Vroom Girl

Reviving this poor, neglected blog

2011-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not.

I have truthfully had no interest in writing up race reports, especially when other people do it much better than it seems I can.

But I had to write. I actually will have more on my main personal blog. I wish I wasn't writing these words and I fear they may damage our sports.

R.I.P. Dan Wheldon

Sorry...

2011-07-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

...about the lack of posts. Blame busy schedule and hot weather. Of course, it's worse today...it's like being in a tire warmer out there!

How about this for something that really should have been on Top Gear?

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/22/lamborghini-gallardo-laps-track-in-race-against-a-stunt-plane/

And not sure what I think of this decision by the FIA:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/21/fia-mandates-electric-only-propulsion-for-f1-grand-prix-pit-lane/

Maybe we need to add speakers to produce the squeal, 'cause it won't be the same. It just won't.

NASCAR at Nashville, Indy at Edmonton, and F1 at THE Nurburgring. Awesome times.

This weekend...

2011-07-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

We obviously have the British Grand Prix. I'm still disappointed this race was not moved from Silverstone to the much more accessible Castle Donington track.

NASCAR is in Kentucky. And Indy has gone north of the border to Toronto. Weather for both races is perfect...mid seventies and clear skies.

(No forecast for Silverstone, but it IS Britain...)

Draf-tona

2011-07-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yup. It really does look as if bump-drafting is the only way to drive Daytona any more. I still don't like it. It resulted in a record of lead changes (57) that is basically meaningless as people traded off.

Not to take anything away from David Ragan's win, but I much prefer to see every man for himself out there than the bumpdraft dance.

So...

2011-07-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

...why have I not been posting?

That would be because I was away all weekend and it's taken me until, well, last night to catch up on races.

Formula One: Can ANYONE catch Vettel? Can anyone stop him? He's turning the World Championship into a procession and my husband was joking that we need only have watched the start to know the end of the European Grand Prix. Maybe the mid season rules changes will help, but I doubt it. The man's on fire.

NASCAR: Kurt Busch has worked out how to drive road courses, based off of his win at Infineon. Yes, this was his first road course victory, and well driven. And, of course, the circus now heads to Daytona. Where better?

Indy: A nice race at Iowa to a sell out crowd, with some close competition in which Marco Andretti came out ahead.

NASCAR and INDY

2011-06-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Formula One has the week off. NASCAR will be at Michigan...I love that track. And Indy will be at Milwaukee.

This is how we know it's summer...when everyone heads north where it's cooler. Wish I could go...

Finally...

2011-06-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend was insane, but I finally got all the races watched. The most interesting was Formula One...for the reason that always makes Formula One interesting. Yes. It poured it down. And as Grand Prix drivers will race in *anything*...and, for once, Vettel didn't win. A final turn error handed the race to Jensen Button. Much of the race, too, saw some hard battles for second and third.

Pocono was...Pocono. Won by Jeff Gordon (big surprise, he's often very hot on that track, having won five of the last 35 races there).

Texas saw two IndyCar races. The first was taken by Dario Franchitti. The second was won by Will Power (what were his parents thinking...and why isn't DC Comics sponsoring him?). Actually, I rather like Power...funky name aside...and it was good to see him take his first victory on an oval.

Big news...weird and perhaps slightly sad.

2011-06-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

Would you believe Stirling Moss just retired? What...he's only 81. He was even planning on racing in Le Mans Legends this weekend, but had an 'incident'...I suppose one that reminded him he really was getting too old for this.

Hands to a legend of the track. I am not sure there will ever be another like him.

Who will be racing this weekend? NASCAR at Pocono. And, of course, the incredible 24 hours of Le Mans. (One year, maybe I'll get to that race).

Fuel, fuel and more fuel

2011-06-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

It seems that as tires are the big issue in Formula One, the big concern this year in NASCAR is fuel. Experienced drivers ran out of fuel in the Charlotte race and fuel economy proved fairly key in Kansas too.

Brad Keselowski secured the victory by avoiding the late race pit stops several of his competitors found themselves obliged to make. It was a race very much determined on pit strategy, with few cautions and a lot of stops under green. Some drivers gambled on cautions which never happened, for that matter.

A good race on the whole.

First, the good news.

2011-06-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Bahrain Grand Prix is ON for 2011. The race has been rescheduled for October 30. A good sign on so many fronts.

The Indy guys are recovering from THE Indy this week. NASCAR will be in Kansas City, with a forecast of a clear...and HOT...day for the race. That track temperature is going to be burning it up.

Dominated by...

2011-05-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

...people losing races. Monaco is always a race you tend to lose not win (won by Vettel, who seems bent on making this year's World Championship a procession).

But...there's the rest. First of all, not one, but TWO teams had wheels part company with cars after pitstops at Indy. Come on. You are professional athletes, pit crew. You can do it right.

And poor JR Hildebrand. He will forever be the rookie who had the Indy 500 won...and drove straight into the wall on the final corner. Was it nerves? Perhaps... (Wheldon won it).

And Kevin Harvick stole the Charlotte race when not one but two top contenders...ran out of fuel on the last lap. Come ON people. I expect far better from the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

Races are won and lost. Sometimes...they seem to more often be lost.

Oh and Lewis Hamilton, give it a rest. I want to be your biggest fan, but making allegations of racism over a penalty you totally had coming...then claiming it was a joke when called on it...just makes you look like a whiner.

That time again...

2011-05-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Indy time, that is! Actually, this is the big weekend of the year.

In terms of Monaco, I'm intrigued to see what the combination of the notoriously tricky road course and F1's current tire problems will do.

And, of course, NASCAR is at Charlotte.

Both of the American races will see overcast weather. I'm very much liking TVracer.com for schedule checking, incidentally. Very cool site and loads very quickly.

So...

2011-05-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Good Allstar race as ever, although it turned out to be marred. A member of RCR racing's pit crew, Gary Frost, was indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for taking drugs. (I wasn't able to find a report specifying what kind, but I'm guessing some kind of steroids...people, that stuff wrecks you).

Carl Edwards won, and it says something about the Allstar that there have been no repeat winners in the last eight years. Close, anyone?

The Spanish Grand Prix featured an intense closing battle between Hamilton and Vettel...a battle effected both by driver skill and variable reliability of the KERS system. Red Bull has had a battle with theirs all season, with it not working at all or cutting out at key moments...but Vettel still managed to cling on to the lead to become the first driver in eleven years to win the Spanish Grand Prix without starting from pole position.

A sign that this year's Formula One racing is more exciting than normal.

This weekend.

2011-05-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

NASCAR at Charlotte. Usually a good race, there, and I always like evening races.

Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.

And the INDY buildup is in full swing...with rain making qualifying 'interesting' so far. As long as it doesn't rain on race day.

I'm a *little* tired of rained out races this year. Just a little.

NASCAR

2011-05-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Finally watched Dover. A highly strategic race, won by Kenseth. One concern towards the end was the opposite of anything normal: Too much rubber on the track.

Too much. You don't hear that very often.

I'm starting...

2011-05-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

...to think that bad, rapidly degrading tires are a good thing for Formula One. Record numbers of pit stops. Much more passing. Vettel winning in Turkey...Vettel has *never* won at that track.

So, what do you reckon? Is it a good thing that everyone has to nurse their tires and go for strategy, strategy, strategy? Or is it a time bomb waiting to go off and result in somebody getting hurt? I'm hoping the former...

And, of course, we also got to enjoy the Lady In Black. Darlington, as demanding and exciting as ever. And the winner...Regan Smith.

Who?

You heard me right. It's taken him over a hundred starts to actually win a Cup race...but he sure as heck got it right on Saturday night.

I'm a bad blogger.

2011-05-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

I never did talk about last week's races. Part of that is because by the time I got around to watching the Indy race...it had been postponed and run and I hadn't actually recorded it. However, this weekend, I have no plans. So I should be able to talk about the NASCAR race (Charlotte) and the Formula One race (Turkey, possibly as close to the Middle East as we're going to get this year).

And the countdown to the Indy 500 begins.

So...

2011-04-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

If you rely on Motorsports.com you may notice that they have removed the schedule feature from the site...at least as far as I can tell (If anyone can find it, please let me know).

If you do, then TVRacer.com has a good schedule feature that covers all of the series shown on American television.

It tells me that NASCAR is at Richmond on Saturday evening and IndyCar is in Brazil on Sunday.

And who knows when I'll have time to watch them.

Weekend stuff.

2011-04-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Finally caught up on my race watching and even managed to avoid being spoilered.

At Talladega, I saw some fantastic driving. Not so much from the winner Jimmy Johnson, mind. In fact, I want to give a nod to Ryan Newman who on two separate occasions spun and regained control, preventing a major accident. The second time he did it with, umm, no tires. Yeah. He had four flats. Poor guy. But the first spin at least would certainly have been a Big One if it had lasted a moment longer.

Long Beach is always somewhat fun, with the narrow and extremely twisty street circuit at least approaching the infamous Monaco in difficulty. Mike Conway earned his first victory in 26 starts, although much of the action did demonstrate that Long Beach is not so much a race you win as a race you lose.

Formula One continues to be dominated by hideous tire problems. I really am hoping that this can be resolved. They're even predicting tire endurance of *six laps* for Monaco. It's changed things, and not for the better. The way things are going, this is simply not Formula One any more. In some ways, the action is more interesting, but the winner should be the best driver, not the 'guy who can nurse his tires the longest'. Lewis Hamilton won as Red Bull suffered from even more problems with their hideously unreliable KERS system.

And the Nurburgring race is under threat again. This time, it's from the Green Party, who think there are better uses for tax payer money. (Maybe somebody needs to show them the tourism dollars balance sheet?).

This weekend.

2011-04-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be out of town from Friday evening until early Sunday evening. But I should be back in time to watch NASCAR at Talladega.

Also this weekend, the Chinese Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of Long Beach. I really hope Formula One resolves the tire issues soon.

The Formula One tire flack...

2011-04-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Come on, people. I realize Pirelli hasn't built Formula One tires in a long time, but ten laps? Ridiculous. And potentially dangerous...not that Formula One is known for caring a huge amount for the safety of drivers.

Sebastian Vettel won again and apparently has his eye on the seven consecutive race record held by Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari.

Matt Kenseth broke a nasty losing streak to win in Texas.

I can whine at Formula One about tires, but Indy has them beat. Kill the double file restarts on road courses. I swear, more of the Barber race was run under yellow than green. And Will Power led the entire way...nothing against Power, he's a fine driver, but if it's not safe to try and pass the leader, we have a problem.

This weekend...

2011-04-08T09:54:00.001-07:00

NASCAR in Texas, Formula One in Malaysia and IndyCar in Birmingham, Alabama. All should be awesome.

And Paul Tracy apparently managed to get a ride...

Check out...

2011-04-07T12:47:00.001-07:00

...the video at this link. Seriously, that bike went for *quite* a long way before finally giving up.

Martinsville and...

2011-04-04T17:44:00.001-07:00

...electric F1 cars? Maybe. Jean Todt would like to do electric powered lower series. But we all know Ecclestone is going to react badly to this.

Martinsville saw a close battle in the end, in which Kevin Harvick took it in a last lap run.

NASCAR to Martinsville...

2011-04-01T09:17:00.001-07:00

Not really much more to say, other than the fact that Formula One's April Fools joke isn't funny at all. (Bumper cars? Really, you guys can do better than that)...

The highlight...

2011-03-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

...of the weekend was the closing battle for third in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Tony Kanaan is a brilliant driver and he made his race car very wide indeed as Simone diSilvestro tried to worm her way past. The fact that she failed to do so did not make it any the less edge of seat thrilling.

The Australian Grand Prix, on the other hand, was somewhat marred. Fortunately, the problem affected all of the drivers equally. Pirelli, it seems, has forgotten how to make Formula One tires. The tires were not laying enough rubber on the track and performance was dropping off rapidly after about ten laps. A little more R&D needed, perhaps? The race was won by the ever brilliant Sebastian Vettel.

The NASCAR race was...well, rather ordinary in comparison, but was handily won by Kevin Harvick.

Better late...

2011-03-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Formula One series finally kicks off this week in Australia, after the Bahrain GP was canceled. Indycar also gets going, in St. Petersburg.

NASCAR is at the California Speedway. Going to be pretty packed, and it's nice to finally get open wheel.

The Busch Brothers

2011-03-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Pretty important, aren't they. This time it was Kyle taking the Bristol win. Bristol's always an interesting course because it doesn't really have 'grooves' per se and cars can take pretty much any route around the short track. Good race.

Oh. And Jeff Gordon is going to be in the next Cars movie. Sort of. As Jeff Gorvette. How much do you think he paid them?

Top Gear and NASCAR

2011-03-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Apparently the American version of Top Gear has decided the best way to attract viewers is...to sponsor a NASCAR race. Charlotte in May, specifically.

The problem is...I just can't bring myself to watch American Top Gear. I hear it's not nearly as funny, probably because the hosts are more afraid of insulting people...whilst the British hosts insult everyone including each other and that's why it's funny.

(Maybe it says something about human nature. I don't know).

NASCAR goes to Bristol this weekend.

Bahrain...

2011-03-08T10:29:00.001-08:00

The decision on whether the race will be rescheduled this season has been put off until May 1. I think that may be optimistic. There is definitely enough crazy going on in that part of the world right now...

It reminds me of 1991.

Good race in Vegas.

2011-03-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Carl Edwards won, although Tony Stewart also had a good day for much of the race. Edwards is making himself more popular with his showmanship and exuberance.

Oh yes, and Ferrari and Ford have been wrangling. Not unexpected...Ferrari wanted to call a new car the F150, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy...need I say more?

Ecclestone...

2011-03-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

I do believe the man has finally lost it. Fake rain? Come on...

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/04/report-ecclestone-wants-fake-rain-to-make-f1-racing-more-exciti/

I don't disagree that rain makes racing more exciting, but how would predictable, planned rain do so? All this is...come on, Bernie...think things through.

NASCAR is at Las Vegas this week.

Best wishes...

2011-03-03T09:52:00.001-08:00

...for Sir Jackie Stewart, who apparently fell ill with chest pains on a flight between Geneva and Heathrow.

Looks like he's going to be as fine as anyone is at 71, though.

Phoenix...

2011-02-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

Jeff Gordon broke an almost two year win drought in a place not exactly known for its rain.

The race had a couple of spectacular crashes including a 13 car 'big one' on lap 67 that led to an extended red flag. Drive a little more carefully, gentlemen.

In other news, I wonder if this will be posted to YouTube: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/28/lewis-hamilton-to-swap-cars-with-tony-stewart/

Please tell me they're going to make Lewis drive an oval...

Heading to the desert

2011-02-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

NASCAR is in Phoenix.

And in the Formula One court, the new Williams livery is SWEET! Reminds me of the old black and white...which tobacco sponsor was it? All dinosaurs will remember the cars I mean and many have probably missed them.

It looks VERY dangerous.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=401103#

The spectacular and the unfortunate.

2011-02-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

The spectacular.

Daytona 500. Now. I think NASCAR may need to do something about the fact that bump drafting has become the only legitimate race tactic...maybe that new surface is just a wee bit *too* nice?

I was rooting for Junior the entire race, for a bittersweet victory that would have been entirely appropriate. It was not to be. He went out in the latest of a series of spectacular crashes, just as Daytona was known for.

But what did we get instead?

We got Trevor Bayne.

WHO?

We got a twenty year old rookie in his second Cup start winning the Daytona 500 fair and square! I have been wanting a new driver to watch for a while...and he may be it.

He doesn't have the sponsorship to run the entire season as of right now...any bets that is already changing after his achievement? Bayne is the youngest Daytona 500 winner ever and that is not likely to be toppled any time soon.

Now for the unfortunate.

The latest casualty of the current round of unrest in the Middle East: The Grand Prix of Bahrain. The race is officially canceled. Although there is some hope it may be rescheduled for later in the season, as of right now, there will be no Bahrain Grand Prix in 2011.

The Formula One season will now start in Melbourne, Australia.

A somber Daytona.

2011-02-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

It's going to be one, definitely. It's the ten year anniversary of the on-track death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

Therefore, it is incredibly appropriate that the Daytona 500 pole is held by his son. I know who I will be rooting for the entire race. Not just because of the resonances, but because he has always deserved every victory he can earn.

I'm back!

2011-02-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

Busy and...I'm going to admit lazy...all winter. I'm going to try and revive this blog now.

So, what's been in the news?

First of all, Kubica. Talk about a reminder that motorsports is dangerous. The Formula One driver was indulging in a bit of off season rallying and spun into a wall. He will at least be out for the season and there's some question about whether he will drive again, given the severe damage to his right leg and arm. I hope that prediction is wrong.

Second of all, NASCAR. The warm-up Bud Shootout resulted in a close and slightly controversial finish. Denny Hamlin's nose was ahead at the line, but stewards determined that he had 'gained position by going below the yellow line'...breaking a safety rule. They awarded the victory to Kurt Busch. Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has earned the Daytona pole.

Third of all...yours truly has become totally addicted to Top Gear. There...there's my confession. NOT the American version. There is only one Top Gear.

About time.

2010-12-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

Renault has finally, finally apologized for Crashgate. And apparently paid compensation to Piquet.

But something more should have been done.

And in proof racing drivers are, indeed, crazy...Mark Webber hid a broken shoulder so he could finish out the Formula One season.

Yeah. Nuts.

Got popcorn?

2010-12-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

Guess who Bernardino is now blaming for the issues the new Formula One teams had (not atypical issues...Red Bull is the only new team in recent memory not to have a lousy first season).

Mosley.

All is NOT well in the Formula One House, it seems. Or maybe there was a reason for Mosley's departure we didn't know about...

Or maybe Ecclestone is still grumpy about having his butt kicked?

It couldn't have happened

2010-11-29T09:46:00.001-08:00

to a nicer guy.

Ecclestone got mugged in London. Badly mugged. They beat him up without bothering to ask him to hand over his cash.

Given how popular a guy he is, one has to wonder...

NASCAR done and gentlemanly bets

2010-11-22T10:12:00.001-08:00

Jimmie Johnson took his fifth Sprint Cup victory...in the last race. It's always good to have a season that goes down to the wire but really, Jimmie, isn't it somebody else's turn with the trophy now?

