Claudio Langes Nicola Larini Oscar Larrauri Gérard Larrousse
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Nascar Points Rating System
Nascar uses a points and rating system of rules to award its drivers. Now the prize money is not the only thing that matters. The points also count. Let's now take a gander at the history of the Nascar points system. From 1949, when Nascar began, to 1951, Nascar awarded points on the base of the position in the race. The 1st position got 10 points, the second got 9 points, and so on. These points were increased by the 0.05 race purse. Then, from here until 1967, the winners were awarded points on a linear scale.
From 1949 to 1971, Nascar tried six different point and rating systems before they reached the current rating system. In 1972, Nascar inaugurated a new points system. Then, three various systems were tried for three various years. The systems were strange in some of the cases. Some counted mileage; some counted the finishing position as well as the mileage. There were complaints coming in from fans. The points system was not favorable. There was a Nascar champion that had won just one race in his career. The bigger races had more points. Those who won the bigger races eventually scored more points than their counterparts who had won more races.
The Current System Comes Into Existence -
It was in 1975 that the current points system was developed. Two forms of this system were again tried from 1982 to 1998. In this system, the points were awarded according to the final position and the number of laps covered during the race. There are three scales again for the number of points that a person can receive according to his finishing position. In the current system, the winner receives 180 points, the 2nd place gets 170, and so on, with 10 points separating the winner from the next position. Then, after the 2nd position, the first scale starts. In this scale, 5 points separate one position from another. This scale lasts from the 2nd to the 6th position. Then, from the 7th to the 11th position, the second scale comes into effect. Four points separate one position from another, and in the last scale 3 points separate one position from another.
Other Points -
There are other points also that come into the picture. For every lap that is completed, a racer gets 5 points. There is also an additional 5 points awarded for the most number of laps based on lap leadership. Driver points are also counted. If a driver is replaced during the race, then the points earned by the replacement driver still count toward the original driver's tally.
Owner points are also given to the owner of a car. For every car that qualifies for the race, the owner points given are the same as driver points.
From 1949 to 1971, Nascar tried six different point and rating systems before they reached the current rating system. In 1972, Nascar inaugurated a new points system. Then, three various systems were tried for three various years. The systems were strange in some of the cases. Some counted mileage; some counted the finishing position as well as the mileage. There were complaints coming in from fans. The points system was not favorable. There was a Nascar champion that had won just one race in his career. The bigger races had more points. Those who won the bigger races eventually scored more points than their counterparts who had won more races.
The Current System Comes Into Existence -
It was in 1975 that the current points system was developed. Two forms of this system were again tried from 1982 to 1998. In this system, the points were awarded according to the final position and the number of laps covered during the race. There are three scales again for the number of points that a person can receive according to his finishing position. In the current system, the winner receives 180 points, the 2nd place gets 170, and so on, with 10 points separating the winner from the next position. Then, after the 2nd position, the first scale starts. In this scale, 5 points separate one position from another. This scale lasts from the 2nd to the 6th position. Then, from the 7th to the 11th position, the second scale comes into effect. Four points separate one position from another, and in the last scale 3 points separate one position from another.
Other Points -
There are other points also that come into the picture. For every lap that is completed, a racer gets 5 points. There is also an additional 5 points awarded for the most number of laps based on lap leadership. Driver points are also counted. If a driver is replaced during the race, then the points earned by the replacement driver still count toward the original driver's tally.
Owner points are also given to the owner of a car. For every car that qualifies for the race, the owner points given are the same as driver points.
This author is a HUGE fan of NASCAR licensed merchandise
Article Source: The Nascar Points Rating System
Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/111187/the-nascar-points-rating-system
Zaxby Ford Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Chevrolet Eric McClure
Paul di Resta - classic F1 2011
Scotland's Paul di Resta, who has made such an impressive start to his grand prix career with Force India this season, is the latest driver to feature in our revised classic Formula 1 series.
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the 25-year-old has picked his five favourite all-time F1 races. We will broadcast highlights of each of his choices in this blog and on the BBC red button to whet your appetites for the action to come in Montreal this weekend.
Di Resta follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi, Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso and Nick Heidfeld so far this season.
The drivers have all taken a different approach to this task. Vettel, for example, picked only races from his own career, while the others drivers we have showcased so far have all to one degree or another chosen a mix of races in which they featured and ones from before their own time in the sport.
Di Resta has raced in only seven grands prix so far, so it is no surprise that four of his five choices are from the archive.
His first is this year's Australian Grand Prix - after all, a driver will always remember his F1 debut fondly.
The rest are as follows:
The 1968 German Grand Prix, which has gone down in history as one of the great Jackie Stewart's most extraordinary victories, and one of the greatest of all time.
Di Resta says he "read about it in Jackie's autobiography - sounded exciting". The race, memorably described by Stewart himself, was held in teeming rain and dense fog, and Stewart was in a league of his own, winning by four minutes in his Matra.
The next choice is the 1979 French Grand Prix, famous for the thrilling duel over second place between Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve and Renault's Rene Arnoux in the final three laps, the two men passing and re-passing, banging wheels in lurid, thrilling fashion, until Villeneuve finally prevailed.
It was one of the iconic Villeneuve's landmark performances, a man of sublime talent transcending the limitations of his machinery and taking on faster cars.
A similar description can be applied to Di Resta's next choice, the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park, which has entered F1 folklore as one of the late Ayrton Senna's greatest wins.
In a race of constantly changing conditions, Senna moved from fifth to first in the course of a stunning first lap and raced off into a league of his own. Such was his superiority that at one point he had lapped the entire field.
Finally, Di Resta has chosen the climax to the 2008 world title fight at the Brazilian Grand Prix, when, as he puts it, "the championship went to the last corner".
Many will recall that Ferrari's Felipe Massa would overhaul McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and take the title if the Brazilian could win, with Hamilton finishing lower than fifth.
Massa completed his part of the bargain and, as he crossed the line to take the chequered flag, Hamilton was down in sixth place, having recently been passed by Toro Rosso's Vettel.
In the Ferrari pit they celebrated, but with rain falling all was not lost for Hamilton. Ahead of him the Toyotas, which had decided not to stop for wet-weather tyres, were struggling, and the Englishman passed the gripless Timo Glock at the last corner of the race to sneak the place he needed.
As regular readers will know, we pick one of the driver's choices to highlight and I have to admit that the initial inclination was to run Di Resta's choices ahead of the German Grand Prix and show the '68 race at the Nurburgring.
Highlights of that race do not exist in the BBC archive, though, so instead we have moved Di Resta to Canada and chosen the '79 French race because of Villeneuve, after whom Canada's F1 track is named.
So the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme broadcast on the evening of that race is embedded below - it has never been shown since that day 32 years ago.
Beneath it are links to long and short highlights of last year's Canadian Grand Prix. It was arguably the best race of the season last year, featuring a thrilling battle between all five of the men who fought out the championship - Hamilton, his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, Alonso's Ferrari and the Red Bull drivers Vettel and Mark Webber.
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CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
The details for the BBC red button on digital television in the UK are as follows:
Long highlights from France 1979, short highlights of Europe 1993, Brazil 2008 and Australia 2011 plus extended highlights of the Canadian Grand Prix 2010 will be broadcast on satellite and cable from 1500 BST on Wednesday 8 June until 1700 BST on Sunday 12 June.
