Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope gambled by taking two tires under caution and seized the lead from Kyle Busch with 34 laps to [...]
Joe Gibbs Racing Aric Almirola Riley-D\\\\\\\'Hondt Motorsports
Monday, January 31, 2011
Harvick wins Nationwide race in Nashville
Kevin Harvick took advantage of a late caution to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, the Sprint Cup driver’s second victory in four series starts this season.
Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope gambled by taking two tires under caution and seized the lead from Kyle Busch with 34 laps to [...]
Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope gambled by taking two tires under caution and seized the lead from Kyle Busch with 34 laps to [...]
Roczen Earns Season Best Finish at Oakland Supercross
KTM Racing News Release
Red Bull/KTM rider Ken Roczen earned his best finish of the season at the fourth round of the AMA Supercross West Lites Series held at the Oakland Coliseum when he crossed the finish line in 4th overall.
Roczen had the speed to run up front all day. He qualified third fastest in practice to get a great gate pick for his heat. In the evening heat races he started 3rd around the first turn and maintained that position throughout the six lap race. He finished in the 3rd spot in his heat to earn another good gate pick - this time for the main event.
"I was happy with my start in the heat and wanted to make sure I put myself in the same position in the main event. The start is so important in Supercross racing and I have been improving upon my starts each race to help put myself in a better position to finish on the podium," commented Roczen.
The track was tough on a lot of the riders this weekend and the rain that began to fall harder as the main event approached did not help the track conditions. Despite the slick track surface, Roczen was able to pull another great start. When the gate dropped for the main event he came out 2nd around the first corner.
As they completed the first lap Roczen found himself behind holeshot winner Eli Tomac and the 3rd place ride of Josh Hansen. All three riders remained close. As the three riders crossed the finish line jump of the third lap, Tomac hit a slick patch on the turn after the finish line jump and washed out handing Roczen the lead. Roczen held the lead for two laps before he made a mistake in the whoops and Hansen was able to move around him. As Roczen recovered from his swap in the whoops, Broc Tickle caught and passed Roczen. The KTM rider immediately charged back up to close the gap on the Kawasaki riders as they crossed the finish line jump once more.
On lap nine, as Roczen was defending his 3rd place position, he went down in the same turn Tomac had fallen in earlier in the race. "I knew that turn was slick because I had seen Tomac fall earlier. I was trying to take it easy but before I knew it I was already on the ground. It is so frustrating because I was in podium position. The positive thing is I have been improving each weekend. I was better at defending my lines today and I had much better starts," stated Roczen.
After his crash Roczen quickly got back in action now in 4th position. "I had real bad arm pump during the race and I felt like I wasn't riding like myself. I don't know what's causing it but I had arm pump in my heat and in the main and it was definitely a factor in my overall finish," he remarked.
Roczen eventually finished the evening in 4th place. Although he was disappointed in not
making the podium at this round, he was happy to have improved upon his top results this season. With four rounds in the books, Roczen sits 7th overall in the series point standings.
Next Round: Anaheim, CA - February 5, 2011
Overall Results Lites Supercross -
1. Broc Tickle
2. Josh Hansen
3. Eli Tomac
4. Ken Roczen - KTM
5. Tyla Rattray
6. Ryan Morais
7. Kyle Cunningham
8. James Decotis
9. Bruce Rutherford
10. Ryan Marmont - KTM
11. Gared Steinke
12. Ben Evans
13. Nick Paluzzi
14. Jake Canada
15. Antonio Balbi
16. Martin Davalos
17. Scott Champion
18. Casey Hinson - KTM
19. Travis Baker
20. Cole Seely
Overall Point Standings Lites Supercross -
1. Josh Hansen - 88
2. Broc Tickle - 87
3. Ryan Morais - 70
4. Eli Tomac - 69
5. Cole Seely - 60
6. Tyla Rattray - 58
7. Ken Roczen - 49
8. Martin Davalos - 45
9. Kyle Cunningham - 44
10. James Decotis - 40
Mallya - F1 team 'is not a hobby'
Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya says he owns the Force India F1 team for sound business reasons
2011 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE - Intelligent!
Racing improves the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE
It's become an old cliché to say that racing improves the breed, but if ever that applied to any motorcycle, it's the new Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE - as in Aprilia Performance Ride Control Special Edition.
Photo Gallery: 2011 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE - Sport Rider Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2011 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE - Sport Rider Magazine
Sunday, January 30, 2011
2010 Team Reviews: Stewart-Haas Racing Steps Back
Filed under: Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Sprint Cup, Stewart-Haas Racing, NASCAR
Not everyone doubted Tony Stewart when he announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 to form his own Sprint Cup team, Stewart-Haas Racing.
But he will certainly note, as will anyone else around at that point, that so many people from so many corners of NASCAR thought the two-time champion was committing career suicide.
Instead, 2009 proved to be about as far from the gloomy predictions as possible when both Stewart and teammate Ryan Newman qualified for NASCAR's championship battle. Their campaigns in the 2009 Chase to the Sprint Cup were to little avail, but seemed to paint a soon-to-be-dominant future for the race team.
Comparatively, 2010 was a step back for the SHR team -- back to about the level most thought Stewart would be competing at by now.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Charlotte Motor Speedway Erecting World's Largest HD Screen
Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, NASCAR, Charlotte Motor Speedway
CONCORD, N.C. -- Three tour buses slowly circled Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday and stopped on the backstretch, disgorging dozens of media members into the cold winter air next to the construction site of billionaire O. Bruton Smith's latest promotional extravaganza -- the world's HD largest video board.
This television screen will be 200 feet wide by 80 feet high and will tower some 30 feet higher than the backstretch lights. It will be visible -- with an impressively large image -- from every seat of the grandstands stretching from turn four all the way down the frontstretch and well into turn two.
In typical speedway fashion, the announcement included fanfare -- in this case the arrival of Marcus Smith, speedway president, and FOX NASCAR announcers Jeff Hammond and Mike Joy, all driving front end loaders.
But many in the media were more interested in hearing from Marcus Smith's father, Bruton, who parked his jet-black, brand-new Mercedes right there in the middle of the backstretch just a few yards away.
As a promoter, Smith goes back to the earliest days of NASCAR. He's always been the most innovative of the major racing promoters, and he's always been one to speak his mind. So despite the fanfare engineered by his son, when Bruton stepped out of his car, he was the one who was quickly surrounded by eager reporters.
Should NASCAR Be Doing A Better Job Protecting Its Brand?
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IMS Test Portimao SBK - Friday Combined Times
1 111 Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.065
2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'48.267
3 41 Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'53.414
4 58 Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1'54.130
5 33 Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'54.348
6 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'54.516
7 121 Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'55.633
8 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'56.276
9 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'56.328
10 17 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'56.361
11 4 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'56.378
12 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'56.571
13 86 Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'57.759
14 52 Toseland J. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'58.234
15 2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'58.703
Lotus F1 naming dispute heading to court early with new livery, staff
Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Lotus, Renault
Lotus Renault GP 2011 livery - Click above for high-res image gallery
Group Lotus and Team Lotus weren't expected to get their day in court until the summer, but the two outfits are reportedly heading to trial next week to seek a resolution of the naming rights dispute that has emerged between them. The earlier court proceedings in London will reportedly seek a summary judgment, a sort of preemptive ruling that could obviate the need for a drawn-out legal battle between the two parties.
For those unfamiliar, Group Lotus parent company Proton had licensed the name Lotus to an independent F1 team that joined the field last year. The two entities then had a difference of opinion on continuing the contract for a second season, after which Group Lotus (maker of the cars we know and love) bought out the Renault F1 team to form Lotus Renault GP. The independent Malaysian team, meanwhile, is also contracted to run Renault engines next season, leaving the two teams with nearly identical names in every respect.
The two outfits were also set to run similar black-and-gold liveries this season, but the independent Team Lotus opted to stick with the existing green-and-yellow livery as Lotus Renault GP unveiled the retro black-and-gold scheme at the Autosport International show in Birmigham (images from which we've put into the gallery below for your viewing pleasure). The team could, however, run afoul of anti-tobacco legislation (in Canada of all places, where the law's implementation was originally delayed in order to keep their grand prix) since the livery is a throwback to when tobacco brand JPS sponsored the outfit in its heyday.
In a related development, the Lotus Renault GP team is reportedly preparing to hire a large number of Malaysian employees as well, including Fairuz Fauzy. The Malaysian driver - winner of races in A1GP, GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 - served as a test driver last season for Lotus Racing (aka Team Lotus) but recently quit the team with no explanation, and will now be acting as Lotus Renault GP's official test and reserve driver alongside Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov.
Finally, Lotus has also announced the recruitment of former F1 driver Jean Alesi, who will serve as an ambassador for the Exos/Type 125 program and the latest in a long line of former Ferrari employees who have followed CEO Dany Behar (a former Ferrari vice-president himself) to Lotus. Got all that? Now check out the fresh batch of images in the gallery below.
[Sources: Autosport, Lotus]
Lotus F1 naming dispute heading to court early with new livery, staff originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFriday, January 28, 2011
Ask The Insiders Wednesday #108
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You Lose! Don't Make Dirt Bikes Extinct
A MUST-READ! Coming government regulations could give new meaning to “don’t tread on me.” Learn what you can do to stem the tide.
Read this story. I don't care how little you give a hoot about anything but actually riding your dirt bike, but your being able to do that in the future depends first on you reading further. Even if you don't give a rat's ass about anything political, economic or involving land use.
Photo Gallery: You Lose! Don't Make Dirt Bikes Extinct - Dirt Rider Magazine
Trail Ride Day, Cal VMX/AHRMA, SRA GP This Weekend at GHR
THIS WEEKEND AT GLEN HELEN RACEWAY: First Monthly Glen Helen Trail Ride Day, Round 1 of the Cal-VMX/AHRMA Series, SRA Grand Prix Racing and REM Saturday Motocross - Glen Helen News Release
- First ever Glen Helen Ride Day on Friday
- REM Saturday Motocross on the Back Track
- Cal-VMX/AHRMA Regional on Saturday.
- SRA Grand Prix on Sunday
San Bernardino, Calif. - January 25, 2011 - Glen Helen Raceway, America's playground in Southern California, is getting ready for another busy weekend of exciting racing, as great trail riding and three of Southern California's best racing series come to town.
The weekend starts on Friday with the first ever Glen Helen Trail Ride Day. This one-of-a-kind event lets riders experience Glen Helen Raceway beyond the racetracks, riding on specially marked trails designed by off-road legend Gary Jones. Gary himself will be leading the riding. The Ride Day starts at 8AM and lasts throughout the day, with free overnight camping. Standard gate fees apply. This event will happen the last Friday of every month - so mark your calendars for a fun day.
REM Saturday Motocross series is next up for the weekend, racing on the Glen Helen Back Track. REM Saturday MX provides a relaxed environment, with a variety of classes from beginners to pros, industry insiders to complete newcomers. For more information on the entire REM Saturday Motocross series, check out www.remsatmx.com.
Also on Saturday is the first race of the Cal-VMX/AHRMA Regional series. As one of the premier vintage motorcycle racing series in the world, the Cal-VMX/AHRMA races are like a moving museum exhibit, with some of the most famous and renowned motorcycles from years before on display in their natural setting - on the racetrack. More information, including classes and registration, can be found at www.calvmx.net.
Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday is the SRA Grand Prix. Always one of Glen Helen's most popular racing series, the SRA Grand Prix holds classes for everyone from beginners to experts, pee-wees to seniors, and mini bikes to open class bikes. For more info, including a downloadable entry form and event schedule, head over to www.sragp.com.
For track information, schedules, and special fan promotions, check out Glen Helen Raceway online at www.glenhelen.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/glenhelenraceway.
Upcoming Events:
Feb. 6 - Oldtimers MX
Feb. 12 - Lucas Oil Short Course Regional
Mar. 27-28 - Dirt Fest 2011
May 22 - NHRA Hillclimb
May 14-15 - Monster Energy USGP
Glen Helen Raceway: Glen Helen Raceway is the premier Off-Road Racing facility in Southern California and is known as a world class racing facility. The 256 acre facility located near the San Bernardino County town of Devore, has featured Motocross, Sand Drags, Short and Long Course Buggies & Trucks, AMA 125/250 MX Nationals, Pro ATV Racing, Off Road G.P. and Endurance races, and the FIM United States Grand Prix, World Championship Motocross event.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Fauzy joins Renault in test role
Ex-Lotus Racing reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy joins Lotus-backed Formula 1 rivals Renault in the same role.
Laguna 2009 tipping contest prizes
Thanks to all our competitors last week - it was a week that was particularly scare on points with Dani Pedrosa hardly featuring in the picks - only four of you had him on the podium at all, and only @rumblestrip as high as second. Elsewhere, he was mentioned but generally only as a crash [...]
Harvick wins Nationwide race in Nashville
Kevin Harvick took advantage of a late caution to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, the Sprint Cup driver’s second victory in four series starts this season.
Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope gambled by taking two tires under caution and seized the lead from Kyle Busch with 34 laps to [...]
Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope gambled by taking two tires under caution and seized the lead from Kyle Busch with 34 laps to [...]
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Interview with Rick Broadbent
MotoGPBlog was lucky enough to catch up with Rick Broadbent, Times journalist and author of Ring of Fire. You can also read our review of his book, and while you’re there, pick up your copy though our Amazon store - see links at the end of the articles.
FIA Institute shortlists young driver academy finalists
The FIA Institute has chosen the 19 drivers who will take part in a three-day shootout to decide who will make it onto the organisation's inaugural Young Driver Excellence Academy. The shortlist is made up of young talents from all over the world, including competitors from Bahrain, France, Spain, Israel, the UK, Estonia, Norway, the USA and New Zealand.
Amongst the 19 are a number of current series champions, including the titleholders from Formula BMW Europe, the F4 Eurocup series and ADAC Formel Masters. They are joined by event winners from the Super 2000 and Junior World Rally Championships and a number of drivers with Formula One testing experience.
Amongst the 19 are a number of current series champions, including the titleholders from Formula BMW Europe, the F4 Eurocup series and ADAC Formel Masters. They are joined by event winners from the Super 2000 and Junior World Rally Championships and a number of drivers with Formula One testing experience.
MotoGP Schedule Shuffled Again: Three 45 Minute Sessions, And An Hour Qualifying
The Grand Prix Commission - MotoGP's rulemaking body - appear to have too little to do. A meeting last week announced yet another shakeup of the weekend schedule for each MotoGP event, which will see three sessions of free practice, of 45 minutes each, and an hour of qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
The announcement is the latest in a series of changes to the organization of practice, coming just over a month after the previous change. In the meeting of December 9th, 2010, the GP commission announced a return to the four-practice schedule, then agreeing that the MotoGP class would have four sessions of an hour, two sessions on Friday and two on Saturday, including qualifying in the afternoon. That has now been amended to three free practice sessions of 45 minutes (two on Friday and one on Saturday morning), with an hour of qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
Yoshimura Japan enters Australian Josh Waters as wild card entry at Phillip Island WSBK
Yoshimura Japan has signed Australian Josh Waters to enter as a wild card at the Phillip Island WSBK opening round
Team Suzuki's Josh Waters has signed to race for the Yoshimura Racing Team at the opening round of the 2011 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island in Australia.
Yoshimura Japan President Fujio Yoshimura hand-picked the 2009 Australian Superbike Champion to represent the team on February 25-27th.
He said: "We are extremely excited to have Josh on board. He is a very talented rider and we look forward to seeing what he can do at his home track".
Perry Morison, General Manager, Motorcycles, Suzuki Australia was equally-excited about the Yoshimura opportunity for the Suzuki Superbike Young Gun, saying: "We're really happy that the Yoshimura Racing Team has asked Josh to race at the Phillip Island World Superbike round. The 2010 season was a challenging one for Josh, but he showed what he is capable of by returning from injury to take a race win at the MotoGP Superbike support race. His opportunity with Yoshimura now lets him showcase his talent on the world stage and I can't wait to see him race."
In addition to his involvement with the Yoshimura Racing Team, Waters will continue as part of Team Suzuki competing in selected Australian Superbike rounds.
Photo Gallery: Yoshimura Japan signs Josh Waters as wild card entry at Phillip Island WSBK - Sport Rider Magazine
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Marvin Musquin Takes MX2 Title in Benelux GP (Lierop)
The MXGP Race Report
Marvin Musquin finished second overall in the Benelux Grand Prix but was crowned the 2010 FIM MX2 World Champion already after the first heat thanks partly to Roczen’s misfortune, pulling out of the opening moto. The Grand Prix victory went on hands of his compatriot Gautier Paulin. In MX1 Antonio Cairoli struggled a little bit on the Dutch track but managed to clinch the overall victory and continues breaking records in the History of the sport.
Photo Gallery: Marvin Musquin Takes MX2 Title in Benelux GP (Lierop) - Dirt Rider Magazine
Floating racing teams?
The news that Williams F1 is going to float (saying that it is considering the idea is clearly not worthy of a press statement) has resulted in suggestions that other F1 teams may follow suit. The biggest question, however, is whether it is a good idea. Such moves have been discussed for more than 20 [...]
2011 WSS teams: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
Statistically speaking, the most successful team in the Supersport World Championship is the Ten Kate squad, who will come back to shoot for their ninth Riders' World Championship in 2011.
With their WSBK wing now running Castrol title sponsorship, the WSS squad will once more run Hannspree colours, as the Taiwanese consumer products manufacturer stays onboard with a team that has brought them much success. The family firm, with owner Gerrit Ten Kate and his nephew Ronald running a unique system which features staff which are almost exclusively from the same small Dutch town of Nieuwleusen, is incredibly tight-knit and supportive of each other. A band of brothers, you could say, who unlike most teams sleep in their trucks overnight during races weekends.
In terms of riders, last year's World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu has moved on, as has his riding partner Michele Pirro, but the exit of one proven world champion has brought about the return of another.
Fabien Foret won the 2002 WSS crown for Honda, Ten Kate and himself, and now he returns with his desire to win as sharp as ever. The 37-year-old rider's winning record puts him third on the list of all time victors, and he is easily the most successful rider to still be competing in this class.
The other 2011 rider may be the same nationality as Fabien - French - but 17-year-old Florian Marino is at the opposite end of the experience spectrum. A very talented rider who challenged for the championship in the Superstock 600 European Championship in 2010 (also on a Ten Kate Honda), Marino is almost a complete rookie in WSS. He did race one time already, for the Ten Kate Junior Team at Magny-Cours last year, when the 600 Superstock title had been decided.
The Ten Kate team is legend in this class of racing, nothing less. They have taken Foret, Chris Vermeulen, Karl Muggeridge, Sebastien Charpentier (twice), Andrew Pitt and Kenan Sofuoglu (twice) to the crown. Since 2007 that team has enjoyed Hannspree sponsorship, which continues for another year.
A series of winter tests is now being completed, including a two-day test at Phillip Island even before the official tests start, which shows that they are looking as well-prepared and serious as ever.
Casey Mears to sub if Hamlin can?t drive
Casey Mears was selected Saturday to sub for #11-Denny Hamlin while he recovers from ACL surgery. It’s a deal that came together in just a few days, but one Mears knows could relaunch a fledgling Cup career after going 1-for-6 in making races with underfunded Keyed-Up Motorsports…a deal that ended with a DNQ Friday. “It’s [...]
Monday, January 24, 2011
Rain delay at Martinsville-UPDATE
UPDATE:
The Cup race at Martinsville has been postponed due to rain and will be run tomorrow at 12:00PM EDT.
—————————————————–
There is a rain delay at Martinsville and the forecast does not look good for the rest of the day as more rain is expected. Stay tuned…
The Cup race at Martinsville has been postponed due to rain and will be run tomorrow at 12:00PM EDT.
—————————————————–
There is a rain delay at Martinsville and the forecast does not look good for the rest of the day as more rain is expected. Stay tuned…
Tony Stewart Reportedly Detained in Australia
Filed under: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, NASCAR Police Blotter, Stewart-Haas Racing, NASCAR
NASCAR driver and team owner Tony Stewart has been detained for questioning in Australia, according to a report.Speedcafe reports Stewart was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with Sydney Speedway co-owner Brett Morris.
The report says Stewart was upset about track conditions after hot laps, and he started exchanging words with Morris. While Stewart was held for questioning, there is no confirmation on whether he will face any charges.
Saturday evening, Stewart public relations representative Mike Arning told FanHouse in an email, "We're attempting to gather whatever information we can get our hands on in an effort to separate fact from fiction.
"However, we can say that Tony Stewart is not being held anywhere and is resting in his hotel in Australia. While we have spoken with him, he's still half-a-world a way, so figuring out what did or didn't happen is going to take some time."
After racing in Australia during the month of January, Stewart was scheduled to return to the U.S. on Saturday. No word on how his detainment will affect his plans.
Stewart is about to enter his 13th season of NASCAR competition.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Rome gives up on grand prix plan
Rome's Mayor Gianni Alemanno says the city has given up its ambition of hosting a Formula 1 grand prix.
Bill Simpson?s Impact Racing products losing certification
The SFI Foundation, which sets safety standards and certifies equipment such as uniforms and helmets, announced Friday that it has terminated contracts with Impact Racing and all of its driver suits, arm restraints, shoes, gloves, socks, underclothing, helmet supports, and driver restraint systems will be decertified effective April 27.
The announcement comes while SFI and HANS [...]
The announcement comes while SFI and HANS [...]
Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally
Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Ford, South America, Off-Road, Racing
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor at the 2011 Dakar Rally - Click above for high-res image gallery
The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is still proving that it can do whatever deed needs done, whenever it needs doing. Sue Mead and Darren Skilton managed to pilot a largely stock version of the desert-raiding pickup through all 12 stages of this year's Dakar rally. The team survived 16 days of some of the most brutal terrain on the South American continent and covered over 11,800 miles in the process. Their effort was enough to net the Raptor a 40th place finish over all and a first place finish in the OP class.
In fact, from what we hear, Mead and Skilton were the only contestants to even finish in the OP class, even with big names like Robbie Gordon gunning for the win.
That marks the first time that an American crew has ever managed to take a class win in the history of the Dakar Rally. The F-150 SVT Raptor that Mead and Skilton campaigned boasted the same 5.4-liter V8 that it rolled off the production line with, though a larger cooling system was fitted to handle the harsh temperatures of the course. Likewise, the pickup was equipped with a host of other race-capable bits including a new locker system for the differentials, more robust shocks, springs and tires.
Overall, Volkswagen took the top three spots in the 2011 Dakar Rally. BMW filled out the remaining spots in the top five with its entries. Hit the jump for the press release.
[Source: Ford]
Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSteve Wallace to Make Sprint Cup Debut in Daytona 500
Filed under: Toyota, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup, NASCAR
Nationwide regular Steve Wallace, 23, will make his Sprint Cup debut in the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 driving a Toyota Camry fielded by his famous father, Rusty, the family team announced Wednesday. Steve Wallace will become the fourth Wallace to run in the annual NASCAR classic, joining his father and uncles Mike and Kenny.
A regular in the Nationwide series since 2007 with Rusty Wallace Racing, Steve Wallace will drive the No. 77 RWR Toyota Camry in the Feb. 20 race with backing from longtime sponsor 5-Hour Energy and new partner Aspen Dental.
Wallace has a guaranteed starting spot in the 43-car field because his father's longtime car owner, Roger Penske, has a spot earned from Sam Hornish, Jr's 2010 full-season campaign in Penske's No. 77 Dodge. Penske does not have a Cup ride for Hornish in 2011.
"Starting my first Daytona 500 is definitely going to be the most exciting day of my career -- make that my life -- so far," Wallace said in a post at rustywallace.com. "It's something that every kid wanting to be a racer -- including me -- dreams of doing one day.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Bel-Ray Partners with YRT for 2011
"The professionalism and results of the Yamaha Racing Team provides an excellent showcase for the full line of Bel-Ray performance lubricants."
FARMINGDALE, NJ – January 19, 2011 – Bel-Ray Company, Inc.– the leading USA-based lubrication manufacturing company is pleased to announce our support of YRT (Yamaha Racing Team) for the 2011 Australian FX Superbike and Australian Superbike Championships.
Sachsenring 2009 MotoGP race analysis
While the weather had produced torrential downpours thoughout the preamble to this GP, it stayed dry for the action in Germany. As the riders lined up on the grid, there was a real feeling of anticipation as Rossi and Lorenzo, so close through practice until that awesome final qualifying lap from Valentino, pulled up next [...]
2011 Ducati 1198 and 1198SP Wallpaper
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More sportbike wallpapers
Photo Gallery: 2011 Ducati 1198 and 1198SP Wallpaper - Sport Rider Magazine
2012 Yamaha Super Ténéré - Rally Point
Yamaha brings the Super Ténéré adventure-tour bike to the States
In a global economic meltdown that has seen the motorcycle market suffer its worst decline in decades, there are a couple of categories that have demonstrated a bit more immunity to the calamitous drop in numbers that have plagued the rest of the industry. One of them is the adventure-tour category; bikes patterned after the popular Paris-Dakar off-road rally have suddenly become the hot ticket in Europe, and the category has actually shown some potential in the United States. According to Yamaha, the "651cc and larger dual purpose" category has grown by more than 750 percent since 1997, and was the segment least affected by the economy overall.
Photo Gallery: 2012 Yamaha Super T?n?r? - Sport Rider Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2012 Yamaha Super T?n?r? - Sport Rider Magazine
Friday, January 21, 2011
NASCAR Drivers Must Declare for One Championship in 2011
Filed under: Chase for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, NASCAR
NASCAR drivers will have to declare which championship they want to contend for in 2011 -- choosing to earn championship points in only one of the three national touring series, Sprint Cup, Nationwide or the Camping World Truck Series, according to a posting from NASCAR's official Twitter account late Monday night.
NASCAR President Mike Helton will be addressing the media in a "competition update" on Jan. 21 during the open test session at Daytona International Speedway and there was no official statement regarding the format change. However, NASCAR.com is reporting that veteran driver Kenny Wallace confirmed the change in policy after receiving his 2011 licensing agreement from NASCAR last week.
According to Wallace, drivers are asked to place a check next to the series of their choice, meaning that while they may compete in multiple series, the days are gone for a Cup driver to also run for the Nationwide title and/or truck series title. Cup driver Brad Keselowski (above), for example, is the reigning Nationwide Series champion and will have to decide whether to defend his title or stay eligible to try to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
It is still unclear how the points will be awarded to drivers competing in multiple series, but that issue and possible changes to the Cup series' Chase playoff format are both expected to be addressed next week in NASCAR's competition update news conference.
NASCAR Chairman Brian France has said repeatedly this season that he was open to changing the format in the Nationwide Series to better showcase the up-and-coming Nationwide Series-only drivers and to entice and reward teams to compete in NASCAR's triple-A series. And he has also hinted that he's open to "tweaking" the Chase format it he felt it would significantly improve the playoff feel.
FIM switches gears again on MotoGP practice scheduling changes
The FIM MotoGP commission has revised the weekend practice session scheduling for MotoGP race weekends yet again
Apparently realizing that the previous reinstatement of Friday morning practice might lead to dead TV air time in the MotoGP class due to teams keeping their bikes dormant in order to save engine life, the FIM has revised the MotoGP race weekend practice scheduling one more time. While the Friday morning practice sessions for all classes remains, the session durations have been shortened; the three MotoGP practice sessions prior to qualifying will now be only 45 minutes each (instead of an hour), with qualifying remaining at one hour in length. The Moto2 class practice sessions will actually stay unchanged (three 45-minute practice sessions, with a 45-minute qualifying session after MotoGP qualifying). The 125cc class was the main benefactor in the scheduling shuffle; instead of two 30-minute sessions on Friday and Saturday afternoon (which is qualifying on Saturday), the 125s now get 40 minutes for each afternoon session.
Below is the new race weekend session schedule:
Photo Gallery: FIM switches again on MotoGP practice scheduling changes - Sport Rider Magazine
Virgin to unveil new car in London
Whilst most of their rivals are opting for low-key launches at the forthcoming pre-season tests, Virgin have decided to unveil their 2011 car at a special event in London. The wraps will come off the Cosworth-powered MVR-02 on Monday, February 7 at a yet to be disclosed location in the UK capital.
The digitally-designed car will be driven by newly-signed Belgian driver Jerome D'Ambrosio and Timo Glock, who stays for a second season
The digitally-designed car will be driven by newly-signed Belgian driver Jerome D'Ambrosio and Timo Glock, who stays for a second season
Shift promo video with racer Austin DeHaven
Shift Racing recently released this video featuring AMA Supersport racer Austin DeHaven during a WERA event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA
Shift Racing recently released this promo video of sponsored rider Austin DeHaven, one of the new talents in the AMA Supersport series. It captures a quick look into DeHaven’s weekend during a recent WERA event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
Photo Gallery: Shift promo video with racer Austin DeHaven - Sport Rider Magazine
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