Indy Car Info: 6/30/13

Saturday

Track marshal dies after sustaining injuries at Canadian Grand Prix

A marshal died from injuries sustained in a mishap while tending to Esteban Gutierrez's crashed car in the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

The 38-year-old worker, who has not been identified, dropped his radio and was backed over by a crane while officials prepared to remove Gutierrez's car from the track. Gutierrez crashed in turn 2 in the late stages of the race.

"The worker was helping to recover a car which had stopped during the race. The recovery vehicle had lifted the car to return it to the pits and while doing this the worker dropped his radio and attempted to pick it up. As he did this, he stumbled and was hit and run over by the recovery vehicle," the FIA, the governing body of F1, said in a statement.

The track worker, a 10 year veteran, was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:02 PM local time before he was to be operated on.

From the Montreal Gazette:

The man was rushed by ambulance to the medical centre at the raceway, where he was stabilized by a team of doctors and nurses. He was given oxygen.
The man was then transported by helicopter to Sacr�-Coeur, a designated trauma centre, where a team of specialists was already in place waiting for him.
?A giant wheel went over his body, so there are fractures,? Bouchard explained shortly after the accident.

Mobile cranes are a common site at F1 races and are used by course marshals and officials to extract cars from gravel traps and barriers with limited disruption to the race. Fernando Alonso, who finished second to Sebastian Vettel in Sunday's race, tweeted his condolences.

Today there is nothing to celebrate. Terrible news arrive with the death of a marshal this race. Very sad. R.I.P.
? Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) June 9, 2013

More racing news from Yahoo! Sports
? Jimmie Johnson dominates for victory at Pocono
? NASCAR Craziest Moment: Stewart and Keselowski make great saves after contact
? Nationwide Craziest Moment: Hit from Pastrana lifts Papis' rear wheels off ground

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/track-marshal-dies-sustaining-injuries-canadian-grand-prix-010852942.html

Olivier Beretta Allen Berg Georges Berger Gerhard Berger

Happy Hour: Dover, and, yes, Danica

Throughout the week you can send us your best questions, jokes, rants and just plain miscellaneous thoughts to happyhourmailbag@yahoo.com or @NickBromberg. We'll post them here, have a good time and everyone's happy. Right? Oh who are we kidding, this is NASCAR. No one is ever happy.

Before we start this week's mailbag, this is one hell of a summer weekend of motorsports coming up. And it's structured perfectly if you need to get stuff done around the house. Friday night's the Truck Series race and then Saturday night we've got the Nationwide Series and the IndyCar Series at the same time, allowing all day to get your errands and tasks done. And then of course, we've got the PARTY IN THE POCONOS!!!!!! WOOOOO!!!!!!

I always hear the same thing about JJ/Chad and the "Evil Empire" that is Hendrick motorsports. I cant tell you how many times I have had to hear and put up with the whole "NASCAR is Set Up" so that JJ will win! Well I hope this finally shuts them up! The fact is that JPM didnt go on the restart and then he spun his tires, JJ waited for the flagman and when he displayed the green, Jimmy punched it. The fact that JPM has NEVER been up front for a restart and spun his tires on the PREFERRED line is not even being discussed...only that JJ entered the "Start Box" ahead of JPM. With all the advancements in technology that NASCAR has at their disposal, why is it that they DONT have a laser or something to definitively show the fans that that indeed was the case? Instead, all we have are 2 very HORRIBLE camera angles(one is from like the other side of the track) to see is Robin Pemperton is telling the truth. Bottom line is(JPM said it himself in an interview)..JJ got a perfect start, JPM spun his tires badly, and its a shame because JJ had the dominate car out there! So please all of you NASCAR conspiracy theorists, stop saying that NASCAR sets it up so that JJ will win.....cause its obvious that is a bunch of BULL!
- K

Tony Stewart was gracious in praising Juan Pablo Montoya for not blocking with 3 to go. Montoya was either being a courteous driver or was pretty sure Smoke would have wrecked him if he tried. You can call that one either way.

