Better on black [EN] Title: Isolation.. Shot over an escalator at La D�fense, Paris. [FR] Un escalator parmi beaucoup d'autres � La D�fense, Paris. Explore and front page rank #1 on june 4th 2011. Thank you all for your visits and comments ___________________________________________________________________ Previous picture: Curves ___________________________________________________________________ Thank you for your comments and faves, they're greatly appreciated :) !
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Isolement - 4 Jun 2011 - Flickr
F1 in a spin over Bahrain
Three days after motorsport's governing body, the FIA, reinstated the Bahrain Grand Prix on to this year's Formula 1 calendar, the likelihood of the race actually taking place remains as uncertain as ever.
As FIA president Jean Todt was telling the BBC on Monday that the situation in Bahrain was now back to normal following the civil unrest that led to the race being postponed in February, the F1 teams were discussing what to do next.
I understand that the teams all feel that going to Bahrain this season is not a good idea, and that their objections are based on two main points:
Logistical - as Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn has pointed out, the F1 team members have been working flat out since January, and shoe-horning an extra race into an already crowded season's end, and extending the championship until mid-December, is a step too far.
Ethical and moral - trying to bring such issues into sports scheduling raises all sorts of difficult questions, such as exactly where you draw the line. After all, Bahrain is not the only country on the F1 schedule about which human rights groups have concerns. Which is why sports' bodies generally try to stay out of politics. But the teams feel that if holding a grand prix in a strife-torn area is likely to exacerbate the situation, then that is on the wrong side of the line.
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No team has made these views public yet, with the only official statement so far emerging from their umbrella group Fota, stating that the issue would be discussed internally and that a joint position may be defined. It may be that this will happen over the course of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.
In the meantime, F1 is in a state of limbo that reflects badly on it on several different levels.
How, many outside the sport will ask, can it have taken so long to come to this decision? And how, having done so, can there still be uncertainty about whether the Bahrain Grand Prix will be held this year?
There are different versions of exactly what happened on Friday in the meeting of the FIA World Council that resulted in Bahrain's reinstatement.
FIA insiders have said that while the governing body may be aware of the teams' reported unease, it has received so far only a letter from Brawn and one from the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, outlining their concerns about safety.
So if the teams felt uneasy about the race, why did not any of their representatives raise an official objection?
Equally, though, with the world's media and Amnesty International reporting continuing human rights abuses in Bahrain, was the FIA right to conclude in its own report that the situation is now "very stable and very quiet", as Todt put it?
Even as he justified the world council's decision, though, Todt may have been laying the ground for calling off the race - he gave himself some 'wriggle room'.
After a lengthy exposition on how all major parties in Bahrain backed the reinstatement of the race, and how United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon was talking about "restoring a good situation in this part of the world", Todt added: "But we are talking about 30 October, so it will be monitored and things will be taken into consideration. The decision to go ahead was taken regarding how things are now."
Could that be the signal that another U-turn is on the cards?
I'm told that over the next few days the teams are likely to quietly begin to lobby the FIA to reconsider, pointing out that far from helping heal the wounds caused by the violent suppression of February's pro-democracy protests, the decision to hold a race already looked to be doing the opposite.
Only on Monday, the Bahrain Centre of Human Rights indicated that it would be calling for a "day of rage" on 30 October, the date of the rescheduled race, while the UK sports minister warned that holding the race would lead to a "disaster".
While all the teams are uneasy (even McLaren, whose biggest shareholder is a financial group owned by the Bahrain government), I'm told that the greatest concerns are held by three organisations - Renault, Mercedes and tyre supplier Pirelli, none of whom were available for comment.
As the three biggest corporate entities in F1, this would not be a surprise. They have well developed corporate social responsibility programmes, and they have the most to lose from a PR point of view from the inevitable negative fall-out that holding a race this year would create.
Todt acknowledged that it was "their choice" if they wanted to boycott the race - and there is precedent for that in F1.
In 1985, Renault and their fellow French team Ligier refused to take part in the South African Grand Prix, in a country still nine years away from the end of apartheid, following pressure from their country's government. And a number of sponsors of the teams that did take part removed their logos from the cars.
I understand that a boycott is not, for now, on the agenda. Even so, having just announced that the race will go ahead, the FIA finds itself in a difficult situation. But there is a way out.
Suppose, quietly, behind the scenes, the teams make it clear that they are unhappy about the Bahrain Grand Prix going ahead. As part of this pressure, it is made clear to the Bahraini authorities that if they insist on holding the race, some teams and sponsors will not attend. There is even the chance that the sport's tyre supplier would refuse to participate - meaning a race could not happen in any event.
In those circumstances, Bahrain would be faced with a choice.
They could go ahead with the race in the wake of a stream of statements from major global corporate stakeholders that they felt the event was untenable - not exactly a desirable situation for a significant international banking hub.
Or they could quietly announce that, given the circumstances, the risk of further protest, of putting pressure on a sensitive situation, in hindsight they believed that the best action would be to call off the race after all.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/three_days_after_motorsports_g.html
Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco Hans Binder
MTV: Chords, Sunday bloody sunday
If you know music, you know MTV.
Advertising Agency: Loducca, S�o Paulo, Brazil
Creative Directors: Guga Ketzer, Cassio Moron, Marco Monteiro, Pedro Guerra
Art Director: Denon Oliveira
Copywriter: Alex Bitencourt
Photographer: Diogo Salles
Published: May 2011
Check out the staff favorites on StockLogos.
Source: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/mtv_chords_sunday_bloody_sunday
Monday, 6 June 2011
Dixan Puff: Feather, Red
Advertising Agency: DDB, Milan, Italy
Copywriter: Valerio Le Moli
Art Director: Armando Viale
Photographer: Sonia Marin
Art Buyer: Michela Braganti
Account Supervisor: Chiara De Simone
Check out the staff favorites on StockLogos.
Source: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/dixan_puff_feather_red
May Colors - 24 May 2011 - Flickr
This is one simply Brandenburg landscape without a special composition, but I found it somehow interesting. Nikon D7000 Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24 mm @ 10 mm ISO100, 1/13 sec., f/8 Lee .9 Soft GND and B+W polarizer filters Getty Images | Fluidr | Flickr Hive Mind | DNA Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. � 2011 www.dietrichbojko.com, All rights reserved. Exif data auto added by theGOOD Uploadr Camera Make : NIKON CORPORATION Camera Model : NIKON D7000 Exposure : 0.077 seconds Aperture : f/8 ISO Speed : 100 Focal Length : 10 mm Subject Distance : 256.0 meters
Life in the pit lane
 The Mercedes pit crew prepare for Michael Schumacher in Singapore |
These are not select millionaires but up to 16 ordinary, yet gifted, guys; team mechanics who have worked their way up the system and often migrate from team to team, are paid real-world wages of between �30,000 and �50,000 a year, are drilled to perfection ? and whose split-second synchronisation brings their teams huge rewards.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/life_in_the_pit_lane.php
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
David Ragan Inches Closer to First Career Sprint Cup Win
If you were able to withstand the entire broadcast of Sunday night's Coca Cola 600, first off, congratulations. This is the longest race on the NASCAR schedule, and after a race that lasted just about five hours, I'm sure there were some fans at home watching that were just as tired as the drivers who were racing it.
The end of the race provided plenty of drama. As the laps wound down, every driver on the lead lap was questioning whether or not they could make it to the end of the race without running out of fuel.
Then, to add a little more drama, a caution came out with four laps to go when Jimmie Johnson's engine let go. Under the yellow, about half of the field elected to come down pit road and top off their gas tanks, just to ensure they would make it to the end.
