In this space yesterday, I wrote about how much I like those FreeCreditReport.com commercials. But in praising those spots, I should have stated that the site doesn't really provide free credit reports, and that it was sued for making consumers believe it did. Regardless, the ads are catchy. Anyway, here's the news:
- Drivers in the UK don't like speed cameras, that's pretty clear. Now, what's also clear is that mooning one of the ticket bots will net you—along with internet fame—a hefty fine from the bobbies. BBC via Autoblog
- Daimler AG has announced plans to open an office in Iraq. Several reasons were cited for the new location, chief among them being that in recent years, the company has lacked a location unpleasant and dangerous enough to adequately discipline under-performing employees. Glad they got that sorted out. AutoObserver
- NASCAR is looking to tweak its drug policy, and has hired an independent panel to provide recommendations. Some details about the panel's finding have leaked, and the biggest news is that drivers will now only be allowed three "breakfast beers." AutoWeek
- Who knew that the Motor City's papers had a bias? The headline on this article is "Obama Blasts Detroit, Ford Again." So what does he say? Basically, that '70s domestics were crappy, and that the Big Three are paying for letting the Japanese own the small, fuel efficient car market. Is that really unfair? Detroit News
You've been hearing about 'Dega all weekend, and now we've got full photo coverage of both the Aaron's 312 and the Aaron's 499 live in our Events section. Check out the fan's-eye view of all the three-wide, bump-drafting, paint-trading, high-octane chaos—and don't forget that we've got images of nearly every one of those hot vintage race cars from the International Motorsports Hall of Fame thrown in as well!
Continue reading "Talladega Photo Coverage Now Live!" »
Of all the locales on the NASCAR circuit, Talladega is the one most infamous for its fans. But for the most part, the people I met were just like race enthusiasts anywhere else: super-friendly, a little boozy, and just out for a good time. Kurt Busch fan Ernest White managed to get his picture taken alongside his favorite driver's car. Joe and Brenda from Missisippi were way wasted before the action even started on Sunday, and someone in the stands had even brought a baby—don't be alarmed, they brought some baby-sized earplugs too. Sure, there were some overeager douchebags, and of course there were some guys getting arrested, but all in all the place had a pretty happy vibe. And wait'll you see the rides that some of these race fans rolled in on—more after the jump.
Continue reading "Talladega: NASCAR Superfan Gallery" »
Talladega is NASCAR's longest, fastest track, and the crashes are proportionate. Everyone who drives at this track is forever on edge in anticipation of The Big One: that epic and nearly inevitable multi-car pileup that Dale Jr. once described as looking like the work of a gigantic invisible child on a destructive rampage. At every Talladega race, the Big One is always lurking, a monster in a dark tunnel: you might not see it coming, but it'll get you sooner or later. During the Aaron's 312, Saturday's Nationwide Series Race, something approximating The Big One befell the field when Kevin Lepage pulled out of pit road into 200 mph traffic, a catastrophic move that resulted in 15 cars getting wrecked. But at the Aaron's 499, things were disturbingly tranquil until close to the end. With only a couple of cautions for blown tires, the tension was mounting until Tony Stewart and a bunch of other drivers got caught up in what's been dubbed "the Little Big One." There were a couple of close calls, like when Paul Menard skillfully managed to go spinning across the frontstretch infield instead of taking out other cars on the track. And then of course, all hell broke loose in the final lap.
Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout—look how Junior nearly lifts Elliott Sadler's drive-wheels off the ground. Aggressive nose-to-tail racing was going on all day long, a necessary part of restrictor-plate runs. Since the cars are set up so equally, drafting is one of the few ways drivers can get ahead of the pack, building on each other's momentum to gain the speed necessary to pass.
This very amateur fan video, taken with my hundred-dollar point-and-shoot Casio, might give you some idea of what it's like to watch the Talladega race from the stands. Well, some idea, minus the tire-smoke and the bone-shaking engine rumble and the soot in your hair and that yummy high-octane emissions smell. Actually scratch that, you can't really approximate on film what it's like to be there no matter how fancy a camera you have. I'm still divided about the best vantage point for a race. Front-row trackside like I was at the Daytona 500, where you can almost taste the cars as they blast by—or up in the tower where you can see more of the action, which is almost always the recommended position. I'm leaning toward trackside, just for the in-your-face experience of it all—at superspeedways, the cars are always tiny dots on the backstretch anyway, so it's not so much of an advantage to be seated higher up. But you can decide for yourself—I got footage from all over the stands.
The Sprint Cup race today ended under caution as the field exploded with not one, but two final-lap wrecks that collectively took out a big chunk of the pack and left the track strewn with tire shreds and smoldering car parts. As per NASCAR rules regarding final-lap cautions, the win automatically goes to whoever's in first place when the yellow flag flies. Kurt Busch did some great driving today, dodging bullets that most certainly would've swept a lesser driver into some badass wrecks, and he fully deserves to bask in the glory of his win. But from what I could see from where I was sitting, there were a number of other drivers who were hurtling toward the win at the moment that the field was frozen, and that whole pack was racing so hard in those final two miles that it was a letdown to not get to see them thrash it out to the bitter end. What do you think: would Kyle have won anyway, even under a restart? Or was he just at the right place at the right time?
