Alain de Changy Colin Chapman Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves
Wednesday
What Can We Expect For The Rest Of The Season?
At the mid-point of the Formula One break, it is a perfect time to review what has happened so far in the Championship, as well as to unveil the predictions for the return to business in Belgium. The year started with Jenson Button leading the chase, with his spectacular performance in Australia, closely followed by [...]
Wild Card Race: Ryan Newman is in, for now
With four races to go before the Chase, Marcos Ambrose's win vaulted him into serious Chase discussion, but Ryan Newman was also a big beneficiary of Watkins Glen's final lap craziness.
And so too, believe it or not, was Jeff Gordon, who found himself in the wall on the final turn of the race after spinning out because of oil on the track.
"I went to the outside and hit it (oil on the track) and just spun right out," Gordon, who ended up 21st, said. "I'm just really disappointed because we fought hard today to come back to get what was going to be a pretty nice finish. The thing is, I'm just disappointed at how hard we had to fight for the position. The points are going to be what the points are going to be. We can't control what other people do."
"We can only control what we do. And today, we took back control when we got off, and we were coming. It's just unfortunate that that gets taken away from you because NASCAR doesn't want to end the race under yellow. I understand. You want to keep it entertaining and give the winner a shot at it but there are a lot of other things going on our there too. I think they completely disregarded that and hey, it's over now. We'll move on."
One of the other people that Gordon was referring to was Kyle Busch, who was the leader as the white flag lap. Busch, now one of five drivers with a win outside the top 10, looked poised for win number 2 and a steady grip on the final Wild Card spot until that crazy final lap that saw him end up seventh.
""Yeah, (Busch winning) would have impacted it in a big way," Gordon said. "Again, we can't control what other people do. We can only control what we do. And we're not wishing bad luck on anybody. We're trying to go out there and race as hard as we can and get the best finishes that we can get."
If drivers are tied for a Wild Card position via wins, the tiebreaker becomes points position, and thanks to his 11th place finish, Newman tentatively holds the tiebreaker amongst the five with a win, as they are ordered like this:
13. Newman, -49 points from 10th.
14. Busch, -55
15. Gordon, -59
17. Ambrose, -93
18. Logano, -106
Winless Carl Edwards still lurks in 12th, 43 points out of the top 10, and imagine the craziness that could ensue if Edwards wins at Michigan next week? The lack of separation between Newman, Busch and Gordon at this point may mean that avoiding a bad finish is as important as getting that second win, while Ambrose and Logano are strictly needing another win.
We're looking (for a win) next week," Ambrose, who is still searching for his first oval win, said. "We got the pole at Michigan (in June).� We were running top five all day there.� No reason we can't go there and surprise them again."
Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion
Melkus files for bankruptcy in Germany
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So much promise, yet not enough to back it all up. Such is the case with German automaker Melkus who has now filed for bankruptcy in a Dresden district court.
German press sources have told GTSpirit that sales of the Melkus R2000 have fallen short of the company’s 25-models-a-year target, thus forcing the company to file for bankruptcy in a last ditch effort to keep the company afloat, albeit barely.
Since the company was relaunched in 2006, Melkus has produced a total of one model - the RS2000. Not exactly the kind of business Melkus had hoped for after six years of being in the business. Certainly, the car’s combination of performance and price - the RS2000 has an output of 325 horsepower and is priced at close to $200,000 - is pretty insane, especially considering the multitude of more powerful choices you can have for that kind of money, but apparently it was not enough to warrant any sales.
Melkus’ struggles appear to have come as a result of overestimating the market with a car that doesn’t pack the kind of punch warranted by its price. Now, it appears they’re paying a pretty steep price for it.
Melkus files for bankruptcy in Germany originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 18:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/melkus-files-for-bankruptcy-in-germany-ar133952.html
Tuesday
Whatever Happened To? Takuma Sato?
I never really warmed to the idea of staking a bet on the F1 result when Takuma Sato was around. Unpredictable didn?t even cover it. Short and comical, he looked more suited to competing in Japanese game show Takeshi?s Castle than Formula One racing. Active at the pinnacle of motorsport from 2002 to early 2008, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/FJxfNUYu1Lo/whatever-happened-to-takuma-sato-2
GM Workers in Columbia Protest in Painful Fashion
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Protests can be a great way to get a point across peacefully. Typically, they occur without any pain and suffering and an agreement is met at some point. In Columbia, we guess they do things a little differently.
Several ex-workers at GM plants in Columbia started protesting in front of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota to settle a grievance. The charges that the ex-workers are seeking reparation for are being fired after getting injured on the job and failure of the company to cover the resulting medical expenses. These workers now want GM to pay the medical bills and provide help to ousted workers in finding new employers.
Both requests seem typical of a protest, but recently the protest has taken an eerie turn, as the workers have gone on a hunger strike. How are they proving they aren’t eating? Well, they have literally sewn their mounts shut with needle and thread.
