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Official Motorsports Thread of 2013 (MotoGP, WRC, Le Mans, Nascar, IRL, V8's etc)

modulaire

Member
Is it always raining so much in Northern Ireland? It's horrible. :)

They had to cancel the UGP races today, they are not allowed to race tomorrow and the forecast for Saturday looks even worse.
 

B.K.

Member
Tony Stewart Update

Austin Dillon is driving the 14 this week at Michigan.

Dillon may drive the car for one or two more races this year.

They are talking with other drivers to drive while Tony is out.

Tony is going to miss AT LEAST another month and may possibly be out the rest of the season.
 

modulaire

Member
Fantastic first SuperSport race won by Guy Martin at the UGP.

If someone is in the mood to listen to some race coverage - here's the Live Radio : Ulster Grand Prlx-stream from the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/northern-ireland/23667465
or
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_ulster

ulster-grand-prix-201ddjpk.jpg
 

Chris R

Member
I like how the trucks ran at Michigan, the lower horsepower made the race interesting, and I'm glad it didn't turn into the typical cup fuel race.


Now to see how badly the Nationwide series screws up Mid-Ohio. I'm betting there will be at least 10 cautions.
 

modulaire

Member
Fantastic racing at the Ulster Grand Prix today. Nothing comes close to this. I will write down my thoughts tomorrow.

This was my second favourite place to watch the race (filmed by the person standing/lying next to me):

http://instagram.com/p/dHwextxQet/

and these were only the 600cc SuperSport machines. The Superbikes were even faster, and much much louder.
 

moojito

Member
I like how the trucks ran at Michigan, the lower horsepower made the race interesting, and I'm glad it didn't turn into the typical cup fuel race.


Now to see how badly the Nationwide series screws up Mid-Ohio. I'm betting there will be at least 10 cautions.

You weren't far off! Things got a bit silly at the end, there.
 

TylerD

Member
Fantastic racing at the Ulster Grand Prix today. Nothing comes close to this. I will write down my thoughts tomorrow.

This was my second favourite place to watch the race (filmed by the person standing/lying next to me):

http://instagram.com/p/dHwextxQet/

and these were only the 600cc SuperSport machines. The Superbikes were even faster, and much much louder.

Fantastic. Did those bikes going by so fast make you tingly all over? I know it would do that to me.
 

Jezbollah

Member
Marquez at full pelt is incredible to watch.


Great finish between Rossi/Cal and the Dukes :D

Three US wins out of three US races for MM93. The kid is insane.

That's the second time the Ducatis have clashed allowing Brad Smith to nip by and take them both at the line (other time was Assen).
 

B.K.

Member
Tony Stewart Update

Looks like Mark Martin is going to be announced as the next replacement driver for Tony tomorrow.

Truck series on Wednesday!

Need to try to remember that. I'd like to go to Bristol this year, but then I think of the walk to and from the track and the time I'd get home.
 
Michael Andretti wants to put JPM in one of his Indy cars. They're looking for sponsorship for it now. That sounds like as good a plan as any to me.
 

B.K.

Member
Tony Stewart Update

Stewart is out for the rest of the 2013 season. Mark Martin will drive the 14 in 12 of the remaining races and Austin Dillion will drive at Talladega.
 

modulaire

Member
I'm ok with this!

No question. Sure beats some random DP ride. Maybe somebody like Furniture Row would be a good fit if he's interested in staying in Cup, but I haven't heard any rumor of that. I'm sure he has zero interest in moving back to Europe, so I'm not even going to bother with any speculation there.
 

thefro

Member
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109365

Not sure if I'd trust the A1GP folks, but this will be pretty interesting if it happens

IndyCar has targeted a move outside of North America by 2015 with a series of off-season races around the world that could form a winter championship.

The aim of the races would be to give IndyCar teams new revenue streams over an off-season that looks likely to grow from next year, when the calendar could climax as early as the end of August.

Plans for the internationalisation of IndyCar have been laid out by new president of operations and competition Derrick Walker.

He outlined a number of different scenarios, including non-points races, a winter or regional championship, and even the possibility of the IndyCar Series starting overseas in January or February.

"We have teams that from the end of September or October through to the start of the season in March don't have an awful lot to do; there is only so much testing you can do," the former the former CART and IndyCar team owner told AUTOSPORT.

"Our teams need income and an international component to their season would help strengthen their financial position."

Walker stressed that there were no plans to add any flyaway events to the Sao Paulo street circuit in Brazil, which has had a place on the IndyCar schedule since 2010, to the middle or end of the season.

"We are not going to tear up our existing calendar and we don't want our champion crowned at 1am in some far away place," he explained.

"But if there are races in January or February leading into the domestic series, then it might make sense to include them in our championship."


A European group called World Series Operations - which has links to the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2005-09 and subsequent attempts to relaunch the championship - is known to have put forward plans for a winter series under the IndyCar Global Challenge banner.

It already has draft agreements in place with a number of promoters and has proposed a five-event schedule starting at the end of 2014.

The idea for winter races appears to have the backing of the teams.

Andretti Autosport vice-president J-F Thormann said: "We are very much in favour of it.
 

B.K.

Member
"I wish we had the old Bristol back."

At least there's one driver that doesn't kiss Bruton Smith's ass and talk about what a great person he is and all the great things he's done for NASCAR.
 

TylerD

Member
He's such a character. As likeable as could possibly be.

Absolutely. Guy Martin is such an interesting bloke. You MUST check out the BBC's "The Boat that Guy Built." and the doc "TT3D Closer to the Edge" if you haven't and are a Guy fan. I'm going to have to watch that Ulster coverage and catch up on a ton of other racing stuff. Been preocupied with some other things with my car and a new job opportunity but that is all getting ironed out soon.
 

Jezbollah

Member
No chance 1) Pedrosa gets replaced for 2014 - he has a contract) and 2) Stoner comes back.

Marquez is only one big crash from throwing this championship away.
 
Sick pass from Marquez today. The guy's a stud on the brakes.

Dani, and Jorge are both improving from being injured, but it's clear that Marc has gained a lot of confidence during that time as well. It makes it hard to tell exactly where we are with the competitive balance between the three of them. Do those guys have a couple more percent to improve, or has Marquez erased any deficit he may of had before they got hurt? It's going to be fun to find out.
 

Tekniqs

Member
Marquez should be walking away with the championship...that Yam needs some work. The corner speed advantage isn't negating the advantages the Honda have anymore. Lorenzo is doing well despite the bike rather than because of it.

real surprise to me is Pedbot...poor guy. Stoner hops on and wins the chip, now Marq hops on and is probably gonna win the chip as well.
 

TJP

Member
The other andvantage Honda has is their engines don't wear at the same rate the Yamahas. Moto Matters published an interesting story regarding how many engines each of the riders had used and the remaining number - suffice to say the HRC riders were in a lot better shape than either Lorenzo and Rossi. Honda can afford to 'turn up the wick' on power output, especially now that we are past the half way point in the season.
 

Chris R

Member
Worst bullshit call I've seen in some time in the Indy race today. Was a good race other than that (certainly better than the crap that went on at Spa today).
 

Tekniqs

Member
The other andvantage Honda has is their engines don't wear at the same rate the Yamahas. Moto Matters published an interesting story regarding how many engines each of the riders had used and the remaining number - suffice to say the HRC riders were in a lot better shape than either Lorenzo and Rossi. Honda can afford to 'turn up the wick' on power output, especially now that we are past the half way point in the season.

yup..they've only used like 3 engines I think.

Maybe the seamless gearbox can make some magic. Better drive out of the corners, better stability, maybe help save the tire so they're just as quick at the end of the race.
 

thefro

Member
Worst bullshit call I've seen in some time in the Indy race today. Was a good race other than that (certainly better than the crap that went on at Spa today).

willspitbox.jpg


The white lines are the NASCAR pit boxes at Sonoma, not the IndyCar pit boxes. The IndyCar pit box is designated on the pit wall (someone's drawn the box on this image above), where the sponsor banner for "Target" end and where the "Verizon" ones start.

FyJhqH0.jpg


Dixon was well into Power's pitbox when he hit the crew member with the tire (and the airhose, etc). The IndyCar steward explained all that to a reporter on TV here after the race.

Tough call for Dixon to lose a race like that but he deserved to be penalized for that.
 

Chris R

Member
willspitbox.jpg


The white lines are the NASCAR pit boxes at Sonoma, not the IndyCar pit boxes. The IndyCar pit box is designated on the pit wall (someone's drawn the box on this image above), where the sponsor banner for "Target" end and where the "Verizon" ones start.

FyJhqH0.jpg


Dixon was well into Power's pitbox when he hit the crew member with the tire (and the airhose, etc). The IndyCar steward explained all that to a reporter on TV here after the race.

Tough call for Dixon to lose a race like that but he deserved to be penalized for that.

Didn't watch after the race finished, but I guess :| Just looked more like the Power tire guy not paying attention and almost wanting to be hit (holding the tire way out there) vs Dixon invading the pit box and clipping him. They should have pit much further back then I guess.
 

B.K.

Member
Kurt Busch has signed with Stewart-Hass Racing. The official press conference is tomorrow at 2:00. They're trying to get the 00 number for him to drive next year.
 
"I wish we had the old Bristol back."

At least there's one driver that doesn't kiss Bruton Smith's ass and talk about what a great person he is and all the great things he's done for NASCAR.

I liked when Harvick said it, it was much better. Those restarts were awful. Jeff got screwed a couple of times and i believe Gustafsson blew it when they chose to stay on the track even tough he was third and was going to restart on the inside. Should have pitted like Kahne, he had a car capable of making passes.

Would have won, no doubt. He has to get a new crewchief for him next year, one last try before he´s too old for the job. If only Everham would come back :(

Worst bullshit call I've seen in some time in the Indy race today. Was a good race other than that (certainly better than the crap that went on at Spa today).

It was the right call, a huge present for my boy Helio who was having a terrible race. He lost this championship so many times it´s not even fun, but it looks like he has a great shot this year. I´ll be watching closely.
 

Jezbollah

Member
yup..they've only used like 3 engines I think.

Maybe the seamless gearbox can make some magic. Better drive out of the corners, better stability, maybe help save the tire so they're just as quick at the end of the race.

Seemless shift gearboxes have zero effect on increasing engine reliability. Yamahas in particular has given it little acceleration benefit compared to Hondas, pretty much the only benefit the gearbox will have is the ability to have zero balance effect while shifting in corners.

Honda are simply better at making extremely powerful engines that are also reliable.

I heard from multiple sources (including Dave Emmett's motomatters site) that three of the four Yamahas (Cal, JL and Rossi) were already using their 5th out of 6th engines by Catalunya - 6 races into an 18 race season. This has meant there have been times where they have had to tune down the engines. In comparison, both Pedrosa and Stoner finished last year without even touching two of their engine allocation.

The biggest thing that could hinder Marquez winning the Championship is a big, big crash. His greatest strength right now is that he's riding without fear. That may change if we see him flung into orbit in an upcoming round.
 
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