Unfortunately, a lack of bandwidth because of the Queens tennis tournament means we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/paul_di_resta_-_classic_f1.html
Steve Wallace 5 hour Energy Toyota Tony Raines Long John Silver s Chevrolet
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
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Nico Rosberg - classic F1 2011
Nico Rosberg is the latest grand prix driver to select his five favourite all-time races for our classic Formula 1 series.
As regular readers will know, BBC Sport is serialising the F1 drivers' choices before every race this season to whet your appetites for the action to come. Highlights will be shown on this website and the red button on BBC television in the UK.
Rosberg, who is for the second season in a row putting F1 legend Michael Schumacher firmly in the shade at Mercedes, is the first driver so far this season to choose races only because of their status as all-time classics, with not one of his own making the list. Although the German took part in one of his selected events, he has chosen it for reasons that have nothing to do with himself.
In chronological order, Rosberg's choices are as follows:
The 1985 South African Grand Prix, which featured a memorable performance from Rosberg's father Keke. He finished second to Williams team-mate Nigel Mansell, but was at least as impressive as the Englishman on the day.
The 1987 British Grand Prix and Mansell's famous fightback to win, when he made up 30 seconds on team-mate Nelson Piquet and pulled off one of the great passing moves to overtake the Brazilian and win the race.
The 1997 European Grand Prix, when Schumacher notoriously - and unsuccessfully - tried to take out Jacques Villeneuve's Williams as they were battling for the world title at the final race of the season.
The 2000 Belgian Grand Prix, featuring the famous all-time classic overtaking move by McLaren's Mika Hakkinen on Schumacher.
The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton, a former team-mate of Rosberg in the lower categories, snatched the world title with an overtaking move on the final corner of the final lap.
Regular readers of this feature will know that we pick one of the driver's choices to offer special treatment, and in this case we have plumped for the 1985 South African Grand Prix.
This choice was made partly because it an excellent race that has been somewhat overlooked, and also because the tape we were given of the 1997 European Grand Prix, which was covered by ITV, has a significant proportion of the race missing, so we are unable to provide highlights of that event.
I was intrigued as to why Rosberg chose the 1985 race at the brilliant original Kyalami circuit. After all, his father had many career highlights and this was a race he did not win - whereas he took stunning victories in Monaco 1983 and Dallas 1984 and starred in many other superb grands prix.
Clearly Nico was not old enough to have watched any of his dad's races live and remember them - he was just coming up for four months old at the time Keke was racing in Kyalami, and the elder Rosberg retired from F1 for good at the end of the following season, when Nico was a year and a half old.
So I asked Nico why he had plumped for that race above all.
"Because it was fun to see my dad beyond all limits," he said, pointing out that he had watched it on a video.
Keke in extremis, you mean, I said.
"Yeah. Fun, eh?"
Indeed it was. And Nico is right - it was one of Keke Rosberg's greatest drives.
Fresh from being beaten by Mansell at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, Rosberg qualified third in South Africa behind the Englishman and Piquet's Brabham-BMW, paying generous tribute to his team-mate's lap afterwards.
"I wonder if McLaren are beginning to think they've signed the wrong Williams driver," he joked.
Rosberg dropped to sixth at the end of the first lap, but quickly climbed through the field and took the lead from Mansell heading into lap nine, after the Englishman waved him through on the pit straight because the Finn was at that stage of the race using more turbo boost pressure than his team-mate.
Unfortunately for Rosberg, he had chosen the wrong moment to lead the race. It meant that on the very next lap he was the first to come across an oil slick dropped by the Toleman of Piercarlo Ghinzani. With no warning from the marshals that the track was slippery, Rosberg spun into the sandy outfield.
Mansell, not far behind his team-mate, had just enough warning to slow down and he managed to stay on the track. He survived his own scary moment and skated into the lead, leaving Rosberg to rejoin in sixth place in his sand-covered car.
As Mansell cruised off to a comfortable win, his second in succession following his breakthrough maiden victory at the previous race, Rosberg fought superbly back through the field to finish second.
You will find the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme from the day of the race embedded below. Beneath it are links to long and short highlights of last year's European Grand Prix in Valencia, which featured Mark Webber's terrifying somersault, from which the Australian was fortunate to escape unscathed.
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CLICK HERE FOR SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE FOR EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
On the subject of the BBC broadcast of the 1985 South African race, there is an interesting story to tell.
As usual, the commentary team was Murray Walker and James Hunt. They were calling the race from a studio in London - and although this was quite common back then at far-flung races, it was not communicated to the audience. Practices were very different 26 years ago.
Hunt had very strong views on apartheid, which was still nine years away from ending in South Africa, and during the live broadcast he suddenly launched into a withering attack on the evils of the system and the South African government.
As I'm sure you are aware, the BBC is very careful not to stray into political comment in a sports broadcast, however commonplace and justifiable the views expressed might be. So the producer Mark Wilkin - now the BBC's F1 editor - handed Hunt a note which read: "Talk about the race!"
At which point, Hunt said: "Anyway, thank goodness we are not actually there."
The arrangements for these races on the BBC red button in the UK are as follows:
Extended highlights of South Africa '85, short highlights of Britain '87, Belgium 2000 and Brazil 2008 and extended highlights of the 2010 European Grand Prix will be broadcast on satellite and cable from 2000 BST on Wednesday 22 June until 1145 BST on Thursday 23 June, and again from 2000 BST on Thursday 23 June until 0845 BST on Friday 24 June.
Unfortunately, a lack of bandwidth because of Wimbledon means we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.
UPDATE, 1700 BST:
We have managed to free up some space on Freeview to show classic F1. It will now be shown on the BBC red button between first and second practice on Friday 24 June, ie from 1035 to 1200 BST.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/nico_rosberg_-_classic_f1_2011.html
Mark Green Ryan Newman Phoenix Construction Chevrolet Jeremy Clements
NASCAR Tickets - Stewart Makes History as Million Dollar Man
It was supposed to be Jeff Gordon's record-breaking race. He set himself up for the victory of a lifetime, attempting to break a tie with Dale Earnhardt as the first driver ever to win the Sprint Cup All-Star Race for the fourth time. In Saturday night's big event, Gordon was in first place after the third segment of the race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
All that was left was a 10-lap shootout to close out the $1 million deal, but just when it seemed that Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet was golden, attackers Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman came around both sides of the car, causing Gordon to spin out and crash nose-first into the outside wall, ending his first-place reign.
Instead of Gordon making history in Saturday night's All-Star Race, the NASCAR driver who put his name in the books was Tony Stewart, the near 38-year-old who won his very first All-Star Race and became the second driver in NASCAR history to win the race as a driver/owner, following suit of 1994's All-Star winner Geoff Bodine. Stewart zoomed into Victory Lane after passing Matt Kenseth in Turn 2 of Lap 99 (of 100) in the race, making a comment after the race about Kenseth letting him pass, saying, "I can't believe he gave me the bottom. I just cannot believe he gave me the bottom. But I'll take it. Matt is a guy you can trust. We got to second there, got by the No. 18 [Kyle Busch] and I thought, 'All right, we have a shot at this thing.'"
