Formula One was dealt a blow when the first race of the 2011 season had to be scratched due to political unrest in Bahrain. I have to agree its better in this day and age to be safe rather than sorry. Unfortunately the international attention an F1 event draws would have been a perfect platform for political controversy to raise its ugly head. With Middle East races in Abu Dhabi and Turkey also on the 2011 schedule, one has to wonder if similar problems might be in the offing there as well…
So the first race of this already unusual season will occur at the end of March in Melbourne Australia where the Australian Grand Prix will be run in this now 19 race season. Even with Bahrain still in the mix, I think its obvious F1 has plenty of room for more racing venues and dates…
With a reinvigorated United States Grand Prix contracted for the 2012 Formula One schedule at the now under construction Austin Texas venue, the highly innovative Formula One brand of racing is on the move. (By the way, isn’t it refreshing to see a group of racing enthusiasts come together with their local and state government officials, wade through what’s become a ridiculous permit process, a process that’s become nothing but a political means of stopping business growth and job creation, and push ahead with a major project that has already become a boon to the central Texas economy?)
To follow along with the track news and construction progress, here’s a link to the United States Grand Prix’s official site: http://www.formula1unitedstates.com/
But back to the subject at hand…
Not too long ago the head of Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone let it be known he felt 20 races was the maximum number for a viable racing season but now that tune has been changed as interest in the sport continues to grow. It appears Bernie is willing to expand to as many as 25 races and the 2012 season may mark more venues being included on the F1 schedule beyond the United States Grand Prix… Currently 19 races are bound by contract for 2012 with Japan and Turkey (current race sites) not signed up but expected to be. With this comes the news of new tracks proposed for the Palma / Mallorca region of Spain (500 acre site featuring a 5km track with a 2012 completion date)
An artist's look at the Mallorca Site.
and Croatia (450 acres has been purchased and the planning has begun for a 2014 track completion date),
The proposed Croatian course...
and with the Russian Grand Prix remaining on track to join the circuit in 2014 and finally the possibility of a revived South African Grand Prix jumping back in the mix, Bernie’s 25 race season could very well become a reality in the not too distant future…
It was recently announced that the IndyCar series will offer $5 million to any qualified, non-IndyCar driver who might qualify for, drive in and win their season’s finale race at Las Vegas on October 16. The offer is to be limited to no more than 5 non-IndyCar drivers.
The challenge designed by IndyCar portrays what CEO Randy Bernard hopes to prove; the best auto racing drivers in the world drive for IndyCar. The challenge was issued to showcase that contention.
There was some immediate speculation about a couple of former open-wheel stars who currently race in NASCAR possibly putting together an effort to participate in IndyCar’s challenge. The problem is that although there is no Cup race on Sunday, October 16th, there is one the night of the 15th in Charlotte North Carolina (approximately 2,200 miles away). On top of that, qualifying in Las Vegas will be held on Friday, October 14th, while “Pole Night” in Charlotte will be on Thursday night, October 13th.
Both Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya have been asked about the possibility of honoring their NASCAR commitment and then jumping on overnight flights to run back and forth between practice sessions, qualifying and finally the races, all the while trying for the big payday in Vegas. Both drivers, in so many words, have begged off saying there’s no way anyone can just switch from a NASCAR ride to IndyCar without even practicing (Stewart went so far as to say to be competitive he felt a non-IndyCar driver would have to run in at least three to four IndyCar races).
I did hear that another NASCAR driver might be willing to give it a go, also a former open-wheel driver, young A.J. Allmendinger. Unfortunately (or maybe not so unfortunately as I'm sure IndyCar thoroughly thought this through) Formula 1 is scheduled to be in Yeongam Korea for the Korean Grand Prix on October 16th so that pretty much leaves any of those drivers in a lurch as well. Can you think of anyone else that might be willing to give it a go? Seems to me as it stands for October 16th, IndyCar's 5 million dollars is pretty safe… Maybe we need another IROC (International Race of Champions) series if they really want to find out who the best driver of the best drivers really is.
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! _________________________________________ 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… _________________________________________ 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… __________________________________________ 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! ______________________________________ 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... _____________________________________ 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.
