How I became a full-fledged Kyle Busch fan

Sorry Jimmie, sorry Jeff. I feel terrible having to betray the marque that produced my very first driving experience. The Lumina "Eurosport" I learned to drive with made me feel like Cole Trickle taking down Russ Wheeler at Daytona (ok, it was actually a torque-steery dung heap, I guess anything will do when you're 16), but nostalgia can only take me so far. I just cannot in good conscience cheer for a government-owned car company*, regardless of how many degrees of separation there are between what goes on in Detroit and Charlotte. With four of the top five teams sporting bowties, and a natural resistance to cheering for anything Jack Roush, I may become as disinterested in Sprint Cup as I am in Formula Whatever if this party isn't crashed.



We need you now more than ever, Rowdy.

*for my next challenge: cheer against stick-and-ball teams that play in government-sponsored arenas - good luck with that!

Unintended Consequences

It has been well acknowledged that while restrictor plates are intended to cap speeds and increase safety, their practical effect has been to staple race cars to each other, necessitating tight drafting and risky, last second passes. In reviewing Edward's attempted crowd surfing in the 'Dega grandstand, I was mighty impressed at how the catch fencing held up. One of the engineers at my office, however, pointed out that the Safer Barrier may have actually made the impact worse than it needed to be. Have another look at the way the car deflects off the barrier and into the fencing at an awkard angle. If the fence had been aligned with the wall (i.e. no supplemental barrier) do you think the penetration into the grandstands would have been as severe?

Formula WTF

File under unexpected headlines:

WILLIAMS, TOYOTA, BRAWN BEST IN AUSTRALIAN GP PRACTICE

This certainly throws my round 1 fantasy picks into disarray. Although I was impressed with Williams' form early last season, although things eventually tapered off and this year RBS probably won't be cutting cheques for additional development. Still could see a first win for Nico if things fall into place. I'm also reluctant to bet against Red Bull (and specifically Seb Vettel), diffuser appeals be damned. It is entirely likely, as aero witch Newey speculates, that the rule changes will lead to a greater differential in pole to tail lap times rather than bunching up the field (in terms of competitiveness, last year was certainly hard to match). So go ahead and place your bets on which team gets out front and stays out front. I'll throw down with BMW-Sauber and go along with their split KERS hedging strategy.

My picks:
Drivers - Vettel
Constructors - BMW Sauber
First Win - Rosberg

Now this is where I always get confused - the quali is scheduled for Saturday at 1:55 AM EST, which means on the west coast it's actually late Friday night?

UPDATE: Button, Barrichello take the front row. I'm speechless.

UPDATE 2: Think Honda would love to have their red lettering across those engine bays? Nice timing, though - Brawn takes two Earth Dreams donkeys and plants them 1-2 on the grid.

Red Bull Describes Rule Changes

In a nifty computer animation, Red Bull shows what their new car looks like, while describing the differences from last years cars to this year. A nice series of 'exploded' (design-type, not Michael Bay type) looks at the car, and transformations from the old car to the new one.

See it at Racing-live, for now: http://multimedia.f1-live.com/f1/en/videos/

Countdown to Daytona: Quick Picks

I started intensely following NASCAR around 1990, so I've seen a few mild recessions but no major economic meltdown. Even the oil crisis and Chrysler bankruptcy years came at a time when NASCAR was still a regional curiousity rather than a respected north american pro sport brand.

How then will layoffs and belt-tightening along pit road affect the standings? I think like any investment portfolio, you stay away from the flashy and trendy and go with your blue chips and proven performers. There'll be some blank panels on the starters and we might even see the start-and-park phenomenon infiltrate the Sprint Cup ranks (see more on this hedging tactic in this month's Car and Driver), but those teams who won when times were good and the credit was flowing should be more resilient during the eventual drought, right?

In any event, here's some quick picks for my Yahoo Fantasy Team.

A-Listers

1) Jeff Gordon

Early season breakout pick, and a decent underdog seeing as everyone will be picking Rowdy, Jimmie or Cousin Carl off the bat. Why so quick to write off the only guy who got within spitting distance of his teammate in 07? You can't get much more blue chip than Jeff Gordon at Daytona, and besides, I save my Jimmie Johnson starts for late in the season, when the Lowe's crew really gels. An early win would immediately get the pressure off of Letarte (the guy has to be trusted if he can put up with a whiny, winless Jeff Gordon over the course of a year) and bank some positive energy for later in the season.

1a) Kyle Busch

He's pretty much the focus of attention at JGR now that the large shadow of Tony Stewart has disappeared from the organization. The focus can now be on mechanical reliability and a little more patience. I think the spectacle of Rowdy Busch driving a Camry to the championship could bring us to the brink of euro-style soccer hooliganism. Isn't that in itself reason enough to cheer for the goofball?

B-Listers

2) Tony Stewart

With fresh memories of his on-air despondency in pursuit of Jimmie Johnson ("are we ever gonna beat these guys?"), it will be interesting to see how Tony's perspective changes now that he has more skin in the game as part owner. I love the fact that he's got A.J. Foyt's old number 14. I mean, the guy's almost more A.J. than A.J. Now if only they'd let him bring back the black and orange Copenhagen chew sponsorship.

2a) David Ragan

One of those kids with a vertical career trajectory. Solid equipment and high profile sponsorship should keep him near the front and get him easily into the Chase.

2b) Kurt Busch

I was initially strangely tempted to go with David Reutimann here, but he is only about 50% sponsored for the season and who knows what sort of shenanigans Michael Waltrip Racing's going to get busted on this year. Instead I fell for an old favorite in Kurt Busch. Penske's superspeedway gear has been much improved in recent years and a newly approved front clip should help out the Dodge entries.

2c) Brian Vickers

Someone predicted a top-five for the Red Bullers this year. I won't go that far, but between he and the intriguing Scott Speed, I think at least one Chase berth is a given.

C-Listers

3) Bobby Labonte

Yates Racing's lineup impressed me last year, in spite of their sponsorship issues and now they'll be teaming up with Hall of Fame. Although "Woppel" and Gilliland may find themselves on the outs, an outfit like Yates can make plenty of power with minimal dollars. 1999 wasn't that long ago was it?

3a) AJ Allmendinger

He'll probably need another firing mid-season to keep him sparked, but I suppose a switch to Petty Enterprises should be sufficient to tap that driving talent in the early going. If it succeeds in getting that bum Sadler on the jump than even a part time gig won't be in vain.

As far as the big race goes, I'll keep my money on Jeff Gordon. What say you BF readers?

Formula 1 back to the Past?

Don't know if you've seen the new Formula One aero packages that were tested in Barcelona, but the first thing I thought of when I saw them was that it was a cool return to the look of the 80's.

Big flat wide front wings, actual slick tires, narrow high rear wings. I really like the look.

Of course, we won't see the Honda version ever again, but we'll see if someone buy's their team equipment to run another team. I can't imagine anyone would want it, tho, since you could do better with almost ANYTHING else...

Tim Blair FTW

"Japanese car giant Honda – whose Formula One team was dedicated to saving the planet – has now reduced its F1 carbon footprint to zero."

Be sure to hit all the links. I have to think this is the first of many.

[c/p TFTS]

Jacques opens mouth, provides insightful comment

Via Autosport:

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes that of Formula One's three current title contenders, Robert Kubica is the most deserving this year.

The BMW driver closed to within 12 points of Lewis Hamilton and seven of Felipe Massa after finishing second in the Japanese Grand Prix, while both his rivals incurred penalties in a race where both made mistakes.

"The one who really deserves it now is Kubica," Villeneuve, who won the title for Williams in 1997, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He has not been in as good a car as either Felipe or Lewis yet he has produced a season without mistakes.

He's also blown the doors off his highly rated teammate and made a minimum of mistakes in his second season. What do you think? Can you spot a World Champion's vapour trail in the chart below?:

Let 'em go

I am mildly dismayed to see the Canadian GP left off the sched., but in light of the deteriorating track conditions and perennial threats and bribes to keep it on the island, I'm happy to see some Asian / Middle East country fork over the subsidies instead. I've always said if the government wants to "help" support the arts, industry, sports, entertainment whatever...cut everybody's taxes and let them direct money to the things they value most. Of course, such widely dispersed voluntary measures wouldn't help desperate politicians in the middle of a tight election race which is why it will never happen.

