Kernich Out Front in NiCBS

A crowded field of contenders is racing for 2013 S2 Class B Series honors.

The NASCAR iRacing.com Class B Series has enjoyed a variety of tracks over the last several weeks including stops at Iowa Speedway along with races at the fast Michigan International Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in the Lone Star state.  With Iowa the second short track of the season, teams and drivers looked to survive the tight confines of the .875 mile short track.

Armando Vargas walked away from the corn fields of Iowa sitting atop the week standings after collecting the victory in the Strength of Field event for the week.  Vargas bested Ian Hann to collect the victory and collect 300 championship points for the week.  Andrew Shirley was third for the week with 270 points.  Brett Nesbitt and Ryan Manning rounded-out the top five for the sixth week of the season.

Anthony Kernich led the overall NiCBS standings following the events at Iowa with 1,357 points, 98 more than second placed Brandon Buie2.  Following his victory at Iowa, Vargas was third, 292 points out of the championship lead with Alex Scribner and Jeff Dukehart fourth and fifth, respectively.

The NiCBS made its second short track appearance of the season at Iowa.

Michigan International Speedway was up next for the NiCBS as they moved east and to one of the fastest tracks on the circuit.  MIS would prove to be a test of focus as sim-racers raced side-by-side and nose-to-tail for a majority of the race.

The Strength of Field event at Michigan went to NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship driver, Chad J Laughton.  Laughton led 31 laps in route to his victory and collected 317 points for the week.  Tom Moustakas came home second and earned 303 points for the week, while Vargas continues his strong form by collecting 289 points, good for third in the MIS week.  Richard Dusett, another NiSWC driver, finished fourth for the week ahead of Buie2.

Following Michigan, Kernich maintained a 96 point lead over Buie2 with  Vargas closing to within 264 points of the championship lead and Scribner and Dukehart ensconced in fourth and fifth.

NiCBS + MIS = lap-after-lap of side-by-side, nose-to-tail competition.

High banked, high speed Texas Motor Speedway was on tap for Week Eight as the series made its second visit to a mile and a half track of the season.  Vargas picked up the win in the TMS Strength of Field event, collecting 277 points for his efforts.  Brad Patton closed the week in second with 255 points, ten more than Buie2 who took third overall at Texas.  Chad Pruitt and championship contender, Anthony Kernich rounded out the top five as teams headed to the Bluegrass state.

Kentucky Speedway has been a challenge to drivers and teams since its arrival in the services a few seasons ago.  Although it may look like “just another” 1.5 mile oval, drivers and teams have typically had to battle a track that is unlike most cookie cutter tracks on the schedule.

NiSWC ace Michael Conti picked-up the win in the Strength of Field event on Friday night, Conti leading 49 laps in route to his victory and  308 point payday.  Fellow NiSWC competitor Danny Hansen, finished second to Conti and collected 293 points.  Kernich earned 278 points during the Kentucky week, with Buie2 and Moustakas rounding out the top five.

Following the week at Kentucky, Kernich continues to lead the overall season standings with a 49 point advantage over Buie2 as the NiCBS heads to Daytona International Speedway.  Vargas has closed the gap to the top two and sits 191 points out of the lead with Scribner and Zach A. Hudson occupying P4 and P5 heading the Big D.

Shawn W Brown made the most starts at Kentucky, taking the green flag eight times.  Brown also collected six top five finishes to lead the series in that regard while Stephanie Lessentine topped the series in poles for the week with two.

Brandon Buie set fast time for the Kentucky week with a lap of 30.934 seconds, with Tom Moustakas second at 30.952s.  Buie2 was third for the week, followed by Lee Herron and Kernich the top five.

Week 10 of the NASCAR iRacing.com Class B Series heads to Daytona International Speedway for Week 10 of the season.  Will the championship leads stumble at the restrictor plate track?  Can anyone catch Kernich and Buie2 for the overall points lead?  Find out next week on inRacingNews.com!

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/kernich-out-front-in-nicbs

Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

FIA allows in-season testing over tire trouble

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/07/01/3002502/ecclestone-pirelli-to-have-2-3.html

Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler

Sébastien Loeb and Peugeot Shatter Record at Pikes Peak

It reads best in French: Sébastien Loeb et la 208 T16 Pikes Peak atomisent le record de Pikes Peak! We’ll even grant the team an exclamation point, they’ve earned it. The gist of that reads Loeb atomized the Pikes Peak record, and it’d be hard to argue against such wording. Loeb and his gorgeous 208 T16 Pikes Peak turned in a time of 8 minutes, 13.878 seconds. That’s 92.286 seconds faster than the previous record set by Rhys Millen last year. (Millen recorded a run of 9 minutes, 2.192 this year, still some 49 seconds off Loeb’s pace.) Oh, and did we mention that Peugeot’s own estimates were that a theoretical ideal run couldn’t be done any quicker than 8 minutes, 15 seconds? Yeah.

Loeb’s run capped off Peugeot’s return to Pikes Peak 25 years after then-world-rally-champ Ari Vatanen set a then-mountain-record of 10 minutes, 47.22 seconds in a 405 T16 Pikes Peak. While Loeb lopped off some two-and-a-half minutes in the French marque’s quarter-century absence, we should point out that quite a lot has changed on the twisty climb in that time. Most notably, the 12.4-mile, 156-turn route that runs up to 14,110 feet now is fully paved.

Nine-time world rally champion Loeb admitted to being a bit apprehensive before the start in the 875-hp, all-wheel-drive, tube-frame Peugeot. His Unlimited class had to wait for the motorcycles to run and there seemed to be some cloud build-up at the top of the mountain—weather can turn on a dime at Pikes Peak. It didn’t and Loeb was off, admitting afterward that, “Before the start I didn’t really know if I should push absolutely to the maximum or if I should just push to a comfortable pace, in order to make sure of the victory. In the end, I decided to push to the limit.” To the limit, indeed.

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Millen did finish second in his Hyundai RMR PM580-T, with nothing but praise for Loeb and Peugeot’s efforts, saying, “You have to hand it to Loeb and Peugeot Sport, they were unbeatable. That time they set was simply incredible. When will it be beaten? It might never be.” Or, at the rate Pikes Peak records are being broken these days, just wait until next year.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/7ZG_AFqBqcA/

Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

LeMons Button-Turrible Day 1: Model T, Harlequin Golf and Lone Ford Ranger Leading Classes

The first day of racing in Buttonwillow has been predictable, at least in terms of the weather. Yesterday we discussed at some length the temps at the track being on par with those on the surface of the sun. Much of the field could be seen throughout the day staring at the steaming lump that used to be their engine. The top of the leaderboard also doesn’t offer much of a surprise, with most of the lead positions being held by the Usual Suspects of west coast races.

The Model T-GT, fresh off a win in Texas,  a race which the team drove its race car to, is leading the overall standings, but only by a few laps. Hot on its heels is the multi-race winning BMW 525i of Punk GP. Just two laps behind them is another multiple victor, “The most Interesting Car in the World” of Cerveza Racing. It should be mentioned that Cerveza’s E28 model BMW 533i holds the fast lap of the weekend by several seconds. But wait! Don’t go engraving the trophies just yet; there are 17 cars within 10 laps of 1st overall with another day of racing still to come.