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…
__________________________________________ 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… _________________________________________
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… ******************************************************* 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!
_________________________________________________ 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… _________________________________________________ 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."
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 ****************************************************************
11 Days ‘till Christmas and 68 Days ‘till Daytona!
Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports for their come-from-behind 2010 Sprint Cup Championship! An unprecedented in NASCAR five in a row puts the number 48 Lowe’s team in rarefied air indeed… Johnson now stands next to sports icons such as the New York Yankees (the best team money can buy), the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston Celtics, NHRA’s John Force and Formula 1’s Michael Schumacher, all with five consecutive championships…
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So… What do Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have in common?
2010 – Kevin Harvick
2009 – Jimmie Johnson
2008 – Carl Edwards
2007 – Jeff Gordon
2006 – Jimmie Johnson
2005 – Tony Stewart
2004 – Jeff Gordon
Does that ring a bell? Yep, these are the “would have been” winners of the Sprint Cup if not for the Chase…
Are Johnson’s five consecutive championships tarnished? I’ve gotta believe Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and yes, current drivers Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart all did it the hard way…
Has NASCAR gained on any of the other major sports with its Chase? We all know the answer to that one…
So now we’re hearing that despite the greatest Chase in the format’s seven year history, more tweaks may be on the way as NASCAR still searches for those "Game 7" type moments.
Suggestion… Put some REAL money on the line and have a nationwide NASCAR sponsored fantasy league. The winner will get what… One hundred grand? Then feed diminishing returns to the top eleven finishers below the overall champ. You want people to pay attention? That might do it… I know in football, fans tune into every game just to check out how their fantasy players are doing. NASCAR needs that kind of participation and a little financial reward might yield great benefits.
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Here’s a driver’s answers to several questions… Who do you think is saying such things?
Who is the most talented driver in NASCAR? The most talented driver in the sport is... (thinks for a moment)... it's either Jimmie (Johnson) or Kyle (Busch). Probably Jimmie.
What's the worst track on the NASCAR circuit? I don't like Sonoma. I just don't think these cars were meant to go left and right. There's nowhere to pass, and we all run over the top of each other and wreck the shit out of each other to get positions.
If you were in charge of NASCAR, what would you change? Everything we do needs to be geared toward making the sport more accessible to the fans – the rules of the sport, how the race plays itself out, how people qualify into the races – everything needs to be as easy to understand as possible.
If a new driver came to you for advice, who is one driver you'd tell him to learn from and one driver you wouldn't? I'd tell ‘em to go learn from Mark Martin, and I'd tell ‘em to not do anything I ever did. Why's that? I don't know. Well...I just don't want to name any names in that category, so I named myself (laughs).
How much longer would you like to keep driving? Till I'm 50 or 55, that'd be awesome.
Who wins Sprint Cup in 2015? 2015? Shit! My dark horse is going to be Brad Keselowski, but...I'm going to go for me. I think I'm going to win it. So I'll pick me, and then Brad Keselowski as the dark horse.
Would you rather be known as a great driver or great person? A great person. That reaches all facets of your being, you know? Not just your job. When you say great person, that includes your family, your friends. I've already done enough to have earned ‘good driver,' so if I can be known as a great person and a good driver, that's better than only being a great driver.
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The 48 team’s pit crew won the Tissot Pit Road Award in Phoenix for spending the least amount of time on pit road (170.246 seconds) and finishing on the lead lap. How about some props for these guys? They are: Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Mike Houston (front-tire carrier), Joe Slingerland (rear-tire changer), Matt Ver Meer (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Cook (jackman), Caleb Hurd (gasman), and Jamie Frady (catch can). The team's pit crew coach is Greg Morin.
Thinkin’ about it… I could be a great gasman!
Greg Biffle and Roush Fenway number 16 crew, pictured here, won the 2009 Season Tissot Pit Crew Award. The crew members received Tissot wrist watches and divided $100,000 between themselves...
