2010 Team Reviews: JGR Inches Closer to Title

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As easily the most staunch threat to unseat Jimmie Johnson and Co. from their record-setting run through the previous four seasons, Joe Gibbs Racing takes second spot in our review of the top teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 2010.

Denny Hamlin (above) delivered the last, best threat to Johnson's run to five consecutive championships at Homestead in November by holding a narrow points lead on the No. 48 before the season finale. However, a risky decision early in the race left Hamlin spinning and scrambling while Johnson cruised to his fifth.

It was a storyline we've seen before from the JGR camp -- most notably in Kyle Busch's 2008 Chase implosion.

Labeling the 2010 season a failure for JGR with one gaffe in one race, however, isn't fair to the otherwise notable successes the team saw during the campaign. Here's a look back, and the reasoning why, JGR was the second-best NASCAR organization in 2010.

2nd- Denny Hamlin [8 wins, 14 Top-5s, 18 Top-10s, 2 DNFs, 12.9 Avg Finish]

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/12/27/2010-team-reviews-jgr-inches-closer-to-title/

Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones Juan Jover

The Vintage Mercury-Lincoln Cougar - A Nascar Legend

Many have thought of the Mercury Cougar a simply nothing more than a luxo-bloated version of a Ford Thunderbird. It may well surprise many Ford, Mercury as well as Ford Mustang and Mercury Cougar enthusiasts that 35 years ago that the Cougar “Pony” Car was kicking butt on the Trans-Am circuit.

In its origins, the Cougar was an idea that Lincoln-Mercury had been tossing around, for some time, with the idea of a smaller sporty car. As early as February 1963 this idea of a smaller as well as sporty Lincoln-Mercury vehicle, to be introduced to the North American market, came to emerge within the corporate head office, marketing and design staff.

The success of the Ford Mustang was all that was needed to put the wheels in motion. Indeed the famous marketing reference in regards to the product market popularity and sales of the Ford Mustang ‘Pony” Car was a sign in a donut shop that “Or donuts sell as fast as Mustangs”. Nothing drives the automobile industry more than the potential and promise of fast car sales figures. It is noteworthy that even the name of the vehicle product “Cougar” can be said to be family line generated. After the name Cougar is not only six letters but is another member of a line of fast creatures. Both the names of Mustang and Cougar evoke an image of sleekness and fast speed as well as agility.

Built on a 111 inch wheelbase, the Cougar was three inches and half inches shorter than its cousin – the Thunderbird. Underneath the elegant sheetmetal of the Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actuality the Cougar shared with its cousins – the sporty Mustang, and the more dour family vehicle - the Ford Falcon (which was also known in the Canadian market as the Ford Frontenac product. The Ford Mustang had the greatest fortune of being born from the Ford Falcon product line. Mustang enthusiasts owe a great debt of gratitude to a so called compact “Family” car. The Ford Falcon allowed both the Mustang car project as well as the Cougar car product a quick to develop, cheap to produce as well as a proven and durable base platform. Even the dash of the early Mustangs was a direct copy of the Falcons.

Underneath all of the glitter of its elegant sheet metal the Cougar car was all Mustang, using the exact same Falcon front suspension and a solid rear axle with four-leaf springs. A base 289 cubic inch V-8 made 200 bhp (gross), but the real action came in the guise of a 390 cubic inch V-8 that made 320 bhp. A GT option included a performance handling package and power disc brakes that replaced more standard front brake drums. Finally special GT wheels rounded out the package.

It has been said that Lincoln Mercury’s chief designer had envisioned the Cougar as an elegant European sports car, along the lines of the Jaguar Mark 2. How was it that the Cougar went racing?

In 1967 Lincoln Mercury turned to Bud Moore to be the point man for a shot at the SCCA Trans-Am Championship. Team Cougar made up of drivers, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Formula 1 driver Peter Revson and NASCAR driver Dave Pearson came in second in Ford Mustang’s team. In 1968 then under the aegis of Moore, driver DeWayne “Tiny” Lund went on to capture the NASCAR Grand Touring Championship.

So where and how did the Cougar go wrong. It seemed that Lincoln-Mercury was never quite sure on how to market the Cougar. This lack of market focus, as well as not knowing and perceiving the needs and desires of the potential Cougar customer market proved to be the Cougar’s undoing. By the 1969 product introduction the Cougar was a little longer and a little wider. From then on it was only a short decent into landau roofs as well as the opera window type styling and options of the day. Once started this downward trend and spiral of the Cougar was inevitable. The halcyon years of the early Cougar - specifically the early Cougar model years of 1967 – 70 remain a time when the Cougar’s roar boomed out of dual exhausts and the sign of a car that had some bite to it.

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Article Source: The Vintage Mercury-Lincoln Cougar - A Nascar Legend

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/129872/the-vintage-mercury-lincoln-cougar-a-nascar-legend

Erik Darnell 3M Ford Reed Sorenson Dollar General Toyota

My F1 2010 season review

I've been watching grand prix racing since before World War II and I can honestly say I have never seen a season with more excitement, drama and intrigue than 2010. This is my review of the year in which Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team really came of age.

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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2010/11/my_f1_2010_season_review.html

Helm Glöckler Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals

NASCAR Drivers Must Declare for One Championship in 2011

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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.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2011/01/10/nascar-drivers-must-declare-for-one-championship-in-2011/

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Nascar And The FX Race Technology

With the coming of engineering in the 21st century, reality television has made the front seat. As more and more proficiencies are formulated to make TV more interactional and advanced, sporting events are not left far behind. Nascar has started the race F/X technology, which has enhanced the interest further amongst TV audiences. Well, the technology was primitively started by FOX, which started trailing the hockey puck on national television. The trick was hot, and it became an instant hit.

Nascar brought in a synonymous technology to track their cars. But tracking a puck on a hockey field and tracking a car moving at 200 mph on a racing circuit are two different matters entirely. In Nascar, the commentators talk about a car and then the car is spotlighted with a glowing halo around it. It looks incredibly cool on television. The statistical information about the car is also presented just above the car.

The Technology Behind The Trick
Race F/X uses a wide range of parameters to showcase their final product. GPS orbiters form an integral component of the Race F/X technology. They are used to dig up the cars as they move around the circuit. They work in tandem with an earth-based navigation system. The tracking is so accurate that the car is tracked up to 20 millimeters distance from its real position.

In-car sensing elements in the cars also play a important part in enhancing the telecasted event. They help the GPS locate the cars and also help the networks to collect as much statistical data about the car as possible. The info is highly detailed and contains minute contingents like RPM, acceleration, speed, fuel consumption, and even braking. This information is gathered at the speed of ten times a second. So you can rest assured that it is most recent information that you see on top of your favorite Nascar cars.

You Will Be In It
The day is not very far when you will be able to control the Nascar cars race F/X technology and you will be able to select and highlight the car that you want to follow. This will be done with the help of a set top box, Nascar says. A video game variation of Nascar is also on the advent. This will enable you to race your own virtual car on the racing circuit with the greats of racing. So the days are not far when your own car will be racing beside Jeff Gordon and you will be in your living room all the time. Now isn't that cool?

This will propel Nascar racing into a entirely different realm altogether. So, get ready, get set, GO!

This author is a HUGE fan of NASCAR licensed merchandise

Article Source: Nascar And The FX Race Technology

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/111182/nascar-and-the-fx-race-technology

Carl Edwards Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet Clint Bowyer

NASCAR Tracks-The Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol Motor Speedway, as a half-mile oval with the steepest banking on the NASCAR circuit, is sometimes referred to as "The Toilet Bowl". When the cars line up for the starting flag, they often stretch nearly halfway around the short track. As a result, Bristol is known for its "paint swapping," and races tend to include numerous accidents and caution flags. Bristol Speedway is the last circular track on the NASCAR circuit to install the barrier system. The installation was delayed at Bristol while engineers determined how to install the walls over the track's gates. Bristol Motor Speedway, aside from being an excellent track loaded with potentially wild twists, seems to ooze a sense of brotherhood and awe among the lucky ones with Bristol NASCAR tickets. This year's Nextel Cup and Busch (now the Sprint and the Nationwide) Series will have race fans rushing out to buy tickets, among others, all eager to see their favorite race to victory.

Bristol Motor Speedway has been an integral part of auto racing since 1961. The short track makes for slower speeds, but that is offset by the high banking of the turns at Bristol, a challenging aspect like no other track on the NASCAR circuit.

Race Week at Bristol (BMS) is not just a normal week not only for the people who work there but for the fans as well. When you attend a race at Bristol it's not just go check out the race and that's it. Racers love concrete because it provides a ton of grip and less tire wear than asphalt. Fans love Bristol because no matter which of the 160,000 seats you get, you can see the whole track. Race enthusiasts here did better than that, allowing the wave to continue nearly a half-dozen times after hearing they had set the record.

Bristol has purchased property and developed satellite parking lots on Hwy 11-E. Fees are charged for tent and motor home camping at the Bristol Dragway. Bristol Motor Speedway travel packages complete the experience at one of the favorite NASCAR tracks - the track they call Thunder Valley. Buy Bristol tickets and be part of the huge crowd of nearly 150,000 fans lucky enough to have NASCAR tickets to the Sharpie 500 in August.

The Speedway, aside from being an excellent track loaded with potentially wild twists, seems to ooze a sense of brotherhood and awe among the lucky ones with Bristol NASCAR tickets. This year's Nextel Cup and Busch (now the Sprint and the Nationwide) Series will have race fans rushing out to buy Bristol Motor Speedway tickets, among others, all eager to see their favorites race to victory.

Bristol Motor Speedway could very easily have opened in 1961 under a different name. The original plan was to build in Piney Flats which is 5 miles down the road from Bristol but the idea met local opposition. Otherwise we might have been visiting the Piney Flats Speedway. In the end the speedway was constructed in Bristol on land that was once a dairy farm.

For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including Nascar Hoodies or Nascar Grills and Nascar Clothing we have them at the best prices everyday!

Article Source: NASCAR Tracks-The Bristol Motor Speedway

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/272656/nascar-tracks-the-bristol-motor-speedway

Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley