What you missed while watching Charlie Weis do his best impersonation of Tom Brady.
Crazy things happen in Formula One racing when rain is involved. Case in point: Sunday's Italian Grand Prix on a soggy Monza circuit. Torro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel won. From the pole. Confused? Bob Varsha can explain the happenings:
Vettel triumphs from pole to become circuit's youngest winner
Chase race #1 went to Greg Biffle. That would be the same Greg Biffle who last won a Cup event in September of 2007. Perennial points leader Kyle Busch is no longer The Chase leader (that lasted) as he finished 34th, 12 laps down. "Hot" Carl Edwards finished p3, putting him atop of the Chase standings. Biffle now sits in Chase p3, with Jimmie Johnson in second. Busch is now in eighth. Joey Lagono, making his first Cup start, finished three laps adrift in 32nd.
Next week: Dover.
Biffle -- yes, the Biff -- wins Chase opener at New Hampshire
Chase Standings
The Craftsman Truck Series was also at NHMS where possible juicer Ron Hornaday won. But, honestly, wouldn't you just rather see the video of the Bodine crew v. David Starr fight? Yes and Yes.
Hornaday earns victory at Loudon to cap tough week
Tony Schumacher may never again lose a race. He's won seven events in a row (still undefeated since the NHRA shortened fuel races to 1000-feet), and Sunday scored his 53rd career victory, moving past NHRA longtime record holder Joe Amato. Not a bad way to start off the Countdown to One. Other pro winners Jack Beckman (FC), Justin Humphreys (PSC) and Steve Johnson (PSB).
NHRA: Schumacher Breaks All-Time Wins Mark
There could be a new "Hot" Carl in the motor racing world, as Carl Skerlong claimed his first career Atlantic Championship victory Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The Pacific Coast Motorsports driver led every lap and scored the max amount of points available for the weekend. Other notables were Greg Mansell (p7, career best), Frankie Muniz (p10, ties best run of season) and points leader Jonathan Bomarito (p9). Also competing at NJMP was the Star Mazda Series, where Peter Dempsey won his forth race in the last five rounds.
Yes, we were at the race. Thoughts: Hot, dusty, nice facility. Full report, with pictures (!), to come. Big time.
ATLANTIC: Skerlong Becomes Sixth Different Winner
STAR MAZDA: Dempsey Gets Another Win in Jersey
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Chaser #1: Sylvania 300
Each week Ridebuyer delves deep into the misunderstood, oft terrifying, world of American saloon-car racing known as NASCAR.
This week: Sylvania 300 (Chase round #1)
TV: ABC 1:00pm EST (Sunday)
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, NH)
Distance: 300 laps/317 miles
Past winners: D. Hamlin (7/07); C. Bowyer (9/07); Ku. Busch (6/08).
*How to handle the make-believe playoffs, why Tom Brady made the Loudon crowd tolerable and why we're not watching Sunday's race*
-The next ten weeks will decide who becomes the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion for the Lord's calender year 2008. Christened the "playoffs" by decision makers inside of the shadowy fortress know as NASCAR headquarters, the new(ish) system was clearly implemented to compete against stick and ball sports in terms of relevancy. A ten week "playoff" during the autumn months generates buzz (whatever the hell that means) for the sport and keeps it on the media radar during a time when professional and collegiate football gets rolling and baseball becomes entertaining. Or so the theory goes.
Whichever one of the France's came up with this idea is really off base.
Save the die hard base of the sport, there is too much competition for viewers and spectators to jump aboard the racing "playoff" train.
The casual sports fan, hell, even the casual racing fan, is far more likely to watch a Sunday afternoon NFL game than a "Chase" race. Right? We say yes.
A valid argument could be made that stock car racing fans and stick and ball types are two completely exclusive sects of folks who will never, under any circumstance, follow a sport that is not what they currently follow. A guy who watches baseball, takes his scorebook to games and understands what the hell OPS is, is not going to split his time in October to watch a saloon car race from Martinsville.
Knocking ten races off of the Sprint Cup calender solves this issue. The season is far too long to begin with, straining teams and making people lose track of the sport. Who remembers this season's Daytona 500? It was in fucking February. The is season is still going. That's ridiculous. It has become a full time job to follow the damn series. In case you didn't know: jobs suck.