It is interesting to wonder whether running tobacco sponsorship out of the sport ended up shifting the big money burdens back on governments (and ultimately taxpayers) but in any event, by leaving a big North American sized hole in the tour, there's the possibility that with a fresh sheet of paper, others may take the lead in bringing F1 or even NASCAR to Canada in the future. Could Alberta's Oil Patch become the next generation equivalent of the tobacco giants?

What's New

It's probably a good thing I don't update this blog too often, as it would push my substantially correct predictions down the page and out of view. So where were we? Oh, right I had JJ and co. gearing up for another title while young Rowdy was on the verge of an epic playoff meltdown. Admittedly, I didn't see the Biff coming, and I thought maybe Junior would be slightly less mediocre in the post-season than he has been all year. I think Junior could cash in at 'Dega next week, but beyond that it's all 48 with the Roush guys gouging each other's eyes out to be the first loser.

Across the pond, it was nice to see the perpetual sulk on the top podium step once again. For the most part, it seems everyone is petrified by the thought of actually winning a title over there. The bumbling is painful to watch, although the gazillion candelas used to turn night to day on the streets of Singapore was a treat to the eye. More, please, although it would be nice to schedule the night race so that it comes on a reasonable hour over in North America. It's just too easy to whack the snooze button at 4:30 AM on a Sunday morning.

"Oh, Horse's Arse!"...as my Great Aunt used to say

Leave it to the Formula 1 stewardship to ruin what would otherwise be the most thrilling conclusion to a race in years. The question this now infamous tale of tape raises for me is, how much more ground do you cede to a guy you just jumped a chicane on? Two car lengths? Three car lengths?



This is why we get up at 4:30 in the AM, folks (well, I have to admit I nodded off on the couch after the first few circuits only to be jolted awake moments before the finish by the sounds of James Allen having a bird - how apoplectic would old Muzza have been?)

Gridcrasher has the viddies from the other tight racing over the weekend. Helio and Jimmie edge Dixon and Stewart, respectively. Told ya Jimmie's gonna be money in the playoffs. And are the cracks showing in Number 18 or what?

Chase for the cup: why my money's on number 48

[more general travel and race pics here]

Just got back from the stew of humanity that was Auto Club speedway. For what it's worth, the rumours on some track guides about dysfunctional traffic before and after the event were quite unfounded. Only took a matter of minutes to enter the west gates around 2:00 pm, and while the outbound movement always requires more patience, an hour and half to drain out a good portion of the 32,000 spaces is entirely reasonable (having two humongous freeways nearby certainly helped). LAX and Alaska Airlines, on the other hand could use some tips on passenger queuing and processing.

But anyhow, as far as the track action goes, I came away quite confident in predicting a three-peat for the Lowe's team. Partly because we've seen the late charge before, partly because Jimmie drives the season like he drives a race - lay back, wait for the crap to sort out and pick his window to run down the leaders - but mainly because they're the most incredibly meticulous and focussed organization on pit road. I know this from using my Fan Scan to prioritize radio chatter between the 48, 24, 88 and 18 (I also checked in on my boy Carpentier from time to time). I was curious to stick with those four to listen in on how a team typically copes with the dynamic arc of the day-night track conditions. As the results indicate, the latter three were trapped in the high teens through most of the race and much frustrated bellyaching could be heard (particularly from Gordon, man that guy sounds like a prima donna). By contrast, Johnson and Knaus were ice throughout. In addition to continually reviewing lap times, their car was fine-tuned to the nanoscopic level. Every single chord of each horizontal curve was described in terms of how well the car was traversing it. Their reaction to getting down in the pits was no different. After first surrendering the lead, Johnson practically laughed at the desperation of other teams taking on two tires. On the proceeding restart he laid a humiliating stomping on them, reinforcing the confidence of both driver and crew should they get beaten off pit road in the waning moments.

I know I've been one of the first passengers on the Rowdy bandwagon (a.k.a. Rick Hendrick's Biggest Regret), but I have sufficient doubts regarding the championship calibre of that team. It just seems as though Busch has won on pure balls this year, and without him, you've got essentially the same team that bumbled along with J.J. Yeley for the past two seasons. Edwards and Busch should make the playoffs entertaining, but the Lowes machine is just ramping up.

We're at Sonoma already?

Last year I took one of my favourite road trips of all time down to San Franfreako and back. Well equipped with a track scanner, I was able to follow along in detail as Juan Pablo gambled his way to a first place and the front running Ford Fusions started dropping like flies. NOTE: scanners are already indispensible at sprawling road course where a lot of the race is out of view, but even more so when it comes down to fuel mileage battle - plenty of Apollo 13-like dialogue going on between crew chief and drivers and you can make yourself a pretty popular guy by passing on helpful soundbites to the crowd around you.

The really cool thing about road courses is that you get an entirely novel group of drivers up at the top of the charts for once. Guys like Said, Ambrose, Gord...wait, what's this...Kasey's on the pole? Cripes. Ah, we'll see how he looks in race trim.

My bets are squarely on the California Gordons. Jeff needs a win badly (or is another crew chief shake up in store?) and the scrappy Robby is again looking in fine form, this time in a hopefully more fuel efficient Dodge Charger. Don't count out the Once Mighty 'Stache, though. I enthusiastically followed Ron Fellow's race last year as he swapped paint with Gordon ("does this guy know who I am?!" came the response from 24's radio) and he ran up front in the DLP Chevy until fading back and getting scrambled on pit strategy. This year he's in a (look out!) black DEI offering. Does he know yet that a well groomed lip shrubbery makes an ironic fashion statement these days? Does Jeff Gordon?

Check out that shimmering asphalt, eh?

June is upon us, and Montreal has once again turned into its early summer sauna (with the humidex it "feels like" 38C, 102F). Plenty of surprising names in the just completed Q3, with Lewis Hamilton thwarting a heroic pole effort by Robert Kubica at the last minute. Kimi was strong through 2/3rd of the track, but the Ferraris were sucking wind on the sector three straight.

Expect a particularly punishing race this year. The heat and humidity will flex that pavement for all its worth and outside a sticky groove, there's going to be plenty of gumball wads. CGV is always murder on brakes and tires (and groundhogs), but if the forecast for thundershowers holds up, the mechanical stress levels will be reduced. Webber seems to be mentally prepping himself to do some dancing if the skies open.

Rain or shine, I've got Lewis going back to back for the win, with my outside shots for the podium going to Rosberg, Webber or (gasp) Barrichelo. I think the Green Team at Honda could use a little cheering up.

UPDATE: Everyone but Lewis peeved about the track conditions. Consider yourselves lucky, lads - that's probably the best maintained stretch of roadway in the entire pitiful province. During the spring thaw, I used to drive around potholes capable of swallowing a light truck.

Quick Picks for the big weekend

I've had these rattling around in my head for the past week, getting more and more confident as Sunday approached:

Monaco GP: Hopefully we'll get our first wet race of the year and Lewis Hamilton will remind the world of his capabilities. Outside chance: Mark Webber. Mark and Red Bull are typically in fine form at Monaco and a damp track should clear out enough spots up front to make his quali position less of an issue.

Indianapolis 500: All the signs are eerily pointing to The Danica, but I've been dazzled by Marco Andretti's performances so far at Indy. He's been too quiet this year.

Coca-Cola 600: Gotta go with JJ here. No team is more patient with changing track conditions and has that ability to just lay back in the weeds. Once the front runners chew up their equipment or lose the handle, the 48 will again be headed for victory lane at their home track. Outside chance: Kasey Kane whooped the all-stars here last weekend and he's dominated the 600 before, so don't count him out.

We Have Ourselves A Villain

All those pre-race invocations are certainly paying off for NASCAR. They've managed to get the sport's most insanely popular driver in championship contention with some top notch equipment. Now, barely a quarter of the way into the season, a worthy antagonist has entered stage right.

He's relishing the role, too. From last week's victory lane interview:

"I'm here to race. I'm here to win. If I win it must make them more upset and crying on their way back home."

Busch paused and then added, "By the way. Did somebody throw a beer can at me? Next time make sure it's full so I can enjoy it out there."

Could you possibly script it any better? Oh right, make sure this "villain" has an entirely legitimate axe to grind on account of being booted out of his seat to make way for NASCAR Jesus. Also ensure a well groomed press corps takes the opportunity to compare him to Jesus' daddy - that shouldn't get the base too fired up or anything.

Of course, if you really wanted to pour some gas on the blaze, you might even consider bringing up that awful looking goose egg in the win column as often as possible.

