MWR Announces Mark Martin to Return to Aaron’s Dream Machine at Texas

Michael Waltrip Racing Logo

Will Resume His Previously Scheduled Events After Subbing for Denny Hamlin at Martinsville

CORNELIUS, N.C. - Michael Waltrip Racing announced today that Mark Martin will fill in for injured Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota Camry next weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Martin will return to the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13 and resume his previously scheduled run of events with MWR for the remainder of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint cup season.

“I think it is great that a driver of Mark’s caliber is available to support our fellow Toyota team during this difficult time for them. We wish Denny a speedy recovery” said MWR founder and co-owner Michael Waltrip. ”Mark is a big part of our organization and is committed to our sponsors, especially Aaron’s and Toyota. We have a lot of goals yet to reach this year and we are very focused on accomplishing them.”

As previously announced, Brian Vickers will race MWR’s No. 55 Jet Edge Toyota Camry for MWR at Martinsville.

Source: Michael Waltrip Racing, Press Release

The article MWR Announces Mark Martin to Return to Aaron’s Dream Machine at Texas is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/29/mwr-announces-mark-martin-to-return-to-aarons-dream-machine-at-texas/

Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González

Ford recalling select Taurus, Explorer and Lincoln MKS models over fuel tanks

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Ford

Ford is recalling certain 2012 Taurus, 2013 Explorer and 2012 Lincoln MKS models over fuel tank concerns. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicles built between July 19, 2011 and March 15, 2012 may have been built with fuel tanks that have a "marginally sealed seam" on the side. Those seams may not provide the strength necessary to protect the tank from rupture during a collision. They may also leak. The recall covers a total of 3,037 vehicles. NHTSA says that leaked fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, could easily cause a fire.

Dealers will inspect the tanks and replace them as need be free of charge. Owners can expect to be notified once the campaign begins on or around April 22, 2013. You can read the full NHTSA recall notice below for more information.

Continue reading Ford recalling select Taurus, Explorer and Lincoln MKS models over fuel tanks

Ford recalling select Taurus, Explorer and Lincoln MKS models over fuel tanks originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/31/ford-recalling-select-taurus-explorer-and-lincoln-mks-models-ov/

Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine

Hansen claims early Lydden lead

Timmy Hansen heads the order after the opening two heats of the first round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship at Lydden.

The young Swede, starting only his third supercar race, went fastest in both the first and second heats to earn first place overall.

His team-mate and reigning champion Timur Timerzyanov sits second.

Rallycross: the best-kept secret in motorsport?

2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg, who completed the first shakedown of his Citroen DS3 just days before the event, struggled in his first heat but then triumphed in his second.

Clutch problems led to the Norwegian first jumping the start and then suffering a poor getaway in his opener. He then touched a barrier on Chessons Drift, causing damage to the rear of his car, and compounded his problems by forgetting to take the joker lap.

He made amends by winning his second heat, in which he also set the second fastest time. He lies ninth overall heading into the final day.

“We still had all the issues from heat one, I just managed them better,” Solberg said following his win.

“The rear of the car was still damaged; we didn’t have time to fix it. I’m pretty disappointed but that’s life.”

British driver Liam Doran, also driving a brand new DS3 at Lydden, ended the opening day in sixth overall, two places higher than current British champion Julian Godfrey.

Sixteen-year-old Kevin Eriksson meanwhile tops the Super1600 category on his rallycross debut after finishing second and then fastest in his respective heats.

The final qualifying heats take place tomorrow morning ahead of the semi-finals and final in the afternoon.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/hansen-claims-early-lydden-lead

Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez

Denny Hamlin diagnosed with fractured back, will seek treatment in Charlotte

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/03/denny-hamlin-diagnosed-with-fractured.html

Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille

Vettel goes from fan favorite to villain

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/28/2785216/vettel-goes-from-fan-favorite.html

Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida

Subaru WRX Concept: The Next-Gen Rally Rocket Is Smokin’ Hot [2013 New York Auto Show]

Subaru has been teasing enthusiasts eager for any information on the next WRX for the past two years, promising that the new affordable, all-wheel-drive high-performance compact benchmark would drop the Impreza name and platform, boast at least 300 horsepower in STI trim, and get a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. We even spied several WRX prototypes wearing current-gen Impreza bodies—but we haven’t had any hint as to what the next WRX would look like. Until now, that is, as Subaru finally has issued a preview of the car in the form of the WRX concept debuting at the 2013 New York auto show.  READ MORE ››

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/TWkAp0pmSUE/subaru-wrx-concept-auto-shows

Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther

Updated Bike-Share Map Appears to Show Phased Rollout Plan

The initial bike-share service area will include the stations in blue, with stations in gray slated to come online later in 2013. Image: DOT

We’ve known since December that Hurricane Sandy shrank the initial rollout of bike-share from 420 stations to 293, with an expansion promised by the end of 2013. We also knew that this meant the service area would, at first, not include Long Island City and parts of north Brooklyn. We just didn’t know exactly where.

Now, an updated bike-share map (via reader @J_uptown) on DOT’s website shows that the initial rollout will encompass Manhattan south of Central Park and an area of Brooklyn bounded roughly by Atlantic Avenue, Nostrand Avenue, Flushing Avenue, and the East River. The second phase will include LIC, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and Bedford Stuyvesant east of Nostrand Avenue. Three stations in Manhattan, at Pier 42, on 60th Street near First Avenue, and on Fifth Avenue at 63rd Street, are also part of the second phase.