We’re happy to report that “Bort” is among the top ten, holding onto 7th despite losing a gear in their transmission towards the end of the day. The Springfield residents are frantically swapping in a new unit over night.

The ’95 Volkswagen Golf of Team Harlequin is also one of the leading cars, currently sitting at 10th overall and leading Class B. There’s a real brawl going on in the middle class of LeMons, and the always fast but rarely reliable Camaro from IWannaRoc is only a lap behind the colorful VW. One lap behind the Chevy is the mind-boggingly fast Kia Rio, aka the “Kia Pet,” from As Seen on TV Racing. Yes, you read that correctly, a Kia Rio.

The Class C contest is also shaping up to be an exciting one, currently led by a very well-themed Ford Ranger. The truck is sitting at 42nd overall and the team has done a great job of maximizing track time and avoiding black flags. Hot on the Lone Ranger’s heels is the ’79 Buick Skyhawk from Team Planned Obsolescence  it’s on the same lap as the little Ford pickup, and turning faster laps.

Although it will be a great battle between those two Class C cars, the wild-eyed lunatics from Bozos Sucko Racing and their Subaru powered, dual-control Super Beetle are in hot pursuit  Their Frankenstein monster has yet to complete a race, but the team and the drivers are highly organized and focused—they just need a little luck.

Another cobbled-together car that shouldn’t work but seems to be holding up is the “Saanda,” a Honda 600 with a Saab turbo motor stuffed amidship driving huge rear tires. How can you not love a car like this? In any event, they’re putting down some blistering lap times and are currently holding 38th overall. Though not in contention for a class victory, this car makes us grin every time we see it.

On the flip side of that coin is a motor-swapped perpetual project that isn’t working so well. We’re talking about the bio-diesel–powered Vette, aka the “Corvegge.” In the 7 laps the car’s strung together, the fastest time around the track is more than double that of the next slowest car on track. Tune in tomorrow for the full results and winners of the other categories . . . assuming our cameras don’t overheat like they did today (seriously).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/DDd23Q5rjT4/

Olivier Gendebien Marc Gené Elmer George Bob Gerard

2013 Michigan International Speedway June NASCAR & ARCA Series Weekend Track Event Schedule

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY 2013
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES / ARCA RACING SERIES presented by MENARDS
EVENT SCHEDULE

Quicken Loans 400 Logo
Thursday, June 13TH  7:00 AM            ARCA REGISTRATION OPEN  7:30 AM            ARCA REMAINING HAULERS ENTER  8:00 AM            ARCA GARAGE OPENS  11:00 AM           TRACK SERVICES MEETING                     (CONFERENCE ROOM) 11:00 AM 12:50 PM  BROADCASTING SET- UP 11:30 AM           ARCA ROOKIE MEETING  12:00 PM           NNS HAULERS ENTER  12:00 PM           ARCA DRIVER & SPOTTER MEETINGS                     & DRAWING FOR QUALIFYING ORDER  1:05 PM 3:30 PM    ARCA PRACTICE  4:00 PM            ARCA REGISTRATION CLOSES  5:00 PM            ARCA GARAGE CLOSES  6:00 PM            NSCS HAULERS ENTER  Friday, June 14TH  6:00 AM            NNS & NSCS REGISTRATION OPENS 6:30 AM            NNS & NSCS GARAGE OPENS 7:00 AM            ARCA GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS  8:30 AM 9:30 AM    Michigan International Speedway Pace Car Rides  8:30 AM            TRACK SERVICES MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 10:00 AM           ARCA QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS) IMPOUND  10:30 AM           NSCS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & DRAWING FOR QUALIFYING ORDER 11:00 AM           NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 11:30 AM 1:00 PM   NSCS PRACTICE 12:10 PM           NNS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING  1:10 PM 3:25 PM    NNS FINAL PRACTICE  3:00 PM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 3:00 PM            ARCA DRIVER / CREW CHIEF/ SPOTTER MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM)  3:35 PM            NSCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)  4:00 PM 5:00 PM    NNS Autograph Session  5:00 PM            ARCA DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS  5:00 PM            NNS & NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES 5:15 PM            ARCA RACE (100 LAPS, 200 MILES)  5:30 PM            NNS GARAGE CLOSES  6:00 PM            NSCS GARAGE CLOSES  Saturday, June 15TH  7:30 AM            NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS  8:00 AM            TRACK SERVICES MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 8:00 AM 9:00 AM    Michigan International Speedway – Pace Car Rides  8:00 AM            NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS 9:00 AM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 9:30 AM 10:25 AM   NSCS PRACTICE 10:35 AM           NNS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)  11:00 AM 12:30 PM  NNS Minors Admitted into NASCAR Garage Area*  12:00 PM 12:30 PM  TV EXHIBITION RUN  12:00 PM           NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 12:15 PM           NNS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING – (CONFERENCE ROOM)  12:15 PM           TRACK SERVICES MEETING – PIT ROAD 12:30 PM 1:30 PM   NSCS FINAL PRACTICE 1:45 PM            NNS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS-SECURITY –CLEAR PIT ROAD 2:15 PM            NNS RACE (125 LAPS, 250 MILES)  2:45 PM            NNS REGISTRATION CLOSES  4:00 PM            NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES  Sunday, June 16TH 7:00 AM            NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS 7:00 AM 11:30 AM   NSCS Minors Admitted into NASCAR Garage Area*  7:40 AM 8:40 AM    NASCAR Pace Car Rides  8:00 AM 9:00 AM    Michigan International Speedway – Pace Car Rides  9:45 AM            TRACK SERVICES MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 11:00 AM           NSCS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 12:00 PM           NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** UNTIL ONE HOUR AFTER RACE 12:30 PM           NSCS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS-SECURITY – CLEAR PIT ROAD 1:00 PM            NSCS RACE (200 LAPS, 400 MILES) 1:30 PM            NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES                    *With Proper Credentials

ALL TIMES ARE LISTED IN EASTERN
TENTATIVE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE

The article 2013 Michigan International Speedway June NASCAR & ARCA Series Weekend Track Event Schedule is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/arca/06/10/2013-michigan-international-speedway-june-nascar-arca-series-weekend-track-event-schedul/

François Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill Graham Hill

Alfalla, Harrison Make Hay in the Bluegrass State

The NASCAR iRacing Series competitors were flying at Kentucky. Here Lance Gomez Jr gets a little “high” out of Turn Two.

Last week the NASCAR iRacing Series rolled into the Bluegrass State and Kentucky Speedway for Week 15 of the series. Kentucky Speedway is the newest track on the NASCAR schedule, having first held a NASCAR Sprint Cup series race in 2011. NASCAR iRacing Series leader Tyler D Hudson came in to the week with an 898 point advantage over second place Landon Harrison following Week 14 at Sonoma Raceway.

Thursday night marked the first online race of the week, with Jeremy Lukaszka earning week’s first pole and Lance Gomez Jr starting on the outside front row when the green flag flew. Third starting Brandon Atkinson wasted little time getting to the front and took the lead on Lap Seven.