And apparently Richard Branson (Virgin) and Tony Fernandez (Lotus) had a little...side bet...on the Formula One season.

Branson, of course, owns Virgin airlines. Tony Fernandez owns Asia Air.

The side bet was that the loser would serve for one flight on the winner's airline...

as a stewardESS.

I'm waiting for Branson in an Air Asia outfit to go viral on Youtube *grin*.

Tickets for the flight concerned will, of course, be auctioned off for charity.

One to go...

2010-11-19T07:55:00.001-08:00

And it should be a lot of fun.

Last race of the NASCAR season...usually by now we know who's won. Not this year.

All eyes are going to be on Homestead this weekend.

Who'da thunk it?

2010-11-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

You would have thought after Hamilton's victory that we would go a long while before crowning another youngest world Champion.

Wrong. Vettel is younger than Hamilton was. By less than a hundred days, but still younger.

And whewf. What a season! We won't be forgetting this one in a hurry (although I do hope they adjust the schedule next year to avoid the Korean Grand Prix ending up in the targeting sights of a monsoon. Ahem).

In some ways, Mark Webber lost this season as much as Vettel won it; but that's the way it goes. We'll see what happens next year...especially as KERS will be legal again. Hopefully with fewer reliability issues this time around.

At Phoenix, in perfect racing weather, Carl Edwards took his first victory in two years. It wasn't nearly as exciting as the F1 race, though. Sadly.

One more race left. Period.

The drama was not the race...

2010-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Not this weekend.

First of all, in the NASCAR race, there was an on-track altercation between Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon that ended with both cars wrecking.

Burton claimed he was pulling up next to Gordon to apologize for a previous incident. Gordon claimed Burton pushed him into the wall.

The video evidence, in MY opinion, supported Gordon's side of the story...then after both drivers got out, Gordon wound up and hit Burton, starting a scuffle which had to be broken up by marshalls. No word yet on what kind of penalty might be handed down by NASCAR, but I see two fines for bringing the sport into disrepute in the near future. Maybe it was something in the water as two jockeys at the BC also got into fisticuffs...in the winner's circle...over on track blocking.

Then the Hendrick Motorsports team, realizing Gordon would not get back on the track, ordered his pit crew to take the place of Johnson's...a substitution that will last the rest of the season (I'm sure Gordon is thrilled about that, and have to wonder if its revenge for his childish behavior). Of all the NASCAR drivers I'd expect to get involved in a fist fight...

Hamlin won, but the drama dominated the race.

And off-track drama was also memorable...in an only in South America manner...around the Brazilian Grand Prix.

In an incident straight out of a classic Gibson novel, several members of the Sauber team were mugged...and what was stolen was briefcases containing technical data. And Jensen Button ended up in a high speed car chase (no, he wasn't the one driving), after armed assailants approached his armored car.

Let's hope this kind of thing doesn't mar the future summer Olympics.

Vettel won the race with Webber second, keeping the title race alive.

Two more left...

2010-11-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

F1 races, that is. And this weekend is Brazil, a track where anything might happen. Let's just hope it doesn't get rained on like the Korean race.

(I wonder if they'll adjust the schedule next year to reduce the risk of a repeat of that).

NASCAR is at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

You know...

2010-11-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

I think it has to be something of a record...no Big One at Talladega until the very last lap. The crash froze the race mid battle between Bowyer and Harvick, with the call eventually going to the former.

Cloooose.

Halloween weekend...

2010-10-29T13:46:00.001-07:00

NASCAR is at Taaaaalladeeega.

Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain to all!

Wow Korea.

2010-10-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

Just.

Wow.

Combine a new track with torrential rains that forced no less than the first seventeen laps to be run under the safety car. In fact, it's my guess that more laps were run behind the safety car in this race than the rest of the season. Combined. By a lot. The race was at one point red flagged because they were worried the safety car itself would wipe out (it didn't).

Australian Mark Webber argued with race officials over his radio, insisting it wasn't safe to start the race, then fulfilled his own prophecy by wiping out on lap 20, taking Nico Rosberg with him.

Even the rain experts Hamilton and M. Schumacher had issues...although the latter did manage fourth.

Alonso won the race, heading up a Ferrari one three. The track was difficult, exacerbated by standing water. In fact, the track was built in a swamp...

...and at one point one of the press people could be heard to mention the snakes infesting the press area.

Yes.

They had a snake problem.

Needless to say, the Martinsville race, although excellent, paled in comparison. (Won by Hamlin).

Korea, here we come.

2010-10-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Korea has to be the big news of the week.

The new circuit is a relatively long one, resulting in a race of 55 laps. Some of the drivers are apparently concerned about a tricky pit lane entrance.

I actually like the look of the circuit, especially the long straightaway followed by a VERY tight right hander...that's going to be an 'interesting' part of the race to watch. Turn one is almost as tight, and the circuit looks difficult...which is a good thing. Easy circuits make for boring races, part of why the Silverstone circuit has been changed.

Of course, we'll see. The only thing we can guarantee is somebody will be getting a lap record on Sunday ;)

http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/korea_840/

NASCAR goes to Martinsville

Kasey Kahne fired?

2010-10-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Yup. Kahne got his marching orders from Petty. He won't be driving for the rest of the season.

I do wonder, though. He kept complaining about the brakes...was there anything in it, or was it sour grapes and a deteriorating relationship?

I admit to rather hoping the latter.

Close to the end...

2010-10-18T14:41:00.001-07:00

And Murray held of Busch to win the Charlotte 500 under the lights. Fun race, with Murray taking it on the final restart.

NASCAR has also announced that they will be going with a 15% ethanol blend for fuel next season. We'll have to see what happens on that front. Open wheel racing has long used alternative fuels, but those vehicles are much lighter than the stock cars.

So...

2010-10-15T14:48:00.001-07:00

seems the only race this weekend is NASCAR at Charlotte. But it should be a good one, given how close the points are.

Down to the wire...

2010-10-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

For the Korean GP, which just now got approval...what, two weeks before the green flag is scheduled to fall.

The Japanese GP reminded us that the Suzuka circuit is one of the most challenging. The crash is supposed to be AT the first turn people... Yes. Vitaly Petrov and Nico Hulkenburg took each other out without even getting off the grid.

