<![CDATA[Deadspin: Auto Racing]]> http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/deadspin.com.png <![CDATA[Deadspin: Auto Racing]]> http://deadspin.com/tag/auto racing http://deadspin.com/tag/auto racing <![CDATA[IndyCar Officials Announce Driver Dan Wheldon Died In Today's Fiery Crash]]> AP, via SI.com, reports "Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died Sunday in a fiery 15-car wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when his car flew over another on Lap 13 and smashed into the wall just outside turn 2. Wheldon was 33. Drivers were told of Wheldon's death in a meeting about two hours after the fiery, smoky crash that many drivers said was the worst they had ever seen." More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5850312&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Here's Video Of The Fiery 15-Car Crash At Today's IndyCar Race In Vegas (UPDATE: Dan Wheldon Is Dead)]]> Just a handful of laps into today's Las Vegas Indy 300, 15 of 34 cars that started the race were involved in a horrific crash that left driver Dan Wheldon seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital. ESPN reported that driver Will Power was also taken to a hospital because of "lower back pain." At least two cars were airborne. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5850298&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Al Unser Jr., Two-Time Indy 500 Champ, Arrested For Drag Racing While Drunk]]> "Brown said Unser was drag racing another car in his Suburban and was going around 101 mph before sheriff's deputies caught up to him. ... According to a sheriff's report, Unser smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech. Sheriff's deputies said his blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit of 0.08." [AP] More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5845277&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Le Mans Driver Loses Wheel, Stops To Pick It Up, Continues With Wheel Riding Shotgun]]> Yes, this is a few days old, and yes, we found it via Reddit, and yes, it's the American Le Mans series, which gets about as much coverage as Champ Car, and that went out of existence years ago. But we needed to share this with you. During qualifying for the Baltimore Grand Prix on the American Le Mans Series, Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen lost a wheel while trying to come in for a pit stop. To have any hope of continuing, he'd have to get that wheel—not a replacement—back on his car. So he promptly rolls it over, plops it in the passenger seat, and grinds his way back to the pits. The desperation move worked, and Bleekemolen's team qualified. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5838064&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Watch Kasey Kahne And His Sprint Car Flip Over The Wall At A World of Outlaws Race]]> If watching cars drive around in circles at Williams Grove Speedway isn't your thing, fast-forward to 1:15 of this video. The driver emerged unhurt, remarkably enough. (H/T Cosby Sweaters) More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5824139&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Formula One Looks Like It's Coming To Texas Next Year]]> Plans for the 2012 American Grand Prix to be held at a new racetrack in Austin, are coming to fruition, with the track under construction and a date of June 17, 2012 circled on the F1 calendar. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5817107&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What It's Like To Fall In Front Of A Speeding Formula One Car — Twice]]> It's scary, mainly. This steward (marshal?) at yesterday's waterlogged Canadian Grand Prix was trying to clear debris from the track when he went down on the rain-slicked road, and had trouble regaining his feet. It's like Steamboat Bill Jr. wandered into Tom Pryce's final race. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5811313&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Your Indianapolis 500 Open Thread]]> Grand Marshal Anderson Cooper and the Indianapolis 500 Festival Princesses drew much attention on the red carpet outside the Snake Pit Ball. Jim Nabors, REO Speedwagon and the Chinese brought happiness to those attending the IPL 500 Festival Parade. Plus, there's a fancy car race today. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5806588&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Here's Video Of A Car Catching On Fire At The Brickyard Last Night]]> With six laps remaining in last night's 2011 Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100, boom went Jorge Goncalvez's No. 4 after a bit of entanglement sent his ride into the wall. He was alright, but the race finished under a caution. Ripoff. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5806471&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Australian Racing Fans Forced To Be Slightly Less Drunk Than Normal]]> Australia's legendary Bathurst 1000 motorcar race has been besieged by drunkenness in recent years, so this year police are cracking down. Only one case of beer, per person, per day. Show some restraint, people! [Telegraph/Sports Rubbish] More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5376595&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Bubba The Love Sponge Is A Midget Racing Dad]]> Sirius Radio host and Hulk Hogan BFF Bubba The Love Sponge Clem has his own racing team, where his top driver is his son, six-year-old Tyler Clem. [10 Connects] More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5163566&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Even The Weather Was Disappointed In The Daytona 500]]> With 48 laps left in the "Super Bowl of NASCAR," mighty Rangi, Sky Father who gives breath to the World, had seen enough. He brought down the thunder and put a stop to the Daytona 500. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5154166&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[This Baby Can Be Yours For Only $12,000]]> Arrive to that NASCAR race or criminal deposition in style in the 1999 Pontiac Limo (sold as is, no warranty). Drawback: The Pontiac Limo is located in Warrenton MO. [The Three Idiots On Sports] More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5152579&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Top Ten Reasons Rahal-Letterman Won't Be Racing The IndyCar Series This Year]]> 1.) They don't have a sponsor. 2.) They don't have a driver. Actually, that's pretty much all an Indy Racing team needs, so I guess they're screwed with or without the other eight. [AutoWeek] More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5142127&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[French Auto Mechanics Are Quite Dedicated]]> What do you do when your throttle cable snaps and your car dies just a short distance from the end of the stage in your rally car race? You climb under the hood and operate it manually while your navigator steers. I don't see what the big deal is; I used to drive to work this way all the time. By myself. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5086763&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Many Primates Still Not Sure Who Won Sunday's NASCAR Race]]> Condolences to those who were watching the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Phoenix Motor Speedway on Sunday. Just to fill you in, Jimmie Johnson won. It was high time that auto racing had its own Heidi Bowl, and ABC obliged, awkwardly cutting away from the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 in the Eastern and Central time zones late in the race. And what did racing fans see in its place? More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5083030&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Man's Ashes Have More Fun Than He Ever Did]]> Dear tiny infant Jesus, or as our brothers in the south call you, "Jezus," please welcome Big George Helms (pictured here) into your Heavenly kingdom. But first, kindly bear with us as his remains take a couple of laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Then its over to the KFC drive-thru, and then straight to you, Lord. Amen. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=364508&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Michael Schumacher Has To Get To The Airport STAT]]> What do you do if you're Michael Schumacher and you have to get your wife, kids and new puppy to the airport by taxi, and you're late? You push the cabbie aside and do the driving yourself, of course. Hey, it's Germany; Formula One veterans are driving all the cabs. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=332946&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[A Baby Name Which Will Cause No Future Embarrassment Whatsoever]]> When all is said and done, I blame the mom. When your last name is Karr, and dad comes up with the brilliant idea of naming the new baby Chevy, that's when you put your foot down, ladies. And you put it down hard ... on dad's genitals while he's sleeping, if necessary. And if he still insists, then you take the kids and get the hell out. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=279096&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[At Least Seven Dead in Tennessee Drag Racing Accident]]> A 15-year-old, a 17-year-old, and others in their early 20s were killed last night during something called an "exhibition burnout" in Selmer, Tennessee. One of the cars spun out of control and into the crowd, killing seven and injuring at least 15 more. From the AP: More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=269592&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Small Cars Going In Circles, Because Peyton Manning Said They Could]]> The Indianapolis 500 is underway, and if the fact that I haven't mentioned until over an hour after it started seems to give an indication of my interest level in the race ... it probably does. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=263856&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Paul Tracy Can't Drive]]> When you're drunk and blessed with a natural immaturity, there are few things in life that seem like a better idea than taking a golf cart out for a joyride. Champ Car racer Paul Tracy agrees. At least, he did about a week ago, before he his golf cart flipped and landed on his drunk ass, breaking his shoulder blade in the process.
"Sorry to say it was self-inflicted," Tracy told the Toronto Star. "I was at a party and had a little too much to drink, and we thought it was a good idea to go out on a golf cart and try and jump some sand dunes with it. Like I say, it sounded like a good idea at the time, but it didn't pan out that way."
That's embarrassing. That's what golf carts are for, people who are too drunk to walk. I don't know exactly how drunk Paul Tracy was, but I've seen and been in golf carts driven by people who can barely see, and I've never flipped. This professional driver can't handle a golf cart with a little booze in his system? They should kick him off the circuit. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=212518&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Yes, As A Matter Of Fact I Do Own The Damn Road]]> What if one encountered Martin Luther King Jr., on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway? What if you were driving through Lincoln Tunnel, and Lincoln showed up? Would you move over and let him pass? After all, it's his tunnel ... the darned thing was named after him. (Might get tedious waiting for that horse and buggy, though. "Come on, move it Great Emancipator!"). More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=193277&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Mmmmm... Milk.]]> Sam Hornish Jr., who pulled out too soon a little earlier in the race, is now free to pop off anytime he would like. He's your Indy 500 Champion, and for some reason, poured a bottle of milk all over himself immediately afterwards. I understand that it's a tradition, but I think it's one that's a little weird. Does next week's winner slather gravy and creamed corn all over himself? More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=176809&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA["Sam Hornish Pulled Out Too Soon"]]> Our pals at Jalopnik are in the corporate hospitality suite, watching the race, and... instant messenging each other. That's not a sentence I thought I'd ever be typing. Here's a snippet: More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=176798&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NASCAR Gets An Asterisk Of Its Own]]> When the Coca-Cola 600 kicks off later today, Michael Waltrip will make his 262nd consecutive start, which ranks sixth on the all-time list. But I'm favor of adding a big fat asterisk to Waltrip's spot on the list, because he didn't earn his spot, he bought it. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=176793&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[More From Deep Inside Indy]]> The Jalopnik fellas continue to penetrate the Indy 500 scene like Fred Smooth with a broomstick. They've already wormed their way into the official Indy 500 parade, ripped the lid off of an apparent child-slavery ring in the Indianapolis area, and taken a lap around the track in the official pace car, a Corvette Z06. And in case you were wondering about the Indy nightlife before the race, they've got that covered, too, making them the perfect combination of investigate journalists and drunks. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=176780&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Jalopnik Is All Over Indy]]>
It's Indy 500 weekend, as I'm sure you're aware. This is a huge event, and I know that because Cold Pizza sent Woody Paige and Skip Bayless there to do the show this week. Not to be outdone, though, our pals at Jalopnik are also live at the speedway. We're going to be leaning heavily on them for coverage of the race, and they seem to be having a hell of a lot of fun. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=176742&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The "I'm Still Not Watching" 400]]> We've got a lot of smart readers here. I really think someone should figure out a way to rig this contest, in which you could get a NASCAR race named after you. I've never watched more than 5 minutes of any sort of a car race in my life, but maybe I could be persuaded to watch one if it was called oh, I dunno... The Will Leitch 400? Let's make it happen. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=172099&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[IRL Driver Paul Dana Killed In Practice Crash]]> Paul Dana, 30, died just before noon today after a crash at a pre-race practice for today's IRL IndyCar Series race. Another car had spun and hit a wall in front of him, and Dana slammed into it at full speed, over 216 miles per hour. The other driver, Ed Carpenter, is awake and alert at the hospital, and looks to be fine. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=162996&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Some Car Race Just Keeps Killing People]]> In the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, an Australian motorcyclist named Andy Caldecott died in a crash. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=148698&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[F1 CEO Proves To Best Cro-Magnon Boss In The Business]]> Until about a week ago, you'd probably never heard of Bernie Ecclestone. This is because you're probably an American, and you don't pay any attention to Formula One Racing, the organization Ecclestone is the president and CEO of. A friend of ours who knows Formula One much better than we do says Ecclestone is beloved by F1 fans, because he's smart, quirky and loves to make strange jokes that no one outside racing gets. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=109160&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Black Nascar]]> While doing some research this afternoon on the hiring of Jimmie Lee Solomon as MLB's new executive vice president of baseball operations, we came across a site we hadn't seen before: BlackAthlete.net. The goal of the site seems noble enough; they're trying to support the hiring and promotion of black coaches and administrators in mainstream sports. That's cool. We're down with that. Dope. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=108984&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Bidding For Danica]]> We find it encouraging that a female athlete could be a part of a bidding war — and Playboy isn't involved at all. Word has started to rumble (can word "rumble?") that Nascar could make a play for young Danica. She'd certainly have to sing at Wrigley "Stadium" better than Jeff Gordon did. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=108981&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Fat Drivers Whine]]> Last week, before the Indianapolis 500, Nascar dolt Robby Gordon said it was unfair that Danica Patrick was so light, saying she had a natural advantage for speed, being so spindly. We found this amusing, because once we find the one advantage women have over men in the world of sports, some idiot guy starts complaining about it. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=108954&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[For Background Purposes, Honest]]> Just in case you thought Danica Patrick was a brand new phenomenon, FHM proudly proclaims that it had pictures of her months ago. So we link them to you, for research purposes. We missed the Rusty Wallace spread; our subscription to Beer Gut just ran out. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=108943&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Danica Mania: The Aftermath]]> Like a lot of people, we were on the couch Sunday, cheering on Danica Patrick — and, perhaps even more so, David Letterman — at the Indianapolis 500. A friend of ours was asking us the other day, perplexed, whether or not we found Danica Patrick physically attractive; we said that he was wrong to even ask such a question, that it was offensive, and that yes, we thought so. (He said he couldn't decide.) More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=108926&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[David Letterman: Nascar Dad]]> Like any right-minded American male between the ages of 24 and 54, we grew up loving David Letterman. And native Indianaian Letterman grew up loving the Indianapolis 500, culminating in his co-ownership of the Bobby Rahul Racing Team, which employs hot commodity Danica Patrick in this weekend's race. In a wide-ranging interview with USA Today, Dave, as tends to be the case when he talks race cars, isn't funny, but, unusual for him, he wears his heart on his sleeve. More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=108847&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Racing Fans Confused By Long-Haired Driver]]> The Indianapolis 500, the car race whose decline from prominence has officially eradicated the only reason to ever step foot in Indiana, is two weeks away, but qualifying was yesterday, handing race organizers the only publicity angle they ever have (save for tires flying into the stands): Chick Drivers! Danica Patrick, a 23-year-old rookie, finished fourth in qualifying yesterday and will start on the second row. Patrick is not new to the circuit and apparently is the leading candidate for the circuit's rookie of the year, and she seems consistently annoyed by all the attention. Sex appeal might not be her best allure, though; she looks kind of like a longer-maned Lynndie England. Though everybody looks pretty much the same when wearing a helmet (and slamming into a wall at 240 mph). More »
]]> http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=108743&view=rss&microfeed=true