Stewart went on to elaborate about the state of his car, which got a last minute fix-up, saying, "We weren't that good until the last run. [Crew chief] Darien Grubb, I mean he made some awesome calls there at the end to get us where I could drive that thing the way I could. Man, it was fast."
The Sprint Cup All-Star Race ended with Stewart snagging first place honors, with Matt Kenseth in second, Kurt Busch in third, Denny Hamlin in fourth and Carl Edwards in fifth place. Stewart's big win was his first of the season, though he currently sits in second place in NASCAR Sprint Cup driver standings (as of the Darlington race). Last weekend's All-Star race also marked the first win for No. 14 under his newly-minted and owned team Stewart-Haas Racing, which he helped jumpstart in 2009.
Stewart, who was born in Columbus, Indiana, grew up in the racing capital of the country, starting out on go karts and even winning a World Karting Association championship in 1987. The aspiring driver tried his hand with IndyCars in the early '90s and eventually made the switch to stock cars after burning rubber in the IRL and even earning the nickname 'Smoke,' joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 1999 for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his first NASCAR season, Stewart took home Rookie of the Year honors, also finishing fourth in the series and winning races at Richmond, Phoenix and Homestead, becoming the first series rookie to take wins at three Sprint Cup races.
Since then, the name Tony Stewart has been ringing loud and true in the NASCAR circuit, and No. 14 has posted several big wins over the years, winning the Sprint Cup Championship in both 2002 and 2005. In 2009, Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing to start his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing, and has since been just as consistent as ever.
Now that he's won his first race of the season (albeit not one for points) Tony Stewart is raring and ready to go. Will he continue this hot streak and take first place standings points away from Jeff Gordon in the near future? Find out with NASCAR tickets, your chance to get in on the action. Tickets are available now online.
All that was left was a 10-lap shootout to close out the $1 million deal, but just when it seemed that Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet was golden, attackers Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman came around both sides of the car, causing Gordon to spin out and crash nose-first into the outside wall, ending his first-place reign.
Instead of Gordon making history in Saturday night's All-Star Race, the NASCAR driver who put his name in the books was Tony Stewart, the near 38-year-old who won his very first All-Star Race and became the second driver in NASCAR history to win the race as a driver/owner, following suit of 1994's All-Star winner Geoff Bodine. Stewart zoomed into Victory Lane after passing Matt Kenseth in Turn 2 of Lap 99 (of 100) in the race, making a comment after the race about Kenseth letting him pass, saying, "I can't believe he gave me the bottom. I just cannot believe he gave me the bottom. But I'll take it. Matt is a guy you can trust. We got to second there, got by the No. 18 [Kyle Busch] and I thought, 'All right, we have a shot at this thing.'"
Stewart went on to elaborate about the state of his car, which got a last minute fix-up, saying, "We weren't that good until the last run. [Crew chief] Darien Grubb, I mean he made some awesome calls there at the end to get us where I could drive that thing the way I could. Man, it was fast."
The Sprint Cup All-Star Race ended with Stewart snagging first place honors, with Matt Kenseth in second, Kurt Busch in third, Denny Hamlin in fourth and Carl Edwards in fifth place. Stewart's big win was his first of the season, though he currently sits in second place in NASCAR Sprint Cup driver standings (as of the Darlington race). Last weekend's All-Star race also marked the first win for No. 14 under his newly-minted and owned team Stewart-Haas Racing, which he helped jumpstart in 2009.
Stewart, who was born in Columbus, Indiana, grew up in the racing capital of the country, starting out on go karts and even winning a World Karting Association championship in 1987. The aspiring driver tried his hand with IndyCars in the early '90s and eventually made the switch to stock cars after burning rubber in the IRL and even earning the nickname 'Smoke,' joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 1999 for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his first NASCAR season, Stewart took home Rookie of the Year honors, also finishing fourth in the series and winning races at Richmond, Phoenix and Homestead, becoming the first series rookie to take wins at three Sprint Cup races.
Since then, the name Tony Stewart has been ringing loud and true in the NASCAR circuit, and No. 14 has posted several big wins over the years, winning the Sprint Cup Championship in both 2002 and 2005. In 2009, Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing to start his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing, and has since been just as consistent as ever.
Now that he's won his first race of the season (albeit not one for points) Tony Stewart is raring and ready to go. Will he continue this hot streak and take first place standings points away from Jeff Gordon in the near future? Find out with NASCAR tickets, your chance to get in on the action. Tickets are available now online.
This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Stewart Makes History as Million Dollar Man
Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/278359/nascar-tickets-stewart-makes-history-as-million-dollar-man
Kevin Lepage Hyatt Place Richmond Airport Toyota Ricky Stenhouse Jr Citifinancial Ford
NASCAR Tracks - The Martinsville Speedway
The Martinsville Speedway is celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007.
The Martinsville Speedway track was sold to International Speedway Corporation in 2004 and has been defined as the "biggest deal in NASCAR" to date. Recently, International Speedway Corporation has been purchasing race tracks in an effort to gain a majority in the number of races on the circuit. The Martinsville Speedway ticket office is open daily 9 a.m. The ticket office will be open this Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. The Martinsville speedway in Virginia has been home to NASCAR races for the entire time it was constructed except the very first year. Martinsville Speedway was formed in 1947 and hosted various races for the entire year and in 1948 NASCAR was formed and begun racing at the Martinsville Speedway.
Martinsville Speedway is located just miles out of the city of Martinsville, Virginia. This facility is proud to be recognized as the only original NASCAR-sanctioned track still hosting Nextel Cup competitions. Martinsville Speedway is one of the oldest venues on the NASCAR schedule; the paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps.
Martinsville Speedway tickets are worth the expense for any event because of the electrifying atmosphere. Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 with 750 seats and has grown continuously over the years. But other than being paved in 1955, the track configuration has not changed since Red Byron won the inaugural event. Martinsville Speedway is one of the oldest venues on the NASCAR schedule; the paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps.
The Martinsville speedway in Virginia has been home to NASCAR races for the entire time it was constructed except the very first year. Martinsville Speedway was formed in 1947 and hosted various races for the entire year and in 1948 NASCAR was formed and begun racing at the Martinsville Speedway. The Martinsville Speedway ticket office is open daily 9 a.m. The ticket office will be open this Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m.
Martinsville Speedway ran the first NASCAR race there on July 4, 1948. When Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 it only had 750 seats. Today the track holds over 70,000 race fans and is continually improving the facilities.
The paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps. Martinsville Speedway is located just miles out of the city of Martinsville, Virginia. This facility is proud to be recognized as the only original NASCAR-sanctioned track still hosting Nextel Cup competitions.
The Martinsville Speedway track was sold to International Speedway Corporation in 2004 and has been defined as the "biggest deal in NASCAR" to date. Recently, International Speedway Corporation has been purchasing race tracks in an effort to gain a majority in the number of races on the circuit. The Martinsville Speedway ticket office is open daily 9 a.m. The ticket office will be open this Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. The Martinsville speedway in Virginia has been home to NASCAR races for the entire time it was constructed except the very first year. Martinsville Speedway was formed in 1947 and hosted various races for the entire year and in 1948 NASCAR was formed and begun racing at the Martinsville Speedway.