Now, who deserves the Tissot Award this season? Here were the standings through the November 7th race at Texas... T1 24 Jeff Gordon 4 $20,000
T1 18 Kyle Busch 4 20,000
T1 17 Matt Kenseth 4 20,000
T1 1 Jamie McMurray 4 20,000
T5 33 Clint Bowyer 3 15,000
T6 56 Martin Truex Jr. 2 10,000
T6 00 David Reutimann 2 10,000
T6 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000
T9 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000
T9 12 Brad Keselowski 1 5,000
T9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 5,000
T9 39 Ryan Newman 1 5,000
T9 2 Kurt Busch 1 5,000
T9 26 Boris Said 1 5,000
T9 16 Greg Biffle 1 5,000
T9 29 Kevin Harvick 1 5,000
T9 5 Mark Martin 1 5,000
This certainly begs the question... Gordon's 24 team was tied for the lead and then won the Phoenix race award on the 48 car... Does that knock them out of consideration? Four crew teams were tied for first after Texas. Go figure...
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Joe Gibbs on Kyle Busch
Evidently the search is on for a new crew chief in 2011 for the 88 Chevrolet. Give me your honest opinion… Do you truly believe Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s problems getting into victory lane are centered on who’s making the calls from the pit box? Do you think the change is Rick Hendrick’s idea or is it Junior’s?
My idea… Put Tony Eury Jr. back on Dale’s box. Yeah I know what happened the last time but just maybe they can figure out how to get tunnel vision like last July when they partnered to win the Nationwide 250 at Daytona when Junior honored his dad’s memory driving the Wrangler number 3. Seems to me Junior needs that kind of incentive and Eury might be the guy to keep him focused. Just a thought…
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Speaking of Daytona, how are things going with the track resurfacing?
The repaving work has boiled down to the skid pads, the apron and pit road. Yes sir! The track itself is done. Wednesday and Thursday, December 15th and 16th, have been scheduled for Goodyear tire testing. The drivers for the test have not been named at this time but a bit of interesting information concerns fans wanting to watch the tests that will mark the first time race cars will be allowed on the track: The Oldfield Grandstands will be open for free access to anyone willing to come. Might be fun!
David Ragan and a couple of brave souls took a spin around the track in a bright red Ford Mustang last week… Check out the video and the wide eyed guy riding shotgun! That dude is not taking his eyes off the road while Ragan is virtually free wheeling! LOL
I can’t wait to enjoy the “World Center of Racing” next February!
Just on the heels of Chevrolet’s announcement they are getting back into IndyCar racing in a partnership with Cosworth, Lotus announced they’ll jump in as well.
Lotus Group CEO Dany Behar stated, "We want to really fight and compete with the big guys," Behar said. "But we have a Lotus way to do things. We always try to understand what we are getting into. That's why we started this year with a very small activity with Takuma Sato with one car to understand IndyCar racing and to see whether there was an opportunity for us to become a real contender.
"We made the brave decision. Yes, this is where we want to be. We believe in the series. We believe the series is developing very, very well. I think it fits perfectly very well our activities and strategies in the U.S., which is our biggest market"
The move sets up competition of sorts between the U.S. (Chevrolet), Asia (Honda) and now Europe (Lotus).
Once again the IZOD IndyCar Series appears to be growing at a time when NASCAR seems to be stagnating or shrinking.
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Last week it was a green article about the European Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) sports car division with news of a “flybrid” gasoline / electric engine being readied for 2011. Now there’s word of a Honda IndyCar concept frame by designer Nicolas Stone that may feature an innovative new propulsion system enabling the car to power itself with its own momentum by employing wind turbines to generate electricity from the air traveling over the car at high speeds. The IndyCar is said to be capable of reaching a top speed of over 230 mph! Not sure when or if a prototype will show up on the track, but here’s an artist’s rendition:
I don’t know about you folks, but personally I’m all for this kind of research within the auto racing industry. I see it as one more nail in foreign oil’s casket. The more we learn about alternative fuel powered transportation the closer we are to ending our dependency on people who don’t give a damn about us. The sooner this happens the better off we’ll all be.
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Speculation has popped up about a possible marriage between Graham Rahal and Target/Ganassi Racing for 2011. Hmmm… A top young talent and the dominate IndyCar team?
