Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Doc's Race Images - Willamette Speedway
As always, Doc has provided some great pictures of the racing action at Willamette Speedway. Make sure and check them out - click on the image.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
ASA NW Tour Lewis Keeps the Magic Going
Gary Lewis of Snohomish, WA kept the magical season going with a win of the time shortened iRacing American Speed Association K-DOCK Radio 125 at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Oregon. Losing only a few points to Lewis Brent Harris of East Wenatchee, WA finished second with Puyallup, WA driver Jay Sauls third.
Time grew short and the race had to be called early due to a curfew at DCS. Lewis passed race leader Harris on lap 27 of the 74-lap feature. Both Harris and Lewis used the many restarts to get to the front. Lewis as he climbed form his winning Chevrolet stated, “I have such a well prepared car by my crew it is easy to drive.
Harris and Sauls are both good drivers and it was fun to race with them. I wish the race had gone the full distance.” Harris a bit frustrated said, “I a guess running second to Lewis is not bad. I am staying close in the points so it comes down to that last race at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval on September 12. First we have to go to Yakima and I have done well there. We want the championship. Sauls made it to the podium for the second time this season. Falling back as far as 20th early in the abbreviated feature, “I was able to use the cone restarts to keep working my way to the front. We just keep working and things are getting better for us. I am looking forward to the last two races.”
Busch holds off Martin in bumpercar Bristol race.
Kyle Busch made a statement Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. So did pole-sitter Mark Martin, who pressured Busch during a four-lap run to the checkered flag of the Sharpie 500 but couldn't make the pass for the win. Instead, Busch won for the fourth time this season and for the second time at Bristol in 2009, despite having a car Saturday night that was no better than second-best.
Busch showed emphatically he is not out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup picture, and Martin strengthened his hold of a spot in NASCAR's postseason. Busch moved up two positions in the standings to 13th, 34 points behind 12th place Matt Kenseth. Martin likewise gained two spots to 10th, 60 points ahead of Busch. The top 12 drivers after the Sept. 12 race at Richmond qualify for the Chase. "Mark Martin -- what a class act," said Busch, who won for the 16th time in the Cup Series. "He deserved to win this race. I'm sorry he came home in second. I know how he feels. I drove as hard as I could. "He had a chance. He could have done it [moved Busch out of the way]. But he didn't. He raced me clean."
Marcos Ambrose ran third, followed by Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman. Kurt Busch came home seventh, followed by Jimmie Johnson, who recovered from trouble on pit road to salvage a top-10 finish. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished ninth and Kenseth was 10th.
Ragan wins for first time at Bristol
With a strong restart on a green-white-checkered-flag finish, David Ragan held off Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards in Friday night's Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ragan led the final 56 laps of the Nationwide Series event at the .533-mile speedway, but Edwards was the big winner, as he trimmed Kyle Busch's lead in the series standings from 339 to 248 points.
Busch was the victim of an early accident and finished 28th, 59 laps down. "It was a fun night to drive such a fast race car," said Ragan, who chose the outside line for the final restart, as the race went four laps beyond its scheduled distance. "The outside had been great all night. I really struggled passing cars on the bottom. "I raced with Carl it was fun racing with a teammate and I was able to pin him behind a lapped car.
I don't think I would have passed him, because he was running that middle groove, and I just couldn't get around him." The race ended under caution because of a wreck on the final lap that froze the running order with Ragan in the lead. Polesitter Brad Keselowski rallied from an early fender-bender to finish third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth.
Busch take Bristol Truck Series
Kyle Busch ended Ron Hornaday's five-race winning streak, capturing Wednesday night's O'Reilly 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch took the lead on Lap 124 after a lengthy side-by-side battle with Jason White and was a comfortable 2.721 seconds ahead of runner-up Matt Crafton by the time the checkered flag appeared.
"It's a fun place to race," Busch said after collecting his third truck win of the season. "I knew we would come here with a fast truck; we've been fast every time we've come here. It's good to be back, finally." Hornaday, polesitter Ryan Newman and Brian Scott rounded out the top five.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
ALMS changes class system for 2010
The American Le Mans Series is to overhaul its class regulations for 2010 in a bid to improve the level of competition and the size of the entry. The current LMP1 and LMP2 classes are to merge into a single LMP class, with performance adjustments made to ensure that the cars can all compete equally.
