Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon Part of Hendrick Crew Chief Swap

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Hendrick Motorsports may have won its fifth-straight championship just last Sunday, but it took only a matter of days for the organization to make some of its biggest changes in years.

"This will improve us as an organization, across the board," team owner Rick Hendrick (right) said Tuesday.

Save for champion Jimmie Johnson, each of the three other drivers in the Hendrick stable will have new crew chiefs for the 2011 season.

Steve Letarte, the crew chief on Jeff Gordon's No. 24 since the end of the 2005 season, will now oversee Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 team. Meanwhile, Gordon will now have Alan Gustafson managing his team in Daytona.

Gustafson leaves the No. 5 team and driver Mark Martin, who will now have Lance McGrew in his ear for the 2011 season. McGrew has spent part of 2009 and all of 2010 as Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/earnhardt-gordon-part-of-major-hendrick-crew-chief-swap/

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NASCAR Championship Scenarios as Finish Line Nears for 2010

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Denny Hamlin
certainly had plenty of frustration boiling over after late-race strategy failed to work in his favor. So, he took a water bottle and threw it Sunday in Phoenix.

The temperament, however, may be unjustified: Hamlin heads into Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the proverbial driver's seat to win the 2010 crown.

Sure, the Virginia driver is sporting just a 15-point lead and could lose it by finishing second to Jimmie Johnson at Homestead.

But if that happens, Hamlin will be just the third driver in NASCAR's modern points system era to lose the championship in the season's final race. The first was 1979 when Richard Petty beat Darrell Waltrip and the second in 1992 when Alan Kulwicki topped Davey Allison.

Hamlin, however, clinches his fate by simply leading the most laps and finishing second or better. If Hamlin pulls that feat while Jimmie Johnson wins, the two will finish tied in the point standings.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/17/nascar-championship-scenarios-as-finish-line-nears-for-2010/

Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison Brian Hart

NASCAR: Petty takes back control of RPM

Petty takes back control of RPM Monday, November 29th 2010, 18:38 GMT Richard Petty has taken back full control of his NASCAR team, through buying out former partner George Gillett. Petty, now 73, will serve as chairman of the team and will oversee the daily running of two Fords for AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose in 2011 Related posts:
  1. Richard Petty to control team in new ownership group CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Richard Petty has partnered with Medallion Financial...
  2. NASCAR: Petty vows to continue with two cars Petty vows to continue with two cars By Matt Beer...
  3. Richard Petty says RPM will field 2 cars for 2011 season CONCORD, N.C. -- Richard Petty says he has finished financially...
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Source: http://doxcar.com/nascar-petty-takes-back-control-of-rpm/

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Ferrari adopts Red Bull-style exhaust for Valencia

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TB524xiY4kI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/am32yHUX4tU/s1600/mass_ferr_barc_2010-6.jpg

June 20 '10

Ferrari's B version of the F10 will reportedly feature a Red Bull-style exhaust system at Valencia. The information appeared in Spain's AS newspaper, whose reporters believe ? from Ferrari sources ? that the heavily restyled car will be from 0.3 to 0.4 seconds quicker per lap as compared to the recent races in Turkey and Canada.

According to the same report, the updated Ferrari challenger will feature a modified rear suspension as well, in order to better integrate the new exhausts. The new layout is expected to open a bigger channel of air ?to double the downforce generated by the diffuser,? as reported by the GMM news agency, quoting AS.

[redbull_exhaust.jpg]
Here is a picture of the Red Bull during the pre-season testing. The exhaust vents to the outer side of the gearbox below the bottom suspension wishbone, channelling the hot air around the rear suspension and out the top side of the floor. The Red arrow shows Red Bull's attempt to mislead rival teams by placing a sticker of an exhaust pipe on the upper bodywork below the upper wishbone, where one would expect to see it!

Ferrari have been preparing for the Valencia update for quite some time now, having lost a lot of time developing the F-duct system until now. This was actually the main reason why their car has become less competitive as compared to the championship front-runners, as argued by team boss Stefano Domenicali himself.

?For Valencia, the focus has been on other areas of the car apart from the (F-duct) rear wing,? said the Ferrari principal, according to Brazil's Globo. His comment was strengthened by Alonso's outspoken belief that the revised package for Valencia will set the base for a whole new perspective for Ferrari for the rest of the 2010 season.

?The most important improvement in Valencia is not what we achieve there, but the way it opens us developments to be stronger for the remainder of the season,? said Alonso.

At Ferrari?s own Fiorano test circuit on Friday (18th June), Fernando Alonso drove the F10 for the ?promotional and filming? reasons as permitted by the test ban.

But, as confirmed by Italian media sources, the 2010 car was in its full Valencia specification, including Red Bull-style low exhausts, designed to channel more air to the double-diffuser.

?You have to make the most of any opportunity in this era of the testing ban,? the Italian team said.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TB5yk_jKGFI/AAAAAAAAGZs/G4pvc0JHCvA/s1600/002_small.jpg

A 14 seconds video below, with Alonso testing the F10b in Fiorano was leaked on Youtube and f1around.files.wordpress.com compiled the image and compared it beautifully with that of Ferrari F10 and Red Bull RB6 as seen above.




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Toyota Kimmy Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota

Canadian GP: Button fastest in FP1, edges out Schumi

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TBKGqkcHunI/AAAAAAAAGTU/d5ocSDWZPa4/s1600/Button+fastest+in+FP1,+edges+out+Schumi.jpg

June 11 '10

Jenson Button set the fastest time in the first practice session for the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix, the first F1 session in Montreal since 2008.

The on-form Michael Schumacher was second by 0.158s off Button's pace in his Mercedes. Button's McLaren team mate, Lewis Hamilton finished third.

Nico Rosberg finished fourth, resulting in Mercedes-powered cars in the top four positions.