David Ragan was the first of those drivers to do so. He would go on to take the ensuing restart in 10th place.
Then, as the field was coming to take the one to go signal, race leader Greg Biffle came down pit road as he was out of gas. This handed the front row to Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
When the green flag waved to restart the race, Kahne never got going. He was out of gas, and as he failed to get up to speed, a melee occurred behind him. Cars began to plow into the back of each other with Brad Keselowski sustaining a lot of damage, and Jeff Burton getting spun into the infield.
Through all this, no caution waved, and Earnhardt Jr. pulled away. As he took the white flag, it appeared that his 104 race winless streak would come to an end. But as he was making the final turn, he too ran out of fuel, as did Denny Hamlin who was right behind him.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Kevin Harvick, who was also extremely low on fuel, charged out of Turn 4 and inherited the lead. He made it to the start/finish line first, and claimed his series best third win of the year. Harvick led a total of just two laps en route to the win.
The second place finisher was the driver who had come off pit road first under the final caution, David Ragan.
The runner up finish is a career best for Ragan, who for the second time this year was left to wonder what could have been. Ragan ran up front all night long, and was certainly strong enough to win, but on this night it just wasn't meant to be.
This easily could have been Ragan's second win of the season. Ragan was leading the season opening Daytona 500 when he got penalized on the second to last restart of the day. Ragan had chosen the outside lane for the restart, and prior to the green flag coming out, he changed his lane when he cut down in front of eventual race winner, Trevor Bayne.
He was issued a black flag, and sent to the tail end of the longest line for the final restart. He ultimately finished 14th in that race.
So, for the second time this year, Ragan was oh, so close to scoring that elusive first ever win, but at least this time he got a finish that reflected how strong of a night he had.
David Ragan is a young driver who races hard, but clean. He is a driver who has taken plenty of criticism over the last couple of years for not living up to expectations, and he is a driver that wants nothing more than to win a race in NASCAR's top series.
While the Coca Cola 600 provided him with a career best finish, it was one spot worse than he would have really liked. But rest assured that if he continues to run that strong, he won't have to wait much longer for his first career trip to victory lane.
Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/716850-david-ragan-inches-closer-to-first-career-sprint-cup-win
Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy Colin Chapman
2012 F1 calendar revealed with record 21 races | 2012 F1 season
The 2012 F1 calendar will contain a record 21 races as the United States Grand Prix is set to return.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/v2ZPd5GmsZE/
Sunday, 5 June 2011
McLaren drivers out of title race
 Is it now a three-way battle for the title? |
?Focus and concentration will be of paramount importance and there is none stronger in this regard than Ferrari?s Fernando Alonso.?The Guardian?s Oliver Owen thinks that it is Mark Webber?s title to lose now, and that this may be the Australian?s last realistic chance of winning the title.
?He has driven beautifully. Monaco and Silverstone spring to mind. He has been an uncompromising racer, not giving Vettel or Lewis Hamilton an inch in Turkey and Singapore respectively. Most importantly, he has largely avoided the bouts of brain fade that can wreck a season ? his on-track hooning in Melbourne when racing Hamilton being the only exception. But there is a feeling that for Webber it is now or never, that a chance of a tilt at the title may never come again. He is certainly driving as if that is the case and that has been his strength.?According to The Mirror?s Byron Young, both McLaren drivers are now out of the title hunt after their fourth and fifth place finishes in Suzuka.
?McLaren's title hopes died yesterday in a weekend from Hell at Suzuka. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth in a Japanese Grand Prix they had to win to have the remotest chance of keeping their title bid alive."The Sun?s Michael Spearman was of the same opinion, saying ?Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button's title hopes were in tatters after a shocker in Japan.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/mclaren_drivers_out_of_title_r_1.php
Bahrain Grand Prix reinstated on 2011 F1 calendar | 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix
The Bahrain Grand Prix has been reinstated to the 2011 F1 calendar.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/z8skWwmI85M/
Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 Winners Need Just 500 Feet to Win
The two big races of the weekend were won by drivers needing only the final 500 feet to capture the big prizes on the day. Rookie J.R. Hildebrand appeared to have the checkered flag in hand while leading the final four turns in the Indy 500, only to crash off the fourth turn, handing Dan Wheldon the big trophy (See more under Open Wheel News.).
If that wasn’t enough of a crushing blow, after not winning a race in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition for more than 100 races, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr led the final few laps of the big Coca-Cola 600, only to run out of the go-juice off the final turn at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, handing the unexpected win to Kevin Harvick.
Two big surprises in one weekend….who’d a thunk it?
The Cup race started around 6 p.m. with Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth the class of the field. The Roush-Fenway drivers ran very strong, but numerous caution flags and late race pit stops for a splash and go, coupled with a bunched up green-white-checker restart, scrambled the final results with Harvick winning, David Regan runner-up and Joey Logano, Kurt Busch and A.J. Allmendinger all surprise top five finishers.
Other surprises among the top 10 included Marcos Ambrose, Dale Jr., Ragan Smith, David Reutimann and an out of gas Denny Hamlin.
Notables would have to include Ricky Stenhouse Jr. filling in for Trevor Bayne in 11th , late race leader Greg Biffle 13th and points leader Edwards dropping to 16th after getting tangled in the late race mess.
Speaking of the late race mess, when the field took the green for the final restart, a tangle between Brad Keselowski and Jeff Burton, among others, saw torn up cars along with spun out cars….but no caution! What’s up with that? Many readers out there will say there was no caution because of Dale Jr being out front, which would have negated that.
What do you think? Drop us a line.
Nationwide
- This race at Charlotte on Saturday afternoon looked like an exercise in Ford drivers spanking the rest of the field in performance, as the Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth cars were the class of the field.
Just as it appeared to have Edwards back in victory lane, Kenseth zipped on by with a few laps to go for his first Nationwide win of the season, subbing for Trevor Bayne in the No. 16. Rounding out the top five included Edwards, Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Reed Sorenson.
Points leader Elliott Sadler managed a 10th place finish and maintains the top spot but only by one point over Stenhouse.
Ex-F-1 racer Kimi Raikkenen started 22nd and finished laps down in 27th after a fairly rough night of light smacks to the fence and a speeding ticket on pit lane.
Open Wheel News
- The Monte Carlo F-1 race turned out to be a barn burner, with Sebastian Vettel barely hanging on to win his fifth race of the year. Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button wrapped up the top three. Had there not been a red flag with six laps to go, it appeared Alonso or Button would have won. F-1’s strange rules allow work to be done on the cars during the red, allowing Vettel to replace totally shot Pirelli’s.
Closer to home, the open wheel action watched from around the world was the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500. Scott Dixon and teammate Dario Franchitti led a lot of laps, as did Graham Rahal, and it appeared that J R Hildebrand was about to rewrite the record books with a rookie win when he suddenly crashed off the final turn of the final lap, allowing Dan Wheldon an open track to grab his second Indy 500 win.
Hildebrand was obviously crushed despite finishing second with half a car, as it scraped along the front stretch wall with Rahal, Tony Kanaan and Dixon capping the top five finishers.
Danica Patrick managed a 10th place finish with the other three ladies deep in the pack.
Franchitti once again had fuel issues, having to pit on the final lap for a quick splash dropped him from the top three to a crushing 12th.
Hildebrand will surely be going over his slight and very expensive error many times before, if ever, being in that position again.
From Rumorville
- Lots of talk concerning Danica Patrick leaving Indy Cars after this season and concentrating on Nationwide action for a full-season in 2012. Nothing etched in bronze at this point, but the rumor grumblings are getting louder.
There would probably be a deal to just do the one Indy Car race a year, that being the Indy 500.