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Formula 1
Is Sebastian Vettel going to jump ship? Rumors are beginning to swirl that Red Bull may not have a lock on the newly crowned F1 champion. Earlier it was Mark Webber who might be gone… Now Vettel? What’s up with these Red Bull drivers? Or maybe it’s the other F1 team member’s just wishful thinking. But on the other hand Sebastian has stated in the past how much he’d like to drive for Mercedes and Ferrari (like Michael Schumacher)... Here’s what Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has to say on the matter: "The whole 'dream team' - maybe that's exaggerated, but I think it's true - will remain together. They all got even more bound together by that success. I am sure this won't change after having won two titles. One thing is for sure however: in 2011 we will be the hunted ones, not the hunters anymore."
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More on Sebastian…
Winning the Formula 1 championship at 23 years of age, young Vettel is poised to become one of Formula 1’s dominate drivers for years to come. So says the man who brought him into major racing, BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen. "He did a fantastic job - especially in the final four races when the pressure was mounting," Theissen told AUTOSPORT when asked about his feelings on Vettel. "When it didn't go his way, he kept his cool. Among the four or five title contenders, the youngest one was the one who didn't make any mistakes anymore. That was really, really good. He is a top driver, one of the top drivers in Formula 1 already at 23. If it all goes well, he has another 15 years in Formula 1, so there are quite some championships he can win if the car is right."
I’ll bet Mr. Theissen wishes he could rethink letting Sebastian go to Red Bull back in 2007…
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With a new Italian racing venue looming on the horizon (2013 - a Formula 1 Grand Prix is scheduled to run through the streets of Rome), concerns are being raised about Monza’s Autodromo Nazionale course outside of Milan. Monza officials worry Formula 1 may opt for only one Italian site on their schedule in the future and with Rome’s influence Monza may be the odd race out.
Here’s a look at the proposed downtown circuit through Rome… __________________________________________________
Speaking of new circuits for Formula 1… The Austin Texas Environmental Board unanimously approved the United States Grand Prix Site in what is considered to be the most difficult approval to secure. The Austin Environmental Board raised the excitement level around central Texas by unanimously voting in favor of the 900 acre road course plan. Also out this month was the announcement that HKS, the same company responsible for designing Jerry Jones’ new Taj Mahal Cowboy Stadium near Dallas has joined the design team for this ambitious $250 million project. The track and multi-use stadium remains on schedule to break ground next month and be ready in time for races beginning in 2012. Here’s a look at the proposed course:
The 3.4-mile Austin track will combine 133 feet of elevation change and 20 turns.
I like it! Kinda looks like an Indian hatchet…
How many races will Formula 1 shortly have?
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Everybody have a good off-season and a great Thanksgiving!
One push and three better times pretty much confirms the move Chad Knaus made in Texas… _____________________________________________________________
In light of the highly successful 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase, take a look at this article published late last July:
Auto Racing Insider: NASCAR mulls tweaking Chase format again
George Diaz COMMENTARY 3:34 p.m. EDT, July 27, 2010
Like any good partner, NASCAR keeps trying to made amends in a relationship in which passion is waning. They want to make nice with fans. You know who you are. You are tired of NASCAR going corporate more and more each year, squeezing out the small-town tracks steeped in tradition. You are frustrated with the playoff format that has turned into dudsville, courtesy of four consecutive titles by Jimmie Johnson.
There's hope. We think.
CEO Brian France recently said that NASCAR is considering a significant overhaul to its championship Chase. "If we have the perfect Chase that we would love to see, it would be just like every commissioner would tell you," he told reporters before Sunday's Brickyard 400. "They'd like to see great playoff events ... action-packed, close games, great story lines. That's what anybody's after. We're no different."
France didn't delve into a lot of details, but he likes the idea of a system that would eliminate drivers from the playoffs. One idea involves eliminating drivers halfway through the Chase, trying to replicate the drama of the fall race at Richmond, which sets the 12-car field for the Chase. Under that scenario, five drivers could be eliminated after the first four races and five more drivers knocked out four or five races later.
"It comes with some version as you go along where certain races in the Chase, you have to win or do very, very well, to in fact move on," France said. "When you peel that back and look at it, it's not that different."
