Travis Pastrana, X Games Star, NASCAR-Bound

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X Games superstar Travis Pastrana will compete in seven NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011 thanks to a joint venture with two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip, the two announced Thursday afternoon.

Pastrana, a 16-time X Games gold medalist and legendary supercross and motocross rider, has partnered -- along with Gary and Blake Bechtel -- in the creation of Pastrana-Waltrip Racing. The team hopes to increase Pastrana's schedule to 20 Nationwide races in 2012. The team has not said when Pastrana will make his debut.

"I've been following NASCAR closely for years as a fan of the sport, with competing in the sport a life-long dream,'' Pastrana said. "I decided it was time to try and turn that dream into reality.''

"Travis has built an enormous and unique following all over the world,'' Waltrip said. "As a race team owner, we are always looking for ways to deliver to our partners and engage our fans better.

"This is an opportunity to showcase our company and our sport to a new generation of young fans. We're also looking for that next big star. Travis already is one and action sports is full of talented athletes."

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/11/11/travis-pastrana-x-games-star-to-compete-in-nascar/

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Nascar Safety Accessories And Restrictions

Nascar was always criticized for the lack of safety ordinances in its races. But since 2001 after a series of accidents killed many peak drivers, including the ill-fated last-lap wreck of Dale Earnhardt, Nascar had to disengage and modify its position on this. It has now begun to bring in safety devices and accessories.

The Seat
The Seat has evolved over the last few years. The seat in a racing car is designed to contract and distribute the impact over a greater part of the body in case of a wreck. The rib cage is one area where the force of a crash can get centered. Another area is the shoulder. This will contract the impact and it will not get centered on one particular area, which can often be fatal.

Harnesses
Now Nascar has updated its norms, and the HANS device is now mandatory. Earlier, the Hutchens device was all that was required. But since the accidents, the norms have converted.

The Seat Belt
A very fundamental accessory when it comes to the safety of the driver. In Nascar, the six-point seat belt is utilized. In this system, two straps come over the drivers shoulder and two come over the waistline. One strap even comes up between the legs of the driver.

The Restrictor Plate
This is a very important accessory that reduces power on the racing circuits. This is placed in between the carburetor and the intake manifold. It confines air flow and subsequently power as well. Since this add-on was made mandatory in high-speed racing circuits like Daytona, the speeds have reduced considerably.

Today, in order to see high speeds, the spectator has to go to certain race courses where the restrictor plate is not required. In such race courses, high speeds like 230mph have also been achieved. But the restrictor plate has become a mandatory part in most race circuits by Nascar.

Barriers
The new S.A.F.E.R (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers have been put in across most Nascar race courses. This will absorb a lot of zip from the car in case of a crash. This is much better than a concrete wall, which does not absorb any energy at all. There are some other types of softer walls and barriers as well. Cello-foam barriers are also very popular. The PEDS system, which involves the use of small cylinders inside bigger ones, is also a popular form of barrier.

Compression barriers were also used in earlier times. This involved the use of soft materials like tires over the walls and then covering it up with a soft surface. This guaranteed that the walls came back to their original shape as soon as the impact was over.

This author is a HUGE fan of NASCAR licensed merchandise

Article Source: Nascar Safety Accessories And Restrictions

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/111195/nascar-safety-accessories-and-restrictions

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NASCAR Tickets - Gordon's Time to Shine (Again)

Kyle Busch knocked No. 17 Matt Kenseth out of the running for the historical measures of winning NASCAR's first three races in a row at the Shelby 427 last weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but it is the ever-popular No. 24 DuPont car and its similarly-famed driver Jeff Gordon who are celebrating now. Gordon fumbled a bit in Sunday's Las Vegas race as he lost the lead after lap 150, sliding past and missing pit road before consequently getting a flat tire and some fender damage. The mishap led him to fall back to 10th place with around 20 laps left to go in the race, but by the end of the day Gordon had secured a sixth place finish at the Shelby 427, racing to the finish line after first place Kyle Busch and successive finishers Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, David Reutimann and Bobby Labonte.

While Jeff Gordon's sixth place finish wasn't the race-winning finale he had hoped for while leading the race, the points from Las Vegas allowed Gordon to go around Matt Kenseth for the first place ranking in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, where he is up from number two last week. Gordon's current number one standing is significant in several ways, but it is important to the racing league mostly because it is the first time No. 24 has been ranked first after the third race of NASCAR season since 1997, when he won the Sprint Cup Series Championship. Gordon's consistency has brought him into his current first place ranking, as his sixth place finish from last weekend adds up with his 13th place finish at Daytona and second place finish at Fontana last month.

Jeff Gordon may be leading the NASCAR pack currently, but two more names are hot on the heels of this racing legend. One such name that inevitably comes up when mentioning top NASCAR drivers is Kyle Busch, the winner of last weekend's Las Vegas race. Busch has been a top contender for the Sprint Series title all year, and he is also the reigning champion of the Sprint Cup Series from 2008. Busch's win at Las Vegas bolsters his ranking to number six, but No. 18 still has a long way to go after the infamous Daytona crash that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. caused and Busch was involved in earlier in February, leaving Busch at a number 41 finish at the end of race. Kyle Busch has since been playing catch-up, snagging the number three finish in the Auto Club 500 at Fontana on February 22. His Las Vegas win will undoubtedly put him back in the running for the Sprint Cup Championship in 2009.

Another name thought to dominate the NASCAR series this year is Matt Kenseth, who made history by winning the first two races of the season (both Daytona and Fontana) this year, tying Jeff Gordon's record from 1997. Kenseth started up his engine in last weekend's Las Vegas race attempting to become the first driver to win the first three races of the season, but was disappointedly struck down just laps into the race, when his No. 17 Ford Fusion blew a motor and put him as the last place finisher from the Shelby 427.

While Jeff Gordon has some fierce competition in defending his position in the upcoming weeks and months, No. 24 is still sitting pretty atop the Sprint Cup dog pile, keeping NASCAR fans jazzed about his comeback to victory lane. To watch Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth battle it out for top honors at the end of the year, get NASCAR tickets online and pick your favorite races to attend!

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Gordon's Time to Shine (Again)

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/248655/nascar-tickets-gordons-time-to-shine-again

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Canadian Grand Prix 2010 Race gallery


A superb tyre gamble by McLaren saw Lewis Hamilton claim his second victory in Montreal at the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix. His second win in three visits to Montreal. His team mate Jenson Button claimed a strong second position, making it a McLaren 1-2 in as many races so far this season. Fernando Alonso had a fine race to finish third for Ferrari after a disappointing Turkish Grand Prixhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TBYXktBug1I/AAAAAAAAGVw/xd9Kyvkgs-Y/s1600/Canadian+Grand+Prix+2010+Race+gallery.jpg


Credit : Daylife, F1Fanatic

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/v07PdscYMCs/canadian-grand-prix-2010-race-gallery.html

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Nascar Devotion Is Resilient When Change Occurs

There have been many changes to Nascar over the years, but changes are expected by fans and also by driver's who are circling around a racetrack at speeds that exceed 200 miles per hour at times. The driver is an expert at changing speeds and lanes and changing speeds once again to be within the legal limits of those speeds posted on pit row.

Most of the changes in Nascar racing have occurred over time and have been directly related to the high-speed pursuits around million dollar raceways. Some of those changes have been painful ones but the Nascar family has remained strong through each of them. Some of the most violent experiences that occasionally occur at a raceway will no doubt cause some people to rethink their past relationships with sponsors, owners, and family.

The cascading effects of those thoughts might lead drivers to other action and cause them to change their driving commitments and their relationship with the world of Nascar excitement. These changes will in turn, put them on a new career path that is a welcome change but a change that might not be a delight to all fans who do not have a full understanding on why those changes needed to happen.

Some of these changes are due to a repositioning of priorities by a team owner or the change might occur because a driver needs to take a step back and rethink things long enough to begin establishing a new view on self-worth and on the view that commitment to self should take precedence and priority over family persuasion and other control factors. No changes that occur in Nascar should directly impact the drivers ability to keep the commitments that are expected by fans. Fans expect their favorite drivers to give their all to win the race they are in, no matter what team they are driving for that year.

Some changes in Nascar racing can keep that from happening though. In an instant, enthusiasts may have more action than they bargained for when they must see the gut wrenching tragedies unfold in front of them. These tragedies can change people in an instant because the action comes from race cars that inadvertently crash at inopportune moments into the various turns of any raceway. Other drivers are lost while they are enroute to the track.

Fare affected by the change and are committed to remembering those moments many times through the years with reverence. The commitment of fans to Nascar and their driver is what keeps changes from dampening the endearing spirit of the crowds. There is one change that will never occur. The fans will always be there on race day and every day after in some small way.

James Brown writes about Worldwide Sport Supply discounts, The Y Catalog coupon codes and MySupplementStore.net coupon codes

Article Source: Nascar Devotion Is Resilient When Change Occurs

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/36434/nascar-devotion-is-resilient-when-change-occurs

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Send in F1 your questions

F1 commentating legend Murray Walker is waiting for your questions following the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

A Red Bull one-two, with Sebastian Vettel leading team-mate Mark Webber home, means the drivers' title race goes right down to the wire in next Sunday's final Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Should Vettel step aside if Webber has a better chance of preventing championship leader Fernando Alonso from claiming his third drivers' crown?

And how big an achievement is Red Bull's first-ever constructors' crown, which was secured by their success in Brazil?

Pose your questions by logging in to post a comment beneath this entry.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2010/11/send_in_f1_your_questions.html

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F1: Ferrari aiming to stay ?unemotional?

Ferrari aiming to stay 'unemotional' By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Friday, November 12th 2010, 16:10 GMT Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali says his squad needs to keep things calm and straightforward this weekend in its effort to hold off the Red Bull drivers and take Fernando Alonso to the world championship. Alonso was third-quickest in practice today, behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, but ahead of the Red Bull of his nearest title rival Mark Webber. Related posts:
  1. F1: Ferrari says Massa set to stay on Ferrari says Massa set to stay on By Pablo Elizalde...
  2. F1: Ferrari to focus on own performance Ferrari to focus on own performance By Jonathan Noble Monday,...
  3. F1: Domenicali: Ferrari needed an early win Domenicali: Ferrari needed an early win By Jonathan Noble Monday,...
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Source: http://doxcar.com/f1-ferrari-aiming-to-stay-unemotional/

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Massa could still have key role to play in F1 title race

Felipe Massa could not have made his intentions for this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix any clearer.

"I expect to win the race," he said after arriving at Interlagos on Thursday. "I see myself taking points from other drivers who are fighting for the championship."

Given his recent record at his home track, Massa has every reason to bang the drum for his side of the Ferrari garage.

He has started his last three races at Interlagos on pole. He has won twice and sacrificed another certain victory in 2007 to allow former team-mate Kimi Raikkonen through to become world champion ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who was then at McLaren.

Last year, he did not race here as he was still recovering from the accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix in which he fractured his skull.

But he did attend the race, and waved the chequered flag at Mark Webber, who pulled off a commanding win for Red Bull which then became lost among Jenson Button's championship celebrations.

Massa is not alone in talking up his chances on Sunday.

In the words of a rival team principal very much in the title hunt: "Massa could be the joker this weekend. He's strong here."

But then came the put-down which will be forever aimed in his direction because of that now-infamous team radio message - "Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understand?" - during July's German Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Felipe MassaMassa has not enjoyed the best of seasons. Photo: Getty Images

"Massa, winning this weekend? No chance! With Alonso going for the title, there can only be one Ferrari winner," said the same source.

Nevertheless, Massa, who claimed that it was his decision to move aside to let his team-mate win in Germany, could find himself a key player.

The furore over Ferrari's team orders at Hockenheim - the sport's biggest headline story of the season, with a review of the ban pending at the end of the year - has given an extra edge to this dramatic five-way title contest.

If Massa turns in a strong front-running performance here, that could force some tough calls on the team bosses at Red Bull and McLaren, who still have both their drivers in the championship mix.

After Mark Webber's spiky rebuke to Red Bull over a perceived lack of equal treatment with Sebastian Vettel, that pit-wall group will certainly be one to watch.

For Ferrari, with only Alonso in contention, there's one less complication - and a simple strategy to follow.

If Massa is in a position to help the team achieve their goal - Alonso becoming world champion - they expect him to do so. Remember, Alonso is the only driver who can wrap up the title on Sunday.

With Alonso joining the team for 2010, Ferrari chose to keep faith with Massa despite uncertainty over his recovery from his accident and instead to pay off Raikkonen a year before his contract expired. Massa will be expected to repay that loyalty.

Massa himself was quick to remind the media on Thursday about how he had served the team interest here by helping the Finn to the title three years ago.

How he executes any repeat manoeuvre this year - with the furore over team orders still in the forefront of everyone's minds, and in front of a home crowd angered by his subservience in Germany - remains to be seen.