--- Other driver rumors include Raikkenen competing in the upcoming Sprint Cup race at Infineon. While the road course is Kimi’s cup of tea, jumping into a Cup car for the first time and competing with seasoned veterans is going to be a very tall order expecting any kind of decent results.
That’s it for this week. Next week’s RWR will review the results from the Kansas Speedway, where the Cup and Truck series will compete, while the Nationwide concerns head to Chicago, along with more racing news from around the globe.
Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/716864-two-big-race-winners-lead-the-final-500-feet
Ford Environmental Conservation Award: Fish
Those who help nature end up helping themselves.
Sing up for the 15th environmental conservation award.
Advertising Agency: JWT, S�o Paulo, Brazil
Creative Directors: Mario D?Andrea, Roberto Fernandez
Art Director: Sthefan Ko
Copywriter: Fabio Leao
Photographer: Regis Fernandez
Illustrator: Sthefan Ko
Check out the staff favorites on StockLogos.
Source: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/ford_environmental_conservation_award_fish
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Hasbro Risk: Fidel + Raul
Risk. The game of global domination.
Advertising Agency: Grey, Mexico
Chief Creative Officer: Andr�s Mart�nez Echeverr�a
Creative Directors: Juan Pablo Torres, Christian Valderrama
Art Directors: Juan Pablo Torres, Christian Valderrama
Illustrators: Juan Pablo Torres, Christian Valderrama
Check out the staff favorites on StockLogos.
Source: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/hasbro_risk_fidel_raul
Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella
Richard Childress and Kyle Busch In Reported Altercation
After Saturday?s Camping World Truck Series race at�Kansas Speedway, word spread over the internet very quickly that Richard Childress and�Kyle Busch were involved in an altercation in the garage after Busch and Childress driver�Joey Coulter battled for fifth position towards the end of the race.Speed pit reporter Ray Dunlap tweeted that Childress ?put a whipping? on Busch after the race.Hot news from the track. Grandpa Childress put a whipping on Kyle Busch in the truck garage. Look for big sun glasses on kubu sun.SPEED Center, a racing recap show,�posted this on Facebook:CHILDRESS vs. KYLE BUSCH: multiple witnesses tell SPEED there was a physical confrontation between Richard Childress and Kyle Busch after today?s NASCAR Truck Series raceNASCAR officials said they are looking into reports of the altercation. via Yahoo Link to original article: Richard Childress and Kyle Busch In Reported Altercation Article found on: Cosby Sweaters
'The point of no confidence is quite near'
 The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona |
?Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. ?Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.?A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php
Waltrip: Stars are key for NASCAR
For too long, Fox's Darrell Waltrip says, NASCAR and its TV carriers stressed machine over man.
"Everything was about the car," he says. "We forget there's a driver in the car and got lost in the technology. That turned off a lot of people, and this year our emphasis is on drivers. We were struggling among the 18- to 34-year-old male casual fans -- that's who we're going after."
Fox, which wraps up its Sprint Cup coverage Sunday, has reversed years of sagging ratings to average 5.1% of U.S. households, up 4% from last year.
And Waltrip is right about the 18-34 crowd: Among them, ratings are up 27%.
Waltrip figures NASCAR this season adopting a more lenient eye toward driver aggression -- a sort of "boys have at 'em," he says -- has loosened up the action. "There's more aggression than I can ever remember, even when I drove. Like using the hook -- like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick at Darlington -- that can put someone in the wall. In my day, hooking was considered unsportsmanlike and wouldn't have been tolerated. I'm just a little edgy where this whole situation ends up, but it's created excitement. But we're redefining aggressive driving, and I don't know where the limits are. We haven't reached them."
Waltrip also figures tinkering with the points scoring system has helped motivate race crews to take more risks. Although Waltrip says the sparse attendance at some tracks this season was "jaw-dropping," he also suggests the whole sport -- race teams, sponsors and fans -- has adjusted to the sluggish economy. "We've all had to make amends for what we've done in the past."
"Everything was about the car," he says. "We forget there's a driver in the car and got lost in the technology. That turned off a lot of people, and this year our emphasis is on drivers. We were struggling among the 18- to 34-year-old male casual fans -- that's who we're going after."
Fox, which wraps up its Sprint Cup coverage Sunday, has reversed years of sagging ratings to average 5.1% of U.S. households, up 4% from last year.
And Waltrip is right about the 18-34 crowd: Among them, ratings are up 27%.
Waltrip figures NASCAR this season adopting a more lenient eye toward driver aggression -- a sort of "boys have at 'em," he says -- has loosened up the action. "There's more aggression than I can ever remember, even when I drove. Like using the hook -- like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick at Darlington -- that can put someone in the wall. In my day, hooking was considered unsportsmanlike and wouldn't have been tolerated. I'm just a little edgy where this whole situation ends up, but it's created excitement. But we're redefining aggressive driving, and I don't know where the limits are. We haven't reached them."
Waltrip also figures tinkering with the points scoring system has helped motivate race crews to take more risks. Although Waltrip says the sparse attendance at some tracks this season was "jaw-dropping," he also suggests the whole sport -- race teams, sponsors and fans -- has adjusted to the sluggish economy. "We've all had to make amends for what we've done in the past."
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/waltrip_stars_are_key_for_nascar/4852327
Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon
Kenny Wallace - Tough Enough To Wear Pink
LIMA - The University of Northwestern Ohio is proud to announce that on June 9, NASCAR Nationwide Series star Kenny Wallace and NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driver Terry McMillen will be on the UNOH campus making a special presentation to students! Both Kenny Wallace and Terry McMillen are affiliated with UNOH during the 2011 racing season and will be talking with current students and faculty about their experience in the racing world, how to succeed after college, answering questions posed by students or faculty, and signing autographs. Session 1 - 11:00am -12:00pm - UNOH Event Center. Session 2 - 1:30pm - 2:30pm - UNOH Event Center. During each session Kenny and Terry will each speak for 10 minutes followed by 10 minutes of Q&A then 30 minutes for autographs. On Friday, June 10, Kenny Wallace and Terry McMillen will take part in the St. Rita's Medical Center's "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" program. That evening, Limaland Motorsports Park will host Kenny W...
Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers
Friday, 3 June 2011
FORCE HUMBLE AND HUMOROUS AT TEXAS MOTORSPORTS HOF EVENT
John Force brought the house down at the Speedway Club at Bruton Smith’s crown jewel of the southwest, Texas Motor Speedway, during the 8th annual
Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Speaking from a circle in the round stage in front of a packed house at the Speedway Club Force regaled the crowd of over 600 with tales of racing, promoting and family in a speech that ended with the nights’ only standing ovation.“I love racing. It has been my whole life. I wasn’t born in Texas but I nearly died here. I have to say thank you to the NHRA, to my sponsors Castrol, Ford, Mac Tools, Auto Club, and Brandsource for sticking by me and most of all to the fans. That is why I do what I do, for the roar of the crowd,” said the 13-time NHRA winner in the state of Texas.
Hyundai Genesis
After being revealed at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the Hyundai Genesis sedan enters the 2012 model year with a new version added to the line-up, exterior design improvements, new direct injection technology for its Lambda V6 engine, new eight-speed automatic transmissions, and enhanced chassis tuning. For 2012 the Genesis will go on sale at a starting price of $34,200 for the base model and will go up to $46,500 for the R-Spec version.
For the new model year, the Genesis will get a more aggressive grille and front fascia design, new headlight design with LED accents and daytime running lights, redesigned rear taillights, while the line-up will include: a 3.8 version powered by a 333 HP 3.8-liter V6 engine, a 4.6 version with a 385 HP 4.6 V8 engine, while the most powerful version, R-Spec will get a 5.0-liter direct-injected V8 with an impressive output of 429 HP.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Hyundai Genesis.
