Video: Nintendo Announces Mario Kart 8 Hits Shelves on May 30

For millions of my generation, Mario Kart was our first introduction to driving. Things have come quite a long way since the original incarnation of this wild racing franchise bowed on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992.

I was 6 years old, and I was mesmerized by the drifting, weapons and bright animation. It was a far cry from modern games, like Need for Speed, but Mario Kart was one my first steps on the road to becoming a gear head.

Nintendo is continuing the magic of my childhood with the all-new Mario Kart 8. This latest version of the crazy cart racer hits store shelves on the May 30th, 2014 and brings with it all the excitement, mayhem and characters players have come to expect.

As you can see in the video above, Nintendo has added tons of new tracks weapons and gadgets to wreak havoc on your friends with. This latest video also gives us the best look we have had yet at the return of the Rainbow Road course.

Some of the other confirmed additions for the new title include the return of motorbikes and a new buggy class of vehicle. Anti-gravity racing is a new big feature for the game as well.

The game will be available for the Nintendo Wii U system exclusively.

Video: Nintendo Announces Mario Kart 8 Hits Shelves on May 30 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 12 April 2014 12:00 EST.

read more

---

Source: http://feeds.topspeed.com/~r/topspeed/~3/UNkZ-2H-RHU/video-nintendo-announces-mario-kart-8-hits-shelves-on-may-30-ar163043.html

Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler

INDYCAR Inks Title Sponsorship Deal With Verizon

Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2014/03/indycar-inks-title-sponsorship-deal.html

Walt Brown Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes Martin Brundle

Briscoe Signs With Ganassi, Kanaan To The 10

Source: http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/2013/12/briscoe-signs-with-ganassi-kanaan-to-10.html

Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus Larry Crockett

Kyle Busch seizes lead on final lap of GWC restart to win second straight at Auto Club Speedway

After climbing from his car in victory lane, Kyle Busch was quick to break out a Days of Thunder reference.

Yeah, it was a wild final two laps at Auto Club Speedway. After a spate of tire issues jumbled up the field as the race's final long green flag run wound down, Busch took the lead off turn two on the final lap of a green-white-checker restart and held off Kyle Larson for the win.

It's Busch's second straight Cup win at Auto Club Speedway. On Saturday, Larson beat Busch for the victory in the Nationwide Series race.

"What do you expect when you get a green-white-checker finish and everyone's got to come down pit road and put four tires on?" Busch asked before channeling Harry Hogge, Robert Duvall's character in the 1990 film. "That's a 'Days of Thunder' thing right there. It's - 'What do you mean? there's two laps to go, everybody's going to pit, Cole.'"

After Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and finally Clint Bowyer had tire issues in the final 10 laps of the race, the caution flag flew for Bowyer's spin as then-leader Jeff Gordon had two laps to go until the scheduled end of the race.

The race then became about tire strategy. While Landon Cassill stayed out in a Hail Mary attempt for his low-budget team to snatch an improbable win or top 10, everyone else hit pit road. Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Paul Menard took two tires. Everyone else, including Busch, took four.

Stewart and Kurt Busch battled for the lead through turn two that final lap and when Stewart slid high, that opened the door for Kyle Busch, who came through the middle with Larson right behind him. Larson made a dive into turn three for a way around Kyle Busch, but unlike Saturday's race, he wasn't able to power ahead of him for the win.

Because of the finish and the overall quality of racing at Auto Club Speedway last year, when Busch powered past Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin as the latter two drivers crashed off of turn four on the final lap, the standards for Sunday's race at ACS were very high. And typically, the NASCAR hype machine tends to devour anything and everything in its path, leaving little to live up to the lofty expectations that are created.

And you know what? The race lived up to them, even if there wouldn't have been a final two-lap wild dash. Yes, many teams had tire issues, but it's the same tire that produced such dramatic racing last year. There was still plenty of passing and multi-groove racing as drivers with good cars were able to cut their way through the field if necessary.