Post race, JPM blamed the loss on bad pit strategy (old left tires), and later added that track position dictated that call. Regardless, he threw his crew chief under the bus on that one, and that's not NASCAR teamwork, it's F1 "Teamwork"

I don't like the penalty on the 48 for jumping the last restart. Whether JPM spun his tires or held up so he wouldn't pass Johnson before the first turn, NASCAR will have trouble with this precedent. They're setting up a strategy where the leader checks up before the start finish line, and doesn't go until turn 1 with the rest of the field behind him trying to get going. It will get rid of the guy in 2nd, but it will cause a lot of wrecks.
- John

Hey now, K, there's no reason to disparage Montoya in all of this. He was up front for a restart in the late stages of the race at Richmond this April. And that wasn't the first time he's been near the front either.

I understand why Jimmie Johnson fans would be mad about what happened on Sunday, but it's pretty cut and dry. Had Johnson given Montoya back the spot, he doesn't get the penalty. And you know what? He likely gets that spot back given how well that car was performing.

Instead, Johnson didn't give the spot back, he got penalized and them's the brakes. (Or breaks, whatever you want to say.) Was it gamesmanship by Montoya to not let Johnson give that spot back on the frontstretch if Vader was indeed half-throttle? Possibly. But that's no different than the gamesmanship that typically happens on a restart anyway, so that's fair game as far as I'm concerned.

As far as Montoya throwing his team under the bus, I didn't think that at all after the race. He was matter of fact why his car slowed down over the final laps and that was that. Stewart had newer left-side tires and that very well could have been the difference.

If he keeps showing the speed that's been present in the first 13 races, Montoya is going to win a race this season.

_____________________

Any idea on how long it will be before Newman is in ARCA?

I am a huge fan, but this is getting bad. I know Danica is a major distraction at Stewart-Haas, but in reality Ryan simply doesn't seem up to it anymore. The fact that he was even close enough to the #38 at Dover to dump him (2 laps down) speaks volumes. In all honesty, I can't see him at SHR next year. Can you?
- Chris

Yikes, that's a bold statement, don't you think? I was struck a couple weeks ago when on the Fox pre-race, that when the discussion turned to Newman, it was treated like a foregone conclusion that he was going to be out at Stewart-Haas next year.

That's not really surprising; it's very well-known that Newman is on a one-year contract and Kevin Harvick is heading over to SHR in 2014. Plus, those comments were before SHR officials were publicly talking about the strain of three full-time cars on the organization.

Now with those remarks in mind, it's logical to see how Newman could be the odd driver out at the organization, especially given the sponsorship gaps at that team. If SHR had such an issue expanding to three, are they going to want to immediately expand to four?

So let's say for a second that SHR does stay at three cars next year and with Harvick's arrival, Newman's contract isn't renewed. Where does he go? That's a damn good question. Kurt Busch is the odds-on favorite to replace Harvick and Brian Vickers will likely be in the No. 55. Roush, Gibbs and Penske all have room to expand, though the dreaded s-word would be an issue. In that scenario, Furniture Row would be open and they have the benefit of a full-time sponsor.

_____________________

Been a reader for some time but first time asking a question. Been a NASCAR fan for years, well decades., beginning in the ?70s.

With Kyle Busch?s win in the truck race this past weekend a thought came to mind. He has won a lot of races between the three series. Would you consider him ?the best? or ?one of the best? or just that he has that many wins because he races in all three series? I?m not sure I?d place him on any kind of pedestal. After all, the truck and Nationwide series are more like the minor leagues, wouldn?t you say? Sort of like a major league baseball star playing on minor league and college teams.

I just wonder how many wins someone like Richard Perry, Earnhardt, Sr., etc., would have if they raced in all three series. Probably could even include people like Johnson, Gordon, and a few others as well. I know that the Sprint Cup drivers being in those races probably puts butts in the seats, but I think it takes away from the up and coming drivers who are trying to earn spots, show their stuff, etc.
- George

While Busch was dominating the Nationwide Series race at Dover (a race he didn't win), I did some quick math on his winning trends for the hell of it. He's signed for the near future at Joe Gibbs Racing, and if he stays at the same win rate that he's been at for his JGR and Kyle Busch Motorsports career, he's going to get his 200th NASCAR victory at the ripe old age of 33. Yes, 33.