Then Massa and Liuzzi repeated it in the first turn. Safety car out before half a lap. Made me want to yell 'Learn to drive' at the screen.

Sebastian Vettel won. Again.

Tony Stewart won the NASCAR race...his first victory on that particular circuit.

Close to the end...

2010-10-08T14:00:00.001-07:00

Indy done. Formula One in Japan. NASCAR in California...you know the season is close to over when the NASCAR guys fly south like birds.

At least the Chase remains exciting and is likely to continue to do so.

Sad and somewhat ridiculous.

2010-10-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Another motorcyclist has been killed during a MotoGP event at Indy. At least this one wasn't a kid...it was promising 21 year old Jesse Phibbs, who had been fighting brain damage for over a month. The circumstances of the crash, though, were very close.

Collisions appear to be the big risk in motorcycle racing, but I'm not sure what can be done to reduce these dangers without wrecking the sport.

Indy Done

2010-10-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

Franchitti won. Dixon won the last race of the season, at Homestead. Things went pretty tight, with the battle between Franchitti and Power for the title counterbalanced somewhat by that between DiSilvestro and Alex Lloyd for Rookie of the Year (to my disappointment, Lloyd finished WELL ahead of diSilvestro on the day). A pretty good end to the season.

The NASCAR race was fairly average...or maybe I'm just tired right now. However, the chase remains very, very tight. If we're lucky, this might go down to the last lap of the last race again. Always a fun thing to see happen.

Close to the end...

2010-10-01T20:46:00.001-07:00

Sigh.

Indy's at Miami. NASCAR continues the chase in Kansas.

It's fall. It's definitely fall.

Singapore Flames and other stuff

2010-09-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Poor Kovalainen...not the way he wanted Singapore to end, with his vehicle in flames and a fire extinguisher in his hands instead of a steering wheel.

Yes...Kovalainen put out the fire himself with an extinguisher apparently handed to him by...I thought when I watched that he took it from a marshall, but no. It came from 'some guy from Williams'. Where were the marshalls? Its a good job he got out on his own, or we would have been looking at a possible repeat of the Indy car incident involving Simone diSilvestro.

Embarrassing.

The race was won by Fernando Alonso.

The NASCAR race was far less exciting, dominated and won by Jimmie Johnson.

And the Colin McRhee Forest Stages rally in Scotland was marred by the tragic death of former Scottish Rally Champion Jimmy Girvan. (His navigator escaped with minor injuries from what was apparently a nasty and spectacular crash into the trees).

Any competition death is unfortunate, and my thoughts go out to his family.

No...

2010-09-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it went for, but check out this beautiful piece of kit:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/23/1957-chevrolet-nascar-black-widow-to-be-auctioned-at-barrett-jac/

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

Formula One is in Singapore under the lights. The chase continues at Dover.

Getting close to the off season, here. Sad.

Unfortunate.

2010-09-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Spectator accidents are a hazard of motorsports. They do not happen as often as they used to...when being in the front row could be almost as dangerous as being on the track. Nonetheless, they happen.

My heart goes out to the over a hundred people injured in a freak accident at a drag race in Brazil. For once, it was not related to the nature of our sport. Two people are still in critical condition after the bleachers collapsed.

The cause is still being investigated.

Whewf.

2010-09-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Stop the Presses...Will Power didn't win. Okay, that's an exaggeration.

Mario Moraes had a bad spin and had to be pried out of his car by marshalls. Fortuntely, the driver seemed to be fine.

Helio Castroneves won the race, but the Championship hangs in the balance between Will Power and Dario Franchitti. This one could go to the wire. Dario Franchitti already has a trophy though...the newly inaugurated oval championship. With Power in the lead for the road course version.

Complicated? Maybe.

The first of the ten NASCAR chase races went to Clint Bowyer...sadly this was his first win of the season. Good that he got it, though.

Don't have much to say.

2010-09-17T11:15:00.001-07:00

But don't forget that NASCAR is at New Hampshire and here comes the Chase. And Indy is at Motegi.

Let's see if diSilvestro can finish a race this time.

Is it corruption...

2010-09-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Organized crime, maybe? Or maybe its Stregheria (That's the Italian word for witchcraft, in case you don't know).

I'm talking about the fact that Ferrari always seem to do so well on their home turf...regardless of the rest of the season.

Maybe it's just lots of (not all of it legal) practice. I'd like to be more of a Ferrari fan, but it seems (to me) that a certain aura of sleaze has accompanied the team of late.

And poor Hamilton. Monza does not seem to like him...

Hamlin won handily at Richmond.

No Indy...

2010-09-10T08:44:00.001-07:00

this week, and not much of the season left.

NASCAR is at Richmond. F1 is at Monza.

First of all...

2010-09-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

If I'm not coherent, blame the fact that I just walked to the farmer's market in hideous heat. I can't even sample the cider until the husband gets home...he'd get mad with me for not sharing.

So, all my hot self can manage. Stewart won Atlanta.

Its the Indy race that was interesting.

Simona diSilvestro NEEDS to stop crashing! The woman's got talent, but she's seldom getting the chance to show it. At least this time it wasn't her fault... And when she does crash, it tends to be in spectacular fashion, too.

Castroneves won a race that was interesting for all the wrong reasons...lots of DNFs and bits of car flying all over the track.

A tragedy

2010-09-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've hesitated to write about this because I don't cover bikes. I don't have a huge amount of interest in bikes, despite growing up mere minutes from the British Motorcycle GP and watching the bikers pour into town once a year.

I've also hesitated because its not one of motor racing's proudest hours, nor should it be.

Last Sunday, at the Brickyard, a motorcycle rider fell from his bike during the warmup lap. He was struck by the rider behind him. Despite the best medical care, he was pronounced dead several hours later.

His name was Peter Lenz.

He was thirteen years old.

Now, perhaps, one might understand why I've sat here all week thinking about this. Because...the average person will see this.

Will see a thirteen year old kid struck down doing a sport that...well. He wouldn't be allowed to ride on the road. Would he?

How young is too young? And does age have anything to do with it?

Over the last few years, the safety developments in motor racing have been incredible. I consistently watch drivers walk away from crashes that might well have been fatal only a decade or two ago. It's harder to protect bikers. They're out there, they're exposed. But everyone tries.

