Lewis Hamilton centre stage in F1's Indian adventure

The Indian Grand Prix was not the thrilling spectacle Formula 1 wanted it to be but if that amazing country is to succumb to the sport's advances after this inaugural race at least it won't be under false pretences.

The packed grandstands - unusual for a first race in a new territory for F1 - witnessed a grand prix that encapsulated in many ways what F1 2011 has all been about.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel strolled to a comfortable victory, taking only as much out of his car and tyres as he needed to. Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso - the other two stand-out drivers of the year - followed him home. And Lewis Hamilton found himself embroiled in yet another contretemps with his nemesis, Felipe Massa.

Hamilton, as has been well documented, has not had a great year. There have been some fantastic highs but by and large he has performed well below his superlative best.

On the way, he has been involved in some high-profile incidents, many of which have been his fault. But his collision with Massa in India on Sunday was not one of them.

As Hamilton's McLaren edged alongside the Brazilian's Ferrari into Turn Five on lap 24, it looked as if the Englishman was poised to pull off one of the great overtaking moves for which he is rightly famous. Instead, Massa turned in as if Hamilton was not there, and their races were ruined on the spot.

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Hamilton has had so many penalties from race officials this year that it was perhaps no surprise that up in the commentary box Martin Brundle said he thought this might lead to another one.

But it became clear from replays that this time it was not Hamilton's fault.

He was virtually completely alongside Massa as they neared the brief braking zone and he was still halfway alongside when they collided despite - as he said afterwards - trying to pull out of the move when he realised Massa was not going to give way.

Massa could be seen looking in his mirrors a number of times, and made it clear after the race that he knew the McLaren was there. But he felt he was in the right because - as he put it - he "could not see" Hamilton as he turned in. As the stewards decided, though, Hamilton was far enough alongside to have a go - and Massa should have given him more room.

The only question you can ask about Hamilton's manoeuvre was why he chose to go for the move there.

The spot he chose is not, as Brundle and fellow commentator David Coulthard pointed out, exactly an easy passing place. With his speed advantage, and knowing that - because of their history this year - Massa was unlikely to be accommodating, it would have been less risky to try the move at the end of the long straight.

For Hamilton, the collision was especially bad news. While he had struggled in the first stint of the race, he was at this stage looking like he might have a shot at a podium finish.

On his second set of tyres, he was demonstrating good speed and, had he managed to pass Massa, he may well have been able to catch Alonso, too. That would have given him third place, assuming he, like the Spaniard, had been able to leapfrog Mark Webber's Red Bull at the second stops.

As it was, it was another weekend to forget for Hamilton, who was downcast after the race.

His father, Anthony, confirmed on Sunday what many in F1 have long suspected - that Hamilton simply wants 2011 to end and to move on to next season.

Hamilton seems to think he has identified the personal issues that have clearly affected him this year. He talked on Saturday about removing all unnecessary distractions and focusing completely on his job. For his own sake - as well as the global audience of millions for whom his aggressive, attacking style is so attractive - one has to hope it works.

The Hamilton-Massa incident provided a controversial distraction in an otherwise largely uneventful race, one of the least interesting of a year that, despite Vettel's domination, has so far generally delivered a fine spectacle.

That was a shame for the one grand prix with which F1 really wanted to make an impact. Nevertheless, while it remains to be seen whether India takes to the sport, the initial signs were good.

There were teething problems in terms of the organisation and track but these were nothing compared with the terrible problems around the Commonwealth Games last year. So despite the tight deadlines, India has now proved that it is more than capable of preparing for and hosting a major international sporting event.

The track was cleverly situated close enough to Delhi to make it accessible. And although the ticket prices were always going to be out of reach of the average Indian, they were clearly affordable to enough people to make attending the race an attractive proposition.

The result was virtually full grandstands - according to official figures, 95,000 people packed into the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday.

That is already a massive step forward from other 'new' races such as those in China, Turkey and, more recently, South Korea. In all those places - and others - F1 appears to have made virtually no impression at all, to the point that many within the sport privately question why the races exist.