Sorry, did I imply that Earnhardt Junior is a tad overrated? Well he is:


The past few years have been great for us Jimmie Johnson fans. True, that outfit is chillingly competent and that's what we like about them - but JJ can come off as just too damn nice sometimes. I've always tended to cheer for the bad guys in movies and with the way this season is shaping up, it looks like I'm going to finally enjoy some guilt-free cheering for the bad guy on the track.

Looking forward to Edmonton

Still no official official confirmation, but everyone's best guess is that the Edmonton Grand Prix will retain its date in the new consolidated Champ Car / IRL calendar. Edmonton has carried the torch from the defunct Vancouver Indy by offering a runway course rather than public street circuit and now represents the lone Canadian race.

We here at B-F are also waiting to see Paul Tracy's plans for the season. He's on the outs for now, but by the time July rolls around there could be a few driver sackings opening up an opportunity to race at home. Consider how his traditional physical disadvantage - his weight - is going to be evened out in the new regime:

Added to the cars is a paddle shifting mechanism that allows a driver to keep both hands on the steering wheel. The IRL also has instituted a minimum weight rule that prevents lighter drivers from gaining a competitive advantage, particularly on road courses and street circuits.

Drivers will be put in three groups by weight. Drivers in the lightest group will have weight added to their cars. Series officials will not announce when weigh-ins will be held -- or how much drivers weigh -- to prevent crash dieting.

No other Canucks on the tour this year, although the Edmonton race weekend also features the NASCAR Canadian Tire series, where the absolutely sick ex-Champ Car driver Andrew Ranger will attempt to defend his rookie title. If I had to put money on a Canadian to finally break through in NASCAR, the sky's the limit for Ranger.

Lights almost out for Formula 1 2008

As always, TSN has the most concise summation of this year's rule changes and team prospects. Australian GP qualifying goes Friday at 8:00 PM Pacific and the race is Saturday at 9:00 PM Pacific.

Easy(er) pick up front: I think Hamilton takes the title, ironing out the limited, but critical mistakes that cost him last year. The only risk I see is in he and Kovalainen possibly losing their way during seasonal rough patches without a veteran driver or past champ on board. Ridding their paddock of Alonso will, however, allow the team uncompromised focus on avenging last year's on-and-off track debacle. Note that I say easier not because I've written off the defending champions or anything, just that it looks to be a 50/50 McLaren/Ferrari battle shaping up again (or maybe 45/45 with Red Bull/Renault/BMW/Williams fighting over the last crumby 10 per cent).

Speaking of the surly Spaniard, I really think he can squeeze at least one win out of the Renault package. He's without the launch and traction control he had in the R25 and R26 models, but other than that it's a championship team reunited again under Briatore/Symonds/Bell. He's got the nerve required to hold a racing car on the edge lap after lap and his temperament helps to force his way up the classification order at least as many times as it results in an off.

I would also like to once again call for Mark Webber to get his first victory this season. Trust me this time! He was dynamite in the wet at the European and Japanese GP's and the bugs in Adrian Newey's baby are going to finally work themselves out. I don't think anyone questions his pace, it's just his miserable racing luck that's holding him back.

Should be another great season going down to the bitter end. Really looking forward to the night race in Singapore which will be an electrical and lighting engineer's dream (or worst nightmare) and could lead to more flexibility in the scheduling of races. If it comes through well enough on TV, Euro night races would be starting in the afternoon in North and South America (not that Bernie gives a shite about attracting the eyeballs of NASCAR fans).

For those on the Book of Face, be sure to check out the nifty Formula 1 Picks application.

Let's Get Rowdy

Dunno if you recall some wiseacre recommended Kyle Busch as the sleeper pick of the season.

Toyota's certainly busted out of the gate this year, but how many people would've honestly taken him over the likes of Hamlin in their pool? We'll see how he can sustain the pressure over the course of the season, but I do think he'll at least outdo Dale Junior by about three wins and five chase positions. Win number two should be coming up this weekend in Bristol.

Forced Merge

TSN has the initial details, but I was first alerted of the "union" through this clever Infineon Raceway promotional email:


Well, we know someone's keeping their race date! As for the Canadian Champ Car races, it sounds like there will be some short term cancellations at due to conflicts, but I expect the remaining race(s) will benefit from the much richer talent and sponsor pool. Full details are to come at a joint press conference next week.