The McLaren MP4-25 with its rear wing stalling device, the 'F-duct' wasn't the fastest car through the speed trap, but it was the Renault that boasted the fastest speed through the trap at the end of the long back straight. Vitaly Petrov clocked 319 kmph and Robert Kubica recorded 318 kmph, which was 3-4 kmph up on Button?s McLaren.

The Red Bulls, who are not using their F-duct this weekend, finished ninth with Sebastian Vettel, 312.5 kmph and 20th with Mark Webber, 306.2 kmph.

A sole Ferrari of Fernando Alonso made it to the top ten. He finished seventh, while his team mate Felipe Massa finished 12th. Ferrari featured an 'all red' engine cover with no white 'Marlboro box'.

The low-grip surface at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve meant that most drivers sat out the first half of the 90 minutes. It became even more slippery by light drizzle at various stages.

There were some off-track excursions, but none too far as to the concrete and the steel barriers. The only driver to not have set a timed lap was Lucas di Grassi who had a mechanical problem as his Virgin stopped at the Casino hairpin.

Fastest of the new teams was Lotus's Heikki Kovalainen with a 1m21.869s in 19th position, while Hispania?s Karun Chandhok had an impressive run to finish 20th with a lap time of 1m21.977s, almost close to Kovalainen.

Canadian Grand Prix free practice 1 times

1. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 18.127s
2. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 18.285s
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m 18.352s
4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 18.356s
5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m 18.549s
6. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault 1m 18.662s
7. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 18.726s
8. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m 19.097s
9. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m 19.282s
10. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m 19.313s
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m 19.373s
12. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 19.511s
13. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault 1m 19.549s
14. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m 19.609s
15. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 20.186s
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 20.320s
17. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 20.584s
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 20.823s
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m 21.869s
20. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1m 21.977s
21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m 22.543s
22. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1m 22.701s
23. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m 22.713s
24. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth No time


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Pick your classic grand prix - race 19

Welcome to the final classic grand prix selection of the 2010 Formula 1 season.

We have an eclectic but hopefully fascinating mix of races with which to whet your appetites for the potentially explosive showdown between Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

In their way, our choices collectively sum up everything that is on the table at the Yas Marina circuit on Sunday - there is a title decider, a last race of a classic season, a twist in a battle between two of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport and a showdown between two drivers in one of history's defining cars.

Your job is the same as ever - tell us which is your favourite and we will use the responses on this blog to help us choose from which race to show you the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme broadcast on the BBC at the time, as well as the shorter highlights edits we cut for all the races.

We will also make available short and long highlights of last year's inaugural race at Abu Dhabi.

The classic races will be available on this website on Wednesday.

I'll run through the choices chronologically.

First is the 1979 United States Grand Prix East - the last race of a classic season.

It was won by Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve after a battle with Williams driver Alan Jones, the two fastest drivers of the season, both men overshadowing the new world champion, Villeneuve's team-mate Jody Scheckter, as they had all year.

Villeneuve underlined his status as the fastest driver in the world with a scarcely believable performance in practice at the demanding Watkins Glen track in upstate New York. On Friday, in the streaming rain, he had been fastest by a quite staggering margin - nearly nine seconds - from Scheckter.

In dry qualifying, though, the Ferrari, which lacked the downforce of the English-built cars, could manage only third in Villeneuve's hands, with Scheckter 16th. Jones and Brabham's Nelson Piquet were on the front row.

Gilles Villeneuve in the 1979 Ferrari 312T4

Villeneuve was the star of the 1979 season in the Ferrari 312T4. Photo: Getty

But the race started wet, giving Villeneuve his chance, and the great Canadian duly stormed into the lead from Jones.

Villeneuve built a five-second lead in two laps but after that the gap between the two varied. The Michelins on Villeneuve's Ferrari performed better when the rain was heavier, while the Goodyears on Jones's Williams were faster when it eased off.

As the circuit began to dry, Jones closed on Villeneuve and took the lead on lap 31. Three laps later, Villeneuve came in for dry-weather slick tyres, with Jones coming in after a further three laps. There were problems with the right rear but the Williams was waved out when the team manager thought the wheel was on firmly.

As Jones accelerated away, though, the mechanic fitting the wheel signalled frantically that he had not finished and the wheel came loose at the beginning of the back straight, leaving Jones ruing a lost opportunity.

A classic battle was over - and Villeneuve cruised to an ultimately comfortable win.

The next choice is the 1988 Portuguese Grand Prix, our twist in what was to become the long-running battle between two of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport - with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna taking the place of Alonso and Hamilton in our analogy.

This was a season utterly dominated by McLaren, who won 15 of the 16 races. Their drivers, Senna and Prost, locked out the front row, and Prost started the race knowing he absolutely needed to win after a devastating run of form through the summer by Senna.

Senna led off the start but Prost tracked him all the way around the first lap, and was clearly faster and in a position to try to pass as they entered the pit straight.

The Frenchman pulled out of Senna's slipstream to the right, but Senna moved violently over on him, forcing him almost into the pit wall - a move that found an echo in Michael Schumacher's controversial defence from Rubens Barrichello in Hungary this year.

Prost, though, was not to be intimidated. He kept his foot in it and passed the Brazilian into the first corner of the second lap.

Prost went on to a win that was less comfortable than it looked - the McLarens, with their Honda turbos, were very marginal on fuel and Prost had to manage his car carefully while holding off the challenge of the Adrian Newey-designed March of Ivan Capelli, which finished a superb second.

Things did not go so well for Senna. To add to his fuel consumption problems, Senna's digital fuel read-out was proving unreliable, and he slumped defencelessly to finish sixth, putting Prost back into the championship lead with three races to go.

