Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Danica Patrick to drive NASCAR in 2010, remain with IndyCar Series]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/report-danica-patrick-to-drive-nascar-in-2010-remain-with-indy/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/report-danica-patrick-to-drive-nascar-in-2010-remain-with-indy/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/08/report-danica-patrick-to-drive-nascar-in-2010-remain-with-indy/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Danica Patrick's SI Swimsuit Issue photo shoot - Click above for high-res image gallery

The rumors were apparently true. According to ESPN, IndyCar driver - and, without a doubt our favorite Go Daddy spokesmodel - Danica Patrick will "all but certainly" take part in NASCAR racing next year. It seems Patrick will be limiting her exposure to the Nationwide Series and Truck series and will continue to race the full IndyCar schedule for Andretti Green Racing.

If ESPN's sources are accurate, Danica will join Stewart Haas Racing and partner up with Tony Stewart, who will serve as her mentor in the sport. Stewart enjoyed a successful career in open wheel racing before switching to stock cars. As you might expect, the top female driver here in the States shouldn't have an issue with sponsorship money and the move could provide just the ratings boost NASCAR sorely needs.


Gallery: 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: Danica Patrick


[Source: ESPN]

REPORT: Danica Patrick to drive NASCAR in 2010, remain with IndyCar Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click to view the '66 Fiat 500 Giannini Tony Stewart

What would Luigi make of this? The little Fiat 500 from Pixar's Cars said he only follows Ferrari, but then his cousin shows up, decked out in NASCAR livery.

This original 1966 Fiat 500 has been tuned by Italian racing garage Giannini, with a tiny 700cc two-cylinder engine capable of taking the quaint little Italian up to 100 mph and return a staggering 60+ mpg. To set it apart from ordinary Cinquecentos, this example has been decked out in decals mimicking Tony Stewart's NASCAR racer, ready to cheer from the sidelines at the Piston Cup. The car was listed in excellent condition with no rust, and recently sold on eBay for just $7,700. Check out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Giannini Tony Stewart 1966 Fiat 500


[Source: eBay Motors via CarScoop]

eBay Find of the Day: 1966 Giannini Fiat 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For some time now, rumors have been flying around the NASCAR pits about Tony Stewart's future with Joe Gibbs Racing. Many speculators felt certain that Stewart would break out of his Gibbs Racing contract for a chance at part ownership of the Haas/CNC team. However, both sides assured that any resolution would not be reported before season end. Not quite. possibly tiring of incessant media questioning, the official details have now been made public. Joe Gibbs Racing will in fact be releasing Tony Stewart from his contract a year early. As expected Stewart will take on a part ownership role with HAAS/CNC, set to become Stewart Haas Racing.

The deal leaves no burned bridges between Stewart and his ten-year home though, as both parties stand to gain plenty. After all, it's rumored that Stewart's move will award him the largest salary in NASCAR. Not to mention that Joe Gibbs Racing has a stable of eager up and coming drivers willing to jump in the empty seat. Part of the deal also assures that all of the Home Depot car's talented crew stay a part of Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart's new role as owner sees him moving from Home Depot sponsorship to the more fitting corporate image of Office Depot.

[Source: ESPN, Image: Geoff Burke/Getty]

Tony Stewart leaving Gibbs Racing after '08 season originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Haas cnc racingHaasCncRacingHome DepotHomeDepotJoe Gibbs RacingJoeGibbsRacingNASCARTony StewartTonyStewartFri, 11 Jul 2008 16:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Tony Stewart looking at making a return to Chevrolet]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/tony-stewart-looking-at-making-a-return-to-chevrolet/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/tony-stewart-looking-at-making-a-return-to-chevrolet/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/25/tony-stewart-looking-at-making-a-return-to-chevrolet/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Recent spots for Armor All that feature NASCAR's perpetually unshaven Tony Stewart almost make one forget what emblem is now placed on the front of his race car. The television commercials show Stewart staring longingly at a shiny Chevrolet Corvette, despite the fact that he now rolls around the track in a bestickered-to-look-like-a Toyota Camry. Even though Stewart's contract with Joe Gibbs racing extends through 2009; rumor has it that he has been in talks with Haas CNC Racing to put him back behind the bowtie logo by next year. The team gets its Chevy engines and race support through Hendrick Motorsports. There is also an indication that Stewart is interested in a 50-percent stake in the Haas CNC team.

A more controlling team role seems like one that would better suit a vocal driver like Tony Stewart, as he would only have himself to yell at after one of his media outbursts. Plus, any problems with team management would be between he and himself. The situation's likelihood is still a bit far fetched at this point though, as Joe Gibbs Racing seems unwavering in releasing Tony Stewart from his contract early.

[Source: Star Tribune, Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty]

Tony Stewart looking at making a return to Chevrolet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Following this past weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup second place finish, Tony Stewart was not a happy camper. When interviewed after the race, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver sounded off on his great dislike for the series tire sponsor, Goodyear. Many other competitors, from the likes of Dale Earnhart Jr. to Jeff Gordon, also made comments on the difficult tire/track combination experienced during the race, but the hot-headed number 20 was the only one to forgo any sugar coating. He hinted that the tire manufacturer's departure from other prominent race series was a move resulting from incompetency. He claimed, "They (Goodyear) don't have the technology and the people that are smart enough to build a tire. This was pathetic today." He also threw out a comment on how he no longer felt safe in anything equipped with Goodyear tires, including street use. When all was said and done, Mr. Stewart delivered the sponsor a severe verbal beating.

On Monday, Goodyear issued a reply to the heated commentary with a rather text book response. It contended that the company's exit from numerous race series was simply due to the high development costs necessary to compete, not technical inability as implied by Stewart. They also defended their choice of rubber compound by pointing out the lack of issues during numerous test events, along with the absence of complaints after the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. They even mentioned that despite driver grievances, in the eyes of Goodyear and NASCAR, the event was satisfactory. Although, as anyone that received a report card knows, satisfactory should not be the ultimate goal. Goodyear will get a second chance when the series returns to Atlanta in the fall. Hopefully Tony Stewart will have to eat his words once a more extensively tested tire compound is developed for the event.

[Source: Speed TV, Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty]

Goodyear responds to Tony Stewart tongue lashing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Atlanta Motor SpeedwayAtlantaMotorSpeedwayGoodyearNASCARTony StewartTonyStewartWed, 12 Mar 2008 10:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Toyota scores first official NASCAR Sprint Cup win]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/10/toyota-scores-first-official-nascar-sprint-cup-win/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/10/toyota-scores-first-official-nascar-sprint-cup-win/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/10/toyota-scores-first-official-nascar-sprint-cup-win/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for high-res gallery from Kobalt Tools 500

When the clocks ticked over to 2008, Toyota Motorsports VP Jim Aust declared that the Camry would not go winless this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup like it did during its inaugural season last year. Things got off to a good start during qualifying for the Daytona 500 when Toyota went 1-2 in the second Gatorade Duel qualifying race. This past weekend, history repeated itself when Joe Gibbs Racing had a pair of Camry cars go 1-2 again, but this time on race day at the Kobalt Tools 500. Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Camry won last weekend's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway with teammate Tony Stewart taking silver, both driving Cup cars festooned with Camry stickers. Not only did Kyle Busch win the race, but he remains atop the points standing after previous points leader Carl Edwards got penalized for something to do with his oil tank lid at last week's race in Las Vegas. Many of the drivers also complained after the race about their tires that were supplied by Goodyear, with Tony Stewart, always ready to give a good quote, saying, "If I were Goodyear, I'd be really embarrassed about this weekend and what they brought us here." Nevertheless, he and teammate Busch pulled out the win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. Looks like it's gonna be a good year for the imports in NASCAR.

Gallery: Kobalt Tools 500


[Source: MSN.foxsports.com, Photos by John Harrelson, Chris McGrath, Chris Gaythen, Chris Trotman/Getty]]

Toyota scores first official NASCAR Sprint Cup win originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember when Joe Gibbs Racing dropped Chevy for Toyota last September? Not only did Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin trade in their bow tie stickers for an adhesive Camry grille, but Toyota gained some serious driving talent. The move has paid off quickly for Toyota, which just scored its first NASCAR win thanks to Denny Hamlin, who won the second Gatorade Duel qualifying race in Daytona yesterday thanks to his teammate Tony Stewart, who finished in Second Place. Stewart was able to both give Hamlin push and hold off a charging Jeff Gordon to give Hamlin the win. It's not a points race, but with Hamlin taking the checkered flag and Stewart the No. 2 spot, it means there'll be three Toyotas in the first three rows of the Daytona 500 this weekend.

In other NASCAR news, Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued his comeback by winning the first Gatorade Duel qualifying race yesterday. Add that to his victory in the Bud Shootout earlier this week, and it's clear that Junior has regained an edge he lost during his many year driving for DEI. Jaqcues Villeneuve, meanwhile, who made his NASCAR debut in trucks late last year, crashed his Toyota during the second Gatorade Duel yesterday and took out three other cars. You know what they say, rubbin's racing!

[Source: Autosport via Winding Road, Photo by Nick Laham/Getty]

Toyota earns first ever NASCAR win originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>denny hamlinDennyHamlinjoe gibbs racingjoe gibbs racing toyotaJoeGibbsRacingJoeGibbsRacingToyotakyle buschKyleBuschnascarnascar sprint cupNascarSprintCupnextel cupNextelCupsprint cupSprintCuptony stewartTonyStewartThu, 06 Sep 2007 10:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Tony Stewart makes a pit stop at the hospital]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/30/tony-stewart-makes-a-pit-stop-at-the-hospital/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/30/tony-stewart-makes-a-pit-stop-at-the-hospital/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/30/tony-stewart-makes-a-pit-stop-at-the-hospital/#commentsFiled under:

Reigning Nextel Cup champ Tony Stewart hit the hospital again Sunday for the second day in a row, after crashing on lap 33 of the Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina. He emerged from his car with the help of several safety personnel, favoring his right side. Stewart was released from the hospital after two hours; but word is that he has a broken the tip of his right shoulder blade.

On Saturday, Stewart took a hit in the shoulder in a tough crash in the Busch Series race, but emerged from the hospital after his x-rays came back negative.

[Source: Associated Press via MSNBC]

Tony Stewart makes a pit stop at the hospital originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 May 2006 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alex JobAlexJobamaama superbikeBen SpiesBenSpiesCastronevesf1Felipe MassaFelipeMassaFernando AlonsoFernandoAlonsoFerrariformula 1Formula1grand amgrand americanHarvickirlJuan Pablo MantoyaJuanPabloMantoyaKanaanMcLarenMoteginascarNextelnextel cupPorscheRolexrolex sports carSan marinoSanMarinoSchumacherScott PruettScottPruettTifosiTivoTony CorserTony StewartTonyCorserTonyStewartworld superbikeTue, 25 Apr 2006 11:29:00 EST