Starting the season in style

Can I start by saying how great it feels to have F1 back on the BBC, and in HD glory?

I loved the tweets telling me about all the F1 parties going on around the UK and, even though many of you had to do some serious coffee drinking to cope with early morning action, #bbcf1 was trending on Twitter the whole weekend, which was awesome.

Mind you, it's funny how life can conspire against you sometimes isn't it? Having waited all winter, and an extra couple of weeks, I wanted to have the perfect preparation ahead of the opening race weekend of the 2011 F1 season. But it didn't quite work out like that.

Now, I'm an eight-hours-a-night man at the best of times, so having spent the day grabbing the latest info in the paddock and then grabbing a late dinner, I was already worried about finally getting to bed at midnight ahead of Saturday's first qualifying session of the year.

However, an hour or so later and my night was set to get worse. A lot worse.

Australian Grand Prix winner Sebastian Vettel is sprayed with champagne by runner-up Lewis Hamilton

Australian Grand Prix winner Sebastian Vettel celebrates with runner-up Lewis Hamilton. Pic: Getty Images

You know those horrible, startled wake-up calls that you get sometimes when you spend the first 20 seconds just trying to remember where you are? That was me, staring into the darkness trying to work out what the sound of rushing water was in my hotel room at 2am. Moments later I was flying across the room in panic as out of the ceiling, on to the laptop, all over the desk... a water leak!

Thankfully, I managed to rescue the computer and, after moving rooms, eventually got my head down - welcome to the new season, Jake!

It felt really strange starting the season off in Australia again, actually.

The last time I welcomed you guys to the BBC's coverage of the opening race there, it was 2009 and I was in a serious state of panic. I'll never forget standing in the pit lane in Melbourne and hearing 'The Chain' for the first time. I'd never stood under the winner's podium, interviewed a driver, or even done live TV with Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard before. It's amazing how quickly you can get used to something isn't it?

Mind you, after a break of a few months it always feel a little bit like it's the first time you're popping in your earpieces and hearing the seconds count down until we're on air.

Like anything that involves a group of people working together, you get a great flow going when you do something regularly, and equally after a big break you can feel pretty rusty. I'll certainly admit to feeling like a badly oiled bike this weekend.

Before each show we always get together in the production office to discuss what's on the programme and watch the taped elements of the show. I also talk with Steve Aldous the assistant editor about where we want to be. We try to inform the teams so we don't surprise them by suddenly appearing inside their garage live on air and then we take to the pit lane - all seven of us!

With Steve, a sound man, monitor man, a couple of cameras, me, and two pundits we can be quite a big group to negotiate what is at times a really rather claustrophobic pit lane.

Australia was particularly busy, with my random moment of the weekend being former Westlife member Brian McFadden having a beer with Beppe Di Marco from EastEnders while Leo Sayer and Danny Cipriani wandered past...That's F1 for you!

One element I really did enjoy was the F1 Forum and if you're in the UK and you've yet to see it I'd suggest you take a look on the iPlayer. We had the Sauber drivers, Paul di Resta, Sebastian Vettel, and DC getting cake in his face - so pretty much something for everyone.

So, what did you make of the first race of the year?

I feel really sorry for the Sauber pair of Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez after their cars were ruled illegal. Perez in particular did an awesome job, just one pit stop, great speed and points on his debut that have now been taken away from him.

If you check out the F1 Forum it's interesting to see the surprise on Kobayashi's face when talking about Perez. If there is one thing an F1 driver likes less than a slow car it's a fast team-mate!

We'd actually made it away from the track when the Sauber news broke and we were heading out for dinner. A quick U-turn in the car, though, and it was back to the track for a late-night piece to camera. It happens every season!

One rookie was certainly not left frustrated. It was great to speak to Di Resta live ahead of qualifying. We always ask for drivers to join us live before the action gets going on a Saturday and they frustratingly rarely say yes.

But Paul was happy to chat and I think he did a great job. He was pretty candid in saying that he thought his car could struggle to make it into the top 17 in qualifying, so to finish with points after the stewards had punished Sauber was great news for him. He did, however, let his team-mate through twice so we'll have to watch that situation carefully.