Hyundai Genesis originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 3 June 2011 13:30 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/hyundai/2012-hyundai-genesis-ar110218.html
Bizarre season unfolds on pit road
There have been all kinds of adjectives used to describe the end of last week's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Wild. Bizarre. Wacky. Crazy.
But in today's Sprint Cup Series, crazy wins.
Crazy as in strange, unusual and sometimes outrageous strategy.
Crazy pit strategy is winning races these days, leading to some wild and wacky finishes.
The last three Sprint Cup points races have been won by drivers and teams that gambled with risky strategy on their final pit stops.
Regan Smith won his first Sprint Cup race at Darlington on May 7 when he stayed on the track while the rest of the leaders pitted with 11 laps remaining the race.
Matt Kenseth won at Dover when he took just two tires on his final pit stop while the leaders - a trio that had dominated the race - all took four.
And Kevin Harvick was the latest beneficiary, gambling on fuel mileage at Charlotte. Harvick struggled most of the race and was never a factor, but won when a host of leaders ran out of gas over the final few laps.
Not only did the Coca-Cola 600 turn into a fuel-mileage game, but the entire complexion of the race changed during the last 100 laps when drivers and teams started making two-tire pit stops, staying out, short-pitting and pulling every trick in the book to get to the front of the field.
"It was crazy," Harvick said. "With the way that the cautions fell, with all the pit strategy ... the way the pit strategy has been at Dover, has been at Darlington and you've seen these races won, you've got to be aggressive because if you're not, somebody else is.
"We've talked about that, and two or three times we made pit calls that we wouldn't normally make."
Drivers are getting increasingly frustrated because the fastest car is not winning each week.
Instead, it's the team that makes the right calls on pit road.
Points leader Carl Edwards led 117 laps at Dover but finished seventh when his team decided to change four tires on his last stop. He dominated the early stages of the Coca-Cola 600 but wound up 14th in the fuel-mileage game.
"We were great, but it was just a track-position game," Edwards said of the Charlotte race. "By chance, everything that we did ended up being bad for track position."
That's not the way drivers like to win races. They'd prefer to do it the old-fashioned way - by outrunning the competition, or running away from the field.
And some fans prefer to see the fastest car win the race.
But late-race pit strategy is spicing up the competition, adding a bit of drama and excitement to the end of races.
Smith pulled off a huge upset with his single-car team by using pit strategy at Darlington. And Sunday's race at Charlotte was arguably one of the most interesting races of the season.
Over the last 100 laps at Charlotte, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and finally Harvick were all in position to win the race thanks to pit strategy. And most of them had struggled most of the night.
Not only did Harvick seemingly come out of nowhere to win, but David Ragan and Joey Logano, two drivers who desperately need some positive results, finished second and third, respectively.
While the fastest car did not win, the race featured a host of bizarre twists and turns, making it more compelling than if Edwards or teammate Kenseth had won in dominant fashion.
That seems to be the name of the game this season.
With the competition as close as ever and NASCAR's new car, new nose and new tire combining to throw some teams for a loop, passing is as difficult as ever, which means teams have to gamble on pit road to gain valuable track position.
"It doesn't matter the size of the track or how much room there is to race, track position is everything," says five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who led 207 laps at Dover but lost the race when he, too, took four tires on his final stop while Kenseth, Mark Martin and others took only two tires or none.
Drivers used to complain about the dreaded aero push - or dirty air - making it difficult to pass, which led teams to use pit strategy to get to the front.
Johnson says that's not the case anymore. Instead, he believes it's just increased competition that is bunching up the field.
"To me, it's competition-related," Johnson says. "It's the fact that these cars are running the same speed from first to 35th, that gap is smaller than ever. ... With the nose changes that have been made, we've been able to get back the balance. We've been able to get the [aero] numbers back to where they were, if not better than last year's cars.
"So, it's not really that, it's more that the competition is so tight."
Eight different drivers have won the 12 races this year while more than 20 have appeared in the top 12 in points at some point. Two drivers - Smith and rookie Trevor Bayne - have pulled off huge upsets while NASCAR has set records for both the closest finish and the most lead changes.
"Part of that [pit strategy] is just how close everybody is," says Martin Truex Jr. "The better all the teams get, the harder it is to pass."
NASCAR's new points system also is a factor. The 43-to-1 system makes it more difficult to gain ground in the standings, making every position on the track even more valuable.
NASCAR's wild-card berth into the Chase for the Sprint Cup has added another element to the equation. Teams outside the top 10 in points can get into the Chase by winning races, prompting teams to take more gambles on pit road late in races.
Even teams that have already won this year are taking more chances. Drivers like Harvick, who likely is already locked into the Chase with three wins, can be a bit more risky when it comes to piling up more race wins and collecting bonus points for when the standings are reset after 26 races.
Harvick says his team was able to gamble at Charlotte because it already had two wins this season. He also knows that's what it takes to win today.
"We took it to another level as far as the aggressiveness of staying on the racetrack and putting two tires on and just doing things that aren't normal for us that were a little bit outside the box," Harvick said.
"But it seems like over the past couple weeks you've got to be more aggressive and you've got to take more chances if you're going to win. You can finish seventh or eighth, but if you're going to win the race you're going to have to take some chances when all the cautions start coming out."
It's not the way drivers prefer to win. But they better get used to it, because pit strategy is leading to some wild and wacky finishes - and winning races.
Wild. Bizarre. Wacky. Crazy.
But in today's Sprint Cup Series, crazy wins.
Crazy as in strange, unusual and sometimes outrageous strategy.
Crazy pit strategy is winning races these days, leading to some wild and wacky finishes.
The last three Sprint Cup points races have been won by drivers and teams that gambled with risky strategy on their final pit stops.
Regan Smith won his first Sprint Cup race at Darlington on May 7 when he stayed on the track while the rest of the leaders pitted with 11 laps remaining the race.
Matt Kenseth won at Dover when he took just two tires on his final pit stop while the leaders - a trio that had dominated the race - all took four.
And Kevin Harvick was the latest beneficiary, gambling on fuel mileage at Charlotte. Harvick struggled most of the race and was never a factor, but won when a host of leaders ran out of gas over the final few laps.
Not only did the Coca-Cola 600 turn into a fuel-mileage game, but the entire complexion of the race changed during the last 100 laps when drivers and teams started making two-tire pit stops, staying out, short-pitting and pulling every trick in the book to get to the front of the field.
"It was crazy," Harvick said. "With the way that the cautions fell, with all the pit strategy ... the way the pit strategy has been at Dover, has been at Darlington and you've seen these races won, you've got to be aggressive because if you're not, somebody else is.
"We've talked about that, and two or three times we made pit calls that we wouldn't normally make."
Drivers are getting increasingly frustrated because the fastest car is not winning each week.
Instead, it's the team that makes the right calls on pit road.
Points leader Carl Edwards led 117 laps at Dover but finished seventh when his team decided to change four tires on his last stop. He dominated the early stages of the Coca-Cola 600 but wound up 14th in the fuel-mileage game.
"We were great, but it was just a track-position game," Edwards said of the Charlotte race. "By chance, everything that we did ended up being bad for track position."
That's not the way drivers like to win races. They'd prefer to do it the old-fashioned way - by outrunning the competition, or running away from the field.
And some fans prefer to see the fastest car win the race.
But late-race pit strategy is spicing up the competition, adding a bit of drama and excitement to the end of races.
Smith pulled off a huge upset with his single-car team by using pit strategy at Darlington. And Sunday's race at Charlotte was arguably one of the most interesting races of the season.
