Three years after the floodgates opened on an open-wheel NASCAR invasion, it appears the bleeding has finally stopped for the IRL. As the curtain rises on this year's Indy 500, Dario Franchitti finds himself running open-wheel after just one failed season attempting to transition into Sprint Cup. He joins Jacques Villeneuve, Sarah Fisher and Patrick Carpentier as recent examples of how success in one form of motorsports doesn't always translate somewhere else -- failures that make others wary of attempting to make the jump (Danica, are you listening?).
Racing dynasties aren't new to motor sports. Former Formula One world champions Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve both had fathers with equally illustrious racing pedigrees.
As Joey Logano tore through NASCAR's lower divisions last year, he picked up the nickname Sliced Bread. But as Logano transitioned to NASCAR's top division, that bread turned stale.
Of course, seasons can be made or broken on any given lap of every race, but even before the first engines fire for the new season, a handful of races loom as key moments. Mark your calendars for these five.
Jacques Villeneuve, the reigning Formula 1 World Champion, approached Jeff Gordon, the reigning Sprint Cup champion, in 1997 with a plan that could have taken Gordon to F1. Gordon was interested and agreed to listen.
Joey Logano can't get to Sprint Cup fast enough.
It once seemed like America in microcosm, a high-banked land of opportunity where a hard-worker with a gleam in his eye and lead in his foot could make something of himself, where money and fame flowed like high-octane gasoline.
The Sprint Cup season is upon us, officially getting underway Saturday with the Budweiser Shootout, followed by Daytona 500 qualifying Sunday and NASCAR's biggest race a week later. Then it's 35 more events until the championship. Indeed, this promises to be one of the most interesting of the circuit's 60 seasons.
For Michael Waltrip, the upcoming Sprint Cup campaign should turn out better than the 2007 season, when the driver debuted his own three-car team. Here's eight reasons why '08 should be great for the two-time Daytona 500 champ:
NASCAR's major stories for 2007 are behind us. We know Dale Earnhardt Jr. is headed for Hendrick Motorsports and Kyle Busch for Joe Gibbs Racing, Gibbs for Toyota and Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick have completed a dominant championship run and will collect a enormous check at the Nextel Cup awards ceremony in New York on Nov. 30.
Three years after the floodgates opened on an open-wheel NASCAR invasion, it appears the bleeding has finally stopped for the IRL. As the curtain rises on this year's Indy 500, Dario Franchitti finds himself running open-wheel after just one failed season attempting to transition into Sprint Cup. He joins Jacques Villeneuve, Sarah Fisher and Patrick Carpentier as recent examples of how success in one form of motorsports doesn't always translate somewhere else -- failures that make others wary of attempting to make the jump (Danica, are you listening?).
Racing dynasties aren't new to motor sports. Former Formula One world champions Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve both had fathers with equally illustrious racing pedigrees.
As Joey Logano tore through NASCAR's lower divisions last year, he picked up the nickname Sliced Bread. But as Logano transitioned to NASCAR's top division, that bread turned stale.
Of course, seasons can be made or broken on any given lap of every race, but even before the first engines fire for the new season, a handful of races loom as key moments. Mark your calendars for these five.
Jacques Villeneuve, the reigning Formula 1 World Champion, approached Jeff Gordon, the reigning Sprint Cup champion, in 1997 with a plan that could have taken Gordon to F1. Gordon was interested and agreed to listen.
Joey Logano can't get to Sprint Cup fast enough.
It once seemed like America in microcosm, a high-banked land of opportunity where a hard-worker with a gleam in his eye and lead in his foot could make something of himself, where money and fame flowed like high-octane gasoline.
The Sprint Cup season is upon us, officially getting underway Saturday with the Budweiser Shootout, followed by Daytona 500 qualifying Sunday and NASCAR's biggest race a week later. Then it's 35 more events until the championship. Indeed, this promises to be one of the most interesting of the circuit's 60 seasons.
For Michael Waltrip, the upcoming Sprint Cup campaign should turn out better than the 2007 season, when the driver debuted his own three-car team. Here's eight reasons why '08 should be great for the two-time Daytona 500 champ:
NASCAR's major stories for 2007 are behind us. We know Dale Earnhardt Jr. is headed for Hendrick Motorsports and Kyle Busch for Joe Gibbs Racing, Gibbs for Toyota and Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick have completed a dominant championship run and will collect a enormous check at the Nextel Cup awards ceremony in New York on Nov. 30.
Five things we learned on Sunday in the Checker Auto Parts 400 Phoenix, the penultimate race of the 2007 season:
Two years ago, Jeremy Mayfield's NASCAR career was cruising along in high gear. He was in the Chase for the second straight year, eventually finishing ninth.
Racecar drivers are usually the last ones to succumb to any sort of peer pressure. Considering what they do for a living, why would they? It takes a special mix of confidence, ego and guts to go 200 miles an hour into the corner time and again each weekend.
Here are five things we learned on a rainy Sunday in Kansas:
Who needs Talladega? Who needs Bristol? The twice rain-delayed LifeLock 400 had it all at the Kansas Speedway on Sunday.
Any bona fide NASCAR historian can tell you that Jeff Gordon's first Nextel Cup race in 1992 was also Richard Petty's last, marking a transition from the great champion of the past to the great champion of the future. They should also take note of what is happening this weekend, on two different tracks in two different series.
There were two winners on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Obviously, there was Jimmie Johnson, who, from the pole, won his second in a row in his quest to repeat his NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship. Then, surprisingly, there was Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jr. whose engine blew while battling for second place with five laps to go.
Jimmie Johnson showed he's back in championship form on Sunday evening at California Speedway.
This year's Formula 1 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent history. With seven races remaining, the drivers' championship is still wide open.
As Markus Winkelhock took to the sodden track of last week's European Grand Prix in Nuerburgring he went where one Winkelhock had been before, his father Manfred Winkelhock.
Audi enhanced their reputation as the ultimate Le Mans specialists with a fourth successive triumph in the sportscar classic on Sunday.
The first European leg of the season over and done with and it's over to north America, for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal and next weekend's United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve has broken ranks with Formula One's other ex-champions in criticizing Lewis Hamilton's driving.
Lewis Hamilton lived the dream in Australia on Sunday with a grand prix debut that ranked as one of the most impressive in Formula One history.
Williams have signed a multi-year title sponsorship deal with AT&T Inc, the largest U.S. telephone carrier, the Formula One team said in Sao Paulo on Friday.
BMW Sauber have confirmed Germany's Nick Heidfeld and Poland's Robert Kubica as their race drivers for the 2007 Formula One season.
McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen snatched pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday after penalty-hit title contenders Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher failed to make the top 10.
Michael Schumacher blasted the Formula One title race wide open on Sunday with a commanding victory in his home German Grand Prix as Ferrari scored a one-two triumph.
Michael Schumacher showed that Ferrari are back on form by storming to pole position for Sunday's United States Grand Prix.
World champion Fernando Alonso further strengthened his grip on the 2006 title race with victory in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
Defending world drivers' champion Fernando Alonso stormed to pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Saturday.
Robert Kubica added to his pace-setting time earlier on Friday by going quickest in the second free practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher's rivals slammed the Ferrari driver after his controversial pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday.
A total of 22 two teams have applied to race in the 12-team 2008 Formula One championship, the sport's governing body has said.
World champion Fernando Alonso settled for fifth spot as the top drivers all took it easy in Friday's practise session for the Australian Grand Prix.
Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella took pole position with a flying late lap in qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Formula One champions Renault have confirmed Finland's Heikki Kovalainen as their test and reserve driver for 2006.
BMW have confirmed that Jacques Villeneuve will drive for them next year, ending speculation the Canadian might be replaced.
Title challenger Kimi Raikkonen claimed pole place at the Istanbul Park circuit Saturday when he finished fastest in qualifying for Sunday's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix.
Title challengers McLaren looked ominously quick when the wail of Formula One engines echoed around Istanbul's new circuit for the first time.
Renault's Fernando Alonso cashed in on Kimi Raikkonen's misfortune to win the German Grand Prix on Sunday and take a huge step towards becoming Formula One's youngest champion.
Britain's Jenson Button rebounded from his BAR team's controversial two-race ban to claim pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
Championship leader Fernando Alonso put Renault on pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve could quit Formula One unless his situation at Sauber improves soon, friend and rival David Coulthard has suggested.
Spain's Fernando Alonso seized provisional pole for Renault at the Malaysian Grand Prix with a blistering lap in first qualifying.
Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella took provisional pole for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix after the weather turned first qualifying into a lottery on Saturday.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve will make his Sauber test debut on Friday with the Swiss-based team already setting the pace with Brazilian Felipe Massa.
Rubens Barrichello gave Ferrari pole position for Sunday's inaugural Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, but his team mate, world champion Michael Schumacher, skidded to the back of the grid.
BAR test driver Anthony Davidson put seven times world champion Michael Schumacher in the shade as Formula One made an historic debut in China.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve will race the last three grands prix of the season for Renault, the team have confirmed.
Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has been signed to drive for the Sauber Formula One team for the next two seasons.
Germany's Ralf Schumacher reported no pain on Tuesday as he stepped back into a Formula One car for the first time since his big accident in June.
Formula One's oldest driver Olivier Panis has announced that he will quit at the end of the season to take up a test role with Toyota.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve plans a Formula One return in 2005 and would be interested in rejoining Williams, according to the ex-world champion's manager.
Formula One team BMW Williams launched their new car on Monday and set themselves the target of challenging Ferrari's F1 supremacy.
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