But the more immediate question is whether Massa will be competitive enough to play his supporting role this weekend.

Are we going to see the Massa who out-qualified Alonso in Turkey and Belgium and who launched himself so decisively into the lead from row two at Hockenheim?

Or will he produce another like at the last race in Korea, where the gap to his team-mate was little short of a second, the biggest of the year?

I understand that Massa's race engineer, Rob Smedley, with whom he has such a strong partnership, was so frustrated by his driver's efforts in Korean qualifying that he let him stew overnight before discussing the session or race strategy.

That cold shoulder treatment apparently had the desired impact on race day, when Massa did not put a wheel wrong in the tricky wet conditions.

As you will see in the interviews with the pair in the BBC One qualifying show on Saturday, Massa draws great strength from Smedley's expertise.

"He's always telling me things I need to do, he knows what I'm thinking," reveals Massa.
"He can make me drive faster."

Sir Jackie Stewart, who rated Massa's drives last year before his accident as his best, believes the 29-year-old has yet to come to terms with Alonso's superiority within the team and the fall-out from Hockenheim.

"I have to believe that Alonso went to Ferrari as number one, either written or agreed," he said.

"That result in Germany was a huge disappointment. But I suspect Alonso would have driven away anyway if he'd got past because he'd been quicker all weekend.

"And Massa will continue to lose out if his own performance is not good enough."

That view holds water among some within Ferrari who feel that Massa has not done himself justice this season because he has been unsettled by Alonso's pace.
The Spaniard has been consistently faster in qualifying, with his average advantage slightly more than 0.3 seconds.

There was friction between the pair after the Australian Grand Prix when Alonso felt Massa had cost him victory by needlessly holding him up. And that culminated in Massa's blatant switch of positions in Germany.

If the Brazilian is going to redeem himself in the eyes of his public, he will need better reliability than he had in second practice today when his car stopped on the track with a gearbox problem. It cost him almost half an hour's running time.

Because of his extensive experience of this track, that may not prove as damaging as Red Bull's early demonstration of impressive performance.

Ferrari and McLaren typically come on stronger in races, and their extra speed down the two long straights could counter Red Bull's pace through the in-field section of this bowl-like circuit.

But if Massa's confidence is stuttering and the conditions are unpredictable - heavy rain, like last year, is forecast for qualifying - he may find himself playing catch-up on the title contenders he's meant to be beating. Just like he has done all year.

And despite those best intentions, his team-mate will be left to take the fight to the front on his own.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jonathanlegard/2010/11/s.html

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Massa could still have key role to play in F1 title race

Felipe Massa could not have made his intentions for this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix any clearer.

"I expect to win the race," he said after arriving at Interlagos on Thursday. "I see myself taking points from other drivers who are fighting for the championship."

Given his recent record at his home track, Massa has every reason to bang the drum for his side of the Ferrari garage.

He has started his last three races at Interlagos on pole. He has won twice and sacrificed another certain victory in 2007 to allow former team-mate Kimi Raikkonen through to become world champion ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who was then at McLaren.

Last year, he did not race here as he was still recovering from the accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix in which he fractured his skull.

But he did attend the race, and waved the chequered flag at Mark Webber, who pulled off a commanding win for Red Bull which then became lost among Jenson Button's championship celebrations.

Massa is not alone in talking up his chances on Sunday.

In the words of a rival team principal very much in the title hunt: "Massa could be the joker this weekend. He's strong here."

But then came the put-down which will be forever aimed in his direction because of that now-infamous team radio message - "Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understand?" - during July's German Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Felipe MassaMassa has not enjoyed the best of seasons. Photo: Getty Images

"Massa, winning this weekend? No chance! With Alonso going for the title, there can only be one Ferrari winner," said the same source.

Nevertheless, Massa, who claimed that it was his decision to move aside to let his team-mate win in Germany, could find himself a key player.

The furore over Ferrari's team orders at Hockenheim - the sport's biggest headline story of the season, with a review of the ban pending at the end of the year - has given an extra edge to this dramatic five-way title contest.

If Massa turns in a strong front-running performance here, that could force some tough calls on the team bosses at Red Bull and McLaren, who still have both their drivers in the championship mix.

After Mark Webber's spiky rebuke to Red Bull over a perceived lack of equal treatment with Sebastian Vettel, that pit-wall group will certainly be one to watch.

