Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/m4o87pUctlo/riding-duh-rails-again.html
Monday
2012 Chase Prospects: Can Clint Bowyer bring Michael Waltrip a championship?
It's not supposed to be this easy. You don't take a team that's a punchline, slap a Chase-worthy driver in there and see immediate dividends. Yet that's exactly what happened with Michael Waltrip Racing and its star acquisition, Clint Bowyer.
Sure, Bowyer and Waltrip haven't had the best history, but they learned this year that winning is a powerful bandage, and hurt feelings have no place in victory lane. Combined with new crew chief Brian Pattie, Bowyer rolled off two wins this year, including a regular season-ender at Richmond just a few days ago. He spent the entire season in the top 10, never in any real danger of losing his Chase berth.
Bowyer never really comes up in championship conversation, mainly because he's always one of those guys who's not quite mounting up enough top 5 finishes to really scare the leaders. But he has a right-place, right-time knack, and if he's able to secure some early wins, you never know. You never know!
Best Chase track: Things start off well for Bowyer; his best track is Chicago, where he's got an average finish of 10.2 over six races. He'll need an early start to get ahead of the projected leaders; a victory in one of the first few races will keep him in the hunt far longer than his usual good-but-not-great runs of late. (Richmond excepted, of course.)
Worst Chase track: Charlotte, where he's achieved only a 17.5 average finish. That's not the kind of finish you want on your record in the Chase, since it necessitates two to three top 5 finishes to offset it. But hey, you know that going in, you can prepare.
JB's take: Not this year, but this is a case where just getting into the Chase is a huge achievement. Bowyer was brought to MWR as a Chase-worthy driver, and he delivered immediately. That's the kind of foundation that the team can build on in future seasons. At the moment, Bowyer doesn't have the squad to hang with the Johnsons and Hamlins of the world, but before long, he just might.
Volkswagen CC ? Four Door Coupe
In order to compete in today?s auto industry; manufacturers have to constantly come up with new cars, models, safety features, design, etc. There were some doubts within the industry when Volkswagen unveiled their Passat CC in 2007, but as it happens, it turned out to be a worldwide success. The Passat CC was inspired by [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/315-volkswagen-cc-four-door-coupe.html
Sunday
Should This Brit Be The Subject Of The Speculation In Singapore?
Lewis Hamilton destroyed the field in Monza a fortnight ago to signal his title intentions going into the business end of the F1 season. It will be all eyes on the Brit again in Singapore this weekend as he attempts to close a 37 point gap on Championship leader Alonso with seven races remaining. However, [...]
Waterfall The New Opel Convertible
The new Opel roadster will be named: waterfall. A car that inspires freshness, beauty and pure driving pleasure. With balanced proportions, muscular and slim line appearance is that of an elegant and luxurious car. Dispenses with the hardtop, as usual lately, to mount a high quality soft top. It is designed for those car lovers [...]
Source: http://www.autocarblog.co.uk/324-waterfall-the-new-opel-convertible.html
Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis
2012 Portimao WSBK Friday Round Up: Penultimate Weekend
In what might be the last World Superbike weekend at Portimao for a few years, the World Supersport championship could be decided on Sunday, while the World Superbike title will likely be decided on the last race of the year, in a fortnight's time.
Happy Hour: Who?s to blame for Kyle Busch?s downfall?
I waited out much of the rain in Richmond in my brother's camper. While wandering the campgrounds, I had a thought: Why on earth has nobody done a reality show about the NASCAR infield? You could have everything from cooking challenges ("Here's three pounds of roadkill, some pepper and a beer. Go!") to athletic competition (Full-contact corn holing ? GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER) to beauty pageants to voted-out-of-the-infield drama ... it's perfect! And the thing is, the NASCAR infield (or campground, in places like Richmond) is completely impervious to cliche or stereotype. You cannot make fun of something that's funnier on its own than anything you could come up with. When this becomes a series on ESPN, I want executive producer credit.
Your letters:
The first thing that popped into my head after Kyle Busch missed the Chase was "It's always the crew chief, never Kyle." I knew as soon as the race was over and he missed the Chase, the Kyle fans would be screaming for Dave Rogers to get fired. To be fair, yes, it was a gamble betting on weather that didn't pay off, and the pit crew dropped a lug nut. But if you listened to the 18 radio after about lap 300 like I did, Kyle sounded dejected and it seemed like his head wasn't in the game. Jeff Gordon, on the other hand, kept fighting through adversity and quite honestly gave the greatest second-place finish I have ever seen. Kyle's problem is Kyle. It probably will always be, no matter who his crew chief is. When the going gets tough and there is major pressure on his shoulders, he loses mental focus and folds quicker than one of those crappy plastic chairs you can buy at the dollar store.
?Chris in Crestview
Yeah, sentiment on Twitter wasn't exactly running in Rogers' favor. But you're right, Rogers' boneheaded pit call was only one of the many elements that doomed Kyle that night. Chances are good he won't be back in the same capacity, assuming that this was one of a number of miscommunications and not a one-time bad effort. I'd bet that he's around for one more year, but Coach Gibbs will keep him on a shorter leash than John Riggins. ('80s Redskins references! Timely!) Now, as for how Kyle could have gotten into the Chase ...
____________________
I have read some columns saying Kyle Busch was done in by early season mishaps, and hey, I am on record saying he got screwed at Watkins Glen, but this time his team did themselves in by losing focus again. At the start of the race, the Chase [spot] was Kyle's to lose, and he was not racing the field, he was racing one car, the 24. His pit strategy should have been simple: do whatever the 24 does. Why did they stay out on that last caution? He wasn't racing the field, and even if he were, with a driver like Kyle, put four new tires on and let him drive to the front. But they thought too much. It's a shame, really.
?Dean
Centerton, AR
Bingo. That's exactly it: Kyle should have been racing Gordon and Gordon only. Hell, he only missed by three points, and he lost two points on the last lap at Richmond! You'll note by the finishing order that Denny Hamlin, who had owned the race earlier on, mysteriously dropped like a rock to finish behind Kyle. But you'll also note that the Hendrick boys finished right in front of him. Think all that's a coincidence? I don't. I also think that finishing within 12 points of Jeff Gordon at Richmond is something Kyle should have been able to do while napping, but hey, that's why they race the races.
More Kyle:
____________________
I realize that his misfortunes tonight were not of his making, but does it seem to you like it does to me that Kyle Busch is to JGR what the Titanic was to the White Star Line? The brightest and the best who falls short when it really counts.
?Joyce Keith
Boy, time really does heal all wounds, doesn't it? You think football fans in 2083 are going to be using 9/11 as a comparative reference for when their team sucks? Probably. We humans are awful. Anyway, yeah, if you're going to go all White Star, the famed British shipping line with three flagships, Kyle is Titanic, Denny is Olympic (reliable, hung around forever) and Logano is Britannic (hit a mine and sunk early in its use). Next week: We compare the Hendrick boys to the artists of the Italian Renaissance. Shoot, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Botticelli are practically separated at birth.
_____________________
During the pit stops of any of NASCAR's top three series, television announcers always seem to mention the Sunoco brand name when describing that the car/truck has been fueled. Is there some contractual agreement between Sunoco and the networks which require that the announcers mention Sunoco? It's hard not to miss this little plug.
?John Giorgio
Funny you should ask. We reached out to Andy Hall, communications maestro at ESPN, and he gave us this statement: "Sunoco fuel is an endemic part of NASCAR races but as a matter of company policy, we do not discuss our business deals." That crafty Andy! He even used Sunoco fuel in the statement about using Sunoco fuel! And now he's got me doing it! Aaaaaggghh!!
Anyway, you can draw your own conclusions about Suno- about that particular product's prominent mentions.
_____________________
This has been a bizarre year in NASCAR. Had you told me any of the following would happen at the beginning of the year I would have thought you'd spent too much time 'round the shine.
1. JPM will run over a Jet Dryer during the Daytona 500. Oh, it will end on Tuesday morning too.
2. Team 48 will have a significant penalty repealed.
3. Caution flags will be virtually nonexistent.
4. There won't be any fights. Though tweeting and water bottles will cause controversy.
5. AJ Allmendinger will be suspended for drug use.
6. Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards will miss the Chase.
7. MWR will put two cars in the Chase.
8. Jeff Gordon will make the Chase only because Alan Gustafson keeps a magic wand in his backside.
9. Junior will lead the points for two weeks.
10. Kevin Harvick will look like a pretender as the Chase starts.
Honorable mention: JJ takes Mr. Hendrick for a ride after winning the All-Star race.
What are your thoughts on the season as we head into the Chase?
?Eric E.
Home of Cousin Carl
Even though I probably have spent too much time around the 'shine, I think you've done a fine job of recapping there, Eric. I'd throw in the Watkins Glen race, which is hands down the best final lap we've seen in a long, long time. When you put it all together like that, the 2012 regular season was fairly impressive, wasn't it? The Chase ought to be a lot of fun, especially if somebody (looking at you, 48) doesn't screw it up for all of us by locking it down before Halloween.
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
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Saturday
Bulls high!
Sebastian Vettel continued to show well in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix, but the second session was rather odd, with the drivers mainly deciding to concentrate on race preparations rather than going for times. There were few improvements after the session was stopped midway when Bruno Senna had a spin. After the restart the [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/bulls-high/
Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari
Honda Will Release an All-New Roadster in 2014
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After the Del Sol failed to grab buyers? attention and the S2000 pretty much fizzled into nothingness after nine model years, Honda shelved its roadster-building practices for a few years. That being said, in a speech today, Honda?s CEO, Takanobu Ito, has announced that the automaker will again dive into the roadster-building realm, just not as deep as it was before.
According to his statements, Honda will release a new roaster in 2014, but there are two problems here. Problem No. 1, this roadster will only be available in the Japanese market, making us wonder if an S2000 successor will ever show up. Problem No. 2 is the fact that this new roadster will be based on one of the Honda?s ?mini-vehicle? models. In other words, we are looking at something along the lines of a Geo Metro LSi convertible ? if you even remember that slouch ? not an S2000 successor.
According to Ito, this new roadster will feature ?strong vehicle dynamics,? which sounds promising, but could ultimately be the typical automotive lip service. From what this sounds like, Honda is planning to actually produce a version of the EV-STER Concept that has been rumored to hit 60 mph in just 5 seconds and have a total electric range of 100 miles ? okay, so maybe it?s a little cooler than the Metro LSi, but still not an S2000 replacement.
Given Honda?s tendency to let models hover in Asia for a while before releasing them worldwide, we anticipate that this new roadster will make its way to the U.S. after about two or three successful years. If it fails in the Japanese market, Honda will simply fold it up and act like it never happened.
Now for the big question; what will Honda name this new roadster? Will it bring back the much maligned Del Sol name or maybe finally cater to the purists that want the CRX name back so badly that they can taste it? We doubt that either name will make a comeback, but it would be kind of cool to see the CRX name again. The Del Sol, eh, not so much?
Stay tuned!
Click past the jump to read the full summary of the speech.
Honda Will Release an All-New Roadster in 2014 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 21 September 2012 12:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/honda-will-release-an-all-new-roadster-in-2014-ar135267.html
Friday
And so to Singapore
It is time to head off for Singapore so do not expect much in the next 18 hours. It is the start of what will be a gruelling series of events, going backwards and forwards from Europe to Asia for the next eight weeks. Hopefully we will get some good racing.
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/and-so-to-singapore/
Max Chilton takes the next step
The Marussia F1 Team has named Max Chilton as its reserve driver for the six remaining races of the season. The team’s test driver Maria de Villota was injured during an aerodynamic tests in the run-up to the British Grand Prix. Chilton will join with the team at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka on [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/max-chilton-takes-the-next-step/
Mбrio de Araъjo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux
Thursday
As Chase begins, Tony Stewart has his hands full with Harvick ? Delana Harvick
Just before the first race of the 10-race 2012 Chase for the Cup began, Tony Stewart was busy sizing up the competition:
That's none other than Delana Harvick, wife of fellow Chase driver Kevin Harvick. "And for the record," she later tweeted, "if uncle tony wins today it's not my fault!!! #sneakyassgraber"
Could be worse, Delana. He could've thrown a helmet at you.
2013 MotoGP Provisional Calendar Leaked: 3 US Rounds, 4 Spanish Rounds, 2 Italian Rounds, And Late March Start
The provisional MotoGP calendar has taken a little longer than normal to appear. An initial calendar had been expected at Brno in late August, but no calendar was forthcoming at the Czech Grand Prix. The next rumored date for the calendar to be released was the weekend of the Misano round of MotoGP, but once the paddock assembled at Misano, it became apparent it would emerge a few days later - MotoMatters.com was told by an IRTA representative that the calendar would be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday this week. On Tuesday, the Austin Statesman newspaper reported that the calendar would be out on Friday, but the excessive enthusiasm of Loris Capirossi saw the former racer and current MotoGP safety advisor leak the 2013 calendar on his Twitter page on Thursday night.
Source:
Continued Performance, Not One Win, Will Save Logano
Before Pocono, all the talk about Joey Logano was that he may be on his way out of a Cup ride at Joe Gibbs Racing. Following a win from the pole on Sunday, the discussion about Logano is now about how the win saved his ride. But I’m not convinced that is the case. 2012 [...] 
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Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell
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