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Monday
There?s Nothing Wrong With Restarts
I’ve got to be honest, I don’t understand why there has been so much discussion this week about restarts. The rules are really pretty clear. The green flag waves, the leader can go between the two lines, you can’t beat the leader to the line, and don’t change lanes before the start/finish line. Seems pretty […]
With one Saturday night, the way we view on-track confrontations changed
If you're a racing fan, there's a bunch of them etched into your memory. Maybe you remember the first time you saw one live. Maybe it's because you've seen one over and over again on highlights throughout the years. Maybe because it involved your favorite driver.
What are "they," exactly? They're this:
And this:
And this:
Or, in printed form, it's when a driver on foot goes near another driver driving his car to express his displeasure.
Those moments of confrontation have elicited excitement, conjured up drama and added intrigue to NASCAR. And now we know how tragic they can be after Tony Stewart struck and killed Kevin Ward Saturday night in a dirt track race after Ward exited his car to confront Stewart.
After a crash at a short track like Bristol, when there's a history of dislike between two drivers or if it's something that looked a bit out of the ordinary, the intrigue between the moment the wrecked driver exits his race car and he goes to take the mandatory trip in the ambulance has always built suspense. Would the wrecked driver gesture at the driver he felt wronged him? Throw a helmet? Could whatever happens even go so far as to spawn a new feud? Or would the suspense be for naught, and would the driver do nothing?
After all, most crashes are attributed to "one of them racin' deals." That's what made the confrontations so extraordinary.
Now we unfortunately know the answer to a question none of us wanted to ask after a driver exits his car to go after another: What's the worst-case scenario in a literal conflict of man vs. machine?
There's a reason feuds and conflicts have become one of the sport's calling cards; in some way, we're all attracted to the sport because of them. However, emotions can be dangerous, and when combined with motor vehicles, the danger is only amplified. Road rage exists on both the highway and the race track.
No matter the circumstances that surround Saturday night's incident, it's a horrible, horrible tragedy. And it now serves as a perpetual reminder of the amplification. Will it serve as a trigger for drivers to bottle up the displeasure and save it for later? With the absence of clear rational thought in situations like these, it's impossible to guess.
For all of us that watch, however, it's going to be hard to see new and old incidents without thinking about Ward and Stewart. A symbol of what can make racing great now has a high-profile and tangible outcome that's impossible to ignore.
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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!
Sunday
Up close : Porsche Cayman GT4
During these last few weeks is making a lot of noise GT4 Porsche Cayman . With the official confirmation and implementation of the 4-cylinder Porsche will present almost certainly in less than a year, all eyes are on this version of the Cayman , which could debut worldwide this new engine . The Cayman GT4 […]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/708-up-close-porsche-cayman-gt4.html
Gerhard Berger Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia
Saturday
Lewis Hamilton: ?I was very, very shocked that the team would ask me to do that??
Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he was surprised that Mercedes asked him to move over for Nico Rosberg in Hungary. The pair came together on track while running different strategies, with the German on soft tyres and planning … Continue reading 
Friday
2014 mid-season F1 driver rankings part one: 22-13 | Driver rankings
The F1 Fanatic Driver Rankings are being produced for the tenth time this year, and as usual they began with a review of how the field has fared at the mid-season point.
Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/08/12/2014-mid-season-f1-driver-rankings-part-one-22-13/
Thursday
Ryan Blaney reportedly to drive for Wood Brothers in 2015
Have the Wood Brothers found their replacement for Trevor Bayne in 2015?
Motorsport.com reports that Ryan Blaney will run for the team next season on a limited basis and it will have a technical alliance with Team Penske. Blaney is a developmental driver for Penske. Currently, Wood Brothers Racing has an alliance with Roush Fenway Racing.
Bayne has driven for the team since 2010. He won the 2011 Daytona 500 and has run parts of five seasons with the team. The Wood Brothers currently do not run a full season. Bayne has run eight of the 20 Sprint Cup races this season. In 2015, he's moving up to the Sprint Cup Series with Roush, where he'll drive the No. 6 full-time. Bayne currently drives for Roush in the Nationwide Series.
Blaney is the points leader in the Camping World Truck Series and has driven part time for Penske in the Nationwide Series, winning last year at Kentucky. He made his Sprint Cup Series debut earlier this season for Penske at Kansas Speedway.
However, with Penske at two cars and Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski established in the team's two cars, there's no room for him at the moment in the Cup Series. Keselowski is Blaney's team owner in the Cup Series.
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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!
Wednesday
Greg Biffle says no deal is done for an extension at Roush Fenway Racing
Greg Biffle said a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing is not finalized.
Earlier in June, the Charlotte Observer reported that Biffle would sign a contract extension with the team and an official announcement could come as early as the week after the June 8 report. That hasn't obviously happened.
Biffle spoke about his contract with the AP on Friday at Sonoma.
Roush President Steve Newmark alo said that the two parties hadn't agreed to anything officially yet.
If Biffle stays at Roush Fenway, sponsor 3M is expected to stay with the team too.The team has Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. signed for next season in the Cup Series, but the contracts of Biffle and Carl Edwards are up after the season. Edwards has given no indication of his future plans.
After winning titles in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series, Biffle moved up to the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2003 and Roush is the only team he's driven for. He has 19 Cup Series wins, though he hasn't been very close this season. While Biffle has been consistent in 2014, Roush has lacked speed. Through 15 races, he has just four top-10 finishes.
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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!
How Red Bull made the calls that propelled Ricciardo to victory
Daniel Ricciardo’s superb win in Hungary was a result of both the irrepressible Aussie’s driving, and a unique strategy that proved to be just the ticket. For the second time this year Ricciardo and his team were able to take … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/07/28/how-red-bull-made-the-calls-that-propelled-ricciardo-to-victory/
Tuesday
2014 Indianapolis MotoGP Post-Race Press Releases
Press releases from the MotoGP teams, Bridgestone and Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix:
Round Number:
10 Year:
2014 
George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage
Monday
The TEN Best & Worst Driver Moves Ever
Shockwaves reverberated around the world of Formula One when Lewis Hamilton confirmed his controversial switch to Mercedes away from F1 giants McLaren for the 2013 season. The 28-year-old?s move included some strategy. Huge engine regulation adaptations will throw F1 into turmoil in 2014, so, on the back of an improved pay check, Hamilton?s garage transfer�looks [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/fI2cxxY5bwE/the-ten-best-worst-driver-moves-ever-4
Sunday
The latest from Germany
The reports that Bernie Ecclestone is offering $33 million to settle the criminal trial in Germany are just plain weird. There have long been rumours that Ecclestone was looking for a financial settlement, but it has always looked to be rather unlikely. A fine is OK for a parking offence, but only a politician could […]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/the-latest-from-germany/
Saturday
Dodge Charger Pursuit
We cover a ton of fast cars and torque-rich trucks here at TopSpeed, but sometimes we?ve got to examine what we?re up against — or what the bank robber who?s stolen a BMW 3 Series as a get-away car is up against. Take a look at the new 2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit. The new police cruiser from Dodge gets all the updates the civilian Charger gets, but also comes with all the right stuff for nabbin? perps.
Cops are very demanding of their cars; it?s their rolling office and has to be comfortable for an eight-hour shift, plus be ready for chasing suspects sideways down a back road or at 120 mph on the interstate. Dodge has brought the goods with the 2015 Charger Pursuit, retaining all the positive characteristics from the previous Charger, plus incorporating some new features that keep officers happy and Dodge competitive in the squad car category. Remember Ford and Chevy offer some stiff competition.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit.
Dodge Charger Pursuit originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 8 August 2014 15:00 EST.
Source: http://feeds.topspeed.com/~r/topspeed/~3/pcNvQfpS-Qo/2015-dodge-charger-pursuit-ar164828.html
Friday
Twelve car crash hurts the Chase chances of Menard, Stewart and Vickers
Paul Menard, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers were only three of the 12 drivers involved in a crazy crash on the backstretch on lap 118 of Sunday's race at Pocono. But when it comes to the championship, they were the drivers hurt the most.
The crash happened when Denny Hamlin got loose exiting turn one following a restart. Vickers was behind him and when he reacted, his car slid into Matt Kenseth's and the outside wall. From there, the track was essentially blocked and all of the cars behind them piled in.
Stewart's car ended up on top of the hood of Menard's.
All three drivers' cars were toast. While Menard wasn't officially classified out of the race, he finished 33rd, 17 laps down. Stewart finished 36th while Vickers finished 37th.
With five races to go before the Chase there are 11 different winners, meaning that unless there are five different new winners in the next five races (a HIGHLY unlikely possibility), winless drivers will make it in on points. And right now, with five winless drivers tentatively in the Chase, none of them are Menard, Vickers or Stewart.
Currently, Austin Dillon is the last winless driver in the Chase. Menard is now 26 points behind his teammate while Vickers and Stewart are even further back. Vickers is 49 points behind Dillon while Stewart is 51.
What does it mean? Well, the three better try to make that unlikely scenario a reality if they're to be part of the Chase. But the scenario is unlikely for a reason. Both Vickers and Menard have been consistent but haven't been in the hunt for wins. Neither has Stewart and his best chance for a win this year was the first Pocono race when he sped on pit road.
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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!
Thursday
Unfiltered Race notes: Houston Race 2 2014
Welcome to the always off-the-cuff unfiltered race notes for race two of the Grand Prix of Houston. This is just my internal monologue that runs throughout the race. Sit back and enjoy! –Prerace– Hot Hot Hot today. IMSP package of … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/29/unfiltered-race-notes-houston-race-2-2014/
Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis
Wednesday
McLaren P1 by MSO
McLaren Special Operations, McLaren’s bespoke division, was first launched at the Pebble Beach Concours d?Elegance in 2011. Since that time, MSO has been responsible for a handful of unique creations, including the 12C Concept Car that we first saw in December 2013 and the 650S Coupe Concept that was unveiled in April 2014. For the 2014 Pebble Beach show, McLaren is returning to the scene of the MSO’s debut with two new customized projects, this time for the almighty P1 and the 650S Spider.
