Monday Morning Crew Chief
April 14, 2008
To Test Or Not To Test For Illegal Substances?
Unlike the athletes in stick-and-ball sports, the athletes who drive race cars often prefer some form of drug testing out of concern for their own safety. Thrill seekers and undisciplined hacks using illegal drugs in their midst could be dangerous. Read more
On a roll in Vegas
April 14, 2008
(I apologize for sketchy coverage of the NHRA event in Las Vegas this weekend; I was struck down by some heinous virus at the Samsung 500, and any functional moments have found me dealing with the 15 April tax filing deadline.)
A quick summary of the action….
Noteworthy items from Friday and Saturday qualifying include a strong performance by Kenny Koretsky in Pro Stock (his first pole win in 20 years of racing) and Robert Hight’s one thousandth of a second low qualifier win over Tim Wilkerson in Funny Car. John Force did not qualify, and Tony Schumacher was the pole winner in Top Fuel. Read more
Lorenzo ties on the bow, wins Portugal GP
April 14, 2008
Jorge Lorenzo dominated the weekend in Portugal by taking the pole, posting the fastest race lap, and winning the Grand Prix of Portugal. The win marked the first MotoGP win for Lorenzo, which comes as no surprise. The 2006 and 2007 250cc World Champ has been incredibly fast out of the gate in 2008, posting three consecutive pole positions in three qualifying attempts.
The rest of the MotoGP field has been put on notice by the young Spaniard, who looks more and more to be the new favorite to win the championship.
American Jonathan Summerton Wins A1GP Shanghai Feature
April 13, 2008
Kissimmee, Florida Native Leads from Lights to Flag in China
A1 Team USA’s Jonathan Summerton capped off a weekend of firsts for the American team by winning the Feature race at A1GP Shanghai on Sunday (April 13th).
Lorenzo quickest again in GP of Portugal qualifying
April 12, 2008
Jorge Lorenzo has again put his Yamaha team at the top of the time sheets in final qualifying for the MotoGP Grand Prix of Portugal. Lorenzo was able to hold off fellow countryman, Dani Pedrosa, who briefly possessed the provisional pole after Friday’s qualifying session.
Lorenzo’s American teammate, Nicki Hayden, qualified fourth, and only got edged out of P3 by 27-thousands of a second by Valentino Rossi of Italy. James Toseland, the British newcomer and fan favorite, qualified sixth for tomorrow’s race.
2007 Indy Lights Champ Secures Indy 500 Seat
April 12, 2008
Rahal and Ganassi Teams to Collaborate on Alex Lloyd Entry
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Lloyd will drive in the 2008 Indianapolis 500 aboard a car prepared by two of racing’s best-known names: Bobby Rahal and Chip Ganassi.
Compelling Reasons Why Max Has To Go
April 10, 2008
In F1 there hasn’t been a more vocal or controversial figure than Paul Stoddart. Not to mention his many confrontations with disgraced
Ethanol Power and Performance with a Capital “P”!
April 9, 2008
Emerson Fittipaldi, twice Formula 1 World Champion and Indy
500 winner, glanced at me and asked calmly over the roar of the Corvette Z06 pace car’s V-8 as we hurried down the Indianapolis Motor Speedway straightaway at 180 miles per hour, “So, have you driven on the Speedway before?”
Monday Morning Crew Chief
April 7, 2008
Top Ten Topics In The Paddock At St. Pete Grand Prix
1. Champ Car - The former Champ Car participants were consistently at the top of the field in all the practice sessions and qualifying versus the IRL regulars - a point driven home by Graham Rahal’s compelling victory for Newman/Haas/Lanigan. Read more
Edwards wears the Victory Lane hat in Texas
April 7, 2008
The advertising buzz about Texas Motor Speedway is that “Everybody wants the hat!” awarded to race winners.
Carl Edwards must have decided that he needed another hat (and another set of winner’s pistols) so he joined Jeff Burton today as the only repeat winner here in Fort Worth. This is Edwards’ third win and fourth top-10 finish for the 2008 season; as a result, he jumped four positions to 10th place in NASCAR Sprint Cup series points. Read more