Martinsville Speedway is located just miles out of the city of Martinsville, Virginia. This facility is proud to be recognized as the only original NASCAR-sanctioned track still hosting Nextel Cup competitions. Martinsville Speedway is one of the oldest venues on the NASCAR schedule; the paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps.
Martinsville Speedway tickets are worth the expense for any event because of the electrifying atmosphere. Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 with 750 seats and has grown continuously over the years. But other than being paved in 1955, the track configuration has not changed since Red Byron won the inaugural event. Martinsville Speedway is one of the oldest venues on the NASCAR schedule; the paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps.
The Martinsville speedway in Virginia has been home to NASCAR races for the entire time it was constructed except the very first year. Martinsville Speedway was formed in 1947 and hosted various races for the entire year and in 1948 NASCAR was formed and begun racing at the Martinsville Speedway. The Martinsville Speedway ticket office is open daily 9 a.m. The ticket office will be open this Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m.
Martinsville Speedway ran the first NASCAR race there on July 4, 1948. When Martinsville Speedway opened in 1947 it only had 750 seats. Today the track holds over 70,000 race fans and is continually improving the facilities.
The paper clip shaped track is famous for close, intense action as Nextel Cup stock cars beat and bang on each other for 500 laps. Martinsville Speedway is located just miles out of the city of Martinsville, Virginia. This facility is proud to be recognized as the only original NASCAR-sanctioned track still hosting Nextel Cup competitions.
For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including Race Car jackets or Nascar Racing Jackets we have them at the best prices everyday!
Article Source: NASCAR Tracks - The Martinsville Speedway
Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/189624/nascar-tracks-the-martinsville-speedway
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Could Hamilton join Red Bull?
As Lewis Hamilton ponders the fall-out from his controversial performance in Canada, he has more on his mind than a few lost points in the world championship.
Formula 1's most exciting driver is pondering his future as he watches Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel canter to a second consecutive world title.
As Mark Hughes explained in his column, Hamilton's frustration is down to the fact that he believes he is the fastest driver in the world, that he would beat any of his rivals if they were all driving the same car. It is a belief largely shared within Formula 1.
Most would probably say Fernando Alonso was the best driver - by which they mean the most complete - but they would agree that Hamilton is certainly the quickest. Although Vettel is gaining increasing support in both categories.
For Hamilton, it is proving increasingly hard to cope with the fact that he has won the world title just once, in 2008, and that he is facing a third consecutive year in a car that is arguably not really fast enough to allow him to compete for another.
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McLaren's race pace - far superior to its qualifying speed - is clouding the issue slightly, but it's hard to argue with Vettel's five wins and two second places in seven races.
Given these circumstances, it is easy to see why the 26-year-old Englishman might be beginning to wonder whether McLaren is the team to satisfy his burning ambitions.
Not for the first time, the concept of Hamilton joining Red Bull raised its head again in Montreal - and that was even before Autosport revealed on Monday that he had spent 15 minutes in a private meeting with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner on Saturday evening at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
According to Autosport, the meeting was described by a Red Bull "source" as a "social visit". That "source" may or may not be Horner himself.
Hamilton has played down the idea of leaving McLaren, saying the team have a car capable of winning races and that there is no reason to leave while they remain competitive. He also says it is not unusual for him to talk to rival team bosses.
But that is not an outright denial, so the issue of his future will continue to remain a source of speculation.
Could the meeting with Horner be the start of serious negotiations about a move to Red Bull? Certain sections of the media suggest it is wrong to attach too much significance to Saturday's chat, claiming it would be foolish for a driver to walk over to a rival team's HQ in full view of the F1 paddock with the express intention of discussing his future.
But people have either got short memories or do not pay close enough attention.
When Alonso joined McLaren for 2007, it was the culmination of a process that began in 2005. Ron Dennis, who was the team boss of McLaren at the time, mooted the idea to the Spaniard in a chance conversation as both men waited to go out on to the podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso having just won his first world title for Renault.
Likewise, in Belgium in 2007, with his relationship with McLaren in pieces, Alonso strolled over to the Red Bull motorhome, where he discussed the chances of joining the team with Horner as they sat on the open top deck. I know, because I watched them from the upper level of the paddock.
And so the 2011 F1 driver market 'silly season' starts in earnest.
Alonso has just signed up with Ferrari until 2016, the double world champion is not going anywhere. The same goes for Vettel, who is under contract to Red Bull until 2014. So, of F1's big three, that leaves Hamilton.
Theoretically, he is contracted to McLaren until next year, the result of a five-year deal that was signed in the wake of his stunning debut season alongside Alonso in 2007.
That has always been assumed to be a firm five-year contract, which means any move Hamilton makes - to Red Bull, for example - would have to wait until 2013.
However, it would be very unusual for a driver to sign away his future to a team for that length of time without any opt-out clauses, even if - as in the case of Hamilton and McLaren - that team had groomed him for success since he was 11 years old.
And even if the contract is solid, it does not mean Hamilton cannot move. As one veteran driver manager said: "I don't know the details of Hamilton's contract but if the team-driver relationship gets to an irreconcilable point then it won't matter what the contract says."
So a Hamilton move to Red Bull for next year cannot be ruled out, especially in light of the mixed messages coming out of Red Bull about the future of Mark Webber.
On Thursday, Horner said Webber had made it clear he would like to drive for the team next year, adding that he felt the Australian still had the "motivation and desire" and that Red Bull were "very happy with him in the team".
But 24 hours later, Webber did not sound so sure. "We'll see how we go," he said. "There's a bit to go yet in the summer. Keep thinking."
So what is going on?
Horner shrugged his shoulders when I asked why Webber would say that if he had told him he wanted to continue. But when I explained the situation to a man with long experience of the driver market, he said: "I think you can read that as Horner trying to tease another driver out, getting him to make up his mind."
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Could that driver be Hamilton? Is it a coincidence that the Englishman went to speak to Horner two days after the Red Bull boss made those comments to the media?
On the face of it, you might wonder why Red Bull would want Hamilton. They already have Vettel. Putting Hamilton alongside the German would be a wonderful proposition for F1's audience but it would be a massive headache for those inside the team. And such a move would be guaranteed to infuriate Vettel, the company's blue-eyed boy wonder.
But from a global marketing perspective, what could be better? Red Bull have long made a point of letting their drivers race. What better scenario for a company wishing to project an exciting, dynamic, youthful image, than two of F1's three most exciting drivers going at it head-to-head in the same team?
It would be a tricky situation for Horner to handle, as he has already admitted himself, but why would that be a concern for Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz?
Equally, while Vettel would probably be furious at having Hamilton alongside him to start with, he might well come round to the idea. He already has an advantage as the incumbent and, while he may not be as fast as Hamilton, he is, by reputation, better at working with his engineers to get the best out of his car.
If Hamilton did go to Red Bull, it would be in place of Webber. The Australian will not be drawn on the apparent disconnect between his words in Montreal and Horner's but many believe he will leave the team at the end of the year - either into retirement or to another team for one last hurrah.
That team could be Ferrari, where Felipe Massa's future is in question. The Brazilian has a contract for 2012 but he is an inconsistent performer. He is pretty close to Alonso at some races but nowhere near at others.
