jeanrowald: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The New Build Is Here

iRacing is excited to release yet another feature, function and content update to the service as it does every 90 days. The constant updates are unique in the industry and we hope you enjoy the latest update as our standard Season 4 racing season is set to start.

This build was a big one for us as some massive architectural changes were completed including allowing for 64 bit computing and touch screen capabilities as well as the foundation for what we are calling Team Racing. From a members perspective – for now — you will notice the new spotter functionality and new radio and scanner features as the start of the overall team functionality in this build. More will continue to roll out in the future.

These large architectural changes are exciting for us long-term and set the stage for many enhancements in the future.

“The Rock” is just one of many great features of the new build.

That said, we have not forgotten about the short term either as you can see from our release notes by clicking here. Along with the spotter functionality some of the highlights include new content including Rockingham Speedway and Oran Park. One of America’s most legendary ovals, Rockingham (aka The Rock) hosted nearly 100 NASCAR Sprint Cup races over the years, while Oran Park enjoyed a special place in the hearts Australian race fans before it was demolished to make way for a housing development. Now, Oran Park and its distinctive figure eight layout will live forever . . . thanks to iRacing.

FYI, the much anticipated Lotus 49 is close to being released but not quite ready for prime time and we will get it out as soon as it is ready. We also included our latest dose of realism – a feature that produces buildup of dirt and grime on your windshield, along with tear-offs enabling your crew to give you a clear view ahead after every pit stop. Again, see our release notes linked above for full list of updates.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/the-new-build-is-here

Joe James John James Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson

An All-Too-Real Hollywood Tale of New York City Traffic Justice

When I happened upon the trailer for “Margaret” I could scarcely believe it. Did Hollywood really make an A-lister movie about a New York City pedestrian who is struck and killed by an MTA bus driver? I thought it must surely be a secondary plot line, the shared trauma that serves to catalyze a love affair between beautiful witnesses or some such. For the most part, I was wrong.

I’ll be giving away a plot point or two here, so for the spoiler-averse I’ll say this: If you read Streetsblog closely enough to know what the “rule of two” is, you should watch this film.

If you’ve never heard of “Margaret,” neither had I. It was shot in 2005, and according to my cursory research its release was delayed due to legal issues. There may have been other factors. It’s overlong and there are story threads that don’t really lead anywhere, including one that seems shoehorned in for the sole purpose of having Matt Damon in the credits. But as an obsessive observer of New York’s broken traffic justice system, I have to be impressed it exists at all.

Anna Paquin plays Lisa, a spoiled and narcissistic teenager who, while walking along Broadway on the Upper West Side, tries to get the attention of a passing MTA bus driver, Gerald, played by Mark Ruffalo. Instead of ignoring Lisa or stopping the bus to ask what she wants — she likes his cowboy hat — Gerald drives on, looking toward the sidewalk instead of the street ahead. At the next corner he runs the light and hits a middle-aged woman, Monica, portrayed by Allison Janney. In a tortuously long and graphic scene, Monica dies in the street as approaching sirens wail in the background.

In the Hollywood version of a New York crash scene, detectives in suits and ties immediately swoop in to question the driver and witnesses. When a detective asks if Lisa saw the traffic light, she lies, telling him it was green. With a touch of what I can only imagine was unintended verisimilitude, the investigation scene only lasts a few seconds.

Lisa reveals to her family that she lied about the light because she didn’t want Gerald to lose his job. But when she learns that he has a history of crashes, and a visit to his home (in Bay Ridge) proves him to be an unapologetic lout, she decides to set the record straight — partly for Monica, mostly to assuage her own guilt.

Once the detective explains to Lisa that, despite her recanted story, Gerald won’t be charged with a crime — because he wasn’t breaking two traffic laws at the time of the crash — she tries to have him fired by convincing a relative of Monica’s to file a civil suit. I won’t give any more away except to say that Lisa gets a hard and utterly believable lesson in New York City traffic justice.

Writer and director Kenneth Lonergan weaves in nuanced bits that the general public would probably overlook, or accept as a given regardless of context: long and languid shots of ceaseless vehicle traffic, the rage of Monica’s best friend at the “stupid, meaningless” way she died. In one scene, Monica’s loved ones gather in the best friend’s apartment for an intimate, informal wake. If I could change one thing about “Margaret” (other than the title, which is another story) it would be to somehow emphasize how many times a similar scene actually occurs somewhere in the city during any given month — that it’s not just Hollywood.

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/10/25/an-all-too-real-hollywood-tale-of-traffic-justice/

Helm Glöckler Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith

Liuzzi apologises to team for clash

Tonio Liuzzi, Mercedes, Superstars V8, Enna Defeated International Superstars Series title contender Tonio Liuzzi has apologised to his CAAL Racing team for getting mixed up with “dangerous driver” Andrea Larini in the finale at Pergusa – which cost him the crown.

Liuzzi was seemingly cruising towards the title during Sunday’s second race, needing only to finish fifth or better after his chief rival, KMS Audi’s Johan Kristoffersson, was taken out on the first lap.

But, with just five minutes to go, Liuzzi was hit twice by Larini’s Romeo Ferraris Mercedes, dropping him out of the top five and out of contention.

It wasn’t the first time that the pair had clashed this season; at Spa-Francorchamps, Liuzzi nudged Larini of the circuit while they fought over second place in race two.

“I’m okay. It’s a shame that we lost the championship, but we knew from the start that Larini is a dangerous driver,” Liuzzi told AUTOSPORT.

“I just wanted to finish fifth. My plan was to let [Larini] go so I could finish fifth and win the championship, because everything was going to plan. But unfortunately in this category, you are mixing professionals with amateurs, and sometimes you are mixing racing cars with dodge ‘em cars. He is always complaining this guy, so I was out of control.

“At the end of the day, I’m still happy because everybody saw what happened. I’m basically the winner of the championship, but the numbers didn’t say so.

“I’m more upset for the team and the guys, because we were working really hard. Even though this race wasn’t the most competitive for us, we were still achieving good results. This is not a sporting way for it to end.

