Hamlin’s success at the track didn’t escape unnoticed by NASCAR betting enthusiasts, and those that backed him as a +750 choice to win received a nice payday. Series points leader Jimmie Johnson was the betting favorite for the race.

Giving up the lead with ten laps remaining to head to the pit for fresh tires, Hamlin drove like a man possessed to regain the lead and take the victory. He somehow moved from 9th place to the lead in just four laps, and talked about his wild ride after the race:

“That’s hard to do. I had to bully my way through there towards the end, but everybody was just running into everyone. I flattened my tire with Matt Kenseth going down the backstretch and just somehow made it work.”

Hamlin got around seven time Martinsville winner Jeff Gordon with help from teammate Joey Logano in the shootout during the final laps and held on for the victory. Race favorite Jimmie Johnson finished 9th, which was good enough to give him the overall series points lead. Greg Biffle is second in the standings, with Matt Kenseth in third.

NASCAR will head to Phoenix, Arizona for the Subway Fresh Fit 600 a week from Saturday before moving on to Texas for a race April 18th. They’ll then head to the superspeedway at Talladega, Alabama for the second restrictor plate race of the season on April 25th.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Technorati Tags: auto racing, Entertainment, NASCAR, Racing, recreation, sports

The first races were 311 miles long. In an effort to add additional areas this was changed to 186 miles. One of the most famous races the Monaco Grand Prix was reintroduced thanks to this rule.

In 1950 the first Formula One Championship was held. This was won by the first champion Giuseppe Farina. Another person of note during this race was Juan Manuel Fangio.

Those who understand the history of Formula One cars and the history of the sport will recognize the Fangio. He is the first person to win the Formula One Championship worldwide over the course of the first decade.

In 1955 the end of the Formula One Championship almost happened as a result of 85 people being killed during the Le Mans 24 Hours Race. During it, a multi car accident became the most horrific in Formula One history.

In the 1960′s Formula One cars began to increase in popularity over in Britain. During this time Britain produced a star driver by the name of Graham Hill. With the idea that a British could potentially win at a Formula One Championship, an increase in British drivers surged.

During this decade a gentleman named Bruce McLaren introduced the world to the powerful racing team of McLaren and started a remarkable legacy of skill and fine crafted Formula One cars.

When the 1970′s rolled around Formula One cars saw a new change. It was during this era that wings and ground effects were added to the cars to make them faster and more efficient on the track.

Again tragedy hit the Formula One Championship as it lost the brilliant driver McLaren in a testing accident in 1970. But with this tragic event, team McLaren chose to move forward and continue the legacy in his honor.

With the pain of the 1970′s in the past, Formula One had hit a new stride. This new generation needed better speeds.

With that in mind, the Turbo era came to be. This was a time when Formula One Cars were designed to go faster and for longer periods.

During this time team McLaren began to dominate the Formula One Championship and their reign remained in full effect until the post Turbo era. Their reign of wins spanned from 1984 – 1991.

The final end to the high speeds of this racing came to an end in 1994 when Ayrton Senna died. Going an alarming 180+ miles per hour he hit a wall and died hours later. In the years that have followed, speed regulations and safety factors have increased. The sport is still strong and vibrant though as it was in the past.

Team McLaren still remains a vital and strong force in the racing world, and continue to take the Formula One Championship.

The only thing that has changed in recent years is an increased level of popularity. Along with that is a deeper understanding and safety for a unique sport.

This article was written on behalf of Mclaren, for more information see Formula One Championship Formula One Car

Technorati Tags: formula one cars, formula one championship, Racing, racing cars, sports cars

After the race, an emotional Hamlin dedicated the victory to his grandmother who passed away late last week at the age of 91:

She understands the competition of the sport and she understands how much she means to me. Like today, she’s pretty proud. We definitely had some angels with us today.”

The unique triangle shaped track at Pocono has bedeviled many drivers, but Hamlin has always done well on it. He swept both races here as a rookie in 2006 and after the race his boss J.D. Gibbs made note of that fact:

I told him earlier, we’re going to lobby for a few extra races at Pocono”

Hamlin moved up to fifth in the NASCAR championship points standings after the victory. Tony Stewart increased his lead over Jimmie Johnson to 197 points with a top ten finish.

Montoya finished second, and now stands in 8th place in the overall points standings. Clint Bowyer finished third and expressed pleasure with the solid performance in his postrace comments:

“Things haven’t been going our way all year long so it feels good to have something swing our way.

Former Indy Car driver Sam Hornish, Jr. took fourth”his best finish since coming to NASCAR. Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five.

NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen, NY to race on the road course there for the next race. Current points leader Tony Stewart is considered not only the best road course driver among current NASCAR competitors, but arguably the best of all time. The following week NASCAR travels to the Michigan International Speedway for the CarFax 400.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Technorati Tags: auto racing, NASCAR, NASCAR racing, Racing, recreation, sports, stock car racing

David Pearson was born on December 22, 1934 in Whitney, SC–a textile town near Spartanburg. Like most of the locals, his parents worked in the local cotton mill and did their best to provide. David quit school after the 10th grade and went to work in the mill. It wasnt long, however, before his love of cars and racing made him leave the mill life behind. He bought a car and began racing at short tracks in the upstate. He ran his first race on 9/19/52 in Woodruff South Carolina. Within a few years, he won his first championship at the Greenville/Pickens Speedway in\’59.

Pearson never really sought much more than this local fame and success, but a couple of his friends and some fans had loftier ambitions\”they began raising money to buy a car to compete in the NASCAR Grand National series (which was the forerunner to today\’s Sprint Cup series). With the financial backing from friends and family, David began racing a limited schedule on the Grand National circuit and was named the\’60 rookie of the year. In\’61, he became the first driver to win on 3 of 4 superspeedways in the same year (Charlotte, Daytona, Atlanta). Success beget sponsors, whos dollars allowed him to afford better cars and crew. This brought about championships\”he won three Grand National titles in\’66,\’68 and\’69.

In\’72, he started driving for the Wood Brothers in the #21 car that he was to make a legend. In\’73, he won 11 races in\’ starts\”an incredible feat even by today\’s standards. He cut back his schedule in those years to focus on superpeedways. Through the end of the\’70s, Pearson won 43 races. In addition to his mastery of Darlington, he posted remarkable numbers all over the circuit. He is one of two men to have won more than 100 races, and his 105 is second only to The King Richard Petty\’s 200 wins. Hes also second on career poles (113) to Petty. Head to head, however, he has a slight edge over NASCARs legendary King: in races where he and Petty finished 1-2, Pearson won 33 to Petty\’s 30. His 11 consecutive poles at Charlotte is a feat that will likely never be matched. Another record that may never be broken is his\’.29% winning percentage, as well as his record of starting from the pole in 20% of the races he ran.

Pearson is alive and well and still lives in Spartanburg, SC. In March 2000, SC Highway 221 through Spartanburg County was renamed David Pearson Boulevard in his honor. He still gets out on the Darlington track a few times a year–impressive for anyone, but even more so for a 75 year old man. And he\’s still got the sterling silver hair which gave him his nickname of \’The Silver Fox\’.

Ross Everett is a staff handicapper for Oddsbay and an expert on World Cup soccer betting. He has written extensively on sports betting, drag racing, travel, and falconry. He lives in Southern Nevada with three dogs and a pair of racing wombats.

Technorati Tags: auto racing, Entertainment, hobbies, marketing, NASCAR, Racing, recreation, sports

Now the auction is already under way, and aside from this 445 HP stunning silver and black pony car, the highest bidder will also walk away with a very special SEMA experience prize package. The package includes two tickets to the show, a two night stay at the Las Vegas Hilton, $1000 worth of American Airlines flight vouchers to get you there and a pair of passes to the eBay party at the Bellagio while in Sin City. The winning bid will ensure that the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, a program that fosters industry leadership by supporting the education of students pursuing careers in the automotive aftermarket, continues on.

As if the trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas isn’t enticing enough, the HURST/Camaro comes complete with plenty of goodies of its own, like a set of 20 inch forged aluminum HURST T-2 wheels, a Hurst Competition Plus short throw pistol grip shifter and a Hurst AIRSPEED rear deck spoiler to complete the aerodynamic modifications. The modified muscle car rides on an aftermarket Eibach suspension to give the Camaro just the right stance, while a Magnaflow stainless steel performance exhaust gives the HURST/Camaro a much more aggressive bark to match the car’s bad boy livery.

SEMA, in cooperation with General Motors and Hurst Performance Vehicles, announced today that it will auction the first pre-production HURST/Camaro prior to the 2009 SEMA Show. The proceeds are to benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, a program that fosters industry leadership by supporting the education of students pursuing careers in the automotive aftermarket.

The car will be auctioned on eBay Motors during the two weeks prior to the show. “SEMA has a wonderful history of supporting our industry through scholarships made to deserving students,” said Scooter Brothers, Chairman of the SEMA Scholarship Committee. “The SEMA Scholarship Committee is delighted that Hurst Performance, along with GM, is making this generous donation with this one-of-a-kind HURST/Camaro. We look forward to a very successful auction culminating at the SEMA Show this November.”

