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Weekend roundup – w/e 1st April 2012 #NACSAR #IndyCar #F1 #BTCC

Posted on April 2, 2012 by truckertoggle

#NASCAR at Martinsville. Good to see the modern cars at one of the sport’s spiritual homes. Kasey Kahne racked up pole for Hendrick, but went out with engine woes leaving the #24 and #48 to slug it out for what looked like a certain 200th win for Hendrick, but a late caution (when Rooti  stopped on the track) it all went wrong on the restart with Boywer’s #15 starting fast and getting a run down the inside into turn one and then the #15, #24 and #48 all spun leaving Ryan Newman and AJ to run out the last couple of laps pretty much side by side and finishing in that order. Junior got 3rd and a consolation for Hendrick.

#IndyCar from Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama with an odd looking top six shootout for pole after problems for some of the usual suspects, but round one winner Helio Castroneves picked up the pole for Penske this time out, but could only translate that into third whilst retaining the championship lead. Will Power lost last time out due to a poor strategy when starting from pole, but this time started well down the grid and won with a perfect fuel and tyre strategy. Dixon slotted in between the Penske pair for second. Rubens got into the top 10 on his second outing and looks like he might be getting the hang of things.

#F1 and it is good to see that we might be getting the French grand prix back onto the calendar. Ricard is a decent enough circuit too even if it is a bit isolated, but with a good date the weather should be cracking down South: It would be good to have it back in July so that it is adjacent to the British GP again. Our fingers will be crossed for a successful negotiation.

#BTCC got under way at Brands Hatch this weekend with Rob Collard (BMW), Matt Neal (Honda) and Jason Plato (MG) picking up the wins. Close and colourful action for the faithful on a bright day at the Kentich circuit. Almost wish we had gone…

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are #NASCAR getting advice from professional wrestling?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by driverjohn

So the next non-points race will be 4 twenty laps segments and a ten lap shootout. What is the point of all that?

If the real race is a ten lapper then run a ten lapper; why waste everyone’s time and effort with what is effectively four qualifying heats?

Maybe I’m just an old purist, but I’m not going to apologise for that. To me the whole thing is about as real as watching professional wrestling; it might be fun for the kids, but it isn’t true sports.

NASCAR should be about racing, and if we are going to have a 70 lap event then run a straight 70 lap race. All of this pandering to creating artifical excitement is killing what racing should be about.

So, once again, I’ll not be paying any attention to the non points race. For me that desrciption sums it up; it’s just a pointless event.

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Weekend roundup – 18th March 2012 #F1 #NASCAR

Posted on March 19, 2012 by driverjohn

#F1 – Well, the BS is over and JB had the first win of the season from second on the grid with team mate Lewis taking pole and third in the race having had some bad luck with lapped traffic after one pit stop and losing out over the safety car. Also on the bad luck list was Romain Grosjean, punted off by the Pastor who them had his own bad luck to drop the lot on the last lap and lose out on what should have been a fine sixth for Williams. The Iceman didn’t do too badly on his comeback enjoying a bit of a punch up with the rest of the second division.

As per my personal boycott I didn’t watch the TV coverage, settling instead for following the race on Twitter. Did I regret the decision? Only in missing out on the Qantas 747 mowing the grass, as for the rest, those who want it are welcome. I’ll watch F1 on Speed if I’m in the US this year, but that will be it; the BBC and Sky coverage can do without me.

#NASCAR – Over at Bristol BK picked up a fine win for Penske and Dodge with AJ doing well for a while in the sister car. A great result for #MWR with third through fifth pursued by a flotilla of half a dozen  Chevys from Earnhardt Gannassi, Childress and Hendrick.

Oh and spare a thought for Nelson Jnr getting his first NASCAR win. It may have been in a regional series, but a win on a high banked short track is a win to savour.

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Weekend roundup – 12th March 2012 #NASCAR #WTCC #F1

Posted on March 12, 2012 by driverjohn

#NASCAR – So one week after the Hamlin/Grubb partnership picks up its first win, Smoke & Steve get theirs. There has been a lot of talk about how breaking up the partnership that pulled off that amazing end to last season would make, but what real difference will it make? When it all boils down to it all the #14 did before the Chase was to make it into the Chase; they had an awfully inconsistent season up until then. We think that the right calls were made all round and that both the #11 and#14 will do better with their new pairings. With three races don they now have a win each and good luck to both.

Staying with Phoenix for the moment it was great to see Mark Martin pull off another pole. We’ve always been a fan and great to see him still able to contribute at this level.

#WTCC – We don’t often mention this branch of tin tops, but good to see the series kick off well at Monza with a pair of wins for Yvan Muller and his Chevrolet. But it was another veteran pulling off the pole with Gabrielle Tarquini, at 50, showing the way and bringing home him SEAT in third for race one before being taken out in that early incident in race 2. Not a bad weekend for the old guys in tin tops.

#F1 – The BS stops next weekend when qualifying gets under way down under. Just how quick is the Iceman and his Lotus? Just how far off are the Ferraris? Are Red Bull & McLaren close at the front? Will Caterham be close to the midfield pack? Have Williams remembered how to build a quick one? Who will show best from the second division runners? Will the bottom end of the third division still be as woefully off the pace?

Answer to all of these questions and more will emerge over the weekend when the real action starts. Stuff bernie and his TV deals; we’ll be following the action on on the web with interest.

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Weekend roundup 4th March 2012 #F1 #NASCAR #Indycar

Posted on March 5, 2012 by truckertoggle

#F1 testing rumbles on, but what real sense does any of it make? As we’ve said before, we’ll waiting until qualifying starts down under and then we’ll know who has it and who hasn’t. All of what we’re seeing now is just window dressing.

#NASCAR Well done Mark Martin for winning pole in Phoenix. He still has what it takes and it would be great to see him get a win in 2012. Denny Hamlin picked up the Phoenix win though with Greg Biffle using a pair of third place finishes to go top of the table.

#Indycar looks like it will have Rubens on the grid and we wish him well. If he gets the hang of it he could do very well over there, but he always has seemed to only shine when things are going well. At least he has a couple of mates over there to help him adjust.

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