(This struck me funny: in the post-race interview, Kyle said he was real glad with how that final lap "paid out. Er, played out." Heh).
There's something about old-school stock cars that always gets me hella sidetracked, so I knew it was bad news when I wandered into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega today with "only" an hour and change to spare before the start of the Aaron's 312. Yep, the spectacle of all these venerable race winners and record setters did in fact make me miss the first few laps the race. But how was I supposed to peel myself away from the Monte Carlo that Dale Earnhardt Sr. drove to his first Winston Cup championsip? Or Tiny Lund's Daytona 500-winning '64 Galaxie? Or (for the love of God) this Roger Penske AMC Matador that swept the NASCAR circuit in the 70's?? Sheesh, it's a wonder I got out of this place at all. There's a few more shots below the jump, and you'll be able to browse nearly all the Hall of Fame cars once our complete photos are posted in our Events section next week!
Continue reading "Gorgeous Vintage NASCARs at Talladega!" »
Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are both really good drivers with really good race cars, but both have been starved of victories this season. Throughout the Aaron's 312 today, it looked like they were really clobbering on each other: Tony, who spent most of the race out front, had to put up with Junior smashing relentlessly on him from behind, and during each of the few laps that Junior had the lead, his No. 5 car similarly had a rear bumper full of Tony. But what looked like dirty-fighting was actually a strategy that kept both cars in first and second place for most of the run. In restrictor-plate racing, the draft is the means by which cars combine their momentum, meaning that two fast cars yoked together in a draft will run faster laps than either of those two cars would alone, and the bumping the rear car gives the lead tends to boost them even faster, as long as no one gets squirrelly.
Clearly, Tony was the one who benefitted from today's ongoing bro-mance, as Junior's attempt during the final laps to slingshot into the lead fumbled when no one stepped up to help draft him past Tony. In any event, both these racers have been due for a win for quite some time, and I have a feeling Dale Jr. will be looking for payback during tomorrow's Aaron's 499. Will Tony make it a sweep at Talladega, or will Junior, a projected winner whom Tony himself credited in part for his own win today, finally score Sprint Cup victory?
Clint Bowyer got slammed during an early wreck today at the Aaron's 312 after Dario Franchitti cut down a tire, hit the wall, and cut a destructive path through other cars as he careened down Talladega's steep bank. (Poor Clint—it seems he's always at the wrong place at the wrong time when one of these open-wheel guys decides to lose it). The wreck sent both Franchitti and Chevy driver Larry Gunselman to the hospital, Franchitti with a shattered ankle—but Bowyer, while unhurt, arguably had more to lose than most. He'd been the points leader in the Nationwide Series, and a DNF would've been catastrophic to his chances at the championship. So despite extensive front-end and body damage, his team gamely patched up the Camping World Chevrolet and got him back out on the track to salvage what points he could. Despite being over 20 laps down at one point, Bowyer rallied, managing to finish the race in his junk car—and even hanging onto his points lead!
While the Nationwide Series might seem like the kiddie version of NASCAR's top Sprint Cup Series, it's not exactly child's play. Nationwide, formerly known as the Busch Series, is the proving ground for a lot of rookies who haven't yet made it to NASCAR's top rung and are looking for a leg up. Still, a lot of the big-gun Sprint Cup champs who got their start in NASCAR's lesser series still run Nationwide for old time's sake (and extra cash), and today's Aaron's 312 at Talladega featured a star-studded lineup. Tony Stewart—in a slick candy-apple red Old Spice car that was a hundred times sexier than his Sprint Cup Great Pumpkin getup—totally dominated this warm-up race, leading the pack for 80 of the 117 laps and trading strategic paint with Dale Earnhardt Jr for much of the way. Through chaos of the final laps, which plunged Junior abruptly to 6th place while pulling David Stremme into 2nd, Smoke stayed the course and subsequently was able to give the crowd a scorching victory burnout that lived up to his nickname. Congrats to Tony for his first-ever Talladega win!
Continue reading "Tony Stewart Smokes the Competition at the Aaron's 312" »
As soon as this workday's over, I'm hopping on an overnight flight to Talladega so that you don't miss one moment of this weekend's NASCAR action. In addition to being a helluva racetrack, 'Dega has a reputation for the wildest attendanceship on the NASCAR circuit, and I'm definitely curious to see what all this boozy, brawling fuss is about. I'll try my darndest to make the Nationwide race on Saturday, and then bring you full coverage of Sunday's Sprint Cup race, the Aaron's 499, featuring high-speed bumper-to-bumper racing by all of NASCAR's big dogs. Stay stuck to the blog this weekend for a fan's-eye view of the races!