The Mexican Grand Prix of 1991 is our next race, contested between two drivers in one of history's defining cars - the Williams-Renault FW14 representing the 2010 Red Bull-Renault RB6.

Senna, still at McLaren, had won the first four races of the season, but by the time of Mexico, the sixth race, it was clear that the Williams - designed, like the 1988 March and the 2010 Red Bull, by Newey - had moved F1 car design on to a new level.

Unexpectedly, though, it was Williams's unfancied second driver, Riccardo Patrese, who initially got the most from the car, rather than their returning leading star, Nigel Mansell, who was fresh from a difficult season being overshadowed at Ferrari by Prost.

Patrese took pole on the superb Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, from Mansell and Senna.

But the Italian made a poor start, dropping to fourth behind Mansell, Senna and Ferrari's Jean Alesi.

Patrese was soon past Alesi and Senna, and set off after Mansell, who he passed on lap 15, continuing on to a superb, unchallenged win. Only later in the season did Mansell get on top of his team-mate, and go on to push Senna hard for the title.

Finally, there is Portugal 1993 - our title decider.

It is a somewhat overlooked grand prix, which is odd, because in many ways it was a defining race in F1 history.

Prost clinched his fourth, and final, world title at Estoril that sunny Sunday in September, but the weekend -my first foreign grand prix as a reporter, as it happens - was rich with intrigue.

It was overshadowed by Prost's announcement on the Thursday that he was retiring at the end of the season, a decision forced upon him by his Williams team's decision to employ Senna for what turned out to be an apocalyptic 1994 season.

At the age of 38, Prost, whose contract included a clause which said he would not drive alongside Senna, had no stomach for another bitter battle with his arch-rival, and decided to call time on his wonderful career.

But that was not the only way in which the race marked the beginning of the end of one era and the start of another.

That feeling was enhanced by events at McLaren, who had dropped the struggling Michael Andretti after the previous race in Italy and drafted in their test driver, Mika Hakkinen - who proceeded to outqualify Senna and take third place on the grid. The great Brazilian was not amused!

The race, too, had more than a hint of the changing of the guard about it.

Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost on the podium at the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix

Schumacher, the race-winner, pours champagne over the new world champion, Alain Prost, at Estoril in 1993. Photo: Getty

Prost had unusually been outqualified by team-mate Damon Hill, who then proceeded to stall on the formation lap, forcing him to start at the back.

Prost would almost certainly have cruised to victory had he got a good start. But he had struggled all season with the clutch on the Williams, and he was swamped by the McLarens - with Senna passing Hakkinen at the start - and, particularly, Alesi's Ferrari, which took the lead.

The top six circulated together for the first part of the race, with Alesi leading Senna, Hakkinen, Prost, Michael Schumacher's Benetton and the second Ferrari of Gerhard Berger.

The race distilled down to a battle between Prost and Schumacher, the only two cars stopping only once.

After the stops, Schumacher was in the lead. Prost was right behind, and much faster, but second place was enough for him to clinch the title, even though Hill had now worked his way back up to third place.

Prost made a few attempts to pass, but Schumacher employed some of the tricks that were to become notorious in later years and, not wishing to risk an accident, Prost decided discretion was the better part of valour, and settled for second.

So there it is - what we hope is a great choice to end not only a great F1 season, but our second year of classic grand prix.

I look forward to reading your views.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/11/pick_your_classic_grand_prix_-_1.html

Carl Long Willie Allen Derrike Cope Kevin Harvick

Canadian Grand Prix 2010 Race gallery


A superb tyre gamble by McLaren saw Lewis Hamilton claim his second victory in Montreal at the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix. His second win in three visits to Montreal. His team mate Jenson Button claimed a strong second position, making it a McLaren 1-2 in as many races so far this season. Fernando Alonso had a fine race to finish third for Ferrari after a disappointing Turkish Grand Prixhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TBYXktBug1I/AAAAAAAAGVw/xd9Kyvkgs-Y/s1600/Canadian+Grand+Prix+2010+Race+gallery.jpg


Credit : Daylife, F1Fanatic

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Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida

Monday, November 29, 2010

NASCAR Tickets - NASCAR Angels to Host Earnhardt's Lucky Charm

Dale Earnhardt may be in heaven now, but he's still got angels here on earth. Wessa Miller, a Kentucky native and Make-A-Wish child who made NASCAR history alongside the legendary Earnhardt several years ago, is getting more recognition now for her courageous story, and it has recently been announced that the spina bifida patient will soon featured as part of the NASCAR Foundation's NASCAR Angels television program.

Miller has a long history with NASCAR, as she met Dale Earnhardt in February of 1998 before the '98 Daytona 500 through the Make-A-Wish Foundation when she was just six years old, giving the famed racecar driver a penny that he glued to the dash of his No. 3 car prior to winning the prestigious race for the first time in 20 attempts. After winning Daytona for the first (and only) time, Earnhardt considered Miller's gift his lucky charm and gifted her family with a new van to help with transportation needs to doctor visits across their home state of Kentucky.
It's been 11 years since Earnhardt's magnificent Daytona win and eight years since his tragic death after crashing in the final lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001, yet the story of Wessa Miller is still very much alive. The inspirational story of this little girl with spina bifida is still cemented into NASCAR history, as Earnhardt's winning No. 3 Chevrolet remains on display at the Richard Childress Racing Museum in Welcome, North Carolina, complete with a shiny penny glued to the dashboard. Although the 1998 Daytona race is standing still and frozen in time, life has gone on for Miller and her family, who have in the meantime started the Pennies for Wessa Fund to help aid hospital bills and the costs of treating Miller's medical conditions.

The NASCAR Foundation, the racing league's support for charitable efforts, has recently announced its teaming with the NASCAR Angels television program in helping aid Wessa Miller and her parents, starting with an online auction through the Motor Racing Outreach benevolence fund that will raise money for Pennies for Wessa by auctioning off autographed memorabilia by NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, as well as various fire suits and VIP packages. The foundation will also feature Miller on its NASCAR Angels television show, which is a program that is a self-proclaimed "Extreme Home Makeover meets Pimp My Ride, NASCAR-style" and transforms broken automobiles into drivable cars. Wessa Miller will be filmed at Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway on March 21 as part of the "Heart of NASCAR" segment of an upcoming NASCAR Angels episode.

While NASCAR's charitable efforts are currently focusing in part on Wessa Miller, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series are both well underway for the 2009 season. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. continues carrying on his late father's legacy (despite a nasty crash at Daytona last month,) and Roush Fenway Racing's No. 17 driver Matt Kenseth has taken the early lead in the Sprint Cup Series, winning the league's first two races at both Daytona and Fontana. The 2009 NASCAR season has already elicited unpredictable excitement from racing fans across the nation, so get in on the excitement and nab NASCAR tickets online to catch these speedsters zooming around the racetrack!

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com and was written by Brent Warnken. 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 - NASCAR Angels to Host Earnhardt's Lucky Charm

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/243803/nascar-tickets-nascar-angels-to-host-earnhardts-lucky-charm

Dale Earnhardt Jr Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford Jimmie Johnson

Richard Petty to control team in new ownership group

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Richard Petty has partnered with Medallion Financial Corp and DGB Investments to restructure the financial assets of Richard Petty Motorsports and regain control of the company.Petty will serve as chairman of RPM and oversee much of the day-to-day operations of the organization that was left in financial ruin by former majority owner George Gillett Jr., who no longer has ownership. Petty RPM will operate as a two-car organization with AJ Allmendinger in the famed No. Related posts:
  1. Richard Petty says RPM will compete in 2011 NASCAR season HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Stopping short of saying he has financial...
  2. Richard Petty mum on possible bid to boost investment in Richard Petty Motorsports MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Richard Petty doesn't plan to let financial...
  3. Ray Evernham says he is no longer bound to Richard Petty Motorsports HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Famed crew chief and ESPN analyst Ray...
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Hans Herrmann François Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill

Video : A Lap around Montreal with Mark Webber


Mark Webber takes us on a lap of Montreal's Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve ahead of the 2010 Canadian Grand Prixhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TBEol7ZPgoI/AAAAAAAAGRg/zjPveegRq1s/s1600/A+Lap+around+Montreal+with+Mark+Webber.jpg


Credit: Red Bull

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Geki Olivier Gendebien Marc Gené Elmer George

Pick your classic grand prix - race 19

Welcome to the final classic grand prix selection of the 2010 Formula 1 season.

We have an eclectic but hopefully fascinating mix of races with which to whet your appetites for the potentially explosive showdown between Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

In their way, our choices collectively sum up everything that is on the table at the Yas Marina circuit on Sunday - there is a title decider, a last race of a classic season, a twist in a battle between two of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport and a showdown between two drivers in one of history's defining cars.

Your job is the same as ever - tell us which is your favourite and we will use the responses on this blog to help us choose from which race to show you the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme broadcast on the BBC at the time, as well as the shorter highlights edits we cut for all the races.

We will also make available short and long highlights of last year's inaugural race at Abu Dhabi.

The classic races will be available on this website on Wednesday.

I'll run through the choices chronologically.

First is the 1979 United States Grand Prix East - the last race of a classic season.

It was won by Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve after a battle with Williams driver Alan Jones, the two fastest drivers of the season, both men overshadowing the new world champion, Villeneuve's team-mate Jody Scheckter, as they had all year.

Villeneuve underlined his status as the fastest driver in the world with a scarcely believable performance in practice at the demanding Watkins Glen track in upstate New York. On Friday, in the streaming rain, he had been fastest by a quite staggering margin - nearly nine seconds - from Scheckter.

In dry qualifying, though, the Ferrari, which lacked the downforce of the English-built cars, could manage only third in Villeneuve's hands, with Scheckter 16th. Jones and Brabham's Nelson Piquet were on the front row.

Gilles Villeneuve in the 1979 Ferrari 312T4

Villeneuve was the star of the 1979 season in the Ferrari 312T4. Photo: Getty

But the race started wet, giving Villeneuve his chance, and the great Canadian duly stormed into the lead from Jones.

Villeneuve built a five-second lead in two laps but after that the gap between the two varied. The Michelins on Villeneuve's Ferrari performed better when the rain was heavier, while the Goodyears on Jones's Williams were faster when it eased off.

As the circuit began to dry, Jones closed on Villeneuve and took the lead on lap 31. Three laps later, Villeneuve came in for dry-weather slick tyres, with Jones coming in after a further three laps. There were problems with the right rear but the Williams was waved out when the team manager thought the wheel was on firmly.

As Jones accelerated away, though, the mechanic fitting the wheel signalled frantically that he had not finished and the wheel came loose at the beginning of the back straight, leaving Jones ruing a lost opportunity.

A classic battle was over - and Villeneuve cruised to an ultimately comfortable win.

The next choice is the 1988 Portuguese Grand Prix, our twist in what was to become the long-running battle between two of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport - with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna taking the place of Alonso and Hamilton in our analogy.

This was a season utterly dominated by McLaren, who won 15 of the 16 races. Their drivers, Senna and Prost, locked out the front row, and Prost started the race knowing he absolutely needed to win after a devastating run of form through the summer by Senna.

Senna led off the start but Prost tracked him all the way around the first lap, and was clearly faster and in a position to try to pass as they entered the pit straight.

The Frenchman pulled out of Senna's slipstream to the right, but Senna moved violently over on him, forcing him almost into the pit wall - a move that found an echo in Michael Schumacher's controversial defence from Rubens Barrichello in Hungary this year.

Prost, though, was not to be intimidated. He kept his foot in it and passed the Brazilian into the first corner of the second lap.

Prost went on to a win that was less comfortable than it looked - the McLarens, with their Honda turbos, were very marginal on fuel and Prost had to manage his car carefully while holding off the challenge of the Adrian Newey-designed March of Ivan Capelli, which finished a superb second.

Things did not go so well for Senna. To add to his fuel consumption problems, Senna's digital fuel read-out was proving unreliable, and he slumped defencelessly to finish sixth, putting Prost back into the championship lead with three races to go.

The Mexican Grand Prix of 1991 is our next race, contested between two drivers in one of history's defining cars - the Williams-Renault FW14 representing the 2010 Red Bull-Renault RB6.

Senna, still at McLaren, had won the first four races of the season, but by the time of Mexico, the sixth race, it was clear that the Williams - designed, like the 1988 March and the 2010 Red Bull, by Newey - had moved F1 car design on to a new level.

Unexpectedly, though, it was Williams's unfancied second driver, Riccardo Patrese, who initially got the most from the car, rather than their returning leading star, Nigel Mansell, who was fresh from a difficult season being overshadowed at Ferrari by Prost.

Patrese took pole on the superb Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, from Mansell and Senna.

But the Italian made a poor start, dropping to fourth behind Mansell, Senna and Ferrari's Jean Alesi.

Patrese was soon past Alesi and Senna, and set off after Mansell, who he passed on lap 15, continuing on to a superb, unchallenged win. Only later in the season did Mansell get on top of his team-mate, and go on to push Senna hard for the title.

Finally, there is Portugal 1993 - our title decider.

It is a somewhat overlooked grand prix, which is odd, because in many ways it was a defining race in F1 history.

Prost clinched his fourth, and final, world title at Estoril that sunny Sunday in September, but the weekend -my first foreign grand prix as a reporter, as it happens - was rich with intrigue.

It was overshadowed by Prost's announcement on the Thursday that he was retiring at the end of the season, a decision forced upon him by his Williams team's decision to employ Senna for what turned out to be an apocalyptic 1994 season.

At the age of 38, Prost, whose contract included a clause which said he would not drive alongside Senna, had no stomach for another bitter battle with his arch-rival, and decided to call time on his wonderful career.

But that was not the only way in which the race marked the beginning of the end of one era and the start of another.

That feeling was enhanced by events at McLaren, who had dropped the struggling Michael Andretti after the previous race in Italy and drafted in their test driver, Mika Hakkinen - who proceeded to outqualify Senna and take third place on the grid. The great Brazilian was not amused!

The race, too, had more than a hint of the changing of the guard about it.

Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost on the podium at the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix

Schumacher, the race-winner, pours champagne over the new world champion, Alain Prost, at Estoril in 1993. Photo: Getty

Prost had unusually been outqualified by team-mate Damon Hill, who then proceeded to stall on the formation lap, forcing him to start at the back.

Prost would almost certainly have cruised to victory had he got a good start. But he had struggled all season with the clutch on the Williams, and he was swamped by the McLarens - with Senna passing Hakkinen at the start - and, particularly, Alesi's Ferrari, which took the lead.

The top six circulated together for the first part of the race, with Alesi leading Senna, Hakkinen, Prost, Michael Schumacher's Benetton and the second Ferrari of Gerhard Berger.

The race distilled down to a battle between Prost and Schumacher, the only two cars stopping only once.

After the stops, Schumacher was in the lead. Prost was right behind, and much faster, but second place was enough for him to clinch the title, even though Hill had now worked his way back up to third place.

Prost made a few attempts to pass, but Schumacher employed some of the tricks that were to become notorious in later years and, not wishing to risk an accident, Prost decided discretion was the better part of valour, and settled for second.

So there it is - what we hope is a great choice to end not only a great F1 season, but our second year of classic grand prix.

I look forward to reading your views.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/11/pick_your_classic_grand_prix_-_1.html

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Button relaxed in Brazil as Alonso eyes third F1 title

For the last five years, the world champion has been crowned at Brazil's rollercoaster Interlagos circuit - and in 2009 it was Jenson Button's turn.

Last year in Sao Paulo, Button serenaded his team and the world television audience by spontaneously belting out 'We Are The Champions' over his Brawn team radio as he followed Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso into the history books.

"You can't plan to sing that badly, can you?" Button recalled in an exclusive BBC Sport interview. "In my defence, it is quite difficult singing with a crash helmet on."

Button's outburst of raw emotion may well have turned into cringing regret one year on but the 30-year-old has also been reflecting on a life-changing 12 months.

On Wednesday evening, the McLaren driver invited the British media for a steak dinner and sat dressed in plaid shirt and jeans, chatting amiably about life away from the pit lane.

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Jenson Button reflects on his year since winning the F1 title

Those members of the press pack who have observed him since he arrived in the sport 11 years ago with Williams have seen him shed his erratic, playboy image and mature into a well-liked and responsible world champion.

"You become a lot more confident [as champion]," said Button, who underlined his new priorities by taking part in a Half Ironman triathlon in Miami just a week before the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"I wasn't so confident at making decisions before," he says. "This year I have had more of an opinion and that's important.

"My life has been a lot busier but I'm more relaxed. I'm still hungry but I'm in a position where I have already won the world championship, which is what I set out to do 23 years ago."

Button also led the standings earlier this season, after wins in Australia and China, but since then his title defence has gone backwards.

The Somerset-born driver now faces the prospect of falling out of the running unless he finishes first or second in Brazil and other results also go his way.

I spoke to his father John Button about his son's fading chances at the last race in South Korea, and he answered with a glint in his eye: "At least we've won it."

It is an opinion Button shares with his 'old man', revealing: "Someone said to me in Brazil 'So how does it feel that you possibly could lose the championship here?'"

