 
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New Honda Jazz
New Honda Jazz “Comfort Plus” Honda Automobiles Spain recently introduced in the Spanish market a new finish for the Jazz. Under the name Comfort Plus, combines interesting provision priced fairly tight, especially if you consider the discounts. Among other things, the new Jazz Comfort Plus comes standard with cruise control, automatic climate control, trip computer, [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/461-new-honda-jazz.html
The Chrome Horn Episode 9: Kansas I
We went to Kansas City! Or, well, Miller did. I'm there all the time. Join yours truly and Geoffrey Miller for another edition of the Chrome Horn Podcast. We talk Matty Ice Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Danica and take your questions!
Speaking of questions, you want to be in the mailbag? Hit us up at HappyHourMailbag@Yahoo.com.
Click here to download the podcast or here to listen to in your browser. And we're now on iTunes! Find us in the Podcast section right here and subscribe. Listen!
Sunday
Mercedes quickest over one lap but need race pace | 2013 F1 season
Mercedes have the best one-lap pace at the moment but are yet to translate it into a race win. Here's how the performance of each team compares so far this year.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/05/03/2013-car-performance-races/
Craziest Moment from Martinsville: Brake failure and ensuing fire end Kurt Busch?s day
Kurt Busch's eventful day ended with his engine in flames 15 laps before the finish of Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville.
In this case, eventful is not a synonym for "good" or "great."
On lap 294, Busch spun around after making contact with David Gilliland entering turn three. And that was in addition to a fuel pump problem that left Busch 29 laps down at the time of his final incident, which was caused by a brake failure entering turn one.
[Related: Jimmie Johnson wins once again at Martinsville]
"Something happened with the brakes," Busch said. "The pedal felt spongy going into three and four and I gave it a courtesy pump and it came to. I go down the front straightaway and gave it another courtesy pump and it went straight to the floor. Something failed with it and I just turned it to the right and fenced it instead of running head on into the fence."
After making contact with the wall, Busch quickly pulled the in-car fire extinguisher trigger, which doused the flames before safety crews had a chance to reach his car and he climbed out unhurt. Busch finished 37th.
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Happy Hour: Matt Kenseth and his penalty
You thought the penalty train in NASCAR was over didn't you? It keeps rolling. Johnny Sauter's 25 point penalty in the Camping World Truck Series seems like a pittance compared to the whopper that was laid down on Matt Kenseth.
On Thursday, Kenseth said that the 50 point penalty and $200,000 fine and six-race suspension for crew chief Jason Ratcliff (among other penalties) was "grossly unfair. Do you agree with him? John leads off Happy Hour this week, and he was accurate in his prediction.
Yikes! Matt Kenseth's race-winning engine failed inspection? This is going to be HUGE. I like Matt and hate to see him in trouble, but NASCAR will have to hand out some severe penalties. Considering the seriousness of the Team Penske penalties, over a rear-end issue I still don't understand, and the fine and suspension Carl Long had a few years ago, what does Matt Kenseth and JGR face? This is like a lose-lose situation to me; I don't want to see Matt suspended or anything, but if the penalties aren't severe, NASCAR's credibility takes another pounding.
-John
This is probably not going to be the popular opinion but I think NASCAR did the right thing with Kenseth.
Yes, I know NASCAR's rulebook is written pencil but If they really want teams to stop "bending the rules". They need to make the risk larger than the potential reward. If the top teams start finding themselves in serious trouble, like potentially missing the chase, because of rule violations. I think you will see less instances of teams at any level trying to "push the envelope".
- Darrell
Hey, is NASCAR being heavy handed with the 20 team or what? One connecting rod is 3 grams too light, which does not give an advantage. All the other connecting rods are within spec. Seems not to be intentional, or else all the rods would be too light. I understand NASCARs stance, but the penalties to Kenseth, JGR, Toyota, and crew chief seem harsh for the crime if there was one.
