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Saturday
Cup Start-And-Parks Dwindling
The practice of starting-and-parking has been a much discussed topic over the last couple of years. If you aren’t aware, starting-and-parking refers to a system in which teams enter a race and pull into the garage after only a few laps with a perfectly good race car in order to collect prize money. Teams can [...]
Friday
It?s Your 2013 Exit Interview: No. 1 Jimmie Johnson
Welcome to From the Marbles' 2013 driver reviews. Here, we're going to critique, praise and bloviate about the top 30 drivers in the 2013 NASCAR season. It's the last one, so can we play this song? Because we are.
Jimmie, your battle with Matt Kenseth was simply going to come down to which driver blinked first. And you definitely won the damn staring contest.
On the eve of preseason testing, your run through the Chase is even more remarkable now than it was as you were lifting the trophy. Maybe it's because those four finishes in the races before the Chase stick out more than they did.
At Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond you finished 40th, 36th, 28th and 40th. That's not a typo. For giggles, we counted up your finishing positions in the Chase to see how many races it would take us to get to 40 and we got to 39 through eight races. That's counting the 13th place finish you had at Talladega, which has simply become a survive and advance race for drivers in the Chase. Consider that mission accomplished.
You were crazy good. And so was Kenseth, until that Phoenix race, which you can relate to pretty strongly. You were in that position last year when dueling with Brad Keselowski, though you smacked the wall rather than fought an ill-handling car.
Plus, you could have gone to Homestead and coasted. Instead you were around the top 10 for most of the day -- though you did have a couple of close calls.
After last year and your astonishingly poor run of seasons without a championship stretched to two, it was easy to think your dominance had cracked. It's not so easy any longer. As Denny Hamlin said after he won at Homestead, this is the Jimmie Johnson era. And we're not sure if there's an end in sight.
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Previous Reviews: No. 2 Matt Kenseth, No. 3 Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Kyle Busch, No. 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 6 Jeff Gordon, No. 7 Clint Bowyer, No. 8, Joey Logano, No. 9 Greg Biffle, No. 10 Kurt Busch, No. 11 Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kasey Kahne, No. 13 Carl Edwards, No. 14, Brad Keselowski, No. 15 Jamie McMurray, No. 16 Martin Truex Jr., No. 17 Paul Menard, No. 18 Aric Almirola, No. 19 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 20, Jeff Burton, No. 21 Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 22 Marcos Ambrose, No. 23 Denny Hamlin, No. 24 Casey Mears, No. 25 Mark Martin, No. 26 David Gilliland, No. 27 Danica Patrick, No. 28 David Ragan, No. 29 Tony Stewart, No. 30 Dave Blaney
Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari
Subaru Legacy
At the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, Subaru unveiled the Legacy concept — a preview of a production model set to be unveiled in 2014. Today the company has released the first teaser image of the all-new Legacy, which will be unveiled on February 6th at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show.
Few details were released about the new Legacy, but the teaser image reveals a sleeker, more coupe-like profile with a faster windshield rake and narrower A-pillars that create a sporty and modern sedan.
We’re not too sure how many design elements from the concept will be carried over into the production version, but we will really like seeing those cool hawk-eye headlights and taillights.
Under the hood, rumors suggest that the 2015 Legacy will get an improved version of Subaru?s famous boxer engine. We also expect to see Suby’s Symmetrical AWD (S-AWD) system and a CVT.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Subaru Legacy.
Subaru Legacy originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 30 January 2014 14:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/subaru/2015-subaru-legacy-ar162195.html
Thursday
Wednesday
Kyle Busch stood in at a Las Vegas wedding on Wednesday
When you get the opportunity to have Kyle Busch be a groomsman at your wedding, you must seize it with all of your might.
Congrats 2 Crystal n Bobby! Enjoyed being a part of your special day. #onlyinvegas pic.twitter.com/zOkZqSy9Qb
? Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) January 21, 2014
As part of a promotional appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Wednesday, Busch was in the wedding of Crystal and Bobby Dezarov. How did this all happen? Well, Crystal wrote the Las Vegas Motor Speedway about the couple's desire to get married in October and her love of Busch.
But, we must note, it's not as much as her love for her husband.
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Crystal, who is a veterinary assistant in Palm Desert, Calif., when she?s not watching Kyle Busch drive around in circles, was out wrangling a pony when the speedway called back.
