And Another One Down...: Toyota have pulled out of Formula One with immediate effect. This comes on the heels of the news that Bridgestone will leave the sport after the 2010 season. BMW announced earlier this year they were leaving. Last year we lost Honda. This year we lost BMW and Toyota. With Brawn and Red Bull doing so well this year, will 2010 be a continuation of The Rebirth of the Privateer?

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:20 PM - 9 comments

Jean Todt wins FIA presidency: Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:33 PM - 3 comments

Jenson Button is the 2009 Formula One champion: A race that saw Kimi Raikkonen on fire, a huge opening lap accident, and action throughout the field, the title was sealed when Lewis Hamilton clipped Rubens Barrichello, causing the Brazilian to get a puncture. Jenson finished fifth in the race and won the championship with one race to go. Despite not winning a race since Turkey, Jenson has won one more race than Lewis did in 2008 to become champion. It's the first time since 1969 there has been back to back different British drivers as champion. (Then it was Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart.)

posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:22 PM - 11 comments

FIA makes mockery of Formula One: For the race fixing, Renault have received barely a slap on the wrist, receiving a two year suspended ban. "The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1's breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity." Though not severe enough to receive an actual penalty of any real note it would appear. As expect, Symonds and Briatore are done with FIA sanctioned racing series.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 01:00 PM - 7 comments

FIA knew of Renault's race fixing last year: Nelson Piquet (Snr, not Jnr) apparently went to the FIA last year during the Brazilian race weekend to tell them that Renault asked Nelson Jnr to crash deliberately. The response was that until the latter was prepared to make a statement, they couldn't do anything. It took being fired from the team for him to come forward. The meeting to decide Renault's future is on Monday.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 05:38 PM - 6 comments

Fisichella to Ferrari: At a time when Formula One always seems to be being dragged through the mud, usually by Max Mosley and the FIA, we finally have a great story. Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who has always wanted to drive for the Prancing Horse, has his dream come true. Force India have released him to Ferrari after it was confirmed Felipe Massa will miss the rest of the season. The announcement of Fisichella going to Maranello comes on the back of his truly epic drive in the Belgian Grand Prix where he finished a mere second behind the man who will be his new teammate. The next race is the Italian Grand Prix. An Italian driver in a Ferrari. The Tifosi will be insane this year!

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:09 PM - 11 comments

Schumacher cancels comeback.: Due to neck injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident earlier this year, Michael Schumacher will be unable to be Massa's replacement at Ferrari while the Brazilian recovers. Luca Badoer, Ferrari's current test driver, will race in Valencia. Badoer hasn't competed in race conditions since 1999 when he drove for Minardi.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 04:32 AM - 4 comments

Another one bites the dust.: BMW have called a press conference for tomorrow. Described as "important" and about "current developments in motorsport", it's widely believed that BMW will be announcing their departure from Formula One at the end of the season.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 06:08 PM - 5 comments

Henry Surtees killed in F2 race.: Henry was the son of former Formula One champion John Surtees. While racing at Brands Hatch he was struck in the head by a wheel from someone else's cars which knocked him unconscious, and his car carried straight on at the next corner. Video.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 05:28 AM - 8 comments

Mosley being "urged" to stand for re-election.: Just days after agreeing to step down as part of the FOTA/FIA agreement, Max Mosley, for at least the second time in his career of ruining motorsport, has done a u-turn and now says he's being urged to run again. (He actually hinted he would less than a day after the agreement.) Probably urged by the same mysterious people who "supported" him during the nazi whore scandal he should never have survived.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 04:38 PM - 15 comments

FOTA and FIA put toys back in pram. : In what can only be described as an astounding upset, common sense has actually prevailed in Formula One. The eight FOTA teams will not start their own series, and Max Mosley will not stand for re-election later this year. The latter seems to be a key part of the former. Now shut up and race.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:55 PM - 13 comments

Peugeot break nine years of Audi dominance.: After nine years of Audi dominance*, this past Sunday Peugeot took a 1-2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. (*Yes, Bentley won in 2003, but the car was, in large part, an Audi.) As a side note, the Lola Aston Martin team finished 4th on their first attempt, and were the fastest of the petrol finishers, carrying arguably the most recognizable paint scheme in Le Mans history.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 10:48 PM - 3 comments

2009 Formula One Season Preview: Drood here, back again, as in years past, with a brief preview of what we have in store for this year.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 01:02 PM - 8 comments

Honda to leave F1!: Autosport is saying Honda will announce on Friday that they plan to leave the sport. Other avenues are reporting the decision is already made and done and Honda are finished in Formula One.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 06:59 PM - 10 comments

Bernie Ecclestone loses mind.: Ecclestone says Formula One will use a medals system next year to decide the title. "When asked if it was fair that someone who wins six races but doesn't finish any others beats someone who had finished every race in second place, Ecclestone replied: "He'll have to try harder next year."" Eddie Jordan remains unconvinced.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 11:31 AM - 7 comments

UFC's Dana White shares his thoughts on EliteXC and Seth Petruzelli.: After the Seth Petruzelli controversy (also covered below), here's UFC's Dana White with a few thoughts on it. Dana is his usual, eloquent, restrained self. (Single link YouTube Post. Contains bad words and amusing invective.)

posted by Drood to other at 01:45 AM - 1 comment

Robert Kubica wins the Canadian Grand Prix.: Robert Kubica becomes the first Polish driver to win a Grand Prix, scoring BMW's first ever victory in the process. His teammate Nick Heidfeld made it a BMW 1-2 after Lewis Hamilton ended his and Kimi Raikkonen's race in a bonehead incident in the pitlane. A year ago, Kubica was lucky to leave Montreal with his life. This year he leaves it leading the drivers championship by four points. What a difference a year makes.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:40 PM - 5 comments

The NFL in the year 2000: "Don't be shocked when the 21st century arrives and the NFL teams in Super Bowl XXXIV have women quarterbacks launching 135-yard touchdown passes with their power-assisted arms." Unintentional comedy gold from Sports Illustrated.

posted by Drood to football at 07:06 PM - 19 comments

2008 Formula One Season Preview: 2008 is upon us. The biggest change? No more traction control! Now we'll see who the best really are. Take a drive with me as we take a peek at the upcoming season and what we can perhaps expect.

posted by Drood to commentary at 01:24 AM - 0 comments

Chicago Bulls fire coach.: Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like sudden unemployment.

posted by Drood to basketball at 09:49 AM - 15 comments

The human toll of hockey concussions.

posted by Drood to hockey at 12:36 AM - 17 comments

First documented US MMA death.: Samuel Vasquez, a 35-year-old mixed martial artist from Houston, Texas, died on Friday.

posted by Drood to other at 04:43 PM - 7 comments

The physics of a football hit.: "At 5 ft. 11 in. and 199 pounds, Marcus Trufant is an average-size NFL defensive back (DB). [...] a DB's mass combined with his speed -- on average, 4.56 seconds for the 40-yard dash -- can produce up to 1,600 pounds of tackling force." Given the recent research that's showing concussions are far more serious than was once thought, this is a sobering read.

posted by Drood to football at 05:19 AM - 14 comments

Sporting News goes back in time.: In the off season, Sporting News are recreating the 1986 baseball season with Strat-O-Matic Baseball, and reporting it all. Teams are managed by various baseball luminaries. (Curt Schilling for example.)

posted by Drood to baseball at 10:54 PM - 10 comments

Raikkonen wins improbable F1 title.: All the hype was surrounding Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen however, all but discounted from winning the title, quietly went about his job and won the race and the F1 World Championship by a solitary point. There have been eleven three way battles going into the final race in the history of the sport. This is the first one since 1986, and the first time the third place driver going in has won the title since Farina won in 1950. In the end in 2007, the top three were separated by just one point.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:24 PM - 13 comments