Busch Wins, Raikkonen Survives At CMS

Kyle Busch passed Clint Bowyer for the lead with seven laps to go and went on to win the NASCAR North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The victory was the third in a row for Busch. It was his fourth in the last five races.

“We didn’t have the truck to beat tonight,” Busch said. “The 2 (Bowyer) did.”

Bowyer finished second in his second truck race of the season. He appeared to be getting ready to recapture the lead with three laps to go but clipped the wall. That cost him momentum and he dropped back.

He finished two truck lengths back.

“Too loose,” Bowyer said.

Former world driving champion Kimi Raikkonen of Finland finished 15th in his stock-car racing debut. Raikkonen, driver for Kyle Busch Racing, clipped the wall a couple of times but stayed out of wrecks on a night which was littered by them.

“The racing was fun,” Raikkonen, who won the Formula One championship in 2007, said. “Too many cautions. Every time that I would feel like the car would start to run better then you would have a caution and then it would take the track a long time before the handling comes back.”

Of hitting the wall, Raikkonen said, “I hit it on the beginning and then I hit much harder and destroyed the car a little bit. The car actually run really well there before the pit stop. Once we got to pit then the tires and the tire pressures, it was better. The handling was okay, but for sure the longer runs were a good thing. Just because the car was better and better during the longer runs.”

Rick Ren, who served as Raikkonen’s crew chief, said he was pleased with the Finn’s first drive.

“It took about five laps for our truck to start coming in,” Ren said. “He would lose quite a few positions in that first five laps. Then as soon as he got the tire temperature up – and I told him as soon as the tire temperature would come up that we would be better off and keep getting better. Actually, if we could have ran a really long green flag run at the end, our truck actually could get better the longer it went. It’s one of those things where we just kind of did some guess work looking at the notes and anticipated on what the track would do at night. I actually felt like I had to treat him like he’s a young guy who had never raced here before. A young guy can drive a tight race car, but can’t drive a loose one. I tightened her up pretty good to start the race.”

Cole Whitt finished third and became the first rookie to lead the series in points.

“I’m just excited,” Whitt said. “I feel like we won the race.”

Whitt leads by one point over Johnny Sauter.

James Buescher finished fourth.

Ron Hornaday Jr. was fifth and Sauter was sixth.

Source: http://www.racintoday.com

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Kimi Raikkonen finishes 15th at Charlotte in NASCAR debut

By Nate Ryan

Concord, N.C. — Kimi Raikkonen slammed the wall twice, missed pit road and spent the North Carolina Education 200 mastering the stock-car lexicon while manhandling a tight Toyota.

In his NASCAR debut, the 2007 Formula One world champion still managed to finish 15th — despite starting 31st.

How did the Finn feel about what many might consider a fabulous start? Naturally, the "Iceman" was nonchalant.

"I mean you'd rather be more higher up," Raikkonen said with a shrug and a wry smile after taking a sip from his Red Bull water bottle. "I think how it felt this morning and how it qualified, I'm pretty pleased how it was in the race. For sure, there is still a lot to learn."

TRUCKS: Kyle Busch makes late pass to win in Charlotte

A whirlwind introduction to the Camping World Truck Series that began with Raikkonen asking where the reverse gear was in his No. 15 Tundra concluded nicely Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Raikkonen ran as high as sixth early in the race (gaining more than a dozen positions when he missed a cue to pit during a second caution).

On a night when NASCAR champions Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Kyle Busch (the race winner and owner of Raikkonen's truck) spun, Raikkonen stayed out of trouble until heavy contact with the outside wall late in the race. Though he didn't pass many trucks, he also didn't yield positions easily.

"His first hit on NASCAR was probably pleasant compared to what it could be," said Rick Ren, Raikkonen's crew chief. "The race went well. He talked a lot during the race, which is unusual. He's known as not talkative. He's not used to having a spotter. He does everything you ask him to do. I can't believe he's not pleased with his first race. I'm pleased for him, because I know how difficult it is here.

"What impressed me more than anything is restarts. He didn't spin the tires. I was like, 'Wow, this guy is good.' "

Raikkonen did concede he was more happy after the race than following two tough practices that morning. Ren admittedly set the truck up tighter than usual (which is standard for rookie drivers unaccustomed to saving a loose vehicle), but neither of Kyle Busch Motorsports' Toyotas were handling well, and Busch said the truck was the source of Raikkonen's struggles.

Besides an ill-handling vehicle, Raikkonen also went through a crash course in NASCAR with Ren, who tried to explain what the flags meant, how to pit and the procedures after a wreck.

"We went through as many scenarios as we could, but there's always something that you can't think of everything," Ren said.

In this case, it was the "free pass rule", which confused Raikkonen on a restart (an explanation that a driver was whizzing by because he was the "Lucky Dog" was met with silence). He also had several questions about whether fuel loads would affect his handling late in the race (when he was asked to conserve fuel by turning his engine off).

Ren said Raikkonen still handled all of it with aplomb.

"I think he grasped it very well," he said. "It all worked out fine. I just think today went well."

