Tuesday, June 12, 2012

NASCAR - Las Vegas Kobalt Tool 400

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NASCAR Race Review: Aaron?s 312

Welcome NASCAR race fans to my NASCAR blog. The NASCAR Nationwide Series raced the Aaron’s 312 race on Saturday at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. This massive 2.66 mile track is known for spectacular crashing while they race in packs three wide, many deep. Lately, the drivers figured out that if they double up, they [...]

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VIDEO: Inside Le Mans scrutineering

It's racing's most extravagant technical inspection - scrutineering in downtown Le Mans in advance of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a great highlight for fans and teams alike.

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Monday, June 11, 2012

Tension surrounds IndyCar's annual stop at Texas

The tension surrounding Texas Motor Speedway began in the offseason, when drivers still reeling from the death of Dan Wheldon questioned the compatibility of IndyCar and high-banked ovals.

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July issue of RACER highlights the spirit of competition

A sneak peak at the new issue of RACER, which will soon on its way to subscribers.

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2010 Michigan International Speedway Nascar Photos

The 2nd and final visit for NASCAR at MIS in 2010.

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Sunday, June 10, 2012

22 Worst Crashes Of 2011, Bentley Crash, 2012 NACTOY: Today's Car News

The 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards (NACTOY) are nearing completion, with the finalists named ahead of the announcement of the winners at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. A Bentley driver went a bit haywire, crashing into a police car and seven others. And, if you can stomach it, we have 22 of the worst crashes of 2011 all in one...

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Vettel storms to Canadian GP pole

Sebastian Vettel grabbed his second pole position of the Formula 1 season with a comfortable 0.3-second margin in Canadian Grand Prix qualifying.

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Saturday, June 9, 2012

Parking Wars invaded Providence, RI

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Here?s a way to fix the All-Star Race: build your own go-kart

Get yourself into the holiday frame of mind with some good old-fashioned go-kart wreckage, courtesy of Red Bull in Belgium. There's some amazing engineering on display here, and also some ridiculous wreckage and other silliness. Enjoy, and if you can understand what that raggedy homeless-Gandalf-looking guy is saying, more power to you.
Have a great holiday weekend, and make sure you stay safe and sober enough to join us Sunday night for the Coca-Cola 600!

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Friday, June 8, 2012

Franchitti?s dominance like Johnson?s NASCAR run ? The Associated Press

Franchitti’s dominance like Johnson’s NASCAR run – The Associated Press


CBC.ca


Franchitti's dominance like Johnson's NASCAR runThe Associated Press(AP) ? Jimmie Johnson has won five consecutive championships, yet doesn't always get the proper recognition ? both in NASCAR and across all professional sports ? for such a remarkable feat. The same could be said about Dario Franchitti. …Ed Carpenter Wins At Kentucky SpeedwayMotor Authority
all 371 news articles »








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2012 NASCAR: Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth win Gatorade Duel races at Daytona while Kenny Wallace, Michael Waltrip and more DNQ for the Daytona 500.

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Who's competing for the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge title?

   Entering its eighth year of competition, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge will feature 24 of the top Cup team pit crews in a head-to-head competition at 7 p.m. Eastern on Thursday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.    Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling Time Warner Cable Arena box office at (800) 745-3000. Speed's broadcast of the event begins at 8 p.m.      The 20 teams eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 19 automatically qualified for the Challenge. The remaining four positions were assigned to the car owners ranked highest in the 2012 Cup series owner point standings as of May 14.    The official entry list for the event is outlined below.   No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge   No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet   No. 9 Stanley Ford   No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota   No. 14 Office Depot-Mobile 1 Chevrolet   No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota   No. 16 3M Ford   No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford   No. 18 M&M?s Toyota   No. 20 Home Depot-Dollar General Toyota   No. 21 Good Sam-Camping World Ford   No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet   No. 27 Menard?s Chevrolet   No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet   No. 31 CAT Chevrolet   No. 34 MHP-Power Pak Pudding Ford   No. 39 U.S. Army-Quicken Loans Chevrolet   No. 48 My Lowe?s Chevrolet   No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet   No. 55 Aaron?s Dream Machine Toyota   No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota   No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet    No. 88 National Guard-Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet   No. 99 Fastenal Ford  

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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Dale Earnhardt Jr. says dating a challenge because ?I?m not real easy to get along with?

