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Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style

Zach Bowman — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Toyota, Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing Shop Tour - Click above for high-res image gallery

From most vantage points, the drivetrain in the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow seems to have its origins somewhere just after the discovery of fire. Under the hood is a pushrod V8 with 350 cubic inches of displacement, using the same architecture first outlined in the early 1950s. In its current form, ye olde mill is now delivering somewhere between 800 and 900 horsepower, and the small-block is still fed by the same Holley 4150 carburetor anyone can pick up from the local parts store. Behind the engine is a similarly crude four-speed manual transmission built to take repeated abuse. And little else. It sends power to a Ford nine-inch rear end - a design which, compared to the engine, is brand-spanking new. It was introduced in 1957.

If we're talking weaponry metaphors, the average NASCAR racer is a Louisville slugger wrapped in barbed wire compared to the Predator drone of your average Formula One or WRC beater. Or at least it looks that way from a cursory glance. But make no mistake, this is still big dollar racing, and the teams lapping Charlotte Motor Speedway or Talladega are still doing everything in their power to beat the rules at every turn and make their car faster than the rest of the pack. That means dabbling in advanced metallurgy, fiddling with fluid dynamics and finding out how to make their 3,450-pound behemoth faster than their competitors with the same kit.

It's an odd crossroads that fuses new and old tech, and a recent trip to Michael Waltrip Racing had us checking our NASCAR prejudices at the door.

Gallery: Michael Waltrip Racing Shop Tour

Continue reading Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style

Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Danica Patrick nixes talk of USF1 drive for 2010, but is pondering NASCAR

Chris Paukert — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Celebrities

IndyCar starlet Danica Patrick has been rumored to be pondering a switch to Formula One even before talk of a USF1 grand prix team first surfaced many months ago. However, the 27-year-old has had opportunities to test cars from the series in the past, but she may not be interested, as she turned down the chance to demonstrate an F1 car at Indianapolis back in 2005, and she apparently didn't reply to a drive invitation extended by Honda chief Nick Fry last year.

A new interview with The Los Angeles Times quotes Patrick as saying that she's never been approached by USF1 team principals Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, who are reportedly keen on having American drivers to go along with their U.S. made cars. Further, she seems more intrigued by the idea of switching over to the heavier, lower-tech full-bodied racers of NASCAR than she is in racing in the global open-wheel series. Some have suggested that Patrick might have difficulty adjusting to the series' vehicles as well as the demanding length of the season, but the star says she has the stuff to make a go of it:

"Of course I do, because I believe in my ability. Any time I've been tested and put in a car, in something I've never driven before. . . . I've always done really well. It's going to take some getting used to. But I can't make everyone think I'm a good driver."

Interestingly, Patrick has long been noted for her headstrong personality, but she says she would consider taking the advice of others and enter into NASCAR via one of its secondary series instead of jumping headlong into the top-draw Nextel Cup:

"At some point you have to stop being naive and stop being stubborn and listen to people, so if that's the route I go, I would be open to doing some lower-formula stuff. I would take that advice."

In any case, Patrick clearly has yet to make up her mind. What do you think - will she jump ship to NASCAR? And if so, will that be a good move for her? Drop us a line in 'Comments.' Thanks for the tip, Eric!

[Source: The Los Angeles Times | Image: Chris McGrath/Getty]

REPORT: Danica Patrick nixes talk of USF1 drive for 2010, but is pondering NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Gibbs Racing drops Chevy for Toyota in '08 NASCAR season

Alex Nunez — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:06:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota

Toyota has just raised its profile in NASCAR's top racing series. For the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup (née NEXTEL Cup) season, Joe Gibbs Racing will trade in its Chevrolets for Toyota Camrys (or at least cars with Toyota Camry headlight and grille stickers decorating their noses). In terms of star power, it means that Toyota picks up some very big names in Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Stewart showed how receptive he was to the change by announcing plans to sign a contract extension with JGR that keeps him on the NFL coaching legend's race team through the '09 season.

In a piece he wrote for FOXSports.com, Darryl Waltrip (whose brother Michael's team also runs Toyotas) said that the deal is a boon for both Toyota and JGR, because the adoption of the Car of Tomorrow for the full season next year basically levels the playing field where the cars themselves are concerned. The engines will be the difference-makers on the technical front. Waltrip feels that Gibbs' excellent engineering team will work wonders with the Toyota race engine, and that the JGR Camrys should be competitive right away. We'll see how right or wrong he is on Sunday, February 17, 2008, when the green flag waves at Daytona.

Follow the jump for press releases from Toyota and JGR.