Massa, I'm told, will keep his seat if he puts in a strong showing at the next race, the European Grand Prix at Valencia on 26 June. If not, Webber is one of the drivers on Ferrari's list of candidates.
Ferrari are, I understand, also interested in Jenson Button and have had some contact with him. When Button joined McLaren in 2010, it was said that he had a three-year contract. But I am told he is a free agent at the end of this year if he wants to be. The prospect - however slim - of losing both his drivers must be giving McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh sleepless nights.
Ferrari are also interested in Nico Rosberg, who has impressed since joining Michael Schumacher at Mercedes last year. However, the rumours are Rosberg has been offered a big pay packet to stick with the German team.
That is not surprising given the uncertain form of Schumacher, whose excellent performance in Montreal will not bury memories of less convincing races elsewhere.
Schumacher is on a three-year deal but will he continue beyond 2011 if he cannot retain the speed he showed in Canada? If he doesn't, Paul di Resta, who has impressed enormously in his debut season with Force India, must be a strong candidate to replace him, as a Mercedes prot�g�.
How many of these prospective moves actually happen remains to be seen but it certainly promises to be an interesting summer.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/could_hamilton_join_red_bull.html
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Saturday, June 25, 2011
NASCAR Tickets - All-Star Race to Feature 10-Lap Final Sprint
$1 million is at stake for the winner of this year's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, but the money isn't even half of what draws such huge throngs of fans to Charlotte's Lowe's Motor Speedway for this famed stock car rumble. While the All-Star Race has been running annually since its inception in Charlotte in 1985, this year's competition has been rousing tons of speculation, as the track previously disclosed that this year's format for the 25th anniversary of the race would slightly differ in format than recent years.
In this midst of this mystery format change, NASCAR has just come out with the answer to the conjectures flying around the racing realm, as the website reported this week that the change taking place in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race this upcoming May will be the addition (and revival) of a 10-lap final sprint at the tail end of the all-star race. The thrilling element of the 10-lap final sprint as the end segment to the all-star race is already scoring high-fives around the racing realm, as the sprint is an exciting end to cap off the already-exhilarating race.
Robin Pemberton, the vice president of competition, recently made a statement concerning this addition to the all-star race, saying, "Some of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race's most spectacular finishes have come using the 10-lap shootout as the final segment, and what better way to celebrate the 25th running of this great event than incorporate that element back into the format. I can tell you from personal experience, I was Kyle's [Petty] crew chief in 1992 when he and Davey Allison battled all the way down to the wire and that has to go down as one of the most exciting All-Star Race finishes ever. The 10-lap shootout there at the end was something else from a competition standpoint. That was quite a night; one I'll never forget."
Fans with NASCAR tickets to this year's All-Star Race will get to see all qualifying Sprint Cup Series pros zoom around the racetrack in four different segments, all building in a crescendo of excitement for fans at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Segment 1 of the race will be the beginning 50 laps with a mandatory pit stop at Lap 25, while Segment 2 features 20 laps with the optional pit stop. Segment 3 is 20 laps with a 10-minute break at the end, and Segment 4 will bring the return of the much-anticipated 10-lap shootout with only green-flag laps counting.
Just like every year, this May's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is open to any and every race winner from the previous year (and winners from this year up through May 9) as well as past champions of the All-Star Series from the previous 10 years. The top two finishers of the 40-lap Sprint Showdown are also eligible for the All-Star Race, as is the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote. Look for heavy hitters like Kurt and Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, who have all won Sprint Cup races this year, to dominate the track at Charlotte on May 16, 2009, when these stock car racing favorites start their engines. Tickets to this huge event are still available, so check online to secure your seat in the grandstands this spring!
In this midst of this mystery format change, NASCAR has just come out with the answer to the conjectures flying around the racing realm, as the website reported this week that the change taking place in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race this upcoming May will be the addition (and revival) of a 10-lap final sprint at the tail end of the all-star race. The thrilling element of the 10-lap final sprint as the end segment to the all-star race is already scoring high-fives around the racing realm, as the sprint is an exciting end to cap off the already-exhilarating race.
Robin Pemberton, the vice president of competition, recently made a statement concerning this addition to the all-star race, saying, "Some of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race's most spectacular finishes have come using the 10-lap shootout as the final segment, and what better way to celebrate the 25th running of this great event than incorporate that element back into the format. I can tell you from personal experience, I was Kyle's [Petty] crew chief in 1992 when he and Davey Allison battled all the way down to the wire and that has to go down as one of the most exciting All-Star Race finishes ever. The 10-lap shootout there at the end was something else from a competition standpoint. That was quite a night; one I'll never forget."
Fans with NASCAR tickets to this year's All-Star Race will get to see all qualifying Sprint Cup Series pros zoom around the racetrack in four different segments, all building in a crescendo of excitement for fans at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Segment 1 of the race will be the beginning 50 laps with a mandatory pit stop at Lap 25, while Segment 2 features 20 laps with the optional pit stop. Segment 3 is 20 laps with a 10-minute break at the end, and Segment 4 will bring the return of the much-anticipated 10-lap shootout with only green-flag laps counting.
Just like every year, this May's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is open to any and every race winner from the previous year (and winners from this year up through May 9) as well as past champions of the All-Star Series from the previous 10 years. The top two finishers of the 40-lap Sprint Showdown are also eligible for the All-Star Race, as is the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote. Look for heavy hitters like Kurt and Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, who have all won Sprint Cup races this year, to dominate the track at Charlotte on May 16, 2009, when these stock car racing favorites start their engines. Tickets to this huge event are still available, so check online to secure your seat in the grandstands this spring!
This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - All-Star Race to Feature 10-Lap Final Sprint
Why the Monaco GP still packs a punch
Once a year Formula 1 absolutely lives up to its billing as the most glamorous sport in the world and that time comes at the Monaco Grand Prix.
On Friday morning, I had to gingerly step aboard a tender and then climb a rope ladder dangling from the side of a yacht to interview Renault's Nick Heidfeld on deck. Yes, this really could only happen in Monaco.
Without a doubt, the glamour and prestige of the tiny principality, where residents are required to have a significant sum in the bank, inflates F1's wow factor.
"I love it here, it is fantastic," crooned Lewis Hamilton, a Monaco race-winner in 2008 for McLaren. "Wow, this is such a beautiful place to be."
Monaco's street circuit provides a unique thrill for spectators (Getty)
After a muted showing in recent years, the harbour is once again crammed with multi-million pound yachts. Force India owner Vijay Mallya held a Bollywood-themed party on the Indian Empress while the imposing Force Blue made its return with flamboyant owner and former Renault boss Flavio Briatore on board.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso have also taken to water in their floating motorhome - complete with its own swimming pool - while Ferrari have gone one better by putting up their personnel on a yacht.
With such exotic playthings at hand it's hardly surprising the guest list includes Hollywood A-listers Scarlett Johansson and Leonardo di Caprio.
But for all the privilege and status on show, the Monaco Grand Prix also provides unrivalled access for fans.
The more affluent spectator can fork out up to �3,800 for Sunday's race but the cheapest seat is �65 and offers amazing trackside views and a party atmosphere from the Rochers hill along the side of the royal palace.