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Who's competing for the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge title?

   Entering its eighth year of competition, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge will feature 24 of the top Cup team pit crews in a head-to-head competition at 7 p.m. Eastern on Thursday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.    Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online at www.pitcrewchallenge.com or by calling Time Warner Cable Arena box office at (800) 745-3000. Speed's broadcast of the event begins at 8 p.m.      The 20 teams eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 19 automatically qualified for the Challenge. The remaining four positions were assigned to the car owners ranked highest in the 2012 Cup series owner point standings as of May 14.    The official entry list for the event is outlined below.   No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge   No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet   No. 9 Stanley Ford   No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota   No. 14 Office Depot-Mobile 1 Chevrolet   No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota   No. 16 3M Ford   No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford   No. 18 M&M?s Toyota   No. 20 Home Depot-Dollar General Toyota   No. 21 Good Sam-Camping World Ford   No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet   No. 27 Menard?s Chevrolet   No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet   No. 31 CAT Chevrolet   No. 34 MHP-Power Pak Pudding Ford   No. 39 U.S. Army-Quicken Loans Chevrolet   No. 48 My Lowe?s Chevrolet   No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet   No. 55 Aaron?s Dream Machine Toyota   No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota   No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet    No. 88 National Guard-Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet   No. 99 Fastenal Ford  

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How many times will FOX say ?Danica? on Sunday night?

So you've probably heard that Danica Patrick is going to be running in the Coca-Cola 600 rather than the Indy 500 this weekend. You'll hear about it a lot more in the coming days. Above is a video documenting all the uses of the name "Danica" in this year's Daytona 500, and it clocked in at an astonishing 47 mentions. Not bad for someone who did just two laps before getting wrecked out. Extrapolating that out for the Coca-Cola 600 (yes, we know some of that was prerace; roll with it), we would hear the name "Danica" an astounding 9,400 times Sunday night. Whew!
Look, I'm not going to count the mentions, but if you want to go and craft a video like this, we'll definitely find some cool prize for you ... once you come out of your Danica daze, that is.

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Burning Questions: Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch to JGR, and more!

Plenty of burning questions to address this week. Is the NASCAR season too long? Could Jeff Gordon still make the Chase? Is there any hope for Kurt Busch to join Joe Gibbs Racing? Your favorite Yahoo! Sports Jays, Hart and Busbee, are here to tackle these weighty issues. Enjoy.

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How many times will FOX say ?Danica? on Sunday night?

So you've probably heard that Danica Patrick is going to be running in the Coca-Cola 600 rather than the Indy 500 this weekend. You'll hear about it a lot more in the coming days. Above is a video documenting all the uses of the name "Danica" in this year's Daytona 500, and it clocked in at an astonishing 47 mentions. Not bad for someone who did just two laps before getting wrecked out. Extrapolating that out for the Coca-Cola 600 (yes, we know some of that was prerace; roll with it), we would hear the name "Danica" an astounding 9,400 times Sunday night. Whew!
Look, I'm not going to count the mentions, but if you want to go and craft a video like this, we'll definitely find some cool prize for you ... once you come out of your Danica daze, that is.

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Dover Race Preview: Can cautious Sprint Cup drivers tame the Monster Mile?

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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The 24 Best Car Pictures Of 2011

We've always disliked the word "snapshot." A picture isn't an instant in time. It's the tail end of a lot of talent and preparation, a good measure of luck, and a little bit of magic. It can raise pulses and change minds. It even can turn some awkward-looking rides from the real world into mythic, gorgeous machines. Pictures aren't always worth a...

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Tony Stewart among victims of early 12-car crash at Dover

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Saturday, June 2, 2012

NASCAR Announces 2011 Schedules

NASCAR announced the 2011 schedule for its three national series, highlighted by several key changes for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. One of those changes comes early, as the second race of the season will be held at Phoenix International Raceway on Feb. 27, a week after the season-opening Daytona 500. PIR replaces Auto Club [...]

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Caution on the track: NASCAR drivers racing more conservatively under new points system

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Friday, June 1, 2012

Happy Hour: Should NASCAR shorten its season?

Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face.
Summertime! And while the great majority of us don't get the time off, we can still cast longing looks out the window and dream of the days when we used to just sit around and do nothing. Got a good summer memory that can be printed? Send it along here and maybe it'll make the cut next week. For now, your letters:

Any chance that Rusty Wallace's idea of cutting back to 32 races goes anywhere?
? Josey Wales
Via Tuesday chat
It's a great idea in theory. Wallace is right, there's too much supply. Do we really need two races at [track redacted to prevent hurt feelings]? We don't, and you know it. Thing is, how do you get that toothpaste back into the tube? Cutting races means cutting revenue, and no track owner is going to volunteer that in this economy. The only hope is if there's a track that's fundamentally losing money year in and year out; then it becomes a lot more justifiable. If removing a race improves the bottom line, there'd be some careful consideration of the idea.
Fortunately, NASCAR doesn't have the same sacrosanct schedule that other sports have; season-long records aren't as big of a deal in NASCAR as in the NFL or baseball, and thus you wouldn't have people rioting the way they would if you were to lop a dozen games off the baseball slate. Back in Richard Petty's day, they used to run more than 1,500 races a year (may be a slight exaggeration) and so there's not the same veneration for a certain schedule length as there might otherwise be.
Cutting the schedule would cause pain, yes, but it could help tighten up the product. Just be sure to keep your non-NASCAR-watching family and friends in the dark; you don't want them learning you suddenly have four extra free weekends. There, honey-do lists await.

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The Coke 600 was the typical 2012 race: ride around in a train and make points. There has been a lack of aggression all season long. Drivers are not taking any chances because there is the possibility of losing more than gaining. This has led to long green-flag runs and lack of cautions. I cannot recall, recently, a season that started this way. Is it because Carl and Tony tied last year and one point would have given Carl the cup?
? Sean
San Diego
I think that's a factor, but you came closer to the point earlier: the points system penalizes you for bad finishes more than it benefits you for good ones. You screw up and finish 35th in a race, you're effectively screwed for a month or more while you try to make up those points; by contrast, you ride around and finish 10th, and you're still right in the mix.
How do we solve this? One way would be to remove the extreme penalty; everybody under, say, 30th place gets the same amount of points. But that smacks of "everyone gets a trophy," so what about the other way: pumping up points for top-10 finishes. As every Black Friday shopper knows, there's got to be an incentive to push harder; right now, the disincentive is too high.
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To borrow from Slim Pickens, "What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-goin' on here?" When did Dale Earnhardt Jr. become possibly not only the most consistent driver at Hendrick, but also also all of NASCAR? No one tops him with nine top 10s in 12 races. And he has no DNFs or even a finish lower than 17th. I know the entire world is hung up on the "when will he win?" debate/conundrum. However, the pairing with Letarte is obviously working, and Junior has grown as a driver. If he continues to show the same maturity, patience, and tenacity (especially on the inevitable weeks when one doesn't have the best car on the track), the wins will come. Just like soccer or hockey, if you keep clanging enough off the goal posts, eventually something is going to go in.
? Eric
Washington, D.C.
Oh, now you've done it. You've both given Junior Nation reason to hope and Junior Hater Nation reason to rage. But you're correct, Earnhardt is in exactly the right position (well, not EXACTLY; that would be in front of the pack). As Edwards showed last year, all you need is one win to challenge for a championship. It'll come, soon enough, but we're through predicting it for now.
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When Brad Keselowski hit Tony Stewart and spun him on pit road and Smoke proceeded to do a 180 burnout on pit road during green flag pit stops and almost took out another driver, why didn't NASCAR give him a penalty for the boneheaded move on his part? He complains about other drivers driving like idiots, but that was clearly a big time incident that did not happen and could have caused some serious injury! Your thoughts?
? Jamie Herschel
New Philadelphia, Ohio
My thoughts are that if Stewart was that close to hitting anyone, he'd have been nailed with a penalty. NASCAR brass often appears to have a tin ear when it comes to charges of differing treatment for different drivers, but in this case, based on the recent Kurt Busch case, I'm thinking NASCAR would have certainly slapped Stewart with some sort of penalty if he'd done something to warrant that. Then again, maybe they, like Keselowski, were afraid of Stewart's reaction if they tried to fine him. You never know.
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With the recent Hall of Fame class being inducted, I was reminded that Bruton Smith didn't make the ballot this year. Some say he's a Hall of Fame track promoter. I've always thought of him as a money-grubber who had no imagination as he brought cookie cutter tracks to new markets. What do you think? Is Bruton Smith a money-grubber, a Hall of Fame track promoter, or both?
? Eric E.
Home of Cousin Carl
Seeing as how Smith smiled as he took a race away from my hometown track, I may not be the best to comment on this. Like everyone who's achieved a certain level of status, he's made a few enemies, but he wouldn't still be around if he wasn't good at his job. I say he deserves a nomination ... and then deserves to get that nomination revoked until he can amass enough people to vote him in.
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!

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Are You Ready For DEGA, got your clear bag? FAQ?s

One of many tips you may need to know before you head to the gates at Talladega! 16. What can be brought into the grandstands? - Soft-sided coolers or insulated bags are allowed into the grandstands provided they fit the required size requirement: 6″X6″X12″ or smaller. ONLY ONE SOFT-SIDED COOLER OR INSULATED BAG ALLOWED PER [...]

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Phat Matt Kenseth plays DJ, workin? those wheels of steel

When you think NASCAR music, what do you think? Yeah, yeah, "Sweet Home Alabama," Toby Keith, the Star-Spangled Banner, yee-haw, et cetera. Turns out that in truth, some NASCAR fans, and some drivers, have a bit broader musical tastes.
Recently, Matt Kenseth took a few minutes to sit down with KCRW in California for their "Guest DJ Project," discussing the songs that shaped his life. You can check out and download the entire show right here, or you can read on and see his choices.
1. "Mr. Jones," Counting Crows
"That song I guess just reminds me a lot of my buddy, one of my best friends that I grew up with. His name is Matt. We're still real good friends, and that songs just reminds me of him and I hanging out at a bar somewhere and having cold beers and talking about life in general, kind of 'what you want to be when you grow up', I guess."
2. "Tough Guys," REO Speedwagon
"I still remember our first two albums. I guess they were 33's that my sister and I were allowed to have. My first two albums actually were Def Leopard "Pyromania" and REO Speedwagon "High Infidelity", so those were the first two that we ever had and we played on our old record player."

3. "Blackened," Metallica
"I remember I was driving ... I think I was 16 or 17. We stopped at a gas station in this little town in Wisconsin, close to where I grew up, and I went in to pay for my gas and I saw the Metallica "?And Justice For All" tapes sitting there and I heard my friend Matt talk about Metallica, and other people, but I'd never listened to them before so I grabbed the tape, paid for my gas, paid for the tape. I went out and popped it in my tape player in my car and took off and that was the first song that came on and I was like 'Wow, what is this'?"
4. "So Far Away," Staind
"It was actually the year that we won our championship is when I heard that song. But it mainly just reminds me of today and what's in front of you is important, and not so much yesterday and mistakes you've made in your life and career."
5. "With Arms Wide Open," Creed
"The lyrics to this song hit home. I think when you have kids, thinking about your kids and thinking about their future, and start thinking about maybe some of the things you did in the past or maybe the habits you have that you definitely don't want them to have. ... That was the kind of song whenever I hear it, I think about my kids."
Hmmm. I wonder what songs other drivers would choose as their favorites ... ?

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