Friday, December 31, 2010
What's It Going to Take to Bury USF1 Online?
I was talking to someone about the new United States Grand Prix set for Austin in 2012 and I said I would send him a link so he could see the proposed track design. Guess what popped up at the top of the page when I googled "US F1?"Yup: www.usgpe.com
I was working at Phoenix International Raceway when Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytona. On the Tuesday that followed track president Buddy Jobe was walking through the garages and noticed, perhaps for the very first time, that the oversized Coke machine just outside the infield media center featured a backlit, translucent plastic front with a life size photo of the Intimidator himself, dressed in his GM Goodwrench drivers suit, smiling at the camera and holding a can of Coca Cola.Buddy yelled to one of track workers nearby, "Get that damn thing out of here" and within minutes it was gone, then replaced by the local bottler with a machine that just had the Coca Cola logo on the front.No one likes painful reminders. That's exactly what I got when I was looking for info about the new United States Grand Prix in Austin and rediscovered "www.usgpe.com" The USF1 team debacle, sadly orchestrated to failure by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor may be one of the blackest eyes Uncle Sam has ever suffered on the international motorsports stage.We (and yes, I have to say 'we' because the effort was representative of me, my fellow Americans and my country regardless of my personal un-involvement) stepped on it big time with the USF1 clusterflub. We invoked history and heritage and rekindled fond memories of Dan Gurney and Roger Penske and even Vels Parnelli Jones trying to compete with the world's best in the best racing series in the world.We said all the right things and dropped the right names and confidently boasted that all systems were go ... right up until we hit the brick wall. Then we were exposed. The car wasn't ready, people hadn't been paid, there were rumors of rampant dysfunctionality among the principals, their dogs ate their homework, etc.This story should have ended along with the team.Yet the USF1 website is still active. There are still pictures of Anderson, Windsor and uber rich PayPal wiz Chad Hurley looking very professional and trustworthy and ready to kick butt and take names in Grand Prix racing. The blogs and YouTube videos and lobby pics and engineering drawings, it's all still there. The painful evidence of a massive, well-intentioned sell job in 2009, the grandiose plans to be racing in 2010, with our own, made-in-the-USA chassis are still with us.It's downright painful to peruse. And it shouldn't be available any more.Does someone owe the webmaster money? Is the failed USF1 website still active out of spite somehow? I hope not. And I also hope that sometime soon I'll go back to www.usgpe.com and find a cannot open this page message.Because it's still too painful and downright embarrassing.
-Bill
Read more of Bill Tybur's thoughts on fantasy racing at FMFL
I was working at Phoenix International Raceway when Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytona. On the Tuesday that followed track president Buddy Jobe was walking through the garages and noticed, perhaps for the very first time, that the oversized Coke machine just outside the infield media center featured a backlit, translucent plastic front with a life size photo of the Intimidator himself, dressed in his GM Goodwrench drivers suit, smiling at the camera and holding a can of Coca Cola.Buddy yelled to one of track workers nearby, "Get that damn thing out of here" and within minutes it was gone, then replaced by the local bottler with a machine that just had the Coca Cola logo on the front.No one likes painful reminders. That's exactly what I got when I was looking for info about the new United States Grand Prix in Austin and rediscovered "www.usgpe.com" The USF1 team debacle, sadly orchestrated to failure by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor may be one of the blackest eyes Uncle Sam has ever suffered on the international motorsports stage.We (and yes, I have to say 'we' because the effort was representative of me, my fellow Americans and my country regardless of my personal un-involvement) stepped on it big time with the USF1 clusterflub. We invoked history and heritage and rekindled fond memories of Dan Gurney and Roger Penske and even Vels Parnelli Jones trying to compete with the world's best in the best racing series in the world.We said all the right things and dropped the right names and confidently boasted that all systems were go ... right up until we hit the brick wall. Then we were exposed. The car wasn't ready, people hadn't been paid, there were rumors of rampant dysfunctionality among the principals, their dogs ate their homework, etc.This story should have ended along with the team.Yet the USF1 website is still active. There are still pictures of Anderson, Windsor and uber rich PayPal wiz Chad Hurley looking very professional and trustworthy and ready to kick butt and take names in Grand Prix racing. The blogs and YouTube videos and lobby pics and engineering drawings, it's all still there. The painful evidence of a massive, well-intentioned sell job in 2009, the grandiose plans to be racing in 2010, with our own, made-in-the-USA chassis are still with us.It's downright painful to peruse. And it shouldn't be available any more.Does someone owe the webmaster money? Is the failed USF1 website still active out of spite somehow? I hope not. And I also hope that sometime soon I'll go back to www.usgpe.com and find a cannot open this page message.Because it's still too painful and downright embarrassing.
-Bill
Read more of Bill Tybur's thoughts on fantasy racing at FMFL
American Automotive Legends Make Rare Group Appearance
American automotive legends gather for a rare group appearance to celebrate the Shelby American Collection?s 14th Anniversary Holiday Party at the Shelby American Collection Museum in Boulder on Saturday, December 4, 2010. �Pictured from left to right: Shelby American World Championship driver, Jack Sears; Shelby team driver, Tom Yeager; Shelby mechanic, Chuck Cantwell; Shelby team ... Read full blog
Mawdsley makes a comeback for 2011
Well it has to be said Activ8 Motorsport's 2WD Subaru Impreza was beginning to look a little tired by the end of the 2010 season so it was rolled into the paint shop for a bit of a tidy-up, turns out Simon got a little carried away at B & G Motor Bodies, and dressed [...]
Thursday, December 30, 2010
MRT receives Ford Motor Company Product Excellence Award
Plymouth, Michigan- MRT was recently awarded the Ford Motor Company Product Excellence Award for the MRT 2011 Mustang GT Predator Project Vehicle, by the Ford Product Development community. The award was created to recognize excellence in product development and total project vehicle execution. Key criteria included; new product development, vehicle appearance, fit with the Mustang ... Read full blog
David?s Blog: Bringing Logistics to ?Dega
David Ragan and the UPS team head to 'Dega this weekend with a special UPS Logistics Ford Fusion
My Special AMSOIL Project & ReadyOil.com
You may have noticed the dearth of blog posts these past few months.� I have been spending my energies on an AMSOIL marketing campaign & a second (part-time) job.� This is a good thing, that will eventually help to improve the automotive & motorsports community, as well as my family with added benefits later. So, [...]
A Tribute to a Pioneer: Tom Walkinshaw and the XJ220 Supercar
News earlier this month of the death of Tom Walkinshaw immediately brought memories to mind: Le Mans 1989 and the Fast Masters racing series of 1993.
In the fall of 1987, I?d been hired as motorsports editor at AutoWeek magazine. Through our coverage of the IMSA sports-prototype racing series here in North America, I?d gotten to know Walkinshaw and his TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) team, managers such as Tony Dow and drivers such as Jan Lammers, Andy Wallace, Derek Daly, Davy Jones, Martin Brundle, Price Cobb, John Nielsen and the others who raced the Silk Cut Jaguars.
In 1989, I went to France to cover the 24 Heures du Mans. Jaguar helped arrange luxurious chateau-style lodging for photographer Rick Dole and me. At the track, to avoid distraction as the cars were being prepped and raced, the TWR garage was closed to the motorsports media. But when the French guards barred the door as I approached, Walkinshaw himself intervened. ?He?s all right,? he said.
One of Walkinshaw?s Jags had won at Le Mans in 1988, and another would win in 1990. But 1989 was the year of the Sauber Silver Arrow Mercedes, which finished first, second and fifth. Walkinshaw did gain a consolation prize of sorts: His was the only non-German car among the first six finishers.
In 1991, Walkinshaw became engineering director of the Benetton Formula One team, where he helped recruit future world champion Michael Schumacher. Walkinshaw later became co-owner of the Ligier F1 team and then full owner of the Arrows F1 team (Walkinshaw, a native of Scotland, also would become owner of the Gloucester team in the UK?s professional rugby league.)
Meanwhile, he and TWR maintained relationships with several auto makers, at one point racing Volvo station wagons in the British touring car series and creating the XJ220 supercar with (or perhaps more accurately for) Jaguar.
Although the fastest production car of its day, the XJ220 didn?t quite live up to its advance billing. To hype interest in North America, TWR and Lingner Group (an ESPN-affiliated television production company) in 1993 created the Fast Masters series to put legendary drivers into identical X220s and let them race around the various circuits at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The idea was to combine a sort of Seniors golf tour with an IROC-style racing series.
But the skeptics spoke up quickly. At first, people called it not the Past Masters but Bass Masters after the similar-sounding professional fishing series. Then, because of the ages of the drivers, it was the ?Past Masters,? as in past their prime. As it turned out, the series is remembered as the ?Crash Masters? because the old guys ruined a lot of expensive sheetmetal as they banged their way toward the finish line.
And now, like those XJ220s, like anyone who has lived a long and full life in motorsports, Tom Walkinshaw has bumped his way through his race and has crossed the finish line as well.
Read more from Larry Edsall at iZoom
Photo Credit: Andy Cunningham
In the fall of 1987, I?d been hired as motorsports editor at AutoWeek magazine. Through our coverage of the IMSA sports-prototype racing series here in North America, I?d gotten to know Walkinshaw and his TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) team, managers such as Tony Dow and drivers such as Jan Lammers, Andy Wallace, Derek Daly, Davy Jones, Martin Brundle, Price Cobb, John Nielsen and the others who raced the Silk Cut Jaguars.