Senior figures in F1 were unanimous in their praise for the work done by the Indian organisers. But that is to be expected - they are all desperate for this race to succeed in the world's second most populous country with one of the fastest growing economies.

Perhaps more telling was that the drivers were also effusive - not only about the flowing, challenging layout of the track, which Hamilton said was already one of his favourites, but also for the experience they had had there on what, for most of them, was their first visit.

"There was a big crowd and it was a big success for India," said HRT driver Narain Karthikeyan, the country's first F1 driver. "Having a high-profile event like this gives the country a boost. We are passionate people, we are happy with what we have and it is fantastic to have F1 here."

India has its share of problems - that is well known. Equally, though, if you spend any time there, it is difficult not to fall under its complicated, captivating spell.

After a debut that was unanimously hailed as a success, F1 is hoping that India will come to feel the same way about its new arrival.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/10/hamilton_takes_centre_stage_in.html

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Nascar Fan Factor Up Close And Personal

There is no doubt that Nascar is one of the strongest brands ever in America's sporting chronicle. But what makes Nascar to be such a hot brand? Who is behind the success of Nascar? Well, the winnows of Nascar, who else?!? Nascar sports fans are the most faithful devotees in the world. You will never see the fans of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drink any other beer other than Bud. This is because Dale is the brand name ambassador for Budweiser. Jeff Gordon is affiliated with Dupont paint, and most Jeff Gordon fans never use any other paint.

The brand name commitment of the sports fans is then cashed in by the sponsors. A survey divulged that in order to have their name and logotype on the lid of a top Nascar Nextel cup car, a person and or corporation has to pay $1.5 million! Now that is big money. The drivers are the main factor behind the success of the Nascar cars. The drama associated with the sport and the adrenaline rush cannot be compared to that of any other sport.

Loyalty To The Drivers
If a Nascar Nextel cup driver suddenly advertises Pepsi before the race, then the sales of Pepsi during that race will be incomparable. All the fans of that driver will simply quit using any other soft drink and start using Pepsi. Similarly, if a driver connects himself with a particular brand of shopping store like, say, Home Depot then all the fans will shop at Home Depot.

Role Of The Media
The media, too, will encounter a big role in promoting some of the stuff. For example, if Bill Elliot is seen eating at a specific restaurant and the photo hits newspaper headlines, the coming week, all of his devotees will eat in the same eatery. During the race, the fan following hits a new level altogether!

Individuals come from far-off distances to watch the races and then the sales of accessories and branded stuff hits the roof. Drivers like Jeff Gordon who are associated with car dealerships are also cashing in on the popularity. The sales of the cars have inflated dramatically after these drivers linked themselves with the car companies.

Automotive Productions
Automotive products, too, have established a market like never before, thanks to the growing popularity of Nascar drivers and their ever increasing fan following. If a particular Nascar driver uses a specific brand of paint on their car, then that paint has to be used by all his fans as well. The most common instance is that of the headlamp restoration product used by most Nascar drivers. The product which restores the condition of the headlamp to as good as new is exceedingly popular and is now used by many Nascar fans across the world as well.

This author is a HUGE fan of NASCAR licensed merchandise

Article Source: Nascar Fan Factor Up Close And Personal

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/111196/nascar-fan-factor-up-close-and-personal

Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte

From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

You may well have thought that the Mercury Cougar auto that the origins of the Mercury Cougar auto were nothing more than a whale sized version of simple Ford Thunderbird car. Yet many are surprised that the history and development of this classic American sportscar rather was that of the NASCAR legendary Mercury “Pony Car” , which kicked nothing but but “Butt” on the Trans-Am Automobile racing circuit.

Originally Lincoln- Mercury (considered at the time to be the luxury end of Ford Motor Corporation), had devised the idea of developing, designing and marketing a small sized sports car. The germ of this idea had started as early as February 1963 with the idea in the works of this smaller sports type vehicle to be sold within the North American automobile market.

But it was the success of the Ford Mustang product that finally put the pedal to the metal (or the design and marketing staff’s ok and budgeting of departmental project funding). It is said that nothing drives a project the automobile industry than the potential of excellent sales figures and profitability’s. Even the name of the vehicle product “Cougar” is not totally unique. Cougar is in the same vein as “Mustang” – both being sleek fast racing animals.

Although the Cougar was also built on a 111 inch

wheelbase similar to the mustang auto sports car, the Cougar was rather three inches and half inches shorter than its cousin – the Thunderbird. Underneath the elegant sheet metal of the Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actuality the Cougar shared with its cousins – the sporty Mustang, and the dourer 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 and in the end become a rather non defined wishy washy bloated luxo sort of sports car by the end of its automobile production lifetime? What proved to be this product and projects undoing was the lack of true comprehension from the direct Mercury as well as Ford staff and executives as to what this car’s clear and distinct market was. It may be said that at the best they were disinterested and at the worst clueless and greedy. 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: From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/140282/from-nascar-pony-car-fame-the-lincoln-mercury-cougar

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Better racing - but is it fake?

In Monaco before Christmas, Formula 1's governing body held a meeting to discuss one of the key and most controversial aspects of 2011 - the Drag Reduction System or DRS.

Introduced amid much controversy and no small amount of trepidation in some quarters, questions about the validity of the overtaking aid, not to mention the wisdom of employing it, decreased during the season. So much so that, at the Monaco meeting, it was decided that only small refinements needed to be made to its use for the 2012 campaign.

But while the FIA and the teams all agree that DRS has played a valuable role in improving F1 as a spectacle, they are determined to ensure it performs in the way intended. In particular, no-one wants to cheapen one of the central aspects of a driver's skill by making overtaking too easy.

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Sebastian Vettel enters the DRS zone at the Spanish Grand Prix. Photo: Getty

To recap briefly, DRS was introduced in an attempt to solve the perennial problem of there being too little overtaking. After years - decades even - of discussions, F1's technical brains hit on what they thought could be a solution: DRS.

DRS does what it says on the tin. When deployed, the top part of the rear wing moves upwards, reducing drag and giving a boost in straight-line speed. In races, drivers could use it only if they were within a second of the car in front at a "detection point" shortly before the "DRS zone". The DRS zone was where DRS could be deployed, which was usually the track's longest straight.

The idea was to make overtaking possible but not too easy.

There is no doubt that racing improved immeasurably as a spectacle in 2011 compared with previous seasons. But how big a role did DRS play? And did overtaking become too easy at some tracks and remain too hard at others?

It is a more complex issue than it at first appears because it is not always easy to tell from the outside whether an overtaking move was a result of DRS or not.

In Turkey and Belgium, for example, several drivers sailed past rivals in the DRS zone long before the end of it, leading many to think the device had made overtaking too easy.

But, armed with statistics, FIA race director Charlie Whiting says appearances were deceptive. What was making overtaking easy at those two races, he said, was the speed advantage of the car behind as the two cars battling for position came off the corner before the DRS zone.

Whiting showed me a spreadsheet detailing the speeds of the respective cars in all the overtaking manoeuvres that happened in the Belgian GP.

"This shows very clearly that when the speed delta [difference] between the two cars at the beginning of the zone is low, then overtaking is not easy," he said. "But if one car goes through Eau Rouge that bit quicker, sometimes you had a speed delta of 18km/h (11mph). Well, that's going to be an overtake whether you've got DRS or not."

According to Whiting, the statistics show that if the two cars come off the corner into the DRS zone at similar speeds, then the driver behind needs to be far closer than the one-second margin that activates the DRS if he is to overtake.

"One second is the activation but that won't do it for you," Whiting said. "You've got to be 0.4secs behind to get alongside into the braking zone."

Confusing the picture in 2011 - particularly early in the season - was the fast-wearing nature of the new Pirelli tyres, which led to huge grip differences between cars at various points of the races. A driver on fresher tyres would come off a corner much faster and brake that much later for the next one. That would have a far greater impact on the ease of an overtaking move than DRS ever would.

Critics of DRS might argue that while it may be useful at tracks where overtaking has traditionally been difficult, like Melbourne, Valencia and Barcelona, for example, it is debatable whether there is a need for it at circuits where historically there has been good racing, like Turkey, Belgium and Brazil.

According to Whiting, DRS does not diminish the value of an overtaking move at tracks where it is usually easy to pass. It just means that DRS opens up the possibility for more. In other words, it works just as it does at any other track.

McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe is an influential member of the Technical Working Group of leading engineers which came up with DRS. He said people had been arguing for years that engineers should alter the fundamental design of cars to facilitate overtaking.

However, tinkering with aerodynamic design was never going to be a solution, according to Lowe, because F1 cars will always need downforce to produce such high performance, and that means overtaking will always, by the cars' nature, be difficult.

"What's great [about DRS is] at least we can move on from this debate of trying to change the aerodynamic characteristics of cars to try to improve overtaking," added Lowe.

"We've found something much more authoritative, much cheaper, easier and more effective, and adjustable from race to race."

Whiting thinks DRS worked as expected everywhere except Melbourne and Valencia.

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Valencia's DRS zone could be extended for 2012. Photo: Getty 

So for next season's opening race in Australia, he is considering adding a second DRS zone after the first chicane, so drivers who have used DRS to draw close to rivals along the pit straight can have another crack at overtaking straight afterwards. As for Valencia, traditionally the least entertaining race of the year, the FIA will simply make the zone, which is located on the run to Turn 12, longer.

There is potentially one big negative about DRS, though.

There is a risk that its introduction could mean the end of races in which a driver uses his skills to hold off a rival in a faster car. Some of the greatest defensive victories of the modern age have been achieved in this way. One thinks of Gilles Villeneuve holding off a train of four cars in his powerful but poor-handling Ferrari to win in Jarama in 1981, or Fernando Alonso fending off Michael Schumacher's faster Ferrari at Imola in 2005.

The idea behind the introduction of DRS was for a much faster car to be able to overtake relatively easily but for passing still to be difficult between two cars of comparative performance. In theory, if that philosophy is adhered to rigidly, the sorts of races mentioned above will still be possible.

However, once an aid has been introduced that gives the driver behind a straight-line speed advantage that is an incredibly difficult line to walk, as Whiting himself admits. "You've got to take the rough with the smooth to a certain extent," he said.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/12/drs.html

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NASCAR Tickets - Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Off to a Strong Start

When racing owners Chip Ganassi and Teresa Earnhardt decided to join forces last November, the two NASCAR dynasties only hoped for the kind of success their combined teams have achieved thus far in the 2009 Sprint Cup Series. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. struck a deal in November 2008, bringing drivers Martin Treux Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Aric Almirola together as teammates under the unified name Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. These three drivers have spent the last few months testing together, and sponsorship and driver lineups have now been solidified as Earnhardt Ganassi moves forward early in the 2009 season.

Martin Truex Jr., the most experienced of the Earnhardt Ganassi crew, was carried over from Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and has been a top competitor for the Sprint Cup Series since 2004, when he ran two races for DEI and finished 70th in points in the series. Truex has had three consecutive Top 20 finishes since 2006 and finished at number 15 in last year's Sprint Cup Series. His transition to the merged Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team has proven to be successful so far for No. 1, as he started the racing season with a pole win at the Daytona 500 and promises to be a fierce competitor for the rest of the year, as well.

Columbian racer Juan Pablo Montoya is similarly enjoying this new Ganassi/Earnhardt merger, as the three-year NASCAR veteran finally has a more experienced driver (Truex, Jr.) to partner with. Montoya came to the NASCAR circuit after competing with Formula One and even winning the Indy 500 in 2000, spending 2008 with other Ganassi drivers Reed Sorenson and Dario Franchitti. Montoya posted a 14th place finish at Daytona this year and followed the next week with a consistent 11th place finish at Fontana, expecting more success for the rest of the season.

When recently asked about his new teammates, Montoya said that he, Truex and Almirola are working together fantastically, saying, "A lot of times you go to teammates and they really don't want to help. Like in the [Daytona 500] if I saw Martin, I would try to help him. If he saw me he would try to help me. It worked really well and I'm really pumped up about it."

Another Earnhardt Ganssi driver, Aric Almirola, is also pumped up about the team's new camaraderie. Currently in his first full Sprint Cup season, Almirola is enjoying the benefits of the newly minted team, getting his feet on the ground as he braces for the '09 season. Although he has yet to post a finish past the top 30 in this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Almirola got some early help from Montoya during Daytona, recalling an instance during the day when "we were toward the back and both of us had just pit and were on fresh tires. Juan pushed the ever-living daylights out of me for about three laps straight and we went from 27th to the top 15. We were flying. We were going to the front and it was cool to have his help."

Truex, Montoya and Almirola are posing a triple-threat on the scene of the Nascar Sprint Cup Series already this season, and everyone with NASCAR tickets has gotten to witness this blossoming team chemistry to its fullest. The Ganassi/Earnhardt merge was created in part because of financial necessity but also for drivers to improve on performance, and so far the deal has been nothing but successful for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. To watch these Earnhardt Ganassi drivers speed to the finish line of NASCAR races this season, get tickets to a Sprint Cup race online and prepare for a memorable day at the track!

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 - Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Off to a Strong Start

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/248656/nascar-tickets-earnhardt-ganassi-racing-off-to-a-strong-start

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Official: Liuzzi announced as HRT's second driver

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The 2011 Formula 1 field is finally complete, after Hispania Racing F1 Team confirmed yesterday (March 9), the signing of former Force India driver Vitantonio Liuzzi for a full campaign in 2011.

After being ousted by Force India, he will be Narain Karthikeyan?s teammate, and will drive the new Hispania car later this week in Barcelona.

HRT also said on Wednesday that it will launch and debut the Cosworth-powered F111 on Friday.

I am really happy to have signed this agreement with Hispania Racing,? said Liuzzi in a statement for the press.

I never lost hope to be in Formula 1 as I knew I have the experience and the right attributes for a young and ambitious team. I face a new challenge now and this excites me. I also face a lot of hard work in guiding Hispania Racing through the development of our new car.

I am extremely grateful to Jose Ramon Carabante and to Colin Kolles for giving me such an opportunity.

- Vitantonio Liuzzi


I have known Tonio for many years as he raced with me in lower categories. He is a very professional driver who will bring a lot of benefits to the team. I am convinced about his skills to develop a car and his speed. He has shown this in the past having contributed to a large extent developing and moving a back of the grid car to the front.

- Team boss Colin Kolles

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/_8LvVr2vkVQ/official-liuzzi-announced-as-hrts.html

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Williams FW33 Interim Livery pictures ( 1st of February)

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Williams F1 Team presented their 2011-spec FW33 car at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, on 1 February 2011 only hours before the Valencia test kick-off. The car featured an interim livery, as the Grove based team is yet to finalize their sponsorship deals for the upcoming Formula 1 campaign.

The interim livery featured the team's classic navy blue color, along with the name of the team's newest major sponsor, Venezuela's state-owned petroleum company PDVSA, posted on the rear side of car, below the engine box.

Technical specifications

Chassis carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite monocoque
Suspension (front) Carbon fibre double wishbone arrangement, with composite toelink and pushrod activated springs and anti-roll bar
Suspension (rear) as front, except pullrod activated rear dampers
Engine Cosworth CA2011k 2.4 L (146 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM naturally aspirated mid-mounted
Transmission Seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox with reverse gear Electro-hydraulically actuated seamless shift
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel BP
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

Rays Wheels (front and rear): 13"

Link
Williams FW33 ? Lowline gearbox (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"One fear from the outsiders point of view would be the structural efficiency of such a waisted design, especially the vertical spar, that supports the wishbones leg above the differential. Williams would either have to compromise weight or stiffness to make the design efficient. So despite the loss of a large proportion of the gear case, the gain may be offset by the penalty of added weight to make the remaining structure stiff enough."

Williams FW33 Interim Livery pictures





Photos © Williams/LAT

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/Pc5Zps9vp1c/williams-fw33-interim-livery-pictures.html

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Nascar And The Critique It Faces

Nascar has faced a lot of criticism for a lot of things over the last few decades. We can attribute the criticism to the popularity of Nascar. Apart from the environmental impact of Nascar which has led to criticism, there are other technical reasons as well. One of the reasons is the oval shape of most Nascar racing circuits. Driving enthusiasts have severely criticized the difficulty of these race courses when compared to the extremely difficult twisting and turning race courses of Formula 1. They say that it involves going round and round for 500 miles and nothing else.

Some courses of the Formula 1 put up to 5 or 6 G's of stress on the body of the driver. This is totally absent in Nascar. But Nascar has denied these allegations and countered by saying that there are certain race series in which road courses are included. But again it is for a very small percentage of the race. Nascar has also brought to light the fact that even the Indy racing league uses mostly oval tracks.

The Grueling Season
The grueling racing season of Nascar is also a reason for its criticism. While a Formula 1 race has 22 cars in its beginning, a Nascar Nextel cup race has 43. Add the 36 point races for the entire series, and the session becomes extremely hectic. The drivers are left with just a few hours to practice. Some of the drivers have even quit the sport because of their inability to cope with such stress.

Drivers who have been reasonably successful in road racing circuits have been unable to duplicate that success record in Nascar. The prime reason is the difference in the entire structure of the two.

The Cars
The technology behind the cars is another reason that Nascarhas faced so much criticism. The cars are mostly fitted with accessories from the 1950s. The carburetors, cast iron engine blocks and most primarily the use of leaded fuel have triggered huge criticism against Nascar. The reluctance of Nascar to add safety devices has also aggravated the criticism against them. The use of this equipment places more emphasis on getting an undue advantage rather than focusing on the skill of the driver.

The Business
The last thing that has received flak from critics is the Nascar business structure. The majority of revenue generated by the entire Nascar racing goes towards the France family, as they control most of Nascar . Many say that the drivers do not have a voice in Nascar and it is like a dictatorship. The penalties and fines that Nascar levied on its drivers for using foul language in the media have also been a reason for criticism against it.

This author is a HUGE fan of NASCAR licensed merchandise

Article Source: Nascar And The Critique It Faces

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/111183/nascar-and-the-critique-it-faces

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Tickets - Drivers Confident in GM Despite Troubles

Automobile giant General Motors announced last week that it may be filing for bankruptcy in order to stay in business, and while this is big news for all Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR circuits, it doesn't necessarily mean doomsday is rapidly approaching for the racing world's top drivers. GM has already received billions of dollars in aid from the government but is still shaky when it comes to the company's future, sparking premature speculation that NASCAR is destined to follow suit.

With all this uncertainty looming, however, NASCAR drivers are coming out of the woodwork to voice their opinions on the current economic situation and especially on GM's role with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Sprint Cup's No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy driver Jeff Burton recently made a statement with the USA Today concerning his views on the situation, saying, "My biggest concern as it relates to Chevrolet is freeing up credit and giving people the security that they want to buy a car, that they have a job. We can talk about Chevrolet but the real key is what is the overall economy? Chevrolet has shown for years that they're very committed to racing and that commitment is not going to go away."

Another Chevrolet driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is Kevin Harvick, the driver of the No. 29 Pennzoil car. Harvick backed up Burton's stance on his unwavering support for GM, recently stating "obviously, they are going through tough times, but they are in a wonderful restructuring process right now of putting their company back on their feet. I think when the economy turns they're going to be as good as they have ever been going forward. We're all here to support them."