"I said: 'That is not entirely true. It's possible that I won't be the reigning world champion next year but I'll always be world champion.' I like that.

"All the way through my career I said that I wanted to win the world championship. I never said I want to win it 10 times.

"You don't plan for whatever happens. Of course I want to win it again. Now it is very difficult for me to continue fighting for it but I'm going to come back stronger."

Until a few years ago, the Brazilian race had historically been run in the early part of the season, so Alonso was the first driver to capture the title in Brazil, when he was with Renault in 2005.

The Spaniard is the only driver who can lay claim to the 2010 crown on Sunday.

The double world champion has been in serene mood in the confined chaos of the Interlagos paddock.

When I asked him why he was so relaxed, he looked up and said: "All the cards are on the table.

"We will win the championship or we will lose the championship not because of the effort we put in the car or our abilities. It will be more a fact of destiny or luck."

Alonso is known as a man who makes his own luck, but if he is also looking for the stars to align then Brazil is an apt place to settle a title race.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2010/11/for_the_last_five_years.html

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Video: Button and Hamilton make a surprise visit to the world's greatest garage


First, McLaren Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were left alone to assemble one of their cars. Now, in a new Web video, the teammates wander through the McLaren racing-car collection and get up-close with a major historical milestone : Ayrton Senna's 1988 McLaren MP4/4http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TDJNWev7R1I/AAAAAAAAGb4/AJeWZMwlHJg/s1600/Button+and+Hamilton+make+a+surprise+visit+to+the+world%27s+greatest+garage.jpg


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Canadian GP: Hamilton all set for qualifying as he goes fastest in P3

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June 12 '10

Lewis Hamilton was the fastest driver in his McLaren in the final practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix with his best time of 1m16.058s which was 0.3 of a second faster than the Red Bull of Mark Webber in second position.

As if the track wasn't slippery enough, overnight showers made track conditions even worse at the beginning of the session. Halfway through the session the track became almost dry and Hamilton set his fastest time of the weekend on the super-soft tyres that nobody could match.

According to iTV, "In the middle part of the session Button had briefly traded fastest times with his McLaren team-mate Hamilton, before the younger Briton took command with a 1m16.259s lap at the 40-minute mark.

"Even though it was set on the harder prime tyre, that time remained unbeaten when the field switched to the super-soft options in the closing stages ? except by Hamilton himself, who moved the benchmark to 1m16.058s."

Sebastian Vettel was fifth quickest in the second Red Bull and was on target to improve when Lucas di Grassi spun his Virgin at the Casino hairpin with just a minute left on the clocks and brought out the yellow flags.

Apart from Grassi, there were few others who also had a close shave. Felipe Massa brushed the wall at the exit of turn seven and sparks flew from the front side of his Ferrari with no major damage. Hamilton also brushed the barriers coming out of turn four after setting the quickest time of the session.

Nico Rosberg managed just 4 laps during the dying stages of the practice session as his Mercedes was being tended by the pit crew with a clutch problem. Hispania's Karun Chandhok missed the entire session as his car stopped at the pit exit due to gearbox problem.

Canadian Grand Prix free practice 3 times

1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m 16.058s
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m 16.340s
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 16.495s
4. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 16.536s
5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m 16.582s
6. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault 1m 16.653s
7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m 16.673s
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 16.699s
9. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m 16.814s
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault 1m 16.982s
11. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m 17.121s
12. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 17.231s
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 17.331s
14. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 17.548s
15. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 17.609s
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 17.633s
17 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m 17.789s
18. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 17.979s
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m 19.013s
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m 19.447s
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m 19.536s
22. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m 19.844s
23. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1m 20.325s
24. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth No time



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Spotter's Stand: Twittering NASCAR's Championship Showdown

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A day after the Phoenix race, where Denny Hamlin tossed a water bottle at his car in disgust, Jimmie Johnson beamed as the most confident "underdog" ever and Kevin Harvick vowed his team wasn't done, Twitter on Monday helped to instigate another rise in championship drama.

When three-time Cup champion Darrell Waltrip insisted that Johnson, who is 15 points behind Hamlin second place, is the favorite for Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Harvick and Hamlin sounded off.

"Yea I guess (you're) right.. We shouldn't even show up if we are up against that!" Hamlin tweeted in response.

Harvick, never one to back down, personalized his shot.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/15/spotters-stand-twittering-nascars-championship-showdown/

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Sunday, November 28, 2010

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon Part of Hendrick Crew Chief Swap

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Hendrick Motorsports may have won its fifth-straight championship just last Sunday, but it took only a matter of days for the organization to make some of its biggest changes in years.

"This will improve us as an organization, across the board," team owner Rick Hendrick (right) said Tuesday.

Save for champion Jimmie Johnson, each of the three other drivers in the Hendrick stable will have new crew chiefs for the 2011 season.

Steve Letarte, the crew chief on Jeff Gordon's No. 24 since the end of the 2005 season, will now oversee Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 team. Meanwhile, Gordon will now have Alan Gustafson managing his team in Daytona.

Gustafson leaves the No. 5 team and driver Mark Martin, who will now have Lance McGrew in his ear for the 2011 season. McGrew has spent part of 2009 and all of 2010 as Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/23/earnhardt-gordon-part-of-major-hendrick-crew-chief-swap/

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How To Turn A Child's Room Into A NASCAR Pit

If you have a little NASCAR fan in your home, a great surprise for him or her is to redecorate his or her room in NASCAR items. There is a variety of NASCAR bedding products available for kids of all ages.

If the child you are decorating for is a younger child you can even find toddler size bedding for the sport. Although it may be easier to get at least twin size bedding so your child will not outgrow the room to quickly.