Over the last 100 laps at Charlotte, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and finally Harvick were all in position to win the race thanks to pit strategy. And most of them had struggled most of the night.
Not only did Harvick seemingly come out of nowhere to win, but David Ragan and Joey Logano, two drivers who desperately need some positive results, finished second and third, respectively.
While the fastest car did not win, the race featured a host of bizarre twists and turns, making it more compelling than if Edwards or teammate Kenseth had won in dominant fashion.
That seems to be the name of the game this season.
With the competition as close as ever and NASCAR's new car, new nose and new tire combining to throw some teams for a loop, passing is as difficult as ever, which means teams have to gamble on pit road to gain valuable track position.
"It doesn't matter the size of the track or how much room there is to race, track position is everything," says five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who led 207 laps at Dover but lost the race when he, too, took four tires on his final stop while Kenseth, Mark Martin and others took only two tires or none.
Drivers used to complain about the dreaded aero push - or dirty air - making it difficult to pass, which led teams to use pit strategy to get to the front.
Johnson says that's not the case anymore. Instead, he believes it's just increased competition that is bunching up the field.
"To me, it's competition-related," Johnson says. "It's the fact that these cars are running the same speed from first to 35th, that gap is smaller than ever. ... With the nose changes that have been made, we've been able to get back the balance. We've been able to get the [aero] numbers back to where they were, if not better than last year's cars.
"So, it's not really that, it's more that the competition is so tight."
Eight different drivers have won the 12 races this year while more than 20 have appeared in the top 12 in points at some point. Two drivers - Smith and rookie Trevor Bayne - have pulled off huge upsets while NASCAR has set records for both the closest finish and the most lead changes.
"Part of that [pit strategy] is just how close everybody is," says Martin Truex Jr. "The better all the teams get, the harder it is to pass."
NASCAR's new points system also is a factor. The 43-to-1 system makes it more difficult to gain ground in the standings, making every position on the track even more valuable.
NASCAR's wild-card berth into the Chase for the Sprint Cup has added another element to the equation. Teams outside the top 10 in points can get into the Chase by winning races, prompting teams to take more gambles on pit road late in races.
Even teams that have already won this year are taking more chances. Drivers like Harvick, who likely is already locked into the Chase with three wins, can be a bit more risky when it comes to piling up more race wins and collecting bonus points for when the standings are reset after 26 races.
Harvick says his team was able to gamble at Charlotte because it already had two wins this season. He also knows that's what it takes to win today.
"We took it to another level as far as the aggressiveness of staying on the racetrack and putting two tires on and just doing things that aren't normal for us that were a little bit outside the box," Harvick said.
"But it seems like over the past couple weeks you've got to be more aggressive and you've got to take more chances if you're going to win. You can finish seventh or eighth, but if you're going to win the race you're going to have to take some chances when all the cautions start coming out."
It's not the way drivers prefer to win. But they better get used to it, because pit strategy is leading to some wild and wacky finishes - and winning races.
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/bizarre_season_unfolds_on_pit_road/4851577
Earnhardt Conspiracy? No! If NASCAR Wanted Him to Win, They Would Have Done This
NASCAR officials have one of the toughest jobs in sports.
While NFL, NBA and MLB referees and umpires get blasted for every questionable call, the difficulty of their job pales in comparison to that of a NASCAR official.
Think officiating an event with two teams is tough?
Try officiating 43, all at one time, all at 190 miles per hour.
So it is no shock that the calls that come down from the NASCAR booth during a race are often questioned and criticized. From debris cautions to speeding penalties, every call is examined and re-examined.
When the call involves anything to do with Dale Earnhardt Jr, the sports most popular driver, there is always someone who thinks the call is wrong.
On Sunday, many fans were saying, "Here we go again."
It has happened countless times over the past few years. There are two or three drivers battling for the win and in the back of the pack, a couple of cars get sideways, slide to the apron and fire up and continue on.
While normally this would always be a caution, in the closing laps, NASCAR always tries to get a green flag finish and if the track is clear, the green will stay out.
However, during the 2011 Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, it was fan favorite Earnhardt Jr. that sprinted away from the pack and was on his way to a sure victory when the No. 31 of Jeff Burton was bumped around and slid to the bottom of the track.
Was there debris? No.
Did Burton's car stall leaving him in Danger? No.
Was the track clear by the time the leaders got there? YES!
So why is everyone claiming that NASCAR kept the race green for Junior's sake? If you say they always throw the caution in that situation, then you have not been paying attention to the end of NASCAR races.
The thing that everyone is missing is that NASCAR could have helped Earnhardt, and they did not.
NASCAR listens to all the radio transmissions of the crews. Anyone listening to the No. 88 that night knew they did not think they could make it on fuel. No. 88 Crew Chief Steve Letarte told Earnhardt he would run out before the race even went green.
If NASCAR wanted a sure Dale Earnhardt Junior win, there was an easy way to do it.
Junior had enough gas to take the white flag.
After the leader takes the white flag in a NASCAR race, the race is official. No more green-white-checker finishes will be run after this point of the race. So if a caution comes out on the last lap and the leader can make it back to the start-finish line, they win.
It would have been easy. Everyone saw the big dust up the previous lap, a caution just after the No. 88 took the white flag would have been scrutinized, but not overwhelmingly with the popularity of the winner. Still, it would have been wrong.
However, they did the right thing.
NASCAR knew the National Guard Chevrolet did not have enough fuel, but they let the drivers and crew chiefs decide the race just like they should have.
They knew no matter what they did, with the No. 88 up front, they would get blasted.
But everyone needs to take a breath and look at the facts. NASCAR had the power and NASCAR left it in the hands of the competitors and we got an exciting finish with heartbreak and heroes, triumph and defeat.
Thank you NASCAR. The sport lives on.
Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com
Mosler Raptor
US-based automaker Mosler has made a name for itself by building reconfigured race cars for street purposes. Some of these models include the MT900 GTR and the MT900 GTR XX (pictured above). Now, the niche sports car builder from Florida is reportedly in the process of developing and building a new supercar that will weigh no more than 2,000 lbs. The lightweight bullet - it’s being touted the ’Raptor’ - is poised to carry a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces around 650 horsepower.
Details surrounding the Raptor’s design are still being kept under wraps, but we don’t expect it to be too far a departure from the existing models on the company’s fleet. We do expect it to be light as a feather, though, relative to its predecessors. That enormous power-to-weight ratio should make for a supercar than can smoke the rest of its peers, allowing them to eat its proverbial dust.
We’ll keep you posted on the latest updates and development news surrounding Mosler and the new Raptor sports car when it becomes available.
Mosler Raptor originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 2 June 2011 17:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mosler/2011-mosler-raptor-ar110564.html
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Team order rule needs a re-think
 Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
?Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari?s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari?s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
?The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.?The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them �65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli
Captain Thunder's Legendary Top-5 - KANSAS
?
Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford) - WINNER
· Two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 12.3
· Average Running Position of 13.4, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 94.8, seventh-best
· 80 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 386 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 161.948 mph, fifth-fastest
· 1,033 Laps in the Top 15 (66.9%), seventh-most
· 221 Quality Passes, fifth-most
?
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Walgreens Ford)
· Two wins, six top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 8.1
· Series-best Average Running Position of 5.9
· Series-best Driver Rating of 122.6
· 157 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.739 mph, second-fastest
· Series-high 1,436 Laps in the Top 15 (92.9%)
· 245 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most
?
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Two wins,...
Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford) - WINNER
· Two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 12.3
· Average Running Position of 13.4, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 94.8, seventh-best
· 80 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 386 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 161.948 mph, fifth-fastest
· 1,033 Laps in the Top 15 (66.9%), seventh-most
· 221 Quality Passes, fifth-most
?
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Walgreens Ford)
· Two wins, six top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 8.1
· Series-best Average Running Position of 5.9
· Series-best Driver Rating of 122.6
· 157 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.739 mph, second-fastest
· Series-high 1,436 Laps in the Top 15 (92.9%)
· 245 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most
?
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Two wins,...
McLaren drivers out of title race
| Is it now a three-way battle for the title? |
?Focus and concentration will be of paramount importance and there is none stronger in this regard than Ferrari?s Fernando Alonso.?The Guardian?s Oliver Owen thinks that it is Mark Webber?s title to lose now, and that this may be the Australian?s last realistic chance of winning the title.
?He has driven beautifully. Monaco and Silverstone spring to mind. He has been an uncompromising racer, not giving Vettel or Lewis Hamilton an inch in Turkey and Singapore respectively. Most importantly, he has largely avoided the bouts of brain fade that can wreck a season ? his on-track hooning in Melbourne when racing Hamilton being the only exception. But there is a feeling that for Webber it is now or never, that a chance of a tilt at the title may never come again. He is certainly driving as if that is the case and that has been his strength.?According to The Mirror?s Byron Young, both McLaren drivers are now out of the title hunt after their fourth and fifth place finishes in Suzuka.
?McLaren's title hopes died yesterday in a weekend from Hell at Suzuka. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth in a Japanese Grand Prix they had to win to have the remotest chance of keeping their title bid alive."The Sun?s Michael Spearman was of the same opinion, saying ?Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button's title hopes were in tatters after a shocker in Japan.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/mclaren_drivers_out_of_title_r_1.php
Hamlin and Logano believe tide is turning
Denny Hamlin had three wins at this point last season and was clearly the strongest challenger to Jimmie Johnson's title.
Joey Logano was inconsistent, but showing enough improvement that everyone believed he was headed toward Victory Lane. When the season ended, Hamlin was an eight-time winner who had nearly ended Johnson's five-year reign and Logano was predicted to become a legitimate contender for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Neither is driving up to expectations.
Nobody, though, is panicking.
''There's no doubt we'll be in the Chase,'' said Hamlin, who goes to Kansas Speedway this weekend inside the top 12 for the first time since the third week of the season.
''It's just never giving up, man,'' said Logano, who grabbed a season-best third-place finish Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Their disappointing starts to the season have thrust both drivers into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. An unconfirmed report last month said Joe Gibbs Racing was on the verge of swapping Logano crew chief Greg Zipadelli with Hamlin crew chief Mike Ford, and even though team president J.D. Gibbs strongly denied that had ever been discussed, the whispers have lingered.
It didn't matter that Hamlin responded with finishes of second and sixth immediately after the rumor surfaced, as soon as he logged a 16th at Dover - a track that has consistently caused him fits and where his average finish is 20.9 - people again began clamoring for Ford's head.
It didn't help, either, when Logano and Zipadelli bickered over their in-car radio the next week after Logano failed to race his way into the All-Star race.
Both drivers continue to insist everything is just fine.
''We're a couple Yankees from up North, and we yell and scream at each other,'' said Logano, who like Zipadelli hails from Connecticut.
''That's just how we communicate. I think that's how everyone communicates that's from up there. So that's not a big deal. I just saw both of us getting frustrated, and it is what it is. It works out all right. We don't hold grudges. We just keep going.''
And Hamlin, who has been with Ford all six years in the Sprint Cup Series, can't imagine working with anyone but his current crew chief.
''Everybody thinks that Chad Knaus is the best crew chief in the garage, if you had him move over to the 11 car, I guarantee you we run worse for a long while,'' Hamlin said. ''It just works for me right now. We have the same personality. He knows how I work; I know how he works.
''So I just don't think that anybody is going to help me right now. I've got to work through all that stuff myself.''
Both drivers are trying to do exactly that right now.
Hamlin was decent during the Coca-Cola 600 despite engine issues that plagued him over the course of NASCAR's longest race of the season. But he was still fourth as the race closed in on the final 100 laps, and Ford called him to pit road to change the carburetor and correct the engine issue once and for all.
It dropped Hamlin to 27th on the board, but he worked his way back into the top five in the closing laps, only to run out of gas and finish 10th.
Logano, meanwhile, was in danger of going a lap down early in the race, but through pointed and direct conversation with Zipadelli they were able to make enough adjustments on his Toyota to work their way through the field.
His final finish was aided by the many cars in front of him that ran out of gas, but Logano had still hung in for what would have been a top-10 finish regardless of other drivers' fuel issues.
Although Logano is currently 23rd in points and Charlotte was just his second top-10 finish of the season, he and Zipadelli both know they've run better than what the statistics show. A combination of driver mistakes and really bad luck put them in their current hole, and a few good finishes might be all it takes to turn the season around.
''I'm just happy to get (a good finish at Charlotte), as many as we got taken away this year,'' Logano said. ''Hopefully, this will put some momentum on our side and we have some good race tracks coming up for us.''
So does Hamlin, including next week's race at Pocono, where he's a four-time winner. He's not taking it for granted that his turnaround will continue at Pocono, but he's excited about the stretch of summer racing that's ahead.
''We have great tracks (coming up), but it's not only that, it's hot race tracks,'' he said. ''I need hot race tracks to really perform well. That suits my style. That's the way I've always raced. ... Quick, fast everywhere we go setting track records is not my style of driving.
''I'm more of a smooth driver who takes care of his equipment for the end. That doesn't get rewarded when we're setting track records everywhere.''
Hamlin also praised team owner Joe Gibbs, who he said is working tirelessly on making the improvements Hamlin and Logano need to get on pace with teammate Kyle Busch.
Busch has been immune from the struggles the other two have had, and he's got two Sprint Cup wins already this season.
''Kyle is running really well with everything right now, so that's good from that standpoint,'' Hamlin said. ''But we still have issues within the team that we need to continue to work through. And we continue to work on them. That's the good part, is Joe Gibbs, if I bring an issue up to him, he's working overtime.
''He works until 9 o'clock at night to make sure he resolves whatever issue I have.''
Joey Logano was inconsistent, but showing enough improvement that everyone believed he was headed toward Victory Lane. When the season ended, Hamlin was an eight-time winner who had nearly ended Johnson's five-year reign and Logano was predicted to become a legitimate contender for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Neither is driving up to expectations.
Nobody, though, is panicking.
''There's no doubt we'll be in the Chase,'' said Hamlin, who goes to Kansas Speedway this weekend inside the top 12 for the first time since the third week of the season.
''It's just never giving up, man,'' said Logano, who grabbed a season-best third-place finish Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Their disappointing starts to the season have thrust both drivers into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. An unconfirmed report last month said Joe Gibbs Racing was on the verge of swapping Logano crew chief Greg Zipadelli with Hamlin crew chief Mike Ford, and even though team president J.D. Gibbs strongly denied that had ever been discussed, the whispers have lingered.
It didn't matter that Hamlin responded with finishes of second and sixth immediately after the rumor surfaced, as soon as he logged a 16th at Dover - a track that has consistently caused him fits and where his average finish is 20.9 - people again began clamoring for Ford's head.
It didn't help, either, when Logano and Zipadelli bickered over their in-car radio the next week after Logano failed to race his way into the All-Star race.
Both drivers continue to insist everything is just fine.
''We're a couple Yankees from up North, and we yell and scream at each other,'' said Logano, who like Zipadelli hails from Connecticut.
''That's just how we communicate. I think that's how everyone communicates that's from up there. So that's not a big deal. I just saw both of us getting frustrated, and it is what it is. It works out all right. We don't hold grudges. We just keep going.''