Ironically, I don't think it was necessarily the case that one or the other open wheel series won out, although Champ Car's impending (second) bankruptcy put some sudden urgency to the amalgamation. Rather, both of the weakened series have been left reeling thanks to the NASCAR juggernaut.

2008 NASCAR season ready to roll

With a win in the Bud Shootout and the 125 Quali, Earnhardt Junior has to be a favourite to win both the Daytona 500 and the Sprint Cup, but I thought I'd base my preview on a couple of guys who are likely to fly under most people's radar going into 2008.

1. Kyle Busch - Yes, it's hard to believe, but the once again ex-coach Joe Gibbs now has three championship-quality teams in his garage. The two front-runners, Hamlin and Stewart have had more than their share of cooperation issues in the past, while Kyle is used to being the black sheep of the Hendrick family. He's one of the most exciting drivers in the field to watch and can really drive the wheels off a stock car at a variety of tracks. Look for him to bring the 18 back into chase contention.

2. Brian Vickers - With Toyota already looking significantly stronger this season, and the resources of the Red Bull brand at his disposal, I think Vickers can lead this team into the next segment of the learning curve. All that fighting and scrapping for tenths and hundredths of a second down the time charts and the focusing effect of "go or go-home" on his raw speed can only serve to benefit a still young career.

3. Juan Pablo Montoya - Perhaps his solitary win at Sonoma could be considered a disappointment given both the tremendous hype that accompanied him into his first season and the expectation that he would be a dominant road course ringer at the very least. But it was hard to remind yourself that he was still only a rookie in the latter half of 2007. He finished 10th at Dover, 8th at Martinville and 15th at Talledega, a grab bag of pure stock car tracks. He also outscored his more experienced Ganassi teammates in winning the rookie title. Look for him to continue to distance himself from his open wheel peers in 2008.

Enjoy the season, and if you're interested in joining a racing pool, drop me a line. I've got an entry up on the Yahoo Fantasy League.

Speed Performance Awards

My 2007 picks (go here to view and vote):

1. Danica Patrick for the Oops Award - The Diva's a perennial favorite in the end of year round ups...for all the wrong reasons.

2. Racer Rookie of the year - Lewis, without even a second thought.

3. Biggest Hit - Tough call, but I'll have to go with Kubica, who had the G-readings to prove it.

4. Helio for Temper Temper - A muttering wreck. Can you tell this guy was having relationship issues?

5. Biggest upset - Kimi triumphs over Mclaren.

6. Heart Brake - Go to admit, as bad as it would have been to see NASCAR freeze that field, by the letter of the law, Martin got hosed.

7. Best Rivalry - Formula 1 is the pinnacle of both engineering achievement and internecine vitriol. The Mclaren boys take this one.

8. Best Finish - ALMS GT. Rare enough to see an endurance race come down to the wire like that, but when it's a Porsche and Ferrari scraping fenders in the dark, with fireworks going off in the infield and one of the guys has a name like Jorg Bergmeister...

9. T-Stew for "Tell It Like It Is" - Nobody does it better. What was I saying about F1 drivers slagging their teammates?

Well...

Is anyone bold enough to put money on not-Jimmie? I don't know sports betting from a hole in the ground, but Bodog's got Jeff Gordon at 5 to 1.

In all the championship highlights they've been reviewing over the week, the one that always sticks with me is Kurt Busch's wheel falling off in '04.

I've got Gordon winning in my Facebook picks, but I think JJ will do enough to wrap up the title comfortably. It'll be one of those classic end of year statement races (recall Earnhardt and Rusty in '93, Kulwicki and Elliot in '92).

Anything can happen...400 miles start now!

Will JJ take a knee at Homestead?

Gordo said it:

"It's over. It's over," conceded Gordon. "Even if we win it, it's because they have problems. While we'll accept it, we don't want to do it that way.

"Those guys have flat-out killed everybody. And you've got to give credit where credit is due."

A must-have car magazine

The one-off print edition of "High Performance Driving" has definitely given me the racing itch. An incredibly comprehensive and advert-free '101' for the entry level weekend racer, topics range from basic race techniques to a review of North American racing schools, and the newest track designs coming onstream. There's even an excellent op-ed from Richard Diamond, publisher of "The Newspaper".