It's also the only paddock where fans can walk along the waterfront and peer into the teams' inner sanctums before posing for photos with their heroes as they emerge from the motorhomes.
And when the racing is over and dusk falls, the party begins on the track as fans sip a biere or two at the Rascasse bar.
Glitzy promotional events are par for the course in Monaco (Getty)
When Stirling Moss raced here during the Sixties he developed a habit of waving at female fans sunning themselves along the harbour.
Moss said he even used it as a ploy in the 1961 grand prix when he was under pressure from Richie Ginther's chasing Ferrari. Moss took his hand off the wheel to salute a girl and prove he wasn't feeling under pressure.
But can McLaren driver Jenson Button, a Monaco playboy turned triathlete, still have a sneaky glimpse at an average speed of 100mph? "No," he answered sternly.
Whatever you think of Monaco's champagne and celebrity, the yachts and those who pose upon them, Button is spot on - none of it detracts from the racing through the streets.
The miniature land, stacked on a rocky lip of land between France's Mont Angel mountain and the Mediterranean, is just made for the fastest cars in the world to hurtle around.
First comes the noise, the hum hidden among the biscuit-coloured buildings that gathers to a roar as the cars flash past.
Watching the cars fly by the grand Casino, weave nose-to-tail round the hairpin, thunder through the tunnel and then out again in a blink of light past the water and back round to Rascasse is mesmerising, and often nail-biting.
The late Ayrton Senna, who won in Monaco a record six times, spoke of an out of body experience as he glided between the barriers and round the twisting curves.
Driving precision is everything here and there is virtually no let-up, no straights to clear the head over 78 laps.
Two-time Monaco winner turned BBC pundit David Coulthard commented: "For me there's no better challenge for the driver than Monte Carlo and no more glamorous grand prix. For me it's still a thrill."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/05/once_a_year_formula_1.html
Early History of NASCAR
Shortly after the invention of the automobile, Americans fell in love with car racing. Europe started the tradition of setting speed records, but starting in the 1920s America started setting many of these speed records. In fact, most of these world records were being set in Daytona Beach.
That's right, even in the early days car racing centered around Daytona Beach. Racing fans from all over the United States and the rest of the world started coming to Daytona Beach to watch the Daytona Beach road course. For those of you who don't know you NASCAR, the Daytona 500 is the biggest race in NASCAR today.
As many know, stock car racing spawned out of America's Prohibition period. The bootleggers needed fast cars to out run the police when they were transporting illegal whiskey throughout the south and in particular the mountains of Appalachia. These bootleggers started to modify their cars to increase their speed and performance. In order to out run the law, you needed to have a great car. And, as the bootleggers upped the ante, the police did so too. These suped up cars eventually turned into the stock cars that we recognize today. The real life game of cops and robbers turned into the sports that millions of Americans love today.
After the end of Prohibition in 1933, Americans did not want to give up their fast cars. Many Americans living in the South East of the United States started to set up races featuring their tricked out cars. Once these races started being held, the fans started pouring in to watch the car races. From this moment, stock car racing was born. The birth place of these early races was North Carolina. To this day NASCAR is huge in North Carolina.
Today, NASCAR is popular all across the country. While many of the nascar drivers still come out of North Carolina and Tennessee, many more are coming from states like California, New York and Indiana. No longer is the sport just enjoyed in the south. Cities like Philadelphia are now some of the largest markets for television viewers of the sport. Race tracks have been built in Las Vegas, New Hampshire and many non-southern states.
While the South East region of the United States was the birthplace of NASCAR, today the sport is loved throughout the county. Today there are race tracks all across America and it is the fastest growing sport in the country. Despite its regional roots, NASCAR is today the most popular sport in the United States. Every Sunday during race season, over 100,000 screaming fans show up to see the NASCAR drivers start their engines. Not bad for a bunch of bootleggers.
That's right, even in the early days car racing centered around Daytona Beach. Racing fans from all over the United States and the rest of the world started coming to Daytona Beach to watch the Daytona Beach road course. For those of you who don't know you NASCAR, the Daytona 500 is the biggest race in NASCAR today.
As many know, stock car racing spawned out of America's Prohibition period. The bootleggers needed fast cars to out run the police when they were transporting illegal whiskey throughout the south and in particular the mountains of Appalachia. These bootleggers started to modify their cars to increase their speed and performance. In order to out run the law, you needed to have a great car. And, as the bootleggers upped the ante, the police did so too. These suped up cars eventually turned into the stock cars that we recognize today. The real life game of cops and robbers turned into the sports that millions of Americans love today.
After the end of Prohibition in 1933, Americans did not want to give up their fast cars. Many Americans living in the South East of the United States started to set up races featuring their tricked out cars. Once these races started being held, the fans started pouring in to watch the car races. From this moment, stock car racing was born. The birth place of these early races was North Carolina. To this day NASCAR is huge in North Carolina.
Today, NASCAR is popular all across the country. While many of the nascar drivers still come out of North Carolina and Tennessee, many more are coming from states like California, New York and Indiana. No longer is the sport just enjoyed in the south. Cities like Philadelphia are now some of the largest markets for television viewers of the sport. Race tracks have been built in Las Vegas, New Hampshire and many non-southern states.
While the South East region of the United States was the birthplace of NASCAR, today the sport is loved throughout the county. Today there are race tracks all across America and it is the fastest growing sport in the country. Despite its regional roots, NASCAR is today the most popular sport in the United States. Every Sunday during race season, over 100,000 screaming fans show up to see the NASCAR drivers start their engines. Not bad for a bunch of bootleggers.
Find out more about NASCAR at Nascar Diecast Cars. Nascar diecast cars make great collections. Check out these great Dale Earnhardt Jr Diecast cars and these Carl Edwards Diecast cars.
Article Source: Early History of NASCAR
Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/61045/early-history-of-nascar
Paul di Resta - classic F1 2011
Scotland's Paul di Resta, who has made such an impressive start to his grand prix career with Force India this season, is the latest driver to feature in our revised classic Formula 1 series.
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the 25-year-old has picked his five favourite all-time F1 races. We will broadcast highlights of each of his choices in this blog and on the BBC red button to whet your appetites for the action to come in Montreal this weekend.
Di Resta follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi, Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso and Nick Heidfeld so far this season.
The drivers have all taken a different approach to this task. Vettel, for example, picked only races from his own career, while the others drivers we have showcased so far have all to one degree or another chosen a mix of races in which they featured and ones from before their own time in the sport.
Di Resta has raced in only seven grands prix so far, so it is no surprise that four of his five choices are from the archive.
His first is this year's Australian Grand Prix - after all, a driver will always remember his F1 debut fondly.
The rest are as follows:
The 1968 German Grand Prix, which has gone down in history as one of the great Jackie Stewart's most extraordinary victories, and one of the greatest of all time.
Di Resta says he "read about it in Jackie's autobiography - sounded exciting". The race, memorably described by Stewart himself, was held in teeming rain and dense fog, and Stewart was in a league of his own, winning by four minutes in his Matra.
The next choice is the 1979 French Grand Prix, famous for the thrilling duel over second place between Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve and Renault's Rene Arnoux in the final three laps, the two men passing and re-passing, banging wheels in lurid, thrilling fashion, until Villeneuve finally prevailed.