However for the series' premier Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans events the championship will revert to the ACO's standard LMP1 and LMP2 rules as the ALMS is keen that both races remain fully compatible with the Le Mans 24 Hours. An additional prototype division will be created in the ALMS for the ORECA-built Formula Le Mans cars used on the Le Mans Series bill in Europe. This one-make class will be known as LMP Challenge.
With the decline of GT1, the GT2 class is to be rebranded as GT but will otherwise remain unchanged. The GT Challenge class for Porsche GT3 Cup cars, introduced this year as a grid-boosting measure, will be retained, with the rules opened slightly to allow other varieties of the Porsche GT3 to compete. "The new format for 2010 will create more opportunities for more teams and manufacturers to participate in the American Le Mans Series, while at the same time providing fans with the chance to see new cars, teams and drivers in both prototype and GT competition," said championship boss Scott Atherton.
"There is no question that developments in the economy - and especially the auto industry - have changed the business environment now and for the foreseeable future. For any organisation to remain 'status quo' is a likely death sentence. "The global economic situation has created a new paradigm that is requiring all businesses to take innovative approaches to how they must operate going forward. We believe we have implemented changes that will enable the series and our participants to thrive."
After a highly successful 2008 season, the ALMS has struggled this year due to the departure of Audi and Porsche from the prototype ranks, and with the decline in GT1 worldwide. The introduction of the Challenge class has kept fields in the 20-30 range for much of the season, but the decision to fall in line with the ACO and introduce greater difference in performance between the LMP1 and LMP2 cars has meant that only the two LMP1 Acuras have been in contention for race victories since Sebring.
However for the series' premier Sebring 12 Hours and Petit Le Mans events the championship will revert to the ACO's standard LMP1 and LMP2 rules as the ALMS is keen that both races remain fully compatible with the Le Mans 24 Hours. An additional prototype division will be created in the ALMS for the ORECA-built Formula Le Mans cars used on the Le Mans Series bill in Europe. This one-make class will be known as LMP Challenge.
With the decline of GT1, the GT2 class is to be rebranded as GT but will otherwise remain unchanged. The GT Challenge class for Porsche GT3 Cup cars, introduced this year as a grid-boosting measure, will be retained, with the rules opened slightly to allow other varieties of the Porsche GT3 to compete. "The new format for 2010 will create more opportunities for more teams and manufacturers to participate in the American Le Mans Series, while at the same time providing fans with the chance to see new cars, teams and drivers in both prototype and GT competition," said championship boss Scott Atherton.
"There is no question that developments in the economy - and especially the auto industry - have changed the business environment now and for the foreseeable future. For any organisation to remain 'status quo' is a likely death sentence. "The global economic situation has created a new paradigm that is requiring all businesses to take innovative approaches to how they must operate going forward. We believe we have implemented changes that will enable the series and our participants to thrive."
After a highly successful 2008 season, the ALMS has struggled this year due to the departure of Audi and Porsche from the prototype ranks, and with the decline in GT1 worldwide. The introduction of the Challenge class has kept fields in the 20-30 range for much of the season, but the decision to fall in line with the ACO and introduce greater difference in performance between the LMP1 and LMP2 cars has meant that only the two LMP1 Acuras have been in contention for race victories since Sebring.
Audi 2010 Model Pricing Release
Audi today announced the U.S. manufacturer's suggested retail prices for the highly anticipated 2010 Audi S4 sedan and A5 and S5 Cabriolet models. The S models arrive at U.S. dealers in late August, while the A5 Cabriolet will be available in the Fall of 2009.
For the complete release please visit: AUDI PRESS INFORMATION
For the complete release please visit: AUDI PRESS INFORMATION
Bentley Mulsanne Makes world debut
Today, Bentley Motors unveiled the Mulsanne, the company’s all-new flagship grand tourer, at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California. The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-litre. And it was W.O.’s own sensitively conserved company car that shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach.
This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now. Nearly 80 years later, while paying respect to this illustrious past, the new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern statement of luxury driving and grand touring. Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne, with its completely new and unique platform, goes into production next year in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory.
Introducing the Bentley Mulsanne at Pebble Beach, where Bentley was the featured marque, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said: “The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world’s most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned.“ The Bentley design team, lead by Dirk van Braeckel, have created a flagship that offers the classic sporting, styling cues long-associated with Bentley - expressed in a thoroughly contemporary way. “From the very first hand sketches in the styling studio, we were inspired by the traditions of the grand touring Bentleys and have sought to evolve this story for a new generation of Bentley enthusiasts.” The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley’s iconic ‘Winged B’ emblem underlines the company’s racing pedigree and nowhere reflects that heritage better than the famed Le Mans circuit, the scene of no fewer than six Bentley triumphs.
Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner. The Bentley 8-litre displayed alongside the Mulsanne in California was first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show. It was the second-built and was W.O. Bentley’s company car for two years. Capable of reaching more than 100 mph, the 8-litre demonstrated W.O. Bentley’s ambition and ability to build a grand luxury car capable of surpassing every other leading manufacturer of the day. A total of 100 cars were built in 1930 and 1931. “The 8-litre’s breathtaking performance and quality was perhaps the finest example of a ‘pure’ grand Bentley.
Every mechanical detail carried W.O. Bentley’s unique stamp and it was the clearest demonstration of a car built without compromise,” commented Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Member of the Board Engineering. “The Mulsanne has been designed with exactly the same guiding principles, so it is entirely fitting that these Bentleys from different eras share the same stage.” The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale from mid 2010.
This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now. Nearly 80 years later, while paying respect to this illustrious past, the new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern statement of luxury driving and grand touring. Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne, with its completely new and unique platform, goes into production next year in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory.
Introducing the Bentley Mulsanne at Pebble Beach, where Bentley was the featured marque, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said: “The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world’s most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned.“ The Bentley design team, lead by Dirk van Braeckel, have created a flagship that offers the classic sporting, styling cues long-associated with Bentley - expressed in a thoroughly contemporary way. “From the very first hand sketches in the styling studio, we were inspired by the traditions of the grand touring Bentleys and have sought to evolve this story for a new generation of Bentley enthusiasts.” The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley’s iconic ‘Winged B’ emblem underlines the company’s racing pedigree and nowhere reflects that heritage better than the famed Le Mans circuit, the scene of no fewer than six Bentley triumphs.
Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner. The Bentley 8-litre displayed alongside the Mulsanne in California was first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show. It was the second-built and was W.O. Bentley’s company car for two years. Capable of reaching more than 100 mph, the 8-litre demonstrated W.O. Bentley’s ambition and ability to build a grand luxury car capable of surpassing every other leading manufacturer of the day. A total of 100 cars were built in 1930 and 1931. “The 8-litre’s breathtaking performance and quality was perhaps the finest example of a ‘pure’ grand Bentley.
Every mechanical detail carried W.O. Bentley’s unique stamp and it was the clearest demonstration of a car built without compromise,” commented Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Member of the Board Engineering. “The Mulsanne has been designed with exactly the same guiding principles, so it is entirely fitting that these Bentleys from different eras share the same stage.” The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale from mid 2010.
WARNING: MONDAY MAY BE BAD.
Considering the weekend that both myself and my boss have had, you may want to be on your best behavior. I've been given the green light to kill everyone impeding forward progress.
ASA NWLMT Gears Up for Final Three Races
With just a month left in the 2009 iRacing.com American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour season the chase for the championship comes down to the final three races. Gary Lewis (Snohomish, WA) has an extremely slim 5-point lead for the first ever championship. Brent Harris (E. Wenatchee, WA) led most of the season, is now looking up at Lewis. Third in the points chase a mere 19-points out of the lead is Kelly Mann (Monroe, WA).
The traveling super late model stock car series heads to Roseburg, Oregon on Saturday August 22. The chase continues on Labor Day weekend with a two day event Saturday and Sunday September 5 & 6 in Yakima, Washington. The season finale will be on Saturday September 12th in E. Wenatchee, Washington. The hottest super late model racer, in the Northwest, Lewis is looking to cap off the season with the ASA NWLMT championship. When added to his NASCAR and ARCA West championships, the ASA championship would give him the Triple Crown. Three seems to be a good number for Lewis. After a three-peat of the Montana 200 Lewis followed that with a three-peat of the Idaho 200 something never done prior. No Northwest racer has ever accomplished winning a Triple Crown. Both Harris and Mann are seeking their first major championship. Harris is a former Late Model champion at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval. Mann has won various championships with the latest at South Sound Speedway. Their journey to the championship will be tough with other great northwest super late model racers wanting a piece of the pie. The next stop at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, OR has 27 already pre-entered with five more days left to register. 125-laps on the fast 3/8-mile paved oval will be a test for the top three.
