car racing:

Robbie Gordon Wins in NASCAR!!

OK, he didn’t win an actual race. But he won something even more unlikely – an appeal of penalties imposed by NASCAR for a rules infraction.

Gordon was penalized for using an improper nose on his Dodge at the Daytona 500. NASCAR spotted it, so it didn’t get on the track. But they docked Gordon 100 owner points, 100 driver points, suspended his crew chief for six races and fined the crew chief $100,000.

Gordon appealed, arguing that it wasn’t his fault – it was Dodge’s fault. They sent out the part and told his team that it had been approved. It hadn’t been. It was a screw-up at the Dodge end, at the warehouse.

(more after the jump)

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More Details on IRL – Champ Car Merger

At a press conference yesterday, Indy Racing League and Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George and Champ Car owners Kevin Kalkhoven provided a few more details about the merged league.

First, it’s not really a merger. IRL gets Champ Car’s trademarks and is, in essence, acquiring the company.

Second, the Champ Car races at Edmonton, Alberta and Surfer’s Paradise in Australia will be added to the IRL schedule.

Third, there will be at least one race week-end with two races, using two different chassis: the April 18-20 week-end will see both the Long Beach race using the Panoz chassis formerly used by Champ Car and the Motegi, Japan race using the IRL’s Dallara chassis with Honda engines. Points and purses for the two races will be identical.

(more after the jump)

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Rumors True: Indy Racing League and Champ Car Merge

Earlier this week, we reported the rumor that the Indy Racing League was close to reaching a deal to absorb the Champ Car World Series, thereby unifying major league open wheel racing in the United States into one series.

Today, the groups made the official announcement. The rumors were true. The papers have been signed by all of the principals, including IRL CEO Tony George.

The two series will be combined for the 2008 season. A press conference to announce the details has yet to be scheduled.

Rumors, however, have the Champ Car teams switching to the Dallara chassis used in the IRL and running according to IRL rules. The rumors also have the merged series opening its first practice later this month a Homestead speedway in Florida.

The History of the Champ Car vs. IRL Split

With news that there may be a merger between IRL and Champ Car, reported in a previous post, it timely to review how it got to this.

Tony George has customarily been blamed for causing a split in American open wheel racing. The conventional wisdom is that it was just greed that caused the Hulman family to create the IRL.

But, that’s not accurate.

The roots of the split date back to the 1950’s.

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Champ Car and IRL to Merge?

Autoweek seems to thinks so. It is reporting, as “breaking news,” that a deal is close that would effectively merge the Champ Car World Series into the Indy Racing League.

According to Autoweek, Champ Car teams have been instructed to cease work on their current Panoz chassis in anticipation of receiving Dallara chassis used by the IRL.

An official announcement is expected prior to the first IRL test of the coming season, to be held at Homestead on February 27th and 28th.

(more after the jump)

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DODGE WINS THE DAYTONA 500 – IS ROGER FINALLY PAYING ATTENTION?

One of the sweet mysteries of life has been why Roger Penske has been unable to win in NASCAR.

Here is a man who has prevailed in every form of racing in which he has participated:

Penske has won the Indianapolis 500 more times than any other owner.

His team was so dominant in the Can-Am Series that he destroyed it, because it was no longer competitive. To this date, the Penske 917 Can-Am Porsche is considered the single most awesome racing car ever created.

Back when Penske was the team owner for the original Trans-Am, his Chevies dominated. Until he switched to, of all things, American Motors. Two years later, the Javelin won the championship. A couple of years after that, the series imploded, partly because it took too much money and too much commitment to compete with Penske.

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THE NASCAR JOKE

Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch – two of NASCAR’s perpetually spoiled child drivers – have been put on a six race “probation.”

Apparently, when called to the NASCAR trailer, Stewart took a swing at Busch.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s disciplinarian, explained that the penalties were equal because both had misbehaved.

Penalties?

What penalties?

(more after the jump)

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Billet Pedals give your car a racing look

There is nothing like racing style pedals! Having them in you car is not impossible.
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Thomas Gottschalk and Audi at the Mille Miglia

Celebrities from the world of film and television are crewing the Audi Tradition models taking part in the 25th Mille Miglia in Italy (17 to 19 May). During the world’s fastest classic car rally, TV show host Thomas Gottschalk will be sitting alongside Audi Board Member for Sales Ralph Weyler in a Wanderer W 25 K. In another model of the same type, actor Thomas Heinze and Volkswagen’s Head of Communications Stephan Grühsem will make an assault on the race’s 1,000 miles. (...
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Volkswagen to compete in 39th annual Tecate Score Baja 500

Volkswagen has officially entered two Volkswagen Motorsport Dakar Rally vehicles in this year’s running of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, June 1-3, 2007. This will be the first race for the Race Touareg 2 vehicles in North America, and also marks the first ever Volkswagen factory racing entry in the legendary SCORE desert series racing. The Volkswagen team will feature an international cast of Volkswagen works drivers ready to tackle the challenging terrain of the Baja peninsula. (...)
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