Their mouths are bound just tight enough to not allow food through, but loose enough for them to mumble out their points. Today would mark the 20th day these workers have gone without food and, according to the protesters, they are willing to die for their cause. If you look closely at the images, these guys have IVs in their hands and arms, so we are curious if they are getting nutrition and liquids fed to them intravenously. Regardless, they have to be getting fluids somehow, as you cannot survive 21 days without water.
The amount of time you can live without food varies, depending on your body, but somber examples ? Northern Ireland protests in 1981 ? have shown you can live up to 73 days without food.
GM’s response to these protests? "GM Colmotores is respectful of the law and has never put the health or the well-being of its employees at risk," GM said. "Furthermore, the company would like to reassure and reaffirm that no employee has been discharged for health reasons."
The protesting workers state that GM is taking advantage of the country’s lenient labor laws to get away with not providing compensation for medical costs and firing them. Some of the protestors have undergone years of injuries and costly surgeries and now find themselves without a job and drowning in medical debt.
Let’s just hope this gets itself sorted out by GM stepping up or the ex-workers putting a stop to this starvation protest. Are medical bills and unemployment really worth losing your life?
GM Workers in Columbia Protest in Painful Fashion originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 11:00 EST.
Allmendinger?s business manager says he tested positive for amphetamines
AJ Allmendinger's business manager said Wednesday that the driver tested positive for amphetamines, however, they were unsure of what the amphetamine exactly was.
Allmendinger's business manager, Tara Ragan, confirmed multiple media reports Wednesday that an amphetamine triggered the positive test. Ragan said Allmendinger was waiting for additional data from the laboratory that might help identify the source of the amphetamine.
''What is it, exactly? That, we still don't know,'' Ragan said.
NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said on SPEED's Race Hub Wednesday night that it was protocol to inform Allmendinger of the specific substance. Allmendinger was suspended indefinitely from NASCAR Tuesday after his 'B' sample corroborated with the positive drug test of his 'A' sample after the Kentucky race on June 30.
"Actually, specific substance, not stimulant, that is something that they said. We don't reveal the actual substance," Higdon said. "But it's part of the protocol that's outlined in our rulebook, the medical review officer does in fact inform the competitor of the exact substance that he or she has tested positive for. That information is also conveyed to NASCAR."
Well then, that's interesting, isn't it? Penske Racing President Tim Cindric said that the team hasn't been notified of the specifics, saying that all the team knows is what's been released by Allmendinger's camp publicly.
Earlier Wednesday, Ragan confirmed that Allmendinger would be entering NASCAR's Road to Recovery Program immediately in an attempt to return to the track as fast as possible. Given the likely timeline of the program ? generally five months or so ? it's doubtful that Allmendinger will be eligible to compete before the end of the season. Sam Hornish is scheduled to be in the car on Sunday at Indianapolis and the following weekend at Pocono.
Marco Apicella Mбrio de Araъjo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold
Monday
Alonso unsure whether Kubica will make F1 return | F1 Fanatic round-up
Alonso unsure whether Kubica will make F1 return is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
In the round-up: Alonso says Kubica is pained by his F1 absence ? Newey warns over engine manufacturer dominance in 2014 ? Caterham reveal new factory
Alonso unsure whether Kubica will make F1 return is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/08/21/f1-fanatic-roundup-218/
GB 1-2-3
Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta and Jenson Button led the Q1 session in Hungary, ahead of Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa. The top 10 was completed by Kimi Raikkonen and Bruno Senna. The two Red Bulls struggled with Mark Webber 16th and Sebastian Vettel 17th, while Daniel Riccardo was [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/gb-1-2-3/
Christian Danner Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies
Remember the Sunfire Prototype?
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In our weekly scrounge to try and dig up an interesting photo for you folks, we came across something rather interesting that we had forgotten all about. In 1995, GM decided it was time to overhaul the Cavalier and axe the Sunbird altogether. With the exit of the Sunbird came the introduction of the ?sportier? Pontiac Sunfire ? ah, GM’s creative naming department struck gold there. What we tend to forget is that the Sunfire project started in the early-1990s and was far different than the end result.
To think that the crappy Sunfire was actually a hot concept car with true sports car appearance and likely matching performance numbers seems preposterous, but it’s true. From this photo, you can see just what GM was working on and, on the outside, it was a stunner. Now, inside was a different story. You can see the huge, clunky 1990s GM buttons on the center of the steering wheel and a plethora of these eyesores on the center console too.
One of the advertising gimmicks on this flier, which was distributed at car shows, was the remote-control CD player. This was for those people that just did not have the energy to move their arm the foot or so, needed to touch the CD player’s buttons. What innovative thinkers GM was in the 1990s, right?
Anywho, we need to thank Flickr user Hugo90 for the laughs we got from this blast from the past. Make sure to check out his entire photo stream here, as he has tons of awesome pictures and fliers from various car shows.
Remember the Sunfire Prototype? originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 18 August 2012 06:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/remember-the-sunfire-prototype-ar133711.html
Video: How do Gordon, Edwards and Kyle Busch fit into the wild card picture?
We're only a handful of races from the Chase, and oh, it's getting good down in Wild Card territory. Is Jeff Gordon now the favorite to get in? Where does that leave Kyle Busch? And does Carl Edwards even have a prayer anymore? Your favorite NASCAR Jays, Hart and Busbee, kick around all these topics and more! more! more! in this week's Burning Questions. Enjoy!
Sunday
While leading at Montreal, Danica Patrick hits a shoe
Who throws a shoe? Apparently, someone at Montreal.
While Danica Patrick was leading Saturday's Nationwide Series race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a spectator threw a shoe onto the track, and the shoe landed in the racing groove. As Patrick led the field back to the spot where the shoe was, she ran it over squarely and its remains shot out from underneath her car.
It looked innocuous enough ? it's just a sneaker, right? Well, Patrick's car immediately started to lose the handling and eventually, what looked to be a bracket or a bolt came out from underneath her car. Her chances at the win were over. She finished 26th, six laps down.
Justin Allgaeir won the race.
The shoe was the bizarre conclusion to Patrick's adventures in the three Nationwide Series road course races this season. In the first, at Road America, she was spun by Jacques Villeneuve (Gilles' son) on the final lap while running fourth. Last week at Watkins Glen, she was collected in a wreck not of her own doing on the first turn of the first lap of the race. She finished last.
Before Saturday's sole incident, Patrick had one of the day's best cars, and after taking the lead through pit strategy and a timely caution, had cleanly held on to it. Patrick has shown flashes of competitiveness at times in 2012 ?�especially on road courses ?�but crashes and incidents like the one on Saturday have been the story of her season. Through 22 races she has failed to finish six times and is 11th in the points standings.
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Massa quickest in touring car weekend at Interlagos | F1 Fanatic round-up
Massa quickest in touring car weekend at Interlagos is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
In the round-up: Massa appears in touring car race at Interlagos ? Ecclestone open to Turkey return ? Hewland gearbox company founder dies
Massa quickest in touring car weekend at Interlagos is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/08/19/f1-fanatic-roundup-198/
Trouble ends promising days for Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
A potential win spun out of Tony Stewart's grasp on Sunday and so did the points lead out of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s as the two ended up outside the top 20 thanks to late race spins.
Stewart spun in turn 7 after getting his right side tires on the inside curb in turn 7 on lap 71. The contact with the curb, wet from rain during the previous caution flag just a few laps prior, sent Stewart's car around and into the inside retaining wall. He finished 19th.
At the time Stewart, a five-time Watkins Glen winner, was running second to Brad Keselowski after overcoming a pit road equipment violation that put him back in 25th place. Immediately after the violation, Stewart made up 12 spots in seven laps. e's now 8th in the points standings, and as of now, would still start the Chase tied with Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson atop the standings with three wins.
Junior, winless on road courses in NASCAR, ran in the top 10 for most of the day and was in position to maintain his position atop the Sprint Cup points standings, until he spun with eight laps to go.
[Related: Marcos Ambrose victorious in a slip-n-slide Watkins Glen finish]
"I just got in the corner and made a mistake and that was pretty much all there was to it. I was just overdriving the car," Junior said.
The mistake and ensuing pit stop for flat spotted tires dropped Junior all the way to 28th place and put teammate Johnson into the points lead, by one point over Greg Biffle and two points over Matt Kenseth, who finished sixth and eighth, respectively. Junior is now fourth, 17 points back.
"I know most people look at it and they just think we're a shoe-in because we're so far ahead of 11th, but after wrecking out the last two weeks in a row, we needed to get a solid finish and this is definitely not a good track for me, so it's good to get a solid finish," Kenseth said.
That last pit stop that Junior made because of the spin put him privy to the chaos that ensued over the last 1.5 laps around Watkins Glen, a situation that he didn't want to be in.
"(Oil) was everywhere. You couldn't see it, but it was everywhere," Junior said. "So you didn't know where to run and I saw the leaders were coming and I was just trying to get out of the way and they were in oil and I was in oil and then I watched everything that happened in front of me. It was a bad deal, I think. The track shouldn't have oil on it. It's a tough deal I guess. But it finished out with all that oil on the track. I don't really like that. It was a bad ugly finish at the end."
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Restructuring rumours
There are reports that there is another technical restructuring taking place at Mercedes AMG Petronas. Given that the current structure has not even had time to settle down, it seems rather more likely that any shuffling going on is simply to redistribute roles following the departure of Loic Bigois, who had been managing aerodynamic programmes. [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/restructuring-rumours/
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