The possible tweaking of the Chase format — much like the Chase format itself — is a reactionary move by NASCAR to continue to manufacture drama. In attempts to think bigger, NASCAR has shrunk with TV ratings that are stagnant and attendance that is sagging.
It's understandable that France and company want to continue to look for ways to spark interest. But it's also fair to suggest they also have a hand in that decline by shifting the dynamics so drastically that many fans walked away.
"I don't really have a problem with the way it's structured," said David Reutimann, driver of the No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series. "Obviously there could be some little tweaks here and there, but I don't think we need to go in and overhaul it, either. It's not perfect. Nothing is…but if NASCAR can continue to make it better and add more excitement I think it will be a win-win."
To his credit, France said he will attend focus groups with fans in a few weeks to gather perspective, as well as gauge reaction from insiders in the garage.
He wants to make it right. A bouquet of flowers simply won't do.
Now, do they or don’t they? _______________________________________________________________ Did you know they were measuring the crowd noise during the driver introductions at Talladega? According to Jeff Gluck at SB Nation, this is who won and by how much in the noise chase (Gluck’s comments are on the right…): Driver------------------dB----Type of Noise--Comment/Explanation 1. Dale Earnhardt Jr..---85.9---Cheers--------Was there any doubt? 2. Mark Martin-----------83.1---Cheers--------Love for old-school driver 3. Tony Stewart----------82.7---Cheers--------Popular 4. Jimmie Johnson------81.3---Boos----------Boos louder as fifth title gets closer 5. Kyle Busch-------------81.0---Boos----------Cool Truck win did little to change fans' opinions 6. Jeff Gordon------------80.7---Mix----------Actually heard some audible cheers...at Dega! 7. Juan Pablo Montoya-79.4---Boos---------Pole-sitter 8. Michael Waltrip ------79.2---Cheers-------Fan favorite makes his return 9. Ryan Newman --------79.1---Cheers-------Warm reception at track that hasn't been kind to him 10. Kurt Busch-----------78.8---Boos----------Busch Brother
Is this tunnel vision or what? ______________________________________________________________ The Mr. “Big Name” But Actually Irrelevant Award Recipient… Jeff Gordon!
With only 33 wins since 2000 translating to just three wins per season over the last 11 years, Jeff wins the award hands down. Jeff’s current winless streak? How about 63 races with only one win in the last three seasons…
Conversely, bad boy Kyle Busch has 22 victories in 2010 alone (3 Cup, 12 NWS and 7 CTWS).
Oh, by the way, did you hear Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton made up? They're just a couple of good 'ol boys afterall... __________________________________________________________________ KBM Signs Sponsor
Dollar General has stepped up to back Kyle Busch Motorsports on the number 10 CWTS Toyota Tundra for five races next season. Hopefully Kyle will cool it with the kid’s stuff action we’ve seen recently and add more sponsors for his rides…
Report: Chevrolet linked to IndyCar's Ganassi Owner Chip Ganassi denied an Internet report that his team will be linked to Chevrolet in the IZOD IndyCar Series. "I literally know nothing about that," Ganassi said November 8th, just days before Chevrolet formally announced they will end a six season hiatus and reform their alliance with Cosworth building IndyCar racing engines once again. According to IndyCar rules, turbocharged engines can be anything up to six cylinders with a maximum displacement of 2.4 liters. Honda has been the sole engine supplier to IndyCar since 2005 when both Chevrolet and Toyota dropped out.
IndyCar is also set to debut a new engine and chassis configuration in 2012. Italian chassis builder Dallara will manufacture the core of the car in a new multi-million dollar 100,000 square foot shop in Indianapolis. Here’s a look at one of the proposed concepts: __________________________________________________ Versus pulls in more viewers...
IndyCar Series officials announced a 16.2 increase in cable-television viewers on Versus. Sounds really good until you realize it comes with an asterisk. In case you didn’t know, Comcast and DirecTV have been going round and round in recent months over the cost of Versus. That disagreement was finally resolved so Versus had more possible viewers this season. Despite the promising announcement, IndyCar's overall ratings remain well below what sponsors want to see. Still, this year's improvement is positive news. The 12 races on Versus averaged 366,000 viewers, with the championship-deciding race at Homestead-Miami Speedway marking an increase of 34 percent over last year's race.
Versus aired the final seven races of the season, averaging 316,000 viewers. That's an 8.2 increase over last year's 292,000 viewers for the final seven races.
********************************************************************* Formula 1
Congratulations to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, 2010 World Champion!
____________________________________________________ An estimated 50 million viewers worldwide (over 40 million in Europe) watched television coverage of Formula 1’s season finale race in Abu Dhabi! ____________________________________________________ No crying over spilt milk at Ferrari… A tough call to pit and switch tires from soft to hard matching a decision made earlier on the suddenly faster Red Bull Mark Webber car in Abu Dhabi’s showdown Formula 1 finale left Ferrari’s contender Fernando Alonso stuck six places behind eventual Red Bull Renault race and 2010 World Champion Sebastian Vettle, but Scuderia Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was not going to be drawn into the blame game. Alonso finished the race in 7th needing only three more positions to win the World Championship, but it just wasn’t to be as he couldn’t get around another Renault driven by Vitaly Petrov for the remainder of the race.
“There is a great sadness at this moment, because to come so close to our goal and to see it slip away for just a few points really hurts," Domenicali said. "We made a wrong decision in terms of strategy for three reasons: We marked a rival with two cars, we were unduly concerned about the wear rate of the soft tires, and we did not take into consideration the difficulty of getting past other cars on the track."
Domenicali went on to thank his team and their fans in 2010… ********************************************************************** FIA gives Australian V8 Supercars international status
The FIA has recognized the Australian V8 Supercars series as an international racing series. This allows the series to expand outside of Australia, and it plans to hold six races outside of the country in 2012, rather than the two such events it has held recently. The 2011 schedule features 12 races in Australia as well as races in Abu Dhabi and New Zealand.
Martin Whitaker, CEO of V8 Supercars had this to say: “This is tremendous news for the sport, and we thank the FIA for their endorsement and recognition of V8 Supercars as a major international player, particularly in the Asia Pacific region,”
Whitaker placated his fan base as the say time letting them know the series will remain true to its Australian roots regardless of its international status. “Australia and New Zealand remain our absolute priority in terms of where we race, although the new status means we can move forward with confidence when exploring growth outside of Australasia,” he said. V8 Supercars is working toward adding races in Singapore, Korea, India, Hong Kong and South Africa.
Hold on tight tez, these guys may be coming to a track near you!
******************************************************************** American Le Mans Series
A Swiss team, Hope PoleVision (HPV) has announced plans to race a hybrid gasoline / electric engine car in the European Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) sports car division in select races next season hoping to catch the eye of a manufacturer for the 2012 season. If successful, the team would then make a run at the championship with a manufacturer’s financial backing. The sports car will be equipped with what is known as a “flybrid” kinetic energy recovery system added to a turbo charged four cylinder engine.
An ambitious undertaking and definitely a look into the future of auto racing.
********************************************************************* A completely different look into the future… Will there be a time when people race these? Swiss pilot and stunt man Yves Rossy became the first man in the world to fly under a jet-fitted wing. Here he performs a looping maneuver above Bercher, Switzerland, earlier this month. Rossy jumped from a hot-air balloon and performed the loop before landing safely with a parachute.
Rossy declared himself "very happy and satisfied" with Friday's stunt, which comes two years after his first successful flights over the nearby Swiss Alps. The extreme sports enthusiast has since flown across the English Channel and last year tried to cross the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to Spain. That attempt ended in failure when Rossy ditched in the sea due to strong turbulence. Rossy said he is still hoping to fly through the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but is waiting for permission from U.S. authorities. ******************************************************************* Speaking of extreme sports…
In case you’re not familiar with him, meet Travis Pastrana… Travis announced November 10th that he’s parting ways with Subaru Rally Team USA, then one day later an even more compelling announcement came from the camp of the 11-time X Games gold medalist: Pastrana will be racing NASCAR in 2011.
