NASCAR: Fontana / Formula One: Virgin and Honda

The Daytona Speed ​​Week is over, now comes the hard bread of the race of the season. As if NASCAR wants to make it a particularly difficult is that most of Fontana directly bore on the program.

Sometimes it is indeed the case that one can recognize the position of a track was built with as much dedication a distance. Fontana is located just outside of Los Angeles, in the middle of an industrial area, surrounded by a truck repair shops, bad dinners and nothing else. That the stands are empty every year, has something to do with the location of the trail. Who would willingly goes to such a place? In addition, one in California now, NASCAR is not really enthusiastic and the race in Fontana are enormous from a long time usually. Fontana calls itself the "fastest 2 Mile Oval" which is certainly true, but not so hard is because there are many two miles ovals also do not now. And it's fast, it's true. But that's it, too.

The problem of Fontana are not the 2 miles, but the 14 degree banking. The steep curves offer little grip, and thus little opportunity to overtake. The asphalt is bad about that. How careless of the course is built, you could see in the last year, when times was raining. Although the water which ran down steep curves logically, therefore, had no chance to seep to the surface, the water saved and put it back out through cracks in the asphalt when a car drove over it. Junior and other submerged because of the wet spots her car into the wall.

During the race, the field is quickly very far apart. And even if there are many interruptions. Last year there were eight in the autumn and 12 in February. So much in fact, but hardly a race is three laps old, everyone goes back to yourself. There are quite a few who would like to see massive changes in the course. First, it is too fast, because it stands at over 200 mph with the curves, on the other it is too boring. The most frequently cited suggestion: increase the banking to 25 degrees and makes a restrictor races out of it. The other variant: tear it down and build a second Bristol.

How to be, at the weekend, the race is now at times. Fontana is actually a domain of Ford, Roush has won here several times in recent years, like Carl Edwards, even though cheated of victory in the last year. But the course is located behind the Ford, Toyota and Hendrick Chevys should like to lie. In Dodge you will have to wait.

One should not make the mistake of transferring the results from Daytona to Fontana. Although it is also about fuel consumption and speed, restrictor plate races but a science in itself. In general it is as usual the ERTEN five races will have to wait until you can slowly draw an interim conclusion.

Due to the time shift, Sunday's race starts very late. More precisely, after midnight. I will try a live blogging, it can not promise.

Formula One - Virgin and Honda
The thing is, of course, hot: The Virgin Group is reportedly a bid for the remnants of the Honda team have made. This is good news, because the group of Richard Branson is certainly a good candidate for such an acquisition is concerned. It is amazing for me, but two things: the timing and nature of the offer.
I would bet my little finger, that Bernie Ecclestone has engineered the thing. Jumped over the winter after all potential investors and it is only five weeks until the start of the season, Honda would run out of patience. It's amazing, because in December Fry and Brawn still spoke of it, that there would be at least three possible and serious investors. What remains is probably no. And the management buyout is probably off the table. Brawn and Fry had the money and the investors together for a month, then the matter would schpon only because of the Mercedes engines already on the table. But obviously, since Honda sees little chance for the two team leaders.

The bill is simple, because if you fail to shop conveniently and gives the managers have the least have the entire infrastructure that can sell. And that is, one hears, worth around 35 million €. Honda has said repeatedly that they wanted to sell the team to only one long-term investor. Presumably you have the buyout so a few weeks ago already rejected. Interestingly, Ecclestone is so since the end of January in the matter very active. I suspect that he has made an offer in Branson and has assured the company because some guarantees. That could be presented in additional Werbepräzenz or other things.

It is clear that Virgin is the last chance for the team. Branson himself decides against it, the team will not be able to go to the start, what Ecclestone, who has since January in the matter far leaning out the window, a catastrophe would mean. Because that would signal to the outside, that Ecclestone himself is no longer able to bring new sponsors into Formula One. Not even when he himself money put into it.

Virgin is likely to give in these circumstances, a "no-brainer." Undeniably yes Marktpräzenz the series is the world's bored active. Virgin is also positioned themselves around the world and would benefit from it. For one thing, could be back in Branson once celebrated as a gambler, who in difficult times has the courage to go into Formula One, to him the other environments of the series itself is indeed quite acceptable and in keeping with his image. The problem with the thing here is the fact that the F1 is no longer active in North America, and therein lies a major focus of the Virgin Group.

The chances that we will see a Virgin-branded car with Mercedes engines in Australia, but are quite large. The pressure on all sides could bring in Branson a very good deal, the group brings its worldwide advertising, having to spend a lot of money.

And what else?
A1 runs at Kyalami. The race itself was on a1gp.com be transferred. This will not only be the main race. I have the time for the rest of the weekend but sometimes packed in the overview, perhaps, "" can be found so what.

21/02/2009

02/22/2009

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The Daytona Speed ​​Week is over, now comes the hard bread of the race of the season. As if NASCAR wants to make it a particularly difficult stands, with a maximum bore directly Fontana ...