NASCAR is the worst officiated of all the major sports
- Dean
1. I think in the last 2 or 3 weeks Nascar has done more damage to its on-track product than any of the drivers could bashing the Gen6. I am baffled by the severity of these penalties. I understand Nascar wants to send a message about complying with rules, but docking the #20 team so severely for a part that EVERYBODY admits had no impact on performance is so ridiculous I don?t even know what to say. They docked the #20 team more than the Penske 2/22, a situation where you could assume the rear end housing would impact the performance of the car. Wouldn?t the other teams be super concerned about stuff like this? That any tiny accidental error would earn them a Nascar b****slap?
2. The Danica/Gilliland ?spat? is so ridiculous. Everything she says is news ? but I have listened to a scanner long enough to know that she didn?t say anything different than what all the drivers say during the race. Let?s face it ? nobody cares that they were ?battling? for 26th place. If she doesn?t like how she?s raced at the back of the pack, wait until she gets to the front. That said, I thought David?s response was awesome ? it was blunt, direct and ended the issue right there. I loved it.
- Sue
This is setting up to be a fascinating appeal. From everything that I understand, it was a mistake that would have had no positive impact on the performance of Kenseth's engine. If anything, it could have hindered the engine because the lighter rod would have been out of balance with the other seven.
But still, dang. It's a big penalty. I know that NASCAR can't deal in the gray area of intent and they've previously laid down a heavy line when it comes to engine violations, so it wasn't necessarily a surprise. That said, how does this go in appeal? The mistake has been admitted and apologized for, but because there seems to be no intent or performance advantage, does that limit the penalty?
Also, how does Ratcliff's suspension hold up in the appeal? Given that the engine was made and installed by Toyota, the only way for the team to know that the connecting rod was too light would be to take the engine apart and weigh the pieces. Is a six week suspension unfair?
The Penske penalty appeal is set to be Wednesday, and Kenseth's will likely be a week later. To those of my NASCAR media brethren who will be staking out the R&D Center over the next couple weeks, I hope the weather is nice, the coffee is plentiful and the waits aren't interminable.
And on Danica vs. David, I'll say this: they're probably going to find themselves near each other at some point Saturday night. That is all.
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Matt Kenseth wins from the pole at Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. ? Matt Kenseth benefited from the timing of the final caution flag to take the lead in Sunday's STP 400 and held off Kasey Kahne over the final laps to get his second win of the season.
It's the third straight Sprint Cup Series race in which the winner has won from the pole and the fourth win for Joe Gibbs Racing in eight races in 2013. Though outside of Kenseth, it wasn't a rosy day for the rest of the team.
Kenseth was up front the entire day, but was running fifth as the pit window for the race's final pit stop ended. As the pit stop cycle started and the four cars ahead of him pitted, Kenseth stayed out and inherited the lead.
In the midst of all of that, Brad Keselowski's rear bumper cover was flapping in the breeze thanks to damage he had sustained earlier. Three laps after Kenseth took the lead and before he had a chance to pit, it flew off and landed on the track. The cars that were in front of Kenseth were suddenly going to restart behind him when the green flag waved again on lap 225.
That also put Kahne near the front too, and he charged to second place. Over the last 20 laps, the race strongly resembled the third race of the season at Las Vegas, where Kenseth had kept Kahne at bay to get his first win of the season and first with Joe Gibbs Racing.
As the laps wound down, Kahne would close in to within mere carlengths of Kenseth's bumper. But then, on the next lap, he'd lose some of the ground he'd make up, much like what happened at Vegas. On the white flag lap, Kahne got to Kenseth's bumper in turns one and two, but wasn't able to maintain his momentum and Kenseth pulled away down the backstretch.
It's also back-to-back wins at Kansas for Kenseth, who won last year's fall race while with Roush Fenway Racing. On Sunday, he led 163 of the race's 267 laps and was not passed for the lead on the racetrack all afternoon.
The other three JGR cars all crashed separately Sunday, including last week's winner Kyle Busch, who spun twice. The first time he didn't hit anything, but the second incident ended his day when he slid down the track and was collected heavily by Joey Logano.
Elliott Sadler, making his first Cup start of the season, crashed in turns three and four on lap 88 and Brian Vickers, subbing for the injured Denny Hamlin, hit the wall and spun on the backstretch on lap 175.
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