Thanks for the tip, Saimin.

[Sources: Toyota Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, NYT Wheels Blog, FOX Sports]

Continue reading Joe Gibbs Racing drops Chevy for Toyota in '08 NASCAR season

Joe Gibbs Racing drops Chevy for Toyota in '08 NASCAR season originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR's Draft Track: More TV graphics we don't need

Alex Nunez — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Excessive on-screen graphics and sports telecasts seem to go hand-in-hand. While some truly are innovative, there will always be crap that we can all do without. Some examples are more hideous than others -- the relentlessly annoying "FoxTrack" puck that made its debut in NHL telecasts back in '96 immediately leaps to mind. This week, ESPN introduced something that could become irritating in a hurry if overused. It's called Draft Track, and it's a graphical representation of the airflow over the race cars in the net's NASCAR Nextel Cup telecasts. Nice idea, but it happens to make the cars look like they're on fire in some kind of videogame. Sigh. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, you know? Since we're talking TV graphics, we'll conclude by taking this opportunity to state that the inventor of the yellow first-down stripe used in football 'casts should have had a new Nobel Prize category created for him.

If you want to see what the Draft Track looks like in motion, head over to Jalopnik by clicking the image above or the "Read" link below. They captured some of the action and have video hosted at their place.

[Source: Jalopnik]

NASCAR's Draft Track: More TV graphics we don't need originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaves DEI, becomes free agent

John Neff — Thu, 10 May 2007 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

The world of NASCAR was rocked today when Dale Earnhardt Junior, the motorsport's most marketable and therefore most valuable driver, announced he is leaving DEI, the race team originally owned by his father. It turns out that there may be some familial conflict at the center of Junior's departure, as some speculate that Teresa Earnhardt, his stepmother and father's wife at the time of his death, wasn't willing to meet all of his demands.

Junior and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, were negotiating with DEI to gain control of 51% of the business and complete control of the race team. The press is speculating that while Teresa was willing to give up 51% of the company to Junior, she wanted Junior's control over the team to be tempered by a board or committee that would approve final decisions. Whatever the case, DEI's offer wasn't enough to keep Junior at the negotiating table any longer, and he'll become a free agent at the end of the season. The news is even worse for DEI, as some speculate that Budweiser, Junior's biggest sponsor, will follow him next year to whatever team that signs him.

[Source: Auto Racing Daily]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaves DEI, becomes free agent originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2007 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jack Roush declares war on Toyota in NASCAR

John Neff — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota

It's not a secret that Jack Roush thinks you should be buying American cars. Likewise, he's not a fan of NASCAR's decision to allow Toyota to race in the Nextel Cup series this season. The motorsports legend and tuner of all things Ford has recently gone on record with some fiery wartime rhetoric saying, "I expect to hand Toyota their head over the short term." He went on to say, "Toyota will not find that the established teams and manufacturers will wither in their path, as has been the case where they have tried to engage elsewhere." Them sounds like fightin' words!

The general concern is that Toyota will shore up its three teams with a bankroll that can't be matched by other manufacturers and teams participating in the series. However, as has been pointed out in the past, Toyota is believed to have the biggest budget in F1, yet you don't hear its name on the podium very often with Renault and Ferrari. For Roush's part, he's gone to great lengths to secure additional funding for his NASCAR team, even from Ford which is obviously strapped for cash.

Roush makes a good point, however, that NASCAR's strict limitations on technology means that Toyota's money won't allow it to buy better cars or technology. The real investment in NASCAR is with people and having the bucks to hire the best. But Toyota also knows success in NASCAR is not all about winning, it's about how many billboards, commercials and sponsorships you can slap your logo on. There's little doubt in our minds that Toyota will be successful in that arena.

[Source: Associated Press via Winding Road]

Jack Roush declares war on Toyota in NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trophy Wife: Mrs. Jimmie Johnson also wins at awards ceremony

Alex Nunez — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Just because Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup doesn't mean that it's all about him. At the annual Myers Brothers Awards last Thursday, General Motors presented Jimmie's wife Chandra with the key to a 2007 Corvette convertible. Which is really nice, because that's a $55,000 financial hit he won't have to shell out from the $15,770,125 (!) in prize money he collected at NASCAR awards banquet the following night. Honestly, we don't know what he'd have done otherwise.

For her part, the lovely Mrs. J playfully said that Jimmie could "be her chauffeur."

Jimmie Johnson is, by all accounts, a very lucky guy...