“We are thrilled to be able to support the SEMA Scholarship Fund by contributing this very special Camaro,” said Bob Kern, General Motors SEMA Relations Manager. “GM is very committed to growing this industry and we are certainly dedicated to be part of a program that helps enrich the lives of so many young, aspiring automotive scholars.

Check Cristian Truers’s new auto cars buying guide for more information, or see his practical auto cars tips.

Technorati Tags: advice, auto, blogs, Cars, education, free, help, hobbies, insurance, Racing, sports, tools, vehicles

People spend money on all kinds of crazy things these days. One of the latest is that of mini motorcycles, or pocket bikes. These tiny bikes are good for not only children but also adults. They’re even races now using pocket bikes which are somewhat of a major hit in Japan and even the US. The best thing of all about pocket bikes is that they are fairly cheap and you can get some as low as $200. In the following article I will explain features a pocket bikes and how you can obtain one for yourself.

You can get pocket bikes in all different shapes and sizes. Their engine sizes range from as small as 49cc to around 110cc for the racing variety. Depending on what you will be using them for, the smaller size or the larger size might be best. Obviously if you won’t be doing any racing you can save yourself quite a bit of money by going with a smaller pocket bike.

When you do finally get your own pocket bike, you need to make sure that you are very careful. In most states and countries pocket bikes aren’t really street legal. That is say you cannot officially register a pocket bike as a vehicle with a VIN number. The best places to ride your pocket bike is that a dirt track or go kart racing course but you can also use them right in your neighborhood if they allow it. Another important thing to be aware of is that you need aware full safety gear when riding your bike especially a full-size helmet. Looking at a pocket bike you might think it is just a toy but in reality they can be quite dangerous if you get in a crash. You need to take the full safety measures that you would with a full-size motorcycle.

For the racing enthusiast, pocket bikes come in another variety called super pocket bikes. These “super” pocket bikes, or pocket rockets, are extremely modified minibikes that have been souped-up for more power and speed. Obviously they are only for people that can afford to pay out the price it takes for such a powerful machine. They can range from as little as five grand to over 15 grand depending on the make and manufacturer and who is doing the modifications.

You have two choices when it comes to buying pocket bikes really: buy online or buy in the store. Buying online is obviously the easier of the two but for those who like to look at all the different mini pocket bikes and their options beforehand, buying in store is generally a good choice. Also buying in a store is great for those who have questions. Most store owners will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have beforehand.

If you will follow the advice listed above then you’ll be well on your way to buying your own minibike which is fun for your whole family. Just make sure that you understand the different pocket bike features and ask any of your questions they you buy have before you take the plunge.

Technorati Tags: automotive, bikes, garage, hobbies, home, motorcycles, pocket bikes, Racing, recreation, sports

Racing is the first thing that comes to mind with muscle cars. No matter if the race was on a track or not. Some races when associated with muscle cars, were a mere testosterone battle. Otherwise the race of two or more muscle cars were to win the heart of a popular girl. Then there were a few females that had to show the boys with the fast toys, exactly what a muscle car was designed to do; win.

In the present day, muscle cars have become a hobby for the motor loving individual. There are shows that people from the muscle car group can gather and exchange stories that involve the exchange of stories involving the muscle cars, that are presently parked in a garage, and are mostly only driven on sunny Sunday afternoons. In most cases, these cars which are only driven on good weather days, are on their way to compete for the best looking, best kept, Classic muscle car.

There can be a sufficient amount of money tied up in the preservation or restoration of any of the muscle cars for personal pleasure. However, from the hobbiest’s point of view, owning and driving cars from the muscle car era is considered payment in full.

Chevrolet had many muscle cars also, and the sound was unique in toughness. The cars were camaros, corvettes, chevelles and the list goes on and on. Chevrolet may have been more popular because the cost of making these cars more powerful was less than the enhancement of an original ford muscle car.

There is no better feeling of freedom in the world. When political leaders are attempting to limit these feelings from Americans, this is happening because these people have not had the opportunity to ever be free. Therefore, how is the typical American suppose to roll with changes from other cultures, when there is an invasion to completely separate the American Pride culture, and it is still America.

In the modern day, the stress levels of world problems are almost intolerable, because everyone talks and no one does anything to help the situations. When a person revs up a 1968 mustang GT500, everyone around stops talking and looks in the direction of that distinctive authority sound.

Dawn Enstruthe writes on website EAC Atlanta which has details of low cost car window repair, cheap DUI lawyer GA and much more.

Technorati Tags: auto, automobile, automotive, car, muscle car, NASCAR, Racing, sport