Despite all that was going on, it was all about one performance this weekend, wasn't it? Vettel's dominance was incredible. No Kers power-boost system but the best start on the grid, masses of speed over a team-mate who he really does have the beating of currently. And most pleasing of all? He's still such a normal guy!

There are a few drivers in F1 that I have interviewed numerous times now yet they still wouldn't give me the time of day. They'd walk past me in the paddock, probably not even know my name. They're so intense that whatever you do you just can't get close to them.

Vettel definitely doesn't fit into the category.

He took the time out to congratulate DC on his 40th birthday having just started his title defence in style, not scurrying off for a massage and avoiding the media at all costs. Relaxed, approachable, honest and stunningly fast, I think it tells us so much about him that he can put in such amazing performances and enjoy it at the same time. He will go on to be an even bigger star if he can marry up such personality with such speed for seasons to come.

So, we head to Malaysia with Red Bull looking like they're around a second quicker than the rest with a super-confident driver very much playing a game of 'catch us if you can'.

The best news of all, though, is you'll only need an 0800 alarm to enjoy the action on race day, so I hope I'll see you then.

Jake

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2011/03/can_i_start_by_saying.html

Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James

Senna immortalised in new movie

The hotly anticipated new film 'Senna', about the life and career of the Brazilian Formula 1 legend, has finally been given a UK release date - 3 June.

The movie, which I was lucky enough to see last summer, has caused quite a stir both within Formula 1 and the film world and with good reason - it's fantastic. It has already won one significant award from the jury at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, who gave it the World Cinema Audience award for best documentary.

It's a marvellous movie and, coming as it does from Working Title, the company behind Four Weddings and a Funeral and the brilliant mountaineering film Touching The Void, that's no surprise.

Senna's story is a compelling one anyway, but what makes this film are the unearthed treasures of previously unseen footage - including revealing snapshots of his life in Brazil and behind the closed doors of the driver briefings at grands prix.

These are weaved together with more familiar images of the great Brazilian's career to create a fascinating story that grips the audience from early on and never lets go. You can get a sense of it from the trailer we have embedded in this blog.

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The fundamental story will be familiar to many - Senna's arrival in F1 with high expectations; his unnerving of the established stars with his breathtaking pace; his battle with arch-rival Alain Prost; his emergence as the dominant force within the sport through his talent and magnetic personality and charisma; his death and the shock felt around the world, not just in the sport that he had come to transcend.

But to make it work as a film, the producers had to make a decision about the narrative arc - what was their story line?

They chose the classic theme of the little guy battling against the establishment and, while it works well as a story and is true up to a certain point in Senna's career, it is also where those more familiar with Senna's story may occasionally find themselves questioning it.

Carried along as you are by the power of the film itself and of Senna's presence, you're aware that the events of his life don't fit the theme as comfortably as you might like - not from an objective point of view, anyway.

An example comes in a sequence that is one of the movie's greatest strengths - the way it deals with events surrounding the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix.

This was the first of two infamous collisions between Senna and Prost at Suzuka in consecutive years. The Frenchman turned in on Senna when the Brazilian tried to pass him at the chicane, they collided, Prost climbed out of his car, but Senna went on to win the race, only to be disqualified on dubious grounds for cutting the chicane, a decision that handed the title to Prost.


The poster for the new movie 'Senna'

Using previously unseen footage, the film shows Prost making his way to the stewards' room after the race and talking to Jean-Marie Balestre, the president of the sport's governing body, then called Fisa.

It creates a powerful reminder of how badly treated Senna was that weekend by the powers that be, so it fits nicely with the story of the film. Prost is painted as the villain, manipulating his powerful contacts to the detriment of the wronged, naďve, brilliant upstart.

But of course the reality was much more complex than that. This sequence is not preceded by any sense of how things had got to that point between Senna and Prost, no relating of Senna's aggressive driving tactics towards his rival, or his breaking of an agreement the two had made before the San Marino Grand Prix earlier that year.

It is only later in the film - by which time Senna himself has effectively become the establishment - that this darker side to his sporting personality, the slightly unhinged aspect to his character, is touched upon.

On an objective level, this undermines the film a little. But from a cinematic point of view it undoubtedly makes for a more powerful story.