I continually struggle to put that into context and likely won't be able to until Busch gets really close to that number. Busch is driving in a much more competitive Sprint Cup Series era than his record-book peers when you look at the NASCAR win column. And that argument of competitiveness could also stretch to the Nationwide Series and Truck Series too. Though I'm not sure how rock-solid it would be.

However, Busch does have an advantage compared to those historical peers -- the number of races available to him. If he wants to, he could compete in 91 races between the three series this year. The longest Cup Series season of Petty's career was 62 races and there were only 50+ races in 60 seasons. Does quantity dilute the achievement? There are so many factors.

It's an argument that has no right answer and likely will never have one.

_____________________

As a race fan I've always admired the raw talent of Kurt Busch. Recently I've noticed when I wear my #78 FRR tee shirts. I get numerous remarks from folks saying "that fella puts on a show" and the like. So, I'm wondering why are fans suddenly connecting with him? Performance? His support of our veterans? The likeable brother? Successfully overcoming past personal mistakes off the track?
- Rick

Rick, you're the first person in this mailbag space to call Shrub likeable. Kyle sells a lot of merchandise and is much more popular than a lot of people realize (similar to a certain female driver), but it's a sparsely used adjective, at least from our From the Marbles gang.

The attention that Kurt Busch has drawn this year has surprised me a little bit. Is it the second (third?) chance aspect? We joke about what will befall Busch next in his quest to win a race, but the perception and reaction of when he does get back to victory lane will be very intriguing to watch.

_____________________

Why are you so obsessed with Danica? Don't you realize that most serious race fans think she's a total joke? Please do not tell me your just doing your job. The novelty is long over. Please don not tell me "well it got your attention". No, I'm just tired of all the Danica stories instead of actual racing news. Tell me that you will stop pandering to this nonsense and put the effort into reporting on something worth reading. You and I both know that if Danica was male she/he's be lucky to scrape the nickles together to run in the SCCA.
-Hayes

What's that, Hayes? (DANICA!) Are you talking about (DANICA!) a driver in the Sprint (DANICA!) Cup Series? (DANICA!)

(On a serious note, I thought comrade Jay Busbee took the appropriate tone with the Danica and Stenhouse crash post last week. It was certainly something that it was a top story on entertainment sites on Memorial Day.)

People like to read about Danica. Lots of other people read Danica stories too. The easiest way to prevent Danica coverage is to refuse to pay attention to it. That's by not clicking stories, watching features, etc. But the people who dislike Danica (or say that they dislike the coverage) aren't doing that. Or Danica is a whole lot more popular than you think she is. Simply put, people pay attention. Until they stop, Danica coverage isn't going anywhere.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/happy-hour-dover-yes-danica-002449888.html

Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow

Never forget how great Michael Schumacher was

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/never_forget_how_great_schumac.html

Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta

Video: The Sounds of the Lamborghini LP570-4 SuperTrofeo

Posted on 07.5.2013 18:00 by Simona

Youtube user Marchettino had the chance to shot another great video. During the Lamborghini BlancPain championship event he caught a large amount of 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo SuperTrofeos racing at the Misano racetrack. The new version looks way more aggressive and loud, and you will have the chance to see them from different points of the track!

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo is powered by a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that delivers a total of 570 horsepower. The model also received a new aerodynamic kit that included a new spoiler design, a new rear diffuser and new wheel arches. These changes will lead to a 120-percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency.

If you have the right racing license, you can rent the Lamborghini SuperTrofeo models for about $35,000. This will give you the chance to hear it up close. If this is not a possibility for you, you can at least get an idea from the above video.

Video: The Sounds of the Lamborghini LP570-4 SuperTrofeo originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 5 July 2013 18:00 EST.

Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/video-the-sounds-of-the-lamborghini-lp570-4-supertrofeo-ar159112.html

Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon Don Branson

Guest Blog: Mat Oxley: The Honda/Yamaha pendulum

MotoMatters.com is delighted to feature the work of iconic MotoGP writer Mat Oxley. Oxley is a former racer, TT winner and highly respected author of biographies of world champions Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi, and currently writes for Motor Sport Magazine, where he is MotoGP correspondent. We are featuring sections from Oxley's blogs, which are posted in full on the Motor Sport Magazine website.

The Honda/Yamaha pendulum

Amid all the Assen drama it was easy to forget about the forlorn figure of Dani Pedrosa, slumped in his pit, wondering what might have been.

If all things had been equal, victory should have belonged to the Spaniard. Instead he finished a distant fourth, just one place ahead of the remarkable Jorge Lorenzo. So instead of stretching his advantage over his main title rival by 14 points, he gained just two points on him.

Pedrosa may still lean on points but his season has gone awry since his back-to-back wins at Jerez and Le Mans, because for one reason or another he hasn’t been able to get the best out of the Bridgestones. At the three races since Le Mans – Mugello, Catalunya and Assen – he has cited tyre issues for his inability to challenge for victory.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/ODJLIeNVRhk/guest_blog_mat_oxley_the_hondayamaha_pen.html

Bill Cantrell Ivan Capelli Piero Carini Duane Carter

Friday

Tony Stewart capitalizes on Jimmie Johnson?s restart penalty to win at Dover

Tony Stewart swung past Juan Pablo Montoya on the high side with three laps to go and won the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover after Jimmie Johnson was penalized for jumping the race's final restart.

Where the heck did Stewart, a driver who has been struggling all season, come from? We'll get to that in a moment. First, that fateful restart.

After Montoya beat Johnson out of the pits before that last restart with 19 laps to go, he was the race leader and chose the high line coming to the green flag. Johnson on the inside, sprinted ahead as the two drove through the restart box that demarcates the zone where the leader is supposed to accelerate through the green flag.

By the time the two got to the start/finish line, Johnson was multiple car lengths ahead of Montoya. Did Montoya spin his tires? Did Johnson jump the restart? Even if Montoya did the former, NASCAR ruled that Johnson did the latter, and he was forced to pit for a pass-through penalty from the race lead with 16 laps to go.

"No, I was half-throttle for the whole frontstretch," Johnson said while watching the replay after the race. "And at some point, I gotta go. And in this situation NASCAR has the judgement to decide if you jumped the start or not and -- he's not even going. I'm not sure if his car broke or he's off power, spun the tires, I don't know. So I'm running half throttle down the frontstretch waiting for him and he never comes."

"So at that point, we got back going, (crew chief Chad Knaus) even told me on the radio that something had happened and I should take off and don't worry about it and then we were called on it."

For NASCAR, it was an easy call. From USA Today:

"He left early and he didn't give it back like we tell them all the time when this type of thing comes up," Pemberton said. "It's pretty cut and dry. ? That was an easy call. Very easy call."

Starting 24th, Johnson nearly went a lap down early in the race. But from then on he quickly worked his way through the field and led for a race-high 147 laps. Johnson, a seven-time Dover winner, was so good in the late stages of the race that after he drove away from Montoya, his chances of being caught by Montoya or anyone else were slim-to-none. (Johnson ended up 17th.)

But the penalty changed all of that. With Johnson exiting the track to serve his pass-through, the lead was handed over to Montoya with Stewart almost a second back in second. The race was suddenly between a driver who has had fast cars and circumstances go against him all season looking for the first oval win of his career and a three-time Cup Series champion mired in 20th in the standings looking not only for his first win of the season, but simply his first top five.

Stewart started two spots ahead of Johnson in 22nd and made his way through the field much slower than the No. 48 car. He broke into the top 10 with 100 laps to go and vaulted from the back of the top 10 to fourth before the final restart thanks to a two-tire pit stop.

As the laps ticked down, Stewart started catching Montoya consistently in the middle of turns 3 and 4. Montoya, refusing to give Stewart the low line, stayed glued to the bottom of the track. As the two, with Jeff Gordon in tow, took the signal for three laps to go, Stewart jumped to the high side in turns one and two and pulled alongside, clearing Montoya as they entered 3 and 4 again.

"(Crew chief Steve) Addington's pit strategy gave us the opportunity there at the end," Stewart said. "It's pretty cool. There's not many times when you get to outrace Juan Montoya -- he figured out where I was gaining ground and he made the adjustment and got going there and so we had to move around again and found a little something on the top there."

Yes, it was a hot day at Dover on Sunday, and the cliches about Stewart's prowess in the warm weather were already flowing as soon as the checkered flag fell. Those are probably a bit premature, though Stewart's Chase chances are now much stronger; with the win, he vaulted up to 16th in the standings.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/tony-stewart-capitalizes-jimmie-johnson-restart-penalty-win-212512926.html

Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner

Inside ROP: A.J. Allmendinger

Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2013/05/inside-rop-aj-allmendinger.html

Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco Hans Binder

It was an eventful day for Kyle Busch at Sonoma

Kyle Busch may still be looking in his rear view mirror.

Busch, who won at Sonoma in 2008, went spinning twice during Sunday's race. He recovered from the first, but the second incident ruined his day.

That happened on lap 83, when he and Carl Edwards were racing for position in the esses, the track's downhill section of winding curves. Busch was ahead of Edwards and Edwards thought he saw an opening to the left of Busch. But as soon as he went to make that move, Busch moved towards the space Edwards wanted and Busch went spinning off of Edwards right front bumper and into the tire barrier, wiping out the right side of Busch's car.

Before that, Busch had spent the majority of those 82+ laps making up the ground he lost when he was hit by Juan Pablo Montoya in the track's tight hairpin turn 11. Montoya wheel-hopped the car getting into the corner and he hit Busch in the right side, sending him around.

While Busch ended up 35th (after another spin, no less. This time, he went around after moving to the dirt to avoid another car under braking), Montoya and Edwards were in the top five as the white flag waved at Sonoma. Edwards ended up third while Montoya ran out of gas and finished 34th.

After the race, Edwards apologized for hitting Busch, while Montoya immediately apologized for the wheel-hop on his radio after that incident.

"I've got to apologize to the Gibbs guys, Kyle Busch and the 18 guys," Edwards said. "We swapped that position back and forth for a lap or so, got inside of him back there and I thought he knew I was there and ended up spinning him out."

As for Kyle? He had this to say on Twitter:

Awww. My heart melts for @jpmontoya who ran out of gas.

Busch is now 8th in the points standings, 16 points ahead of 11th place Paul Menard.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/eventful-day-kyle-busch-sonoma-235356864.html

Pablo Birger Art Bisch Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen

Robin Pemberton reiterates NASCAR policy on debris cautions

How did Denny Hamlin get his lap back early in Sunday's race at Kentucky Speedway? According to NASCAR's Robin Pemberton, it's because the debris was unintentional.

Let's replay the scene for just a second. Hamlin had suffered a flat tire in turn four and limped his car all the way back to pit road. While he was on the access road to the pits in turns three and four, the tread from that flat right front tire shot across the track in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, who both hit it.

NASCAR threw the caution flag. Because he had just been lapped, Hamlin was the first car a lap down and received the Free Pass from NASCAR, despite the fact that his tire was the reason for the caution flag.

The official reason listed in the box score of the race was debris.

From Sporting News:

?The debris causes the caution, not (the car),? Pemberton, NASCAR's Vice President for Competition said Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. ?That?s the way we?ve looked at it for years since I can remember.

?Debris is debris.?

NASCAR's rule states that a car can't receive the Free Pass when in the judgment of NASCAR officials, the car was involved in or the reason for the preceding caution. That seems like it would apply to Hamlin, but because the reason listed on the box score was debris, it didn't.

Had Hamlin stopped on the track because of the flat tire or hit the wall to draw the caution flag, he would have been listed as the official reason for the caution and unable to receive the free pass. Ultimately, Hamlin getting back onto the lead lap didn't matter in the final outcome of the race as he suffered another tire problem and finished 35th.

But does the rule need to be tweaked? Many times caution-causing debris is untraceable, or if the debris is traceable, the chances of it coming from the car in the Free Pass position are minimal. (There are penalties for drivers intentionally attempting to cause a debris caution, a la Robby Gordon throwing padding out of his car at Atlanta many years ago.)

It's already left open to the discretion of NASCAR officials, so it seems that while debris may be debris, Hamlin's situation fell right into the crosshairs of the rule and the rule as it's written could have been used to also justify denying Hamlin of the Free Pass.

Should Hamlin have gotten the Free Pass? Does the rule need to be changed? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/robin-pemberton-reiterates-nascar-policy-debris-cautions-212132352.html

Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb Sebastien Buemi

2013 Imola World Superbike Saturday Roundup: Ducatis Unblock Their Sinuses

With both World Supersport and World Superbike qualifying sessions red flagged, it took a little longer to determine the final grid positions for tomorrow’s races, but this didn’t stop lap records being broken and scenes being set.

Race Details

Round Number:

2013

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/_8f9zcbx7rU/2013_imola_world_superbike_saturday_roun.html

Colin Chapman Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg

Thursday

Drivers pleased with quick response to tyre failures | 2013 German Grand Prix

Drivers praised Pirelli's efforts to make changes to the tyres for this weekend to prevent a repeat of the punctures seen during the British Grand Prix.

Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/07/04/drivers-pleased-with-quick-response-to-tyre-failures/

Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman

Warrior Alonso bides his time

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/post_4.html

Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell Raul Boesel Menato Boffa

Williams is passed to the Mercedes for 2014

The Williams F1 Team will use Mercedes engines from the 2014 season. Thus, Renault will supply engines to the British team after a brief period of two years of collaboration between two of the most established names in the F1 World (Toro Rosso confirmed a few days left to use Ferrari engines to start to [...]

Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/491-williams-is-passed-to-the-mercedes-for-2014.html

John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage Chris Craft

Dacia Logan 2013

the second generation test The second generation Dacia Logan weighs just 1,059 kilos, which allows you to average consumption pretty tight. The Dacia Logan 2013 surprised by the step forward that has occurred in regard to the design. Now looks like a current car, something that his predecessor could not boast. First test passed. Once [...]

Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/497-dacia-logan-2013.html

Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson

Wednesday

2013 Imola World Supersport Race Results

World Supersport planned 19 laps under a cloudless sky, and fate would roll her dice once more.

Race Details

Round Number:

2013

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/BvLtYuQySHk/2013_imola_world_supersport_race_results.html

Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever Andrea Chiesa Ettore Chimeri

Massa: Tyres ?Unacceptable?

Felipe Massa has hit out at Pirelli?s tyres, claiming that the danger they put drivers in is ?unacceptable?. The Brazilian suffered a massive blowout at Silverstone, which forced him off of the track before having to pit. He was not the only driver to experience such misfortune, and believes that something must be done: ?Our [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/yZW0DMzHyb8/massa-tyres-unacceptable

Ivan Capelli Piero Carini Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti

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/

Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers

Raikkonen suspects ?sharp? kerbs caused tyre failures | 2013 British Grand Prix

Kimi Raikkonen believes sharp edges on kerbs at Silverstone caused the spate of tyre failures during the British Grand Prix.

Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/07/02/raikkonen-suspects-sharp-kerbs-caused-tyre-failures/

Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks

Q&A With A.J. Allmendinger

Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2013/05/q-with-aj-allmendinger.html

Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati George Amick Red Amick

Tuesday

Jenson Button: ?Something has to be done??

Jenson Button has emphasised how frustrated the drivers are about the Pirelli tyre failures at Silverstone ? and especially the fact that the problem was not addressed after issues in earlier races. ?If it happens in a low-speed corner it?s … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/07/01/jenson-button-something-has-to-be-done/

Pablo Birger Art Bisch Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen

Viva Zanardi!

Source: http://www.popoffvalve.com/2012/9/5/3294060/viva-zanardi

Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert

Lotus Want Raikkonen Decision

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier wants Kimi Raikkonen to decide his future quickly amid speculation that he could move to Red Bull for 2014. The Finn has been consistency personified since his return to F1 last year, constantly eeking points finished out of his machine. This form has alerted Red Bull, who are looking to [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/5kpLcyxhiR4/lotus-want-raikkonen-decision

Phil Cade Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adriбn Campos

Video: Nico Rosberg on his British GP victory

Nico Rosberg logged his second win of 2013 after a superb performance for Mercedes at Silverstone. However, it was only confirmed after he escaped with a reprimand from the FIA stewards for not making a ?significant reduction in speed? under … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/07/01/video-nico-rosberg-on-his-british-gp-victory/

Allen Berg Georges Berger Gerhard Berger Eric Bernard

INDYCAR: The Friday Setup (Baltimore)

Source: http://www.popoffvalve.com/2012/8/31/3282052/indycar-the-friday-setup-baltimore

Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks

Monday

Jimmie Johnson dominates for win at Pocono

Sometimes you get a race that's so thoroughly controlled by one car that no matter what happens, it seems inevitable that car will take the checkered flag.

Sunday at Pocono was one of those days. Jimmie Johnson, the five-time champion and Sprint Cup Series points leader, led 128 of the race's 160 laps en route to his third win of the season.

And, unlike the previous week at Dover, when a late-race restart cost Johnson a victory with a dominating car, this week, this race's cluster of late lap restarts was not going to deny Johnson the win.

Just how good was Johnson's car? Well, these words were the first words he said after emerging from his car in victory lane. Mind you, this is a guy who just won his 63rd Sprint Cup race; and did we mention he was a five-time Sprint Cup Series champion?

"That's the best car I've had in a long, long, long, long, long, long time," Johnson said. "Not only a good race car but a good engine. Had fuel mileage and plenty of power. It was awesome on the straightaways today to be able to do what I wanted around other cars.

The fuel mileage aspect came in handy because until that spate of caution flags, the race seemed destined to become a fuel mileage race. That's a strategy that's bitten Johnson and team before, and looked to be the only possibility of derailing the No. 48 on it's train tracks directly towards the checkered flag.

The power aspect came in after those caution flags fell. Four of the race's six cautions came in the final 30 laps, and for each of those restarts, Johnson was in the lead. Every single time he was clear of the field through turn one.

Greg Biffle finished second and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third. Dover winner Tony Stewart was fourth and his teammate, Ryan Newman, was fifth. Newman, thanks to an off-sequence pit-stop strategy, was the only driver outside of Johnson to lead the race outside of green flag pit stop cycles since Johnson took the lead on lap 9 from Carl Edwards. Johnson started first by rule because Friday's qualifying session was washed out.

Related NASCAR video on Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/jimmie-johnson-dominates-win-pocono-203832286.html

Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari Peter Ashdown

Chrome Horn Episode 17: Road Course Randomness

Join special guest Jay Busbee and yours truly for the latest Chrome Horn podcast! Geoffrey Miller decided to go on vacation, so we talk road course racing, parallel parking, other weird things and there's even a Minka Kelly and Ryan Gosling reference in there somewhere too.

Got any questions for us to use in the mailbag or the podcast? Hit us at HappyHourMailbag@Yahoo.com. We may even do a live Hangout sometime soon.

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!

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/chrome-horn-episode-17-road-course-randomness-124455912.html

Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati George Amick

Weekend Review? The Greatest Street Race EVER Edition

Yet another race in the books, and another finish for indycar lore. Depending on who you ask, the 2013 Indy Brazil 300 was either the race of the year, decade, century? or ever. I?m not sure I have the qualifications … Continue reading →

Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/weekend-review-the-greatest-street-race-ever-edition/

Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi

Warped Wednesday: An IndyCar vs. NASCAR showdown?

Welcome to Warped Wednesday. On this, we'll put out the rush to judgment mat, go a little too far and have a little fun. Will it be funny? Sometimes. Will it be crazy and largely unbelievable? Probably. Will not everyone get it? Definitely. THIS IS SATIRE.

Eddie Gossage has no shortage of ideas to get his track attention and after watching Saturday night's IndyCar Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, he could have had his craziest one yet.

Sources exclusive to Warped Wednesday said that when Gossage saw the speeds of the IndyCars fall off dramatically through the course of a fuel and tire run, he started feverishly thinking about the possibility of a showdown between the open wheel cars and the Sprint Cup Series cars.

Yes, the IndyCars are the fastest oval-track cars in the world, but at the end of the fuel and tire cycles, the field was averaging approximately 198 MPH a lap. Or, in NASCAR terms, just two MPH faster than the Sprint Cup Series pole speed at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

The premise of the race would go like this. It'd be a 25 lap, winner take all shootout between 10 Cup cars and 10 IndyCars. The Cup cars would be given fresh tires and just enough fuel to make it to the finish while the IndyCars would be handicapped with a full fuel load and tires with 50 laps on them. Each car would run one qualifying lap on the same fuel and tire setup before the race.