And everyone accepts. Every so often, somebody is going to be killed racing. It's a part of the sport. I fear that this accident will lead to a massive backlash against all of the development circuits. Kids ride and drive. They do it because they want to, and the sport needs those kids.

The sport needs the next Lewis Hamilton...and how old was he when he first signed with McLaren?

Thirteen.

My heart goes out to the family of Peter Lenz. It goes out even more to Xavier Zayat, the twelve year old who was riding the other bike. I cannot even imagine what this week has been like for them.

But for the sake of our sport...we have to keep letting these kids race.

Indy - Kentucky. NASCAR - Atlanta

Spas are supposed to be wet.

2010-08-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

Especially the race track. The question at this track is never 'will it rain' but 'how much' and...just to make things more fun... 'on which part of the track'.

It's not much of a surprise that Lewis Hamilton, who often seems to have water wings, won the race...but what a race. At one point the entire field missed a corner. There were multiple crashes and at least two drivers put on full wet tires when not warranted...making both me and the commentator wonder if they had actually run out of intermediates.

Spa always makes for interesting action.

(And Vettel. Learn to steer. That was a dunderhead move).

The Chicagoland race was somewhat anticlimactic in contrast. Well, except for not being won by Will Power.

Bernie...

2010-08-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

how can this guy not manage to say he wants to see Danica Patrick in F1 without coming over as a sleazebag.

Maybe its just his reputation.

Formula One returns this weekend to Spa. Indy is at Chicagoland and NASCAR at Gilles-Villeneuve. A full weekend.

Busch-tory

2010-08-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Who is the first driver ever to...yeah, I gave you a fifty fifty chance, didn't I.

It's Kyle and he's the first driver ever to win all three NASCAR races in the same weekend. That has to deserve *something*.

In open wheel, I'm keeping a strong eye on Simone de Silvestro. I honestly think she is heading towards being the first really good female driver. Her rookie season reminds me of that of a certain German on the other side of the Atlantic...the same aggression, the same determination. The same ability to get back in the cockpit no matter what and possibly a good measure of the same talent. She's one tough lady...and far more of an ambassador for women in the sport than Danica Patrick, who not only looks like she should be playing a race car driver on TV...she actually *did*.

Ahem.

Eh...

2010-08-20T10:57:00.001-07:00

I don't have much to say today. Indy goes to Infineon and NASCAR to Bristol this weekend.

The Bristol race is always a good one, so looking forward to that.

Yeah, yeah...

2010-08-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

I should have posted on Monday. I'm a bad blogger.

Kevin Harvick won at Michigan...his first win at the track and secured a place in the Chase. Only three 'regular' races to go.

Makes it feel like it should be fall (And so do the apples in the farmer's market)...now if only the temperatures would agree.

No (open) wheels

2010-08-13T11:25:00.001-07:00

Formula One is still on mid season break and Indy has the week off too. That leaves only NASCAR at Michigan.

I wish I was there.

I wish I was ANYWHERE cool. Its ridiculous here...

Well...

2010-08-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah. I'm not up to a snappy headline this week. So sue me.

Dario Franchitti beat out Will Power at Mid-Ohio. I kinda like Power, but I am glad he's not managing to dominate every race this season...nothing worse than a season where one driver or team is way ahead of the pack.

It was an all road course weekend, too, despite the absence of Formula One, as NASCAR went to the Glen. (Where, IMO, Formula One should be coming back, none of this new track in Texas crap). Montoya drove to a very well executed victory.

Both of these tracks have the same problem, though. All but impossible to pass.

It's late summer...

2010-08-06T09:42:00.001-07:00

which means no Formula One.

However, NASCAR is at Watkins Glen (woot, I love that course) and Indy at Mid-Ohio.

Let's hope for no more blocking moves. Or bad calls. I'm looking at you, Indy.

Umm, Stigg, don't change your last name...

2010-08-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

To Tracy, hat is (for those who don't know, 'Stigg' is Schumacher's nickname when he does demonstration test drives for the Top Gear television show).

Because, seriously, that blocking move you pulled was something I would have expected to see from Paul Tracy. Or a rookie.

And now Castroneves has been fined sixty thousand for his entirely justified tirade. He was robbed. Accept it. Move on.

The Formula One race was won by Mark Webber...he's on fire this season. Completely on fire.

Biffle won a rain delayed NASCAR race.

It continues...

2010-07-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well, okay. Helio Castroneves should not have got into it with the Stewards...

but the Stewards made a bad call. I'm even more frustrated. Obviously, disciplinary action needs to be taken against him...you can't have drivers shoving officials. On the other hand, really, are we going to have more calls that are just blatantly wrong?

NASCAR goes to Pocono and Formula 1 is, of course, in Hungary. Indy has the weekend off.

Indy, Indy, Indy...

2010-07-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

And to think its normally Formula One I'm bitching about. This time its Indy. Helio Castroneves won Edmonton fair and square...after refusing to take a drive through penalty for 'blocking'.

I don't know what race the stewards were watching...but I sure as heck did NOT see any blocking. A bit of drifting, maybe, but no blocking. They took the race away from him. It's one of the worst calls I have ever seen...and believe me, I'm not biased in favor of Castroneves over Dixon (the official winner). I don't even like the guy.

What gives?

The Brickyard 400 was...interesting. McMurray won...and he also won Daytona. And nothing else this season. Kind of weird, eh? But a good race.

Sadly, the forecasted rain never materialized at Hockenheim...and controversy over 'team orders' was more interesting than the actual race. Surprise, surprise, the controversy centered around Ferrari, who got a much needed one-two finish...but should it have been the other way around? We might never know. Alonso first, Massa second.

But the race could have been more interesting. Seriously.

Rain, rain, rain...

2010-07-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's affecting practice at Hockenheim (With Alonso taking major advantage). It's likely to affect the race.

Rain always makes Formula One more interesting, but let's hope it's not heavy enough to force a rain delay.

NASCAR is at Indy.

And Indy is at one of my favorite circuits...Edmonton airport. Always makes for an interesting race.

Let's hope for some good races...and no more *scary* crashes. Oh, who am I kidding...

Finally!

2010-07-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the hiatus. Multiple out of town trips. And wisdom tooth removal. And, yeah...I haven't had time to watch any races until now.

So, now I'm playing catchup.

First of all...Ecclestone, Ecclestone, how *dare* you say Formula One can 'do without' Monaco? Without Monaco, it's not F1. Period. We got rid of one of the duo...when is he going to retire? Please?

Webber apparently liked the changed Silverstone circuit...he dominated the British Grand Prix and won handily over Hamilton. I'm liking Webber as a driver...collected and talented.

The other driver I'm really liking is Indy's Power, who took the Toronto race. The only problem is that he doesn't seem capable of winning on ovals.

NASCAR raced twice while my life was complicated. Daytona II was spectacular...with not one, but two red flags. Yeah, that would be the bad kind of spectacular...but no real injuries. Harvick won. The teams then went north to Illinois. Second season driver Reutimann took his second win...and his first in a race that was not curtailed.

Phewf. I should be back to normal now.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not normal.

Heading out...

2010-07-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be out of town for the next week and miss both weekends of racing...including the Daytona summer race.

But I'll catch everything up when I get back. Eventually. Going to have to find time to watch Daytona, Indy at Watkins Glen then, for next weekend, the British Grand Prix (please stay behind the safety car, guys and NASCAR in Chicago.

Phewf.

Whoah, Valencia!

2010-06-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dang.

I like exciting races. But not like this. No, not like this.

The worst moment was Webber's spectacular crash, with a full somersault and a LOT of air time before...thank the gods...the car landed on its wheels and slid into the wall. Amazingly, he walked away (although he did throw his steering wheel halfway across the track, and who can blame him?)

Lewis Hamilton managed to come second despite a drive through penalty...for overtaking the safety car. As much as I am a fan, I am not sure that shouldn't have been punished more severely. And several other drivers lost 5 seconds for breaking the safety car speed limit.

What a...mess.

Sebastian Vettel won, Hamilton second, Jensen Button third.

In contrast, the NASCAR race was pretty normal. It was won by Jimmie Johnson, who's having a great season...but has kind of been eclipsed by F1.

Guys, guys, guys...

Good weekend...

2010-06-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Indy race barely avoided nasty rain and was won by Tony Kanaan (Whom we haven't seen as much of). Castroneves is still showing a fair amount of class, though.

The NASCAR race had more news, though. Jimmie Johnson won...and that's news because it's his first road course victory. Hey, Jimmie, finally worked out how to turn right?

Yeah, yeah, I shouldn't tease, but just how many drivers seem to have a problem with that simple task.

Hoping...

2010-06-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

for a good weekend. And for somebody other than Denny Hamlin or Kurt Busch to win the NASCAR race. Sorry, boys, it's somebody else's turn. NASCAR, of course, is at Sonoma.

Indy, meanwhile, visits Iowa. No Formula One this weekend.

I'm going to be away from home for the next three weekends, so updates will be late, sporadic and...stuff.

I'm actually...

2010-06-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

tired of Denny Hamlin. Sorry. Let somebody else win a race? There's a certain, oh, processional quality developing in the NASCAR season.

And F1 is threatening the same thing with sudden McLaren dominance. However, the race itself was certainly worth watching. The thing about the Villeneuve circuit is it's *narrow*. And several drivers only thought they had the space to pass. Including Michael Schumacher, who took a rather interesting unscheduled short cut across the grass that had the stewards looking carefully to see if he gained position.

Pretty good stuff, all told.

This weekend...

2010-06-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

,,,NASCAR goes north to Michigan, and I don't blame them...it's certainly hot enough HERE, let alone further south.

And after a year's absence, Formula One returns to this continent, with the Canadian Grand Prix. It had better go well.

(Indy takes the week off. Let's hope they spend it training their fire crews).

On fire...

2010-06-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

That's not just what happened, its my mood on the matter. Forty seconds. Or thereabouts.

Forty seconds for what? That's how long it took fire crews at Texas to get Simona de Silvestro out of her burning race car after it finally came to a stop after a spectacular crash.

Forty. Freaking. Seconds. (You can guess what kind of words I'm editing out here). I haven't seen such a disaster since a car was towed into the wall by the relief video at the fiasco we called the 'DC Grand Prix' (Actually an American Le Mans race).

We're lucky. We're lucky the headlines today don't talk about the death or maiming of a twenty-one year old rookie driver. The fire suit did its job. The fire crew did not. There were stuck hoses, broken fire extinguishers. Anything that possibly could go wrong did go wrong. Is it that its been so long since we had a significant fire that they've forgotten what to do?

We're lucky. De Silvestro walked away with some burns to her left hand (presumably from contact with the heated fuselage as she struggled from the car. She gave a post race interview that was truly impressive. No complaints. No recriminations. This young woman is the absolute epitome of how a race car driver could act.

And we could so easily have lost her.

Yes, motor sports are dangerous. Injuries and even deaths are going to happen...although they happen far less than they did only a few years ago. It's always worth remembering that every time one of those drivers gets in one of those cars, they are taking a risk. Yet, I've seen drivers walk away from crashes that made my heart stop for a moment (Conway's accident last week is the only one I've recently seen where there was no walking away...but he'll be fine once his broken leg heals up). I've seen NASCAR drivers walk away, shrugging, from seven frontal somersaults at Talladega. I no longer feel like screaming every time an open wheel car lands upside down...chances are, the driver just needs help getting out.

But this fiasco demonstrates...that entire team should be pulled off duty and retrained. Had that car been upside down instead of the right way up...

I think I've said enough.

(Ryan Briscoe won Indy. Denny Hamlin showed that he's the Man at Pocono yet again).

Heading soooouth.

2010-06-04T12:14:00.001-07:00

Yeeha! NASCAR is in Nashville and Indy is in Texas. I detect a certain Texas/country theme to the weekend.

What the...

2010-06-01T10:45:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day weekend should be remembered as the Weekend Everyone Forgot How To Do Pit Stops.

It was most obvious at, yes, Indy. Will Power ended up driving out of his pits with part of the fuel hose still attached to his car, and was eventually pulled in for a penalty that possibly cost him the race. I'm sure HE had a few choice things to say to his pit crew (a replay showed that his signal man moved prematurely). Later, both Scott Dixon and Raphael Matos left their pits *short* something...a wheel. It was pretty much a comedy of errors at that point. Oh, and Helio Castroneves stalled his engine.