In 1989, I went to France to cover the 24 Heures du Mans. Jaguar helped arrange luxurious chateau-style lodging for photographer Rick Dole and me. At the track, to avoid distraction as the cars were being prepped and raced, the TWR garage was closed to the motorsports media. But when the French guards barred the door as I approached, Walkinshaw himself intervened. ?He?s all right,? he said.
One of Walkinshaw?s Jags had won at Le Mans in 1988, and another would win in 1990. But 1989 was the year of the Sauber Silver Arrow Mercedes, which finished first, second and fifth. Walkinshaw did gain a consolation prize of sorts: His was the only non-German car among the first six finishers.
In 1991, Walkinshaw became engineering director of the Benetton Formula One team, where he helped recruit future world champion Michael Schumacher. Walkinshaw later became co-owner of the Ligier F1 team and then full owner of the Arrows F1 team (Walkinshaw, a native of Scotland, also would become owner of the Gloucester team in the UK?s professional rugby league.)
Meanwhile, he and TWR maintained relationships with several auto makers, at one point racing Volvo station wagons in the British touring car series and creating the XJ220 supercar with (or perhaps more accurately for) Jaguar.
Although the fastest production car of its day, the XJ220 didn?t quite live up to its advance billing. To hype interest in North America, TWR and Lingner Group (an ESPN-affiliated television production company) in 1993 created the Fast Masters series to put legendary drivers into identical X220s and let them race around the various circuits at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The idea was to combine a sort of Seniors golf tour with an IROC-style racing series.
But the skeptics spoke up quickly. At first, people called it not the Past Masters but Bass Masters after the similar-sounding professional fishing series. Then, because of the ages of the drivers, it was the ?Past Masters,? as in past their prime. As it turned out, the series is remembered as the ?Crash Masters? because the old guys ruined a lot of expensive sheetmetal as they banged their way toward the finish line.
And now, like those XJ220s, like anyone who has lived a long and full life in motorsports, Tom Walkinshaw has bumped his way through his race and has crossed the finish line as well.
Read more from Larry Edsall at iZoom
Photo Credit: Andy Cunningham
Paintless Dent Removal : An Introduction
Paintless Dent Removal is a method to remove small sized dents without the need of repainting because it doesn’t disturb the paint finish.
This method of dent removal is much cheaper than any traditional techniques. It also takes less time to finish.
If your car suffer from hail dents, door dings, dents from baseballs, as well as [...]
This method of dent removal is much cheaper than any traditional techniques. It also takes less time to finish.
If your car suffer from hail dents, door dings, dents from baseballs, as well as [...]
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Recommended Reading: A Holiday Motorsports Book Gift Guide
In addition to writing books, I review books others have written. So far this year, I?ve read two dozen new automotive or motorsports titles. With the holidays approaching quickly, I want to share some gift-buying ideas for the car guy or gal on your shopping list.
Clearly the best work of fiction I?ve ever read about racing is Ted West?s Closing Speed (published by Demontreville Press, Inc.).
West has accomplished something I?d long been told was impossible: He wrote a novel, a book-length story full of compelling characters, with an unfolding plot that enfolds various subplots, all set on the stage of auto racing.
Novels set on athletic fields rarely work. For one thing, it?s hard for fiction writers to create stories as dramatic as the real events that arise naturally on the playing field or race track. And yet, that?s what West achieves with Closing Speed, which is set against the backdrop of sports car racing in the 1970s, has true-to-the-track characters and a story line that has us hooked from first page to last.
For stock car racing fans, I offer two titles. One is Growing Up NASCAR: Racing?s Most Outrageous Promoter Tells All, by Humpy Wheeler and Peter Golenbock (published by Motorbooks). The other is Declarations of Stock Car Independents: Interviews with Twelve Racers of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s by Perry Allen Wood (published by McFarland & Co).
With only 300 pages between the book?s covers, Howard ?Humpy? Wheeler Jr. doesn?t have room to really tell all that he knows about stock car racing?s growth from the days when, after outrunning the revenuers, moonshiners raced each other around oval tracks carved out of some Southern farmer?s field to become a nationally televised sports-entertainment production with major significance when it comes to American corporate sports marketing budgets.
Wheeler ran small tracks, worked for Firestone when it was supplying tires to NASCAR teams, and then ran Charlotte Motor Speedway (aka Lowe?s). Not only does he know his subject, but as a former amateur boxer, he doesn?t pull any punches.
Neither do the dozen drivers interviewed by Perry Allen Wood for his book. Wood sought out drivers who didn?t have factory-supported teams and let them offer their perspective on the sport. Wood has done stock car racing and its fans a favor by preserving an important but overlooked piece of the sport?s history.
As Wood explains in his Preface to the book, he wanted to ?tell stories of? those lightly funded field-fillers who did it the hard way? Theirs are tales of hardship and humor, despair and delight, pain and pleasure, and failure and fulfillment. Rarely were they stories of victory?
?They raced, struggled, endured, and died pursuing their dreams ? and their stories need to be told.?
Last but certainly not least is The Jaundiced Eye: Forty Years of Writing, Reporting and Ranting from AutoWeek?s Publisher Emeritus Leon Mandel, edited by Kevin A. Wilson (published by 671 Press and available from www.autoweek.com).
Disclosure: I am not objective about this book. I worked for Leon Mandel for 12 years at AutoWeek and he was more than a mentor to staffers such as Kevin A. Wilson and me.
Unlike Jack Nicholson?s famous line from the movies ? ?You can?t handle the truth!? ? Mandel contended that his readers, AutoWeek?s subscribers, were ?brave enough to be told the truth. Moreover,? he wrote, ?your faith is firm enough to withstand it. Even more than that, you deserve to know.?
The truth as seen through Mandel?s eyes makes for wonderful reading.
Read more from Larry Edsall at iZoom
Photo Credit: Zero One
Clearly the best work of fiction I?ve ever read about racing is Ted West?s Closing Speed (published by Demontreville Press, Inc.).
West has accomplished something I?d long been told was impossible: He wrote a novel, a book-length story full of compelling characters, with an unfolding plot that enfolds various subplots, all set on the stage of auto racing.
Novels set on athletic fields rarely work. For one thing, it?s hard for fiction writers to create stories as dramatic as the real events that arise naturally on the playing field or race track. And yet, that?s what West achieves with Closing Speed, which is set against the backdrop of sports car racing in the 1970s, has true-to-the-track characters and a story line that has us hooked from first page to last.
For stock car racing fans, I offer two titles. One is Growing Up NASCAR: Racing?s Most Outrageous Promoter Tells All, by Humpy Wheeler and Peter Golenbock (published by Motorbooks). The other is Declarations of Stock Car Independents: Interviews with Twelve Racers of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s by Perry Allen Wood (published by McFarland & Co).
With only 300 pages between the book?s covers, Howard ?Humpy? Wheeler Jr. doesn?t have room to really tell all that he knows about stock car racing?s growth from the days when, after outrunning the revenuers, moonshiners raced each other around oval tracks carved out of some Southern farmer?s field to become a nationally televised sports-entertainment production with major significance when it comes to American corporate sports marketing budgets.
Wheeler ran small tracks, worked for Firestone when it was supplying tires to NASCAR teams, and then ran Charlotte Motor Speedway (aka Lowe?s). Not only does he know his subject, but as a former amateur boxer, he doesn?t pull any punches.
Neither do the dozen drivers interviewed by Perry Allen Wood for his book. Wood sought out drivers who didn?t have factory-supported teams and let them offer their perspective on the sport. Wood has done stock car racing and its fans a favor by preserving an important but overlooked piece of the sport?s history.
As Wood explains in his Preface to the book, he wanted to ?tell stories of? those lightly funded field-fillers who did it the hard way? Theirs are tales of hardship and humor, despair and delight, pain and pleasure, and failure and fulfillment. Rarely were they stories of victory?
?They raced, struggled, endured, and died pursuing their dreams ? and their stories need to be told.?
Last but certainly not least is The Jaundiced Eye: Forty Years of Writing, Reporting and Ranting from AutoWeek?s Publisher Emeritus Leon Mandel, edited by Kevin A. Wilson (published by 671 Press and available from www.autoweek.com).
Disclosure: I am not objective about this book. I worked for Leon Mandel for 12 years at AutoWeek and he was more than a mentor to staffers such as Kevin A. Wilson and me.
Unlike Jack Nicholson?s famous line from the movies ? ?You can?t handle the truth!? ? Mandel contended that his readers, AutoWeek?s subscribers, were ?brave enough to be told the truth. Moreover,? he wrote, ?your faith is firm enough to withstand it. Even more than that, you deserve to know.?
The truth as seen through Mandel?s eyes makes for wonderful reading.
Read more from Larry Edsall at iZoom
Photo Credit: Zero One
Hobart Brothers Welding Tips Poster
Hobart Brothers offers the cure to common stick welding troubles. The poster illustrates common weld defects, their causes and solutions and is available free of charge in Spanish and English.
What Was The Biggest Story This Year in NASCAR?
Lately, I have been racking my brain lately thinking about what was the biggest story of the 2010 NASCAR season. I asked this question on Twitter and Facebook and was amazed at some of the responses.
I think it all comes down to what teams you root for.
Jimmie Johnson's Story
For me, it was about Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Lowes team winning again. No surprise there since I am a Jimmie Johnson fan, but this year it was a lot closer and that made it special. Being the underdog even though he was the past champion with one race to go added to the drama. He rose to the occasion just like a true champion would.Along with that story is also that of the pit crew change between the #48 and Jeff Gordon's teamwith two weeks to go. It is not common for a pit crew to be replaced during a race but it may have just won them the championship. At the end of the day Rick Hendrick showed everyone that it was all about team work.
Jeff Gordon's Story
Since I brought up Jeff Gordon's name it would be fair to talk about his year, a win-less year at that. Then the fight with Jeff Burton near the end of the year made him a story to talk about this past year. I am sure the pressure will be on him and his new sponsor to get a win right out of the 2011 season.
Jamie McMurray's Story
For a couple of fans it was the breakthrough of Jamie McMurray winning the Daytona 500, and the Brickyard 400 for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. I know it's been a long time coming for those fans of Jamie's that are glad to see him finally win some big races. His fans are some of the most loyal there is.Some stories are still happening that will really have an effect of the 20010 NASCAR season.
Hendricks Motorsports' Story
Winless and getting a new crew chief: all that needs to be said amongst the other Hendricks Motorsports teams. Between Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jeff Gordon not one team could produce a single win, so Rick Hendrick swapped the crew chiefs between the teams. Dale Jr wasn't working well with his crew chief and Jeff Gordon needed a change too. I think Mark Martin got the short end of the stick but we will see.What do you think was the biggest story this year?
Read more from Vinny at Awesome Race Fans
Photo Credit: Jose Castillo
I think it all comes down to what teams you root for.
Jimmie Johnson's Story
For me, it was about Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Lowes team winning again. No surprise there since I am a Jimmie Johnson fan, but this year it was a lot closer and that made it special. Being the underdog even though he was the past champion with one race to go added to the drama. He rose to the occasion just like a true champion would.Along with that story is also that of the pit crew change between the #48 and Jeff Gordon's teamwith two weeks to go. It is not common for a pit crew to be replaced during a race but it may have just won them the championship. At the end of the day Rick Hendrick showed everyone that it was all about team work.
Jeff Gordon's Story
Since I brought up Jeff Gordon's name it would be fair to talk about his year, a win-less year at that. Then the fight with Jeff Burton near the end of the year made him a story to talk about this past year. I am sure the pressure will be on him and his new sponsor to get a win right out of the 2011 season.
Jamie McMurray's Story
For a couple of fans it was the breakthrough of Jamie McMurray winning the Daytona 500, and the Brickyard 400 for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. I know it's been a long time coming for those fans of Jamie's that are glad to see him finally win some big races. His fans are some of the most loyal there is.Some stories are still happening that will really have an effect of the 20010 NASCAR season.
Hendricks Motorsports' Story
Winless and getting a new crew chief: all that needs to be said amongst the other Hendricks Motorsports teams. Between Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jeff Gordon not one team could produce a single win, so Rick Hendrick swapped the crew chiefs between the teams. Dale Jr wasn't working well with his crew chief and Jeff Gordon needed a change too. I think Mark Martin got the short end of the stick but we will see.What do you think was the biggest story this year?
Read more from Vinny at Awesome Race Fans
Photo Credit: Jose Castillo
Dale Jarrett: A Look Into Life as a TV Analyst
In a special blog for UPS, Dale Jarrett gives you a look into what a race week is like for him now as an analyst with ESPN/ABC
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Your NASCAR Christmas Wish List ? 2011 Edition
2010 was a season like we haven’t seen in a while. Wrecks, spoilers, fines and fights – NASCAR said “Boys, have at it” and they did. From Jimmie’s continued dominance, to Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton fighting on the backstretch at Texas, this season brought surprises and what NASCAR claims was the closest competition we’ve [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Martinsville Qualifying Rained Out
Sorry if I havn’t been on here in a while, I’ve been a bust little kitten! Martinsville qualifying got rained out last Friday, so everyone at this point knows the drill after all that mess goes down. The starting grid goes in order by points. Surprise, surprise! Why don? we just serve Jimmie Johnson his [...]
The Well-Prepared Coach ? 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans
New! Save time, reduce stress and make the most of the season with a complete plan. Prepare for practices in 5 minutes. 3 bonuses including a certificate maker. Certificate maker also offered for soccer, baseball, cheerleading and volleyball. Brilliant! The Well-Prepared Coach – 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nascarpitstopblog.com%2Fnascar-stats%2Fthe-well-prepared-coach-30-youth-basketball-practice-plans'; addthis_title = 'The+Well-Prepared+Coach+%26%238211%3B+30+Youth+Basketball+Practice+Plans'; addthis_pub [...]
Fiberglass Bumper : Learn How to Repair Those Cracks
Are you upset with those cracks on your fiberglass bumper ? You can fix it, read this article and let me show you how to perform the fiberglass bumper repair
How To Get Prepared For The Next NASCAR Season
Sure Christmas is a few days away and you are getting your Holiday parties in order, but in a few short weeks we will be back to NASCAR racing. If you are like me, you are having serious NASCAR withdrawals at this point. Odds are you would rather see Darrell Waltrip say "Bogity, Bogity, Bogity" than Santa Claus saying "Ho HO HO". I feel your pain too. There are some things you can do to get ready for the season and make it feel like it's starting up again tomorrow.
Go Buy Yourself Something NewI am always happier when I get a new hat with my favorite drivers number on it. You will feel better when you do it and even better when you get it in the mail in a few days. Half the time I forget I ordered something and its almost like Christmas again when I open the package. Don't forget to get your spouse something also, especially if he or she likes racing.
Join a Racing ForumYou could join a racing forum, meet some good people and talk about racing. Why not chime in and join the fun? Odds are you will meet some people that love talking about your favorite track and some recipes for tail gating. I have met plenty of new friends through forums and then met up with them at the track a few times. You could also join Twitter where there is a large fan base and race talk is 24/7.
Pore Through the Upcoming SchedulesI always like to look ahead at the schedule and get the television stations down so I know exactly when a race is on. You could go find the schedule for next years races, print out a couple and leave them around the house. It is also helpful if you have to plan your vacations in advance as you can pick races around them.
Prepare for Warmer Weather NowAnother thing I do is get out the BBQ and give it a good cleaning and make sure it is ready to be fired up. This way you know when Daytona comes around you are good to go. Sure it will be February and snowing here in the Northeast but BBQ and racing go hand and hand. I will be outside freezing while cooking burgers before the race. It is like a family tradition.
What do you to keep yourself in the game during the off-season?
Read more from Vinny at Awesome Race Fans
Photo Credit: Casey Marshall
Go Buy Yourself Something NewI am always happier when I get a new hat with my favorite drivers number on it. You will feel better when you do it and even better when you get it in the mail in a few days. Half the time I forget I ordered something and its almost like Christmas again when I open the package. Don't forget to get your spouse something also, especially if he or she likes racing.
Join a Racing ForumYou could join a racing forum, meet some good people and talk about racing. Why not chime in and join the fun? Odds are you will meet some people that love talking about your favorite track and some recipes for tail gating. I have met plenty of new friends through forums and then met up with them at the track a few times. You could also join Twitter where there is a large fan base and race talk is 24/7.
Pore Through the Upcoming SchedulesI always like to look ahead at the schedule and get the television stations down so I know exactly when a race is on. You could go find the schedule for next years races, print out a couple and leave them around the house. It is also helpful if you have to plan your vacations in advance as you can pick races around them.
Prepare for Warmer Weather NowAnother thing I do is get out the BBQ and give it a good cleaning and make sure it is ready to be fired up. This way you know when Daytona comes around you are good to go. Sure it will be February and snowing here in the Northeast but BBQ and racing go hand and hand. I will be outside freezing while cooking burgers before the race. It is like a family tradition.
What do you to keep yourself in the game during the off-season?
Read more from Vinny at Awesome Race Fans
Photo Credit: Casey Marshall
Monday, December 27, 2010
FD 2010 Recap
The first event was Round 2 Road Atlanta. The cars shake down event. There were a few things that needed to be worked out. Bill only had 1 day of testing before hand and it was a short one. So unfortunately he didn’t make it into the top 32 this event,
Memphis Motorsports Park Lives!
Memphis Motorsports Park, home to the original HOT ROD Fastest Street Car Shootout that started way back in 1992, and more recently the site of the HOT ROD Power Tour and now-defunct Pump Gas Drags, closed its doors at the end of the 2009 season and we thought that was the end for the historic ... Read full blog
Richard Petty Drivers Search
Renowned road course racer Marcos Ambrose and two-time Nationwide series champion Randy LaJoie will, again, be among the guest instructors when Richard Petty's Driver Search III takes place December 6-9, 2010 at Charlotte...
Your NASCAR Christmas Wish List ? 2011 Edition
2010 was a season like we haven’t seen in a while. Wrecks, spoilers, fines and fights – NASCAR said “Boys, have at it” and they did. From Jimmie’s continued dominance, to Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton fighting on the backstretch at Texas, this season brought surprises and what NASCAR claims was the closest competition we’ve [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Hollywood Hot Rods ?35 Ford Custom Found
Ruby Deluxe, the Hollywood Hot Rods ’35 Ford custom, owned by the artist/designer Bugs, was stolen on Thursday, November 18, and has been found by the police. According to car builder Troy Ladd, the truck and 24-trailer carrying the car disappeared from a private residence in Burbank, California, at approximately 1 am, just a few ... Read full blog
Harder To Find: Great Crew Chief Or Great Driver?