And Hamlin, who has been with Ford all six years in the Sprint Cup Series, can't imagine working with anyone but his current crew chief.
''Everybody thinks that Chad Knaus is the best crew chief in the garage, if you had him move over to the 11 car, I guarantee you we run worse for a long while,'' Hamlin said. ''It just works for me right now. We have the same personality. He knows how I work; I know how he works.
''So I just don't think that anybody is going to help me right now. I've got to work through all that stuff myself.''
Both drivers are trying to do exactly that right now.
Hamlin was decent during the Coca-Cola 600 despite engine issues that plagued him over the course of NASCAR's longest race of the season. But he was still fourth as the race closed in on the final 100 laps, and Ford called him to pit road to change the carburetor and correct the engine issue once and for all.
It dropped Hamlin to 27th on the board, but he worked his way back into the top five in the closing laps, only to run out of gas and finish 10th.
Logano, meanwhile, was in danger of going a lap down early in the race, but through pointed and direct conversation with Zipadelli they were able to make enough adjustments on his Toyota to work their way through the field.
His final finish was aided by the many cars in front of him that ran out of gas, but Logano had still hung in for what would have been a top-10 finish regardless of other drivers' fuel issues.
Although Logano is currently 23rd in points and Charlotte was just his second top-10 finish of the season, he and Zipadelli both know they've run better than what the statistics show. A combination of driver mistakes and really bad luck put them in their current hole, and a few good finishes might be all it takes to turn the season around.
''I'm just happy to get (a good finish at Charlotte), as many as we got taken away this year,'' Logano said. ''Hopefully, this will put some momentum on our side and we have some good race tracks coming up for us.''
So does Hamlin, including next week's race at Pocono, where he's a four-time winner. He's not taking it for granted that his turnaround will continue at Pocono, but he's excited about the stretch of summer racing that's ahead.
''We have great tracks (coming up), but it's not only that, it's hot race tracks,'' he said. ''I need hot race tracks to really perform well. That suits my style. That's the way I've always raced. ... Quick, fast everywhere we go setting track records is not my style of driving.
''I'm more of a smooth driver who takes care of his equipment for the end. That doesn't get rewarded when we're setting track records everywhere.''
Hamlin also praised team owner Joe Gibbs, who he said is working tirelessly on making the improvements Hamlin and Logano need to get on pace with teammate Kyle Busch.
Busch has been immune from the struggles the other two have had, and he's got two Sprint Cup wins already this season.
''Kyle is running really well with everything right now, so that's good from that standpoint,'' Hamlin said. ''But we still have issues within the team that we need to continue to work through. And we continue to work on them. That's the good part, is Joe Gibbs, if I bring an issue up to him, he's working overtime.
''He works until 9 o'clock at night to make sure he resolves whatever issue I have.''
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
No more excuses, say Ferrari
At the Circuit de Catalunya
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali surveys the Formula 1 paddock through mirrored windows from a scrupulously tidy white office on the first floor of the team's pristine motorhome.
What he could see on Friday morning at the Spanish Grand Prix was a world still coming to terms with the news that Ferrari have extended their commitment to Fernando Alonso, rated by many in F1 as the finest racing driver in the world, until the end of 2016.
As Alonso munched his breakfast outside his boss's office, the satisfaction Domenicali took from this development was plain. Yet the genial 46-year-old Italian remains a man with bigger problems to solve.
After the crushing disappointment of handing the 2010 drivers' title to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel after a strategy error left Alonso stranded down the field in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari were expecting to bounce back strongly this season.
Ferrari have not yet laid down a serious challenge to Red Bull this season
So the reality that their car is lagging a long way behind Red Bull on pace has been something of a shock, and it has triggered a period of introspection and self-analysis at Maranello.
While Vettel has stormed to three wins and a second place in the first four races of the season, Ferrari and Alonso had to wait until the Turkish Grand Prix two weeks ago to score their first podium finish.
The sport's most iconic team has been open about the fact that the problem has a dual cause.
As their president Luca di Montezemolo has said: "We were a little bit too conservative with the new (car) project but also unfortunately we faced something we have never seen before - that the wind tunnel results have not been confirmed by the track. This is not an easy problem (to solve)."
In a rare exclusive interview here, Domenicali projected a tough edge that some in the paddock have at times accused of him of lacking - especially in comparison with his ruthless predecessor, Jean Todt, now president of the governing body the FIA.
"No doubt I was expecting a better car because from the winter testing the feeling was not too bad," Domenicali says. "We have discussed that we have this problem with the correlation from the wind tunnel.
"But as I said to my people, I do not want to speak about this again. The situation is as it is. For the last grand prix it seems not too bad in the race but we definitely need to improve in qualifying otherwise the race is always difficult.
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"That's where we stand now. My engineers (must) just understand that the others are pushing very hard and we need to improve. Full stop."
The wind tunnel problem is one thing - it has arisen from Ferrari's switch from using a 50% scale model of their car to simulate aerodynamic performance to a 60% model, and it is the sort of thing that can happen.
More worrying is the creeping conservatism in the design office. Domenicali admits that the roots of it lay in the team's domination of the early part of the last decade with Michael Schumacher, when a process of gradual iteration of a proven concept delivered five consecutive world titles.
That all changed with the introduction of new regulations in 2009, when Ferrari had their least competitive season for years. They recovered impressively to fight for the title with Alonso last year, but that championship bid was aided by Red Bull's faltering progress - it is not as if Ferrari had the fastest car.
"First of all," Domenicali says, "with all respect you can see I was pushing my team since Turkey 2010 to be more aggressive in terms of design, in terms of approach to the car.
"It's a matter of mentality, ideas and organisation. And I really push with my people to go towards that route that is not really there at the moment.
"That doesn't mean if you are conservative you can't win, because if you remember last year, unfortunately the result was not in our favour, but if Abu Dhabi had been different, the season would have been not great but fantastic.
"So we don't need to throw away all the things that relate to a different methodology, or a more normal approach to the design of the car.
"It is a matter of balance, but for sure I am pushing my people to look ahead in a different way. The new elements of the regulation now are quite clear, and I want to see a step in that direction very soon - different ideas, different concepts."
The Ferrari designers, then, face a period of mounting pressure. Not only is the boss on their back, but the knowledge that Alonso has committed the rest of his career to Ferrari creates a heavy burden that is rooted in its obvious benefits.
Alonso is, as Domenicali says, a "reference", one of very few drivers a team knows they can count on to deliver every last bit of a car's potential, on every lap, of every race of the season.
He has a tireless pursuit of perfection and he drives his employers hard. His view is simple - give me the car and I will win the championship for you.
For their part, the designers know that with Alonso there is no hiding place. Any shortfall in performance cannot be laid at the door of the driver. It can only be that the car is not quick enough.
That, says Domenicali, is the whole point. "That's what I need," he says. "I don't want to hear from my engineers that they have a problem with the wind tunnel. If you have something to improve you have to do it. The time of excuses is finished. I don't want to look for excuses - this is not our style, and it's not mine."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/ferrari_conscious_of_need_to_c.html
Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem
ADRL CANCELS MEMPHIS EVENT
The ADRL had scheduled an event at MIR on May 20-21, but executives from the facility and sanctioning body determined it was best for the series and track to cancel the May event as the facility continues to make necessary track and facility improvements.
“In speaking with the management team at MIR, we mutually agreed to cancel the Memphis stop on the ADRL Tour in 2011,” ADRL Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune said. “The MIR management and staff is doing all they can to make Memphis a first-class facility but our fans and racers have come to expect a high-level event from us, and if we can’t deliver that, we’re not going to do it.”
Source: http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/17198-adrl-cancels-memphis-event
Christian Danner Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies
Kenny Wallace - Tough Enough To Wear Pink
LIMA - The University of Northwestern Ohio is proud to announce that on June 9, NASCAR Nationwide Series star Kenny Wallace and NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driver Terry McMillen will be on the UNOH campus making a special presentation to students! Both Kenny Wallace and Terry McMillen are affiliated with UNOH during the 2011 racing season and will be talking with current students and faculty about their experience in the racing world, how to succeed after college, answering questions posed by students or faculty, and signing autographs. Session 1 - 11:00am -12:00pm - UNOH Event Center. Session 2 - 1:30pm - 2:30pm - UNOH Event Center. During each session Kenny and Terry will each speak for 10 minutes followed by 10 minutes of Q&A then 30 minutes for autographs. On Friday, June 10, Kenny Wallace and Terry McMillen will take part in the St. Rita's Medical Center's "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" program. That evening, Limaland Motorsports Park will host Kenny W...
Team orders in spotlight again
 Will Christian Horner regret not utilising team orders in Brazil? |
?The extra seven points Alonso collected when Ferrari ordered Felipe Massa to move over for him in Germany earlier in the season are now looking even more crucial. ?And the �65,000 fine they picked up for ruthlessly breaking the rules will seem loose change if Alonso clinches the title in his first year with the Maranello team. ?Red Bull could have switched the result yesterday given their crushing dominance and still celebrated their first constructors' championship just five years after coming into the sport. ?That would also have given Webber an extra seven points, leaving him just one behind Alonso.?The Guardian?s Paul Weaver says that if Fernando Alonso does take the drivers? title in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari owes a debt of gratitude to Red Bull for their decision not to employ team orders in Brazil.
?If Alonso does take the title next week it would not be inappropriate were he and Ferrari to send a few gallons of champagne to Red Bull's headquarters in Milton Keynes. ?While Red Bull should be heartily applauded for the championship they did win today their apparent acceptance that Ferrari might carry off the more glamorous prize continues to baffle Formula One and its globetrotting supporters. ?Their refusal to make life easy for Webber, who has led for much of the season and is still seven points ahead of Vettel, means that whatever happens in the desert next week Alonso, the only driver who was capable of taking the championship in the race today, only has to secure second place to guarantee his third world title.?The Independent?s David Tremayne is also of the opinion that Red Bull may regret not using team orders in Brazil.
?Had Red Bull elected to adopt team orders and let Webber win ? something that the governing body allows when championships are at stake ? Webber would have left Brazil with 245 points ? just one point off the lead. For some that was confirmation of his suggestion that Vettel is the team's favoured driver ? which generated an angry call from team owner Dietrich Mateschitz in Austria and was much denied by team principal, Christian Horner. ?And it sets up a situation where, if the result is repeated next weekend, as is likely, Vettel and Webber will tie on 256, five behind Alonso.?The Mirror?s Byron Young has put Lewis Hamilton?s fading title chances down to an inferior McLaren machine and he admits the 2008 World Champion now needs a miracle.
?Sebastian Vettel's victory sends the world title fight to a four-way showdown for the first time in the sport's history. ?Hamilton goes there as part of that story with a 24-point deficit to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, but with just 25 on offer in the final round in six days' time it would take more than a miracle. ?Driving an outclassed McLaren he slugged it out against superior machinery and stiff odds to finish fourth.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/team_orders_in_spotlight_again_1.php
Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever
FYI WIRZ: NASCAR's Tony Stewart Hosts Big John's Speedway Grill for Team
Some NASCAR teams get lunch by stacking bologna and sandwich cheese between two pieces of bread and adding a squirt of mustard. Some teams utilize the down time of their hauler driver and give him the role of barbecue tender. Some have their meals catered and others send out for nearby fast-food.
Tony Stewart is different. His Stewart-Haas Racing has a garage chef, Big John Youk who was self-taught with the help of his mother and grandmother, to properly feed his team and sponsors.
Big John has been in the NASCAR garage for decades. In 2006 he and Meredith Books published Speedway Grill to showcase his culinary skills in a very picturesque format.
Thumbing through Big John’s Speedway Grill cook book can make one hungry.
Establishing a functional food tent in the often cramped environment of the NASCAR garage that by necessity is near the center of the infield is no cinch.
Big John explained. Tony Stewart commented.
FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of motorsports topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Quotes derived from motorsports industry contacts and personal interviews.
Big John’s day starts earlier than other team members.
“As soon as the garage opens at 6:30 a.m.,” Youk said. “I was actually in here at 5:00 bringing my coolers in. Can’t start working until 6:30 but soon as 6:30 rolled around I got everything going, got it set up, got ice, got what I had to do. Got help with the tent. And we set up the little kitchen here."
“The first day is always the toughest because of that. Once you’re set up things kind of fall into place.”
Tony Stewart appreciates Youk’s efforts.
“Big John’s a great cook,” Stewart said. “If we’re in Dover he has Philly cheese steaks. If we’re in New Hampshire he has lobster. He tries to cook stuff that’s sort of special to that area. He keeps it different and it’s always good, and that’s breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Youk has plenty of history to fall back on.
“This is the start of my 33rd year being involved with NASCAR,” Youk said. “I’ve been cooking with a crew since 1995. I’m still out here. My boys, I got to treat them good."
“Feeding everybody is rewarding, make sure that they’re full and content. That way they can concentrate on their job, on their work. "
“They fuel the race cars, I fuel them. Even when it’s as hot as it is, they’ve got to have something to eat. As late as it might be or as early as it might be, the morale is way up and it shows.”
Stewart emphasized the dual role that Youk plays.
“The best part is that we’re really able to take really good care of our sponsors,” Stewart said. “If they’re at the track, they’re eating his food. They don’t have to stand in line at the concession stand or make a bologna sandwich on the hauler. I mean, they can if they want, but usually once they see the spread Big John has–from fruits and vegetables to meat and potatoes–they don’t want a hot dog from the track or bologna off the truck.”
Youk cherishes his role.
“I was hired here at Stewart-Haas here from the beginning,” Youk said. “I’m just tickled to death to be able to help them out. They have a lot more to be worried about than where they’re going to get something to eat. So as long as I’m here, they can worry about what’s in that garage and I can worry about what’s under this tent right here, which is the food.”
Ah yes—the food—Youk expanded on that.
“We had some real killer pork chops today,” Youk said. “We had some corn on the cob. I made them homemade cucumber tomato sauce. Now it’s late in the day. I got some wings here I’m doing. Newman (Ryan) came up with a sauce of Lawry’s teriyaki sauce, butter and a whole jar of French hot original hot sauce. We mixed that up, heated it up and dressed them. He’s in there right now, burning his lips on them. So that’s what we got going right now.”
Youk is surrounded by NASCAR stars like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman and other celebrities, but his years of garage experience tempers any star dust.
“They’re just the bud next door,” Youk said. “You see them every week. You know who they are and they aren’t any different than your neighbor. They’re all good guys. I know they have their little quirks, here and there and everywhere, but that’s none of my business. I like doing the food here. I like making everybody happy.”
Big John Youk had advice for those who might want to follow in his NASCAR garage footsteps.
“It’s not easy to get in here,” Youk said. “You have to know racing. You can’t just come in here and start wandering around without some kind of street smarts about the racing world. For instance you can’t just zombie around without looking to see where the cars are coming from and where they’re going to. Who’s on the move and who isn’t. It’s just not a step in. It’s not easy.”
Sampling Big John’s food—now, that’s easy—if he offers.
Photo credit: Dwight Drum at Racetake.com
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