“It’s a shame, but now we’re all looking forward to the future. Me, and my team, we all worked hard this year.”

Larini denied that there was any foul play when quizzed by AUTOSPORT.

“It was just an incident,” he said. “When I braked, I lost control of the car and I crashed with Liuzzi. It was absolutely not intentional.”

As a result of the crash, Kristoffersson was able to wrap up the 2012 International Superstars Series, having already taken Rookie of the Year and the Italian Series earlier in the day.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/liuzzi-apologises-to-team-for-clash

Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig

Roush-Fenway Racing makes milestone start at historic Martinsville Speedway

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/10/roush-fenway-racing-makes-milestone.html

Divina Galica Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

Kovalainen waiting on Caterham decision

Heikki Kovalainen is waiting on Caterham team principal Tony Fernandes to make a decision on whether he will be retained by the team in 2013.

The 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix winner’s original three-year deal with the team expires at the end of the season but the financial implications of potentially failing to finish in the top 10 of the constructors’ championship have led to question marks over Kovalainen’s future.

A number of drivers capable of bringing sponsorship to Caterham have held discussions with the team, including test driver Giedo van der Garde and Marussia driver Charles Pic.

Fernandes has admitted that he “cannot discount” going down the pay driver route.

“At the moment there is no movement, I’m waiting on what Tony wants to do,” Kovalainen told AUTOSPORT.

“He has different options and has to decide what route he wants to take with drivers.

“The fact is, I don’t bring money and I get paid. Whether that’s the deciding factor or not, I don’t know.

“We still have a good relationship. I’ve been with him for a long time already and I trust him 100 per cent. But at the same time, I need to keep my eyes open in case he wants to go the other way.”

Despite Kovalainen’s options outside of Caterham appearing limited by his lack of sponsorship, he does not believe that it’s certain he will be frozen out of a race seat if he isn’t retained by the team.

“No, not really,” he said when asked if there are no alternatives if he doesn’t stay at Caterham.

“The main thing now is to keep the focus, drive the car as fast as I can and keep pushing the team.

“That is what I’m paid to do and we will see what happens next year. Hopefully, we can resolve it sooner rather than later.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/kovalainen-waiting-on-caterham-decision

Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

Official: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Medically Cleared To Return To NASCAR Competition

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/10/23/official-dale-earnhardt-jr-medically-cleared-to-return-to-nascar-competition/

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

Maldonado convinced more was possible

Pastor Maldonado, Williams Pastor Maldonado reckons that Williams had the potential to be starting higher than ninth in Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix.

The Spanish Grand Prix winner, who was fastest of all in Q1 at the Buddh International Circuit, admitted that an error on his flying lap in Q3 cost him a chunk of time and positions.

“I made a small mistake on the final corner of my final lap which lost me quite a lot of time so I don’t think ninth is reflective of our true pace today,” he said.

“We were not as quick as we needed to be yesterday but we worked really hard to understand why and the car felt much better today.

“We’re back challenging in Q3 so there are lots of positives we can take from today’s qualifying, and our race pace seems to be competitive so I’m optimistic about my chances tomorrow.”

Team-mate Bruno Senna believes he should have been challenging in Q3 too, having been sixth fastest in final practice on Saturday morning.

But the Brazilian also made a mistake on his best lap, which meant he ended up 13th and out of qualifying after Q2.

“I made a mistake on my lap which is disappointing because I would have been in the top 10 if that hadn’t happened,” he said.

“We showed good pace in this morning’s practice and in Q1 as well as a clear improvement over the last couple of races so things are going in the right direction.

“We’ve been strong on our longer runs so hopefully I can make up some places tomorrow and get into the points.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/maldonado-convinced-more-was-possible

Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori

Marcos Ambrose 2012 NSCS Bank of America 500 Post-Race Report

Marcos Ambrose

Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Stanley Ford

Starting Position: 18
Finishing Position: 33

Marcos Ambrose started the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway from the 18^th position. Just two laps into the initial green-flag run, Ambrose relayed to his team that his Stanley Ford was very loose. Fighting an ill-handling car, Ambrose slipped back several positions, and when the first caution flag of the day flew on Lap 12 he was scored in 23^rd. Crew chief Mike Ford elected to bring his driver down pit road under caution for four fresh tires, fuel and wedge and trackbar adjustments.

Just two laps after the restart, a two-car accident on Lap 17 caused the field to check up and Ambrose’s machine suffered significant damage to the front bumper. Ford called Ambrose into the pits on three separate occasions during the second caution period of the day and the No. 9 team went to work repairing the front bumper and adding four fresh tires and fuel. Though he came into the pits multiple times, Ambrose was able to remain on the lead lap.

Restarting in the 39^th spot, it didn’t take Ambrose long to work his way back toward the front of the field, gaining 15 spots in just three laps. At Lap 25 Ambrose was running in the 21^st position when he communicated to his crew that his Stanley machine was loose on entry, tight in the middle and loose on exit off the corners. The caution flag flew for the third time on Lap 37 and though Ambrose was struggling with the handling of his car, he elected not to come down pit road. By virtue of staying out, Ambrose was credited with leading one lap and gaining a bonus point in the championship point standings.

By electing not to pit, the majority of the cars behind Ambrose were on fresh tires. As the laps wore on, Ambrose began to slip back though the field. At Lap 77 Ambrose was running in 22^nd when he made a routine pit stop under green-flag conditions for four tires, fuel, and trackbar and air pressure adjustments.

Pitting under green, Ambrose lost a lap to the leaders, and when the remainder of the field had cycled through green-flag stops he was scored in 18^th. Shortly after making the previous pit stop, Ambrose let his crew know he was still very loose on entry and exit of the corners. The next pit stop came at Lap 124 and the No. 9 crew elected to make several chassis adjustments in an attempt to improve the car’s handling.

Continuing to fight a loose condition, Ambrose lost control driving his car into the corner on Lap 142 and hit the wall, causing major damage the rear of the car. Ambrose was able to hang on for another four laps before Ford made the decision to have Ambrose take his car to the garage for repairs. Upon further inspection in the garage, the team realized the decklid had been damaged beyond repair and they were forced to replace it. The lengthy repairs caused Ambrose to lose multiple laps and when he re-entered the race on Lap 171 he was scored in the 35^th position, 27 laps down.

Though Ambrose’s Stanley machine was badly damaged, the No. 9 team never gave up and continued to work on the car and make numerous chassis adjustments during the remainder of the event. The crew’s hard work paid off as Ambrose was able to gain two spots in the running order by virtue of finishing the race. When the checkered flag finally flew on Lap 334, Ambrose was credited with a 33rd-place finish.

Ambrose sits in the 18^th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into Kansas Speedway next weekend.

Ambrose’s Comments after Charlotte:

“It was a tough night for our Stanley team. We got into trouble early, and things seemed to go downhill from there. It’s a shame we had so much damage and we were never able to see what our Stanley Ford was capable of doing tonight. It’s a tough situation to be taken out of contention early in the race, but I have to thank my guys for never giving up on me. My team worked really hard the remainder of the race to try and make adjustments to help our car run better. We were able to gain a couple positions in the finishing order by getting the car repaired enough to go back out and finish the race. That’s all we can ask for on a night like tonight.”

About Richard Petty Motorsports:

A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force and STP and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Stanley and DEWALT. In addition, Michael Annett wheels the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.

Source: Breaking Limits Marketing for Richard Petty Motorsports, Press Release

The post Marcos Ambrose 2012 NSCS Bank of America 500 Post-Race Report appeared first on Catchfence.

Pole Report: Johnson on pole for Sunday's race at Martinsville

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/10/pole-report-johnson-on-pole-for-sundays.html

Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki

Schumacher escapes penalty in India

Schumacher escapes penalty in India Michael Schumacher escaped a sanction for ignoring blue flags during the Indian Grand Prix, after being summoned to see the stewards.

Schumacher was investigated for having impeded Romain Grosjean during the race at the Buddh International Circuit.

But after the German and his Lotus rival spoke to the stewards after the race, it was decided that Schumacher had not held up his rival deliberately.

A statement issued by the FIA said: “The Stewards considered that the driver car 10 [Grosjean] did not close the gap sufficiently to require car 7 [Schumacher] to move out of the way in accordance with Appendix H Article 2.4.5 (d) of the International Sporting Code.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/schumacher-escapes-penalty-in-india

Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine

Official: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Medically Cleared To Return To NASCAR Competition

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/10/23/official-dale-earnhardt-jr-medically-cleared-to-return-to-nascar-competition/

Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford Jim Hall

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Abu Dhabi preview quotes: Caterham

Giedo van der Garde: “Abu Dhabi’s the first track I’ll be driving on in FP1 at this stage of the season that I’ve raced on before. With the obvious limits we work under in FP1 that’s a big advantage as it means I’m not having to learn my way around on my first couple of laps, and as we’re usually doing somewhere between 20 to 25 laps in first practice it means I can help the team even more right from the first run.

“I have to say I’m really enjoying the work I’m doing with the team and it’ll be even better in Abu Dhabi. In India my times were closer to my team mate than in any other session I’ve done and I think I’m really developing a good relationship with the engineers and the whole team. It’s obviously a bit tricky to really show what you can do when you have just one set of tyres and not much more than about 25 laps, but these sessions aren’t about showing how quick I can go, they’re about working to the program set by the team and continuing to learn as much as I can about the step up from GP2 to F1. After the Abu Dhabi race I’ll be staying on for the young driver test, and that’ll be another really good step forward in my development – two full days in the car on a track I’ve already driven on, and with a group of people who I’ve worked closely with for the last couple of months will give me a great chance to help the team get as much as they can from the test, and give me the opportunity to keep developing without some of the constraints of a race weekend FP1.”

Heikki Kovalainen: “Abu Dhabi’s a track that I think everyone looks forward to getting back to. It’s just about the best overall venue for F1, with some of the best facilities for the teams that we see all year, a track that has some good technical challenges and pretty much perfect weather.

“As my girlfriend’s parents now live in Abu Dhabi we’ve spent quite a bit of time this year and as well as being a good place to race it’s also really good for the time off between Grands Prix. The weather makes training easy and there are several good golf courses where I can keep working on lowering my handicap so it’s somewhere I really like going to

“On track the first sector is pretty quick. If you’re anywhere near turn one you can see just how quick F1 cars change direction as we head into turn one, and from there it’s almost flat out through turns two and three. After that it’s a bit stop/start until the long straight down to T8 where there you have the first clear chance to overtake. >From there it’s another flat out blast down to T11 and then it almost turns into a street circuit for the final sector. I’m sure for the people watching from the hotel it must look pretty hardcore, but from inside the car it’s not too much of a challenge. You need good traction and the braking stability has to be perfect, but once we’re through that final sector it’s back onto the start / finish straight and the start of another lap.”

Vitaly Petrov: “I really like Abu Dhabi. There’s always strong support from Russian fans around the track and the circuit itself is a good technical challenge where one of the most important areas we’ll be working on is braking stability. You can make up a lot of time if you can really attack the braking zones, particularly into turns eight and eleven after the two longest straights, so we’ll be working hard on that in the practice sessions.

“One of the other challenges in Abu Dhabi is dealing with the track evolution. At the start of FP1 it is always pretty green but the grip comes in quickly. FP1 and FP3 are both run when the track is nearing its hottest temperatures, but FP2, quali and the race are all run in the later afternoon and into the evening when track temperatures have dropped but the grip levels are continuing to rise, so we’ll be taking a close look at how best to manage the tyre degradation as the conditions change. As we’ve seen all season, looking after the tyres properly can make a real difference to performance, so that’s something everyone will be working on.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/abu-dhabi-preview-quotes-caterham

Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean

Qing Hua gets Abu Dhabi practice role

Ma Qing Hua HRT Abu Dhabi Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua will make another Friday practice appearance for HRT in this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Ma previously drove in practice in Italy and Singapore, as well as taking part in the young driver Formula 1 test at Silverstone in July.

The 24-year-old will take the place of Narain Karthikeyan for Friday morning’s session at Yas Marina.

“After my two Friday outings in Monza and Singapore, I’ve continued to work hard both physically and mentally to be well prepared for opportunities like this one,” he said.

“Apart from the gym and the simulator, I’ve spent a lot of time going karting as its one of the best ways to train, keep fit and stay focused.

“To be able to continue gaining experience in a Formula 1 car and adding more miles to my tally is essential for me right now and I want to thank the team for making it happen.

“I’m getting to know the car and the engineers more each time and this makes me more confident every time I step in the car.”

To read AUTOSPORT’s analysis of why Ma Qing Hua could be pivotal for F1′s profile in China, click here.

To read why his HRT drives have meanwhile caused controversy, click here.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/qing-hua-gets-abu-dhabi-practice-role

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil

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

Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje

Aric Almirola 2012 NSCS Bank of America 500 Post-Race Report

NSCS Aric Almirola in garage - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Aric Almirola, No. 43 Smithfield Ford

Starting Position: 17
Finishing Position: 12

Aric Almirola earned his fifth top-15 finish of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday in a Smithfield Ford Fusion that was racy all night.

The driver of the No. 43 started the 500-mile event in the 17th spot, quickly advancing to 12th position by Lap 11 when an early caution flag waved for a spinning Matt Kenseth.

The first 35 laps of the race saw two additional cautions for accidents, and by the third yellow flag, Almirola was up to 10th in his fast Ford Fusion. He gave up his top-10 spot to come to pit road for a routine but quick stop, putting him in 18th for the restart.

Almirola didn’t stay back there long, as he started making fast laps once again, passing four cars to get up to 14th by Lap 60. Despite his fast lap times and forward progress, he asked crew chief Todd Parrott for a little help with the car’s handling through the turns. The team responded with chassis and air-pressure adjustments during their next two pit stops.

As the race approached the half-way mark, Almirola was holding steady in the top-15, but still asking for help with the front tires sliding through the turns. With the field under yellow for a debris caution on Lap 168, Parrott brought his driver down pit road for more chassis and air-pressure adjustments to help him be more aggressive off the corners.

The second half of the race saw more green-flag racing than the first — in fact, the final 107 laps went caution-free — which strung the field out and made it difficult to pass for position. But that did not hold back the No. 43, with Almirola gradually chasing down and passing cars over the long runs.

He was in 11th and pushing into the top 10 with fewer than 30 laps to go. But at this time, concerns throughout the field about making it to the finish on fuel forced one last shuffle on the leaderboard, as one by one cars peeled off to pit for gas. Almirola’s was among the cars that could not make it to the end without a late refueling stop, and he brought his Smithfield Ford to the pits for a quick stop for right-side tires and fuel on Lap 312.

He rejoined the field scored in 16th, but climbed back up to 12th and maintained his position until crossing the finish. His 12th-place finish allowed him to maintain 21st place in the driver point standings.

Comments from Almirola after Charlotte:

“We had a fast Smithfield Ford Fusion right off the truck when we got here, and Todd (Parrott) and the guys did a great job on it. We had to keep adjusting with the track over the course of the race, but we were solid all night. I told the guys on the radio afterward, we’ve had some fast cars recently where, unfortunately, we didn’t really have the results to show for it. It’s nice to get a good result to show for all the hard work that went into putting a fast car on track this time.”

About Richard Petty Motorsports:

Source: Breaking Limits Marketing for Richard Petty Motorsports, Press Release

The post Aric Almirola 2012 NSCS Bank of America 500 Post-Race Report appeared first on Catchfence.

Fast Facts: Ryan Newman

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/10/fast-facts-ryan-newman.html

Joe James John James Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson

Hamilton bullish about race prospects

Lewis Hamilton India Lewis Hamilton remains bullish about McLaren’s chances of beating Red Bull to Indian Grand Prix victory despite the champion team’s third consecutive front-row sweep.

Hamilton got within 0.261 seconds of polesitter Sebastian Vettel in Buddh qualifying.

Although Vettel has topped every session so far this weekend, Hamilton had been adamant on Friday that qualifying would not be McLaren’s strong point and that it was in the race where he would be at his best.

“We are not quick enough to be ahead of these guys [on the grid] but we can definitely challenge them in the race,” Hamilton said.

“Our race pace in practice was as good as theirs so I am excited about that.”

The Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa start behind the two McLarens on row three, and Hamilton suspects they will also be moving forward in race trim.

“Ferrari had a slightly faster pace overall, but we don’t know what fuel they were on,” he said.

“If we can get a good start and have a good fight with these guys then hopefully [we will have] a better race than the last few ones we did.”

Hamilton added that after three grands prix compromised by mechanical problems – starting with a gearbox failure while leading in Singapore and then suspension gremlins in both Japan and Korea – he was also hoping to have a straightforward Sunday.

“I am looking forward to a race where we don’t have any issues and can just fight to get some good points,” he said.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/hamilton-bullish-about-race-prospects

Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley

No. 81 Thrush & Son / Hi-Technologies Toyota Camry Of Jason Bowles 28th At Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday Night

Jason Bowles

(CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA) October 14, 2012 – With Kentucky sponsor Thrush & Son Complete Home Improvement back on the No. 81 of Jason Bowles, the MacDonald Motorsports team was pumped up for a strong run at Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday night. After qualifying a solid 20th, The Thrush & Son/HI-Technologies No. 81 was quick early on, before pit road penalties relegated Bowles to a 28th place result.

“The car was quick early as we moved up to 17th and were challenging for more,” explained Bowles. “As we were taking the wave around on the third caution I felt like I had a flat right rear. Pitting on the wave around got us a drive through penalty which really put us behind. Later in the race we had a vibration and I had to make another un-scheduled pit-stop. After that it was just about bringing the car home and getting the best possible finish we could.”

The 28th place finish was definitely a let-down for the MacDonald Motorsports team as they knew they had a quick race car following qualifying. The Thrush & Son/HI-Technologies No. 81 advanced towards the front early on before getting tight. A caution flag allowed crew chief John Monsam to make some changes to the car, which really helped getting the car to turn.

“We got the car pretty good there after the first pit-stop but we’ll never know how it would have turned out,” said Jason after the race. “I feel bad for the guys and everyone at Thrush & Son Complete Home Improvement but there’s always next week. I really want to thank Thrush & Son, HI-Technologies, Megabus.com, and Barbizon Modeling Agency for their support this weekend. On to Kansas next week.”

Despite the poor finish, Jason remained 13th in the 2012 Driver Standings. The No. 81 also remains 22nd in the owner’s points.

Next weekend the MacDonald Motorsports team makes their way to Kansas Speedway. The Kansas Lottery 300 can be seen live on ESPN at 3:00PM ET Saturday, October 20th.

Follow Jason Bowles on Social Media….. Keep up with everything that Jason is doing by following him on twitter @bowlesjason. Fans can also follow the race team on twitter @mms81_pr.

Follow Thrush & Son on Social Media….. Learn more about Thrush & Son and HI-Technologies on twitter @thrush_and_son, on facebook, and at their websites, www.thrushandson.com and www.hi-technologies.com.

About C.H.I.P.

CHIP is a 100% web based business software that saves time and money. CHIP tracks closing rates while also controlling commissions of a company’s sales force and contracted labor costs. This program organizes customers’ information and record keeping. It also configures mailing lists, creates material orders and generates all work orders for projects that are sold. CHIP also offers the capability to track profit and loss for each project that is entered into the program to let an owner or manager know where they stand on that job. All of this is done with a few simple clicks of a button and can be from accessed anywhere via internet explorer. No matter the size of a home improvement company, CHIP will allow for growth and enable a business to become more profitable. This is done by saving time and money on each job, controlling a work force and organizing a home improvement company’s day-to-day business operations! This business solution was created by a contractor with simplicity in mind for other contractors in the home improvement industry.

About Thrush & Son Complete Home Improvement

Thrush & Son: Complete Home Improvement Company has been a respected leader in the home improvement industry since 1960. W. Allen Thrush (Pres/CEO) purchased the company from his father in 1989 and that’s when the company began to grow and evolve into the industry leader that it is today. Thrush & Son has been recognized in numerous national publications. Thrush & Son takes pride in their quality craftsmanship and the fact that after 52 years in the industry, they are still truly a family owned and operated business. Whether your home has been damaged by a severe storm or you are interested in a new roof, windows, siding, patio covers, gutters, or insulation Thrush & Son has all the bases covered when it comes to transforming a house into a dream home.

MacDonald Motorsports

MacDonald Motorsports Owner Randy MacDonald has been around the NASCAR circles since 1985, when he began his own racing career with the loving support of his father “Doc” and his mother Pat MacDonald. As a NASCAR driver, Randy was successful in making it all the way to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The MacDonald family became NASCAR team owners in 1986 and have fielded cars in all three of NASCAR’s elite series following faith based principles. MacDonald Motorsports focuses on assisting our sponsors with strategically increasing the overall awareness of corporate messaging or brand recognition by consistently articulating the message to be delivered through motorsports. MacDonald Motorsports offers drivers opportunities to gain experience from grass roots all the way through the elite series of NASCAR.

Source: MacDonald Motorsports Press Release

The post No. 81 Thrush & Son / Hi-Technologies Toyota Camry Of Jason Bowles 28th At Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday Night appeared first on Catchfence.

IndyCar chief Bernard resigns

Randy Bernard has stepped down as CEO of IndyCar, although he will remain on board in an advisory role.

The board of directors of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation made the announcement following a specially-convened meeting on Sunday. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO Jeff Belskus will serve as IndyCar’s interim CEO.

“We are very grateful for the tireless effort that Randy has invested into learning, understanding and working to grow the IndyCar Series over the last three racing seasons,” Belskus said in a statement.

“As both Randy and our organisation have reflected on the past season and as we look toward the opportunities ahead and how to best take advantage of them, we agreed that the timing was right to pursue separate paths.”

Also speaking via a statement, Bernard said that he believed that he was leaving the series in a stronger position than when he arrived in 2010.

“I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the entire IndyCar community, its teams, drivers, loyal partners and fans,” Bernard said.

“The last three years have produced some exciting, and some difficult, times. But we have created a foundation for IndyCar that positions it to grow over the next several years, and I am proud of what everyone at IndyCar has been able to accomplish since I came on board.”

Bernard also called on IndyCar fans to continue their support when the new administration is put into place to help protect the sport’s future.

“I have developed a passion for the sport of IndyCar, and I look forward to being involved at a strategic level as an advisor to the IndyCar leadership,” Bernard said.

“As IndyCar fans, we need to unify behind the sport in order to move it to the next level, and I look forward to providing input and being part of that unified voice along the way.”

Belskus , who also served as IndyCar’s interim CEO between July 2009 and February 2010, said that no timeline had been established for the announcement of a permanent replacement.

He said that the series’ future leadership structure would be re-evaluated as part of a current strategic planning process that includes assistance from global business management firm The Boston Consulting Group and would incorporate consultation with IndyCar stakeholders.

Belskus also repeated his insistence that the series is not for sale. Its founder and former chief Tony George has been attempting to purchase IndyCar and recently stepped down from the board amid his efforts.

“The organisation is full of talented professionals, and we will continue to prepare for what will be a very exciting 2013 racing season,” Belskus said. “Once again, IndyCar is not for sale, and the organisation remains completely committed to owning and operating IndyCar.”

Bernard oversaw a complete overhaul of the IndyCar Series during his tenure, including the introduction of the new DW12 chassis and accompanying technical package, the return of multiple engine manufacturers, and a revamp of key backroom staff.

However he also attracted criticism from certain quarters of the paddock, particularly with regard to the commercial terms of contracts with suppliers such as Dallara.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/indycar-chief-bernard-resigns

Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins

McLaren: Perez still a work in progress

Sergio Perez with a puncture, Sauber, India 2012 McLaren insists it has no concerns about the recent struggles of 2013 recruit Sergio Perez, who had another incident-filled race in the Indian Grand Prix.

The Mexican has not scored a point since he signed for McLaren before the Japanese Grand Prix and, for the third straight race, he was involved in incidents on track.

After spinning out in Japan, and getting involved in a first-lap clash in Korea, Perez’s Indian race was wrecked by a puncture he suffered after colliding with Daniel Ricciardo.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh sees no reasons to worry though, as he thinks Perez is going through a learning process that all youngsters experience.

“He is a young and exciting driver,” explained Whitmarsh. “Exciting can be good, it can be bad. But I think he did a fantastic job to be up there [eighth] in qualifying.

“He has the speed, and he wants to get up there and win. But if he hasn’t got something to learn at 22, there is something wrong.

“I haven’t spent much time with him, but [in] the time I have spent [I've found] he is very intelligent, and very ambitious. And, at the moment, he has a good level of humility.

“If we can turn him into a world champion he will lose some of that along the way.”

Perez is contracted to Sauber until the end of the year, which means McLaren is unlikely to be able to work in detail with him until the start of 2013.

But Whitmarsh hinted he may try to push to get the Mexican earlier in the winter.

“We are trying to be respectful of the fact that he is doing a job at Sauber,” he added.

“We have had limited contact at the moment. Sauber have been very gracious and they have accepted what is happening and understand why Sergio is doing it.

“We have a very good relationship with Sauber but I don’t think it is appropriate to push the point at the moment.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/mclaren-perez-still-a-work-in-progress

John James Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson

A great ninth-place finish for James Buescher at Charlotte Motor Speedway

James Buescher Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw / Getty Images for NASCAR

The No. 30 Great Clips/AccuDoc Solutions Turner Motorsports Chevrolet had James Buescher behind the wheel for the Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Buescher, a non NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) regular had an off week from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) came to hone his skills and battled all weekend for a great ninth-place finish.

Within the first laps of Thursday’s practice sessions, Buescher felt that the team had a drivable race car and felt the most comfortable he had all season behind the wheel of the Great Clips / AccuDoc Solution Chevrolet Impala. With the car being impounded after qualifying, the team focused on race set-up in both practice sessions. Without making a mock qualifying run, Buescher posted the 17th fastest time in final practice.

Buescher started the Dollar General 300 in the 18th spot just behind teammates, Justin Allgaier and Brad Sweet. Friday evening’s race was slow to start as an incident brought out the yellow before the first lap was complete. After a lengthy clean up, Buescher went right to work, going from the 18th position all the way up to 12th, when a heads-up move on the front stretch helped Buescher avoid the two competitors that came together directly in front of the No.30 Great Clips/AccuDoc Solutions Chevy. This incident brought out the second yellow flag of the evening.

When the race restarted, Buescher was 12th and went stalking the top-10 as the field strung out. Buescher, however continued to stay up on the wheel and battle with the 10th through 13th-place competitors with Buescher cracking the top-10 by lap 34. On lap 53 Crew Chief Mike Hillman Jr. called his driver down pit road for a green-flag pit stop, taking four tires, Sunoco fuel and a track bar adjustment to help the car with its tight-handling condition.

The field would eventually cycle through the pit stops, putting Buescher in the 11th spot. Buescher reported back into the crew that the track bar adjustment didn’t work and he’d rather they just make air pressure adjustments under the next stop. During the race’s long green-flag stretch, the race leaders caught the top-10 and put Buescher down a lap. With the no-quit attitude, Buescher and the Turner Motorsports team continued to fight to stay in the “lucky dog” position as a timely caution came out, which allowed Buescher to return to the lead lap. Hillman Jr. called his driver back down pit road for four tires, and another track bar adjustment to loosen the Great Clips/AccuDoc Solutions Chevy up.

Another quick yellow flag flew after the restart allowing for the No.30 to play a little strategy and top off the fuel tank. Just as the half way mark hit, Buescher was chasing down the top-10 once again with three competitors directly in front of him. Buescher continued to run good, consistent laps as the crew continued to encourage him. Buescher radioed back to the crew “We’re just a tick tight, but it’s drivable and that’s what we need.”

On lap 131 Buescher hit pit road for the team’s last tire stop of the evening. Hillman Jr. also ordered an air pressure adjustment to help the car get off the splitter. The crew had a great pit stop gaining the No.30 two spots on pit road, putting their driver in the ninth position. Hillman Jr. asked his driver to save them some fuel knowing that they would be eight laps short, however much of the field was in this same position.

For the final laps, the field spread out once again with Buescher fighting to finish in the top-10, after a quick two-second fuel splash and go with nine laps remaining, Buescher was able to pass two more cars in the final laps, giving the No.30 Great Clips/AccuDoc Solutions Turner Motorsports a hard-fought ninth-place finish.

“I’m so proud of this team. We struggled in practice and changed a lot of things it’s great to come out and reward the team, Great Clips and AccuDoc Solutions with a hard fought ninth place finish. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car next week at Kansas where we’ll have a lot of practice to work on our car and hopefully better our finish with a top-five. “

The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be back in action next Saturday at 3pm from Kansas Speedway for the Kansas Lottery 300. This event can be seen live on ESPN.

Source: Turner Motorsports Press Release

The post A great ninth-place finish for James Buescher at Charlotte Motor Speedway appeared first on Catchfence.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catchfence/~3/LS4eGYSBrb0/

Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie

Coming Soon: Full Report on Local Retail Impact of Sustainable Streets

At the beginning of the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ “Designing Cities” conference last week, NYC DOT released new data showing that retail and restaurant sales have tended to increase after streets are redesigned with Select Bus Service, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian plazas. It turns out that there’s more information on the way. Last week’s document was a teaser for a more comprehensive report due out in the next few months.

Businesses in Jackson Heights opposed this plaza at first. Now, they see it as an opportunity. New data bolsters the idea that retail businesses see stronger sales after the implementation of public plazas. Photo: Office of City Council Member Danny Dromm

DOT has hired consultant Bennett Midland to measure not just sales tax collections, but also commercial rents and property assessments after the completion of sustainable streets projects. The news came during a panel on the economic impact of transportation policy at the NACTO conference, where Bennett Midland’s Eric Lee discussed some of the report’s preliminary findings.

The research dispels a myth often employed by opponents of livable streets projects, who claim that plazas, bike lanes and a reduction in the number of parking spaces will be crippling blows to small businesses.

“We can say in New York today that bicycle lanes, pedestrian improvements and plazas — the removal of travel lanes and parking — do not do damage” to retail sales, Lee explained. Although the research does not say that bike lanes and plazas directly cause increased retail sales, Bennett Midland studied 11 retail corridors with street improvements and found that eight have bigger sales increases than nearby commercial streets and the borough-wide average.

The sales tax collections data used for the study was acquired from the Department of Finance. Now that DOT has established a channel with the Department of Finance and has begun using research service CoStar for information on commercial rents and vacancies, economic data on the impact of street design changes may make more appearances in the agency’s future presentations, alongside information on safety metrics like traffic injuries and the incidence of speeding.

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/10/29/dot-big-report-on-local-retail-impact-of-sustainable-streets-coming-soon/

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica Nanni Galli

Genii fully committed to Lotus F1 team

Eric Boullier Lotus Lotus team owner Genii remains fully committed to the Formula 1 squad’s future, despite speculation that it has been looking at selling a stake in the outfit.

Rumours surfaced over the Indian Grand Prix weekend that the team was about to be sold to Proton, but these are understood to be wide of the mark.

High-level sources have revealed that discussions with several potential new partners about a minority stake in the team have taken place over recent months.

However, none of these discussions reached fruition. The most recent talks with an unidentified group are believed to have broken up ahead of the Indian GP.

Now, Genii has elected to focus its efforts on giving the Lotus team what it needs to move forward following a promising 2012 campaign.

Team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT: “Obviously a lot of discussions happen in the background, and I can just say for us the team is not for sale, the team has not been sold, the team will not be sold.

“Even if there was some discussion with some partners, clearly the situation has been handled by Genii.

“But now, it not just back to normal because it is even better. The strategy of Genii is quite clear now and we will have everything we need to build up in the long-term future. They are committed for the long term.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/genii-fully-committed-to-lotus-f1-team

Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins

Monday, October 29, 2012

Giammaria tops first Enna practice

Raffaele Giammaria topped the first practice session for the International Superstars Series at the Pergusa circuit in Enna, Sicily.

A regular in the GT Sprint Series, Giammaria was drafted in to the Romeo Ferraris Mercedes team as a late replacement for Camillo Zurcher. And he wasted no time getting up to speed, jumping to the top of the times midway through the 45-minute session and ultimately gapping the rest of the field by almost half a second.

Both Max Pigoli (Ferlito Jaguar) and Tonio Liuzzi (CAAL Racing Mercedes) left their runs much later, Pigoli jumping to second and Liuzzi top third after the flag had fallen.

Andrea Larini made sure there were two Romeo Ferraris Mercedes near the front with the fourth fastest time, ahead of Francesco Sini’s Solaris Chevrolet.

Max Biagi was sixth fastest in his Dinamic BMW, a surprising result given that the Mercedes and Jaguars are better suited to Pergusa’s long straights.

And he wasn’t the only Dinamic BMW driver in the top 10, with Max Mugelli setting the eighth fastest time, the pair split by the Roma Racing Mercedes of Domenico Caldarola.

For points leader Johan Kristoffersson, it was a tough session. The KMS Audi driver ended up just 14th, more than four seconds adrift of Giammaria.

Even more surprising was that he was still the fastest of the Audi drivers, with Thomas Schoffler 17th in the MTM entry, and Gianni Morbidelli (Audi Sport Italia) 18th and last after he hit a kerb too hard and broke his RS5′s front-right suspension early in the session.

Results to follow.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/giammaria-tops-first-enna-practice

Jerry Hoyt Nico Hülkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise

Cortese wins as Sissis stars at home

Sandro Cortese, Ajo, Phillip Island Moto3 2012 Moto3 world champion Sandro Cortese sealed his fifth win of the season in the Australian round at Phillip Island, as his Ajo team-mate Arthur Sissis wowed his home crowd in third.

With Cortese having wrapped up the series’ inaugural title at Sepang a week ago, the pressure was off at Phillip Island.

When the lead battle was broken up by a spate of ride-through penalties for false starts – with frontrunners Jonas Folger, Luis Salom and Louis Rossi among those transgressing – Cortese and Monlau’s Miguel Oliveira managed to break away.

Oliveira enjoyed a brief spell in the lead, but Cortese had matters in hand. He hit the front for good with three laps to go and duly clinched another victory, as Oliveira secured a career-best runner-up spot.

For the ecstatic crowd, the real hero was Sissis.

The young Australian clung on at the front of an incredible battle for third position to take his maiden world championship podium in the best possible place.

Sissis fended off rivals Alex Rins, Danny Kent, Romano Fenati, Alessandro Tonucci and Efren Vazquez by just fractions of a second at the line after a frantic last few laps.

Maverick Vinales had been in the thick of this battle on his return to the series but crashed seven laps from home.

Sepang podium finisher Zulfahmi Khairuddin led for a few laps early on before drifting back to the tail of the podium dice and then falling when a mechanical problem struck his Ajo KTM.

Results – 23 laps:

Pos Rider Team/Bike Time/Gap
1. Sandro Cortese Ajo KTM 38m20.014s
2. Miguel Oliveira Monlau Suter-Honda + 2.108s
3. Arthur Sissis Ajo KTM + 5.031s
4. Alex Rins Monlau Suter-Honda + 5.084s
5. Danny Kent Ajo KTM + 5.107s
6. Romano Fenati Italia FMI FTR-Honda + 5.109s
7. Alessandro Tonucci Italia FMI FTR-Honda + 5.374s
8. Efren Vazquez Laglisse FTR-Honda + 5.894s
9. Alex Marquez Ambrogio Suter-Honda + 30.783s
10. Isaac Vinales Ongetta FTR-Honda + 30.911s
11. Jonas Folger Aspar Kalex-KTM + 32.803s
12. Adrian Martin Laglisse FTR-Honda + 33.302s
13. Jakub Kornfeil Ongetta FTR-Honda + 33.479s
14. Brad Binder RW Kalex-KTM + 34.102s
15. Luis Salom RW Kalex-KTM + 43.749s
16. Alan Techer Technomag-CIP TSR-Honda + 43.827s
17. Alberto Moncayo Laglisse FTR-Honda + 49.394s
18. Armando Pontone Ioda Italia + 1m06.551s
19. John McPhee Caretta KRP-Honda + 1m06.588s
20. Louis Rossi Germany FTR-Honda + 1m08.801s
21. Jack Miller Caretta Honda + 1m08.908s
22. Kenta Fujii Technomag-CIP TSR-Honda + 1m10.030s
23. Giulian Pedone Ambrogio Suter-Honda + 1m10.411s
24. Lincoln Gilding K1 Honda + 1m33.510s
25. Sam Clarke Fastline Honda + 1 lap

Retirements:

Zulfahmi Khairuddin Ajo KTM 19 laps
Toni Finsterbusch Germany Honda 16 laps
Maverick Vinales Avintia FTR-Honda 14 laps
Niklas Ajo TT Motion KTM 11 laps
Luca Amato Aspar Kalex-KTM 8 laps
Riccardo Moretti Mahindra 1 lap

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/cortese-wins-as-sissis-stars-at-home

Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori

Rosberg hopeful over strategy gamble

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes Mercedes’ decision not to run Nico Rosberg in Q3 qualifying for the Indian Grand Prix will open up strategic options for the German in tomorrow’s race.

Rosberg will start 10th for the 60-lap grand prix, which is expected to hard on tyre wear, with some teams contemplating just one stop.

And the Chinese Grand Prix winner hopes that by not setting a time in Q3, and therefore allowing him to start with a new set of tyres in Sunday’s race, it will give him an advantage over the cars higher up the grid.

“In terms of our strategy for the race, it was better for us not to run in Q3 as it should give us a better pace tomorrow with fresh tyres,” Rosberg said. “Of course it’s not a nice feeling to be waiting in the pits and watching the others out there however.

“It seems that the race will be tough on the tyres with very long stints, so I should have an advantage compared to the cars in front of me. I’ll be able to tell you tomorrow if it was the right decision but I’m reasonably happy today as we looked like we have made a small improvement here.”

Team principal Ross Brawn was convinced that the team had opted for the correct strategy rather than trying to compete for a lower position in the top ten.

“That was a qualifying session in which we had to balance the temptation to run to our ultimate pace and the realistic consideration of what the race will bring,” said Brawn. “After Q2, it was clear that seventh place was the maximum we could achieve with Nico, and his pace had been strongest on used tyres.

“However, we preferred not to go into the race on a set of used soft tyres which had already completed up to ten laps, as this would limit our strategic options. With a view to tomorrow, we therefore decided not to run in Q3 which will give us the choice of a fresh set of either tyre for our opening stint.”

Michael Schumacher was mystified as to why he was unable to match Rosberg’s pace in qualifying, dropping out in Q2 and lining up only 14th on the grid.

“I cannot yet really explain why, particularly when I compare the times to what I did this morning,” he said. “In practice, we were able to run similar lap times with much more fuel in the car but, for whatever reason, we were unable to get the tyres into the right working window and generate enough grip this afternoon.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/rosberg-hopeful-over-strategy-gamble

Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin

Brawn backs steering committee plan

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn believes the introduction of a ‘Steering Committee’ in Formula 1 for next year will be a huge benefit to the sport.

As AUTOSPORT revealed last week, the new governance structure that is being planned by the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone is for an 18-man strategy group to sit below a more streamlined F1 Commission to help form future rules.

Although only six teams will sit on that committee, with there also being six FIA representatives and six from Ecclestone’s Formula One Management organisation, Brawn thinks that the structure will benefit all teams and the sport in general.

At the moment, the current structure sees rules get formulated by the Technical Working Group or Sporting Working Group before being ratified by the 26-strong F1 Commission that is made up of the teams, FIA, FOM, sponsors, circuits and engine makers.

“I think everyone recognises the F1 Commission is an important body but it is not an easy group to get together to discuss the future of F1,” said Brawn, referring to the wide number of people who need to be called together.

“But there is a gap between the TWG/SWG. And the F1 Commission, because of its structure, meant it was difficult to have debate about the strategic direction of F1.

“I think this [strategy] group will be very useful in terms of providing a forum for the commercial rights holder, the governing body and the teams to discuss the future of F1.

“What do we want? Is the racing good? Is the racing bad? Do we need to change the concept? Do we need to develop qualifying? What is the situation with tyres? For all these broad topics where there is no real structured organisation to discuss, it will provide a very useful function in that respect.”

F1 teams were presented with the governing structure at a meeting in Paris on Monday hosted by Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt.

There was a further follow-up with Ecclestone in the paddock in India on Friday afternoon, as work continued on framing the new Concorde Agreement.

High level sources insist the matter will be sorted out within the next few weeks, despite suggestions that there is still a wide range of disagreement about several issues.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/brawn-backs-steering-committee-plan

Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears

With more manufacturers turning away from analog gauges in favor of LCD instrument panels, it was only a matter of time before an aftermarket company came up with a screen of its own. Enter the ID4Motion MotionGraphic Design Digital Cluster. Using car-specific hardware, the screen can tap into your vehicle's systems with either a CAN-BUS or analog connection to display everything from engine and vehicle speed to pertinent system warnings and fuel capacity in a more attractive manner. The device boasts a 10.1-inch color display with 1280x800 resolution and a suite of tech goodies.

Those include a G force meter as well as a timer odometer matched to your vehicle. More importantly, user and vehicle information is encoded to prevent tampering from outside parties. The Design Digital Cluster can even be configured to show off a company logo should you so desire. How much will it cost you? ID4Motion isn't saying, but the company will gladly quote you a price depending on your application. Check it out in action below or head over to the ID4Motion site for more information.

Continue reading ID4Motion re-imagines your car's gauge cluster

ID4Motion re-imagines your car's gauge cluster originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Oct 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/28/id4motion-re-imagines-your-cars-gauge-cluster/

Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney