- 04:56 AM
- 04/25/24
OK, so it isn't a sport played with a ball on american soil, but there are lots of US drivers competing here in a US-based world championship, if that helps ;-) Actually, they tried NASCAR as a support category in this event for a few years, but the cars were not capable of handling the tough street circuit and the drivers got all wimpy if a little bit of rain fell, so they moved to the local touring car categories and never looked back.
posted by dg at 07:31 PM on October 24, 2002
For the record, Gold Coast-based driver David Besnard and New Zealand's Simon Wills won the event in a Caltex-Havoline Ford Falcon. The result of the 161-lap race at Queensland Raceway was Ford's first win in the championship since last year's VIP Petfoods Queensland 500. Steve Richards and Russell Ingall finished second in a Castrol Perkins Holden Commodore and were less than 3 seconds behind the winners. Valvoline Holden Commodore team-mates Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna were third, followed by pole position winners Marcos Ambrose and Paul Weel in a Pirtek Ford Falcon. New Zealand's Greg Murphy, driving a Kmart Holden Commodore with Todd Kelly, appeared on target for victory in the 500km endurance event when he led after the sixth and final Safety Car period on lap 158. On the following lap Murphy slowed because of a fuel shortage and was passed by Besnard. Murphy eventually finished 10th.
posted by dg at 02:17 AM on September 18, 2002
Hmm, seems that it would be better to choose a partner who shares your interest in the first place or, shocking as it may be to contemplate - don't spend all weekend sitting in front of the TV watching sports in the first place!
posted by dg at 05:37 PM on August 15, 2002
Which would be when? ;-)
posted by dg at 07:49 PM on July 14, 2002
riffola, deals made before the race over who is going to win hardly make for exciting racing, not by my description anyway. If these deals are to be made, why bother to run the race at all? Maybe it is being unfair to Ferrari, but the evidence is there that they were trying to make themselves look good prior to the hearing and that they have done their calculations to make sure that Schumacher will still win the title. What’s the bet that he will take the next round? The rest of the season seems to be simply a procession with Schumacher at the lead unless something dramatic happens. Sorry, forgot we were discussing F1 for a minute there ;-). I wonder if the trophy has been engraved already?
posted by dg at 06:22 PM on June 30, 2002
This incident was exactly the sort of thing that is bringing F1, which should be (and used to be) the absolute pinnacle of motor sport, down in the estimation of the public. The races are becoming processional enough and the focus is so much on the money rather than the technology of the engineers and skill of the drivers, that the credibility of F1 is poor at best. To so blatantly flout the ideals of racing in this way was deplorable. It was clear that the drivers concerned were not happy about the team orders and I wonder if they executed them in such a way that it was obvious in order to bring this issue out in the open. I, for one, applaud the actions of the drivers after the race. The $1M is not a big amount for either the team or the drivers, but is a clear slap in the face for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, one that is richly deserved.
posted by dg at 05:40 PM on June 26, 2002
The V8 Supercars roar again!
The event managed to bring the only rain we have had in weeks, in the middle of the worst drought in recorded history in this region. Jason Bargwana won the round in his Valvoline/Cummins sponsored Holden Commodore, with Craig Lowndes taking second in the 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon and Greg Murphy bringing the K-Mart Commodore home third, amidst numerous controversial drive-through penalties for drivers over-using kerbs on the very tight street circuit. Oh, and some guy called Mario Dominguez won the CART race, if anyone cares about wanna-be F1 cars. Full results here.