It was one of the iconic Villeneuve's landmark performances, a man of sublime talent transcending the limitations of his machinery and taking on faster cars.
A similar description can be applied to Di Resta's next choice, the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park, which has entered F1 folklore as one of the late Ayrton Senna's greatest wins.
In a race of constantly changing conditions, Senna moved from fifth to first in the course of a stunning first lap and raced off into a league of his own. Such was his superiority that at one point he had lapped the entire field.
Finally, Di Resta has chosen the climax to the 2008 world title fight at the Brazilian Grand Prix, when, as he puts it, "the championship went to the last corner".
Many will recall that Ferrari's Felipe Massa would overhaul McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and take the title if the Brazilian could win, with Hamilton finishing lower than fifth.
Massa completed his part of the bargain and, as he crossed the line to take the chequered flag, Hamilton was down in sixth place, having recently been passed by Toro Rosso's Vettel.
In the Ferrari pit they celebrated, but with rain falling all was not lost for Hamilton. Ahead of him the Toyotas, which had decided not to stop for wet-weather tyres, were struggling, and the Englishman passed the gripless Timo Glock at the last corner of the race to sneak the place he needed.
As regular readers will know, we pick one of the driver's choices to highlight and I have to admit that the initial inclination was to run Di Resta's choices ahead of the German Grand Prix and show the '68 race at the Nurburgring.
Highlights of that race do not exist in the BBC archive, though, so instead we have moved Di Resta to Canada and chosen the '79 French race because of Villeneuve, after whom Canada's F1 track is named.
So the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme broadcast on the evening of that race is embedded below - it has never been shown since that day 32 years ago.
Beneath it are links to long and short highlights of last year's Canadian Grand Prix. It was arguably the best race of the season last year, featuring a thrilling battle between all five of the men who fought out the championship - Hamilton, his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, Alonso's Ferrari and the Red Bull drivers Vettel and Mark Webber.
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CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
The details for the BBC red button on digital television in the UK are as follows:
Long highlights from France 1979, short highlights of Europe 1993, Brazil 2008 and Australia 2011 plus extended highlights of the Canadian Grand Prix 2010 will be broadcast on satellite and cable from 1500 BST on Wednesday 8 June until 1700 BST on Sunday 12 June.
Unfortunately, a lack of bandwidth because of the Queens tennis tournament means we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/paul_di_resta_-_classic_f1.html
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Friday, June 24, 2011
NASCAR Tickets - Danica Patrick Eyes NASCAR
IndyCar golden girl Danica Patrick's contract with Andretti Green Racing is up at the end of this season. She'll have a contract waiting for her come October, that's for sure, but where will the IRL's favorite female firecracker go once the smoke clears? Some signs are pointing to NASCAR, and although moving to the Sprint Cup Series is something that hasn't recently treated IndyCar drivers well, it may very well be where Patrick ends up at the end of this IndyCar season.
Patrick, whose contract is set to expire soon, has already expressed to the media that she's on the hunt for new enterprises and other ways to expand her racing career, and when it comes to NASCAR, more sponsorship money and viewership is most definitely involved. Recently speaking to the media about a possible switch to NASCAR from IndyCar, Patrick has said, "One of the things I think of is the exposure level that you get in NASCAR with the ratings and viewership. Their numbers are so much larger than ours, and with that comes a bigger following, comes more popularity, comes more demand for you to endorse other products. So I think it would be an exponential sort of growth." This statement, of course, leaves the racing world wondering if she's just in it for the money, and this is one question that must be considered when sizing up the Danica Patrick dilemma that is sure to come this fall.
Patrick would undoubtedly be an explosive attention-grabber should she make the switch to NASCAR, but even her dashing looks and stellar maneuverability on the racetrack in open-wheel cars may not be enough to save her from the vicious Sprint Cup Series, which has a track record of eating alive several IndyCar-turned-NASCAR drivers. Take fellow female IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher, for example. No, Fisher doesn't have even close to the same stellar racing record as Patrick, but Fisher's recent attempt to delve into NASCAR proved highly unsuccessful; not only did she not compete in a single Sprint Cup race, but she didn't even come close to seeing a Nationwide race, either.
Fisher made a statement (and seemingly a warning to Danica Patrick) concerning her sour experience with NASCAR, saying, "It's a very tough world; it's a 'Good Old Boys' world, a 'Good Old Boys' network. To be in that without any prior experience will be extremely tough. Unless you are bringing in a pot load of money, I don't think they are going to [give you a deal] right away."
The switch to NASCAR wasn't a pleasant one for former Indy 500 victor Dario Franchitti, either. Franchitti ultimately failed to make a successful switch from IndyCar to NASCAR last year and is back in the IRL racing with Target Chip Ganassi Racing this year, already proving his sustained worth in the IRL after a year off from open-wheel racing.
Three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish, Jr. is experiencing resistance from the NASCAR realm, as well, still struggling in his second season with the Sprint Cup Series, and Juan Pablo Montoya isn't much improved, either. Is the same ill-fated future in the cards for Danica Patrick should she switch to the much more competitive NASCAR realm next year?
While this is left uncertain, the only thing for sure is that Danica Patrick would cause quite a stir with the public and with ratings should she make the leap to NASCAR, as the raved-about top female driver is already a media target. Ken Cohn, vice president of Millsport, a sponsorship consulting agency in Charlotte, N.C., recently spoke of the Danica appeal to NASCAR, saying that her celebrity influence could have a huge impact on the racing realm should she make the switch to the Sprint Cup Series next year, saying, "She's not only well known; she's well liked.
Danica entering NASCAR would certainly provide the sport with a deep level of marketing impact, and it would provide NASCAR with one of the biggest stories of the year, generating a significant amount of media coverage, consumer and fan engagement, and corporate attention." For now, though, it's still a man's world in NASCAR. The Sprint Cup Series will go on no matter what, and NASCAR tickets are still available online, Danica or no Danica.
Patrick, whose contract is set to expire soon, has already expressed to the media that she's on the hunt for new enterprises and other ways to expand her racing career, and when it comes to NASCAR, more sponsorship money and viewership is most definitely involved. Recently speaking to the media about a possible switch to NASCAR from IndyCar, Patrick has said, "One of the things I think of is the exposure level that you get in NASCAR with the ratings and viewership. Their numbers are so much larger than ours, and with that comes a bigger following, comes more popularity, comes more demand for you to endorse other products. So I think it would be an exponential sort of growth." This statement, of course, leaves the racing world wondering if she's just in it for the money, and this is one question that must be considered when sizing up the Danica Patrick dilemma that is sure to come this fall.
Patrick would undoubtedly be an explosive attention-grabber should she make the switch to NASCAR, but even her dashing looks and stellar maneuverability on the racetrack in open-wheel cars may not be enough to save her from the vicious Sprint Cup Series, which has a track record of eating alive several IndyCar-turned-NASCAR drivers. Take fellow female IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher, for example. No, Fisher doesn't have even close to the same stellar racing record as Patrick, but Fisher's recent attempt to delve into NASCAR proved highly unsuccessful; not only did she not compete in a single Sprint Cup race, but she didn't even come close to seeing a Nationwide race, either.