If plans come to a timely fruition, he’ll make his 2011 debut in the Nationwide Series with Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, both as a driver and team owner. Pastrana hopes to compete in seven NASCAR Nationwide races in 2011 and twenty races in 2012. "I've been following NASCAR closely for years as a fan of the sport with competing in the sport a life-long dream," Pastrana said. "I decided it was time to try and turn that dream into reality and with the help of the Bechtel family [Gary and Blake], Michael Waltrip Racing and Wasserman media group I'm now one step closer!" Pastrana-Waltrip Racing will run Toyotas out of MWR’s shop in Cornelius, N.C.
Michael Waltrip said of the announcement, "Travis has built an enormous and unique following all over the world. As a race team owner, we are always looking for ways to deliver to our partners and engage our fans better. This is an opportunity to showcase our company and our sport to a new generation of young fans. We're also looking for that next big star. Travis already is one and action sports is full of talented athletes. Having Travis as a part of our program adds another great dimension to our team and NASCAR."
We’re all aware of the problems faced by first time NASCAR drivers regardless of their racing backgrounds. Here’s hoping Travis delivers not only on the track but in the stands as well... *******************************************************************
Camping World Truck Series Rank-Car#---------Team------------------Points-Attempts-Starts 1----18----Kyle Busch Motorsports---------3522-----22------22 2----30----Germain Racing-----------------3480-----22------22 3----51----Billy Ballew Motorsports---------3264-----22------22 4----13----ThorSport Racing----------------3166-----22------22 5-----2----Kevin Harvick Inc.---------------3117-----22------22
Can Kyle Busch hold on and wrap up the Camping World Truck Series Owner’s Points Championship?
After his win at the Mountain Dew 250 last weekend in Talladega (Kyle has six wins in only 13 starts when he personally drove the number 18 Toyota Tundra this season (!) and sits in 16th place in the driver standings) Kyle Busch Motorsports leads Germain Racing by 42 points. With the three races to go (Texas’ WinStar World Casino 350, Phoenix’ Lucas Oil 150 and Miami-Homestead’s Ford 200) occurring on the same venues as the final Sprint Cup Chase races, Kyle should be behind the wheel of the number 18 Tundra in each event. Will it be enough? Todd Bodine is the series points leader driving for Germain Racing and besides some bad blood between the Onion and Rowdy, there’s been rumblings from the Germain camp about stopping at nothing to deny KBM from winning the owner’s trophy as Germain attempts to sweep both the driver and owner points championships.
Considering Kyle Busch Motorsports is a first year operation and the fact that Kyle has only been able to drive in just over half of the CWTS season’s 22 races, plus by the end of this season he should have made 81 starts in all three of NASCAR’s top racing series, winning the CWTS owner’s points race would be quite an accomplishment in this highly entertaining series. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Good Thing from a Bad Economy?
I’m hearing rumblings about how the old time tested system of making it to the big show in NASCAR is making a comeback. In these down economic times owners are less willing to risk investing tons of money on young drivers in the mold of Joe Logano and Kyle Busch. The old step by step system where young drivers are faced with making their way up through the minor racing circuits apparently is coming in vogue once again with big time race team owners.
Knowing how much emphasis has been placed on more glamorous looking drivers to interest advertisers, I have to wonder if a young driver who doesn’t fit the “look” mold but is tearing up whatever circuits he or she is running in, someone who could be the best driver to come down the pike in years, will still get a shot. I’m going to say no…
Looking at the current glamor system, do you think Mark Martin would have gotten a shot at the big time in this day and age? Jeff Burton? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Formula 1 Racing…
It appears the Korean people are truly in love with auto racing. Immediately following the inaugural Korean Grand Prix a Korean auto industry executive stepped forward and called for Korea to become directly involved on the track by introducing their own racing vehicles. This after 60,000 racing fans showed up in terrible weather to watch the county’s first big-time racing event. Knowing the Koreans, I expect we’ll be seeing a totally Korean team within the next five years.
