Off The Wall Racing News

NASCAR

Here are the drivers who will participate at the Goodyear tire testing this Wednesday and Thursday, December 15th and 16th on Daytona's newly repaved racing surface:

Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon,
Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Casey Mears, Matt Kenseth,
Bill Elliott, Paul Menard, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bobby Labonte,
Todd Bodine, Regan Smith, Reed Sorenson and Brian Keselowski...

Where are the top three Chasers from last season? And for that matter, where are the Gibbs Toyota drivers? Hmmm... Maybe they don’t want to mix it up too much… Although I see Kurt and Brad will be makin’ circuits.

In another vein, the resurface job was completed five days sooner than the contracted completion date. Sure as hell wasn't government work!
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Verizon Out of NASCAR

NASCAR’s commitment to Sprint has worked against a major sponsor by limiting its ability to compete so Verizon Wireless, after only two years, has ended its association with NASCAR generally and Penske Racing's NASCAR team in particular. Verizon will move on to IndyCar. The problem being series title sponsors, such as Sprint and Nationwide, along with sponsors in the fuel and tire categories, are provided with complete exclusivity. Consequently the hot cell phone market sponsors and resulting dollars are restricted when it comes to NASCAR’s premier racing series…
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It was recently announced that the owner of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway has completed an upgrade to the track’s barrier system no doubt spurred on by the repercussions heard after Elliott Sadler was very lucky to walk away from an accident last season that tore his car in two when he hit a metal barricade fronting an earth berm.

On another front Watkins Glen has appropriated $3 million to add 4 permanent grandstands, some infield showers and a new club after the Glen Club was destroyed in a fire a few years ago. Track president Michael Printup spoke of the Glen’s recent rise in popularity even while NASCAR generally continues to lose followers…
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Robby Gordon is suing Extenze, the male enhancement pill company, for refusing to pay him for an advertising logo on his car. Gordon claims Biotab Nutraceuticals, the manufacturer of Extenze owes him $690,000…

This news brings many opportunities for off-color comments… But I won’t go there…

Okay, okay… Here’s a TMZ headline I found:
NASCAR Driver – I Got Stiffed By Extenze!
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Along the same legal question lines, Scott Speed announced last week that he’s filed a breach of contract lawsuit against his former employer, Red Bull Racing, to the tune of $6.5 million. Speed claims Red Bull didn’t adequately fund his racing team so that he could properly compete in Sprint Cup.

Seems to me this is a good way to lock yourself out of ever being employed as a Sprint Cup driver again...
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NASCAR Poll of the Week…

The question – Who do you think is the “Most Talented Driver”?
This was asked of the top 34 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers…

Voting results:
1. Tony Stewart – 10.5 votes
2. Kyle Busch – 9.5 votes
3. Jimmie Johnson – 7 votes
4. Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch – 1 vote

(Three drivers did not/could not name anyone specifically)

In the accompanying article, as I’m sure you can imagine, Tony Stewart
was taken back upon hearing the results. "That's a huge honor. That's voted on by the guys you're racing wheel-to-wheel with every week, so it's a huge honor."

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I kind of lean toward Jeff Gluck on SB Nation for these polls.

Here’s the link:

http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2010/12/8/1864494/nascar-best-driver-most-talented-tony-stewart-jimmie-johnson-kyle-busch
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IndyCar

One of my all-time favorite actors, Paul Newman, passed away a couple of years back. His influence as a human being carried far beyond the silver screen though. Through his acting he became enthralled with auto racing and eventually was a racing team owner. Here’s a tribute video to Paul that touches upon his involvement in racing as well as his charitable activities…

This man not only talked the talk, he walked the walk…

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As the blurb up above under NASCAR states, Verizon Wireless is shifting away from NASCAR and taking an estimated 12 to 17 million in sponsorship dollars to the IZOD IndyCar series. The Verizon / Penske partnership will continue on Penske’s no. 12 IndyCar racer…
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Team Penske Racing stayed in the news with the announcement that IZOD, the IndyCar Series title sponsor, will also be sponsoring Team Penske and it’s IndyCar drivers under the terms of a multi-year deal. The IZOD brand will participate in sponsoring all three of Penske’s IndyCars…
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Formula 1

Formula 1 head man Bernie Ecclestone suffered a minor head injury when he was attacked outside his London office two weeks ago and robbed of jewelry worth 200,000 pounds ($314,000). Ironically, Ecclestone had recently complained there weren’t enough policemen patrolling the streets of London.

Nice shiner!

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Korean Grand Prix wins F1’s Promoters Award

After what must have been a virtual footrace to pull it off… and after succeeding, the Korean Grand Prix was honored for their tenacity by winning the 2010 Promoters Award. Remember when speculation was running rampant that the Koreans weren’t going to have their new track ready by the time their inaugural race was scheduled? The track was not quite totally completed but the race was sanctioned and run. To add insult to injury, race day was nothing short of a down pour as a monsoon pummeled the Korean Peninsula. Hand it to the Korean racing fans too, the attendance was nearly a full house despite the inclement conditions…
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F1A Comes Down On Aggressive Driving!

F1A dictates cleaner driving in 2011 in its full sporting and technical regulations
for next year. "Maneuvers liable to hinder other drivers, such as more than one change of direction to defend a position, deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted," the new rules state. The regulations also said that drivers benefiting from leaving the track could face penalties.
"Drivers must use the track at all times. For the avoidance of doubt, the white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track but the curbs are not. A driver will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track.

"Should a car leave the track for any reason the driver may rejoin. However, this may only be done when it is safe to do so and without gaining any advantage."
The ruling body has also tightened rules for back markers, in the hope that they influence races as little as possible.
"As soon as a car is caught by another car which is about to lap it during the race the driver must allow the faster driver past at the first available opportunity," the new rules read. "If the driver who has been caught does not allow the faster driver past, waved blue flags will be shown to indicate that he must allow the following driver to overtake. Any driver who is deemed to be ignoring the waved blue flags will be reported to the stewards of the meeting."
The FIA also made it clear it will not allow overtaking in the pit lane next year.
"Any car(s) driven to the end of the pit lane prior to the start or re-start of a practice session, or any car(s) required to stop at the pit exit during a safety car period, must form up in a line in the fast lane and leave in the order they got there unless another car is unduly delayed."

For a look at all the regulations, here's a link:

http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/9A195FD4A47DA4E1C12577F8004AA63E/$FILE/1-2011%20SPORTING%20REGULATIONS%2010-12-2010.pdf
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American Le Mans

The Great Debate… Open top or closed?

Here is a link to an article in American Le Mans: http://www.americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=poll

And here’s the poll results –

Paddock Poll – Which do you prefer from your LMPs? Closed, open or both?

Give me both! 51.8%
Close 29.6%
Open 18.6%
Total Votes as of 12/14/2010 at 8:45 AM: 247
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11 Days ‘till Christmas and 68 Days ‘till Daytona!