The yellow flew on Lap 10 and the field filed down pit road for the first stops. EJ ORourke won the fight off pit road and led the field to the restart on Lap 14.  Brad Davies soon found his way into the clean air on Lap 18 and never looked back, leading almost all the laps from that point before the race ended under the 13th yellow of the event.

Davies led a total of 99 of 133 laps to best Brandon Buie while Kyle McCormick, who is sitting in third in points, came home in the third spot.  Matt Bussa led seven laps on the way to fourth with pole-sitter Lukaszka rounding-out the top five.  Harrison brought his Gen6 car home seventh, trimming Hudson’s series points lead to 654.

Davies leads the final restart en route to victory at Kentucky.

Saturday was an action-packed day of online racing in the virtual Blue Grass state with two 133 lap races. Early Saturday morning, oval sim-racers outside of the U.S. hit the track with Jeroen Anema starting from the pole and Jake Goodwin on the outside front row.

Anema led 31 of the 133 laps only to find out he did not have the fastest car when it counted.  Jordan Werth was the class of the field, leading 81 laps — including the most important one – to take the checkered flag.  William Green and Goodwin up picked up second and third with Goodwin leading five laps, while Anema and Chris E Pence grabbed fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

Saturday afternoon it was time for race three. Nicholas Goertzen and Jonathan Holz found themselves sitting on the front row of field that included NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship drivers Robert Hall and Ray Alfalla, who started from third and 21st respectively.

At the green flag flew Goertzen showed it was not a fluke he got the pole, leading the first 28 laps before Hall took the lead with Alfalla breaking into the top five at the same time.  Nine laps later Alfalla took the lead for keeps, outlasting eight yellows and following the pace car to the win, as the race ended under yellow for the second time of the week.

The race looked good for the first 80 laps as there was only one yellow but things quickly deteriorated in the latter third of the event. Goertzen finished runner-up with Bob Bryant coming home P3.  Hall led 17 laps on the way to fourth place while Brian Day battled his way to fifth after starting f22nd.

With his sixth win of the season, Alfalla got back into the top five in the series standings. Following the race I caught up with Alfalla for a little Q and A about his win.

“It got quite difficult to pass the front runners . . . as expected.” — Ray Alfalla

Q: After coming in to the room and you saw where you were starting what kind of plan did you make for yourself?
A: Get to the front as fast as possible, haha.

Q: 37 laps in, you made your way to 5th.  How did you feel about your chances to win at that point in the race?
A: I felt pretty good about it, but it got quite difficult to pass the front runners . . . as expected.

Q: The last 50 or so laps in the race you spent a lot of time under yellow. How did that affect your mind as a driver knowing you had a winning car?
A: Back-to-back yellows are very frustrating, since you lose all rhythm.  Luckily I had a few friends on TeamSpeak that made the cautions entertaining.

Q: What do you take from a good race like this that can help you in the next races you have coming up?
A: I felt like the NiSWC race was a bit of a struggle for me, even though I got third.  The NiS races are great practice and serve as confidence boosters.

Q:  Who makes it happen for you week in and week out?
A:   Progeek Consulting, iRacing Brasil, Garry Mercer Trucking, disabledracers.com, iHolder, Tim’s Corner, Hick ‘n’ Jick’s, and JDR Graphics.  I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by the great people at Drill Aisle and JScho Motorsports, or as we like to call it, Drill Scho.

Sunday was the final day of NASCAR iRacing Series competition in the Bluegrass State. Chad Pruitt and RJ Williams led the field to the green with Alfalla starting 17th this time.  After week of yellows the field had to deal with some early cautions, the first coming on Lap 10 and a big one coming on Lap 26 that had saw race leader Gomez Jr fly through the air down the backstretch.

Alfalla was a two-time winner at Kentucky.

Alfalla took the lead for the second time on Lap 38 after Gomez Jr beat him off of pit road on the first round of stops on Lap 16.  Alfalla lost the lead when he made a green flag stop on Lap 92, but regained the point twenty laps later when he passed Michael Conti and went on to pick-up his second win in a row.  Conti and Danny Hansen come home second and third with Byron Daley and Alan J Elwood grabbing fourth and fifth.

Overall, Harrison gained considerable ground on the absent Hudson as the NASCAR iRacing Series moves on to Daytona for Week 16.  Drivers will have to do there best to stay out of the big one for 80 laps of drafting. Also keep an eye out for my weekly tune up where I will be doing a Q and A with NASCAR iRacing Series vet Harrison Widelitz along with a history lesson about the Daytona International Speedway.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/alfalla-harrison-make-hay-in-the-bluegrass-state

Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings

Fifth better than a victory for Lorenzo

Jorge Lorenzo said his ride to fifth place at Assen just two days after breaking his collarbone was more satisfying than any of his MotoGP wins.

The reigning champion came from 12th on the grid to achieve the remarkable result despite undergoing surgery in Barcelona to fix the injury in the early hours of Friday morning.

“It would have been impossible to believe some minutes after my crash that this could happen,” said Lorenzo, who ran as high as fourth in the race.

“We were brave to make the operation the same day, if I had waited to Friday the doctors would not have let me race.

“We made the race today and I was very brave in the first laps because passing the riders with a collarbone like this under braking was really hard.

“I felt quite good physically at the beginning of the race but after lap seven every lap was worse; it was more difficult to change direction, to brake and to accelerate so I couldn’t do more than fifth position.

“This fifth position is better than any victory I have had in my career.”

With his title rival Dani Pedrosa only managing fourth, Lorenzo’s championship bid sustained minimal damage.

He warned that despite his amazing ride in the Netherlands, he would still be recovering when the series resumes in Germany in a fortnight.

“I hope to have a good recovery for Germany, I will not be 100 per cent but I hope to be better than here,” said Lorenzo.

“Let’s see what happens in Sachsenring as last year we had some issues and the Hondas were strong but I think if I can improve my physical condition I can be more competitive than this race.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/fifth-better-than-a-victory-for-lorenzo

Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa

Sauber plays down loss of Morris

Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn insists the loss of former chief designer Matt Morris is not a major setback to the team.

It emerged at Silverstone that Morris had informed Sauber of his intention to move to McLaren, where he will take up the role of engineering director.

Morris, who has yet to leave Sauber officially, has been replaced as chief designer by the promoted Eric Gandelin today.

“It’s just part of the natural movement that happens in the paddock,” Kaltenborn told AUTOSPORT.

“People decide to change teams and we have a replacement who I am very confident is the right person to take up this job and the challenges.

“In our business, you never have much warning [of such a move] and that is part of it.

“You have to be able to react very quickly and we have resolved it.”

Kaltenborn expects the handover from Morris to Gandelin to be largely seamless.

Gandelin, who worked for the Prost team before moving to Sauber when the French squad folded, has been integral in the car concept.

“He has been our head of concept for quite a while and has been very closely linked with the design office.

“The timing is not bad for Eric to step in because he did the concept and he can carry that straight through to design now.”

