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Tag: auto racing

  • Danica Patrick Continues to Drive Pink Car For Breast Cancer Awareness

    Danica Patrick will once again race in a pink Chevrolet SS as she heads to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia this weekend for the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 race. Patrick also drove the pink version of her number 10 GoDaddy car at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway the past two weekends.

    The car is painted pink to raise awareness for breast cancer. October is breast cancer awareness month and the paint job is part of GoDaddy’s “Put the Brakes on Breast Cancer” program.

    This week a new twist on the paint job will be seen in Martinsville. As part of the GoDaddy program fans were encouraged to donate at least $10 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Fans who did so were able to place their name or a loved one’s name on the car. The car now has hundreds of names of people affected by breast cancer featured on it, including some that Patrick herself donated for.

    “GoDaddy has done a lot to raise awareness about breast cancer,” said Patrick. “For this week we have a lot of names on the car of people that are affected by breast cancer. I know I put a few on there, including Holly Cain. I know the Gibson’s donated and put some names on there as did others from SHR (Stewart Haas Racing), GoDaddy, and of course the fans. It’s just a good way to raise awareness and remember the people affected by this terrible disease.”

    Holly Cain is a NASCAR.com reporter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

    As for the race itself, Patrick has only had three starts at the short Martinsville track. She finished 32nd during her last outing at Martinsville this past March. Despite that recent history Patrick this week stated that she and crew chief Tony Gibson are hoping to “put together a good run” for the names featured on the side of the car.

  • Danica Patrick Closes Out the Season at Richmond

    Following an impressive showing at the Atlanta Motor Speedway over Labor Day weekend, Danica Patrick finished up the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup regular season in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday. Patrick finished in 16th place during the Federated Auto Parts 400 held at the Richmond International Raceway.

    “It was a good day,” said Patrick. “Everyone on the GoDaddy team worked hard; we had good night. I’m proud of where we have been the last two weeks, and tonight was by far our best run at Richmond. It was a good job by the team.”

    Patrick started the race in 13th and ran between 10th and 20th during the entire race. On lap 330 Patrick was in 16th and one lap down when the caution flag was raised due to a fan that had scaled a retaining fence on the track. The caution allowed Patrick to gain a lap via the beneficiary rule (also known as the “lucky dog” rule), though she remained in 16th for the rest of the race.

    “If we could have got one more caution, it would have been nice,” said Patrick. “But it didn’t happen. Still, I’m proud of these guys and for GoDaddy. It’s our best run here by far. We’ve been testing a lot, so hopefully everyone can wind down on Sunday before we get ready for Chicago.”

    Saturday’s race was the final race of this year’s Sprint Cup regular season. Next weekend will begin the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Sixteen drivers will compete in ten races to determine the series winner. The drivers were selected to compete in the Chase based on their wins and point totals during the regular season.

    Patrick is not part of the Chase, but the sixth seed going into the series is Patrick’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick. Harvick won two races during the regular season and finished fifth at Richmond this past weekend.

    The first race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the MyAFibStory.com 400, will take place on September 14 at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

  • Jeff Gordon Gets New Panasonic Sponsorship Deal

    The Hendrick Motorsports auto racing team this week announced a new, expanded multi-year sponsorship deal with Panasonic. The deal includes primary sponsorship of Jeff Gordon‘s number 24 car in two Sprint Cup races each year through 2016 and an associate-level sponsorship for other races. Panasonic and Hendrick Motorsports have had a technology partnership deal since 2007.

    Jeff Gordon is a four-time Sprint Cup Series winner and one of the most recognizable faces in NASCAR.

    The sponsorship also means a new paint job for Gordon’s number 24 car. The car, complete with a blue Panasonic paint job, will debut this weekend at the Sonoma Raceway in California. The car will also make an appearance on August 31 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. A die cast model of the new car and a new t-shirt featuring the same style are already available for pre-order through Gordon’s website.

    “We’re looking forward to working with Panasonic in a new way, and I can’t think of a better place for their debut with the number 24 team,” said Gordon. “This is the next step in what’s already been a successful partnership, and it’s going to be fun to take it to another level. We hope to kick it off with a win this weekend for Panasonic and Toughbook.”

    For Panasonic, the upside of the deal is promoting its cameras, computers, and displays. Panasonic’s “Toughbook” notebook brand will appear on the number 24 car’s quarter panels.

    “To maximize the value of a NASCAR sponsorship, you need to partner with proven teams and drivers that exemplify your brand,” said Rance Poehler, president of Panasonic System Communications Company in North America. “Hendrick Motorsports and Jeff Gordon have a record of excellence that is a perfect fit for Panasonic and its Toughbook brand. We’ve been a technology partner of Hendrick Motorsports for many years, and as our business evolves to solutions and deeper partnerships with our customers it is an excellent time to extend our relationship from behind the scenes to the car on the track.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Kevin Harvick Wins First Career Pole At Darlington

    When all was said and done at the Darlington Raceway on Friday, it was Kevin Harvick who crossed the finish line ahead of the rest.

    It is Harvick’s first career pole and it keeps him in the hunt for his first Southern 500 NASCAR victory.

    ”It all worked out,” said Harvick ” Knockout qualifying paid off for us today because we were able to save the best for last.”

    Harvick’s explanation for his ability to beat the competition in this first knockout qualifying session comes down to having the fastest car.

    It’s simple enough, but certainly not something to take for granted. This is a session that a new track record of 184.145 mph set courtesy of Aric Almirola (Harvick crossed the finish line with a speed of 183.479 mph).

    Almirola’s lap was said to be more than 2 mph than the previous mark, and he looked to be the most likely to finish the qualifying session in first.

    Armirola would go on to finish in third place behind Harvick and Joey Logano.

    Because Harvick said his team had “faster cars”, he believes it helped him find the edge needed to get past Almirola.

    Harvick credited his No. 4 Chevrolet team with the improved quality of qualifying speed.

    It seemed all drivers were faster this year than drivers on the roadway this time last year when Kurt Busch set a record of 181.918 mph. It’s reported that all 25 drivers did better than that mark during the first round of qualifying.

    As this is a knockout race, not everyone was able to make it through to the next round of racing. This included Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Will there be future speed records? It’s likely. Since Busch’s record was set last year it was beaten in six of eight subsequent races.

    Harvick’s car may have been faster today, but with someone else holding the the track speed record, there’s no telling who will take the win in the Bojangles Southern 500.

    Image via YouTube

  • Lynda Petty, Wife of Richard, Dies at 72

    Lynda Petty, Wife of Richard, Dies at 72

    Richard Petty Motorsports has announced that the NASCAR Hall of Famer’s wife Linda had passed away Tuesday at 72. Lynda Gayle Owens Petty died peacefully at her home in Level Cross, North Carolina, after battling cancer for the past several years.

    Lynda Petty first revealed that she had central nervous system-related Lymphoma that had affected her brain in 2010, and was undergoing chemotherapy at Duke Medical Center. Commenting on her time at Duke, Petty explained, “The days that I spent in the hospital at Duke were long and dark and I thought, ‘will I ever be normal again.”‘

    At one point, Petty went blind, lost the ability to walk and when she’d returned home, didn’t recognize the house she’d lived in for 30 years. “I thought, ‘Lord give me strength to get through this’ because I knew it was going to be the battle of my life,” Petty said in 2010, and added that prayers from fans kept her going.

    A eulogy featured on the Richard Petty Motorsports website reads that Lynda Petty was “one of the first women of NASCAR and its most beloved wife, mother and friend. Affectionately known as ‘Mrs. Lynda’ to so many, Lynda Petty set a standard for being a loving, supportive and, when needed, an authoritative wife and mother. She also set the benchmark for being a leader in her local community while raising a family in the fast-growing sport of stock car racing.”

    Petty is remembered for her involvement in forming the Racing Wives Auxiliary, a charity fund for injured members of the NASCAR community. North Carolina governor Pat McCrory called Petty a “gracious woman,” adding that “She was the heart of the Pettys, always putting family first and giving them unconditional love as they took on the demands of competing at the highest level of racing. She was a great role model for North Carolina. Ann and I mourn her death and will keep her husband Richard and the entire Petty family in our thoughts and prayers.”

    A private memorial service is scheduled for Reverie Place in Randleman.

    Image via YouTube

  • Lotus C-01 Superbike Unveiled; Tron Fans Rejoice

    Last summer, British sports and racing car manufacturer Lotus announced plans to start a new motorcycle division. The decision came following a disastrous fiscal year in 2012 in which Lotus posted a $200 million loss and fired then CEO Dany Bahar.

    And after seeing the initial concept images, one better believe that Lotus made the right decision. The Lotus C-01 Superbike most closely resembles the Light Cycle from Disney’s Tron: Legacy, a bike that every motorcycle enthusiast has pined over since the movie’s release in 2010. The resemblance is no coincidence – the lead designer on the project was world-renowned designer Daniel Simon.

    Simon is a former designer for Bugatti Automobiles but has since left the commercial side of business to design for movies and other entertainment outlets. Simon’s most notable designs are the Light Cycle from Tron: Legacy, the “Bubbleship” from Tom Cruise’s Oblivion, and most recently several pieces from Captain America: The First Avenger:

    “With the Lotus C-01, we have only one ambition: to create a unique state-of-the-art machine that carries its brutal forces with elegance and style, a high-tech monster in a tailored suit. The C-01, with all its top notch components and materials, is first and foremost emotional, heartbreaking, at times playfully retro, and always clearly a Lotus. Lotus is a glamorous name with a rich history, and the C-01 celebrates it proudly: the shapes of the marvelous Lotus 49 were a main inspiration, and all color schemes pay homage to iconic Lotus racing liveries, such as the dashing black and gold. The intersection of past and future always fascinates, and so does the unique idea of the C-01,” stated Simon.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRvBJSkPLbU

    Simon was not the only person brought in by Lotus to assist with the project. In fact, Lotus essentially has nothing to do with the project besides lending a name and resources (reflecting the company’s new trend toward marketing and branding rather than creating). Along with Simon, Lotus partnered with Kodewa, a German auto-racing team, and the Holzer Group, the company responsible for the development, production, and assembly of Lotus motorcycles.

    The CEO of the Holzer Group was among the first to ride the bike and had nothing but rave reviews: “…I have to say I was very impressed. Together we have found that delicate balance between raw, aggressive power and breath-taking handling. The team has created something very special, it looks incredible, it sounds fantastic but above all, the ride is sensational. I’m very happy.”

    The Lotus C-01 will have a limited run of 100 bikes and will cost customers a nice chunk of change at around $140,000, mainly due to the use of carbon-fiber, titanium, and aerospace quality steel. The bike is customizable, though, making the price-tag a bit more tempting.

    Image via Lotus Motorcycles

  • Daytona 500 Resumes After Rain Delay

    Daytona 500 Resumes After Rain Delay

    Rain, rain go away, Daytona 500 racers are out to play!

    The rain did let up, but only 6 hours, 21 minutes, and 41 seconds after the red flag was posted. The severe weather put both racers and spectators in danger, prompting authorities to stop the race and wait for the track to dry.

    The race was halted after the 38th lap. The red flag stayed on for more than six hours, after which a caution flag signaled the resumption of the event at 8:36 p.m. The green flag was finally dropped at 8:53 p.m., during lap 46.

    The Daytona International Speedway had tweeted a weather alert earlier, advising spectators to clear the grandstands, secure items at campsites, and take other necessary precautions. When the red flag was up, the track flashed warnings to fans, alerting them to take cover.

    Racing authorities are now being extra careful about the safety of both racers and fans after a fatal incident in 2012, during a race at Pocono Raceway. At 4:12 p.m. on August 5, a severe weather warning was issued, but spectators did not evacuate the stands until the race was stopped by NASCAR at 4:54 p.m. A few minutes later, a lighting strike hit the parking lot, killing a fan. Nine more were injured.

    While the racers and fans of the Daytona 500 waited out the rains on Sunday, a replay of last year’s race was aired on Fox Sports. The season opener rerun showed Jimmie Johnson winning the event, and thousands of viewers mistook this as this year’s race.

    The network ran a “replay” crawl at the bottom of the screen, but many fans were probably too eager to watch the coverage of Sunday’s race that they failed to read the message. The result was a bevy of fans and friends congratulating Johnson, who was understandably baffled and quite amused. Johnson tweeted out a reply, ending his post with the hashtag “#2013Replay” to clear things.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kurt Russell Added to Cast for “Fast and Furious 7”

    While every installment of the “Fast and Furious” series comes highly anticipated, there’s yet another reason to look forward to the next release. Cinema Online reports that Kurt Russell has joined the cast of “Fast and Furious 7.” For the past couple weeks, there has been speculation floating around the rumor mill that Russell was involved in the film.

    Universal Pictures released a photo that basically confirmed Russell’s involvement. The picture showed the 62-year-old veteran actor in a body shop with “Fast and Furious” franchise stars Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. Diesel took the liberty of posting the picture on Facebook, along with a few other taken on the set.

    Directed by James’ Wan, “Fast and Furious 7” also features a number of other notable cast members. In addition to Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, Russell will join the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Statham, Jordan Brewster, Tyrese, Ludacris, and “Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift,” stars Lucas Black and Bow Wow.

    Kurt Russell is famous for his big screen roles in films such as, “Backdraft,” “Tombstone,” and “Executive Decision.” There has been no further information released in regards to the details of Russell’s role in the film. However, the film is slated to hit the big screen nationwide on July 11, 2014.

     

    Image via Wikimedia Commons