Would it be a competitive race? Who knows. But don't we all want to find out? NASCAR has never had the opportunity to challenge the IndyCar Series for speed at a given track, but given the speeds of the Gen-6 cars (you've undoubtedly heard the shouts about track records being broken more often than not), it's an opportunity the sanctioning body may not want to pass up. After all, it'd be a chance for NASCAR to prove itself as king, right?

Plus, Texas is the perfect venue for the race given Gossage's promotional history. If the race is greenlighted by both sanctioning bodies (Warped Wednesday sources say it's being strongly considered), can't you just see Gossage and company creating the billboards pitting Danica Patrick against her old IndyCar mates?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/warped-wednesday-indycar-vs-nascar-showdown-232602327.html

Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler

Q&A With A.J. Allmendinger

Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2013/05/q-with-aj-allmendinger.html

Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi

Sunday

Piaggio X10 350 ie

Posted on 06.30.2013 06:25 by Sulthoni , Serafim

The Piaggio X10 350 ie is by far one of the best looking models in its class. In terms of style, the scooter combines a futuristic headlight with a set of sleek lines and a sporty windscreen to form a fairly attractive design language.

At the heart of the scooter lies a 330.00 ccm (20.14 cubic inches), single cylinder, four-stroke engine that develops a maximum power of 33.00 HP (24.1 kW) at 8250 RPM and 32.20 Nm (3.3 kgf-m or 23.8 ft.lbs) of torque at 6250 RPM. The engine is mated on a CVT transmission and is fed by a 15 liters fuel tank.

As far as safety is concerned, the Piaggio X10 350 ie is equipped with standard ABS and ASR.

The braking system includes front and rear single discs that measure 280 mm (11.0 inches) up front and 240 mm (9.4 inches) out back.

Hit the jump for more information on the 2013 Piaggio X10 350 ie.

Piaggio X10 350 ie originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 30 June 2013 06:25 EST.

Source: http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/piaggio/2013-piaggio-x10-350-ie-ar157042.html

Ivan Capelli Piero Carini Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti

Piaggio X10 350 ie

Posted on 06.30.2013 06:25 by Sulthoni , Serafim

As far as safety is concerned, the Piaggio X10 350 ie is equipped with standard ABS and ASR.

The braking system includes front and rear single discs that measure 280 mm (11.0 inches) up front and 240 mm (9.4 inches) out back.

Hit the jump for more information on the 2013 Piaggio X10 350 ie.

Piaggio X10 350 ie originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 30 June 2013 06:25 EST.

Source: http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/piaggio/2013-piaggio-x10-350-ie-ar157042.html

Peter Ashdown Ian Ashley Gerry Ashmore Bill Aston

One more point from the World Council

Hidden away in the details of the FIA World Council was the news that in order to preserve the historic date of the Le Mans 24 Hours, the June 14/15 date has been blocked to ensure that no Formula 1 race is hosted the same weekend. This is bad news for New Jersey which was […]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/one-more-point-from-the-world-council/

Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca

Craziest Moment: Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski with incredible saves after contact

The last two Sprint Cup Series champs went for a synchronized save after making contact in the tunnel turn.

Brad Keselowski was inside of Tony Stewart for fifth place when he lost grip and washed up toward Stewart. As Keselowski's car started sliding, he hit Stewart in the left rear corner and sent the 2011 champion into a slide as well.

Incredibly, they both kept their cars pointed in the right direction. Both Keselowski and Stewart lost multiple positions to the cars behind them, but they were able to avoid the fate that befell Juan Pablo Montoya and Matt Kenseth in the tunnel turn just previously. In that incident, Montoya's car washed up while on the inside of Kenseth's and both drivers went spinning, though neither one hit anything.

Stewart bounced back to finish fourth and Keselowski was 16th after working his way through the field after a late-race pit stop for tires.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/craziest-moment-tony-stewart-brad-keselowski-incredible-saves-220311601.html

Clemente Biondetti Pablo Birger Art Bisch Harry Blanchard