There were also pit crew errors at Charlotte, although none of them as serious as the catastrophe at Indy.

Speaking of which, Mike Conway, who's car turned into an airplane at the end of the race is almost okay. He apparently fractured a leg and will, thus, be out of action for a little while. The fact that he was not injured worse is a testament to the safety features of these cars.

Kyle Busch won at Charlotte, whilst Dario Franchitti survived the Indy race to have his moment with the yard of bricks.

Formula One...did not have the pit crew issues. Instead, we watched the Red Bull drivers neatly take each other out (Honestly, what were you *boys* thinking?) Oh, yes, and Hamilton and Button had to be talked out of getting into each other after the race...come on, you got a one-two, grow up. Yeah. Not the most mature of behavior, either on track or off.

Let's go!

2010-05-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day. Which, of course, means INDY.

(It also means Charlotte and Istanbul, but honestly, who cares).

Four women will be starting the race...Patrick and Fisher will be joined by Simona de Silvestro and Ana Beatriz. (Milka Duno failed to qualify)

My pick for the win? Helio Castroneves, who was on fire in qualifying and is having such a good season.

...Formula One...

2010-05-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to knock down a prediction. When I heard that Watkins Glen was redoing the track to bring the curbing up to modern FIA standards, I thought that was a sign.

After all, the US GP was there for a long time. Its an awesome track. It would not take much to bring it the rest of the way up to par.

Whatever happened to cutting costs?

Instead of bringing the race to Watkins Glen...AUSTIN, TEXAS? A completely new facility? In a location in which racing in the middle of the summer (which is essential for the Canadian GP) is stupid, as I'm sure any Texan out there will agree.

But the mavens of Formula One will do what they feel like. Or maybe they were afraid that Watkins Glen would turn into another Donington Park fiasco...

Suzuki, Suzuki...

2010-05-25T10:48:00.001-07:00

It's absolutely fantastic that a sixteen year old girl (Elena Myers) just became the first woman to win an AMA Supersport Race, but really, Suzuki...not all girls wear pink. Turning your homepage pink just made you look silly (Note, its back to normal now...'sadly').

Kyle Busch proved he could sprint as well as stay by taking the All Star, which was as dramatic as ever...with some amazing near misses and 'How the heck did that not turn into a ten car wreck' moments.

Ha Ha Ha

2010-05-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Mr. Briatore, you might have somehow got off scot free with stupidity, reckless endangerment and unsportsmanlike behavior...

...but now the tax man is right up your gearbox. Reckon you can talk yourself out of this one?

Yes. Apparently he's on the hook for evading VAT and fuel tax and has had his luxury yacht seized. Do I have sympathy? No. I'm betting he'll escape this one too, but...the tax man tends to have quite a lot more clout than even the FIA.

Only action this week: NASCAR at Charlotte.

Monaco, Monaco...

2010-05-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

...ended under a yellow flag. Sigh. In fact, there were three cautions...a lot even for Monaco.

The race was also marred by the behavior of Rubens Barrichello, who decided to throw his steering wheel in a fit of pique after crashing. It was destroyed by another car. Ahem. You going to pay the price ticket on that, Rubens? Or the fine for not abiding by the rules about putting it back? A rather expensive moment of anger there.

Mark Webber, who has been driving very well this season, won...and I'm still going to call it a legitimate victory despite the last lap caution that turned the checkered flag into a procession.

Meanwhile, Kyle Busch owned Dover. Literally. He won both races and led more than half of the miles run. I'm not going to repeat the comments of the commentators (buschwhacked? REALLY). Oh, wait. I just did.

And here we go...

2010-05-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Formula One signature race really, in my mind, sums up the series.

NASCAR? It's Daytona, in Florida, in a place Americans go to play. Indy, of course, is Indianapolis. The Brickyard. A reminder of the roots.

Formula 1? They do theirs in the rarefied atmosphere of the tiny and extraordinarily wealthy principality of Monaco. (It's sometimes called the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo because Monte Carlo is the city, Monaco is the state). In a place where you pretty much have to be a millionaire to go.

No wonder people think Formula One is a snobby sport. Because, well, it kind of is.

But yup. This Sunday its Monaco. And whatever else you say about it...a damn hard track. Damn hard.

(Meanwhile, NASCAR is at Dover and Indy has the week off).

Bits and pieces.

2010-05-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

Yeah. I suck at titles today. Big time.

Hamlin did a weekend streak. At the Lady. That's the first since 1993, guys. Pretty good. Hamlin's looking good this season.

Mark Webber was looking even better...wiring the Spanish Grand Prix. Sigh. We were doing so well, too.

Things might have been different if Hamilton had not had a blowout in the last lap.

Vettel has to get the true kudos of the day, however, for finishing third despite the fact that his *brakes were malfunctioning*. That's driving, gentlemen.

More on Baltimore...

2010-05-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

...because I care, even if the rest of you don't.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/06/baltimore-begins-indycar-grand-prix-prep-ahead-of-2011-race/

Everyone else probably cares more about the Spanish Grand Prix (Yes, F1 is back home in Europe).

And of course, the Lady In Black. Yup. It's Daaaaarlington time!

Woot!

2010-05-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Long Beach, eat your heart out. Monaco? Fun, but too rich for my blood.

Bring on...Baltimore.

The Washington Post apparently has inside information that contracts to bring a downtown street circuit IRL race to Baltimore, MD will be signed within the next couple of weeks. Assuming this does not fall through, it will be the only IRL race in the Mid-Atlantic. Starting next year.

I'm thinking I might go.

Silverstone

2010-05-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've never cared that much for Silverstone...and remain utterly disappointed that the British Grand Prix did not move to Donington Park. The latter track has far superior spectator access...and that's not something the Silverstone management can do anything about.

Location, location, location.

But this is distinctly interesting. We'll have to see. I don't believe it will be faster than Monza, personally, but I think I may like it.

We'll see in July.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/05/silverstone-unveils-new-arena-circuit-worlds-fastest-f1-track/

Nice birthday present...

2010-05-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

...for Kyle Busch. Who won the Richmond race and then turned 25 the next day. I always love when that happened.

Decent race, some nice late action.