Licensed Nascar bedding coordinates are available in many different styles. If you have a certain driver in mind, chances are there is a bedding set with their name and number on it. You can then match sheets sets, pillows, valances and window coverings and wallpaper border.

If you were thinking about NASCAR in general, you can find that also. The racecars on the bedding make great coordinating room scenes for small children, while the logo bedding is appropriate for older children.

In a small child's room you can get more creative with decorating. Once you have all the NASCAR bedding coordinates you can use some washable paint to paint a racetrack all around the room on the walls. Of course a racetrack wouldn't be complete without cars, so make some car cutouts from sturdy craft foam. These will not harm the walls and the kids can race cars all around the room. If you put some Velcro tabs on the back and a few dots on the track, when the kids are finished driving the cars around the room they can find a spot of Velcro on the track and stick the cars up for later use.

For an older child or teenager there is a great selection of NASCAR Bedding that will show off their favorite sport yet will still look grown up. With the matching NASCAR accessories and coordinates they can have a room where their favorite sport lives on. Wall borders are easy to hang, most using only water and a sponge, yet look as though they were made for the room.

If you have a bathroom in need of a quick makeover you can also get shower curtains, towels, and other bathroom accessories. Painting the bathroom a neutral color then the NASCAR licensed coordinates will add a bit of flair to a previously boring room.

So whether you are an old or new NASCAR fan, you can bring new life to your bedroom or bathroom by adding some NASCAR licensed accessories and coordinates. The prices are no pricier than a traditional bedding set. So go ahead and indulge your child or your self by being the next NASCAR driver if only in your dreams!

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as sports memorabila at http://www.sportscollectiblesandmemorabilia.com

Article Source: How To Turn A Child's Room Into A NASCAR Pit

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/3857/how-to-turn-a-child-s-room-into-a-nascar-pit

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Official F1 2010 game by Codemasters arrives in September

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July 7 '10

"F1 2010" is an upcoming official game of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and will include all of the official 12 teams, 24 drivers and 19 circuits from the 2010 season. It will be released in September 2010 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows platforms. Before the opening race of the South Korean Grand Prix in October, players can drive the new Korean International Circuit!

Some of the features of the game have been revealed in the F1 2010 developer videos (below) by Codemasters Studios.

Tracks and Cars


The new video takes viewers behind the scenes at F1 2010 developers, Codemasters Birmingham, and shows how all of the cars and circuits from the exhilarating 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP? have been painstakingly recreated in the game.

To deliver fans the most authentic FORMULA ONE? experience, CAD (Computer Aided Design) data and extensive reference photography has been used to accurately simulate the 19 circuits that will host the 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. Once tracks are created, former FORMULA ONE driver Anthony Davidson, who is working as Technical Consultant on F1 2010, gives his feedback from a driver?s perspective about the look and feel of each circuit in-game.

?Driving the real world circuits enables me to give that impression to the guys creating the game,? said Davidson. ?There?s all these details that only a driver would know about. For instance, turn eight in Spa; I know straight away any car I have ever driven there always understeers and it?s knowing that kind of detail as a driver that you can get over into the game. The circuits feel really spot on.?
- www.formula1-game.com

Weather


In the video, the wide ranging effects of weather and their impact in the game are revealed. FORMULA ONE test driver Anthony Davidson explains that although you have some information about the weather at your disposal, how you use that information is crucial: ?The teams know by the radar where the weather is coming from and how long it?s going to last. You?ll be aware of what the weather?s doing roughly, and then you can make your call, just like you would in real life.?

In career mode, F1 2010?s weather system is fully dynamic, mirroring real life conditions which change at any time, whether between sessions or during a session itself. The weather authentically reflects the conditions at each of the 19 GRAND PRIX? locations, meaning rain is unlikely at Abu Dhabi but conditions can be unpredictable at Spa and Silverstone. Presenting a further challenge, players can set the weather conditions and experience the dramatic affect they have on racing in GRAND PRIX, Time Trial and Multiplayer modes.
- www.formula1-game.com

Handling


Anthony Davidson, who has been embedded into the team, explains the unique ?twitchy? way in which FORMULA ONE cars handle and how this is translated into authentic gameplay. His experience, combined with real world data and feedback from the teams, drivers and tyre manufacturers is enabling the F1 2010 team to bring alive the sensation of being an F1 racing driver like never before. As in real life, aerodynamics plays a pivotal role in racing, and players will feel how cars can corner at extremely high speed yet perform very differently at lower speeds.
- www.formula1-game.com


Thanks to www.formula1-game.com. Video credit: eurogamer

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NASCAR Tickets - Talladega Brings Crashes, Leaves Seven Fans Wounded

The Talladega Superspeedway is known for its tight track and close races, and last weekend's Aaron's 499 at Talladega proved this to be true once again. Wrecks were the name of the game in Sunday's 'Dega race, as restrictor-plate racing gave way to multiple accidents in yet another intense race at the speedway. Three big accidents took out many of the Cup Series' top contenders, as a 13-car buildup early in the race on Lap 7 would set the tone for the day. A 10-car accident also ensued toward the end of the day with nine laps to go, and finally on the sprint to the finish Carl Edwards made Talladega's grand finale with a fiery crash that sent his car soaring through some fencing against the grandstands, injuring seven fans while sparking an unreleased medical condition with an eighth.

While Talladega's two multi-car pileups were ample cause for riled-up excitement in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (as they took out Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr., Sam Hornish Jr., A.J. Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and several more top-runners,) it is Edwards' crowd-injuring crash that is likely to be remembered from the speedway. In the last lap of the 'Dega race, the battle for first place came down to a four-car struggle between Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr., with Edwards and Keselowski in a locked-in battle that ultimately led to Edwards' disastrous crash.