This film is telling Senna's story, from Senna's point view. He is used as a narrator in death, through archive interviews, in much the same way as the hero of Touching The Void, Joe Simpson, is used in life in that film, and the end product is similarly superb.

'Senna', then, is not an unbiased movie; it's not trying to be. But it is a brilliant and beautiful one.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/04/senna_immortalised_in_new_movi.html

Braun Racing Toyota Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford Mike Bliss

NASCAR Tracks - The Phoenix International Raceway

The Phoenix International Raceway hosts a variety of NASCAR and IRL events throughout the year. The Phoenix International Raceway was opened in 1988, and the Checkers Auto Parts course is 312 miles long - which equals 312 laps - and last year's race had an average speed of 103 MPH. For all sections of this top raceway the tickets are great and your sure to enjoy the Checker Auto Parts 500 that is run there each year.

The Phoenix International Raceway, built in 1964, boasts the world's fastest one-mile oval paved track for auto racing, and the Manzanita Speedway holds Sprint, midget, and stockcar races. The Phoenix International Raceway was opened in 1988, and the Checkers Auto Parts course is 312 miles long - which equals 312 laps - and last year's race had an average speed of 103 MPH.

Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) is a great track to visit if you want to experience NASCAR but on a smaller scale compared to much larger tracks and spectators. It's easier to bring the kids to this track because it is smaller and therefore the crowds are smaller. Phoenix International Raceway is one of the most unique tracks on the NASCAR schedule. Phoenix International Raceway may the same length as those two Nextel Cup Series venues, but thats where the similarity ends.

Carl has three wins in the all-new car series and could have had a fourth. Thats close to domination of the seven races so far but the good result have come on the super speedways, not the two short tracks. Cars get together and hook up in that second groove. But you can pass just about anywhere on this racetrack. Carved from the foothills of Estrella Mountains in 1964 the Phoenix International Raceway was a new star in the world of open-wheeled racing when it was opened. It wasn't until 1988, when NASCAR came to Phoenix that the raceway became truly world-class sporting venue.

PIR provides two great NASCAR weekends, one in the fall, and one in the spring. Fans from all over visit the Valley of the Sun for these two great weekends filled with the best in Sprint, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series racing. PIR is easy to get to from downtown. Take I-10 west to Avondale Blvd (formerly 115th Avenue), and drive south (left) for 6 miles. PIR is now in the outer suburbs of the fast-expanding Arizona city. The track hosted its first USAC Indy car races in 1964 with AJ Foyt winning the 100-mile event and Lloyd Ruby a 200-miler but it remained underdeveloped.

For NASCAR Merchandise, Up to the minute News, and everything NASCAR including Racing Jackets or Nascar Hats we have them at the best prices everyday!

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José Froilán González Oscar González Aldo Gordini Horace Gould

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

Dario Franchitti Jimmie Johnson Nationwide Series Joey Logano

How To Find Great NASCAR Collectibles And Memorabilia Online

NASCAR is a fast paced sport to enjoy, it is the National Association for Stock Car Racing. Racing has gotten more popular in recent years and NASCAR is at the top of racing news. So it should be no surprise that collecting NASCAR memorabilia is a favorite pastime of many.

Whether shopping for a loved one or for you there are plenty of the popular merchandise to choose from. If you are trying to find the perfect gift for someone else that loves the sport, you can begin a search on the Internet.

Online you can find almost anything. If you want to order tickets to game or even set up a complete vacation revolving around NASCAR, researching prices online at least will save you some money.

If you are looking for NASCAR clothing you will find plenty online. You can also find books about the sport, personalized gifts for fans and replica cars. Getting an autographed picture or shirt is one way to let that special fan in your life know you care.

If you are looking for collectibles for yourself, you may find an array of ideas online. NASCAR pictures are a great search and find item on the Internet. There are so many different ones posted on a variety of sites. With little effort you can find some pictures that not everyone has right now. They may not be quite originals but it is fun to find pictures that are different than the ones in all the stores.
When you do find those uncommon pictures you can use your computer to make calendars, mouse pads, iron on for shirts and hats. You can customize your own clothes and gear.

