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Thursday
Wednesday
New BMW 7 Series Luxury and Sport
The German manufacturer BMW is synonymous with sporty elegance, and the new 7 Series would not be so. The new saloon renewed Germanic elements and introduces: new LED headlamps, a more luxurious interior and best soundproofing as well as having the most advanced security features. The new engines such as six-cylinder diesel engine, the most [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/305-new-bmw-7-series-luxury-and-sport.html
Chase math: Biffle, Johnson, Earnhardt, Kenseth are locks
Saturday night at Bristol marked the first opportunity for several drivers to clinch spots in the Chase, and four have done so. Let's run them down, shall we?
Greg Biffle: The current points leader, he's in the midst of a career year. He's got two wins and 10 top 5s, and everything would seem to be pointing to this as a championship-threat season were it not for ...
Jimmie Johnson: Five-Time is looking to become Six-Time, and he's showing that he's got both the horsepower and the focus to do just that. Three wins and a series-leading 12 top 5s are just the start of his accolades this year. He's not completely dominant, but he'll do till dominance comes along. That's not a surprise, unlike the performance of ...
[Related: The wild-card race for the Chase ... is wild]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: The monkey is off his back, and so too are the shackles that have kept him running poorly for most of the last decade. He's recorded a victory and 10 top 5s, and remains a threat to run well virtually every single race.
The above drivers clinched spots in the Chase itself, meaning they'll be able to take advantage of the bonus points from their wins. There's one more driver who's also guaranteed at least a wild card spot:
Matt Kenseth: Early season domination has given way to a long, slow slide. Still, he's got a win and nine top 5 finishes. He'll need to regain some of his spring mojo if he wants to challenge for a Cup, but the way he runs best, just within sight of the leaders of every race, bodes well for November.
Most other drivers are in good shape to clinch at Atlanta; only Tony Stewart remains in serious jeopardy of falling out of the top 10, and his three wins all but guarantee him at least a wild card spot.
It's one step along the way for these four drivers, but it's an important one. The Chase is a reality. Time now to start thinking about a Cup.
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2012 Charlotte Race Weeks Events Guide
Welcome to TNI’s annual look at things to do in Charlotte during All-Star and Coke 600 weeks. If you?re in town, or on your way, below is a list of things for you to do while you?re here. If you know of an event occurring in town not listed please feel free to add it [...] 
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Williams Admit Bottas A Possibility For 2013
Williams executive director, Toto Wolff, has admitted that Valtteri Bottas is a realistic option for the team ahead of 2013. The Finn has been earning rave reviews for his abilities, and has frequently participated in Friday Practice leading to speculation surrounding a racing seat for next season. Williams are expected to finalise their driver lineup [...]
Tuesday
AJ Allmendinger completes ?Road to Recovery,? reinstated by NASCAR
Allmendinger had been suspended indefinitely earlier this summer for testing positive for a still-unrevealed stimulant at the Kentucky race. Allmendinger and his team had initially called the test results into question, but once a second sample turned up the same result, he consented to NASCAR's judgment. He told a curious story about taking Adderall, but in the end, he didn't disagree with the sport's judgment.
The knock on Allmendinger was that he would follow in Jeremy Mayfield's footsteps, fighting every inch of the way. He didn't; he took the wiser route and is now back in the sport faster than perhaps anyone expected.
Of course, he returns to a NASCAR changed even since he was suspended in July. Joey Logano has taken over his old seat, and there's no guarantee of another coming available for him anytime soon. He's indicated that he'll take time to explore his options. But at least now he has them.
Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion
2012 Chase Prospects: Tony Stewart goes for title number four
The battle between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards will be the standard on which all Sprint Cup championship battles will be judged from here on out. And if that's not enough by itself, Stewart's five Chase wins, the most by any Championship winning driver, is also a new benchmark.
And Stewart has another benchmark too. In his first Chase win in 2005, he won the title without winning a single Chase race -- the only driver to do that too. (Note: that's probably why he was so dismissive of any questions about a specific Chase-winning formula on Friday.)
What does this mean? Well it means that Stewart will win 10 races when he wins his third Chase, but that won't happen until 2017. So sorry Tony, you'll have to wait a while.
Honestly, Stewart winning the Chase this year may be as much of a surprise as it was last year. After starting off strongly with wins at Las Vegas and Fontana, Stewart, who (obligatory comment about how awesome he usually is in the summer), has finished outside the top 10 in six of the last 10 races leading up to the Chase. Yeah, he does have one win in that stretch (Daytona), but last year heading into the Chase, he had five top 10s in the final 10 regular season races.
Best Chase Track: That's Chicago, site of tomorrow's Geico 400. Stewart has three wins and 9 top 10s in 11 starts there. Pretty good.
Worst Chase Track: By average finish, it's Talladega, but doesn't it seem that Talladega is low on the list for everyon? It's that whole lottery thing. Stewart's second worst average finish at a Chase track is at Charlotte, where he has one win and 12 top 10s in 27 starts.
NB's Prediction: 4th. Stewart gets the benefit of the doubt here because of his performance last year. This is the ultimate in toss-up scenarios for Smoke. Given last year, it's not surprising if he's in the battle for the title until the final race. Given the last 10 races, it's equally not as surprising if he's not.
VIDEO: Cars get airborne in first corner at Spa F1 race
Romain Grosjean's car catapulted over two others, including points leader Fernando Alonso, as the field entered the first turn of Sunday's Formula 1 Bengian Grand Prix at Spa.
In the series' first race in 35 days, Grosjean initially triggered the crash as he moved to the right, making contact with Lewis Hamilton as he attempted to get in front of him. After the contact, Hamilton's car immediately snapped to the left, and his car -- with the front wheels off the ground -- pushed Grosjean's into the field in front of them braking for the first turn.
Grosjean's car then launched over Sergio Perez and Alonso, and both Alonso and Hamilton also got airtime in the melee. Thankfully, no one was hurt. As you can see from the video above, Grosjean's car flew right in front of Alonso's cockpit. Because of the crash, Grosjean has been suspended for next week's race at Monza. Jenson Button won Sunday's race.
Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca
Join us for the latest NASCAR live chat, Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET
Time again for a live NASCAR chat! We'll discuss Bristol, Atlanta, the Chase and whatever else is on your mind. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. ET. Bring a helmet to throw.
Stewart and Kenseth don?t anticipate carryover from Bristol crash
Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth have moved on from their tangle on Saturday night.
On Saturday, after the two collided on the track and Stewart flung his helmet at Kenseth, Stewart said that "I'm going to run over him every chance I get for the rest of the year." On Tuesday after a promotional appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he said that he had no intention of seeking Kenseth out on the track for unprovoked retribution.
'You get over that stuff. It's been part of racing for as long as I can remember and that won't be the last time you see two drivers have a disagreement,'' Stewart said, adding he'll only run over Kenseth ''if I need to. It's not our intention to go seek him out.
''We've gotten along more races than we've disagreed.''
Kenseth was at Kansas Speedway on Tuesday for a Goodyear tire test to prepare for the track's newly repaved surface, and he shared Stewart's sentiment and said that the two had more important things to focus on in the next 12 race; namely the championship.
"I think you're going to have problems with people here or there and most times its not one person's fault and you've got to work those problems out and move on," Kenseth said.
"People don't see things the same way. If everybody saw the same thing the same way, there would never be wrecks ? well, I guess there would be accidents but there wouldn't be as many."
Stewart added that he was happy that he wasn't penalized for the helmet toss. However, it would have been surprising if he did. Todd Bodine threw his helmet earlier in the year at Pocono and wasn't penalized.
'I figured I was going to get some kind of penalty for it, so it's nice to know that's something you can get away with," Stewart said. "I just wish we could get a more lengthy list of what we can do and can't do. I think we could make it a lot more entertaining if we knew what we could do.''
Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain
Monday
VIDEO: Cars get airborne in first corner at Spa F1 race
Romain Grosjean's car catapulted over two others, including points leader Fernando Alonso, as the field entered the first turn of Sunday's Formula 1 Bengian Grand Prix at Spa.
In the series' first race in 35 days, Grosjean initially triggered the crash as he moved to the right, making contact with Lewis Hamilton as he attempted to get in front of him. After the contact, Hamilton's car immediately snapped to the left, and his car -- with the front wheels off the ground -- pushed Grosjean's into the field in front of them braking for the first turn.
Grosjean's car then launched over Sergio Perez and Alonso, and both Alonso and Hamilton also got airtime in the melee. Thankfully, no one was hurt. As you can see from the video above, Grosjean's car flew right in front of Alonso's cockpit. Because of the crash, Grosjean has been suspended for next week's race at Monza. Jenson Button won Sunday's race.
BREAKING: Kenseth Out At Roush; To Gibbs
Sources are telling TNI, Roush Fenway executives announced to the organization today that Matt Kenseth would be leaving the team at the end of the season. Despite earlier rumors that Penske would be Kenseth’s destination, all signs indicate Joe Gibbs Racing as the driver’s future home. What that means for the Gibbs teams is not [...] 
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Power Rankings: The Hamster Dance continues
The race is done, and that means it's time for Power Rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. It is not scientific, nor is it meant to be. And remember, whoever your favorite driver is, we're biased against him and like someone else better. We continue with a guy who's on a roll leading into the Chase:
1.� Denny Hamlin: Is Denny the championship favorite heading into the Chase? Nope, but then, anybody who says they can pick the champion at this point, especially after last year, is either lying or they're in on the fabled NASCAR conspiracy. (Speaking of which: go to Vegas and throw a few bucks on Truex. Trust me.)�Last week: 1.
2. Jeff Gordon: Problem with being a critic in NASCAR is that there comes a time when you'll have to eat your words. All season long, people have been dogging Gordon's chances, and here he is finishing the regular season 3-2-2. Crow is delicious with a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Last week: 3.
3. Jimmie Johnson: As journalists, or whatever passes for one, we're expected to root for the story, not the individual. And of the 12 drivers racing in the Chase, about 11 of them would be a better story than Jimmie Johnson winning. That said, we're also expected not to be complete idiots. (Granted, we often fall short.) And for that reason, it's tough to pick against the 48. Sorry. Last week: 4.
4. Brad Keselowski: Where do you see Keselowski falling in this year's Chase? He's the kind of guy who could throw together a couple wins and really scare some people. Plus, I really want to see him trash-talking during those infamous Homestead joint press conferences.�Last week: 2.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: It never fails to buoy my spirit when Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes the lead and his fans go absolutely batcrap insane in the stands. I mean, these people love Dale Junior more than you love anything in your life. It's nice to see people happy. If he does win the championship, however, I'm sure I'll regret saying all this.� Last week: 7.
6. Greg Biffle: Has there ever been a regular-season leader so overlooked in the playoffs?�I am hereby starting a campaign for the next 10 weeks of the Chase: WHY NOT BIFFLE? Let's see if we can use a little social media joy to get him to respond. Post it on Facebook, use #whynotbiffle on Twitter. Time to mobilize, Biffle Nation!�Last week: 6.
7. Clint Bowyer: Ol' Rawhide had that nine-spot locked down in these rankings for so long we started mistaking him for Marcos Ambrose! Ha ha! Anyway, you've got to love Bowyer making such a turnaround (literally) at Richmond, and the fact that Juan Pablo Montoya knocked him out of the Chase last year has to make this even sweeter. Last week: 9.
8. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex isn't quite in the happy-to-be-here class, but I would be a lot higher on him if he'd won a race along the way. Something about the Chase clocks the top guys into a higher gear. You don't want them to get too far ahead of you, or your Chase will be over before you leave Chicago. Last week: 5.
9. Tony Stewart: I really would love to accompany Tony Stewart to someplace out of his comfort zone, like a kid's birthday party. He'd either charm the heck out of everyone there, or he'd be throwing cake and inspiring the kids to riot within minutes. Probably both. Point being ... ? Oh, right. You never know quite what you're getting with Stewart, so it's best to just hope he doesn't destroy everything around you as he rolls through your life.� Last week: 11.
10. Matt Kenseth: I don't have much to write about Matt Kenseth this week. I really don't. I wish I did, but he wasn't particularly outstanding at any facet of the NASCAR game this week. That's OK, it happens. We all have weeks where we just sort of let it roll and don't really make much of an impact ... oh, hey, we've got enough here.�Last week: 10.
11. Kasey Kahne: Whatcha thinking about Kasey's chances? He's one of the few guys I think could sneak up on the field, running well and then winning a key race or two to stay in the conversation through into November. He'd be fun to see as a champion, if only because watching crazy cougars chase him is more fun than watching JK Simmons in those Farmers ads.� Last week: 8.
12. Kevin Harvick: All right, FINE, I guess we have to put Harvick in here because he made the Chase. We don't really use Nationwide races in our factoring here (or maybe we do; rules tend to change when we feel like it). But Harvick has been a Nationwide beast of late. Plus, he said that fatherhood hadn't softened him; he still wants to punch Kyle Busch in the face. Good quote, that. Last week: NR.
Dropping out of the rankings: Kyle Busch, of course.�
The Mark Martin Lucky Dog: We were going to give this to Mark Martin yet again, but he's run well enough to earn its entire title. So we give it to Jeff Burton, who deserves it for his strong Richmond performance. Don't go measuring yourself for the 31 just yet, Austin Dillon.
The Carl Edwards DNF: Kyle Busch. Seriously, this had to be one of the most disappointing races of his life. The wild card, and an entry into the Chase, was there for the taking and things fell apart.
All right, your turn. Fire away, friends.
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Sunday
Gordon Off To Worst Start Of His Career
Three lead lap finishes through ten races, two DNFs, an average finish of 21.6, and a points position of 23rd. It all adds up to the worst start of Jeff Gordon’s career. And with a crash and a 33rd place finish at Talladega, there is no end in sight to Gordon’s bad luck. After blowing [...] 
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Audi SQ5 TDI Exclusive Concept
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At the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Audi will be bringing along a special edition SQ5 TDI model called the Executive Concept.
To be fair, we’re looking forward to seeing this car on the showroom floor for a number of reasons including a unique body color that we haven’t seen before from an Audi. The concept also promises a luxurious interior befitting its "Exclusive Concept" designation.
Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to be excited about when it comes to the SQ TDI Exclusive Concept. (Wait until you hear how much it’s going to cost).
In any case, the car is scheduled to make an appearance in Paris, which, in itself, is worthy of coverage. It won’t be the sexiest or the most eye-popping of the cars headed to France, but we’re still interested to see if Audi can change our minds on our initial underwhelming opinion of this production-ready, limited-run concept.
Find out more about the Audi SQ5 TDI Exclusive Concept after the jump.
Audi SQ5 TDI Exclusive Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 15 September 2012 03:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/audi/2013-audi-sq5-tdi-exclusive-concept-ar134907.html
On The Ground? MotoGP at IMS, 2011 Edition
(Note: WHAT?!? Another non-indycar related post? I know, I know; before anything else I was a fan of The Speedway so getting the chance to write about it is always exciting. I really enjoy these on-the-ground reports and many open … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/on-the-ground-motogp-at-ims-2011-edition/
Kyle Busch?s championship hopes end on a blown pit call
RICHMOND, Va. - The official on pit road standing beside Kyle Busch's right rear wheel lifted his hand, signaling a violation, and effectively ended the last of the No. 18 M&M's Toyota's 2012 championship hopes.
A lug nut sat there beside the wheel, a lone lug nut, barely larger than a quarter. But the precious time needed to get that lug nut properly screwed onto the car, combined with a curious don't-pit call by crew chief Dave Rogers during the final, brief rain delay, killed any chance that Kyle Busch had of holding off Jeff Gordon and securing a spot in the 2012 Chase.
It wasn't supposed to be this hard. Busch brought a 12-point lead and unquestioned Richmond dominance into the Federated Auto Parts 400, and every indication early in the race was that he'd waltz right into the Chase and, from there, do some damage to the rest of the field in pursuit of his first championship.
Instead, Busch's late-season swoon continues for yet another year. His early-race domination had faded by the time of the long red flag pause at lap 152, and Rogers' decision to keep Busch out on the last rain caution, perhaps in a gamble that the rain would halt the race there, ended up destroying Busch's chances at catching Gordon. By the time Busch did pit, he was well back in the field, a victim of older tires.
The decision may also have an impact on Rogers' future at Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch and Rogers haven't clicked the way anyone had hoped, and this error, for which Rogers took responsibility, is the kind of choice from which a crew chief may not recover. Mike Ford had a similar pit miscue in Phoenix in 2010 that contributed to Denny Hamlin's championship loss, and Hamlin's relationship with Ford never recovered.
Still, Gibbs gave his support: "We love Dave Rogers," he said, according to the AP. "I think he's one of the brightest and the best. If we have a tough night, we all have a tough night together."
On Saturday night, as Busch climbed from the car after the race, team owner Joe Gibbs leaned in close and said, "Handle [defeat] the right way." Busch did so by giving a two-question, 20-word interview.
"We missed," he said. "That's it. Plain and simple."
Unfortunately it's not. When perhaps the most talented driver in the sport fails yet again to make any kind of dent in the championship picture, it's never "plain and simple." But for Busch and Gibbs, that's a problem that will have to wait until at least 2013 for a solution.
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