There is no question that in order to have success in racing, a team needs to have both a�great driver and�a�great crew chief.� We are witnessing one such pair right now with Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus.� Apart, they are both good enough that they would probably still have success, but together they are seemingly [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Coors Extra Gold Dragster Drive for a Million Dollars
?Coors Extra Gold Dragster Drive for a Million Dollars? Continues as the Darrell Gwynn Foundation Will Auction Replica Darrell Gwynn Dragster at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Event, January 21 Dragster that has already raised $810,000 will be auctioned again with the goal of raising $1 Million cumulatively for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation The Darrell Gwynn Foundation will ... Read full blog
Stone, Woods and Cook at Detroit Dragway
Even though the Dark Horse 2 funny car never left the trailer, the Stone, Woods and Cook Mustang still made a big impression on the fans at Detroit Dragway.
Own Kyle Petty's '06 Victory Bike and Ride Across the US
A special online auction give you the chance to own Kyle Petty's 2006 Victory motorcycle and join Kyle on the 2009 Ride Across America. But hurry, the auction runs July 15-25, 2008. All proceeds benefit two extremely...
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Old-Skool Willys Gasser | 1967 Detroit Autorama
This Willys coupe appeared at the 1967 Detroit Autorama, looking like a throwback to more colorful drag racing era.
The NASCAR Week That Was: Dec. 12-18
There is still 63 days until the 2011 season kicks off, but never fear, NASCAR returned to the track this week for a Goodyear test on the new surface at Daytona. Goodyear officials said they were confident in their compound selection following the test. In other news, Travis Geisler was named director of competition at [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Teaser Pics from the John Force Car Show
Every year, John Force Racing holds an incredible holiday car show at its Yorba Linda facility to help donate a ton of toys to�the California Highway Patrol’s CHIPS For Kids program,�which benefits� youths�who would otherwise get bypassed by Santa during Christmas. The free shop tours, live music, and a chance to meet the Force family ... Read full blog
David Delivers in Daytona; Kicks off County Reading Program
With the help of a UPS Package Car driver, David Ragan and Daytona International Speedway delivered tickets to three lucky season ticket holders on Tuesday
CARROLL SHELBY FOUNDATION AND CAPITAL ONE VISA INTRODUCE NEW WAY TO HELP KIDS
The Carroll Shelby Foundation and Capital One have teamed up to offer three exciting Visa credit card designs that support the Foundation?s fundraising efforts to help ?kids in the race for life.?� Contributions from the credit card program include a $50 donation with each card holder?s first purchase, 2 percent of purchases made at gas ... Read full blog
Your NASCAR Christmas Wish List ? 2011 Edition
2010 was a season like we haven’t seen in a while. Wrecks, spoilers, fines and fights – NASCAR said “Boys, have at it” and they did. From Jimmie’s continued dominance, to Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton fighting on the backstretch at Texas, this season brought surprises and what NASCAR claims was the closest competition we’ve [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Perform a Dent Removal Yourself
Photo by xrrr Most people are not comfortable to drive his/her car with dents showing up here and there.
If there’s only a small dent, perhaps you may ignore it. But when the small dents increase in numbers, they will be easily noticeable.
Dent removal will be your best option when those annoying dents begin to bug [...]
If there’s only a small dent, perhaps you may ignore it. But when the small dents increase in numbers, they will be easily noticeable.
Dent removal will be your best option when those annoying dents begin to bug [...]
Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG Widebody by Misha Design
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ After the Mercedes-Benz SL Black series and its widebody kit came out, a lot of tuning companies started to make their wide bodykit projects based on several SL AMG Models.
Lingenfelter Makes First 8-Second Quarter-Mile Run With LS9 2010 Chevy Camaro SS
Lingenfelter’s 2010 Camaro SS has claimed victory as the fastest LS9 powered Camaro SS after making the first 8-second quarter-mile pass Nov. 21, 2010, at Maryland International Raceway. The Lingenfelter Camaro’s quickest run was 8.997 seconds at 158.80 mph – putting out 1,243 HP and 1,328 lb.-ft. of torque at the tires, making it the ... Read full blog
AutoX Competitiveness, Eric?s Striving Saga
Once again, Eric, my Contributing Blogger Extraordinaire came through with a great review of the SPOKES/SASCA Autocross Co-Event, which took place last Sunday, November 14th, 2010.� I continue to enjoy Eric’s literary style – I’m sure you will, too. This past Sunday, I participated in the SASCA/Spokes combined autocross at San Antonio Raceway.� As you [...]
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Stone, Woods and Cook at Detroit Dragway
Even though the Dark Horse 2 funny car never left the trailer, the Stone, Woods and Cook Mustang still made a big impression on the fans at Detroit Dragway.
Ragan Rebounds to Eighth-place Finish in Texas
David Ragan and the UPS team overcame a loose lug nut to finish eighth at Texas Motor Speedway
Tony Stewart Misses Out Again
Once again Mother Nature conspired to keep Tony Stewart out of victory lane...
Breaking News: Skinner Out? Kvapil In?
We’re hearing this afternoon that Mike Skinner has been let go from Randy Moss Motorsports. This ends a two year relationship. We’re also hearing Travis Kvapil is the likely replacement for Skinner at RMM. Skinner joined RMM at the beginning of the 2009 season after he lost his ride following the closure of Bill Davis [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
West Coast NASCAR Fan Feels the 2011 Schedule Squeeze
It's hard enough being a NASCAR fan on the west coast, but the 2011 NASCAR schedule is making my life even harder.
From where I live in California, there are no Sprint Cup tracks that I can just pop to for a day without needing a hotel. The closest too me is Infineon and although I do love to drive, it's three hours on a good day to get to the track from where I live. Which means I would have to leave at the crack of dawn to get to the track, spend all day at the track, and then try to drive home the same day.
Because it would be a race day, the 3 hour drive would probably be more like a 6 hour drive home. When I left right when the race was over in 2009, I didn't get home until after 11:00 pm and the only stop I made was to grab some dinner.
That is a LONG day for me to then have to get up and be at work and functional by 8:00 am the next morning.
I go to every race that I can afford to go to that is "out west" (both finances and time off of work needs to be considered). The races I went to on the 2010 schedule were: Las Vegas, Spring Phoenix, Fall Fontana, Fall Phoenix (and then Champions week). I really only missed Infineon because the timing there was kind of poor for me this year.
I realize that it is cheaper for the teams to have all the west coast dates clumped together as close as possible, but they are making it absolutely impossible for me to go to many races this season.
Spring Phoenix, Las Vegas and Fontana are all really close together. This means I have to rule out Spring Phoenix from my 2011 race itinerary.
I always go to the Las Vegas race, so I am not ruling that one out.
Fontana is also fairly close to Las Vegas, so I probably will have to skip that one too because work will not want to give me the time off so close together and there is no Fall Fontana race this season
This means I will most likely only be going to Las Vegas and Fall Phoenix. And maybe Infineon if I feel I can swing the time off.
However, truth be told Infineon is a road course and those are better seen on TV than in person (as has ALWAYS been my road course experience). Maybe NASCAR should consider swapping Fontana and Texas or Fontana and Richmond next year? It would make it so much easier for ME to go to as many races as possible.
OR move the Vegas race to be a Saturday night race in late September? I can't imagine they are actually going to increase Fontana attendance by having it so close to both the Vegas and the Phoenix races...fans who attended multiple races in that area a year like I do, and have full time jobs like I do, are not going to be able to travel back-to-back like that...its not financially possible for the average middle class person to do it; between needing the funds to do it AND the time off of work.
I know that it's probably cheaper to have the schedule this way for the teams in this economy - but there has to be a happy medium that would work for them NASCAR cup teams AND the fans out west who travel to various races in a season.
I can?t be the only one out there right? And don?t even get me started about there being no road course in the chase
-Amy
Read More from Amy Marbach at Amy's Bad Groove
Photo credit: Scazon
From where I live in California, there are no Sprint Cup tracks that I can just pop to for a day without needing a hotel. The closest too me is Infineon and although I do love to drive, it's three hours on a good day to get to the track from where I live. Which means I would have to leave at the crack of dawn to get to the track, spend all day at the track, and then try to drive home the same day.
Because it would be a race day, the 3 hour drive would probably be more like a 6 hour drive home. When I left right when the race was over in 2009, I didn't get home until after 11:00 pm and the only stop I made was to grab some dinner.
That is a LONG day for me to then have to get up and be at work and functional by 8:00 am the next morning.
I go to every race that I can afford to go to that is "out west" (both finances and time off of work needs to be considered). The races I went to on the 2010 schedule were: Las Vegas, Spring Phoenix, Fall Fontana, Fall Phoenix (and then Champions week). I really only missed Infineon because the timing there was kind of poor for me this year.
I realize that it is cheaper for the teams to have all the west coast dates clumped together as close as possible, but they are making it absolutely impossible for me to go to many races this season.
Spring Phoenix, Las Vegas and Fontana are all really close together. This means I have to rule out Spring Phoenix from my 2011 race itinerary.
I always go to the Las Vegas race, so I am not ruling that one out.
Fontana is also fairly close to Las Vegas, so I probably will have to skip that one too because work will not want to give me the time off so close together and there is no Fall Fontana race this season
This means I will most likely only be going to Las Vegas and Fall Phoenix. And maybe Infineon if I feel I can swing the time off.
However, truth be told Infineon is a road course and those are better seen on TV than in person (as has ALWAYS been my road course experience). Maybe NASCAR should consider swapping Fontana and Texas or Fontana and Richmond next year? It would make it so much easier for ME to go to as many races as possible.
OR move the Vegas race to be a Saturday night race in late September? I can't imagine they are actually going to increase Fontana attendance by having it so close to both the Vegas and the Phoenix races...fans who attended multiple races in that area a year like I do, and have full time jobs like I do, are not going to be able to travel back-to-back like that...its not financially possible for the average middle class person to do it; between needing the funds to do it AND the time off of work.
I know that it's probably cheaper to have the schedule this way for the teams in this economy - but there has to be a happy medium that would work for them NASCAR cup teams AND the fans out west who travel to various races in a season.
I can?t be the only one out there right? And don?t even get me started about there being no road course in the chase
-Amy
Read More from Amy Marbach at Amy's Bad Groove
Photo credit: Scazon
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is Finally Revealed (with video)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The car that everyone wants to drive is finally here! And now you can know everything about it.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Speeding Penalty Setback Puts Ragan 17th in Martinsville
David Ragan and the UPS team started Sunday's race from the 10th position. An early-race penalty for speeding on pit road forced them to the back of the field. They battled the entire race to cross the finish line 17th.
Richard Petty's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hard to believe it's been 50 years since Richard Petty made his first start racing in NASCAR, in what was then the Grand National division (later to become Winston Cup)...
MRT receives Ford Motor Company Product Excellence Award
Plymouth, Michigan- MRT was recently awarded the Ford Motor Company Product Excellence Award for the MRT 2011 Mustang GT Predator Project Vehicle, by the Ford Product Development community. The award was created to recognize excellence in product development and total project vehicle execution. Key criteria included; new product development, vehicle appearance, fit with the Mustang ... Read full blog
American Automotive Legends Make Rare Group Appearance
American automotive legends gather for a rare group appearance to celebrate the Shelby American Collection?s 14th Anniversary Holiday Party at the Shelby American Collection Museum in Boulder on Saturday, December 4, 2010. �Pictured from left to right: Shelby American World Championship driver, Jack Sears; Shelby team driver, Tom Yeager; Shelby mechanic, Chuck Cantwell; Shelby team ... Read full blog
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Martinsville Qualifying Rained Out
Sorry if I havn’t been on here in a while, I’ve been a bust little kitten! Martinsville qualifying got rained out last Friday, so everyone at this point knows the drill after all that mess goes down. The starting grid goes in order by points. Surprise, surprise! Why don? we just serve Jimmie Johnson his [...]
David?s Blog: Testing in Daytona
David took part in a two-day tire test down in Daytona. It was also the first chance to hit the newly repaved track in his No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion
NASCAR Wants a New Points System? I've Got One
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France has said he plans to announce some changes to the Sprint Cup Series points system in mid-January, probably during NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona, a month before the 500. It's been speculated the changes are intended to tighten up the Chase and ideally extend the battle for the championship all the way through the final race of each season. Other know-it-alls believe the tweaks will be toward expanding the number of drivers who make the chase or increasing the number of points for a race win; something, anything in an effort to add more excitement to NASCAR's 'playoff' season that has to compete directly with the NFL every fall. Can you imagine all the hours Mr. France, Mike Helton and the NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation staffs are burning, or have already burned to come up with a better points system? Can you conceive of all the models and spreadsheets and algorithms and possible numbers schemes the math whizs have suffered through so as not to disappoint their masters? If only someone had called... I could have saved them so much time and money. Much like Bob Latford, the late NASCAR historian who, while spending quality time at some Daytona Beach bar in 1974, came up with the then-new Winston Cup Series points schedule, yours truly conceived my company's original, Fantasy Motorsports Franchise League (FMFL) points scheme in 1988 at a Phoenix, AZ watering hole -- also on a cocktail napkin. Here's the basics.
Points are only awarded to drivers who finish in the top 16.
Bonus points are also available to reward qualifying performance, leading a lap or the most laps, and being the highest finisher per participating manufacturer ... as long as you finish in the top 16.
How has the system worked? Since 1989, the majority of the 'official' series champions have been FMFL champions, too. The first discrepancy was in 1994 when our system crowned Damon Hill as the F1 champion instead of Michael Schumacher, who crashed into Hill to clinch his first World Driving Championship the old fashioned way: by cheating. This year, Brad Keselowski (Nationwide Series), the No. 1 Patron Highcroft Acura LMP2 (ALMS), the No. 01 Ganassi BMW/Riley (Grand-Am Rolex), and Formula 1 (Sebastien Vettel) were both FMFL and official series champs. In Cup, where we don't have a Chase system, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin finished 1-2-3 in fantasy points instead of the official Johnson, Hamlin and Harvick order. Will Power swapped places with Dario for the FMFL IndyCar championship and Kle Busch beat Tody Bodine for the truck title. I know what you're thinking. How could Kyle Busch, who finished 14th in the official NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, beat Todd Bodine in the FMFL truck series standings? It's those qualifying, lap leader and manufacturer points. Kyle finished in the top 16 a total of 15 times in 2010; Todd finished in the points 22 times. But Kyle earned almost four times as many qualifying points than Bodine, more lap leader point and almost twice as many manufacturer points -- meaning Kyle earned points for being the highest-finished Toyota twice as often as the Onion. Details: Points are first awarded for finish position. First place receives 160 points, second place 150, third place 140, etc. If a car or driver finishes 17th or worse they get bupkis, as 16th place earns 10 points and the last opportunity to hang on to the bonus points. The top five qualifiers can received 55, 44, 33, 22 or 11 bonus points if they finish in the top 16. Any driver (or car) that leads a lap earns 22 bonus points. He or she who leads the most laps during a race earns 44 points -- as long as they finish in the top 16. And finally there are the manufacturer points. Every race winner is obviously driving the highest finishing example of that particular brand or race car to receive 55 bonus points. The highest placing driver of the next different type of car receives 44 mfr points, the highest placing driver of the third different type of car receives 33 mfr points, etc. For instance, here's the FMFL box score for the Labor Day weekend Cup race at Dover: Pos. Driver Car Finish Points Lap Pts Mfr Pts Qual. Pts Total Points 1 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 160 44 55 55 314 2 Jeff Burton Chevy 150 0 0 0 150 3 Joey Logano Toyota 140 22 44 0 206 4 Kurt Busch Dodge 130 22 33 0 185 5 Carl Edwards Ford 120 22 22 0 164 6 Kyle Busch Toyota 110 22 0 0 132 7 Paul Menard Ford 100 0 0 0 100 8 Ryan Newman Chevy 90 0 0 0 90 9 Denny Hamlin Toyota 80 0 0 22 102 10 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 70 22 0 44 136 11 Jeff Gordon Chevy 60 0 0 0 60 12 Mark Martin Chevy 50 0 0 0 50 13 Jamie McMurray Chevy 40 0 0 0 40 14 Juan Montoya Chevy 30 0 0 11 41 15 Kevin Harvick Chevy 20 0 0 0 20 16 Reed Sorenson Toyota 10 22 0 0 32 Jimmie Johnson ran the table, starting on pole and leading the most laps to earn the maximum 314 points, including the 55 markers for driving the highest placing car, in this case a Chevy. Second place Jeff Burton was also driving a Chevy so he didn't earn any manufacturer points; he didn't qualify in the top five or lead a lap so he only received 160 finish points. And here's the kicker. The next three drivers earned more points than Burton because of lap leader and manufacturer points. Logano led a lap and was driving the first Toyota, the second highest manufacturer, for an extra 66 points; Kurt Busch led a lap was driving the highest place next different car, a Dodge, for 22 + 33 bonus points. Then came Carl Edwards, also a lap leader, and the last of the drivers to earn manufacturer points; 22 for finishing as the first Ford, the fourth different type of race car. The FMFL scoring system means points per position are never the same from race to race. It was also designed to work for all series because the FMFL follows NASCAR, IndyCar, F1 and sports car series. With variable points per race, dependent upon a car (for sports car racing) or driver's overall weekend performance including qualifying in the top five, leading laps and being the first behind the wheel of his or her particular type of race car, the competition is always close and championships usually go down to the wire. That's the goal for our fantasy leagues and so far our scoring system has delivered without fail. I think it could do the same for NASCAR.
-Bill
Read more of Bill Tybur's thoughts on fantasy racing at FMFL
Photo Credit: Bill Tybur
Points are only awarded to drivers who finish in the top 16.
Bonus points are also available to reward qualifying performance, leading a lap or the most laps, and being the highest finisher per participating manufacturer ... as long as you finish in the top 16.
How has the system worked? Since 1989, the majority of the 'official' series champions have been FMFL champions, too. The first discrepancy was in 1994 when our system crowned Damon Hill as the F1 champion instead of Michael Schumacher, who crashed into Hill to clinch his first World Driving Championship the old fashioned way: by cheating. This year, Brad Keselowski (Nationwide Series), the No. 1 Patron Highcroft Acura LMP2 (ALMS), the No. 01 Ganassi BMW/Riley (Grand-Am Rolex), and Formula 1 (Sebastien Vettel) were both FMFL and official series champs. In Cup, where we don't have a Chase system, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin finished 1-2-3 in fantasy points instead of the official Johnson, Hamlin and Harvick order. Will Power swapped places with Dario for the FMFL IndyCar championship and Kle Busch beat Tody Bodine for the truck title. I know what you're thinking. How could Kyle Busch, who finished 14th in the official NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, beat Todd Bodine in the FMFL truck series standings? It's those qualifying, lap leader and manufacturer points. Kyle finished in the top 16 a total of 15 times in 2010; Todd finished in the points 22 times. But Kyle earned almost four times as many qualifying points than Bodine, more lap leader point and almost twice as many manufacturer points -- meaning Kyle earned points for being the highest-finished Toyota twice as often as the Onion. Details: Points are first awarded for finish position. First place receives 160 points, second place 150, third place 140, etc. If a car or driver finishes 17th or worse they get bupkis, as 16th place earns 10 points and the last opportunity to hang on to the bonus points. The top five qualifiers can received 55, 44, 33, 22 or 11 bonus points if they finish in the top 16. Any driver (or car) that leads a lap earns 22 bonus points. He or she who leads the most laps during a race earns 44 points -- as long as they finish in the top 16. And finally there are the manufacturer points. Every race winner is obviously driving the highest finishing example of that particular brand or race car to receive 55 bonus points. The highest placing driver of the next different type of car receives 44 mfr points, the highest placing driver of the third different type of car receives 33 mfr points, etc. For instance, here's the FMFL box score for the Labor Day weekend Cup race at Dover: Pos. Driver Car Finish Points Lap Pts Mfr Pts Qual. Pts Total Points 1 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 160 44 55 55 314 2 Jeff Burton Chevy 150 0 0 0 150 3 Joey Logano Toyota 140 22 44 0 206 4 Kurt Busch Dodge 130 22 33 0 185 5 Carl Edwards Ford 120 22 22 0 164 6 Kyle Busch Toyota 110 22 0 0 132 7 Paul Menard Ford 100 0 0 0 100 8 Ryan Newman Chevy 90 0 0 0 90 9 Denny Hamlin Toyota 80 0 0 22 102 10 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 70 22 0 44 136 11 Jeff Gordon Chevy 60 0 0 0 60 12 Mark Martin Chevy 50 0 0 0 50 13 Jamie McMurray Chevy 40 0 0 0 40 14 Juan Montoya Chevy 30 0 0 11 41 15 Kevin Harvick Chevy 20 0 0 0 20 16 Reed Sorenson Toyota 10 22 0 0 32 Jimmie Johnson ran the table, starting on pole and leading the most laps to earn the maximum 314 points, including the 55 markers for driving the highest placing car, in this case a Chevy. Second place Jeff Burton was also driving a Chevy so he didn't earn any manufacturer points; he didn't qualify in the top five or lead a lap so he only received 160 finish points. And here's the kicker. The next three drivers earned more points than Burton because of lap leader and manufacturer points. Logano led a lap and was driving the first Toyota, the second highest manufacturer, for an extra 66 points; Kurt Busch led a lap was driving the highest place next different car, a Dodge, for 22 + 33 bonus points. Then came Carl Edwards, also a lap leader, and the last of the drivers to earn manufacturer points; 22 for finishing as the first Ford, the fourth different type of race car. The FMFL scoring system means points per position are never the same from race to race. It was also designed to work for all series because the FMFL follows NASCAR, IndyCar, F1 and sports car series. With variable points per race, dependent upon a car (for sports car racing) or driver's overall weekend performance including qualifying in the top five, leading laps and being the first behind the wheel of his or her particular type of race car, the competition is always close and championships usually go down to the wire. That's the goal for our fantasy leagues and so far our scoring system has delivered without fail. I think it could do the same for NASCAR.
-Bill
Read more of Bill Tybur's thoughts on fantasy racing at FMFL
Photo Credit: Bill Tybur
David?s Blog: Racing in Phoenix and Prepping for Miami
David Ragan and the UPS team head out to Phoenix this weekend for racing on Sunday
Monday, December 20, 2010
Richard Petty's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hard to believe it's been 50 years since Richard Petty made his first start racing in NASCAR, in what was then the Grand National division (later to become Winston Cup)...
Can't Compare Johnson's Three to Cale Yarborough's Three
So Jimmy Johnson won his third championship in a row yesterday. Good for him. But it can't be considered the same as when Yarborough did it in the '70s. Keep with me after the jump for more...
PMI and Roush Yates Form Alliance
Performance Motorsports Incorporated (PMI) and Roush Yates announced today a newly formed technical alliance that will focus on product development in national and international markets. The announcement was made during the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, FL. This alignment of businesses will utilize advanced technology from Roush Yates and the superior distribution system of ... Read full blog
The Racing in America Blog Wants You!
Racing fans, NASCAR fanatics, auto historians, drag racers, Cup chasers unite!
Racing in America and The Henry Ford are looking for enthusiastic writers to contribute to the Racing in America blog. Do you want to join a fast growing and fun blog? Good, we'd love to hear from you.
What are we about? Our mission at Racing in America is two fold: 1) to celebrate the ingenuity and innovation of 100 years of racing, from the story of Henry Ford's first race car to modern triumphs of today's elite NASCAR racers, and 2) to show you that the spirit of racing is alive and well in America. Not only have we hit the ground at events around the country, but we've continued to explore the history of racing and what clues it provides for the future.
Does this sound like fun to you? If you're interested, please complete the form below. We'll evaluate all submissions and, if it seems like there is a fit, then we'll reach out to you directly.
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Photo Credit: Dave Friedman Collection
Racing in America and The Henry Ford are looking for enthusiastic writers to contribute to the Racing in America blog. Do you want to join a fast growing and fun blog? Good, we'd love to hear from you.
What are we about? Our mission at Racing in America is two fold: 1) to celebrate the ingenuity and innovation of 100 years of racing, from the story of Henry Ford's first race car to modern triumphs of today's elite NASCAR racers, and 2) to show you that the spirit of racing is alive and well in America. Not only have we hit the ground at events around the country, but we've continued to explore the history of racing and what clues it provides for the future.
Does this sound like fun to you? If you're interested, please complete the form below. We'll evaluate all submissions and, if it seems like there is a fit, then we'll reach out to you directly.
Loading...
Photo Credit: Dave Friedman Collection
Sunday, December 19, 2010
PG Andersson test [VIDEO]
� Video of PG Andersson testing the Proton Satria Neo S2000 on snow in the run up to Rallye Monte Carlo. pg andersson test Uploaded by energykarting
Jarrett?s call to the hall
Ned Jarrett discusses his nomination to the NASCAR Hall of Fame with FOXSports.com’s Lee Spencer. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nascarpitstopblog.com%2Fnascar-racing%2Fjarretts-call-to-the-hall'; addthis_title = 'Jarrett%26%238217%3Bs+call+to+the+hall'; addthis_pub = ''; Technorati Tags: call, Hall, Jarrett's
Ragan Wheels UPS Logistics Ford to 21st-place Finish in ?Dega
David Ragan and the UPS team started 28th and finished 21st in Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway
Ragan Ends 2010 Season with 20th-place Finish in Miami
David Ragan and the UPS team end the 2010 season with a 20th-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Saturday, December 18, 2010
David?s Blog: Happy Thanksgiving
David talks about Miami, Thanksgiving and getting ready for the 2011 season in this week's video blog
Richard Petty's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hard to believe it's been 50 years since Richard Petty made his first start racing in NASCAR, in what was then the Grand National division (later to become Winston Cup)...
Layersofprofit
Layers of profit is what all our subscribers can expect to make from laying horses to lose. Layersofprofit addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nascarpitstopblog.com%2Fnascar-stats%2Flayersofprofit'; addthis_title = 'Layersofprofit'; addthis_pub = ''; Technorati Tags: Layersofprofit
Detroit Dragway Action: Mr. Unswitchable versus Hemi-Hunter
In April of 1967, I attended the Midwest Championships at Detroit Dragway. The event included eliminations for both nitro and gas burning funny cars. Most of the cars were part of the UDRA circuit out of Chicago, and they ran the gamut from steel bodied match racers to the latest all-fiberglass missiles. This is my [...]
Friday, December 17, 2010
David?s Blog: Charlotte United Way
David and the UPS team race have a hometown race this weekend. The No. 6 UPS Ford will feature United Way throughout the weekend.
Picture: Ferrari F40 LM
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ I couldn't leave the F40 fans and my self with that horrible picture in the front page. So i'm pretty sure this beautiful F40 LM will fix things up.
Teaser Pics from the John Force Car Show
Every year, John Force Racing holds an incredible holiday car show at its Yorba Linda facility to help donate a ton of toys to�the California Highway Patrol’s CHIPS For Kids program,�which benefits� youths�who would otherwise get bypassed by Santa during Christmas. The free shop tours, live music, and a chance to meet the Force family ... Read full blog
An Alternative Method for Dent Removal
Photo by petersawatzky There’s no car owners that wish to have any dents on their rides. But there are times when these things just happen.
Today there’s a distinctive method of dent removal that doesn’t require to remove (beating out) the dents or remove any parts of your car.
Due to the nature of the method, the [...]
Today there’s a distinctive method of dent removal that doesn’t require to remove (beating out) the dents or remove any parts of your car.
Due to the nature of the method, the [...]
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Picture: Ferrari F40 LM
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ I couldn't leave the F40 fans and my self with that horrible picture in the front page. So i'm pretty sure this beautiful F40 LM will fix things up.
Picture: Ferrari F40 LM
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ I couldn't leave the F40 fans and my self with that horrible picture in the front page. So i'm pretty sure this beautiful F40 LM will fix things up.
CARROLL SHELBY FOUNDATION AND CAPITAL ONE VISA INTRODUCE NEW WAY TO HELP KIDS
The Carroll Shelby Foundation and Capital One have teamed up to offer three exciting Visa credit card designs that support the Foundation?s fundraising efforts to help ?kids in the race for life.?� Contributions from the credit card program include a $50 donation with each card holder?s first purchase, 2 percent of purchases made at gas ... Read full blog
Ask The Insiders Wednesday #102
The off season is officially upon us, and with it comes the first Ask The Insiders Wednesday of the winter.� If you don?t know what this post is,�we�answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here.��So if you?ve got one, click on the ?Ask the Insiders? tab at the top of the page and [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
FD 2010 Recap
The first event was Round 2 Road Atlanta. The cars shake down event. There were a few things that needed to be worked out. Bill only had 1 day of testing before hand and it was a short one. So unfortunately he didn’t make it into the top 32 this event,
Miller to Unveil Revolutionary TIG Welder at 2008 SEMA Show
Get hands-on experience and expert demonstrations of MIG welding, TIG welding and plasma cutting. Test Miller TIG and MIG welders that make it easier to learn to weldperfect for enthusiast-level motorsports applications.
Hollywood Hot Rods ?35 Ford Custom Found
Ruby Deluxe, the Hollywood Hot Rods ’35 Ford custom, owned by the artist/designer Bugs, was stolen on Thursday, November 18, and has been found by the police. According to car builder Troy Ladd, the truck and 24-trailer carrying the car disappeared from a private residence in Burbank, California, at approximately 1 am, just a few ... Read full blog
Ninth Argentine title for Munchi?s star Villagra
� Federico Villagra, who placed ninth in the final World Rally Championship standings this season, has secured his ninth Argentine title after taking victory on last weekend's Rally Gran Premio de Unquillo at the wheel of his VRS Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. The 41-year-old Munchi?s Ford World Rally Team regular began the event one [...]
Bonnie Anderson and the That Girl Chevelle Funny Car
That Girl was a true altered-wheelbase match-bash funny car. Bonnie Anderson was one of the pioneer women funny car pliots and she was a regular on the UDRA circuit,.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
What Teams Are Up To Right Now
If there is one thing that is for certain once the season ends, it’s that you won’t find half as much information about the sport to consume.� The media/blog/social media coverage of the sport slows way down, which one would expect.� Just as an example, over the last few weeks our NASCAR-Media list on Twitter [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
2010 Road Trip ? Part 1
This is Part 1 of a documentary of our 2010 Road Trip that took us from Upstate New York to North Carolina for the Coca Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Along the way we saw the Martinsville Speedway, the Richard Childress Museum, Childress Vineyards, a Dale Earnhardt memorial, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, [...]
Kicherer introduces the SLS 63 Supersport
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Photo credits: Frank Luger The guys at Kicherer managed to squeeze 31 more Hp out of the Gullwinged supercar's 6.3-liter V8 to make it barely pass the 600 Hp bar.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Car Body Repair : What If You Can Do It Yourself
Take a closer look on the possibility of doing your own car body repair. Yes you can perform the work on your own by supplying yourself with the right knowledge and tools
Kicherer introduces the SLS 63 Supersport
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Photo credits: Frank Luger The guys at Kicherer managed to squeeze 31 more Hp out of the Gullwinged supercar's 6.3-liter V8 to make it barely pass the 600 Hp bar.
Fiberglass Bumper : Learn How to Repair Those Cracks
Are you upset with those cracks on your fiberglass bumper ? You can fix it, read this article and let me show you how to perform the fiberglass bumper repair
PIONEER GOES ?ON THE ROAD AGAIN? WITH ROAD TRIP SONGS POLL
Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., today announced the results of their first-ever ?Favorite Road Trips Songs? poll. �Conducted in partnership with Harris Interactive, the survey asked nearly 3,000 Americans ?what are your favorite road trip songs of all time?? Willie Nelson?s ?On the Road Again? topped the list, nabbing 27 percent of the votes, followed by ... Read full blog
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Merry Christmas To All
Cross Posted from Rev’Jim’s RantsnRaves Santa didn’t forget We almost let Christmas slip by without offering a wish list for some of our favorite drivers, teams, and NASCAR personalities. I’m not going to let that happen. Silly season never really ended. Bobby Labonte was released from Petty Enterprises even after avowing his loyalty to that [...]
When Funny Cars had Names
Once, a catchy name was every bit as important to a funny car driver as a supercharger and nitro. A look back at some of the exciting names from yesteryear.
There are no new ideas.
Taking a cue from the performance boat world, this hot rodder made a lexan version of a classic Dooley scoop.
Driving Experiences
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Saturday, December 11, 2010
World Rally Champions Honoured at FIA Gala
S�bastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena collected their seventh consecutive FIA World Rally Championship trophy at the FIA Gala in Monaco this evening.
34 down, 2 more to go
That’s right the 2008 season is winding down. �With only two races left, it’s Jimmie’s championship to lose. �Carl did cut down some of Jimmie’s lead in Texas, but Jimmie and Chad have been here before. �I have to admit since Talladega I haven’t been all that excited about the racing. �I guess it’s because [...]
Rookie of the Year Win No Automatic Ticket to Success for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Roush Fenway Racing has one of the most enviable records in NASCAR when it comes to Rookie of the Year winners, many who got their chance from Jack Roush's "Gong Show" driver audition event which used to determine who Roush would hired to drive one of his Fords in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series.
Matt Kenseth, the driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway NASCAR Sprint Cup car was the Cup ROY in 2000 and won the championship in 2004.
Greg Biffle, who pilots the No. 16 Cup car was the truck series Rookie of the Year in 1998 and the Nationwide ROY in 2001. Carl Edwards was a double winner too, winning the truck award in 2003 and the NNS award two years later.
This year, Roush Fenway's Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won Rookie of the Year honors in the Nationwide Series, persevering through a season that began with lots of crashes and DNFs; the same kind of results his fellow ROY contender and teammate, former Grand-Am Daytona Prototype phenom Colin Braun -- the 2008 truck series ROY -- experienced all season.
After a 16th place finish in the final point standings Stenhouse has been invited back for next season. Braun, who finished 23rd in points, has been released and is looking for a ride in 2011.
Because there are simply no guarantees in racing.
Just ask former Roush ROY's Todd Kluever, Erik Darnell, Danny O'Quinn and David Ragan.
O'Quinn was recognized as the best Nationwide Series tyro in 2006 but due to sponsorship deficiencies was out of a ride in 2007, the year Ragan won the same ROY honors to earn a Cup ride in the No. 6 UPS car. He's now a part time driver for an underfunded backmarker team.
Kluever was the truck series Rookie of the Year in 2005, as was Darnell in 2006 but neither was able to take full advantage of that success. Darnell occasionally fills a seat for Roush Fenway but isn't in the team's plans for 2011; Kluever is out of NASCAR completely.
Only Ragan remains a full time NASCAR driver and with no Cup wins on his resume, only a couple of NNS victories and no appearances in the Chase it looks like 2011 could be a make-or-break year for him.
Of course, that's what the experts were saying in 2008 about 2009, and in 2009 about this past season.
Stenhouse Jr. has as much potential as any young racer in NASCAR. He's been racing since he was six, starting in go-karts and then moving on to winged and non-winged sprints, midgets and Silver Crown cars, winning USAC ROY honors in 2007 in two different divisions. That summer, Jack Roush offered him an education in stock car racing for 2008 and Stenhouse responded with two wins, 10 top-fives and 14 top-10 finishes in just 21 ARCA races, contending for the championship until the final race of the season, finally finishing fourth in the final standings.
After a handful of NASCAR races in 2009 he was finally able to show his stuff in 2010, earning the honor of going for a championship in 2011, when (supposedly) Cup drivers will not be allowed to compete for the title.
Ricky has yet another great opportunity to show his team and sponsors and all the NASCAR fans that he's got the same kind of right stuff as Carl, Greg and Matt.
Because the last thing he wants to be is the next Todd Kluever or Danny O'Quinn.
Read Bill Tybur's thoughts on fantasy racing at FMFL
Photo Credits: Todd Van Pelt, Royal Broil
Matt Kenseth, the driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway NASCAR Sprint Cup car was the Cup ROY in 2000 and won the championship in 2004.
Greg Biffle, who pilots the No. 16 Cup car was the truck series Rookie of the Year in 1998 and the Nationwide ROY in 2001. Carl Edwards was a double winner too, winning the truck award in 2003 and the NNS award two years later.
This year, Roush Fenway's Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won Rookie of the Year honors in the Nationwide Series, persevering through a season that began with lots of crashes and DNFs; the same kind of results his fellow ROY contender and teammate, former Grand-Am Daytona Prototype phenom Colin Braun -- the 2008 truck series ROY -- experienced all season.
After a 16th place finish in the final point standings Stenhouse has been invited back for next season. Braun, who finished 23rd in points, has been released and is looking for a ride in 2011.
Because there are simply no guarantees in racing.
Just ask former Roush ROY's Todd Kluever, Erik Darnell, Danny O'Quinn and David Ragan.
O'Quinn was recognized as the best Nationwide Series tyro in 2006 but due to sponsorship deficiencies was out of a ride in 2007, the year Ragan won the same ROY honors to earn a Cup ride in the No. 6 UPS car. He's now a part time driver for an underfunded backmarker team.
Kluever was the truck series Rookie of the Year in 2005, as was Darnell in 2006 but neither was able to take full advantage of that success. Darnell occasionally fills a seat for Roush Fenway but isn't in the team's plans for 2011; Kluever is out of NASCAR completely.
Only Ragan remains a full time NASCAR driver and with no Cup wins on his resume, only a couple of NNS victories and no appearances in the Chase it looks like 2011 could be a make-or-break year for him.
Of course, that's what the experts were saying in 2008 about 2009, and in 2009 about this past season.
Stenhouse Jr. has as much potential as any young racer in NASCAR. He's been racing since he was six, starting in go-karts and then moving on to winged and non-winged sprints, midgets and Silver Crown cars, winning USAC ROY honors in 2007 in two different divisions. That summer, Jack Roush offered him an education in stock car racing for 2008 and Stenhouse responded with two wins, 10 top-fives and 14 top-10 finishes in just 21 ARCA races, contending for the championship until the final race of the season, finally finishing fourth in the final standings.
After a handful of NASCAR races in 2009 he was finally able to show his stuff in 2010, earning the honor of going for a championship in 2011, when (supposedly) Cup drivers will not be allowed to compete for the title.
Ricky has yet another great opportunity to show his team and sponsors and all the NASCAR fans that he's got the same kind of right stuff as Carl, Greg and Matt.
Because the last thing he wants to be is the next Todd Kluever or Danny O'Quinn.
Read Bill Tybur's thoughts on fantasy racing at FMFL
Photo Credits: Todd Van Pelt, Royal Broil
Friday, December 10, 2010
New Hampshire Weekend Review
There is never any way, in the US at least, Formula One is going to steal NASCAR’s thunder. The racing world was amazed as 21 year old Sebastion Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win a points Grand Prix race in the history of that series. He did it at Monza in Italy, driving [...]
Donnelly plans 2011 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship return
Photo Credit: LindsayPhotoSport Eugene Donnelly is in the process of planning an assault on next year's Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, according to Motorsport News. The five-time�ITC champion is close to securing a deal which would see him pilot a McGheehan Motorsport prepared Ford Focus RS WRC05. Donnelly said: "I am talking to four potential sponsors [...]
Two NASCAR Firings That Were a Long Time Coming
In recent years, layoffs at the end of the NASCAR season have become the norm. And this season hasn’t been any different (though the extent of the layoffs has been less severe than in recent years). Joining the rank-and-file employees on the unemployment line in 2010 are two drivers from prominent programs. I doubt either [...]TheNASCARInsiders.com
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Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
Teaser Pics from the John Force Car Show
Every year, John Force Racing holds an incredible holiday car show at its Yorba Linda facility to help donate a ton of toys to�the California Highway Patrol’s CHIPS For Kids program,�which benefits� youths�who would otherwise get bypassed by Santa during Christmas. The free shop tours, live music, and a chance to meet the Force family ... Read full blog
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Kicherer introduces the SLS 63 Supersport
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Photo credits: Frank Luger The guys at Kicherer managed to squeeze 31 more Hp out of the Gullwinged supercar's 6.3-liter V8 to make it barely pass the 600 Hp bar.
An Alternative Method for Dent Removal
Photo by petersawatzky There’s no car owners that wish to have any dents on their rides. But there are times when these things just happen.
Today there’s a distinctive method of dent removal that doesn’t require to remove (beating out) the dents or remove any parts of your car.
Due to the nature of the method, the [...]
Today there’s a distinctive method of dent removal that doesn’t require to remove (beating out) the dents or remove any parts of your car.
Due to the nature of the method, the [...]
Ced?s Muffler Bubble Top Nova Funny Car
Although there were a number of roadster funny cars in 1967, the Ced's Muffler Nova set itself apart by enclosing the driver inside a bubble top canopy
The Good Year Blimp: NASCAR's Biggest Overseer
It?s been as much a part of American motorsports as Richard Petty or the small-block Chevy V8. It?s the Goodyear blimp, circling up there a couple of thousand feet above the racetracks (and above other sports venues), providing an aerial platform for a television camera so we can get a bird?s-eye perspective of the action.
Actually, Goodyear has three blimps in this country (and another based in China). Ours are the Spirit of Innovation, based in Florida; the Spirit of Goodyear, based near Goodyear?s headquarters in Akron, Ohio; and the Spirit of America, based near Los Angeles.
Goodyear was the blimp pioneer in this country. Its first blimp was the Pilgrim, launched in 1925. A Goodyear blimp flew over the 1932 Olympic Games at Los Angeles. Goodyear blimps served as overhead surveillance platforms for the U.S. Navy in World War II. A Goodyear blimp first carried a TV camera above a sporting event at the Orange Bowl football game in 1960.
Why, you may ask, use the blimp instead of a handy helicopter? For one thing, a helicopter can stay aloft only 2 �-3 hours before it needs a pit stop, but the blimp carries 30 hours of fuel.
Speaking of pit stops, while a single pilot can fly a blimp, it takes a large ground crew to wrangle such an airship so it can land or take off. I got to see this first-hand recently when Goodyear invited me to take a 50-minute flight in the Spirit of America while it was in Phoenix during a NASCAR racing weekend.
As the pilot maneuvers the blimp near the ground, the 20-some person ground crew rushes over and grabs mooring lines to hold it into position. It really doesn?t ?land,? but is held in a hovering position while two members of the ground crew attach a ladder so passengers and pilots can enter or exit.
Our pilot, Capt. Kristen Davis, sat at controls that are sort of a cross between those in an airplane and those on a large boat, and Capt. Davis explained that ?flying? the blimp has a lot in common with piloting a large boat on an ocean of air.
As in a helicopter, however, you almost don?t have the sense of flying; you feel more like you?re sitting almost still and the land below simply retreats beneath you.
I?d been invited aboard a Goodyear blimp once before, several years ago at Daytona Beach, but the flight was canceled because of a storm. Even in sunny weather, Capt. Davis explained, the blimp remains grounded when winds exceed 25 miles per hour.
The Spirit of America seats seven, and, yes, we were told, we were free to move about the cabin. In fact, Capt. Davis encouraged us rotate from time to time so each of us could have an opportunity to sit up front to take in the view out the windshield.
It was quite a view!
Read more from Larry Edsall at iZoom
Photo Credit: Gary Brown
Actually, Goodyear has three blimps in this country (and another based in China). Ours are the Spirit of Innovation, based in Florida; the Spirit of Goodyear, based near Goodyear?s headquarters in Akron, Ohio; and the Spirit of America, based near Los Angeles.
Goodyear was the blimp pioneer in this country. Its first blimp was the Pilgrim, launched in 1925. A Goodyear blimp flew over the 1932 Olympic Games at Los Angeles. Goodyear blimps served as overhead surveillance platforms for the U.S. Navy in World War II. A Goodyear blimp first carried a TV camera above a sporting event at the Orange Bowl football game in 1960.
Why, you may ask, use the blimp instead of a handy helicopter? For one thing, a helicopter can stay aloft only 2 �-3 hours before it needs a pit stop, but the blimp carries 30 hours of fuel.
Speaking of pit stops, while a single pilot can fly a blimp, it takes a large ground crew to wrangle such an airship so it can land or take off. I got to see this first-hand recently when Goodyear invited me to take a 50-minute flight in the Spirit of America while it was in Phoenix during a NASCAR racing weekend.
As the pilot maneuvers the blimp near the ground, the 20-some person ground crew rushes over and grabs mooring lines to hold it into position. It really doesn?t ?land,? but is held in a hovering position while two members of the ground crew attach a ladder so passengers and pilots can enter or exit.
Our pilot, Capt. Kristen Davis, sat at controls that are sort of a cross between those in an airplane and those on a large boat, and Capt. Davis explained that ?flying? the blimp has a lot in common with piloting a large boat on an ocean of air.
As in a helicopter, however, you almost don?t have the sense of flying; you feel more like you?re sitting almost still and the land below simply retreats beneath you.
I?d been invited aboard a Goodyear blimp once before, several years ago at Daytona Beach, but the flight was canceled because of a storm. Even in sunny weather, Capt. Davis explained, the blimp remains grounded when winds exceed 25 miles per hour.
The Spirit of America seats seven, and, yes, we were told, we were free to move about the cabin. In fact, Capt. Davis encouraged us rotate from time to time so each of us could have an opportunity to sit up front to take in the view out the windshield.
It was quite a view!
Read more from Larry Edsall at iZoom
Photo Credit: Gary Brown
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
David?s Blog: Charlotte United Way
David and the UPS team race have a hometown race this weekend. The No. 6 UPS Ford will feature United Way throughout the weekend.
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