[Source: San Jose Mercury News]

Trophy Wife: Mrs. Jimmie Johnson also wins at awards ceremony originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jimmie Johnson finally wins NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship

Scott Davis — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:26:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Chevrolet

Nine years ago, from his couch in El Cajon, California, Jimmie Johnson watched his future team's co-owner, Jeff Gordon, win the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship (then the NASCAR Winston Cup Series). Last night, he raised the chalice himself after finishing 9th at Homestead, 56 points ahead of Matt Kenseth for the season, as the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup series champion.

The #48 Lowes Home Improvement Chevrolet team overcame a hole in the grille and no tape to fix it, a fantastic call by crew chief Chad Knaus, catching a loose left front lug nut before Jimmy left the pits that kept them from going a lap down, and a near-miss with Robbie Gordon in the closing laps to complete the chase for his first NASCAR Nextel Cup championship. Greg Biffle, who finished second to Tony Stewart for the championship last year, won the season-ender Ford 400 for the third year in a row.

Follow the jump for a brief history lesson on how the 10-race NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship Race went for Jimmie Johnson.

Continue reading Jimmie Johnson finally wins NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship

Jimmie Johnson finally wins NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Checkered weekend: No. 48 looks good for Cup win

Chris Tutor — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 07:43:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

This Sunday the Chase for the 2006 Nextel Cup will cross the finish line. At the end of the day, as long as No. 48 Jimmie Johnson finishes 12th or better at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he will walk away with his long-awaited championship. According to the guys who crunch the numbers, that's even if No. 17 Matt Kenseth, who trails Johnson by 63 points, wins the race and leads the most laps.

But No. 29 Kevin Harvick, third in the standings going into this weekend's race, will not end the year empty-handed. Harvick's done even better in the Busch Series. He had that title wrapped up in October. He can just coast through Saturday's Busch race (Ford 300 on TNT at 7 p.m. ET). No. 11 Denny Hamlin, fourth in Nextel Cup standings, looks good to take home rookie-of-the-year trophy.
Sorry No. 8 fans, at 115 points behind Johnson, Earnhardt Jr. is a long shot. There's always next year, Dale. Rounding out Nextel Cup's top 10 are No. 24 Jeff Gordon, No. 31 Jeff Burton, No. 6 Mark Martin, No. 9 Kasey Kahne and No. 5 Kyle Busch.

Watch the Ford 400/Nextel Cup Series Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

For the Craftsman Truck Series championship, Johnny Benson trails Todd Bodine by 112 points before Friday's Ford 200 in Miami. Watch that race on Speed Channel at 7:30 p.m. ET

Check the NASCAR TV schedule for official airing times.

Checkered weekend: No. 48 looks good for Cup win originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Nov 2006 07:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford shows off three new pace cars for NASCAR's season finale

John Neff — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ford

click on image to enlarge

Ford probably paid a lot of money to sponsor NASCAR's season ending series of races at Homestead Miami Speedway in November. Dubbed Ford Championship Weekend, season enders for the Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series will precede the Ford 400 on November 19th, the last race of this season's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Where there's NASCAR racing there's going to be wrecks, and when wrecks occur you need a trusty pace car to lead the field.

Yesterday Ford unveiled its trio of pace cars for the Championship Weekend, which include an F-150 FX-2 to pace the Ford 200 Craftsman Truck race, a Ford Edge to pace the Ford 300 Busch race, and a Shelby GT500 to pace the race with top billing, the Ford 400 Nextel Cup race. The vehicles will be stock save for pace car decals and a light bar, which essentially prepares them for anything they might encounter during their pace duty. With as frequent as crashes seem to occur in NASCAR races seem as of late, we expect these three vehicles will rack up some decent mileage before the Championship Weekend is over.

Matt Kenseth was on hand at the unveiling of the pace cars, which took place at Homestead Miami Speedway itself before a test session. Currently Kenseth and his DeWalt Fusion are 45 points out of first place in the race for the cup with just a few races to go. Fellow ROUSH Racing teammate Mark Martin is ranked No. 4 in the standings, 102 points out of first place. Jeff Burton and his Cingular-sponsored Chevy Impala are currently the cup race leaders.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford shows off three new pace cars for NASCAR's season finale

Ford shows off three new pace cars for NASCAR's season finale originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR: 'Mad Max' to make NEXTEL Cup debut

Stuart Waterman — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Perennial open-wheel and sports car fan favorite Massimiliano (Mad Max) Papis will become the first Italian in NASCAR's modern era to compete in NASCAR when he pilots the Furniture Row Racing entry at the Watkins Glen NEXTEL Cup road course event August 13.

Papis is having quite a year, racing at the Daytona 24 Hours, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indy 500, and a host of other races, including NASCAR's IROC series. Papis has seemingly raced in nearly everything with four wheels, with an extensive Formula 1, Champ Car, and sports cars resume.

Regular viewers of the Rolex Sports Car series will know that Max is no stranger to NASCAR-style beatin' and bangin' - he should fit right in!

Denver-based Furniture Row Racing is new to NEXTEL Cup this year. Watkins Glen will mark the team's first road course race. Papis and the team recently completed a right turn/left turn test session at Virginia Interational Raceway.

[Source: Furniture Row Racing]

NASCAR: 'Mad Max' to make NEXTEL Cup debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jul 2006 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Juan Pablo Montoya leaving Formula 1 for NASCAR

Stuart Waterman — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 06:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

McLaren bad boy Juan Pablo Montoya will leave Formula 1 at the end of the 2006 season to drive in NASCAR for his old boss, Chip Ganassi. Somebody get this guy a beer.

Despite his impressive open-wheel resume - CART (Champ Car) champion, Indy 500 winner, seven-time F1 winner - Montoya never really settled into the Formula 1 team environment, either with Williams or McLaren, and it looked as though McLaren was set to let him go at the end of the year in any event. With championship-contending seats looking pretty scarce for 2007, Montoya evidently decided to follow the money and return to the U.S.

For his part, F1Racing.net reports a happy Juan Pablo said after the announcement Sunday, "I am so happy to be entering the fastest growing racing league in the world... I know the transition will not be easy but I can't wait to get behind the wheel."

The Colombian will drive the #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in the full Nextel Cup schedule, along with a number of Busch series races. Montoya's seat at McLaren will likely be taken by long-time McLaren protege Lewis Hamilton, currently competing in GP2, although the dominos aren't likely to start falling until Kimi Raikkonen makes his intentions clear.

[Source: F1Racing.net] Thanks to Judd for the tip!

Juan Pablo Montoya leaving Formula 1 for NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jul 2006 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Talladega Nights" brings NASCAR to the big screen

Eric Bryant — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

While Days of Thunder and Driven taught us what happens when Hollywood tries to take automobile racing seriously, it appears that the upcoming Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby will be funny in the intentional way.

Will Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, a dominant NASCAR driver "who could only count to number one". The "big hairy American winning machine" is accustomed to placing first, with his childhood friend Cal (played by Days of Thunder vet John C. Reilly) close behind him. However, things get tough when a leg-shaving French Formula One driver (Sacha Baron Cohen, best known to most of us as Ali G) challenges him for the top spot. The trailer reveals plenty of spoofing on previous racing movies, and we're betting that the combination of Ferrell and Cohen will produce comedic gold.

The film is scheduled for an August 4th release in North America.

[Source: Sony]

"Talladega Nights" brings NASCAR to the big screen originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jun 2006 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch gets fined by NASCAR & sent to his room without dinner

Eric Bryant — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Kyle Busch, apparently gunning for the Ron Artest Sportsman Award and determined to displace Robby Gordon as one of America's favorite "love to hate" stars in stock-car racing, had his wallet dinged to the tune of $50,000 for throwing a safety device onto the racetrack during Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The intended victim of the lob was Casey Mears, in what appears to be a continuation of the lovefest between the two drivers (earlier in the season, Busch tapped Mears during a red flag).

In addition to the financial penalty - tied for the second-largest ever levied by NASCAR - Mears was hit with a 25-point penalty and put on "probation" for the rest of the season. Car owner Rick Hendrix was also docked 25 points.

[Source: Fox Sports]

Kyle Busch gets fined by NASCAR & sent to his room without dinner originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jun 2006 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Survey names NASCAR top U.S. motorsports brand

Chris Paukert — Tue, 16 May 2006 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Trends, Etc.

In what can only be described as a piercing glimpse into the obvious, a survey conducted by ESPN Sports has revealed that motorsports fans love watching racecars turn left. The sports network released the findings of a poll it conduted last year gauging viewers' favorite brands in U.S. motorsports-- the verdict? Some 59.5 percent of the tally sided with NASCAR, dwarfing the second place 13.4 percent showing of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) backers. The survey's results were rounded out in order by motorcycle racing, Formula One, IndyCar and Champ Car, the latter of which netted just 1.4 percent.