Just as NASCAR's Chevy drivers like Burton and Harvick are calling for the support of General Motors as the automaker tries to uplift its current downward spiral, GM has also upheld the sponsorships it has with NASCAR so far. 12 Sprint Cup drivers including Burton, Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin, Casey Mears, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon are all under the sponsorship of Chevrolet, and these top notch drivers aren't soon to be relinquishing their cars or titles for any reason. In the case that GM did file bankruptcy, a court of law wouldn't automatically cancel these sponsorships and other marketing activities because the publicity is good for the company, meaning that the contracts that these NASCAR drivers currently have with Chevy wouldn't necessarily be void should GM file for bankruptcy.

While economic turmoil and financial crises seem to be the talk of the town for now, the one thing that is for sure is that the show must go on. Gentlemen (and ladies) will still start their engines each week as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues plowing through cities across the country, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets remain in high demand as racing season gets underway. To get a front row seat to the high-speed action of NASCAR, get racing tickets online!

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

Article Source: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Tickets - Drivers Confident in GM Despite Troubles

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/247689/nascar-sprint-cup-series-tickets-drivers-confident-in-gm-despite-troubles

Terry Labonte Kevin Conway Joe Nemechek Jason Leffler

Lotus T128 launch ( pictures)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TUrZpBkIJpI/AAAAAAAAG6s/5_VAqblmZfc/s1600/lotus_tl11_3.jpg

The Team Lotus 2011 challenger T128 was launched on Monday 31st January exclusively in Team Lotus Notes.

In an edition of its online magazine Team Lotus Notes, the team published the first photographs of the new green and gold TL11 featuring a 2010 Mercedes-style ?blade? roll hoop with a split air intake.

The new livery features more yellow and prominent Renault signage, reflecting its new engine partnership with the French marque.

The car itself, with a rear end supplied by Red Bull, has a high and straight nose. ?It is a much more contemporary design. The car really will be a midfield runner. It?s a modern F1 car,? technical boss Mike Gascoyne is quoted as saying.

?There?s been almost no carry-over of parts for the 2011 car ? it looks substantially different from last year?s car. It?s the basis of our cars for the future,? he added.

New Lotus called 'T128', not 'TL11'

This year?s Team Lotus car is called T128, not TL11 as was previously announced.

Last year, the team ? then called Lotus Racing under official license from the Proton-owned carmaker Group Lotus ? raced its 2010 car with the T127 designation.

T127 was the continuation of the original Lotus team?s traditional vehicle designation system, and it was thought that the reversion to TL11 for this year was to avoid yet another clash with Group Lotus amid the naming dispute.

Indicating that the designation of the 2011 car was an issue right until the T128?s reveal very early on Monday morning, the launch magazine made no mention of the two variations.

Team Lotus confirms no KERS for 2011 car

Team Lotus has confirmed reports that the 2011 car does not feature a KERS system.

?The decision made the design job slightly easier, because packaging it in the car is always a bit more of a headache,? chief designer Lewis Butler said in the Team Lotus Notes magazine.

Confirmed head of aerodynamics Marianne Hinson: ?It?s the same for us in aerodynamics ? no KERS is actually easier because packaging all the bits you need for it is actually quite limiting for some of the aero shapes you need in some areas.?

Lotus is not ruling out installing KERS at a later date, but chief operating officer Keith Saunt suggested it is not necessary for the team to take its next step.

?If KERS was going to get us from eighth to sixth then we?d have it,? he said. ?But when you look at the weight of it and some of the engineering challenges, I think it?s a good decision not to start with it.

?We might end up with it, who knows?? added Saunt. ?But if we did we?ve got a lot of experienced people who could turn their hands to it.?

Lotus T128 launch pictures



Source : GMM, Images(C) toilef1

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UPS Ford Dave Blaney Mohawk Northeast Chevrolet Landon Cassill