Looking online you can also get ready for all the races with all the racing schedules. You can also find plenty of history about how the sport began and where it is going now.

Most fans have at least one favorite racecar driver and online you can read the bibliographies of all the drivers. You can also get stats and information on up and coming drivers before the races. Finding out about the latest changes and updates to NASCAR is easy since it is readily available online.

Most websites are free or the charge is minimal to print pictures and read about favorite drivers and races. If you happen to miss a race on television a lot of sites will allow you to watch clips and some even allow complete video segments for viewing online.
If you are looking for a biography about a particular driver, looking online is the best play to start your search. Some of the sport's drivers are into writing their own books and they are readily available online also.

Rare collectible NASCAR items are also worth searching online for. As more and more people connect to the Internet you will be able to buy sell or trade with other fans easily no matter where they are located.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as sports collectibles at http://www.sportscollectiblesandmemorabilia.com

Article Source: How To Find Great NASCAR Collectibles And Memorabilia Online

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/4130/how-to-find-great-nascar-collectibles-and-memorabilia-online

PRISM Motorsports Toyota Travis Kvapil Long John Silver s Ford David Gilliland

NASCAR Tickets - Busch Contemplates Open-Wheel Switch

Kyle Busch is back on top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup throne, a familiar position for the No. 18 M&M's racecar driver. After suffering a disappointing start to the NASCAR season when he was taken out by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s aggravating crash in the Daytona 500 in February, Busch fought back to earn third place honors at the Auto Club 500 in Fontana in late February before jumping headfirst into the Shelby 427 in his hometown of Las Vegas on March 1. Busch won the race at Las Vegas after starting at the back of the 43-car pack, proving his mainstay status in the NASCAR realm. While Busch is sitting pretty in the Top 10 in current rankings, however, the famed No. 18 could be seeing a different kind of racing in the near future.

NASCAR online recently reported on a probable Formula One startup in the U.S., and Kyle Busch is one of the names being tossed around as a possibility to fill the driver's seat. Racing heavyweights Ken Anderson (former Ligier and Onyx engineer) and Peter Windsor (former Ferrari and Williams team manager and pit-lane reporter) have recently announced plans to start an F1 organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, saying they will have seats for two American drivers to partake in the F1 excitement starting in 2010. Busch is one figure being considered out of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, and IndyCar racers Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti and Scott Speed are also being considered, though Speed has already tried his hand at Formula One and has expressed no interest in returning to the league.

Busch, on the other hand, has already entertained the idea of switching from stock cars to open-wheel racing, recently stating, "I wouldn't mind trying IndyCars and running the Indianapolis 500 once, or running Formula One. But it's not quite time for me to do that yet. If I can win a championship here in the next two or three years, then I wouldn't mind going over there."

While Kyle Busch is now contemplating a possible future switch to IndyCar or F1, his resume is currently lacking in the open-wheel sector of racing. Busch followed his older brother Kurt Busch onto the stock car racing scene from his youth, starting to race at age 13 in the Legends Series before moving on up to NASCAR's late model series, which he excelled in before joining Roush Racing while still in high school. Busch became the youngest race winner in NASCAR's history at age 20, and, now still in his twenties, Busch has become one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' best drivers, maneuvering his No. 18 stock car around the nation's toughest courses. Busch's game plan for his racing future seems yet uncertain, as he recently made a statement saying, "I think I'd still be young enough where if I could win a championship by 25, go run Formula One for a couple years, be back by 28, I've still got plenty of time left to run in NASCAR. That's just what I see, but a lot of things would have to work out for that to happen."

Clearly, nothing is set in stone now, nor will be for a while, but if you want to see Kyle Busch in his famed No. 18 stock car before he makes a possible switch to F1, get NASCAR tickets, available online, and watch the talented driver zoom around the track before he exits the Sprint Cup Series!

This article is sponsored by StubHub. 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 - Busch Contemplates Open-Wheel Switch

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/248654/nascar-tickets-busch-contemplates-open-wheel-switch

Phoenix Construction Chevrolet Jeremy Clements Boudreaux s Butt Paste Chevrolet Justin Allgaier

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

Carl Edwards Copart Ford Denny Hamlin Kyle Busch