[Sources: The Charlotte Observer via The Star Telegram; Funnyhub.com]

Survey names NASCAR top U.S. motorsports brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 May 2006 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota's NASCAR presence has other teams sweating

Eric Bryant — Sun, 14 May 2006 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

Toyota, currently running roughshod over other automakers in the showrooms, will be hitting NASCAR next year with the goal of doing the same thing to its competition on the track. Word around the pits is that this is causing sleepless nights for other teams, but not for reasons one would think. The concern here isn't the lap times, but simple economics - if Toyota subsidizes its Nextel Cup teams as it does for its teams in the Craftsman Truck series, the support that a big-ticket sponsor has to offer up could be cut in half from the current yearly value of $16M or so. Yanking several million dollars out from under the currently-established teams would be a catastrophic event with the potential of completing shaking up the pecking order. The first bit of evidence in support of this theory is the recent decision by UPS to defect to Michael Waltrip's Toyota team; a decision that certainly could have been fueled by the promise of a greatly-reduced sponsorship bill.

If indeed Toyota offers significant financial support to its teams - which it currently claims is not in the budget - it is unlikely that other manufacturers will step up and start cutting their own checks (as it is, rumors are already flying that one of the Big 3 is already looking to pull out of the Nextel Cup).

[Source: USA Today]

Toyota's NASCAR presence has other teams sweating originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 May 2006 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorsports this weekend: May 13-14

Stuart Waterman — Fri, 12 May 2006 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

A busy racing weekend, particularly for open-wheel fans!

North American TV broadcast times and channels from tvracer.com, all times shown as Eastern.

American Le Mans Series: Lone Star Grand Prix, Houston
A rare visit to a street circuit for the ALMS is proving tough for Champion Racing's venerable Audi R8, which only managed a fourth-place grid spot in qualifying, behind pole-sitter James Weaver's Lola (right), and the two LMP2 Porsche RS Spyders of Penske Racing. The much lighter LMP2 cars should have a good shot at an outright victory on short, tight street circuits like Houston's Reliant Park - if they can survive the bumps. Despite a recently-imposed ALMS weight penalty, the GM Racing Corvettes qualified one-two in GT1, less than a second ahead of the two Aston Martin DBR9s. Home town heroes Risi Competizione put their Ferrari F430GT at the top of the GT2 grid, with the top five GT2 cars all within a second.

The race is Friday night in Houston, and on TV Saturday. If you can't wait, listen to ALMS live radio and watch live timing and scoring at www.americanlemans.com.

Saturday, 1pm, CBS [delayed broadcast from Friday - beware spoilers!]

Lots more racing action after the jump....

Continue reading Motorsports this weekend: May 13-14

Motorsports this weekend: May 13-14 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 May 2006 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorsports this weekend: April 29-30

Stuart Waterman — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 03:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

WRC: Rally Argentina
The Rally of Argentina is underway, with Marcus Gronholm (right) leading over Petter Solberg, and a hard-charging Sebastien Loeb moving up quickly in third place after five stages. No U.S. TV coverage, but you may find European clips via BitTorrent. [photo courtesy Ford]
WRC info here.

The rest of the weekend's upcoming action after the jump.

Continue reading Motorsports this weekend: April 29-30

Motorsports this weekend: April 29-30 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 29 Apr 2006 03:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: April 22-23

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Quite a weekend! Ferrari returns, a new Nextel Cup points leader, a wild sports car race, a ton of motorcycle road racing, and some fence-climbing in Japan.

Formula 1:
At the front of the field, the San Marino Grand Prix was a mirror-image of last year's race, this time with Michael Schumacher holding off Fernando Alonso instead of the other way around. Schumacher's victory capped a great weekend for the tifosi, with Felipe Massa redeeming himself for his miscues in previous races with a fourth place finish, and Michael qualfying on the pole. Alonso continued to build his championship lead with his second-place finish, and Juan Pablo Montoya brought his McLaren home in third. Full weekend coverage here. [Photo courtesy of Ferrari]

More after the jump.

Continue reading [Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: April 22-23

[Not TiVoSafe] Motorsports Highlights: April 22-23 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorsports this weekend: April 22-23

Stuart Waterman — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

A busy weekend coming up. U.S. TV coverage is shown (all times Eastern).

Formula 1:
The San Marino Grand Prix is underway at Imola, with Fernando Alonso (shown above at Imola) topping the time charts after Friday's very dusty practice sessions. Paddock talk at Imola suggests that the coveted 12th (and final) F1 franchise has been awarded to Prodrive. Recall that Prodrive boss David Richards ran the B.A.R.-Honda team until recently. [Photo: Renault F1 Team]

Sunday, CBS 1pm ET

More motorsports after the jump...

Continue reading Motorsports this weekend: April 22-23

Motorsports this weekend: April 22-23 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Apr 2006 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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