The Port City Racecars ‘Rookie Challenge’ has three in contention for that prestigious title. Current leader is Joey Tanner (Portland, OR). Second is Alan Cress (Albany, OR) and third is Amanda MacDonald (Ephrata, WA). The next race at DCS favors Cress. DCS is Cress’ home track where he has won championships. For more information contact iRacing.com ASA NWLMT at 253-312-1080
The traveling super late model stock car series heads to Roseburg, Oregon on Saturday August 22. The chase continues on Labor Day weekend with a two day event Saturday and Sunday September 5 & 6 in Yakima, Washington. The season finale will be on Saturday September 12th in E. Wenatchee, Washington. The hottest super late model racer, in the Northwest, Lewis is looking to cap off the season with the ASA NWLMT championship. When added to his NASCAR and ARCA West championships, the ASA championship would give him the Triple Crown. Three seems to be a good number for Lewis. After a three-peat of the Montana 200 Lewis followed that with a three-peat of the Idaho 200 something never done prior. No Northwest racer has ever accomplished winning a Triple Crown. Both Harris and Mann are seeking their first major championship. Harris is a former Late Model champion at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval. Mann has won various championships with the latest at South Sound Speedway. Their journey to the championship will be tough with other great northwest super late model racers wanting a piece of the pie. The next stop at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, OR has 27 already pre-entered with five more days left to register. 125-laps on the fast 3/8-mile paved oval will be a test for the top three.
The Port City Racecars ‘Rookie Challenge’ has three in contention for that prestigious title. Current leader is Joey Tanner (Portland, OR). Second is Alan Cress (Albany, OR) and third is Amanda MacDonald (Ephrata, WA). The next race at DCS favors Cress. DCS is Cress’ home track where he has won championships. For more information contact iRacing.com ASA NWLMT at 253-312-1080
Rossi grabs victory at Czech GP
Valentino Rossi was unstoppable in the 11th round of the MotoGP series to score his fifth victory this season. Taking the win by over 11 seconds in the Czech Republic Grand Prix, Rossi's main challenger crashed out, leaving Dani Pedrosa to give chase but it was to know avail. Still the Repsol Honda rider was satisfied today with second. Toni Elias was thrilled with his podium finish, giving the San Carlo Honda Gresini team a third place finish.
Vickers wins fuel-mileage duel at Michigan
Brian Vickers outlasted Jimmie Johnson in yet another fuel-mileage duel at Michigan International Speedway, taking the lead with two laps to go after Johnson ran out of gas and holding on for his first Sprint Cup victory of the season Sunday. It was the second time in two races at Michigan this season that Johnson's crew gambled on gas and lost. Johnson also was in the lead when he ran out of fuel back in June, handing a win to Mark Martin. Jeff Gordon finished second, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards and Sam Hornish Jr. Series points leader Tony Stewart, who clinched his spot in the chase by starting today's race, finished 17th.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Keselowski wins at Michigan
Brad Keselowski took advantage of a pitched battle between Kyle Busch and polesitter Brian Vickers one that continued after Saturday's Carfax 250 Nationwide Series race to win for the third time in 2009. With Busch and Vickers battling on the bottom of the track, Keselowski took advantage of the outside line to pass both drivers on the final lap, with Vickers finishing second and Busch third in a race that stretched Busch's lead in the series standings to 339 points on Carl Edwards.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Nationwide Series: Ambrose Win at the Glen
When Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch came to the chicane, or "bus stop," on Lap 64 of Saturday's Zippo 200 at The Glen, Busch stopped out of necessity and Ambrose didn't. Ambrose's bold move into the chicane proved to be the winning pass, as the driver of the No. 47 Toyota held the lead the for the final 19 laps at Watkins Glen International to win the event for the second consecutive year.
Busch wasn't happy with the aggressive pass, which forced him to miss the chicane and stop on the track for a 3-second penalty, but he rallied to finish second, the record 10th consecutive time he has posted a first- or second-place result in a Nationwide race. Carl Edwards ran third, after Busch passed him to the outside through Turn 1 in the closing laps.
Pole-sitter Kevin Harvick came home fourth, followed by road-course specialist Ron Fellows. Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, David Ragan, Brad Keselowski and Scott Speed completed the top 10, respectively.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Cash for Clunkers lives on...
Cash for Clunkers lives on. The Senate passed a $2 billion extension with a vote of 60/37, giving customers the opportunity to purchase about 500,000 more vehicles through the program. The Obama administration estimates that most or all of the original $1 billion was spent in a matter of only ten days and it's expected the additional $2 billion will only last through Labor Day.
Before voting on the bill, several amendments to the program were shot down. One amendment, which sought to relegate the program only to lower and middle income families, was denied with a vote of 65/32. Another amendment to make up the $2 billion by cutting from other programs lost by a 51/46 vote.
So far, Detroit automakers have received the majority of C4C deals, with 45.3% of overall sales, followed by Japanese automakers who've amassed 36.5% of the market. General Motors has the highest overall share of C4C transactions, at 18.7%, followed by Toyota at 17.9%. The majority of C4C purchases have received the full $4,500 subsidy, which requires a vehicle to achieve at least ten mpg better fuel economy than the scrapped clunker. The $3,500 subsidy is for vehicles that have a fuel economy improvement of four-to-nine mpg. The Obama administration estimates that the average fuel economy improvement under the C4C program has improved by 61%, saving the average consumer $700 - $1,000 in fuel over the life of the vehicle.
Before voting on the bill, several amendments to the program were shot down. One amendment, which sought to relegate the program only to lower and middle income families, was denied with a vote of 65/32. Another amendment to make up the $2 billion by cutting from other programs lost by a 51/46 vote.
So far, Detroit automakers have received the majority of C4C deals, with 45.3% of overall sales, followed by Japanese automakers who've amassed 36.5% of the market. General Motors has the highest overall share of C4C transactions, at 18.7%, followed by Toyota at 17.9%. The majority of C4C purchases have received the full $4,500 subsidy, which requires a vehicle to achieve at least ten mpg better fuel economy than the scrapped clunker. The $3,500 subsidy is for vehicles that have a fuel economy improvement of four-to-nine mpg. The Obama administration estimates that the average fuel economy improvement under the C4C program has improved by 61%, saving the average consumer $700 - $1,000 in fuel over the life of the vehicle.
Monday, August 3, 2009
SRTV: NASCAR Dreams and Aspirations 2
SRTV: NASCAR Dreams and Aspirations 2
I always liked the truck series better anyway.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
ASA NWLMT Results Washington 500
The iRacing.com American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour was at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington on Saturday July 25 for the Washington 500. The scheduled 175-lap distance for the Tour was shortened to 100 due to a surprise thunderstorm that caused over a two hour delay in the proceedings. With the curfew closing in, track officials had no choice but to shorten the race to 100-laps. Pete Harding was declared the winner. Kelly Mann was second followed by Jay Sauls.
A freakish thunderstorm started to head towards the track. The storm came from the east which is abnormal. The normal weather pattern is primarily west to east. When it was determined that the storm was impending, track and series officials moved the ASA NWLMT portion of the program up to run immediately after the presently running figure-eight 100. Just 12-laps into the scheduled 175-lap main for the traveling Super Late Model Series the race was paused to clean up an oil spill. During the clean-up process the rain started and lasted for 45-minutes. The drying process began and the track officials decided they would go with the Street Stock portion of the night’s festivities. The local Street Stocks use a treaded tire and would help get the track to a fully dry state for the remainder of the ASA NWLMT’s 175. A few mishaps and another oil situation during the Street Stock race delayed the ASA NWLMT restart. With time growing short the determination was to shorten the race to 100-laps. The chase for the coveted 2009 championship has tightened. Gary Lewis leads Brent Harris) by five points. Kelly Mann is now third and within striking distance just nineteen back of Lewis. Jason Fraser was the race winner. Failing the post race inspection Fraser was disqualified.
Up next for the iRacing.com ASA Northwest Late Model Tour is the series’ only visit to Oregon during the 2009 season. Race number nine for the northwest’s only traveling premier stock car series is at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, OR at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Saturday August 22. The 125-lap race will feature a race within a race as the local late models will be competing for the win and points for their local track championship. A strong contingent of ASA NWLMT, local late models and Northstate Challenge Late Models are set to make the trip.
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