If the NASCAR brass want to keep the "playoffs," fine. Just have The Chase end this weekend, instead of start. That way we can crown a champ, and be done with it by the time NFL week three rolls around.
But for now, we'll just have to wait and pretend to care until the end of goddamn November. Don't fear, will be with you each race of the way. If this is your first Chase, our only advice is to have a healthy supple of booze on hand for the races and don't, under any circumstances, change the channel. If you stumble across a football game, you may not be able to flip back. The horror.
Note: 40-oz cozy = race necessity.
-Hopefully the Tom Brady injury will shut the droves of smug New Englanders who travel to NASCAR's northernmost race the fuck up. NHMS is the only foray for the Sprint Cup into the great north wilderness and that's almost certainly because of the general douchebagery of the population. Everybody not from New England hates New England and anything to knock those 'r' dropping bastards down a few pegs is awesome. Take that Tom. Any Bostonians thinking of driving up to see the race, you may want to b.y.o. as they don't sell Sam Adams track side.
-We hope Sunday's race sucks, because we're not going to see it. That's because RB is going on a roadtrip. Destination? The brand new New Jersey Motorsports Park. We'll be slumming the Jersey turnpike to catch the Atlantic and Star Mazda events on Sunday. Hopefully these broads will swing by after their weekend in Seaside Heights. Bada. Bing.
About this race:
Line 'em up on points: Rain has washed away the qualifying session for Sunday's race. That means the field is set by owner points. The top-12 is all Chase drivers, so the people who actually matter will start up front. Not, that starting position is all to critical at NHMS, as Kurt Busch won the last event starting in 26th. Starting Grid.
Christ in a stock car makes first start: Joey Logano is making his first career Cup start on Sunday and will roll off the grid in 40th. If you haven't heard of Logano you clearly don't give a shit about stock car racing and the future of the sport. He is touted as the most talented driver to come thorough the ranks in years, if not ever. Mark Martin said he could be a competitive Cup driver when Logano was in karts. In 12 Nationwide Series starts this season, he has nine top-10s and one win. Sunday, he will be driving the Hall of Fame Racing No. 96 Toyota as one of six Cup races this season planned for the teenager. Logano will be a 2009 rookie next season when he takes over Tony Stewart's No. 20 Toyota at JGR. Does the youngster fold under the pressure and return to the life of a normal 18-year old wrought with smoking cigarettes, reading The Catcher in the Rye and constantly masturbating? Probably not.
"Hot" Carl v. Busch, (Chase) round one: The biggest storyline of late has been the arrival of "Hot" Carl Edwards as a legit contender for the championship. Kyle Busch looked to have a lock on the title just six weeks ago, but Edwards and crew have opened things up right in time for the "playoffs." It also helps the interest factor because both guys appear to hate each other. Nothing says NASCAR like a good old fashion rivalry. Yee Haw.
View Larger Map
Who to watch:
The Chasers: Starting The Chase off in a hole is not the way to find success come November. Being behind the eightball after race #1 is an easy way to quell championship aspirations. So, watch the top-12 and see how many (if any) fuck this race up. Refresher. Here's the playoff guys: 1 Kyle Busch 2 Carl Edwards 3 Jimmie Johnson 4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5 Clint Bowyer 6 Denny Hamlin 7 Jeff Burton 8 Tony Stewart 9 Greg Biffle 10 Jeff Gordon 11 Kevin Harvick 12 Matt Kenseth.
The Field: See if anyone can play spoiler come Sunday. Yes, look for the Washington Nationals of NASCAR. Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne could all toss a wrench into the well placed plans of Chase teams. Also, watch the aforementioned Logano, plus Kurt Busch has had success at NHMS in the past.
The Ridebuyer cocktail of the race the queer craft beer of your choice. You must drink it while looking down on others who are enjoying lesser brews.
Points:
1 Kyle Busch
2 Carl Edwards
3 Jimmie Johnson
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5 Clint Bowyer
6 Denny Hamlin
7 Jeff Burton
8 Tony Stewart
9 Greg Biffle
10 Jeff Gordon
11 Kevin Harvick
12 Matt Kenseth
Next race: Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA (Dover International Speedway). A NASCAR race with an on site casino? God Bless you.