They said the Goody?s Headache Relief Shot 500 was in October in Martinsville, Va., and three other races were scheduled in October, and all of these races were part of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. So chances were that Kyle was going to be a little busy then.
But the speedway people were bringing him to town on Jan. 21, to help spur ticket sales for the Kobalt 400 at LVMS on March 9. If the happy couple would consider moving the wedding up, perhaps they could say something to Kyle.
The Dezarovs agreed, and the Speedway asked Busch to be in the wedding. It was a perfect fit, it's just that the engagement was not nearly as long as Crystal and Bobby were originally planning.
The nine-minute wedding went off without a hitch. The pastor presiding over the wedding was even a Carolina native and told Busch he was a Bobby Isaac fan. Afterwards, Busch posed for pictures, signed an autograph for Crystal's son and signed the couple's wedding document.
Weddings at NASCAR tracks on Sprint Cup weekends have become a fairly common occurrence. In August, a couple got married at Michigan International Speedway's victory lane as the groomsmen wore Dale Earnhardt Jr. firesuits. A year earlier at Michigan, track president Roger Curtis officiated a victory lane wedding.
But weddings with NASCAR drivers actually in them? Far more uncommon. Here's wishing the happy couple much success in the future.
Tuesday
It?s Your 2013 Exit Interview: No. 8 Joey Logano
Welcome to From the Marbles' 2013 driver reviews. Here, we're going to critique, praise and bloviate about the top 30 drivers in the 2013 NASCAR season.
Did you find that you were well trained for the rarefied air of the Chase levels, Joey?
Congratulations on the promotion to the NASCAR playoffs. I know it may not have seemed like such a big deal because there have been CEO-level expectations since you first started full-time. Hell, they existed when you started part-time. Sweeping floors, we imagine. Though you haven't worked at Hendrick (yet), so maybe it's different in other departments.
That promotion also came a year after a transfer, which we can say fairly comfortably was a catalyst for your success. We're going to also go ahead and view it like one of those trades that benefits both teams. No regrets, right?
You excelled at intermediate tracks this year, which is a good building block given the dominance of 1-2 mile tracks on the Cup schedule. That win at Michigan proved to be handy, and you could have had the win at Fontana too, but we all know what happened there.
It looked like you were going to continue that theme in the Chase too. But no, your car went boom.
Your new surroundings brought some more feistiness, and that feistiness had some bite because of your success. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if your rivalries with an old teammate and the man you effectively replaced in your old department. Spice is good. And it can go well with sliced bread.
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Follow @NickBromberg
Previous Reviews: No. 10 Kurt Busch, No. 11 Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kasey Kahne, No. 13 Carl Edwards, No. 14, Brad Keselowski, No. 15 Jamie McMurray, No. 16 Martin Truex Jr., No. 17 Paul Menard, No. 18 Aric Almirola, No. 19 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 20, Jeff Burton, No. 21 Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 22 Marcos Ambrose, No. 23 Denny Hamlin, No. 24 Casey Mears, No. 25 Mark Martin, No. 26 David Gilliland, No. 27 Danica Patrick, No. 28 David Ragan, No. 29 Tony Stewart, No. 30 Dave Blaney
Monday
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/
Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mбrio de Araъjo Cabral Frank Armi
Sunday
Looking Back At 2013 - Rating The Rest: Ben Spies
In the last of our series looking back at the riders of 2013, we come to the unluckiest man on the grid. Ben Spies' season was a thing of nightmares, ending with his decision to retire. Here's a review of his year.
| Ben Spies | Ignite Pramac Ducati |
| Championship position | 21st |
| Score | Attitude 9/10, Luck 1/10 |
Up until Qatar 2012, Ben Spies' career had been something of a fairytale. Talent spotted by his later crew chief Tom Houseworth, he took the fight to Mat Mladin in the AMA and beat him fair and square. He won the World Superbike title at his first attempt, on tracks he hadn't seen until Friday morning practice. He grabbed two podiums in his rookie MotoGP season, then a win in his second season after moving up to the factory Yamaha team. And then it all went horribly wrong.
After a series of bizarre mechanical mishaps throughout the 2012 season, Spies suffered major shoulder damage in a crash at Sepang. He had already decided to leave the factory Yamaha team, signing with Ducati to race at Pramac. After surgery to fix the damaged tendons in his shoulder, Spies turned up at Sepang in February 2013 only to find the going tougher than expected. He skipped one day of testing, then tried to make a return three weeks later, but found himself struggling once again.
Saturday
It?s Your 2013 Exit Interview: No. 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Welcome to From the Marbles' 2013 driver reviews. Here, we're going to critique, praise and bloviate about the top 30 drivers in the 2013 NASCAR season.
Junior, can we start off by saying that we love your selection of items on eBay? Really fits our tastes. We made sure to give you good feedback for your account.
Your Chase was over as soon as it began, so we never really had an opportunity to assess your championship credentials. Your third blown engine of the season came at the most inopportune time.
After that blown engine, it was a stellar Chase. You finished in the top 10 in eight of the final nine races and your lowest finish of that stretch was a 15th place finish. It was quite the run.
However, you can take consolation in the fact that you can't say that engine cost yourself the Chase. Over those nine races, you averaged just over 39 points a race. Extrapolate that to 10 races and you end up third behind Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. In essence, it was a two-place penalty.
Wins before the Chase had started would have helped that, but even if you had won as many races as Kenseth did in the first 26 you wouldn't have caught Jimmie Johnson. And while you were ultimately winless in 2013, you have to be excited about the trendline of the season. Instead of fighting to make 12th and 10th place finishes higher in the top ten, you were taking those top 10s and pushing them up a couple places. Keep doing that and avoid an untimely mechanical failure, who knows what will happen.
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Follow @NickBromberg
Previous Reviews: No. 6 Jeff Gordon, No. 7 Clint Bowyer, No. 8, Joey Logano, No. 9 Greg Biffle, No. 10 Kurt Busch, No. 11 Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kasey Kahne, No. 13 Carl Edwards, No. 14, Brad Keselowski, No. 15 Jamie McMurray, No. 16 Martin Truex Jr., No. 17 Paul Menard, No. 18 Aric Almirola, No. 19 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 20, Jeff Burton, No. 21 Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 22 Marcos Ambrose, No. 23 Denny Hamlin, No. 24 Casey Mears, No. 25 Mark Martin, No. 26 David Gilliland, No. 27 Danica Patrick, No. 28 David Ragan, No. 29 Tony Stewart, No. 30 Dave Blaney
Friday
Thursday
Martini to join Williams?
The word is that Williams may soon announce a sponsorship deal with Martini, a brand that is owned by Bacardi Ltd, a privately-held spirits company which is headquartered in Bermuda. The company sells around 200 millions of drink each year with sales around $5 billion a year. The Martini & Rossi brand can be traced […]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/martini-to-join-williams/
Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz
Wednesday
Vijay Mallya: ?The tiger has become a panther!?
Vijay Mallya says he’s excited ahead of a new season that sees Force India running a new driver line-up as well as a fresh livery. The VJM07 is the first 2014 car unveiled to the public thus far, albeit with … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/01/22/vijay-mallya-the-tiger-has-become-a-panther/
Tuesday
Spy Shots: 2015 Audi A7 Begins Winter Testing
After about four years of production, the Audi A7 is about to receive its first revision. This news is no surprise, considering that in the past few months Aud has revised nearly its entire lineup. Our spy photographers manged to spy the new A7 out doing some test runs in the cold of Sweden.
As you can see in these spy shots this A7 prototype wears lots of camouflage, but we basically know what to expect from Audi. We expect to see the same treatment that we saw applied to the recently launched A8, including the new Matrix LED headlights, a modified front and rear bumper, and new graphics on the LED taillights.
Under the hood, the A7 will get more powerful and efficient engines combined with new assistance systems that will make the revised A7 even more attractive.
Expect to see the revised Audi A7 revealed by the end of the year, with sales to begin right in time for the 2015 model year.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 Audi A7.
Spy Shots: 2015 Audi A7 Begins Winter Testing originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 21 January 2014 16:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/spy-shots-2015-audi-a7-begins-winter-testing-ar162061.html
Monday
Looking Back At 2013 - Rating The Rest: Espargaro And Iannone
After rating the top ten finishers in the championship, it is time to turn our gaze to those outside the top ten worthy of note. Below is a look at the seasons of Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone, in the news in 2013 for very different reasons.
| Aleix Espargaro | Power Electronics Aspar |
| Championship position | 11th |
| Score | 8/10 |
Aleix Espargaro became the poster boy for the CRT class in 2012, beating out his teammate Randy De Puniet. The two Aspar riders showed that even with less than a year of development, a slightly modified Superbike could compete with the slower of the satellite prototypes. 2013 saw the Aprilia ART take another step forward, but it was a step only Espargaro could follow, De Puniet complaining of a lack of feeling all year, his performance plummeting.
Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco
Sunday
Into the Crystal Ball? 500 Miles To Go Edition
A 500 mile race in indycar racing, and especially the Indy 500, is an endurance test packaged as a sprint race. There is literally no time to think during this race, only time to allow ones instincts to make the … Continue reading 
Source: http://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/1408/
JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd
Saturday
Austin Dillon officially unveiled as the driver of the No. 3 in the Sprint Cup Series in 2014
One of the worst kept secrets in NASCAR is finally offical. The No. 3 is back in the Sprint Cup Series.
Austin Dillon will drive a full-season for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 3 car in 2014. The No. 3 replaces the No. 29 car that Kevin Harvick drove since Dale Earnhardt's death at the 2001 Daytona 500. That was the final race that the No. 3 had been used in the Cup Series.
Here's a closer look at the paint schemes. pic.twitter.com/mwCOuiNkGw
? RCR 3 NNS Team (@RCR3ADillon) December 11, 2013
At the announcement, Childress said that he had discussed with Earnhardt during his career the idea of the No. 3 continuing on after Earnhardt's career was over and said knew that Earnhardt was smiling about Dillon in the car.
Dillon, Childress' grandson, has driven the No. 3 in the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series and has won championships in both. He won the 2011 Truck Series title and the 2013 Nationwide Series title over Sam Hornish Jr. despite not winning a single race all season.
RCR also announced that Dow Chemicals would serve as the sponsor of the No. 3 for 16 races along with Cheerios, the other primary sponsor. Dillon's crew chief will be Gil Martin, who was the crew chief for Harvick last season. Harvick left RCR at the end of the year to move to Stewart-Haas Racing.
Plus the announcement allows us to use this picture again. It's the best ever.
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Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham
Friday
Thursday
It?s Your 2013 Exit Interview: No. 8 Joey Logano
Welcome to From the Marbles' 2013 driver reviews. Here, we're going to critique, praise and bloviate about the top 30 drivers in the 2013 NASCAR season.
Did you find that you were well trained for the rarefied air of the Chase levels, Joey?
Congratulations on the promotion to the NASCAR playoffs. I know it may not have seemed like such a big deal because there have been CEO-level expectations since you first started full-time. Hell, they existed when you started part-time. Sweeping floors, we imagine. Though you haven't worked at Hendrick (yet), so maybe it's different in other departments.
That promotion also came a year after a transfer, which we can say fairly comfortably was a catalyst for your success. We're going to also go ahead and view it like one of those trades that benefits both teams. No regrets, right?
You excelled at intermediate tracks this year, which is a good building block given the dominance of 1-2 mile tracks on the Cup schedule. That win at Michigan proved to be handy, and you could have had the win at Fontana too, but we all know what happened there.
It looked like you were going to continue that theme in the Chase too. But no, your car went boom.
Your new surroundings brought some more feistiness, and that feistiness had some bite because of your success. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if your rivalries with an old teammate and the man you effectively replaced in your old department. Spice is good. And it can go well with sliced bread.
- - - - - - -
Follow @NickBromberg
Previous Reviews: No. 10 Kurt Busch, No. 11 Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kasey Kahne, No. 13 Carl Edwards, No. 14, Brad Keselowski, No. 15 Jamie McMurray, No. 16 Martin Truex Jr., No. 17 Paul Menard, No. 18 Aric Almirola, No. 19 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 20, Jeff Burton, No. 21 Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 22 Marcos Ambrose, No. 23 Denny Hamlin, No. 24 Casey Mears, No. 25 Mark Martin, No. 26 David Gilliland, No. 27 Danica Patrick, No. 28 David Ragan, No. 29 Tony Stewart, No. 30 Dave Blaney
Wednesday
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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JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore
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