Site selection for a third phase, which would bring the system up to the original goal of 10,000 bikes at 600 stations, is still in progress, according to the DOT site, and would include Manhattan up to 79th Street, Sunnyside in Queens, and Cobble Hill, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Crown Heights south of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Those stations aren’t expected to be added this year, judging by DOT’s December announcement.

At a City Council transportation committee meeting earlier this month, DOT staff said that rollout is scheduled for the spring. DOT has told community boards to expect to see stations on the street beginning sometime in April (launch isn’t expected before May — it takes a few weeks to set up all the stations), and some are already appearing ready for deployment.

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/03/28/new-map-shows-initial-bike-share-spring-rollout-to-skip-parts-of-brooklyn/

Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick

Martin to occupy seat in Hamlin’s absence

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/28/2786936/martin-to-occupy-seat-in-hamlins.html

Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard

Excitement Level High For STP Gas Booster 500 At Martinsville Speedway

STP Gas Booster 500 Logo

PMARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 29, 2013) – Could the excitement and anticipation level be any higher for next Sunday’s STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 at Martinsville Speedway?

Let’s count the reasons.

The target on Joey Logano’s rear bumper after last Sunday’s wild finish.

Tony Stewart’s temper. (See above).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is off to his best start ever in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and comes into the STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 as the points’ leader.

The new Gen-6 cars have proved exciting everywhere this season, but drivers have pointed to Martinsville Speedway as the track the new cars may be best early in the season.

And the list goes on.

Like Danica Patrick earning the distinction of the first woman to ever start a Sprint Cup race at Martinsville. Women have raced in every other major division at the half-mile track.

Then there is Jeff Gordon trying to get his season back on track. He’s mired back in 18^th in points, but Martinsville could help turn that around. He’s won here seven times, and even though his last Martinsville win came in 2005, he has led laps in the past 13 Martinsville races.

And of course the news of the week: Mark Martin replacing injured Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota for the next few races, starting here at Martinsville Speedway.

With all the chatter about some wild on-track antics the past two weeks, Earnhardt Jr. has sort of flown under the radar into the Sprint Cup points lead.

The STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 at Martinsville will mark Earnhardt’s 475th NASCAR Sprint Cup start. Although he’s never won at the 0.525-mile track, Earnhardt has finished in the top five on 10 occasions, including third in last year’s spring race, a race he had a shot to win right up to the closing lap. He has finished second on two occasions at Martinsville.

Gordon and Johnson are tied among active drivers with most Martinsville wins, seven. Gordon led the most laps here last spring and seemed to be on his way to victory when Clint Bowyer tried to make it three-wide on a restart late in the race and created a multi-car wreck that included Gordon and Johnson. It was the start of a feud between Gordon and Bowyer that hasn’t been settled yet.

With 14 wins between them, Gordon and Johnson obviously have been dominant here. At one point in his career Johnson had 17 straight top-10 finishes while Gordon once had a 15-race top 10 streak. Johnson got back on track at Martinsville last fall with a victory.

Hamlin is the other recent master of Martinsville, but is on the sidelines for next Sunday’s race. Martin, his replacement, hasn’t been too shabby at Martinsville. In 48 starts at Martinsville, the 54-year-old Martin has two wins, two poles and a career-average finish of 13.3.

While Logano has drawn a lot of attention from his late-race collision with Hamlin a week ago and a similar situation two weeks ago, his success this season, his first with team-owner Roger Penske, has been overlooked. He’s ninth in the Sprint Cup points’ standings, a spot behind Paul Menard, who has been the top driver out of Richard Childress Racing so far this season.

Rookie Ricky Stenhouse has also been a surprise in 2013, sitting 12^th in points headed into the STP^® Gas Booster™ 500. The other top rookie-of-the-year candidate Danica Patrick hasn’t fared well after the Daytona 500 and sits outside of the top 25 in points. Interestingly enough, neither Stenhouse nor Patrick have ever turned a lap at Martinsville Speedway in any division.

Action kicks off at Martinsville Speedway next Friday with practice and qualifying for both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck series. Fan gates open at 9 a.m., the same time that the trucks hit the track for their first practice. After a full day of practice for both divisions, Sprint Cup qualifying is set for 3:40 p.m. with Camping World Truck Series qualifying at 5 p.m.

There will be two Sprint Cup practice sessions Saturday morning with the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race taking the green flag at 1:30 p.m.

The STP^® Gas Booster™ 500 is set to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday April 7.

Fan gates will open at 9 a.m. each day.

Tickets for the STP^® Gas Booster™ 500, the Kroger 250 and Martinsville Pole Day may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or by visitingwww.martinsvillespeedway.com online.

Martinsville Speedway’s phone hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone hours for this Sunday are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone hours next week will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Martinsville Speedway’s ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays through the upcoming race weekend. The ticket office will be open Easter Sunday, March 31.

Source: Martinsville Speedway, Press Release

The article Excitement Level High For STP Gas Booster 500 At Martinsville Speedway is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/29/excitement-level-high-for-stp-gas-booster-500-at-martinsville-speedway/

Billy Garrett Jo Gartner Tony Gaze Geki Olivier Gendebien

Force India gets 2014 Mercedes deal

Force India has extended its agreement with Mercedes-Benz to use the German firm’s engines from the 2014 Formula 1 season onwards.

The new deal means Mercedes will supply Force India with power units and KERS under the new regulations that will come into play from next year, when turbo engines will return to F1.

The Silverstone-based squad and Mercedes had joined forces at the start of the 2009 season.

Force India said the expansion of the agreement will include the supply of the gearbox and hydraulic systems.

“Our new agreement with Mercedes-Benz for the coming years is the most significant in the history of Force India,” said team boss Vijay Mallya.

“With new powertrain regulations being introduced next year, I can’t think of a better partner to work with as F1 enters a new and exciting era.

“The agreement gives us the long-term stability we require and will enable us to continue our journey towards the front of the F1 grid.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added: “It is a significant milestone to announce our first long-term agreement for powertrain supply under the 2014 regulations.

“Force India was our first genuine customer in F1 back in 2009 and we are delighted to enter an expanded, long-term relationship with them from 2014 onwards.

“This long-term agreement offers excellent value in terms of the balance between price and performance.

“We hope it will mean Mercedes-Benz and Force India working together for the entire life cycle of the new powertrain generation.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/force-india-gets-2014-mercedes-deal

Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero Maurício Gugelmin Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne

Turkington upbeat about BMW potential

Former British Touring Car champion Colin Turkington believes the new NGTC BMW has good potential for this season.

Turkington drove the WSR-built BMW 125i M Sport he will race in 2013 for the first time at Donington Park last week.

At the only official pre-season test, the 2009 champion ended up 10th fastest, 1.3 seconds behind pacesetter Andrew Jordan’s Eurotech Honda Civic.

“I had a good feeling with the car towards the end of the day,” said Turkington, who returns to the series this year.

“We are still finding our feet with the NGTC car and we didn’t make any changes [at the test], so we know there is more to come.”

WSR’s other car was shared by Rob Collard and Nick Foster. They ended up 16th and 17th respectively.

Collard said: “We ran reliably and set a decent lap time even though conditions didn’t favour the rear-wheel-drive car when it comes to getting heat into the tyres.

“We know that we need to find some time, but it’s a new car and there is still a lot to come. We’ve just got to wait and see where we stand when we get to Brands Hatch [for the first round this weekend].”

Team boss Dick Bennetts added: “We’re starting to learn more about the NGTC BMW but we ran different set-ups on the two cars and now have a lot of data to look at to see where we need to improve and what we can change moving forwards.

“We weren’t concerned about lap times and didn’t run the new softer tyre like some of the others, so we’re happy with where we’ve ended up.

“In the future for sure we can win races, we just haven’t done enough miles yet.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/touring-cars/btcc/turkington-upbeat-about-bmw-potential

Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith

In a Collision? Share Your Experience on TA’s CrashStories Website

Today, Transportation Alternatives is launching CrashStories, a new website where pedestrians and cyclists can report crashes or near-misses with motor vehicle drivers on an interactive map. Developed by Hunter College city planning graduate student Aaron Fraint, the project aims to fill gaps in official data sources and offer a place for crash victims to be heard.

CrashStories asks pedestrians and cyclists to report crashes or near-misses on a map of New York City.

Data mapped by TA’s CrashStat tool, which originates from NYPD and is filtered by the state DMV and state DOT, tends to skew toward collisions with major injuries, leaving fender-benders and other, less severe crashes underrepresented in the data. “Everything else tends to get underreported or not reported at all,” said TA’s Jennifer Godzeno.

TA, said Godzeno, gets calls every day from people involved in minor crashes. ”If we can start to record that information in enough detail, then maybe we can start to intervene on streets or at intersections before tragedy even strikes,” Godzeno said.

The project grew out of a prototype developed for TA by Columbia University city planning students last year. Over the summer, Fraint was considering developing a similar tool as part of his fellowship at Hunter but couldn’t reach a broad audience to collect data. Meanwhile, TA was looking to move the prototype to the next level but didn’t have the internal capacity to develop the tool. In November, Fraint met with Godzeno.

“It was really the right place at the right time on both accounts,” Fraint said. “I don’t really have a way to reach 100,000 people the way they do.” Fraint and TA came to an agreement, and Fraint got to work. The service uses Shareabouts, a platform developed by Streetsblog’s parent organization, OpenPlans.

Fraint hopes to use the data to analyze the effectiveness of street designs. He also wants to compare CrashStories data to police crash reports. “Ideally, the same intersections would be identified as hot spots,” he said. Eventually, he hopes to launch CrashStories with partner organizations in other areas, and compare data between cities.

TA plans to use the tool as a component of its street safety advocacy, encouraging residents to enter their stories along particularly dangerous streets, providing information that can help convince decision makers to take action for safety.

“This site is a way to humanize the experience of having been in a crash or a near-miss,” while also putting the data to good use, said Godzeno. “Everybody tells us about this every day.”

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/03/28/in-a-collision-tas-crashstories-mapping-website-wants-to-hear-about-it/

Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson

Crutchlow thinks Honda still has edge

Cal Crutchlow believes that Honda has established itself as the strongest MotoGP team during 2013 pre-season testing.

After Dani Pedrosa dominated the opening Sepang test, and Marc Marquez did likewise at Austin, Honda has topped seven of this year’s 11 days of testing.

Tech 3 Yamaha rider Crutchlow, who went fastest as pre-season running concluded at Jerez, said Honda has established itself as the team to beat.

“I think it will be very difficult to beat Honda at the moment, either Dani or Marc,” Crutchlow told the official MotoGP website.

“Their package I think is stronger.

“Dani didn’t ride [on the final day] but if he did, I am sure he would have been near, if not at, the top.

“We know his pace and he is obviously very confident. He went home so he is happy with the bike, obviously [Honda] don’t have too many problems. We are still working very hard with the Yamaha.”

Crutchlow said however that he had been encouraged by his pace on the final day, particularly given Tech 3′s lack of winter updates.

“We did some decent lap times and in the end ran quite consistently, so I was pleased,” he said.

“I feel good. We only managed 30 dry laps [on Monday], so to be at this pace already is good. On old machinery I am very happy.

“At the end of the day we [usually] go to the pace everyone else does, but it seems they had to come to ours so I was pleased.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/crutchlow-thinks-honda-still-has-edge

Romain Grosjean Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby André Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra

No Penalties Issued By NASCAR For Auto Club Speedway Altercations

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/03/26/no-penalties-issued-by-nascar-for-auto-club-speedway-altercations-fight-stewart-logano/

Oscar González Aldo Gordini Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried

Bs Swarm Bristol

More than 300 NiCBS competitors made the virtual tow to Thunder Valley.

Week Seven of the NASCAR iRacing.com Class B Series headed east for some short track racing at Bristol Motor Speedway.  170 laps of action around the tight confines of the Last Great Coliseum was on tap for the drivers of iRacing’s second tier division.

319 sim-racers took to the track for a race during Week Seven.  Ashley Miller would top the overall points for the week following the win during the Friday night Strength of Field event, pocketing 280 points for the victory.  Joshua B Gerrald collected 270 points for the week, second most of any driver, with Simon Crochart, Kollin Keister and Armando Vargas rounding-out the top five during the NiCBS’ visit to Thunder Valley.

A prolific Chuck Sweeting made the most starts during the week, taking the green flag a dozen times and earning four top five finishes.  Matt Baker garnered a trio of wins from five starts to lead the series in the win column.

Christian Pedersen topped the charts in qualifying, laying down a lap of 14.877s around the half mile speed-bowl, with Joshua B Gerrald next best at 14.883s.  Miller, Crochart and Brenden Koehler rounded out the fast five.

Following the action at Bristol, Crochart leads the overall standings with an 88 point lead over Alex Scribner.   144 markers out of the lead, Miller lies third ahead of Tom Moustakas  and Justin Kirby.

The NASCAR iRacing.com Class B Series next heads to north to the Irish Hills of Michigan and the two mile Michigan International Speedway.  Catch all the action on inRacingNews.com.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/bs-swarm-bristol

Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford

Martin to occupy seat in Hamlin’s absence

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/28/2786936/martin-to-occupy-seat-in-hamlins.html

Kazuyoshi Hoshino Jerry Hoyt Nico Hülkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt

Colin Monahan Named Marketing Coordinator at Infineon Raceway

Infineon Raceway
SONOMA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012)

Colin Monahan has been named Marketing Coordinator at Infineon Raceway, raceway officials announced.

Monahan, 23, will assist the marketing team with the planning and execution of event-related initiatives and programs, coordinate off-site tradeshows and promotions, and oversee the raceway's Little Racers Club and social networking efforts, among his many other responsibilities.

Monahan originally joined the team in 2009 and has worked as an intern and part-time employee the past three seasons. He graduated from Sonoma State University in 2011 with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. He is a native of Yorba Linda (Calif.), currently living in Novato in the North Bay.

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/colin_monahan_named_marke.php

Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby André Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero

West Coast Sprints Eye Thunder Bowl Opener

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/03/west-coast-sprints-eye-thunder-bowl.html

Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson

Nissan adds 2013 Titan to gearshift recall

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Work, Nissan

Nissan has added the 2013 Titan to the list of vehicles recalled over potential gearshift issues. Just a few days ago, the automaker recalled nearly 20,000 NV Vans for a problem with the shift lever assembly that could cause the gear selector to read inaccurately. Now Nissan is recalling certain 2013 Titan pickup trucks manufactured between December 17, 2012 and February 20, 2013 and equipped with column-mounted shift levers, though for a different fault. The pickups were built using certain chemicals that could cause the brake-shift interlock mechanism to fail over time. If that happens, the truck could be shifted out of Park without the driver's foot on the brake.

As a result, the truck could roll away and cause an accident or injury. Nissan says it will remedy the fault free of charge. Owners can expect to be notified once the campaign begins on or around April 8. You can read the full National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice below for more information.

Continue reading Nissan adds 2013 Titan to gearshift recall

Nissan adds 2013 Titan to gearshift recall originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/30/nissan-adds-2013-titan-to-gearshift-recall/

Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III

NASCAR's Hamlin out at least 6 weeks with back injury

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/27/2782791/hamlin-out-at-least-6-weeks.html

Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire Sam Hanks Walt Hansgen Mike Harris

NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Ryan Reed Heads Home to the West Coast for Super Late Model Racing

“Reed to debut the Ryan Reed Racing Driver Development Program”

Ryan Reed

Bakersfield, CA (March 22, 2013)- On the heels of his first NNS race Ryan Reed, former Legends Division Champion and the 2010 Super Late Model Rookie of the Year heads home to race in select super late and pro late model races.

Reed, 19, has proven that life has no limits as a race car driver with diabetes. Reed recently announced his Ryan’s Mission collaboration with the American Diabetes Association for the Drive to Stop Diabetes campaign along with becoming the newest development driver for Roush Fenway Racing. Reed will make his first appearance in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in the No. 16 Drive to Stop Diabetes Ford Mustang Friday, April 26, 2013 at the famed Richmond International Raceway.

The Bakersfield, California native has been racing since the age of four and is no stranger to the half-mile Irwindale Speedway becoming the youngest winner in 2010 at Toyota Speedway in the Super Late Model Division. Reed has notched the Legends Division Track Championship and Rookie of the Year title at the Irwindale, California racetrack. Reed will have the No. 16 Drive to Stop Diabetes Ford ready to race on opening night at Irwindale April 6th.

Reed is also set to race at the new Kern County Raceway in his hometown of Bakersfield when the track opens in 2013.

“It is always great coming home to California to race,” Ryan Reed said. “The opportunity to keep honing in my driving skills in the No. 16 Drive to Stop Diabetes Super Late Model while I prepare for my NASCAR Nationwide Series debut is invaluable. Irwindale is definitely my home track and I always have a blast racing there. I can’t wait for opening night on April 6th. Seat time is what I need right now and racing at Irwindale and Kern County is part of that plan.”

As Ryan moves into the top-tiers of NASCAR racing by way of the California short tracks, Reed, along with his veteran crew chief, Mike Munoz, have put together the Ryan Reed Racing Development program to assist young drivers to follow their dreams to become a professional racecar driver.

Munoz will head the development program and is known for his vast experience as a Super and Pro Late Model and NASCAR K&N Pro Series crew chief. Additionally, he has also worked with fellow California native and NASCAR driver, Matt Crafton, in the Camping World Truck Series.

Ryan Reed Racing will be offering very limited Driver Development opportunities in 2013! To learn more about the processes please contact Mike Munoz at 559-280-9312 on how to apply.

“Kern County Speedway is going to be such an awesome place to cut your teeth as a young driver,” Reed said. “It is as close to the bigger NASCAR tracks as you’re going to get on a short track. “I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to not only be able to follow my dream to be a racecar driver, but I also have the opportunity to help other people by educating them on diabetes as well as helping young drivers learn– life has no limits!”

Reed will be driving in at least five NASCAR Nationwide Series races for Roush Fenway Racing and Super Late Model events at Irwindale Speedway and at least eight races at nearby Kern County Raceway Park.

For more information on Drive to Stop Diabetes please visit www.DriveToStopDiabetes.org, Facebook: Ryan Reed, Twitter: @driverRyanReed.

For information on the Ryan Reed Driver Development Program please contact Mike Munoz 559-280-9312.

Source: Ryan Reed Racing Press Release

The article NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Ryan Reed Heads Home to the West Coast for Super Late Model Racing is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/otherseries/03/24/nascar-nationwide-series-driver-ryan-reed-heads-home-to-the-west-coast-for-super-late-model-racing/

Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG: Small and Strong [2013 New York auto show]

Subtlety doesn’t cut it anymore in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. The new CLA-class, proclaimed a “style rebel” by design chief Gorden Wagener, has made that clear with its voluptuous lines and playful styling elements. This “four-door coupe” appears compact, but it’s only marginally shorter, and actually wider and taller than the legendary 1985–1995 E-class W124 sedan. READ MORE ››

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/I-WVsDlLMcY/2014-mercedes-benz-cla45-amg-photos-and-info-news

Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther

Hamilton denies Ecclestone RBR claims

Lewis Hamilton has dismissed claims he asked Bernie Ecclestone to get him a Red Bull deal, insisting that joining Mercedes was the best decision of his life.

Ecclestone was reported at the weekend as saying that in mid-2012 Hamilton had asked for his help to get a contract at Red Bull.

Those efforts failed to come to fruition, however, with Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz preferring to remain loyal to Mark Webber.

Hamilton said he was aware of Ecclestone’s comments, but he was confused as they did not tally with his version of events.

“He seems to only make comments about me for some reason,” said Hamilton when asked for his feelings on Ecclestone’s remarks.

“It makes me a bit nervous because we have quite a good relationship and I’m quite open with him about a lot of stuff.

“I don’t really know what to say about the comments he made.

“I think he said something about me talking to Red Bull? I said to my management team to speak to all the teams and give me what the best options were.

“There was no particular one that I was pushing for more.

“At the end of the day I am here [Mercedes] and it’s the best decision I have ever made.”

Hamilton took his first podium for Mercedes in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/hamilton-denies-ecclestone-rbr-claims

Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett

Alex Bowman 2013 NNS Royal Purple 300 Post Race Report

Alex Bowman (Photo Credit: Geoff Burke / Getty Images North America)

Alex Bowman and the #99 RAB Racing, St. Jude Children’s Research Toyota Camry came into the AAA Auto Club Speedway with high hopes and a familiar car, but didn’t get the finish they had targeted. After qualifying in the 6th position and running in the top 5 most of the day, a pit road collision and a late race brush with the wall relegated the team to a 12th place finish.

Alex Bowman: “We had a great Toyota Camry all race long and I was able to drive through the field with ease, we definitely had the speed to run upfront. I came into the pits with about 50 laps to go and just overshot the pit stall. That put us back in the pack and I just couldn’t recover and get back to the front. Chris Rice put a great car under me and I have to thank everyone back at the shop at RAB Racing for building great cars, with a lot of speed. We had a chance with a late race restart but brushed the wall after being in traffic and that threw off the handling for the remainder of the race. At least our speedway program is strong and that excites me for Texas Motor Speedway in two weeks.

Source: Team RAB Racing Press Release

The article Alex Bowman 2013 NNS Royal Purple 300 Post Race Report is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/nationwide/03/24/alex-bowman-2013-nns-royal-purple-300-post-race-report/

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Mark Martin To Replace Injured Denny Hamlin In Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Fedex Toyota

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/03/28/mark-martin-to-replace-injured-denny-hamlin-in-joe-gibbs-racing-no-11-fedex-toyota/

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Report: GRAND-AM, IMSA announce deal to bring DTM racing to US

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

It won't be until 2015 at the earliest, but the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), Grand-Am and the Internationale Tourenwagen-Rennen have agreed to a licensing and cooperation deal that could bring a version of Germany's DTM series to the US.

When the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am are officially combined next year, the resulting body will be called United SportsCar Racing (USCR). IMSA will be the sanctioning body for that series, and DTM races could be run as support events. It was also suggested by an ALMS chief that DTM races could be standalone or join NASCAR and IndyCar weekends.

With the so-called DTM America finally agreed to, there is now a way for manufacturers to run the same DTM-type cars in Europe, the US and Japan - last year Japan's Super GT series agreed to adopt "the basic technical regulations" of DTM for the GT500 class, the top class in the series. That already puts six manufacturers in play: Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW that run in Germany's DTM and Honda, Nissan and Lexus that run in Super GT. The DTM oversight body has invited American brands to Germany for the opening round of the 2013 season, and will begin actively courting their participation in the US series. Check out the press release from Audi with comments on the deal below.

Continue reading GRAND-AM, IMSA announce deal to bring DTM racing to US

GRAND-AM, IMSA announce deal to bring DTM racing to US originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/29/grand-am-imsa-announce-deal-to-bring-dtm-racing-to-us/

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NASCAR: Logano action not deliberate

NASCAR Sprint Cup director John Darby says the organisers instantly dismissed the notion of Joey Logano having deliberately triggered the Fontana crash that left Denny Hamlin with a fractured back.

Logano and Hamlin ended up fighting for victory at Fontana a week after clashes both on and off track at Bristol.

The pair made contact, with Hamlin hitting the wall head on and suffering an injury that will rule him out of at least five races.

In an television interview before the severity of Hamlin’s situation became apparent, Logano said “he probably shouldn’t have done what he did last week, so that’s what he gets.”

NASCAR chose to issue no penalties over the clash, and Darby said it was clear from how Logano and Hamlin were racing that it was a normal close fight for victory rather than anything malicious.

“They were side-by-side and everything that great competitors do,” he said.

“If somebody was of the mindset to retaliate, they probably would have been lined up nose to tail to start with and somebody would have drove into the other car and spun them around.

“This case is so far from the opposite that it never even crossed anybody’s mind that that was part of it.”

PITLANE BRAWL

Logano was also involved in a pitlane fracas with Tony Stewart in which the three-time champion angrily accused the Penske driver of blocking him.

No penalties were applied in this case either and Darby said NASCAR was happy for its drivers to voice their feelings in such a way.

“A few years ago, we backed away from micromanaging drivers’ emotions,” he said.

“You would hope in today’s world that if somebody didn’t win a race, they would be upset about it for whatever reason.

“A couple of drivers at the end of the race arguing a little bit doesn’t create a foul in our world today.

“The crews did a great job of managing their drivers to make sure that it didn’t cross the line to where there was physical violence or anything like that, and that’s what you would hope.”

Darby also ruled out any NASCAR intervention in the sort of defensive driving Stewart was enraged over.

“Right now, I can tell you there are not any conversations internally inside NASCAR to look at blocking as the violation or penalty-type situation that some other forms of motorsports do,” he said.

“With Sprint Cup Series racing obviously being far above a lot of the other forms of racing as far as competitiveness goes, we are going to have close racing, and close side by side racing, and we are going to have close front to rear racing, and there’s a lot of that that’s just part of competition.

“I don’t think we need to jump in the middle of any of that and screw it up.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/nascar-logano-action-not-deliberate

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Spies expecting to struggle in Qatar

Ben Spies admits he expects to struggle in next weekend’s MotoGP season-opener in Qatar after a pre-season hit by injuries and poor weather.

The American switched from the works Yamaha squad to Ducati’s satellite Pramac operation for 2013, but missed the early tests as a result of the injuries sustained in last year’s Sepang Grand Prix.

He subsequently aggravated those injuries – which included an AC shoulder separation and bruised lung – with a fall in testing at the Malaysian track.

While Spies says his shoulder is no longer a cause for concern, he admits he has not been able to dial in to the Ducati during pre-season and is expecting to struggle early on as a result.

He was more than two seconds off the pace on the penultimate day at Jerez

“The shoulder is actually improving quite a bit, didn’t struggle at all with that,” Spies reported.

“It was kind of a big relief, but we were a little but slower than we wanted to be.

“I had a decent lap on my timer [that] put me with all the Ducatis but we’re still too far away from where we want to be.

“I just need to change the bike around for me, get more feeling [so I] can push the thing a little bit harder. Right now I’m kind of just sitting on top of it and not doing much.

“We know we’re still behind and going to be behind going into the first race but that’s just the way it is. We’ll just keep plugging away.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/spies-expecting-to-struggle-in-qatar

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Gallery: CTC Zolder

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/galleries/gallery-ctc-zolder

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Kanaan says de Silvestro pushing him to his limit

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/27/2783949/kanaan-says-de-silvestro-pushing.html

Carl Edwards Copart Ford Denny Hamlin Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch

Stewart: Logano needs to learn lesson

Tony Stewart believes Joey Logano has to ‘learn a lesson’ after his involvement in two controversial clashes at the end of the Fontana NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

Denny Hamlin was kept in hospital overnight for observation on a possible back injury after he and Logano tangled as they fought for the lead at the final corner.

They had previously tangled and rowed at Bristol a week earlier.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the incident, before Hamlin’s injury became clear, Logano said: “He probably shouldn’t have done what he did last week, so that’s what he gets.”

Stewart then lunged at Logano in the pitlane, furious with him for his defensive driving at the final restart.

The Penske and Stewart-Haas pit crews separated the drivers, with the enraged Stewart telling television reporters his intention when seeking out Logano had been to “bust his ass”.

Stewart said his fury was mainly because Logano had criticised other drivers for their track manners and then displayed “double standards”.

“Complaining about how everybody else is driving here and then to do that is a double standard,” said Stewart.

“He is a tough guy on pit road as soon as one of his crew guys gets in the middle of it. Until then he’s a scared little kid. Then he wants to sit there and throw a water bottle at me.

“He is going to learn a lesson. He can run his mouth on Twitter and stuff all he wants. I’ve got plenty of people that are going to watch for that.

“He’s nothing but a little rich kid that has never had to work in his life. He’s going to learn with us working guys that had to work our way up.

“I’m just tired of watching these kids whine and then they sit there and act tough when their crew guys get in the middle of it.

“If NASCAR wants us to let the guys have at it, it shouldn’t be any different than hockey. Let the guys have at it and then when one guy goes to the ground, then it’s over.

“He’s sent Denny to the hospital and screwed our day up.”

Logano felt his incident with Stewart was typical of a late-race lead battle.

“I understand that he’s upset about that. If that was any point earlier in the race that would be really dumb for me to do,” said Logano.

“At the end of the race, I feel like it is what I had to do.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/stewart-logano-needs-to-learn-lesson

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Pirelli: Red Bull tyre criticism is wrong

Pirelli insists it is unmoved by complaints from Red Bull about its tyres, and it thinks that the Malaysian Grand Prix proved it is doing the right thing.

Formula 1′s tyre supplier faced a hard time from Red Bull representatives over the Sepang weekend, with the reigning champion team eager for the tyres to be less aggressive.

Red Bull feels that the impact of the tyre on car performance is too great, which is limiting the speed of its car.

The team still managed to take a one-two finish on Sunday as it carefully managed the tyre situation, and Pirelli believes the lack of problems in the race showed that it has got its 2013 tyre formula right.

Mark Hughes’ GP report: tyres played key role in Red Bull flashpoint

When asked by AUTOSPORT if the race had silenced critics who were questioning the 2013 tyres, Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “To be honest it was only one critic really.

“Everyone else came and said they don’t know what they [Red Bull] were talking about.

“It was a challenge. And pretty much the same as we had the last two years.

“You have a combination of the new car, winter testing in the cold, new tyres, and the first time they come together is in Melbourne. And it has happened again.

“We have had two races and we tend to look at the first group of four races to see where we are.”

Hembery was insistent that it would be wrong of Pirelli to make any changes to its tyres at the whim of a single team.

“If you want to favour one team then the season is over,” he said. “It would be finished by Monza.

“Red Bull clearly have a lot of performance. Maybe they would like something else but I am sure other teams would like other things as well.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/pirelli-red-bull-tyre-criticism-is-wrong

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Button thinks podium chance missed

Jenson Button believes a Malaysian Grand Prix podium finish was achievable had McLaren’s race not gone awry in the pits.

Button was running fifth and suspects he could have outfoxed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg by the finish had he made a three-stop strategy work.

The Mercedes ultimately pitted four times and cruised home under team orders nursing tyre wear and fuel shortages.

Button lost nearly two minutes when he was released early from his third pitstop and had to be dragged back for a wheel to be fitted correctly. He was running 12th when he eventually retired with a severe vibration.

“It’s easy to say I could have been on the podium,” said Button. “I’m sure people will disagree with me, but I think we had a chance to fight with Mercedes.

“We had one less pitstop to do. I don’t know what might have happened, but at worst it would’ve been fifth and we would’ve fought against Mercedes.”

The 2009 world champion also believes McLaren made substantial progress in Malaysia, having only finished ninth in Australia seven days earlier.

“It’s a good improvement on the last race,” Button said. “Only a week ago we never would’ve thought we’d be racing for fifth.

“There are positives, but it’s always very tough when you have issues like this.

“It’s a lot of points to throw away, but we are improving and I can see we can be even more competitive in China.”

Team-mate Sergio Perez managed ninth despite a last-minute fourth tyre stop.

“I think we managed to get the best out of the car,” he said.

“Eighth was possible. We stopped very late as the tyres gave up.”

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/button-thinks-podium-chance-missed

Jacky Ickx Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland

INDYCAR: St. Pete Results Showcase Mazda Road To Indy Talent

Mazda Road To Indy grads were on display at St. Pete with winner James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti and Simona de Silvestro owning half of the top 6.

Source: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-st-pete-results-showcase-mazda-road-to-indy-talent/

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Mark Martin to Replace Injured Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing

Mark Martin

Veteran NASCAR Driver Mark Martin to Drive No. 11 FedEx Toyota Until Hamlin Returns 

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 28, 2013) – Joe Gibbs Racing announces today that Mark Martin will drive the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series while Denny Hamlin recovers from an L1 Compression Fracture suffered during an accident on March 24 at Auto Club Speedway.

“We’ve been real fortunate to have never been in this situation with the need to find someone to fill in for an injured driver,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “A lot goes into a decision like this but we are really pleased to have someone of the character and caliber of Mark Martin to fill in while Denny is out. Obviously we’re not exactly sure how long that is going to take, but Mark’s career speaks for itself and our team knows it will have the opportunity to compete for a win every week.”

Martin will make his first start for JGR in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, April 7. Martin has made one previous appearance for JGR when he started in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and finished second.

Martin has one of the most distinguished careers in NASCAR history having made his first Sprint Cup Series start in 1981. Over his 31 years in the sport he has made 858 starts in the Sprint Cup Series and compiled 40 wins, 271 top-five and 449 top-ten finishes. He has earned 56 pole awards as well. He also has 49 career wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

“I’m happy to have this opportunity to help out JGR, FedEx and Denny,” said Martin. “Hopefully I can keep those guys up front and compete for wins while Denny heals up.”

In 48 career starts at Martinsville Speedway Martin has earned two wins, 12 top-five and 25 top-ten finishes along with two poles. He has a career average finish of 13.3 at the famed short track known as the paperclip.

“I just hate not being able to be in the car right now, but I really appreciate Mark being able to fill in for me,” said Hamlin. “Like everyone in NASCAR, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mark and I know he will keep that FedEx Camry up front until I get back behind the wheel.”

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program.  Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Vickers and Elliott Sadler joins those Busch and Kenseth in the Nationwide Series along with  Drew Herring and Darrell Wallace, Jr. Wallace will also run a full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and four Nationwide Series owner’s championships along with more than 175 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

Source: Joe Gibbs Racing, Press Release

The article Mark Martin to Replace Injured Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/28/mark-martin-to-replace-injured-denny-hamlin-for-joe-gibbs-racing/

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Mears and GEICO Team Score Third Top-15 in Four Weeks

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Fontana, CA (March 24, 2013) –Casey Mears is coming off of a productive Bristol weekend where he finished 15^th after recovering from crash damage that sent his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion all the way back to the 34^th position.  At a track where passing was at a premium, the Bakersfield, CA, native made it look easy.  This week, Fontana offered Mears the opportunity to come back home and continue his strong run.

Mears quickly settled back into his California roots on Friday evening during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying when he zipped around the two-mile racetrack in Fontana in just 38.886-seconds.  His fast lap put him 11^th on the starting grid and accounted for Germain Racing’s best ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying effort at the SoCal racing facility.

Bright skies and perfect temperatures welcomed race fans on Sunday.  Prior to assuming his racing duties, Mears spent extensive time with four Marines from Camp Pendleton who were guests of the Armed Forces Foundation.  After taking photos with them during pre-race, he climbed aboard his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion and aimed to continue the team’s marked progress.

Rolling off of the starting grid 11^th, Mears and his GEICO Fusion quickly fell victim to handling issues and suffered a loss of grip that heard him on the team radio frequency saying: “I’m way too loose; I’m sideways. I can’t do anything.”  Crew chief Bootie Barker assured Mears that the situation would be rectified.  Unfortunately, Mears began to free-fall through the field before landing all the way down in 27^th.

Lap 28 offered relief as the first caution flag of the day was displayed for a David Stremme spin, affording Mears the opportunity to visit pit road.  The Germain Racing pit crew worked efficiently and after supplying the #13 GEICO Fusion with four fresh tires and a full tank of Sunoco racing fuel, they returned Mears to the racing surface one position to the good in 26^th.  The pit crew worked feverishly throughout the entire race, gaining positions on nearly every pit stop.  Mears openly complimented the crew often over the team radio and they collectively worked to put the GEICO Fusion in position to return to the front of the field.

As the race wore down, Mears made steady progress and ran solidly in the top 20.  After a Clint Bowyer spin with just 15 laps remaining in the advertised distance, Mears brought his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion to the attention of his pit crew for the final visit of the afternoon.  They quickly provided him with four tires and fuel and placed the outcome in his hands.  The GEICO driver restarted 18^th with just eleven laps to go and wasted little time in cutting through the field.  When the checkered flag closed 400-miles of racing, Casey Mears and his GEICO team recorded a 15^th place finish, marking their third top 15 effort in the previous four weeks.

“We have such a great group of guys and we fought hard all afternoon to get this #13 GEICO Ford Fusion where we needed it to be,” Mears said after climbing from his car.  “We just never quit and we slowly were able to get this thing headed in the right direction.  Also, the Germain pit crew did an exceptional job today and that helped a lot as we tried to gain positions.  I can’t thank GEICO, Germain Racing and Ford enough for their great support of our program.  Today was a true team effort that showed how resilient our guys are and how hard they work.”

With consistency as a virtue, Mears jumps one spot in the Driver Points to 21^st and sits only three points removed from the top 20.  Team owner Bob Germain remains 23^rd in the Owner Point standings, but now rests just five points behind Rick Hendrick who owns the 20^th position.

Next week, the Germain Racing team will get to enjoy their first weekend off in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.  After enjoying a break, they will return to action in Martinsville, VA, on April 7^th.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will hit the track at Martinsville Speedway for the opening practice session on Friday, April 5^th, at 12:00 PM (EDT).  Qualifying will follow at 3:40 PM (EDT).

The STP Gas Booster 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, April 7^th, and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 1:00 PM (EDT).  The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Please visit the Casey Mears Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/caseymearsracing

The article Mears and GEICO Team Score Third Top-15 in Four Weeks is from Catchfence.

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/25/mears-and-geico-team-score-third-top-15-in-four-weeks/

Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther Yves Giraud Cabantous Ignazio Giunti