This week: Sylvania 300 (Chase round #1)
TV: ABC 1:00pm EST (Sunday)
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, NH)
Distance: 300 laps/317 miles
Past winners: D. Hamlin (7/07); C. Bowyer (9/07); Ku. Busch (6/08).
*How to handle the make-believe playoffs, why Tom Brady made the Loudon crowd tolerable and why we're not watching Sunday's race*
-The next ten weeks will decide who becomes the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion for the Lord's calender year 2008. Christened the "playoffs" by decision makers inside of the shadowy fortress know as NASCAR headquarters, the new(ish) system was clearly implemented to compete against stick and ball sports in terms of relevancy. A ten week "playoff" during the autumn months generates buzz (whatever the hell that means) for the sport and keeps it on the media radar during a time when professional and collegiate football gets rolling and baseball becomes entertaining. Or so the theory goes.
Whichever one of the France's came up with this idea is really off base.
Save the die hard base of the sport, there is too much competition for viewers and spectators to jump aboard the racing "playoff" train.
The casual sports fan, hell, even the casual racing fan, is far more likely to watch a Sunday afternoon NFL game than a "Chase" race. Right? We say yes.
A valid argument could be made that stock car racing fans and stick and ball types are two completely exclusive sects of folks who will never, under any circumstance, follow a sport that is not what they currently follow. A guy who watches baseball, takes his scorebook to games and understands what the hell OPS is, is not going to split his time in October to watch a saloon car race from Martinsville.
It's all a matter of competition. NASCAR should not compete with the NFL or (to a lesser extent) MLB. That's a fight that cannot be won. NFL games are the big dicks of TV ratings, and MLB
games, with their mostly tepid ratings, are still a cash cow for game attendance. It is a crowded marketplace and America's racing series is, if not careful, going to fall through the cracks.
Knocking ten races off of the Sprint Cup calender solves this issue. The season is far too long to begin with, straining teams and making people lose track of the sport. Who remembers this season's Daytona 500? It was in fucking February. The is season is still going. That's ridiculous. It has become a full time job to follow the damn series. In case you didn't know: jobs suck.
If the NASCAR brass want to keep the "playoffs," fine. Just have The Chase end this weekend, instead of start. That way we can crown a champ, and be done with it by the time NFL week three rolls around.
But for now, we'll just have to wait and pretend to care until the end of goddamn November. Don't fear, will be with you each race of the way. If this is your first Chase, our only advice is to have a healthy supple of booze on hand for the races and don't, under any circumstances, change the channel. If you stumble across a football game, you may not be able to flip back. The horror.
Note: 40-oz cozy = race necessity.
-Hopefully the Tom Brady injury will shut the droves of smug New Englanders who travel to NASCAR's northernmost race the fuck up. NHMS is the only foray for the Sprint Cup into the great north wilderness and that's almost certainly because of the general douchebagery of the population. Everybody not from New England hates New England and anything to knock those 'r' dropping bastards down a few pegs is awesome. Take that Tom. Any Bostonians thinking of driving up to see the race, you may want to b.y.o. as they don't sell Sam Adams track side.
-We hope Sunday's race sucks, because we're not going to see it. That's because RB is going on a roadtrip. Destination? The brand new New Jersey Motorsports Park. We'll be slumming the Jersey turnpike to catch the Atlantic and Star Mazda events on Sunday. Hopefully these broads will swing by after their weekend in Seaside Heights. Bada. Bing.
About this race:
*What to know:
Line 'em up on points: Rain has washed away the qualifying session for Sunday's race. That means the field is set by owner points. The top-12 is all Chase drivers, so the people who actually matter will start up front. Not, that starting position is all to critical at NHMS, as Kurt Busch won the last event starting in 26th. Starting Grid.
Christ in a stock car makes first start: Joey Logano is making his first career Cup start on Sunday and will roll off the grid in 40th. If you haven't heard of Logano you clearly don't give a shit about stock car racing and the future of the sport. He is touted as the most talented driver to come thorough the ranks in years, if not ever. Mark Martin said he could be a competitive Cup driver when Logano was in karts. In 12 Nationwide Series starts this season, he has nine top-10s and one win. Sunday, he will be driving the Hall of Fame Racing No. 96 Toyota as one of six Cup races this season planned for the teenager. Logano will be a 2009 rookie next season when he takes over Tony Stewart's No. 20 Toyota at JGR. Does the youngster fold under the pressure and return to the life of a normal 18-year old wrought with smoking cigarettes, reading The Catcher in the Rye and constantly masturbating? Probably not.
"Hot" Carl v. Busch, (Chase) round one: The biggest storyline of late has been the arrival of "Hot" Carl Edwards as a legit contender for the championship. Kyle Busch looked to have a lock on the title just six weeks ago, but Edwards and crew have opened things up right in time for the "playoffs." It also helps the interest factor because both guys appear to hate each other. Nothing says NASCAR like a good old fashion rivalry. Yee Haw.
View Larger Map
Who to watch:
The Chasers: Starting The Chase off in a hole is not the way to find success come November. Being behind the eightball after race #1 is an easy way to quell championship aspirations. So, watch the top-12 and see how many (if any) fuck this race up. Refresher. Here's the playoff guys: 1 Kyle Busch 2 Carl Edwards 3 Jimmie Johnson 4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5 Clint Bowyer 6 Denny Hamlin 7 Jeff Burton 8 Tony Stewart 9 Greg Biffle 10 Jeff Gordon 11 Kevin Harvick 12 Matt Kenseth.
The Field: See if anyone can play spoiler come Sunday. Yes, look for the Washington Nationals of NASCAR. Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne could all toss a wrench into the well placed plans of Chase teams. Also, watch the aforementioned Logano, plus Kurt Busch has had success at NHMS in the past.
*For those heading to the track: Pertinent tailgating information is here. The 14 inch or less cooler restrictions will enforced with an iron fist.
Points:
1 Kyle Busch
2 Carl Edwards
3 Jimmie Johnson
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5 Clint Bowyer
6 Denny Hamlin
7 Jeff Burton
8 Tony Stewart
9 Greg Biffle
10 Jeff Gordon
11 Kevin Harvick
12 Matt Kenseth
Next race: Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA (Dover International Speedway). A NASCAR race with an on site casino? God Bless you.
A.J. Foyt recaps the final points event of the IRL season, runs Franck Perera out of fuel in the process. (USA Today)
NASCAR's doping scandal?
Remember the day when the Mitchell Report was released? Droves of sporting fans (us included) could not wait to peruse the juicing manifesto to see if their hero's had indulged in taboo ointments and performance enhancing shots in the ass.Sure, the guys that everyone expected were listed in the report. The Canseco, Bonds and Giambi's of the world were called out. But the best was getting to read the names that made everyone shake their collective heads. (Ahem. Paul Byrd. Ahem.) Guys like Mike Stanton and Paul LoDuca, if truly using, must have been doing something wrong. They must have been injecting the ointments or smoking something that should have been shot-up. Or something. Mike Stanton? Really?
Well, America's favorite saloon car racing series now has an absurd performance enhancing drug allegation story of their own. It revolves around defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion Ron Hornaday and shipments of testosterone and human growth hormone. Sweet.
Hornaday says the testosterone was used to treat a hyperactive thyroid.
NASCAR officials are determining if this constitutes a violation of their drug policy.All Hornaday needs to do is write a book about finding Christ and battling a porn addiction, and he will be Paul Byrd.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Cindy McCain's favorite movie? The Fast and the Furious III
In one of the odder campaign revelations of late, E-60 has blown the lid off of Cindy McCain's secret passion. Filipino teenagers? Nope. Weirder.
John McCain's wife has a thing for drifting (the burnout-laden motorsport, not being a derelict).
Take it away Lisa Salters, as we are too horrified and flabbergasted to type.
BFF's?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
New N'wide Challenger looks like a Challenger!
Stolen from the Blogosphere this morning, the guys at Jalopnik posted pictures of the new Dodge Challenger Nationwide machine. The car is built to CoT specs and is set to debut next season. NASCAR has apparently relaxed on some of the body restrictions for the new N'wide machines and the result is a car that actually looks similar to a Dodge Challenger. How could this car possibly lose to a Taurus or Camry?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Weekend recap
What you missed while watching Tom Brady get hurt, Willie Parker's impersonation of a beast and Erin Andrews flip the bird.
The first season of blissful marriage between the IndyCar Series and Champ Car came to an end Sunday in Chi-town. Scott Dixon was able to finish higher than eighth, thus clinching his second championship for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Heilo Castroneves finished p2 in both race and title, or so was initially reported on timing and scoring. You see, the timing and scoring monitors said Dixon had won the race by .001 seconds. This was relayed to Dixon and he eloquently spoke abut winning both the race and championship while receiving his big cheque. See below. Someone then looked at the photo finish image and decided that HCN indeed won the race (the official margin of victory was later determined to be 0.0033 seconds, the second closest in IRL history). Vince Welch told HCN that he won the race, he celebrated and TV coverage ended approximately 15 seconds later. It was truly odd.
Until next season, IRL...
Dixon seals IRL crown as Castroneves wins nail-biter
The field for The Chase is set. It took a day longer than expected because of a bloody hurricane, but it's now set in stone. Nothing really bomb-tastic happened in Richmond, as David Ragan and Kasey Kahne were unable to race their ways into The Chase. When The Chase starts Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch will have the #1 seed with 5,080 points. (5,000 base points, plus 10 points for each of his eight victories.) Carl Edwards will be seeded second with 5,050 points. Jimmie Johnson, who won Sunday’s race will begin the Chase with 5,040 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton each will have 5,010 points and Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart (p2 at RIR), Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon will all have 5k. Make sense?
CUP: Chase Field Set
Felipe Massa was declared the official winner of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps after first-to-finish-line Lewis Hamilton was penalized for straight-lining a chicane. During the alleged course cutting, Hamilton was deemed to have not let Kimi Raikkonen properly repass after the Brit passed the Fin. So, officially, Hamilton finished third, BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld got moved to p2 and Massa won. Hamilton's lead in the drivers' standings is reduced from a potential eight to just two points with five races to go. Oh, Hamilton and Co. are appealing the the ruling.
BREAKING NEWS: Massa Handed Spa Win
The Nationwide Series event was postponed because of the aforementioned hurricane. The race ran last night and "Hot" Carl Edwards won. Good for him.
Edwards edges by Bowyer for fourth Nationwide win
The first season of blissful marriage between the IndyCar Series and Champ Car came to an end Sunday in Chi-town. Scott Dixon was able to finish higher than eighth, thus clinching his second championship for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Heilo Castroneves finished p2 in both race and title, or so was initially reported on timing and scoring. You see, the timing and scoring monitors said Dixon had won the race by .001 seconds. This was relayed to Dixon and he eloquently spoke abut winning both the race and championship while receiving his big cheque. See below. Someone then looked at the photo finish image and decided that HCN indeed won the race (the official margin of victory was later determined to be 0.0033 seconds, the second closest in IRL history). Vince Welch told HCN that he won the race, he celebrated and TV coverage ended approximately 15 seconds later. It was truly odd.
Until next season, IRL...
Dixon seals IRL crown as Castroneves wins nail-biter
The field for The Chase is set. It took a day longer than expected because of a bloody hurricane, but it's now set in stone. Nothing really bomb-tastic happened in Richmond, as David Ragan and Kasey Kahne were unable to race their ways into The Chase. When The Chase starts Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch will have the #1 seed with 5,080 points. (5,000 base points, plus 10 points for each of his eight victories.) Carl Edwards will be seeded second with 5,050 points. Jimmie Johnson, who won Sunday’s race will begin the Chase with 5,040 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton each will have 5,010 points and Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart (p2 at RIR), Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon will all have 5k. Make sense?
CUP: Chase Field Set
Felipe Massa was declared the official winner of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps after first-to-finish-line Lewis Hamilton was penalized for straight-lining a chicane. During the alleged course cutting, Hamilton was deemed to have not let Kimi Raikkonen properly repass after the Brit passed the Fin. So, officially, Hamilton finished third, BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld got moved to p2 and Massa won. Hamilton's lead in the drivers' standings is reduced from a potential eight to just two points with five races to go. Oh, Hamilton and Co. are appealing the the ruling.
BREAKING NEWS: Massa Handed Spa Win
The Nationwide Series event was postponed because of the aforementioned hurricane. The race ran last night and "Hot" Carl Edwards won. Good for him.
Edwards edges by Bowyer for fourth Nationwide win
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