It got easier once Raikkonen was comfortable in traffic.

"You learn from restarts and where you should go and stuff like that," he said. "It was more fun than I expected, the racing."

So what's next? Raikkonen was coy, but Busch said after the race there is a Nationwide Camry at his shop (though not owned by KBM). It's expected Raikkonen will attempt his Nationwide debut at Charlotte next week.

If he does, he likely will be greeted just as warmly as he was Friday. Five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson gushed about what Raikkonen's presence meant to the sport. Juan Pablo Montoya, who had feuded with Raikkonen at McLaren, sought out his ex-F1 teammate in the morning to offer advice and then went to the starting grid to offer good luck wishes before the race.

The prerace receiving line also included F1 veteran (and fellow truck racer) Nelson Piquet Jr. and ex-McLaren exec Steve Hallam (now at Michael Waltrip Racing).

"If he wants to be here, I think I can help a lot and give some pointers," said Montoya, who added he wanted to greet Raikkonen just as Kevin Harvick had bent over backward to help the Colombian at a 2006 test in Homestead. "I want him to know it's different over here."

Raikkonen said the collegial atmosphere reminded him of the World Rally Championship, in which he'd raced since leaving F1 in 2009.

"Everyone has been very nice and welcoming," he said. "So it was nice to feel very relaxed. It's been good.

"(Montoya) was nice to see. I haven't seen him in for a long time."

Will he see more of him in the future? Raikkonen certainly seemed to be hinting so, indicating he wanted to run the Sprint Cup Series— this year.

"What brings me here? I think it's many, many different reasons for that," he said. "Since I stopped in Formula 1, my interests have always been in many different motor sports. I want to try different things and this wasn't the first time that I have been offered to come here. I had a good time to come and see how it is and learn and try to get better in it. That's really the only reason that I came. I was interested to see how it is and how it feels and how it is racing in NASCAR."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com

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Honda CRF450R (2010)

Technical Specifications
2010 Honda CRF450R

Engine Engine type Bore x Stroke Displacement Valves Compression ratio Max Power Max Torque Fuel system Transmission Final drive Clutch Ignition type Starting system Lubrication Exhaust system Spark plug Battery Gear ratios	Liquid cooled,  single cylinder, four-stroke 96.0 x 62.1 mm 449cc 4 valves per cylinder 12.0:1 Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI), 50mm throttle body 5-speed Chain Multiple-disc clutch in oil bath, hydraulically operated Full transistor with electronic advance Electric starter Dry sump 12 V / 19 Ah 1st: 2nd: 3rd: 4th: 5th:
Dimensions Frame type Rake/trail Overall length Overall width Overall height Wheelbase Seat height Ground clearance Weight Fuel capacity Color Suspension (front) Suspension (rear) Tyre (front) Tyre (rear) Brake (front) Brake (rear)	Bridge-type frame, cast aluminium, load-bearing engine 26° 58.7 inches 37.6 inches 13.1 inches 234.8 pounds 1.5 gallons Red 48mm inverted KYB® Air-Oil-Separate (AOS) with rebound Pro-Link® KYB single shock with spring preload 80/100-R21 120/80-R19 Single 240mm disc with twin-piston caliper Single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper

Image: http://www.sc-project.com/honda_crf450r_14_photogallery_oval_line.htm

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Honda CBF600ABS (2010)

Technical Specifications
2010 Honda CBF600ABS

Engine Engine type Bore x Stroke Displacement Valves Compression ratio Max Power Max Torque Fuel system Transmission Final drive Clutch Ignition type Starting system Lubrication Intake system Spark plug Battery Gear ratios

Liquid Cooled, in-line four cylinders, four-stroke, DOHC 67.0 x 42.5mm 599.3cm³ 4 valves per cylinder 11.6:1 57kW @ 10500 rpm 59Nm @ 8250 rpm PGM-FI electronic fuel injection 6-speed O-ring sealed chain Wet, multiplate with coil springs Computer-controlled digital transistorised with electronic advance Electric starter CR8EH-9 (NGK); U24FER-9 (DENSO) 12V / 8.6AH 1st: 2.750 (33/12) 2nd: 1.938 (31/16) 3rd: 1.556 (28/18) 4th: 1.304 (30/23) 5th: 1.150 (23/20) 6th: 1.042 (25/24)

Dimensions Frame type Rake/trail Overall length Overall width Overall height Wheelbase Seat height Ground clearance Weight Fuel capacity Color Suspension (front) Suspension (rear) Tyre (front) Tyre (rear) Brake (front) Brake (rear)

Type Mono-backbone; gravity die-cast aluminium 26° 2160 mm 765 mm 1240 mm 1490 mm 785 mm 130 mm 222.0 kg 20.0 litres Black Front 41mm telescopic fork, 120mm axle travel U-section twin 6-spoke cast aluminium Monoshock damper with 7-step adjustable preload, 125mm axle travel U-section twin 6-spoke cast aluminium 120/70 ZR17M/C (58W) 160/60 ZR17M/C (69W) Double hydraulic disc 296mm with combined three-piston calipers Single hydraulic disc 240mm with combined single-piston caliper

Image: http://www.shad.es/en/shad-world/products/comfort-seats/honda///seat-honda-cbf600-09-12/cbf1000-2012/c65mar1modmotr95/

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Heineken Cup final to return to Dublin in 2013

Dublin will host the Heineken Cup final for the first time in 10 years in 2013 when Europe’s top club competition will be decided at the new Aviva Stadium, tournament organisers said yesterday.

The final, won by an Irish province in four of the last six years, was last held in Dublin in 2003 when Toulouse beat Perpignan in an all-French final at the old Lansdowne Road.

The 50,000-seat Aviva Stadium, built on the grounds of the flattened Lansdowne Road, opened its gates a year ago and hosted April’s Heineken Cup semi-final between champions Leinster and 2010 winners Toulouse.

Source: http://www.gulf-times.com

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Red Sox beat Yankees for division lead

David Ortiz hit one of Boston’s three home runs Wednesday as the Red Sox continued their 2011 dominance of the New York Yankees with an 11-6 victory that put Boston atop the American League East division.

Carl Crawford and J.D. Drew also connected, both in the ninth inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and Adrian Gonzalez added two RBIs for Boston. Facing his most familiar foe in Boston hurler Tim Wakefield, Yankees icon Derek Jeter finished 1 for 5 to move within 11 hits of 3,000 for his career.

Jeter had a run-scoring double but also grounded into a rally-killing double play.

Alex Rodriguez homered in the fourth, but the injury-hit Yankees have lost seven of eight meetings with their old rivals this season, including all five at home. The last time the Red Sox won their first five road games against the Yankees in a season was 1912, on the way to a World Series title.

They won three in a row at Yankee Stadium May 13-15.

“We play these guys so much. If you don’t play well they’re going to beat you,” Jeter said. “They’ve outplayed us. They have a good team. The bottom line is they can hit and they can pitch. They can do a little bit of everything.”

The bad news started for New York even before the game as they announced that pitcher Joba Chamberlain is expected to miss at least three weeks with a strained muscle in his right arm.

I’M HOME: New York Yankees short stop Derek Jeter (L) misses a catch as Boston Red Sox’s Jacoby Ellsbury (R) steals second base during the first inning of American League MLB baseball action at Yankee Stadium in New York

Source: http://www.gulf-times.com

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Ibrahimovic still confident of Barca success

Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is confident that if his side are faithful to their style of football then they do not need to be worried about the physical threat from Inter Milan and can turn around their Champions League semi-final tie.

Coach Pep Guardiola has constructed an all-conquering side that swept all before them last season but now they face their toughest European test against Inter after losing the first-leg 3-1.

The showdown at the San Siro was about two different styles of football. The free-flowing open game of Guardiola was pitted against the controlled approach of Jose Mourinho and it was the Inter coach who came out on top.

Inter out-fought their opponents, hassling them out of their stride, leading to several Barça players to complain afterwards that the referee was too lenient.

There is plenty of belief in Catalonia, though, that Barcelona can impose their own passing game on Inter at the Nou Camp on Wednesday and knock out the Italian champions.

“We will have to press but most importantly we must play our own football. They are going to play strongly and aggressively but we have to be concentrated on our own game,” said Ibrahimovic.

“We have to be ready for this war. They are going to exploit their virtues but we cannot change our way of playing like we did in Milan. We lost because we did not play our usual football, not because they won with their approach.

“The 3-1 result looks a heavy defeat but in reality it is the same as 1-0. If you look at our last two Champions League games at home, how many goals did we score? Against Stuttgart it was four and then against Arsenal another four. We are a team that scores a lot of goals which you need to do if you want to get to the final.”

The tie has extra spice with Ibrahimovic facing the side he left last summer with Samuel Eto’o moving in the opposite direction, but the Swede denies he can be of any real use in giving advice about the Inter camp.

“This team is very different from the one in which I played as there are four or five new players which have made the team a lot more complete and so I can’t really help too much,” he said.

“The coach is also very well informed with his scouts but if he asks me anything of course I will do what I can.”

Barça remain top of the Spanish table after beating Xerez 3-1 but it was a nervous display with minds clearly on the Inter match. Afterwards the players wore t-shirts to drum-up support for the Champions League game.

Guardiola will be without the injured Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol, who is suspended. The only real doubt in the line-up is whether full-back Eric Abidal will be fit in time and if not Maxwell will continue in his place.

Inter returned to the top of the Italian table at the weekend with a win over Atalanta and their main concern is over the fitness of midfielder Wesley Sneijder, a key figure in the first leg.

The Dutchman picked up a hamstring strain but is hoping to be fit. Dejan Stankovic is out, though, through suspension.

Inter president Massimo Moratti believes that the talk coming from Barcelona about the physical side of their game is an attempt to influence officials.

“Barcelona want to arrive at the final at all costs which is normal and they are trying to put pressure on the referee. We are not going to be distracted and are fully concentrated on the game,” he said.

Source: http://www.footballnewsblog.co.uk

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