This weekend the Formula 1 circuit will be in Brazil for that country’s Grand Prix. Here’s a video primer on the event…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From IndyCar… A concerted effort is being carried out to secure the immediate financial future of the IZOD IndyCar Series. It’s recently been announced IndyCar has added 14 new commercial sponsor/partners over the past twelve months. These include such big names in the business world as Verizon, Sunoco and Philips. Other good things going on include licensing revenue increasing at an 83% clip over last year and a similar increase in merchandise sales. All this in a down economy? Sounds like somebody knows what they’re doing and doing it in direct competition with NASCAR. Maybe Mr. France needs to pay more attention…
Here’s the 2011 IZOD IndyCar racing series schedule:
3/27/11 - Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Florida (racing on the streets of St. Pete) 4/10/11 - Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama by Legacy Credit Union in Birmingham, Alabama 4/17/11 - Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, California (racing on the streets of Long Beach) 5/1/11 – Sao Paulo Indy 300 Sao Paulo, Brazil (racing on the streets of Sao Paulo) 5/29/11 – Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis, Indiana 6/11/11 – Firestone Twin 275s, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas 6/19/11 – The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wisconsin 6/25/11 – Iowa Corn Indy 250, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa 7/10/11 – Honda Indy Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (racing on the streets of Toronto) 7/24/11 – Honda Indy Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta (racing at the City Centre Airport) 8/7/11 – Honda Indy 200 presented by Westfield Insurance, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio 8/14/11 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire 8/28/11 – Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California 9/4/11 – Baltimore Grand Prix, Baltimore, Maryland (racing on the streets of Baltimore) 9/18/11 – Indy Japan 300, Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Tochigi 10/2/11 – Kentucky Indy 300, Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky
16 races in four countries…
Finally, 33 cars that won the Indianapolis 500 over the years were on display recently at the Grand Old Track…
Can you imagine how much time it took back in the day to drive one of those old race cars 500 miles?
Heck, I just might be able to handle driving a couple of those older rigs… ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Editorial… Drafting to Victory
When I entered the world of gainful employment I cut my teeth in a very competitive business in the San Joaquin Valley as a pest control advisor in Tulare County’s tree fruit business. There were five farm chemical sales outlets in my hometown of 5,000 people alone. If you wanted to survive as a fieldman you had to out-service your competitors while trying to influence the local citrus, olive, stone fruit and nut crop growers to use your pest inspection service and pest control recommendations and buy from the farm chemical sales house you’re affiliated with. I’m here to tell ya, it was a cut-throat deal. You had to work your tail off to build a trustworthy clientele and still keep your head on a swivel being sure your competitors weren’t nibbling on the fringes of your customer base trying to put doubt in their minds about your abilities. It was the way it was and you lived with it. I figure that’s just the way life is. You scrape your way up the ladder.
This same means of making it pervades the business world and can be seen in most other endeavors and that’s why it’s surprising to me when I see a sport like auto racing condoning something like restrictor racing on NASCAR’s super speedways. This practice runs counter to everything I was steeped in.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Now if they want to restrict the speed, that’s a safety issue and I can understand it. I’ve been assured by our crew chief, jmayer, that the COT still isn’t safe enough for 230 MPH racing. But the fact that restricting horsepower in combination with the super speedways has allowed such a thing as speed enhancing drafting to be used runs contrary to everything I’ve been taught. Competitors helping competitors? That’s sacrilege!
Sunday’s Finish at Talladega
Might as well have tow bars… Just sayin’…
One question that comes to mind… What happened to those terrible pit crew dudes that were forced off the 29 car’s crew??? Bowyer wins!
The only answer I can come up with to solve my dilemma is to do away with the restrictors but I guess that’s not gonna happen… Maybe an “S” curve on the back stretch? Don’t think so… Restrictors? It’s going to have to grow on me… Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox…
be scratched due to political unrest in Bahrain. I have to agree its better in this day and age to be safe rather than sorry. Unfortunately the international attention an F1 event draws would have been a perfect platform for political controversy to raise its ugly head. With Middle East races in Abu Dhabi and Turkey also on the 2011 schedule, one has to wonder if similar problems might be in the offing there as well…
So the first race of this already unusual season will occur at the end of March in Melbourne Australia where the Australian Grand Prix will be run in this now 19 race season. Even with Bahrain still in the mix, I think its obvious F1 has plenty of room for more racing venues and dates…
An artist's look at the Mallorca Site.
The proposed Croatian course...