Keselowski nudged Edwards into first place with one lap to go in yesterday's intense race, but when Keselowski attempted to pass him, Edwards blocked the pass and inevitably caused contact that sent his car in a spiral, landing in a frontstretch fence and just barely missing contact with the grandstands. Debris went flying and ultimately injured seven race fans (though none seriously) becoming cause for evaluation by NASCAR officials to tighten safety features for upcoming races.

Carl Edwards made a statement following the race that while he wasn't pegging the crash on any one driver, he was upset that the accident had such a disastrous result. "I'm glad the car didn't go into the grandstands," he told the media. "I saw some fencing at one point and that made me a little bit nervous. I don't know if I could live with myself if I ended up in the grandstands." About the current rules on restrictor-plate racing at Talladega, Edwards said, "We'll race like this until we kill somebody, then [NASCAR] will change it."

This type of restrictor-plate racing that is in place at 'Dega also applies at Daytona, attempting to limit the high speeds at the two racetracks. Inevitably, this use of restrictor plates leads to a tightly-packed field on the track, and crashes are typically in high numbers at both speedways where they're in place. Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke of this subject following Sunday's Talladega race, saying, "For years, we've had wrecks like this every time we've come to Talladega, ever since the plate got here. And for years it was celebrated. The media celebrated it, the networks celebrated it, calling it 'The Big One,' just trying to attract attention."

If these drivers sound like they're upset about the way things ran at Talladega, perhaps they are. Several drivers were out of luck yesterday following the two massive buildups during the race, and after the damage was done (including for those in the grandstands) reevaluation of the track and race will most likely be in question. Ryan Newman, who snagged a third-place finish at 'Dega, summed things up by saying, "Talladega is short for 'We're going to crash, we just don't know when.' We saw [an airborne car] two times this weekend, so maybe we need to look at things that keep the car down on the ground."

Indeed, some changes are unavoidable concerning safety at the track, but in the meantime the Cup Series will go on. Last weekend, Jeff Gordon lost his first-place standing for the first time since NASCAR season started, as Kurt Busch is now in first place after Talladega, and the excitement is just now getting started. Several more races are still to come this season, and NASCAR tickets are still available online in the meantime!

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 - Talladega Brings Crashes, Leaves Seven Fans Wounded

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/264695/nascar-tickets-talladega-brings-crashes-leaves-seven-fans-wounded

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner

Send in F1 your questions

F1 commentating legend Murray Walker is waiting for your questions following the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

A Red Bull one-two, with Sebastian Vettel leading team-mate Mark Webber home, means the drivers' title race goes right down to the wire in next Sunday's final Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Should Vettel step aside if Webber has a better chance of preventing championship leader Fernando Alonso from claiming his third drivers' crown?

And how big an achievement is Red Bull's first-ever constructors' crown, which was secured by their success in Brazil?

Pose your questions by logging in to post a comment beneath this entry.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2010/11/send_in_f1_your_questions.html

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Turkish GP: Hamilton gains victory by Red Bull collision

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May 30 '10

Lewis Hamilton won today's Turkish Grand Prix with a bit of a luck from the collision of the Red Bull mates, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton's first win of the season. His team mate Jenson Button finished second and Mark Webber who was leading the race before the incident, finished third.

The McLaren duo of Hamilton and Button, who were running first and second after the incident between the Red Bull drivers, were racing against each other despite warnings from their crew about ?critical? fuel shortages.

According to F1Fanatic, The McLaren drivers could scarcely believe their fortune but Button, now up to second, fancied his chances of a third win. He drew alongside his team mate on the outside of turn 12 and scrambled past.

That left Button on the outside of the last corner and Hamilton used his momentum to get back alongside. The pair touched wheels as they dived into turn one side-by-side and Hamilton seized the lead back."

Details of the race below, thanks to the Formula 1 broadcaster and journalist, James Allen's tweets.

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Video of the incident between Webber and Vettel



According to iTV, "Winning this race would be about seizing the precious moment. Vettel felt his had come when he got a run on Webber exiting ?Faux Rouge?, the right-hand kink in the back straight.

It was a squeeze but he got alongside and had the inside line for turn 12. He was slightly ahead too, and clearly felt he had earned the right to drift over for a slightly less compromised line.

Webber didn?t see it that way. Perhaps hoping to pinch his team-mate in order to get a run on him through the second part or even the exit of the left-right-left combination, he held his line.

The Red Bulls touched and Vettel spun down the road, almost collecting Webber in the run-off area before marching away from his wreck while giving the universally accepted hand signal for ?crazy?."

Michael Schumacher finished a strong fourth in his Mercedes ahead of his team mate Nico Rosberg in fifth. Kamui Kobayashi scored his first points of the season and also his team's. Both the Saubers finished the race for the first time this season.

Hamilton?s first win of the season moves him up to third place in the driver's standings (84 pts), Webber retains the lead (93 pts). Button moves to second (88 pts). Vettel, who jointly led the championship heading into this race, falls to fifth (78 pts). McLaren lead the constructor's championship, ahead of Red Bull and Ferrari.

Turkish Grand Prix Race times

1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 58 laps 1hr 28m 47.620s
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes +00m 02.6s
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault +00m 24.2s
4. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes +00m 31.1s
5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes +00m 32.2s
6. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault +00m 32.8s
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 36.6s
8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 46.5s
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes +00m 49.0s
10. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari +01m 05.6s

11. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari +01m 05.9s
12. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari +01m 07.8s
13. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth +1 lap
15. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault +1 lap
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
17. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth +1 lap
18. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth +3 laps
19 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth +3 laps
20. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth +6 laps

Rtd Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 46 laps completed
Rtd Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 39 laps completed
Rtd Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 33 laps completed
Rtd Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 32 laps completed


Fastest lap:

Vitaly Petrov Renault -Renault 1m 29.165s lap 57



Images (C) Daylife, F1Fanatic

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