After finishing 10th, Carl Edwards is the new points leader by a single point over Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gordon is third, two points behind Edwards.

- - - - - - -

Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/kyle-busch-seizes-lead-on-final-lap-of-gwc-restart-to-win-second-straight-at-auto-club-speedway-230024563.html

Ettore Chimeri Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood Bob Christie

After missing Fontana, Denny Hamlin is confident and angry about perceived doubts of his character

Denny Hamlin used his media availabilty Friday at Martinsville to dispute any rumors spreading about his absence from Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway.

Hamlin missed the race after the team says doctors found a piece of metal in his eye on Sunday morning. He felt an irritation in his eye on Saturday and went to the hospital before Sunday's race after doctors at the ACS infield care center couldn't find anything in his eye.

"People who thing negatively of me or think that we side-stepped some sort of drug test or something is ridiculous," Hamlin said. "I?m in one of the top-three cars in NASCAR, I would have to be an absolute moron ? moron to risk that.� I have a daughter that I have to provide for a really long time. For people to question who I am inside and outside the race car, I?ve never done anything to even put that in question. I go to Bobcats games, I got out and hang out with friends out in public -- I don?t stay tucked in my motorhome, I don?t stay tucked into my house, it?s not what I like to do. Because I?m out there a little bit more people think I got out and I party.� I got a wakeup call because I don?t drink at all hardly, ever.� I?ve never done drugs, ever.� I?m as clean as they come. I don?t know why people question who I am outside the race track.� I worked too hard to get here for one to throw it all away. If anyone has any questions about that, they can ask me directly."

Earlier in the week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he was worried about the perception for NASCAR and for Hamlin because there hadn't been a public timeline of what happened over the weekend. The following day, Joe Gibbs Racing released a statement saying Hamlin was cleared to race at Martinsville and what transpired at California.

Unless we've missed something, we're not sure where the rumors Hamlin referenced Friday came from. But he apparently felt them serious enough to address.

"People who assume, people like that. I?ll tell you, but it bothers me that my character is questioned. People think that there?s some kind of conspiracy because like I said, I worked too hard to get here and it?s what I?ve wanted to do since I was five years old. There?s not one thing in the world that I would do to switch positions with anyone in the world because I just feel that lucky. I?m done justifying and defending myself on those things ? I?m not going to let those people drag me down. It?s just frustrating ? just because I?m out there a little bit more in the public that bugs me because I?m a human being and I like doing fun things.� If people think I have to go out and I have to drink to have fun, they?re wrong and they haven?t hung out with me because I don?t. It just bothers me because there?s people that like to make rumors and of course within our NASCAR community rumors become truth when enough people say it.� I?m done.?

Well, no, he wasn't done. He had one more comment before he left the media center. We're not going to say it was a Ruthian call of his shot, but Martinsville is one of his best tracks. And Hamlin obviously likes his chances.

?I?m going to win (the race) this weekend, I promise,? Hamlin said.

�

�

�

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/after-missing-fontana--denny-hamlin-is-confident-and-angry-about-perceived-doubts-of-his-character-202255940.html

Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco

Hamilton saga nearing endgame

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/hamilton_saga_nearing_endgame.html

Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud

Iowa Rain Out Causes Pit Crew Problems

On a normal NASCAR weekend when the Truck Series and/or Nationwide Series run companion to the Cup cars, there are a lot of pit crew members who double or triple dip. Crew members make some extra cash and get more reps, and the teams get top talent pitting their cars. But this last weekend presented [...]

TheNASCARInsiders.com

Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNascarInsiders/~3/R3FUmt0CNcQ/

Raul Boesel Menato Boffa Bob Bondurant Felice Bonetto

Ecclestone says two new F1 team entries will be accepted

Bernie Ecclestone says that two future F1 entries have been accepted – although he didn’t specify when they would join the World Championship. The two teams in the frame in recent weeks are from the USA and Romania. The Gene … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/04/06/ecclestone-says-two-new-f1-team-entries-have-been-accepted/

Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford