Full report and results below:
Jack Brabham† Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla
Friday
Yamaha Video: Kazutoshi Seki, The Man Behind Valentino Rossi's Electronics
The role that electronics plays in MotoGP cannot be underestimated. Every aspect of bike performance depends on how well the the systems monitoring the bikes read the data, interpret it and then modulate the power as it is applied to the road through the rear tire. Despite their performance, the systems which provide that control are kept carefully hidden from the public, and the people behind those systems remain anonymous.
Yamaha has sought to change this, producing a video spotlighting the work of Kazutoshi Seki, the engine control engineer for Valentino Rossi. The two have worked together at Yamaha since 2004, when Rossi first joined the factory, and again since Rossi's return after his two-year hiatus at Ducati. The video provides an insight into the role which Seki plays in helping to set up the bike for Rossi, and puts the passion and commitment the Japanese engineer pours into the sport. Despite being produced by Yamaha's global marketing department, it is a beautifully produced 14-minute portrait of one of the men so crucial to racing at this level. For more background on Seki and Yamaha, see the story behind the video on the Yamaha corporate website.
Thursday
Enter smog
The third practice session for the Indian GP has been delayed because of visibility problems that mean that the medical helicopter cannot operate. The primary discussion here in the Media Centre is whether one terms the problem: fog, smog or mist. It is not really fog and mists generally burn off during the day and […]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/enter-smog/
Wednesday
Weekend Review? Double the Excitement Edition
Welcome Back! Glad you found your way back here after human error delayed and ultimately cancelled the posting of Detroit pre-race article. Nevertheless, the twin billing was a success on most all fronts. A part time driver claimed victory in … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/weekend-review-double-the-excitement-edition/
Tuesday
2013 Motegi Moto3 FP Result: Vinales Leads Usual Suspects
Maverick Vinales has topped the first fully dry session during Sunday morning's Moto3 free practice at Motegi, the Spaniards benchmark time was very close to last years race lap record. He lead from the familiar faces of Alex Marquez, Luis Salom and Alex Rins as the typical top four were covered by a little over two tenths of a second. The session was initially delayed by five minutes due to a light fog hovering over the circuit and reduced to thirty five minutes in length as a consequence. The track was still quite damp in patches as riders went out on wet tyres early, but with a clear dry line visible they promptly switched to slicks with around twenty five minutes to go.
Jonas Folger was the 'best of the rest' and finished in fifth place a further couple of tenths behind. He was followed by the FTR Honda trio of Niccolo Antonelli, Isaac Vinales and Romano Fenati while Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Miguel Oliveira aboard his Mahindra completed the top ten. The session was halted temporarily with twelve minutes remaining as red flags were shown due to poor visibility once again, as a thick mist cloud decided to park itself at turn one and sprawl around the circuit. The cloud eventually dispersed and the session continued, however due to the pause in proceedings, the Moto2 FP session to follow will be reduced by five minutes also.
Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto
Monday
Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson escape Kansas atop the points standings
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Jimmie Johnson was tearing through the field at the end of Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Kansas, picking off positions in the top 10 like he was dicing through backmarkers in a Nationwide race. With Matt Kenseth outside the top 10, Johnson had a great opportunity to snare the points lead.
Instead, Johnson went from sailing to struggling almost instantly.
"I really feel like we had the fastest car today, but just couldn't get there with issues and track position and cautions at weird times and restarts were kind of an issue," Johnson said. "And there was a lot of craziness there. And then coming with two to go, we had something go wrong with either the ignition or the engine there and I had to give up a spot and limped it home. I feel kind of bummed out that we left some points on the table, but at the same time, I'm happy I made it to the finish line under power and I got a nice finish."
Johnson finished sixth. Kenseth was outside the top 10 because he had pitted under green just before the race's final caution flag flew. That threw him back in the pack a second time after first having to go all the way back to 30th earlier in the race after a pit road speeding penalty.
But while Johnson was making his move, so was Kenseth. He got to 11th before the checkered flag and now holds a three point lead over Johnson through four Chase races.
"I feel lucky for not being wrecked. And, I feel really fortunate to still be leading the points. It was not the day we wanted -- both the last two weeks," Kenseth said. We struggled a little bit and still salvaged -- it could have been worse, we could have been backed into the fence."
The race featured several wrecked race cars, including that of Kenseth's teammate Kyle Busch, and a race record 15 cautions. Johnson called the race "treacherous" while Kenseth said that it was the worst conditions he'd raced in since the 2005 fall Charlotte race after that track was recently repaved.
"This right side tire was obviously not the answer," Kenseth said. "I'm sure (race winner) Kevin's (Harvick) happy, but other than that I think everybody kind of struggled with it."
Sunday
NASCAR fines Nelson Piquet $10,000 and orders sensitivity training after Instagram comment
Nelson Piquet Jr. was fined $10,000 and required to complete sensitivity training after posting a homophobic remark to while commenting on a picture that fellow Nationwide Series driver Parker Kligerman posted.
?Nelson Piquet Jr. recently communicated an offensive and derogatory term that cannot be tolerated in our sport,? Steve O?Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations said in a NASCAR statement. ?NASCAR?s Code of Conduct explicitly spells out in the 2013 rule book our position regarding the use of disparaging terms. We expect our entire industry to abide by this Code.?
Kligerman had posted a self-taken picture and Piquet responded with the derogatory remark. According to USA Today, Piquet tweeted that the comment was just teasing between friends before deleting the tweet.
Piquet was also put on NASCAR probation. He was previously on probation for an incident that involved a failed kick towards the groin of Brian Scott.
Earlier in the season, Jeremy Clements, another Nationwide Series driver, was suspended for two weeks because of a racial slur in a conversation with a reporter at Daytona International Speedway. In the NASCAR statement about Clements' suspension, O'Donnell also referenced the NASCAR Code of Conduct.
If you're wondering why there's a difference in punishment for using a homophobic slur versus a racial slur, you're not alone. But again, this is NASCAR. Inconsistency is the sanctioning body's version of consistency. This is, after all, the sport that just added an extra driver to its playoffs because it could.
If both remarks are violations of the NASCAR codes of conduct, they deserve equal punishment. Plain and simple. There's no difference between using the word that Piquet did and the word that Clements did, except for the difference in groups that the words reference. It ends there. By issuing the punishment that was given for Piquet, the impression is given -- intended or not -- that NASCAR feels that a homophobic slur is not as offensive as a racial slur.
That's a horrible dichotomy to create.
The sanctioning body might have realized it overreacted in the punishment that was handed out to Clements. And that's a fine feeling to have. However, the precedent for punishment for an derogatory epithet was set in February. Without acknowledgement that the punishment was wrong or why this is different, it looks that NASCAR views the words used as ones of differing severities. Again, that's wrong.
While the steps that NASCAR took Tuesday against Piquet can be seen as ones of progress after inaction in 2011, we shouldn't simply be satisfied about progress. Perhaps that's a utopian point of view, but there should be no reason to think that the punishment standards for slurs is based on the audience degraded.
Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen
Saturday
FIA Ethics Committee dismisses Ward?s complaint
The FIA Ethics Committee, which met on Friday in Paris, has dismissed David Ward’s complaint. The committee said that “nothing in what the Committee saw or heard gives any hint that any ethical regulation of the FIA has been breached by Mr Todt or any of the parties implicated”. It also rejected the claim that […]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/fia-ethics-committee-dismisses-wards-complaint/
Friday
Chevrolet Performance Sonic RS Concept
Chevrolet Sonic may be a small car, but with the right updates, it can become quite mean and aggressive. A good example is this Sonic RS Concept car that will be unveiled at the 2013 SEMA Show on November 5th. The concept was designed by Chevrolet Performance, and it previews elements that will be available at all Chevrolet dealers.
The concept was updated from top to bottom, and it includes engine performance, suspension, brake and appearance upgrades. This Sonic RS is painted in a unique Lemon Peel Yellow hue combined with blue graphics, and tinted headlamps and fog lamps. The interior gets seats in black leather with Lark Yellow contrast stitching.
Under the hood, the 1.4-liter, turbocharged engine receives a Stage Kit, cold-air induction and a high-flow exhaust system that will allow it to deliver more power than its stock 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. Chevy is keeping the output level is being kept a secret for now, but we are thinking it’ll land in the 160-horsepower range.
Along with the engine upgrades, Chevy also equipped this sonic with a track-tuned suspension system that lowers the car’s ride and offers a sportier appearance. The concept sits on18-inch, split-five-spoke wheels combined with a higher-performance brake upgrade kit with Wilwood front calipers.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard Chevrolet Sonic.
Chevrolet Performance Sonic RS Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 25 October 2013 17:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/chevrolet/2013-chevrolet-performance-sonic-rs-concept-ar160938.html
Thursday
Kevin Harvick wins first pole in seven years at Kansas
Kevin Harvick's "closer" nickname may have become overused over the past few years for his ability to gain positions late in races. However, he hasn't had a qualifying nickname, at least one that's caught on, and if he did, it certainly wouldn't be about his proclivity to accumulate pole positions.
Harvick qualified first for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway, for just the sixth time in his career. His last pole came over seven years ago at New Hampshire in 2006. That's just 254 races.
He was one of the fastest cars during Friday morning's practice session and backed it up, knocking Ricky Stenhouse Jr. off the top spot. Jimmie Johnson, second in the points standings, qualified third, while Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was sixth and points leader Matt Kenseth qualified seventh. The rest of the Chasers went like this: Carl Edwards was ninth, Jeff Gordon was 14th, Kasey Kahne was 15th, Ryan Newman was 17th, Kyle Busch was 18th, Kurt Busch was 19th, Clint Bowyer was 22nd and Greg Biffle was 26th.
Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy
Tony Stewart undergoes third leg surgery, team doesn?t expect recovery timetable to be affected
Tony Stewart underwent a third leg surgery on Monday "to examine and close a wound on his shin" from his August sprint car accident according to his team.
The Stewart-Haas Racing release said that Stewart will remain in the hospital for observation.
[Power Rankings: And then there were two]
"The surgery served as a proactive measure and team officials do not expect it to impact Stewart?s return to the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet in 2014," the team's statement said.
Stewart suffered a fracture of his right tibia and fibula on August 5 at Oskaloosa Speedway in Iowa. Immediately after the crash he had surgery to clean the fracture and on August 8 a second surgery was performed to put a metal rod in Stewart's leg and put the tibia in its anatomical position.
Mark Martin, Austin Dillon and Max Papis have replaced Stewart this season and the three-time Cup champ said his recovery timetable is on track for the 2014 Daytona 500.
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
Wednesday
2013 Moto3 Championship Standings After Round 16, Phillip Island, Australia
Championship standings for round 16, 2013
George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams
Tuesday
Monday
Phillip Island MotoGP Race Shortened Again To 19 Laps After Problems In Warm Up
After the Bridgestone tires used in the warm up at Phillip Island displayed more problems, Bridgestone has advised Race Direction that their rear tires cannot be guaranteed to last even the distance the race was shortened to last night. The race has been shortened again, to 19 laps, with all riders having to come in before lap 10. The official statement from Race Direction follows below:
UPDATED INFORMATION FROM RACE DIRECTION
Following further problems during the morning warm up we have been notified by Bridgestone that they are unable to guarantee safety of their rear slick tyres beyond 10 laps. It has therefore been decided to make the following changes to the MotoGP class race in the interests of the safety of the riders.
1. The race distance will be 19 laps.
2. Every rider will be required to enter the pits and change to his second machine with fresh tyres at least once during the race. In normal circumstances this means that the rider must change machine only at the end of lap 9 or lap 10.
3. No rider is permitted to make more than 10 laps on any one slick or wet rear tyre. This means that a bike/tyre change before lap 9 will require a second bike/tyre change to finish the race.
Jack Brabham† Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla
Sunday
Truck Craziest Moment: Crews get heated after Ross Chastain can?t get out of pit stall
Ross Chastain's team wasn't too thrilled with James Buescher's team after the angle that Buescher's truck was pitted at prevented Chastain from getting out of his pit stall.
Buescher had swung in to get around Chastain's box, and when Chastain went to get out of his stall, the tail of Buescher's trick was sticking out, preventing Chastain from getting out of the pits. He had to wait for Buescher to leave before he could get out.
Then Chastain's crew confronted Buescher's crew. However, it was nothing more than some words being exchanged, and the team's crew chiefs were able to sort it out.
Saturday
Lotus investor Infinity changes name to Quantum
Lotus F1 investor Infinity Racing Partners has changed its name to avoid the unfortunate clash with Infiniti Red Bull Racing. The new name is Quantum Motorsports Ltd, which has a similar astrophysical theme. Ironically Google indicates that more than one … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2013/10/13/lotus-investor-infinity-changes-name-to-quantum/
Christian Danner Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies
Chrome Horn Episode 28: Charlotte II
Geoffrey Miller and I talk Charlotte, 2014 schedule, Travis Kvapil and Jay Busbee's new cat blog. Check it out!
Got any questions for us to use in the mailbag or the podcast? Hit us at HappyHourMailbag@Yahoo.com.
Click here to download the podcast or here to listen to in your browser. And we're on iTunes! Find us in the Podcast section right here and subscribe. Listen!
Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy Colin Chapman
Friday
MotoGP Rules Update: 'CRT' Name Dropped, Replaced With 'Open'
When it was announced that the claiming rule was to be dropped and the rules would be changed for 2014, one of the main questions was what to call the new class. After some complaining early on, MotoGP fans had become used to the CRT name, and understood what was meant by it. With the choice of software now determining how much fuel and how many engines a team can use - 24 liters for the spec Dorna software, 20 liters for factories using their custom software with the spec Magneti Marelli ECU - there was no easy and obvious nomenclature for the bikes.
Under the first draft of the rules, the bikes were divided into two categories: 'MotoGP' and 'MotoGP with factory option'. That appears to have encountered resistance, however, and so a new name has been found for the non-factory bikes: for 2014, non-factory bikes will be referred to as 'Open' entries. There is of course a small irony in the fact that the new 'Open' class bikes will have less freedom than the factory option bikes, having both ECU and software closed, but with more fuel available, they will at least not be strangulated by the factory option fuel restriction.
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