The former, in particular, was commissioned by a North American customer and it further reinforces MSO’s billing as McLaren’s full personalization service for its owners. MSO’s work on the P1 is completely stunning. Actually, "stunning" might not even be a clear representation of the work MSO put into turning this P1 into a true one-of-a-kind showpiece model.
There are rare moments in life when you just sit back and admire someone else’s work, and The MSO P1 is one of those moments. I’d love to wax poetic about it, but even the sincerest form of hyperbole probably won’t do justice to the work McLaren’s MSO division put into this P1.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 McLaren P1 By MSO.
McLaren P1 by MSO originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 August 2014 16:00 EST.
Source: http://feeds.topspeed.com/~r/topspeed/~3/qjbEeIqwh5g/2015-mclaren-p1-by-mso-ar164740.html
Tuesday
Dodge Offering the SRT Hellcat Engine Ringtone for Free
So you don’t have enough money to afford a $60,990 2015 Dodge Challegner SRT. Don’t feel too bad because you’re not alone. But don’t worry because Dodge is throwing us a bone of sorts. Instead of having to buy a Challenger SRT to enjoy the throaty roar of its HEMI Hellcat engine, Dodge has released a free mobile ringtone of the 6.2-liter, supercharged engine, and we can download and enjoy it to our heart’s content.
The ringtone is currently available for Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices, so unless you still own an old Nokia or one of those Siemens brick phones form the `90s, you can get the Hellcat ringtone at no charge. In addition to the ringtone, Dodge is also offering downloadable wallpaper images of the muscle car, which you can use on your desktop or smartphones. How sweet of Dodge to think of us.
All you need to do is download the ringtone HERE and you’re well on your way to equipping your smartphones with one of the most awesome-sounding engines in the entire world.
That’s more than what Chevrolet or Ford has given us in recent memory.
Click "Play" to hear the ringtone
Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
Dodge Offering the SRT Hellcat Engine Ringtone for Free originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 August 2014 08:00 EST.
Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto
Monday
Silly Season So Far, Post-Crutchlow - Who Is Going Where
With the announcement that Cal Crutchlow is to move to the LCR Honda team for 2015, making space for Andrea Iannone to move up to the Factory Ducati team, the beginnings of a MotoGP grid are starting to emerge for 2015. Both Repsol Honda seats are confirmed, as are both Factory Ducati riders and Valentino Rossi at Movistar Yamaha, with Jorge Lorenzo expected to announce a deal with Yamaha very soon. In the satellite teams, only Pol Espargaro is confirmed at Monster Tech 3 Yamaha, as is Crutchlow at CWM-LCR Honda.
With those names in place, we can start to draw up a list of who will be where, and who could be where for 2015. We have broken that list into three separate tables, based on the certainty of their deals: riders with confirmed contracts; riders and teams with deals that are expected to be confirmed very soon; and deals which are likely to happen, but are still not certain. The confirmed deals speak for themselves, those riders will definitely be on those bikes in 2015 (or longer - the contract date is in the last column of the table). The interest is in the expected and possible tables, where things are still far from certain.
Sunday
Denny Hamlin isn't expecting things to change much at the track without Darian Grubb
As Darian Grubb begins his six-week suspension because of the penalties levied by NASCAR after Sunday's race at Indianapolis, his driver Denny Hamlin doesn't think it'll change much at the track without his crew chief.
Hamlin said Friday that Grubb and interim crew chief Mike Wheeler will be in constant contact. Plus, Hamlin's been with Wheeler for 10 years.
"I think not only the technology that you have ? the communication technology ? but really I'm in pretty good hands," Hamlin said. "I'm with the guy that I've been with for 10 years. I've been with Mike Wheeler longer than I've been with anyone in the Cup Series. We worked together a lot and pretty confident in the job that he's going to do, but on top of that then I get who was my car chief for 10 years, get him back to the race track. Even though it's tough losing those guys and it's tough for them especially I don't think things will change at the race track too much. Darian is in constant contact with Wheels at all times and myself. So, it's not too bad as far as that's concerned."
Wheeler has also served as Hamlin's interim crew chief before. Well, in a limited capacity. In 2012 at New Hampshire, Wheeler was in charge of Hamlin's team for practice and qualifying as Grubb was home because of the birth of his child.
The team is currently appealing the penalties, but instead of waiting, Grubb and car chief Wesley Sherrill started to serve their suspensions immediately. That means that the suspension is guaranteed to be over before the Chase begins. Had the team had Grubb and Sherrill wait and the entire penalties were upheld, the suspensions would have bled over into the Chase.
And during the (presumed) six weeks of their absence, Hamlin still likes his team's chances.
"Well, you use stuff like this as motivation to go out there and prove that you can run fast no matter what and you can run well," Hamlin said. "We were on a run there last really month and a half to two months that I feel like our cars were really starting to turn the corner. So, really, I'm excited about what these next six weeks brings.� We've got some great race tracks ahead of us�? a lot of them which we feel like we can win."
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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!
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 […] 
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