When the lease on my current urban runabout is up, I'll be looking for something cheap to take to the track. Mid-to-early 90's Miatas are definitely on the radar.

In the meantime, I'll be keeping my eye out for any consulting opportunities with Wilson Motorsport.

[cross-posted to Freeway to Serfdom]

Why the Chase ratings are down...

My theory:

1. Junior's season has been a disaster
2. The Chase is down to two drivers with three races to go
3. Those two drivers happen to be the most hated (I would argue, envied) drivers in all of NASCAR


Above: Ratings Rock Bottom. The Unstoppable Jimmie J wins again as a nation of haters flips over to the Pats and Colts.

Connect those dots!

TSN.ca: Hamilton Wants 'team player' at Mclaren

Lewis Hamilton says he doesn't care who his new teammate is at McLaren next season as long as they are a team player.

McLaren confirmed on Friday they have ended their relationship with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso after just one season. The Spaniard often clashed with team boss Ron Dennis and his practice of not favouring one driver over another.

TSN.ca: Hakkinen retires from DTM racing

Mika Hakkinen has decided to retire from racing in the German DTM series.

The Finn made the announcement on Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz 'Stars and Cars' event in Stuttgart.

[...]

Hakkinen has been racing in the touring car series for the past three years, winning three times with the Mercedes team.

Hakkinen says he will continue his relationship with Mercedes and that an announcement will be made soon about his future plans.

[emphasis mine]

Hamilton-Hakkinen it is!

Never a dull Atlanta race

The late season Atlanta races have always been some of my favourites, going back to 1992 which was the first season I followed start to finish. Today's pre-race ceremonies had a neat "torch-passing" tribute to Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon. It was 15 years ago that Gordon made his debut and Petty shut it down, all while Bill Elliot, Davey Allison and Alan Kulwicki battled down to the wire for the championship. Swervin' Irvan took out poor Davey in a wreck, which handed the title to independent hero Kulwicki by a single lap led. After that, of course, I was hooked.

As it's no longer the season finale, the excitement at recent races has been tempered somewhat. Today, however, a late race caution set in motion a series of events including a clumsy restart (how on earth did NASCAR not wave that off when it was clear the 11 was a sitting duck?), an executive pit road decision by Chad Knaus to take on two tires and gain track position, and a spectacular crash by a charging Earnhardt Junior which handed Jimmie Johnson his eighth win of the season. Johnson is now just nine points afield of Jeff Gordon and clear of most other competitors with only three races to go (Texas, Phoenix and Miami).

You gotta be good to be lucky / lucky to be good as they always say, no better example than the 48 team, who are aces at getting themselves into a position where they can pounce on these kinds of opportunities. Prior to the race, the California native Johnson pledged his winnings to the Red Cross and their SoCal disaster relief effort. He was matched by Lowes, Bruton Smith (track owner) and team owner Rick Hendrick, allowing for another one of those feel-good NASCAR finishes.

You can't stop Jimmie and Jeff, you can only hope to contain them

6th and 8th, respectively on the Atlanta starting grid.

So, does anyone have an answer for these two? Anyone? (taps mike) Is this thing on?

It must be disparaging to cup challengers to think that Jimmie Johnson was in third place, 41 points adrift of Matt Kenseth (who?) at this time last year, and the only thing standing in the way of a repeat is his seemingly invincible teammate.

And really, while there were flashes of potential in the run-up to the playoffs, no one's been able to carry any moment through the Chase. T. Stew, Hamilin, Cousin Carl...heck I thought Kurt Busch turned the corner and was ready to have a go through Michigan and Pocono, but not much else came of that.

There's still the spoilers, though. Greg Biffle typically pulls out a win or two down the stretch and he's got to be using the conflict between Kenseth and Carl Edward's evil twin as an opportunity to raise his professional profile within the team. Dale Jr, should his engine not expire, will be looking to make a statement before moving into the Hendrick shops. Then there's Ryan Newman, the same guy and same team that bagged 8 victories on a variety of tracks only four seasons ago, on whom this losing streak has to be wearing hard.

I think Tony Stewart can make things interesting - starting with a win this weekend. But it's going to be too little, too late for this season.