McLaren and Sauber have yet to formalise the timing of Morris’s switch.

But Kaltenborn expects this problem to be solved soon, which should lead to Morris starting at McLaren this year.

“I think we will have it resolved very quickly,” she said.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/sauber-plays-down-loss-of-morris

Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James

Britain race quotes: Lotus

Kimi Raikkonen – 5th: “I tried to hold on at the end of the race, but with tyres that were maybe twenty laps older than the others’ it was impossible to keep them behind. It’s a shame as the race went pretty well until then; we had good pace and looked set for a pretty easy P2, but this is racing sometimes. It’s three races now where we haven’t had the result we maybe expect, but hopefully if we can have a bit more luck and also get rid of some of the mistakes we’ll be able to get back to the front.”

Romain Grosjean – 19th: “Towards the end of the race we lost quite a big part of the front wing meaning it became really difficult to drive, so in the end it was best to retire because of safety considerations. We don’t know if it was caused by some debris or something to do with the fact that it was a new part; we will be working to find out the root of the problem. Before that my race wasn’t going quite to plan and we were suffering with tyre performance. This was related to the front wing issue which started earlier in the race. The safety cars didn’t really go our way either so it’s a race I’d rather forget. Let’s go to Germany and have a better weekend.”

Eric Boullier, Team Principal: “The outcome of the race isn’t rewarding with the amount of work that has been done by the team recently. Most of the upgrades we brought here seem to be working which is a positive sign, although we did struggle a bit in qualifying to generate good grip from the tyres. Our strategy was great today until the last safety car when we should have called Kimi in to save at least one position and make the podium. Unfortunately, we made the wrong call for which we apologise to Kimi and to the team. This sometimes happens and it isn’t easy to manage when you have so many safety car periods. We will be in Germany in a few days’ time where we’re confident we will be competitive and aiming to make amends.”

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “We have mixed feelings today. We made some good places up during the race but in hindsight, we should have pitted Kimi at the final safety car. It wasn’t obvious at the time, but the benefit of hindsight is always enlightening. Romain had a front wing failure near the end of the race, the cause of which we don’t know yet. We weren’t affected by the tyres issues that we have seen today but warned our drivers to stay clear of the kerb at Turn 4 as there was a suspicion it might be the cause. Despite not being as good as it could have been, it was a better weekend for us than the last two. Further upgrades we have coming for Germany mean we fight on.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/britain-race-quotes-lotus

Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje

Hamilton says tyre issues unacceptable

Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez declared Pirelli’s British Grand Prix tyre problems as “unacceptable”.

The pair were among four drivers to have dramatic tyre blow-outs during the Silverstone race, with Hamilton’s coming while his Mercedes was leading on lap seven.

Several other drivers reported tyre troubles during the event.

“The safety is the biggest issue,” said Hamilton. “It’s just unacceptable.

“We had that tyre test to develop and improve the tyres to stop that from happening and after that tyre test they didn’t do anything.

“Someone could’ve crashed. I was thinking behind the safety car that it’s only when someone gets hurt that something will be done about it.”

McLaren driver Perez echoed Hamilton’s forthright comments.

“This is unacceptable, we are risking our lives and we shouldn’t wait until something happens to all of us,” he said.

“If it happens at 250km/h it will be a big shame so Pirelli has some work to do.”

When asked if he would talk to Pirelli or the FIA about the events of Silverstone, Hamilton said any such conversations would be pointless.

“I think it’s a waste of time talking to any of them at the moment,” he said.

“They can see what happened today. They have to react to it.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/hamilton-says-tyre-issues-unacceptable

Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner

HAYDEN INJURED IN TRAINING ACCIDENT

DUCATI
HAYDEN INJURED IN TRAINING ACCIDENT
Thursday Dec 29 2011

Nicky Hayden's winter vacation was marred on Tuesday, December 27, when he broke his left scapula and fractured two ribs while training near his home in Owensboro, Kentucky. Hayden was training at a private indoor flat track facility, riding a motorcycle for the first time since breaking his scaphoid at the Valencia Grand Prix on November 6. He underwent an X-ray and CAT scan on the same day he was injured, and he has since undergone an MRI. At the moment, there are no plans for surgery, but Hayden will have the scapula reassessed next week by Dr. Arthur Ting in Fremont, California, to see how his fracture is progressing. According to the healing process, the next few weeks will determine whether Hayden will take part in the first winter test session of 2012, which will begin on January 31 in Sepang, Malaysia.

"Obviously, injuries are never good," Hayden said, "but it's part of motorcycle racing. Just like at Valencia, it was kind of a freak accident. I was starting to train again, like I normally do during the winter, at a private track near my house. I came up behind another rider, and he went to move out of the way. I wasn't going that fast, but he clipped my front wheel and I went down and landed pretty hard on my left shoulder, and that was it. It's disappointing, but there's nothing to do about it but heal quickly. Anyway, this doesn't change my expectations for 2012 which, fortunately, is just around the corner."

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/12/hayden_injured_in_trainin.php

Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones

Shaq’ed Up: Can Shaquille O’Neal Even Fit in a Buick LaCrosse? We Find Out

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only 5 percent of  American adult men are taller than six feet two. Shaquille O’Neal towers seven feet one inch, wears size-23 shoes, and had listed his weight at 325 pounds during his playing days. That’s a lot of retired NBA center to shove behind the wheel of a Buick LaCrosse for a pair (one is shown below) of commercials.

Don Shreves, GM’s global total vehicle integration engineer, explains just how far outside the usual scope Shaq lies. “Our minimum goal is to accommodate 90 percent of the population. In the U.S., that [starts with] a female who is approximately four-foot-ten. She’s smaller than all but 5 percent of  the female population.” From there, he says, the typical focus ends with a 95th-percentile male—which Shaq exceeds by more than 11 inches.

Judging from the YouTube commentary on the LaCrosse commercials, we weren’t the only ones who had a hard time believing Shaq could actually fit in the car. But finding a suitable faux Shaq to test the LaCrosse’s accommodations wasn’t easy. The tallest actor listed with Central Casting in Los Angeles, for instance, tops out at only six feet ten inches. Through the Tip Toppers Club of Detroit, a social organization for the abnormally lofty, we found Kris Thomas. He’s not a Topper himself, but at seven feet even, he’s taller than every member in the club.

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• First Drive Review: 2014 Buick LaCrosse
• Comparison Test: Buick LaCrosse vs. Ford Taurus, Hyundai Genesis, Lexus ES350
• Feature Test: 2012 Buick LaCrosse vs. La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Dressed in a Shaq-spec sweater vest, the 320-pound Thomas backed into the LaCrosse with the driver’s seat in its rearmost position and the backrest reclined about 30 degrees. Ducking under the roof, he planted his butt in the seat and swung his legs beneath the steering wheel. And damn it, he fit. Sure, his knees were knocking up against the wheel, but he tells us that’s a common problem. Buick lists the front head- and legroom of the LaCrosse at 38.0 and 41.7 inches, respectively, on par with other mid-size luxury sedans that feel far less airy. That discrepancy owes to the malleable SAE procedures by which interior measurements are derived. They leave room for interpretation, meaning that results from one manufacturer to another—indeed, results within the same automaker’s lineup—don’t always compare directly.

For his part, while Shreves can’t design cars specifically for the unusually tall or small, he’s always happy to be able to accommodate outliers. “After all,” he says, “add them together, and the top 5 percent and bottom 5 percent make 10 percent of the market.” You might even call that—ahem—a big opportunity.

emerson bigguns

The population of seven-footers is infinitesimal. In 2011, Sports Illustrated estimated that there are fewer than 70 men between the ages of 20 and 40 in the United States who stand seven feet or taller. A shocking 17 percent of them play in the NBA.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/_Qk880k2CI0/

Brian Gubby André Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero

Resilient Mears Powers Back with 22nd-Place Finish at Pocono

Casey Mears, driver of the #13 GEICO Ford, stands in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on June 1, 2013 in Dover, Delaware. - Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Long Pond, PA (June 9, 2013) – After a few tough weeks, Casey Mears and his Germain Racing counterparts rallied in Dover to right the course when they recorded a 16^th place finish at one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks.  While Dover saw them battle the Monster Mile, this week in Pocono would find them nose-to-nose with Mother Nature.

All track activities, including qualifying, were washed out on Friday, resulting in the starting field being set according to Owner Points.  Mears and his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion would roll off 27^th in Sunday’s Party in the Poconos 400.  On Saturday, Mears and crew chief Bootie Barker were featured on SPEED’s Trackside Live where laughter prevailed when they participated in a fun version of the ‘Newlywed Game’.  Barker triumphed, scoring three points to Mears’ two.

When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series arrived at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, the inclement weather had cleared and bright sunshine and blue skies overlooked a full house.  Mears started from the 27^th position, but quickly began having handling issues and dropped to 29^th.  He made a scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 28, but lap 30 heard Mears on the team’s radio frequency: “This thing won’t turn at all.  It’s really tight into turn one.”  Regardless, he still managed to navigate the GEICO Ford through the field and arrive in 18^th before making a second scheduled green flag stop on lap 56.  He received a minor scare when on lap 93 he began to experience a heavy vibration, but it seemed to dissipate.  The Germain pit crew made favorable changes during each visit to pit road, allowing Mears and his Gecko adorned racecar to keep making progress.

A debris caution on lap 126 would change the trajectory of Mears’ race.  Crew chief Bootie Barker ordered him to stay out rather than pitting and to take the wave-around in order to rejoin the lead lap.  He then informed Mears that he would need to pit immediately after taking the green, a daring call that could pay dividends if another yellow flag waved quickly.  Mears complied and restarted 29^th when the race went back to green on lap 129.  The next time around, the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion hit pit road for two right-side tires and fuel, leaving Mears at the tail end of the lead lap.  Now all they needed was a quick caution and Barker’s strategy would pay off.  Almost on cue, Juan Pablo Montoya got loose underneath Matt Kenseth in the tunnel turn on lap 134, sending them both into a spin that brought out a much needed caution flag for the Germain Racing team.  Barker’s bold move paid off and the GEICO team was now solidly on the lead lap and back in the hunt.

Mears was eyeing the top 20 when Barker radioed to him on lap 139, “Good job, man.  You get faster and faster every lap.”  Mears and his GEICO Ford continued to hustle and when the checkered flag brought a close to 160 laps and 400 miles of racing, he posted a 22^nd place finish.  Pocono is Germain Racing’s eighth top 25 finish of the 2013 season.

“We struggled a little bit today, but kept working hard and eventually got fast there at the end, when it mattered.  This is the first time we’ve raced Pocono together as a team because we’ve had to start and park it the last two years.” Mears said.  “This was a good day for us here and something to build on.  We’re thankful for GEICO’s support because we can now run all the races.  We’ve had two solid weeks and that’s what we needed to get things back on the right path.  I’m proud of everyone on this Germain team and look forward to Michigan next week.  Michigan International Speedway is just down the road from Ford’s corporate office, so we’re hoping to put on a good show for them.”

Mears and his GEICO team will next travel to the Irish Hills of Michigan for race number fifteen of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Casey Mears and the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will hit the track at Michigan International Speedway for the opening practice session on Friday, June 14^th, at11:30 AM (EDT).  Qualifying will follow at 3:35 PM (EDT).

The Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, June 16^th, and it will be televised live on TNT beginning at 1:00 PM (EDT).  The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Please visit the Casey Mears Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/caseymearsracing

Source: Player Management International, Inc., for GEICO Racing

The article Resilient Mears Powers Back with 22nd-Place Finish at Pocono is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/06/10/resilient-mears-powers-back-with-22nd-place-finish-at-pocono/

Maurício Gugelmin Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood

2013 NASCAR Cup Series Kentucky Starting Lineup – Dale Earnhardt Jr. On Pole

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/06/28/2013-nascar-cup-series-kentucky-starting-lineup-dale-earnhardt-jr-on-pole/

Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller

The Livable Streets Leader You’ve Never Heard Of: Leicester, England

In Leicester, England, the city redesigned an intersection and DeMontfort University built a more pedestrian-friendly building, improving access to a Medieval fortress structure and bringing pedestrian crossings to the surface. Photos courtesy Andy Salkeld.

Leicester is a city of about 330,000 in England’s East Midlands region. Like many other cities, it developed big mid-century plans to drive highways through its city center and paved over much of its historic core. In some cases, it even paved over its history: the bones of King Richard III, killed in battle nearby, were recently discovered beneath a parking lot. In the past decade, however, Leicester has unearthed more than just a king; it’s also reclaimed space from the automobile and become a model for other cities looking to create more livable communities.

On Monday, Leicester’s bicycle coordinator, Andy Salekeld, spoke at a fundraiser for Recycle-A-Bicycle and discussed the changes underway in his city.

In order to start shaping a new future for cities, Salkeld said, we have to start thinking of automobile dominance as an era in history. “We need to start talking about it as the past,” he said, showing a slide of a mid-century gas station in Leicester that’s received historic designation. “I take people on bike rides to see this,” he said.

Beginning in 2008, Leicester pedestrianized some of its busiest downtown shopping streets. Salkeld said the city has seen a net increase in the number of people coming to the area, boosting the fortunes of merchants during an economic downturn. The city has had to work closely with advocates for the disabled, who are often worried that their needs will not be met in a “shared space” street, Salkeld said. The pedestrian streets program is expanding, using trials to test a concept before etching it in stone — a tactic that Salkeld says they’ve learned from New York.

Another intervention that Leicester is borrowing from other cities is protected bicycle lanes. The Connecting Leicester project includes £7 million for new protected lanes on three major roads leading to the city center, in a bid to help bridge the divide created by the inner ring road, a tangle of flyover ramps and traffic lanes. That road itself is being shrunk, piece by piece, to make the city safer and more attractive for bicycling and walking.

Sky Ride, sponsored by News Corporation, has attracted thousands to bike rides in Leicester, including the city's large immigrant populations. Photo courtesy Andy Salkeld.

Leicester’s population is far more diverse than most English cities, and the city is a hub for immigrants in the region. Salkeld said it’s important for advocates to reach out to all residents. A useful avenue for this outreach is Sky Ride, an annual series of free bike rides sponsored by a News Corporation subsidiary that attracted 16,000 riders last year. Many of the riders came from the city’s Indian and African populations.

Another way the city has reached out is by creating education and bike skills programs modeled off those developed by Recycle-A-Bicycle in New York. “It’s really important that we have organized programs,” Salkeld said, adding that many communities might not otherwise have a tradition of bicycling. For many university students from immigrant families, Salkeld noted, driving a car to class is a status symbol, making it difficult to convince them to walk or bike instead.

While large cities like New York and London get lots of attention for their bike-share and infrastructure programs, Leicester often uses smaller cities for inspiration, like Dublin, Bristol, or Brighton. Salkeld said that he looks more to North American cities than European ones, since U.S. cities, like Leicester, have had to recover from auto-centric planning that wasn’t as severe in many European cities.

In Britain, there has been significant recent action on the national level to support cycling as a primary transportation mode, with a landmark study, press campaign, and parliamentary recommendations building the momentum, with hopes that the government will move to fund a program to expand bicycling throughout the UK.

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/06/28/the-livable-streets-leader-youve-never-heard-of-leicester-england/

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines

Kyle Larson Earns Top Five in Iowa Speedway NASCAR Nationwide Series Debut

No. 32 VIZIO / Hulu Plus Chevrolet Camaro

NEWTON, Iowa (June 10, 2013) - Kyle Larson’s impressive rookie season continued as he brought home a fifth-place finish in the rain-delayed DuPont Pioneer 250, his first NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Iowa Speedway. Larson’s No. 32 VIZIO / Hulu Plus Chevrolet Camaro was fast right off the truck, and the 20-year-old driver qualified 10th after two successful practice sessions. He remained in the top 10 throughout the 250-lap race and gained several spots in the closing laps, earning his fourth-consecutive top-ten finish and his third top-five finish of the season.

The weekend started off strong for Larson at Iowa, as he recorded the second-quickest time in first practice and finished fourth quick in final practice on Friday. Larson and his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) team returned to the track on Saturday afternoon for qualifying. After going out 37th, Larson laid down a 23.298-second qualifying lap, placing his No. 32 machine 10th for the start of Saturday night’s race. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate and the race was postponed until Sunday morning due to bad weather conditions.

Under sunny skies, Larson took the green flag from the tenth spot. He remained in that position when the first caution flag of the day was displayed on lap four. Larson maintained his position on the restart before moving into ninth on lap 24. The Elk Grove, Calif. native radioed to his crew 10 laps later that his No. 32 VIZIO/Hulu Plus Chevrolet was a little free going into Turn 1 and felt tight off of both corners. As sprinkles started to fall, the team remained on the track until NASCAR called for a competition caution on lap 52. Crew chief Trent Owens called Larson into the pits for four tires, fuel and a slight air-pressure adjustment and he returned to the track in eighth.

Following the pit stop, Larson began to work his way forward, entering the top five on lap 100. After taking over the fourth spot on lap 113, Larson radioed his VIZIO/Hulu Plus team to say that his car was now feeling tight on throttle. A few laps later, he explained that his No. 32 machine had gotten extremely tight and Owens called his rookie driver in for a green-flag pit stop when Larson reported feeling a vibration on lap 130. After green-flag pit stops had cycled through, Larson was scored in the sixth position.

When the third caution of the day fell on lap 150, Larson radioed to say that his Chevrolet was feeling pretty loose into the corners but that it was good on exit. Larson came in for another pit stop, and his TSM team opted for four tires while several competitors in front of him only took two. Larson restarted in the ninth position on lap 155. One lap later, the yellow flag was displayed again for an incident in Turn 2. Rain had started to sprinkle, and NASCAR was forced to pause the race and call for the red flag when the rain began to fall heavily.

Just over an hour later, the field returned to the track and Larson again restarted in the ninth position. Larson moved into eighth before the final caution flag of the day waved on lap 173. Following the restart, the young driver explained that his No. 32 Chevrolet felt fine, but that he was lacking speed. He remained in the eighth spot for the next 50 laps as his car began to get freer. However, as the laps began to wind down, Larson’s VIZIO/Hulu Plus machine came to life and he began a charge to the front. On lap 230, he took over the seventh spot, and within 10 laps he had moved into the top five. He went on to finish the race in fifth, earning his third top-five and seventh top-10 finish this season.

“I’m happy to head out of Iowa Speedway with a top-five finish,” commented Larson. “Our car was really good all weekend, so I’m glad we were able to get in the full race. I had a little damage on my nose from the initial start, which I think messed with the handling some, but we were able to overcome and still get a good finish. I have to thank my team for all the hard work this weekend; we had a fill-in pit crew today, but they did a really good job for us and we gained positions on every pit stop. We have had some really solid runs lately, and I hope to continue the momentum next weekend at Michigan.”

Larson is currently 10th in the NNS Driver Point Standings. He will spend the week racing sprint cars in Indiana before returning to the NNS series next Saturday, June 16, at Michigan International Speedway. The Alliance Truck Parts 250 airs live on ABC at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

About Turner Scott Motorsports:

Turner Scott Motorsports was established in 1999 and has become one of the most successful organizations in NASCAR by combining the business acumen and shared passion for racing of co-owners Steve Turner and Harry Scott Jr. This season will mark the fourth season of full-time NASCAR competition for the organization, which expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. The team earned its first championship when James Buescher captured the NCWTS title in 2012. Turner Scott Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse team Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. For more information on Turner Scott Motorsports, visit www.TurnerScottMotorsports.com.

Source: Turner Scott Motorsports Press Release

The article Kyle Larson Earns Top Five in Iowa Speedway NASCAR Nationwide Series Debut is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/nationwide/06/10/kyle-larson-earns-top-five-in-iowa-speedway-nascar-nationwide-series-debut/

Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori

2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Kentucky Starting Lineup – Austin Dillon On Pole

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/06/28/2013-nascar-nationwide-series-kentucky-starting-lineup-austin-dillon-on-pole/

Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota

Motorsports: Sebastien Loeb demolishes Pikes Peak record with an 8:13.878 [UPDATE: w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Peugeot

Normally we'd wait for a recap to do this but the news is just too big. Everyone knew Peugeot and Sébastien Loeb came to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to do something impressive, but taking one minute and 33 seconds off last year's record is unprecedented. Rhys Millen set the time to beat in 2012 with a 9:46.164. Loeb just ran the mountain in 8:13.878, which not only makes him the only member of the Eight-Minute Club ever, it beats last year's record by more than 15 percent.

More perspective: Millen followed Loeb and set a time of 9:02.192 at an average speed of 79.677 miles per hour, meaning he took almost 44 seconds off his own best time and still came in second by 49 seconds, due to Loeb's average speed of 87.471 over the 12.72-mile course.

As they say in France, a mighty Chapeau! to Peugeot and the man behind the wheel. We're atop the mountain right now and everyone here has been saying that this could mean the Seven-Minute Club isn't far away. We have a feeling Peugeot will get to enjoy this one for a while, but we'd love to see another manufacturer take up the challenge. Audi, anyone?

Reminder: You can follow the action live here, and see the results as they update in real-time here.

UPDATE - a video of the run and an official press release from PPIHC has been added below.

Continue reading Sebastien Loeb demolishes Pikes Peak record with an 8:13.878 [UPDATE: w/video]

Sebastien Loeb demolishes Pikes Peak record with an 8:13.878 [UPDATE: w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/30/sebastian-loeb-demolishes-the-pikes-peak-record-with-an-8-13-878/

Jackie Holmes Bill Homeier Kazuyoshi Hoshino Jerry Hoyt

Rosberg prevails in British GP

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/06/30/2999957/rosberg-prevails-in-british-gp.html

Yves Giraud Cabantous Ignazio Giunti Timo Glock Helm Glöckler

Pole Report: Nationwide Series Feed the Children 300 at Kentucky Speedway

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/06/pole-report-nationwide-series-feed.html

Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones

Get to Know: David Massieux

This week I interviewed an iRacer who could definitely be described as consistent by his fellow competitors.  If you look at his stats, you can see why. He definitely doesn’t have the most starts on iRacing – with 144 oval starts and 140 road starts – but he has won 35 and 34 times on the oval and road side, respectively. What’s more, he has finished in the top five in over half of his road and oval starts. With Class A licenses and over 3900 iRating on both sides of iRacing, this driver is a strong and fierce competitor, wherever and in whatever he races. This week’s featured driver is Club France’s very own David Massieux…

Q:    How long have you been sim racing?

A:    I started sim-racing truly with iRacing in April 2010.  Before that I was on rFactor for a year, driving with a controller, kidding around with friends.

Q:    How did you get started in iRacing?

A:    It’s actually a funny story.  I talked to a friend’s friend on teamspeak about rFactor.  We were talking about realistic mods, and he ended-up telling me that if he had the money, he’d go on iRacing, which made me take a look at it. At that time there was a promotion at $5 for the first month, and after a week I renewed for year, thinking that at worse I’d only drive the Solstice since it was so fun.  But I ended-up buying the entire content in a matter of months.

Q:    Which race car driver in any racing series do you dislike the most?

A:    Above everyone? Michael Schumacher, he stands for everything I hate in competition: “do everything to win no matter what.”  To me being respectful on track is important.  I’m more of gentleman driver in the end, even though its naive of me. I like to act as if sim-racing is a dangerous sport, with death and injuries possible.

Q:    What type of hobbies do you do outside of iRacing?

A:    Frankly nothing anymore, lots of things planned, so you could say that my hobby is thinking about the future, and although I’m not an alien, I’m training a few friends in various series on iRacing and sometimes rFactor.

Q:    What is your greatest accomplishment on iRacing?

A:    Ahah that’s a tough one, (as I) didn’t do lots of impressive things. I’d have to say beating my best friend Cyril Nousbaum at Charlotte when I started training seriously, showed some kind of improvement of my skills since he’s a tough one to pass and get away from.

Q:    What car and track combination on iRacing would you like to drive in real life?

A:    Realistically? Mid-Ohio in the Nationwide since they run there, but if it was possible, VIR Grand West in the Sprint Cup.

Best friends Massieux and Cyril Nousbaum (1) go side-by-side at Martinsville.

Q:    What type of racing do you like to watch on TV?

A:    What’s left of real racing (I hate paddles, autoblip and above all high downforce cars) being : NASCAR first, and a few races from the V8 Supercar, and some GroupN Rally (the only thing left from the golden era, IMO).

Q:    How do you think your fellow iRacers see you?

A:    Ahah this one is a good one too.  I’d say they’re split into two categories: Those who like me for what I do in practices, and those who hate me, seeing me as an hot lapper . . . you know one of those who only run one category (Mazda MX5 for me since I’m quite often in the series, and getting decent hot laps since a year or so).  But to be truthful, I drive any car that doesn’t have high aero and that gives me a hard time, to improve body control and physics’ understanding, and when I’m taking a break in a practice I observe others and help them if they want it.

“Road racing isn’t punitive enough, people often forget about the danger side on road.”

Q:    What are three things that people on iRacing probably don’t know about you?

A:    I’m a right foot braker in all cars (probably lots of people wondering why I do it even in the Sprint Cup).
I made my YouTube channel for the only purpose of keeping records of what we did with Cyril and Evan, good times to go back at and helps me track my progress and what to work on.
I hate road tracks in general, thus my love for NASCAR and its walls.  Road racing isn’t punitive enough, people often forget about the danger side on road; kills the racing in my opinion.

Q:    If you could go back and see one race from the past live at the track, what race would you choose?

A:    I sincerely would have a hard time choosing between the first NASCAR race at Charlotte on dirt and the first Formula One race back when it was about balls and skill.

Air France!

Q:    If there was one thing you could change about iRacing, what would it be?

A:    Introduce some tarmac hill climbs (and downhills) racing. It exists in real life, and as much as it is only time attack, it’s still something that I feel lots of people would love.  We already have lots of cars running them irl, so iRacing, please make it happen.
And I’d like to add a little thing: we have too much initial grip, it shows in the lap times we do on road, as well as in the braking and turn- in points we use. I watched this week’s qualifying at Sonoma, and it’s scary to see how much faster we run, almost 3sec for my best lap using the fixed against the Q set JJ used. That would be a big problem to address in order to make iRacing go in the right direction.

Q:    What is one thing that you love the most about iRacing?

A:    Without a doubt its database, the recording of every stat, what you do, what others do, where you stand, others and yourself improved, and the ability to see ones consistency through consecutive championships and track/car combos.

Q:    Overall, how do you rate your success on iRacing?

A:    Never good enough? Sincerely not good enough, it’s getting better each season, but it’s still not where I want to be; striving for perfection, I would only like to quit doing mistakes and drive more smoothly.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/get-to-know-david-massieux

Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin

2013 Michigan International Speedway June NASCAR & ARCA Series Weekend Track Event Schedule

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY 2013
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES / ARCA RACING SERIES presented by MENARDS
EVENT SCHEDULE

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Thursday, June 13TH  7:00 AM            ARCA REGISTRATION OPEN  7:30 AM            ARCA REMAINING HAULERS ENTER  8:00 AM            ARCA GARAGE OPENS  11:00 AM           TRACK SERVICES MEETING                     (CONFERENCE ROOM) 11:00 AM 12:50 PM  BROADCASTING SET- UP 11:30 AM           ARCA ROOKIE MEETING  12:00 PM           NNS HAULERS ENTER  12:00 PM           ARCA DRIVER & SPOTTER MEETINGS                     & DRAWING FOR QUALIFYING ORDER  1:05 PM 3:30 PM    ARCA PRACTICE  4:00 PM            ARCA REGISTRATION CLOSES  5:00 PM            ARCA GARAGE CLOSES  6:00 PM            NSCS HAULERS ENTER  Friday, June 14TH  6:00 AM            NNS & NSCS REGISTRATION OPENS 6:30 AM            NNS & NSCS GARAGE OPENS 7:00 AM            ARCA GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS  8:30 AM 9:30 AM    Michigan International Speedway Pace Car Rides  8:30 AM            TRACK SERVICES MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 10:00 AM           ARCA QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS) IMPOUND  10:30 AM           NSCS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & DRAWING FOR QUALIFYING ORDER 11:00 AM           NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 11:30 AM 1:00 PM   NSCS PRACTICE 12:10 PM           NNS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING  1:10 PM 3:25 PM    NNS FINAL PRACTICE  3:00 PM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 3:00 PM            ARCA DRIVER / CREW CHIEF/ SPOTTER MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM)  3:35 PM            NSCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)  4:00 PM 5:00 PM    NNS Autograph Session  5:00 PM            ARCA DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS  5:00 PM            NNS & NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES 5:15 PM            ARCA RACE (100 LAPS, 200 MILES)  5:30 PM            NNS GARAGE CLOSES  6:00 PM            NSCS GARAGE CLOSES  Saturday, June 15TH  7:30 AM            NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS  8:00 AM            TRACK SERVICES MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 8:00 AM 9:00 AM    Michigan International Speedway – Pace Car Rides  8:00 AM            NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS 9:00 AM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 9:30 AM 10:25 AM   NSCS PRACTICE 10:35 AM           NNS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)  11:00 AM 12:30 PM  NNS Minors Admitted into NASCAR Garage Area*  12:00 PM 12:30 PM  TV EXHIBITION RUN  12:00 PM           NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** 12:15 PM           NNS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING – (CONFERENCE ROOM)  12:15 PM           TRACK SERVICES MEETING – PIT ROAD 12:30 PM 1:30 PM   NSCS FINAL PRACTICE 1:45 PM            NNS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS-SECURITY –CLEAR PIT ROAD 2:15 PM            NNS RACE (125 LAPS, 250 MILES)  2:45 PM            NNS REGISTRATION CLOSES  4:00 PM            NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES  Sunday, June 16TH 7:00 AM            NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS 7:00 AM 11:30 AM   NSCS Minors Admitted into NASCAR Garage Area*  7:40 AM 8:40 AM    NASCAR Pace Car Rides  8:00 AM 9:00 AM    Michigan International Speedway – Pace Car Rides  9:45 AM            TRACK SERVICES MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 11:00 AM           NSCS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (CONFERENCE ROOM) 12:00 PM           NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** UNTIL ONE HOUR AFTER RACE 12:30 PM           NSCS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS-SECURITY – CLEAR PIT ROAD 1:00 PM            NSCS RACE (200 LAPS, 400 MILES) 1:30 PM            NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES                    *With Proper Credentials

ALL TIMES ARE LISTED IN EASTERN
TENTATIVE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE

The article 2013 Michigan International Speedway June NASCAR & ARCA Series Weekend Track Event Schedule is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/arca/06/10/2013-michigan-international-speedway-june-nascar-arca-series-weekend-track-event-schedul/

Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman

Stow ‘N’ Go (To Jail): Ohio Criminalizes “Traps” in Cars, We Explore the Tech Behind Hidden Compartments

The state-of-the-art stash spot is the 110-cubic-inch storage bin behind the new Chevy Impala’s LCD screen. Note: not real weed.

In the war on drugs, the daily grind of law enforcement is enough to make even Sisyphus feel fortunate; at least the guy knew what his boulder would look like each morning. Cops who work to intercept traffickers, however, see ever-evolving methods of deceit in the transport of contraband. It’s no wonder, then, that the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) backed legislation last year making it a felony in the state to build or use a secret compartment in a vehicle.

compartmentalizing

Chrysler leads the OEMs in secret-compartment construction. Its various underfloor and in-seat bins can conceal all sorts of contraband.*

*Measured on the exotic-animal-smuggling scale.

Known as “traps,” “hides,” or “clavos,” hidden compartments that exploit voids in a vehicle’s structure are certainly not a new phenomenon in drug running. But Republican state Senator Jim Hughes, the man behind the Ohio law, says the increasing sophistication of these devices and the escalation of their use has made it necessary to outlaw them.

Today, state-of-the-art trap construction taps into a vehicle’s factory-installed electronics, with additional wiring disguised as stock. Manipulating various controls in the correct sequence, similar to entering a cheat code into a video game, grants access to the compartments. These stash boxes, often located under seats, in airbag cavities, or beneath false floors, are undetectable to the untrained eye.

Neighboring Pennsylvania recently introduced similar legislation. California, Georgia, Illinois, and Utah have also criminalized hidden compartments.

The Ohio law specifically exempts law-abiding citizens who use a hidden compartment to secure legal firearms or valuables. Indeed, the law’s enforcement mechanism hinges on “intent” to use the secret compartment for hiding drugs. In at least two cases publicized by the OSHP since the law took effect, individuals were arrested not for transporting drugs but for violating the new secret-compartment law. In one case, police say two cellphones were found in the compartment of a defendant who has a history of trafficking. Neither case has come to trial as of this writing.

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• Comparo: 2014 Impala vs. 2013 300S, 2013 Charger, 2013 Azera, 2014 Cadenza, 2013 Avalon
• Instrumented Test: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L 4×4 Crew Cab
• Long-Term Road Test Intro: 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye 1.4T Manual

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio calls the new law an unnecessary expansion of drug-trafficking statutes already on the books. An ACLU representative suggests that the real goal behind the law is to give prosecutors an additional charge to throw at defendants, thus boosting the government’s bargaining power when negotiating pleas.

But the ban on secret compartments also gives law enforcement the authority to go after those who build and install them. A California man, Alfred Anaya, was sentenced last year to more than 24 years in prison for building secret compartments in vehicles used by a drug-trafficking operation. The Drug Enforcement Administration busted the cabal and Anaya, despite his claims that he was unaware his handiwork was being used illegally. Just say no, kids.

The 2010 discovery of six kilos of cocaine hidden in a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado in northeastern Ohio provides an example of how secret compartments are accessed.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/iex_Q6_xyVM/

Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin

Aaron Robinson: They Have Eyes, But They Cannot Be Seen

The psychology of seeing faces in inanimate objects is an endemic brain quirk with a five-syllable Latin name: pareidolia. Though it has many faults, the human brain is a Bugatti Veyron when it comes to pareidolia, which is why the Veyron looks like a fat guy about to be hit by a bus. If, as Cicero says, the face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter, a car’s headlights are the most important aspects of its styling, the double-pane Pellas into its soul. Hey, I don’t make the rules. We are conditioned by instinct and literature to place great significance on the eyes. E.E. Cummings called them “big love-crumbs,” while the billboard eyes of  Doctor T.J. Eckleburg in Fitzgerald’s Gatsby represent nothing less than the unblinking gaze of God. Jane Austen’s proud Mr. Darcy notes that he has been “meditating on the very great ­pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.” Which is an excellent line for husbands to have at the ready, especially when the flatbed rolls up with another car purchase. READ MORE ››

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/8-sverVrN3E/aaron-robinson-they-have-eyes-but-they-cannot-be-seen-column

Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet