2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview

Yas Marina Circuit facts & stats

The ultra-modern Yas Marina circuit hosts round 18 of the 2012 world championship. The track is located on a man-made island on the eastern side of Abu Dhabi and it's one of five anti-clockwise venues on this year's calendar. It has several unique features: the pit garages are air-conditioned, the pitlane exits through a tunnel under the track and it has the largest permanent lighting system in the world.

The 5.6km track weaves its way around a man-made marina and has three distinct sectors, each putting different demands on the car. Two high-speed corners start the lap; there are then two very long straights in the middle section and the last sector is tight and twisty. Such variety makes car set-up a compromise between high-speed balance, straight-line speed, good traction and braking stability.

The track surface is made from granite imported from the United Kingdom, and it's relatively high-grip and hard wearing. Pirelli will take their Soft and Medium tyre compounds to the race and they expect to see a mix of one and two-stop strategies.

Lewis won last year's race, while Jenson has finished on the podium in every grand prix staged at Yas Marina. After their fourth and fifth places in India last weekend, they're hoping for a return to the podium on Sunday.

Race distance 55 laps (189.747 miles/305.355km)

Start time 17:00 (local)/1300 GMT

Circuit length 3.451 miles/5.554km

2011 winner Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) 55 laps in 1hr37m11.886s (188.494km/h)

2011 pole Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 1m38.481s (203.027km/h)

Lap record Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB5) 1m40.279s (199.387km/h)

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Wins 1 (2011)

Poles 1 (2009)

Fastest Laps 1 (2010)

Car 3: Jenson Button

Age 32 (January 19 1980)

GPs 225

Wins 14

Poles 8

FLs 8

2012 points 141 (6th)

Abu Dhabi record 2011 Q3 R3; 2010 Q4 R3; 2009 Q5 R3

"I'm really looking forward to this race weekend. I've always gone well around this track - I had a great battle with Mark Webber in 2009, and finished third, and Lewis and I have been on the podium together at the last two races.

"I think this will be another closely matched race: India showed us that the gap between the top three teams is extremely close at the moment, so I wouldn't like to predict the exact pecking order. As in the last few races, I think Red Bull will go into the weekend with a slight advantage, but I'm confident that, with a clear run through practice, we can be right up there too.

"One of the most satisfying aspects of the Indian Grand Prix was that we could battle cleanly at the front - that was fantastic. While it'll be quite tough to overtake around here - even with DRS - I'm hopeful that we can have another great battle, which would be fantastic for the fans."

Car 4: Lewis Hamilton

Age 27 (January 7 1985)

GPs 107

Wins 20

Poles 24

FLs 11

2012 points 165 (5th)

Abu Dhabi record 2011 Q2 R1; 2010 Q2 R2; 2009 Q1 R-

"The facilities in Abu Dhabi are absolutely fantastic - probably the best of any circuit in the world. I've always enjoyed the Yas Marina circuit - I took pole here in 2009 and led until my retirement, finished second in 2010 and won it last year - that's a pretty good record.

"It's a track where you can really push the car, which is what I most enjoy. There are a wide variety of corners - I love the fast sweeps in the first sector - and it's incredibly satisfying to hook together a good sector through the tricky marina section of the lap. Good mechanical balance makes all the difference here because you're always changing direction.

"This has also been a place where Red Bull have traditionally gone well, but our race pace was very strong throughout the race in New Delhi. I really enjoyed that race India - fourth place may have been little reward for 60 laps of flat-out effort, but I couldn't have gone any faster.

"I feel confident that we can pull together a strong race weekend in Abu Dhabi."

Martin Whitmarsh

Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

"Another race just a week after the last gives us the perfect opportunity to maintain the positive momentum we gathered during Sunday's grand prix in India. Both Jenson and Lewis drove their hearts out, and, although we weren't able to match the Red Bulls in qualifying, their pace on Sunday afternoon, particularly during the second half of the race, was impressively strong.

"The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team has always gone well in Abu Dhabi - Lewis set a stunning pole at the first-ever grand prix in 2009 and led until his retirement; the last time, in fact, that we failed to get two cars home in the points. Additionally, in 2010, both Jenson and Lewis finished on the podium, while Lewis finally delivered on two years' promise by winning spectacularly last year.

"It's a circuit that both drivers enjoy, and which plays to our cars' strengths, so I feel confident that we'll have a strong race weekend."

The Yas Marina circuit is an interesting challenge for the teams and drivers. Here's how Vodafone McLaren Mercedes defined three days in the short history of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

November 01 2009

Lewis is in brilliant form. He takes pole position by a massive 0.6s and beats Sebastian Vettel into Turn 1 at the start of the race. But his progress soon begins to falter, due to a rear brake problem on his MP4-24. He keeps Vettel at bay until his first pitstop on lap 17 but retires soon afterwards.

November 14 2010

To win the four-way world title showdown, Lewis needs to win and his rivals have to falter. He drags the maximum out of his MP4-25 all weekend: he qualifies second, just 0.031s behind pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel, and he finishes the race second. Vettel is champion. Jenson's third place secures McLaren's second position in the Constructors' Championship.

November 13 2011

Lewis lines up second on the grid, but there's no stopping him in the race. Pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel retires with a puncture on the opening lap and Lewis disappears into the distance. He comes home eight seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso. Jenson is third in the second MP4-26.

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/10/2012_abu_dhabi_grand_prix.php

Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard

Tesla Model S sets quarter-mile record for quickest production EV [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Electric, Luxury

It looks as if the Tesla Model S has a new feather to stick in its cap. DragTimes.com took the five-door down to Palm Beach International Raceway for a few sprints down the quarter mile, and the EV managed to run a best time of 12.371 seconds at 110.84 miles per hour with a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds. Those numbers were good enough for the Model S to take the crown as the world's quickest production EV according to the National Electric Drag Racing Association. NEDRA was on hand for the organization's Winter EV Nationals, and verified the new world record.

Near as we can tell, the previous record stood at 12.582 at 104.58 mph. That feat was accomplished with a Tesla Roadster owned by Zachary Vex and driven by Stella Kostolna at the Speedworld Dragstrip in Arizona. You can watch the Model S dust a Dodge Viper SRT10 in the video below. Who says you can't have any fun without internal combustion?

Continue reading Tesla Model S sets quarter-mile record for quickest production EV [w/video]

Tesla Model S sets quarter-mile record for quickest production EV [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/28/tesla-model-s-sets-quarter-mile-record-for-quickest-production-e/

Timo Glock Helm Glöckler Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals

Valsecchi becomes Lotus third driver

GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi has been appointed as Lotus’s third driver for the 2013 Formula 1 season.

The Italian, who impressed the team during his outing in last year’s young driver test in Abu Dhabi, is set to attend all of the races in 2013 in his new role and is first in line to stand in for either of the regular drivers should they become unavailable during a race weekend.

His predecessor, Jerome d’Ambrosio, remains on the team’s books as reserve driver.

“I’m really happy that the team want me to be with them and I’m excited about the future,” said Valsecchi. “I hope that this is a really good start to a career in F1.

“My last year in GP2 in 2012 was something I really focused on and in the end I succeeded. Now, in Formula 1, my target will be a little different but my focus to do the very best job is still the same.”

Valsecchi has previously tested for HRT in 2010 and Caterham, which was then still running under the Lotus name, a year later.

Although Lotus has no plans to run him during the 12 days of pre-season testing, which will be shared between race drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, Valsecchi is confident that his new role is a big step towards an F1 race seat in the future.

“I very much hope, step by step, to get into Formula 1 as a race driver and being here as third driver is as near as you can get,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity here; if I do the best job I can this year then it will open up my chances for the future and we’ll see if I’m good enough.”

D’Ambrosio still in the mix

D’Ambrosio, who stood in for the banned Grosjean in last year’s Italian Grand Prix, is expected to focus on factory-based work in the simulator. He will largely work on the 2014 car and is not scheduled to attend all of the races.

However, he will also remain an option for the team should one of its drivers not be able to race even though Valsecchi is first in line.

“I learned from last year that you need to be ready in order to step straight into a race seat, so my aim will be to keep focused and be prepared,” said d’Ambrosio.

“Of course my ultimate aim is always to gain a race seat, however I know that by doing the best job I can here – and proving myself valuable to the team – I’m in a very good position should an opportunity arise.”

Nicolas Prost also remains on the Lotus roster as a development driver.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/valsecchi-becomes-lotus-third-driver

Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin

Susie Wolff to increase Williams role

Susie Wolff will increase her development role with the Williams Formula 1 team in the 2013 season.

The former DTM driver joined the team last year, conducting her first F1 test in an older-spec car in October.

This season she will be entrusted with the majority of aerodynamic tests, including the first run of the new FW35 at the Idiada track in Spain, and will also be given a greater level of simulator work.

Williams technical director Mike Coughlan said Wolff had earned the chance with her work during 2012.

“Susie has proved herself to be a valuable addition to our driver roster and her feedback during simulator sessions is second to none,” he said.

Wolff described the promotion as an important step for women in F1 as well as herself.

“Last year was a valuable experience and I certainly feel that I’ve developed a lot as a driver,” she said.

“I’m showing that women can play a role at the top level of motorsport and would like to thank Sir Frank Williams and the whole of the technical team for the trust they continue to show in me.”

Williams’s former test and reserve driver Valtteri Bottas is replacing Bruno Senna in the race team alongside Pastor Maldonado this year.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/susie-wolff-to-increase-williams-role

Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick

Official: Volkswagen to build Golf in Mexico in 2014

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Volkswagen

As a part of its plan to produce more than 75 percent of its North American-sold products in North America, Volkswagen will be building the 2014 Golf at its Puebla, Mexico assembly plant. We first reported on the possibility of this move back in October, but VW recently confirmed the news. Golf models built in Mexico would be sold in both North and South America.

Production of the new Golf in Puebla - alongside the Jetta and Beetle - will commence during the first quarter of 2014, and the car will go on sale in the US sometime during the second half of next year.

After the Golf, it is also likely that production of the Tiguan and an upcoming crossover (teased by the recent CrossBlue Concept at the Detroit Auto Show) would also take place somewhere in North America. While there is no indication where the Tiguan's North American production would take place, the new three-row crossover could be produced at VW's Chattanooga, TN plant, which currently builds the Passat.

Scroll down for the official press release.

Continue reading Volkswagen to build Golf in Mexico in 2014

Volkswagen to build Golf in Mexico in 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/28/volkswagen-to-build-golf-in-mexico-in-2014/

Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski Ruby Tuesday Dodge Carl Edwards

Actually, Naysayers, Change Is Inevitable

Sooner or later, every urban reformer is confronted with some local leader or newspaper commenter who rejects ideas to improve the way cities work, on the grounds that, essentially, cities don’t work that way now.

St. Louis' Washington Avenue loft area was once just a dream, but it now serves as powerful evidence of the desirability of urban life in the region. Photo: Urban Review STL

Today on the Streetsblog Network, Steve Patterson at Urban Review STL summarizes this phenomenon nicely:

The phrase “the reality is…” is often followed by statements reinforcing the status quo. This is usually presented as a rational perspective, but I see it as justification for not rocking the boat. Those who take this approach dismiss those of us who vision something other than what we have now as merely academic exercises.

Take downtown as one example. A dozen years ago these same types said things like “the reality is…”

• “downtowns are dead”
• “if people wanted lofts they market would’ve responded”
• “Sure people want lofts in NYC or Chicago, but St. Louis isn’t either of those”

These naysayers are excellent at explaining why the rest of us can’t reach our visions, freely giving every reason why what we want won’t possibly work. They keep saying these things even when others get together and find ways to do things differently. Smart money is in the suburbs, they’d say. But things change. Downtown, and urban neighborhoods, are still getting investment while many suburban areas struggle.

Change, as they say, is the only constant, and people who seek to halt or deny often end up on the wrong side of history.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Stop and Move writes that the Frenso Bee followed up its recent investigation of pedestrian deaths by shamelessly blaming the victims. Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space reports that Nantucket is seeking ways to reduce car traffic and preserve the quality of life that has made it a tourism destination. And Boston Biker shares a video from the Detroit Art Show, where a group of art students crashed the proceedings riding phantom bicycles.

Source: http://streetsblog.net/2013/01/28/actually-naysayers-change-is-inevitable/

Marc Gené Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin

2014 Jeep Liberty / Cherokee Rendered, Detailed: Big Changes in Store

What It Is: An artist’s rendering of what the Jeep Liberty replacement could look like. We say “Liberty replacement” because there’s a chance Jeep could bring back the Cherokee moniker for its smaller SUV. The Cherokee name was used on the outgoing Liberty in Europe and other markets, and many U.S. buyers fondly remember the ravishingly rectilinear 1984–2001 XJ Cherokee, so the change isn’t as radical as it sounds.  READ MORE ››

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/NMZrdMarKVQ/

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV

Patrick confirms relationship with Stenhouse Jr.

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/25/2632947/patrick-confirms-relationship.html

Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard

Kentucky Speedway Single-Race Tickets Go on Sale Jan. 30 at 9 a.m.

• 
  

  Kentucky Speedway Logo
  ·         Single tickets for five 2013 races including the June 27-29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series “Quaker State 400” Weekend events go on sale at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 30, at www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by calling (859) 578-2300 and visiting Kentucky Speedway offices at 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta, Ky., 41086.

• ·         Kentucky Speedway introduces half-price ticket and Fan Zone pass rates for children 12 and younger for NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and ARCA Racing Series (ARS) events. 

• ·         Value-priced Quaker State 400 Weekend Coca-Cola Four Packs deliver four race tickets along with vouchers redeemable for Coca-Cola beverages and hot dogs.

SPARTA, Ky. – Reserved single tickets and daily Fan Zone passes for five Kentucky Speedway races including the June 27-29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Quaker State 400 tripleheader weekend go on sale Jan. 30 at 9:00 a.m.

The “Quaker State 400” serves as the finale of the first of two race weekends. Opening weekend also includes the June 28 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Feed The Children 300 and June 27 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) UNOH 225.

Racing continues with a return NNS 300-mile engagement on Sept. 21 and the 20^th all-time ARCA Racing Series (ARS) Kentucky Speedway event on Sept. 20.

Adult ticket prices will not increase for the 14^th Kentucky Speedway season and seats will be reserved for all events. NSCS Quaker State 400 tickets range between $70 and $110. NNS race tickets are priced from $45 to $75 while NCWTS and ARS tickets will be $30 and $40.

Daily Fan Zone passes will provide guests access to a wide variety of infield activities along with a stage-side view of the Quaker State 400 race-day concert and driver introductions. Quaker State 400 Fan Zone passes are $100, Feed The Children 300 passes are $50 and UNOH 225 passes are $30.

Kentucky Speedway is introducing half-price tickets and Fan Zone passes for children age 12 and younger for the NNS Feed The Children 300, NCWTS UNOH 225, NNS Kentucky 300 and ARS Kentucky 150. NNS children’s tickets will range between $20 and $37 while NCWTS and ARS children’s tickets will range between $15 and $20. Children’s Fan Zone passes will be $25 for the NNS Feed the Children 300 and $15 for the NCTWS UNOH 225, NNS Kentucky 300 and ARS Kentucky 150.

Fans can receive solid value by ordering Coca-Cola Four Packs for each June event. In addition to four race tickets, Coca-Cola Four Packs include vouchers that can be redeemed for four hot dogs and four Coca-Cola beverages at Kentucky Speedway concession stands. Packs are $169 for the NSCS Quaker State 400, $99 for the NNS Feed The Children 300 and $69 for the UNOH 225.

Five-race season ticket packages and three-race Quaker State 400 Weekend packages also remain on sale along with season and Quaker State 400 weekend campsites.

All can be purchased at www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by calling (859) 578-2300 and by visiting the Kentucky Speedway offices at 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta, Ky., 41086.

Source: Kentucky Speedway, Press Release

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catchfence/~3/tDeII1AGjvI/

Jo Gartner Tony Gaze Geki Olivier Gendebien Marc Gené

Portugal, France interested in 20th slot

Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone says the 2013 calendar could still include 20 races, with France and Portugal showing interest to host the event.

The calendar was modified by the FIA at the end of last year to make room for a European race on July 21.

Venues like the Red Bull Ring in Austria or Istanbul in Turkey were linked to the slot, but their chances seem to have evaporated and Ecclestone said in December that he expected the calendar to include just 19 events.

Ecclestone now says talks are still ongoing about a possible deal to have 20 races, and revealed the Algarve circuit in Portugal has now entered the frame.

“To be honest, I don’t know,” said Ecclestone when asked about plans for the July 21 slot.

“There is interest still in France, and now also in Portugal. They want to do it at the new Algarve track.

“For Germany, it would be Nurburgring. Let’s see if they can put it together.”

Ecclestone admitted, however, that the race was unlikely to be added to the calendar as Formula 1 teams were not keen to have an extra GP.

He added: “If someone wants to have the 20th race, it will happen, if the track is there and okay. We can help [with] organising.

“However, the teams do not seem to be in favour of this race. I doubt it will happen.”

The Briton also insisted the calendar will not be expanded beyond 20 races in the future, despite several countries wanting to join.

“No. Twenty [is] the maximum amount,” he said.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/portugal-france-interested-in-20th-slot

Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr

Texas Motor Speedway makes sweeping changes to further enrich fan experience while making it more economical heading into 2013 season

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/01/texas-motor-speedway-makes-sweeping.html

Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg

VIDEO: SX - Oakland Analysis

SPEED's Ralph Sheheen and Jeff Emig break down Saturday's pivotal Monster Energy Supercross round in Oakland.

Source: http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/video-sx-oakland-analysis/

Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller Joe Kelly

SEB, WEB AND SEB RED BULL RACING'S 2012 DRIVER LINE-UP

Red Bull Racing
Thursday 5 January 2012

Red Bull Racing is pleased to confirm that Sébastien Buemi will continue his relationship with Red Bull as Red Bull Racing's test and reserve driver for 2012.
The 23-year-old joins Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who are already confirmed.

Sébastien Buemi:

"It's good to remain with Red Bull for another year and have this opportunity with the World Championship winning team. I would prefer to be driving at the races of course, but working with Red Bull Racing on the development of their car and providing them with feedback throughout the season is the next best thing."

Christian Horner:

"It was entirely logical for Sébastien to continue with Red Bull having been a member of the Junior Team since 2004. He already knows the team well from his time with us in 2008 and has gained significant race experience over the past three years. He will complete important test and simulation work for us throughout the year and will be in attendance at each grand prix."

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/seb_web_and_seb_red_bull.php

Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther

Fast Facts: Herb Thomas, 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/01/fast-facts-herb-thomas-2013-nascar-hall.html

Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr

Could Kenseth and Vickers repeat together?

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/24/2633290/could-kenseth-and-vickers-repeat.html

Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

Motorsports: Notes from day one of the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Audi, Racing

We came to Daytona Beach, Florida where you can drive on the beach, gun shops outnumber doughnut shops and you can putt-putt and fish for alligators at the same place. But we're not here for any of that - we've made the trip with Audi in order to experience the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the first race in the 2013 Grand-Am season and the only 24-hour race in America.

Three teams are racing four Audi R8 Grand-Am cars - WeatherTech Racing, Rum Bum Racing and APR, which is running two cars. Shown to the world two years ago, the R8 Grand-Am is part of Audi Sport's R8 LMS customer racing program that was commenced in 2008, and ever since 2009 has been nabbing success all over the world: In four years it has taken 154 victories and 17 series titles. That is with less than 100 cars sold to customers throughout the world, and the trophies - either class wins or overall victories - have been gathered from all of the major endurance races except one: Daytona.

Continue reading Notes from day one of the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Notes from day one of the Rolex 24 at Daytona originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/26/notes-from-day-one-of-the-rolex-24-at-daytona/

Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann François Hesnault

Pirelli offers F1 test to GP2 champion

Pirelli will hand this year’s GP2 Series champion a one-day Formula 1 test.

The Italian manufacturer, official tyre supplier in both F1 and GP2, said the prize was part of its goal of developing young drivers.

“For the first time this season we will offer the winning GP2 driver the opportunity to test a Formula 1 car for a day,” Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said.

“It fits in perfectly with our philosophy and that of GP2 of preparing young drivers as well as possible for the demands of Formula 1.

“Our test driver told me once that after his first day of testing with us, he had learned more about tyres than he had in his whole Formula 1 career up to that point.

“So we wanted to give another driver this opportunity as well, which makes GP2 even more relevant to drivers aiming for the pinnacle of motorsport.”

GP2 Series chief Bruno Michel described the prize as a massive boon for the championship, adding: “This is a fantastic gift from Pirelli and a great incentive for all of our GP2 drivers whose ultimate goal is to step into Formula 1.

“We and Pirelli have the same ambition: prepare young blood for F1 where tyre management is crucial, as everyone knows.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/formula-cars/gp2/pirelli-offers-f1-test-to-gp2-champion

Nicolas Kiesa Leo Kinnunen Danny Kladis Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk

Tilley to step up into British F3

British club racer Kyle Tilley is planning a big step up to contest the British Formula 3 International Series in 2013.

Tilley, 22, is taking advantage of the relaxation of car-eligibility rules in the National Class and is planning to run a European F3 Open-spec Dallara F306 with its existing ‘long-life’ Piedrafita-tuned Toyota engine.

A graduate of the Castle Combe Formula Ford Championship and Britcar, Tilley will enjoy back-up support from top 1990s British F3 Class B squad Mark Bailey Racing.

“I’m under no illusions, but I’m confident I can get my head around it,” he said.

“I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge. British F3 is regarded as a proving ground for drivers hoping for a professional career – the manufacturers always look at F3 and GP3 for their drivers.”

Tilley is planning to raise money for the Stroke Association through his racing activities, and has launched competitions on his website for fund-raising.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/tilley-to-step-up-into-british-f3

Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez

NASCAR slashes rain delays for 2013

NASCAR believes its new track-drying system will dramatically reduce the length of rain delays and could spread across all of motorsport.

The series has recently used jet dryers based on jet engines mounted on trucks, one of which was famously hit by Juan Pablo Montoya during last year’s rain-delayed Daytona 500.

For 2013 NASCAR will switch to a compressed air system that president Mike Helton is confident will radically cut the time needed to dry rain-hit tracks.

“What I declared to our team a couple years ago is let’s change the way we do it, let’s innovate, let’s get a system, and the goal is to improve it by 80 per cent,” he said.

“So that means if we’re drying Daytona off, where it usually took two and a half hours, we get it down to 30 minutes. That’s the goal. And we’re real close.

“It uses compressed air as opposed to a jet engine. It’s designed to expedite the removal of water using compressed air and heat, where the jet dryers were simply designed around blowing and depended more on hot air.”

Helton foresees other categories swiftly adopting the compressed-air technology.

“It’s going to be a spectacular thing, and all auto racing will benefit from this as we go down the road,” he said.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/nascar-slashes-rain-delays-for-2013

Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III

NYPD: 1,500 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 17 Killed in Traffic in December

Image: NYPD

Twenty-nine people were killed in New York City traffic in December, and 4,529 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF].

Citywide, at least 16 pedestrians and one cyclist were fatally struck by drivers: three pedestrians in Manhattan; two pedestrians in the Bronx; four pedestrians in Brooklyn; and seven pedestrians and one cyclist in Queens. Among the victims were Ramon Russell, Chenugor Dao, Ignacio Cubano, Luis Enriquez, Ronald Sinvil, Nicoletta Gargano, Sheena Mathew, Maria Beria, Aileen Martinez, Miguel Torres, Amanda Garcia, and two unnamed male pedestrians in Brooklyn and Queens. More pedestrians and cyclists were killed in December than any other month in 2012, with the exception of April, which also saw 17 fatalities.

Of 13 fatal crashes reported by Streetsblog and other outlets, four were hit-and-runs in which the driver was not immediately caught or identified. Of the remaining nine crashes, no motorists were known to have been charged for causing a death. Historically, nearly half of motorists who kill a New York City pedestrian or cyclist do not receive so much as a citation for careless driving.

At least one child and three seniors were killed by motorists in December: Miguel Torres, 11; Ignacio Cubano, 69; Nicoletta Gargano, 76; and a 78-year-old man whose name was not released.

Fatal crashes occurred in City Council districts represented by Melissa Mark-Viverto, Gale Brewer, Letitia James, Lew Fidler, Ruben Wills, Daniel Garodnick, Daniel Dromm, and Annabel Palma. Two fatal crashes each occurred in districts represented by David Greenfield and Eric Ulrich.

Across the city, 1,290 pedestrians and 210 cyclists were reported hurt in collisions with motor vehicles. Per NYPD policy, few if any of these crashes were investigated by trained officers. The 1,500 reported pedestrian and cyclist injuries in December were the most of any month in 2012. The next highest total was August, with 1,355 injuries.

Five motorists and seven passengers died in the city in December; 1,436 and 1,593 were injured, respectively.

There were 17,087 motor vehicle crashes in the city last month, an average of 551 a day.

NYPD issued 5,093 speeding tickets in December, 1,011 citations for failure to yield to a pedestrian, and 6,285 tickets for tinted windows. Download December NYPD summons data here.

Contributing factors for crashes resulting in injury and death appear below.

Crash and summons data from prior months is available in multiple formats here.

With the release of December figures, we have a complete set of preliminary NYPD crash data for 2012. We’ll break down the numbers in the coming days.

Image: NYPD

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/01/24/nypd-1500-pedestrians-and-cyclists-injured-17-killed-in-traffic-in-december/

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil