Hornish ‘thinking about’ Castroneves
Oct 4, 2008 IndyCar
Penske racer Sam Hornish Jr said he was ‘thinking about’ his former IRL IndyCar Series teammate Helio Castroneves, who has become embroiled in a tax evasion scandal
Peugeot resist Audi at half-distance
Oct 4, 2008 ALMS
Peugeot and Audi remain locked in battle at the halfway point of the 2008 Petit Le Mans
Sarrazin takes pole for Peugeot
Oct 4, 2008 ALMS
Peugeot’s Stephane Sarrazin snatched pole from Audi driver Allan McNish after a spectacular battle in qualifying for the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta
Double Whammy for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. In Talladega Practice Sessions
Oct 4, 2008 NASCAR
In the first practice at Talladega Super Speedway, Dale Earnhardt, Junior suffered an engine problem in the first eight laps. He had to exit the speedway and the crew quickly changed the engine to be ready for the second practice (see previous article for details).
Yet, unbelievably, nine minutes into the second practice session, trouble struck yet again when the right rear tire exploded on the number 88 machine. Junior’s car was severely damaged, with almost the entire rear blowing off.
Also collected in the accident was David Gilliland, who was drafting with Junior, and just had no where to go. Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne also suffered damage from the impact.
After a ride to the infield car center, Dale Earnhardt, Junior will try to make some laps in the back up car.
Has Junior gotten all of his bad luck out of the way before the race? Only time will tell in these most eventful practice sessions at Talladega.
Photo Credit David Yeazell.
Young Guns Mix with Craftsman Truck Veterans at Talladega Qualifying
Oct 4, 2008 NASCAR
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races side by side this weekend with both the Cup and ARCA series at Talladega Super Speedway. This afternoon saw the qualifying session for the Truck Series.
It was an exciting time trial session, with Erik Darnell securing the Keystone Light pole position. Darnell, racing for Roush Fenway Racing, secured his second pole in the No. 99 truck this season, both coming at super speedways.
This pole also signified Roush Fenway’s third pole and the sixth time that the team has swept the front row, with young gun John Wes Townley securing the outside pole.
The pole position is significant at Talladega, as the past two races have been won from the pole position.
Ford and Toyota dominated qualifying, each with four cars in the top ten, with Ford securing the top four positions. Chevy and Dodge each have one car in the top ten in qualifying.
The top ten in qualifying are as follows:
1. Erik Darnell
2. John Wes Townley
3. Colin Braun
4. John Wood
5. Todd Bodine
6. Joey “Sliced Bread” Logano
7. Ron Hornaday
8. Dennis Setzer
9. Mike Skinner
10. Mike Wallace
Other notables include Kyle “Rowdy” Busch, qualifying in the 13th position; Scott “Speed Demon” Speed in the 16th position; and veteran Johnny Benson in the 17th position.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Done Blowed Up" in First Talladega Practice Session
Oct 4, 2008 NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the rest of the Sprint Cup cars had just taken the track at Talladega for the first practice for this Sunday’s race. The car looked racy, and Junior immediately started to mix it up with his other Hendrick Motor Sports teammates.
But, on lap eight, Junior’s car started smoking, and he inexplicably started to fall back in the pack. Ten minutes into the very first Cup practice of the weekend, Dale Jr.’s car pulled off the track with some sort of engine malfunction. His car “done blowed up.”
The crew furiously got to work on the car once it was back in the garage. A thin sheen of oil coated the back of the car and the spoiler, indicative of some major engine malfunction.
Dale Jr. exited the car and huddled with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and the engine experts from Hendrick. The engine issue was particularly concerning, as these types of problems tend to be epidemic and could spread to the other Hendrick team members, including points leader Jimmie Johnson and other Chase contender Jeff Gordon.
Also adding to the angst is that this race is an impound race, meaning that after practice and qualifying, no further work can be done on the car.
As he surveyed the damage, Earnhardt Junior shared that it appeared that the car had some failure in a gasket or seal that led to the oil leak. This led to the “seizing up” of the engine, according to Junior.
Earnhardt Jr. also acknowledged that they “did not lose too much oil.” He affirmed that the team would change the engine, thereby having to start in the rear of the field.
The team will do just that as they change the engine and prepare for the next practice session. Junior said that the “car is good” and that he is “anxious to get back out there.”
While this engine issue will prove a complication for the No. 88 team, this is one of Junior’s best race tracks. And we all know that you can come from the rear to win at Talladega, as long as you have drafting help.
The most nervous folks at the track now are not the National Guard/Amp team members, but most likely the No. 24 and 48 teams, as they hope that the same fate does not await them.
Photo Credit David Yeazell.
UPDATE: Tony Eury Jr., crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has just announced that the engine issue that the team faced in the first practice session at Talladega was due to a scuffed piston.
This is good news for the rest of the Hendrick teams, as it does seem to be an isolated problem. The team has changed the engine and will participate in the second practice session later today.
Chasers involved in practice wreck
Oct 4, 2008 NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr and two other title contenders were involved in a multi-car crash during practice on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.
GP2 organisers announce GP3 series
Oct 4, 2008 GP2 Series
GP2 organisers announced on Friday the launch of the new GP3 series, which will kick off in 2010 and that will take place during GP2 race weekend.
Castroneves pleads innocent in court
Oct 4, 2008 IndyCar
Helio Castroneves pleaded innocent to charges of tax evasion and fraud that could send him to prison, and will continue racing this weekend
Hayden determined to race with leaders
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Nicky Hayden hopes he will be able to stay with the leaders in tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix after qualifying in third place
Lorenzo admits he expected pole
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Jorge Lorenzo conceded he was taken aback by Casey Stoner’s pole position lap at Phillip Island, having believed he had the top spot in the bag
Stoner surprised to be on pole
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Casey Stoner admitted that he had not expected to be in contention for pole for his home grand prix after struggling to make his Bridgestone qualifying tyres last for a full flying lap
Stoner snatches home pole, Rossi crashes
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Ducati’s Casey Stoner has taken pole position in a hard-fought and record-setting session for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
Di Meglio maintains pole in dry
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Championship leader Mike di Meglio maintained pole position in today’s second qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
Hayden tops times late in final practice
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden again stole the show as he topped the times very late in a dry final free practice session this morning at Phillip Island for tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix.
Formula One Friday Practice Sessions: An Idea to Spice Things Up
Oct 4, 2008 Formula One
This week, some total numpty suggested a radical idea to spice up the Friday practice sessions, something that Ryan Wood addressed yesterday. The basic idea is a £500,000 prize for setting the fastest time in the session, rather than the current format of leave the pits, set three times, and go back to evaluate.
Now, I like the current format. I do not find it particularly boring to watch Formula One cars tearing around the track for two hours. But, if we had to change it, then I have an idea of how to “spice up” the Friday sessions.
Scrap them completely, and then replace them with a quarter distance sprint race with one permitted pit stop. Both tire compounds must be used in the race, so say if the race was in Monaco the race would last 19 laps. Every driver would need to complete a stop by half distance or face the black flag.
Now, you are already prepared to bombard me with questions about how the cars would qualify. It is simple—you reverse the finishing order from the last race. This would throw the big boys at the back if they finish well in the previous race, and if they still win over such a short distance it would have to be a phenomenal performance.
The points would be halved for these races, so the points up for grabs would look a wee bit like this.
1. five points
2. four points
3. three points
4. two-and-a-half points
5. two points
6. one-and-a-half points
7. one point
8. half a point
Not a lot of difference, but it would benefit the smaller teams who have little to no hope of getting points at all. So many teams have fallen out of the sport because of the little hope of success and vital advertising bonuses.
The fans would flock to this to see a sprint race, as it would add some excitement rather than having to wait until the Saturday.
I have not finished the idea completely, but do you think it is a good idea? Could this be the solution to the low attendances on Fridays?
Why Jenson Button and Honda Should Technically Be Doing Very Well in 2008
Oct 4, 2008 Formula One
Before 2007, Jenson Button was Britain’s greatest hope for Formula One glory. In a very short amount of time, he has been eclipsed by Lewis Hamilton and almost forgotten by all those who aren’t fans of him or Honda.
At the end of the 2006 season, things seemed to be looking pretty good at Honda and for Jenson. An initially disappointing season had developed into a one in which Jenson scored Honda’s maiden victory (as Lucky Strike Honda F1 Racing).
In fact, in the last six races of the season, Jenson scored more points than any other driver (including two world champions).
However, significant changes were made in Honda’s technical ranks, such as the replacement of Geoff Willis with the unsuccessful Shuhei Nakamoto (Nakamoto had been priceless in his development of Honda’s racing motor bikes, unfortunately aerodynamics when applied to four wheels proved not to be his forte).
This and a faulty wind tunnel at Brackly led to a complete U-turn in Honda’s progress. However, as I will now explain, this shouldn’t technically have been a problem.
Since joining F1 in 2000, Jenson Button has had a roller-coaster ride, finishing well one season, then not doing as well, before doing well again the next year (if you follow). Perhaps I’ll just let the stats speak for themselves:
Year: 2000
Team: Williams
Car Number: 10
Finished season: 8
Jenson finishes a very decent eighth in his maiden season, despite rookie errors (the most embarrassing of which involved him crashing whilst under a safety car period in Monza). He put in good performances and qualified as high as third in Belgium.
Year: 2001
Team: Benetton
Car Number: 8
Finished season: 17
A dreadful season in a dreadful car. After finishing eighth the previous year, he could only manage 17th in 2001.
Year: 2002
Team: Renault
Car Number: 15
Finished season: 7
I know it’s only early, but can you see the pattern yet? Eighth, to 17th, to seventh! A pretty good season, narrowly missed his first podium. However, unfortunately the season ended with his replacement by some bloke called Fernando?
Year: 2003
Team: British American Racing
Car Number: 17
Finished season: 9
Ok so 7 to 9 isn’t too bad….but it’s still a step back! Button leads his first lap in the USA and outperforms his world champ teammate Jacques Villeneuve.
Year: 2004
Team: British American Racing
Car Number: 9
Finished season: 3!
Jenson’s best F1 season in which he scored his first ever podium in Malaysia and his first pole position in San Marino. BAR came second in the constructor’s championship and the only drivers to beat Jenson in the drivers standings, carried a prancing horse on their cars!
Year: 2005
Team: British American Racing
Car Number: 3
Finished season: 9
Contract controversies aside, not a great year for Jens or BAR. A disqualification due to the BAR’s fuel system and a poor first half of the season meant that by the time the team had picked itself back up again, it was too late for a significant challenge. Still, ninth wasn’t bad considering the start.
Year: 2006
Team: Honda Racing F1
Car Number: 12
Finished season: 6
A mixed bag really; the win in Hungary outweighed the poor start, but by the end of 2006, Honda were very much a Top Four team, and Jenson scored more points than any other driver in the last six races.
Year: 2007
Team: Honda Racing F1
Car Number: 7
Finished season: 15
An absolute catastrophe! Honda and Jenson go from top four to back markers (they weren’t even allowed a gentle decline like Williams). Blame who you like, the drivers struggled with the dismal RA107, and the only positive came from the signing of Ross Brawn at the end of the year.
Year: 2008
Team: Honda Racing F1
Car Number: 16
Finished season: probably around 18!
So if my theory was correct; this should have been a good year for Honda! However, it doesn’t quite work like that; a poor 2007 has run into a worse 2008.
Rubens has more often than not outperformed Jenson, and things aren’t looking great for the final three races.
However, I believe that due to the massive aero changes next year, Honda have long since dropped the RA108 in favour of the RA109; hopefully explaining why there has been no significant improvement over this season.
Jenson seems pretty focused, and there is no doubt in my mind he has the skill to win more races and perhaps a World Championship, he just needs the car.
Things can only get better.
So maybe……….
Year: 2009
Team: Honda Racing F1
Car Number: 18
Finished season: 1?
Guintoli battles fractured shoulder blade
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Alice Ducati rider Sylvain Guintoli fought against pain from an injured shoulder to qualify on the fifth row for tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
Riders welcome single tyre rule
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Leading riders have welcomed MotoGP’s move to a single tyre supplier from 2009, with former world champions Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner both expressing their support for the change
Suzuki hopeful of good race performance
Oct 4, 2008 MotoGP
Suzuki riders Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen are still hopeful of a good performance in tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix despite neither rider qualifying in the top ten this afternoon.
(3.5 out of 5)