For Ferrari, with only Alonso in contention, there's one less complication - and a simple strategy to follow.

If Massa is in a position to help the team achieve their goal - Alonso becoming world champion - they expect him to do so. Remember, Alonso is the only driver who can wrap up the title on Sunday.

With Alonso joining the team for 2010, Ferrari chose to keep faith with Massa despite uncertainty over his recovery from his accident and instead to pay off Raikkonen a year before his contract expired. Massa will be expected to repay that loyalty.

Massa himself was quick to remind the media on Thursday about how he had served the team interest here by helping the Finn to the title three years ago.

How he executes any repeat manoeuvre this year - with the furore over team orders still in the forefront of everyone's minds, and in front of a home crowd angered by his subservience in Germany - remains to be seen.

But the more immediate question is whether Massa will be competitive enough to play his supporting role this weekend.

Are we going to see the Massa who out-qualified Alonso in Turkey and Belgium and who launched himself so decisively into the lead from row two at Hockenheim?

Or will he produce another like at the last race in Korea, where the gap to his team-mate was little short of a second, the biggest of the year?

I understand that Massa's race engineer, Rob Smedley, with whom he has such a strong partnership, was so frustrated by his driver's efforts in Korean qualifying that he let him stew overnight before discussing the session or race strategy.

That cold shoulder treatment apparently had the desired impact on race day, when Massa did not put a wheel wrong in the tricky wet conditions.

As you will see in the interviews with the pair in the BBC One qualifying show on Saturday, Massa draws great strength from Smedley's expertise.

"He's always telling me things I need to do, he knows what I'm thinking," reveals Massa.
"He can make me drive faster."

Sir Jackie Stewart, who rated Massa's drives last year before his accident as his best, believes the 29-year-old has yet to come to terms with Alonso's superiority within the team and the fall-out from Hockenheim.

"I have to believe that Alonso went to Ferrari as number one, either written or agreed," he said.

"That result in Germany was a huge disappointment. But I suspect Alonso would have driven away anyway if he'd got past because he'd been quicker all weekend.

"And Massa will continue to lose out if his own performance is not good enough."

That view holds water among some within Ferrari who feel that Massa has not done himself justice this season because he has been unsettled by Alonso's pace.
The Spaniard has been consistently faster in qualifying, with his average advantage slightly more than 0.3 seconds.

There was friction between the pair after the Australian Grand Prix when Alonso felt Massa had cost him victory by needlessly holding him up. And that culminated in Massa's blatant switch of positions in Germany.

If the Brazilian is going to redeem himself in the eyes of his public, he will need better reliability than he had in second practice today when his car stopped on the track with a gearbox problem. It cost him almost half an hour's running time.

Because of his extensive experience of this track, that may not prove as damaging as Red Bull's early demonstration of impressive performance.

Ferrari and McLaren typically come on stronger in races, and their extra speed down the two long straights could counter Red Bull's pace through the in-field section of this bowl-like circuit.

But if Massa's confidence is stuttering and the conditions are unpredictable - heavy rain, like last year, is forecast for qualifying - he may find himself playing catch-up on the title contenders he's meant to be beating. Just like he has done all year.

And despite those best intentions, his team-mate will be left to take the fight to the front on his own.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jonathanlegard/2010/11/s.html

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F1: Abu Dhabi Friday quotes: Lotus

Abu Dhabi Friday quotes: Lotus Friday, November 12th 2010, 15:59 GMT Jarno Trulli - 21st: "It was a pretty smooth Friday for me, with no problems in either session. We did some good work evaluating the tyres and saw pretty high degradation so I think we'll need to keep an eye on that for the race. The balance of the car was good - we still have to improve it but all in all it was a positive day." Fairuz Fauzy - 24th: "I'm pretty satisfied with how it went today but it was tricky for the first few laps Related posts:
  1. F1: Germany Friday quotes: Lotus Germany Friday quotes: Lotus Friday, July 23rd 2010, 14:15 GMT...
  2. F1: Malaysia Friday quotes: Lotus Malaysia Friday quotes: Lotus Friday, April 2nd 2010, 11:05 GMT...
  3. F1: Hungary Friday quotes: Lotus Hungary Friday quotes: Lotus Friday, July 30th 2010, 14:42 GMT...
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Source: http://doxcar.com/f1-abu-dhabi-friday-quotes-lotus/

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