I am not a great movie fan, so unlike many others I knew of Paul Newman more for his motor sport accomplishments than his acting accomplishments. Many knew of Newman as an actor who raced, but I preferred to think of him as a racer who also acted. His accomplishments are detailed much better than I ever could in other forums, but I first remember Paul Newman racing the red, white, and blue Datsuns. I remember him winning his class at the 24 Hours of Daytona at 70 years old! I remember his great success as team co-owner with Carl Haas at Newman-Haas Racing. Paul Newman will truly be missed by motor sport fans.
Paul Newman will be missed even more by terminally ill children. Through his Newman's Own brand and through his "Hole in the Wall Camps," Newman was beyond generous to terminally ill children. Beyond his actions, he also inspired others such as Kyle Petty and Tony Stewart to do the same. Undoubtedly, this is what Paul Newman should be remembered for, not his accomplishments as an actor and not his accomplishments as a racer.
Paul Newman was one of my heroes. A private man, he was successful, determined, philanthropic, and principled.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
29 September 2008
24 September 2008
A.J. Allmendinger Gets a Raw Deal
Yesterday, I saw on the Autosport and SpeedTV websites that A.J. Allmendinger and the Red Bull NASCAR team had mutually agreed to part ways.
In my opinion, this was a raw deal for Allmendinger given the improvement he has shown over this racing season. Granted, he started poorly but he gracefully stood by while Mike Skinner got in the car for several races and helped Red Bull sort out the car. Allmendinger learned from Skinner while out of the car and stood by the team in what was no doubt an embarrassing situation for him. When he got back in the car, he began to show improvement and his results have improved over the course of the season. How unfortunate it is that Red Bull is not giving him the chance to continue his improvement and show what he can really do.
I read that one of his options is going to Ganassi racing. This, in my opinion, would be a terrible move on Allmendinger's part. He would essentially be going to the same situation he has been in last season and this season. Ganassi isn't providing cars that are any better than the Red Bull cars. I really don't see where hiring Allmendinger would benefit Ganassi either; what Ganassi needs is a good veteran driver to sort out their car problems. Allmendinger doesn't yet have the experience to do that for them. Allmendinger needs a good, established team to provide him good equipment and Ganassi needs a good, veteran driver to improve his equipment.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
In my opinion, this was a raw deal for Allmendinger given the improvement he has shown over this racing season. Granted, he started poorly but he gracefully stood by while Mike Skinner got in the car for several races and helped Red Bull sort out the car. Allmendinger learned from Skinner while out of the car and stood by the team in what was no doubt an embarrassing situation for him. When he got back in the car, he began to show improvement and his results have improved over the course of the season. How unfortunate it is that Red Bull is not giving him the chance to continue his improvement and show what he can really do.
I read that one of his options is going to Ganassi racing. This, in my opinion, would be a terrible move on Allmendinger's part. He would essentially be going to the same situation he has been in last season and this season. Ganassi isn't providing cars that are any better than the Red Bull cars. I really don't see where hiring Allmendinger would benefit Ganassi either; what Ganassi needs is a good veteran driver to sort out their car problems. Allmendinger doesn't yet have the experience to do that for them. Allmendinger needs a good, established team to provide him good equipment and Ganassi needs a good, veteran driver to improve his equipment.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
21 September 2008
NASCAR at Dover
I haven't had much good to say about NASCAR lately, but I have to admit that today's race at Dover saw some good racing. The last 50 or so laps, with Biffle, Edwards, and Kenseth racing hard at the front, was some of the best racing I've seen all year long.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
12 September 2008
FactCheck.org
I have found a good website for filtering the political ads from and the speeches of the Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin campaigns:
I have started checking FactCheck.org daily to see what they have to say about the claims from each campaign. Invariably they show that the Obama and the McCain campaigns have twisted and stretched facts to suit their purposes.
Unfortunately, what I read is making it harder for me to select a candidate to vote for.
Mac
Sarah Palin and the Bush Doctrine
I was watching CNN this morning and saw a clip from the ABC News interview with Governor Sarah Palin. She seems to have already had a a Bill Clinton "definition of is" moment.
Charlie Gibson asked her if she agreed with the Bush Doctrine, to which she replied "In what respect, Charlie?" In what respect? The Bush Doctrine is rather simple; in two words it is preemptive war. Agreement with the doctrine can be expressed in one of two words, yes or no. Palin's answer was evasive. What is more troubling, however, the rest of her answer showed that she may not fully understand what the Bush Doctrine is.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Charlie Gibson asked her if she agreed with the Bush Doctrine, to which she replied "In what respect, Charlie?" In what respect? The Bush Doctrine is rather simple; in two words it is preemptive war. Agreement with the doctrine can be expressed in one of two words, yes or no. Palin's answer was evasive. What is more troubling, however, the rest of her answer showed that she may not fully understand what the Bush Doctrine is.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
10 September 2008
Faulty Transponder?
I just got finished reading an article on USA Today's website about the finish of Sunday's Chicagoland IRL race that attributed the confusion over who won the race to a "faulty transponder." The article goes on the state that the transponder was improperly fitted to the car, causing the signal to be transmitted in the wrong direction (I didn't realize the transponders were directional, I always thought they were omnidirectional). If that is the case, the transponder wasn't faulty! It performed as it was supposed to. Hopefully the improper installation was simply an error on the team's part and not an attempt to gain an edge.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
08 September 2008
IRL Season Ends, Dixon Champ
Yesterday's IRL season-ender at Chicagoland Speedway was a good race. It was a contest of strategy and a contest of racing ability at various points during the contest.
I won't comment on Castroneves' penalty that resulted in his start from the tail end of the field, because I didn't see what caused it (the side effect of not having coverage of practice and qualifying that NASCAR is given) but it was a blast to watch him streak the through field to put himself back in the hunt at the beginning of the race.
At this point, strategy took over as Dixon played a fuel game, balancing mileage with staying in the position he needed to clinch the championship and Castroneves' teammate Briscoe played wingman, covering Castroneves on the outside while he ticked off laps in the lead to take points for most laps led.
Caution flags turned the end of the race into a sprint without the need for fuel conservation, ending in a Castroneves v. Dixon contest that led to victory by a nose and .001 of a second! Victory was initially given to Dixon because the timing and scoring system showed him first. The photo finish imagery, however, clearly showed Castroneves' car ahead by a nose at the stripe.
Victory aside, Dixon's second place was plenty enough to give him the championship; a championship that was well deserved even if you think that Castroneves' Detroit penalty was wrong (which I do not).
On a final note, I would like to comment on something that seems to have become a staple of NASCAR and IRL coverage in recent years: video of driver's wives during tense times: While cars were wheel to wheel, nose to tail at the front of the race, they kept on showing Scott Dixon's wife Emma in the pits. Emma Dixon is clearly easy on the eyes, and I understand the human interest in seeing how she is reacting to the situation on the track, but I tuned in to watch the action on the track. Show us the human interest when there is no track action or after the race. When there is close racing on the track, that should be shown full screen.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
I won't comment on Castroneves' penalty that resulted in his start from the tail end of the field, because I didn't see what caused it (the side effect of not having coverage of practice and qualifying that NASCAR is given) but it was a blast to watch him streak the through field to put himself back in the hunt at the beginning of the race.
At this point, strategy took over as Dixon played a fuel game, balancing mileage with staying in the position he needed to clinch the championship and Castroneves' teammate Briscoe played wingman, covering Castroneves on the outside while he ticked off laps in the lead to take points for most laps led.
Caution flags turned the end of the race into a sprint without the need for fuel conservation, ending in a Castroneves v. Dixon contest that led to victory by a nose and .001 of a second! Victory was initially given to Dixon because the timing and scoring system showed him first. The photo finish imagery, however, clearly showed Castroneves' car ahead by a nose at the stripe.
Victory aside, Dixon's second place was plenty enough to give him the championship; a championship that was well deserved even if you think that Castroneves' Detroit penalty was wrong (which I do not).
On a final note, I would like to comment on something that seems to have become a staple of NASCAR and IRL coverage in recent years: video of driver's wives during tense times: While cars were wheel to wheel, nose to tail at the front of the race, they kept on showing Scott Dixon's wife Emma in the pits. Emma Dixon is clearly easy on the eyes, and I understand the human interest in seeing how she is reacting to the situation on the track, but I tuned in to watch the action on the track. Show us the human interest when there is no track action or after the race. When there is close racing on the track, that should be shown full screen.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Lewis Hamilton Penalized, FIA Ferrari Bias Obvious
I was looking forward to writing this morning about how great the last 4 laps of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on Sunday were. Before taking to the keyboard for that task, however, I checked the motor sport headlines at the Speed TV and Autosport websites. Reading the F1 news was like having a bucket of cold water poured on my head. The FIA has penalized Lewis Hamilton 25 seconds for, in their belief, not fully giving Kimi Raikonnen a position back after being forced off track by Raikonnen. The penalty gave Felipe Massa the win and pushed Hamilton back to third behind Nick Heidfeld.
I fail to see what Hamilton did wrong. He fully allowed Raikonnen back into first place after going off track. Do the rules specify that he must allow Raikonnen to keep the lead into the next turn as well!? Hamilton placed himself fully behind Raikonnen, he was not partially alongside, so it seems to me that he was within the rules. Quite frankly, it was exciting racing and thrilling to watch. It was precisely the kind of racing the F1 needs! Yes, Hamilton placed himself behind Raikonnen so to draft him down a straight and pass, but he could have done this if he hadn't gone off of the track in the previous corner.
The FIA's argument, to me, is transparent. It is a blatant attempt to give Ferrari what they could not take on the track. Hamilton could have drafted and passed Raikonnen as he did even if the did not go off of the track. Raikonnen later spun and crashed taking himself out of the race and eliminating the possibility of passing Hamilton again in a straight fight. One has to wonder whether the FIA would have given the penalty had Massa been more the 25 seconds behind Hamilton.
After not penalizing Ferrari for a dangerous move in the pits at Valencia, the FIA's actions at Spa reinforce a popular belief that the FIA is biased toward Ferrari. The FIA penalized McLaren for good hard racing and let Ferrari go after almost causing a serious accident in the pit lane (there was almost a collision with not only another race car but with a safety or medical car at the end of the pit lane as well!).
This has every appearance of being an attempt (and not even a thinly veiled one at that) to give the drivers championship to Ferrari. At the very least, it exposes an FIA grudge against McLaren.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
I fail to see what Hamilton did wrong. He fully allowed Raikonnen back into first place after going off track. Do the rules specify that he must allow Raikonnen to keep the lead into the next turn as well!? Hamilton placed himself fully behind Raikonnen, he was not partially alongside, so it seems to me that he was within the rules. Quite frankly, it was exciting racing and thrilling to watch. It was precisely the kind of racing the F1 needs! Yes, Hamilton placed himself behind Raikonnen so to draft him down a straight and pass, but he could have done this if he hadn't gone off of the track in the previous corner.
The FIA's argument, to me, is transparent. It is a blatant attempt to give Ferrari what they could not take on the track. Hamilton could have drafted and passed Raikonnen as he did even if the did not go off of the track. Raikonnen later spun and crashed taking himself out of the race and eliminating the possibility of passing Hamilton again in a straight fight. One has to wonder whether the FIA would have given the penalty had Massa been more the 25 seconds behind Hamilton.
After not penalizing Ferrari for a dangerous move in the pits at Valencia, the FIA's actions at Spa reinforce a popular belief that the FIA is biased toward Ferrari. The FIA penalized McLaren for good hard racing and let Ferrari go after almost causing a serious accident in the pit lane (there was almost a collision with not only another race car but with a safety or medical car at the end of the pit lane as well!).
This has every appearance of being an attempt (and not even a thinly veiled one at that) to give the drivers championship to Ferrari. At the very least, it exposes an FIA grudge against McLaren.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
04 September 2008
Governor Palin's Speech
I'm not well versed in Alaskan politics, so I was very interested in watching Governor Palin's Republican National Convention speech last night. I was hoping to learn something more about who she is and what she believes in; information that I need to know to help me form a decision about who I'm going to vote for in November.
Last night's speech did not make a favorable impression on this Independent. Instead of hearing a speech that told me what she believes in, what makes her tick, and what positions she holds, Governor Palin gave an attack speech. Granted, that is what the parties expect out of their candidates at conventions. With someone like me, however, it had the effect of making Governor Palin come across as a sarcastic attack dog.
I'm tired of hearing from the Democrats and Republicans why I shouldn't vote for the other party. I want to hear what they are going to do and how they are going to do it.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Last night's speech did not make a favorable impression on this Independent. Instead of hearing a speech that told me what she believes in, what makes her tick, and what positions she holds, Governor Palin gave an attack speech. Granted, that is what the parties expect out of their candidates at conventions. With someone like me, however, it had the effect of making Governor Palin come across as a sarcastic attack dog.
I'm tired of hearing from the Democrats and Republicans why I shouldn't vote for the other party. I want to hear what they are going to do and how they are going to do it.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
03 September 2008
Dario Franchitti Returns to the IRL
While reading the newspaper this morning, I came across a blurb in the sports section reporting that Dario Franchitti was returning to the IRL to take Dan Wheldon's seat in the #10 Target Chip Ganassi car. According to Autosport, Wheldon is moving over to take Vitor Meira's seat at Panther (no word on where Meira is going, I guess).
This is good news. I would much rather see Franchitti in an Indy Car than a stock car. NASCAR's current crop of tin tops is really not the place for his talents. Franchitti belongs in a mixed road/street/oval series.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
This is good news. I would much rather see Franchitti in an Indy Car than a stock car. NASCAR's current crop of tin tops is really not the place for his talents. Franchitti belongs in a mixed road/street/oval series.
Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net
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