Fisher made a statement (and seemingly a warning to Danica Patrick) concerning her sour experience with NASCAR, saying, "It's a very tough world; it's a 'Good Old Boys' world, a 'Good Old Boys' network. To be in that without any prior experience will be extremely tough. Unless you are bringing in a pot load of money, I don't think they are going to [give you a deal] right away."
The switch to NASCAR wasn't a pleasant one for former Indy 500 victor Dario Franchitti, either. Franchitti ultimately failed to make a successful switch from IndyCar to NASCAR last year and is back in the IRL racing with Target Chip Ganassi Racing this year, already proving his sustained worth in the IRL after a year off from open-wheel racing.
Three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish, Jr. is experiencing resistance from the NASCAR realm, as well, still struggling in his second season with the Sprint Cup Series, and Juan Pablo Montoya isn't much improved, either. Is the same ill-fated future in the cards for Danica Patrick should she switch to the much more competitive NASCAR realm next year?
While this is left uncertain, the only thing for sure is that Danica Patrick would cause quite a stir with the public and with ratings should she make the leap to NASCAR, as the raved-about top female driver is already a media target. Ken Cohn, vice president of Millsport, a sponsorship consulting agency in Charlotte, N.C., recently spoke of the Danica appeal to NASCAR, saying that her celebrity influence could have a huge impact on the racing realm should she make the switch to the Sprint Cup Series next year, saying, "She's not only well known; she's well liked.
Danica entering NASCAR would certainly provide the sport with a deep level of marketing impact, and it would provide NASCAR with one of the biggest stories of the year, generating a significant amount of media coverage, consumer and fan engagement, and corporate attention." For now, though, it's still a man's world in NASCAR. The Sprint Cup Series will go on no matter what, and NASCAR tickets are still available online, Danica or no Danica.
This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Danica Patrick Eyes NASCAR
Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/264660/nascar-tickets-danica-patrick-eyes-nascar
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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
Hamilton's pace threatens Red Bull
At the Circuit de Catalunya
Sebastian Vettel had the same question on his lips following his victory in a thrilling Spanish Grand Prix as everyone else. "We need to see where our pace went," he said.
It is an interesting question. Vettel and his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber qualified first and second in Barcelona, about a second faster than Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in third, fourth and fifth places. And yet in the race Hamilton's McLaren was at least a match for the Red Bull. Indeed, as Vettel put it, "it seemed quicker".
It is the starkest example yet of a phenomenon that has been apparent throughout the year. For all Red Bull's breathtaking pace on a Saturday afternoon, the races have actually been pretty competitive.
The reasons why are complex, and vary depending on who you talk to. They will be explored in much more depth by my colleague Mark Hughes in his column on Tuesday.
What it means, though, is that a season that on paper looks like a Red Bull walkover is actually anything but.
Vettel might have taken four wins and a second place from the first five races of the season, but he has had to work hard for all of them.
Hamilton will not give up the fight in the battle to beat Red Bull (Getty)
That was not expected to be the case here, of all places. If there are circuits that could have been made for the Red Bull, they are this track and Hungary's Hungaroring, where the combination of long corners of varying speeds plays perfectly into the hands of a team whose car is aerodynamically the class of the field.
Last year, Red Bull duly dominated both events. So for McLaren to run them so close this weekend bodes well for more battles of this intensity throughout the season. As does the fact that at Barcelona, where races have generally tended towards the soporific, this time the grand prix was exciting from start to finish, a sure indication that this year's new rules, with rapidly degrading tyres and the DRS overtaking device, are working.
Just as in China, the race was made by a slower car holding up the Red Bulls in the early stages, preventing them stretching their legs.
But the pace of the McLaren throughout the Spanish Grand Prix suggested Hamilton, on scintillating form, would have been able to take the fight to Vettel even without the intervention of Alonso's spectacular start in the ultimately slower Ferrari.
When Vettel finally cleared Alonso by using what Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described as an "aggressive undercut" - making a second stop at the very early stage of lap 18 - the German must have expected that the rest of the race would be pretty comfortable.
He did brilliantly to clear four slower cars during his 'out lap' and having seen Alonso emerge from the pits behind him next time around, Vettel must have thought that he was now in control.
But when Hamilton emerged from his second pit stop five laps later and began edging closer to Vettel, it became clear that was not going to be the case. "From then onwards," Vettel said, "I knew it would be very, very close."
While it was perhaps not that surprising that Hamilton, on tyres that were five laps fresher, was able to close in on Vettel between their third and final stops, it was impressive indeed to see him continue to do that in the final stint, when their tyres were at more or less identical stages of their lives.
What saved Vettel, Hamilton said, was the performance of the Red Bull in high-speed corners, the characteristics that put them on the front row.
The Red Bulls were the only cars that were able to take Turn Three, Turn Nine and the final corner flat out on the throttle in qualifying, a speed advantage over the other cars of something like 15.5mph - a huge amount. On race fuel and worn tyres they were no longer flat out there, but the pace differential between the Red Bull and the other cars remained comparable.
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That, said Hamilton, meant he was unable to stay quite close enough to Vettel, particularly through the final corner, to be able to bring the DRS effectively into action and make a pass.
"They were massively, massively quick in the high-speed Turn Three, Turn Nine and through the last corner," Hamilton said. "His downforce was incredibly clear for me to see. It is very, very difficult with the step in downforce they have against us."
In hindsight, race director Charlie Whiting may consider that the DRS zone, which started at the timing line, could have been moved further back to the exit of the last corner, to make it a little more effective.
Whatever, not all tracks are like Barcelona and the next two, Monaco and Canada, should even things out more between the two cars.
Horner said he was not overly worried. "It wasn't concerning at all," he said, "because we managed to win the grand prix.
"It would be very arrogant of us to believe we had a car that enabled us to pull away at a second a lap. We managed to have a phenomenal qualifying.
"McLaren pushed us hard in China. They were competitive there. They weren't competitive in Turkey and it tends to see-saw.
"They brought a huge upgrade, almost a B-spec car here, and the upgrades that we have managed to introduce have moved us forward. I think we're in a good situation.
"The form will continue to be circuit-dependent, where some teams will be stronger in the race and some teams stronger in qualifying."
Hamilton clearly fancies his chances around the streets next weekend, saying after the race: "It is good to come from this race on a positive footing going into Monaco, where a driver can make even more of a difference."
Which you can take to mean: I'm brilliant around Monaco, just watch me go.
He's right, of course. But he is not the only Monaco specialist in the field. Alonso, at his superb best here, is also an ace on street circuits - just look at Singapore last year. Webber - who took a stunning victory in the principality last year - is pretty handy there, too. And Vettel, who Red Bull feel has moved on to another level this season, will be desperate to prove he belongs in the same Monaco masterclass.
Qualifying next weekend, then, promises to be fascinating, and there has been much discussion in Spain about how the new rules will affect the race there.
Two weeks after that comes Montreal, where McLaren finished one-two last season and Red Bull's engine power deficit will bring them back closer to their rivals.
Vettel's lead in the championship - 41 points over Hamilton - is edging up towards two clear wins after just five races, but this season is a long way from over yet.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/xxx.html
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