Matt Myftiu has been a journalist for two decades with a focus on technology, NASCAR and autos.
Danica Patrick earned her fifth career top-10 finish at the 0.526-mile track taking the checkered flag in the seventh spot. Patrick’s finish is the best by a female at Martinsville Speedway and it ties her second-best career finish. The driver of the No. 10 TaxAct Chevrolet SS is now tied with Janet Guthrie for the most top-10 finishes earned by a female in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.
Denny Hamlin claimed the first victory of 2015 for Toyota in Sunday afternoon's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Virginia's Martinsville Speedway.
-- The victory was the fifth for both Toyota and Hamlin at the half-mile Virginia short track.
-- With this win, Hamlin and the No. 11 FedEx Camry team are locked into the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship battle.
-- The Chesterfield, Va.-native started 15th and led 91 laps (of 500) en route to the 66th Camry NSCS win since Toyota joined the series in 2007.
-- The victory was Hamlin's 25th of his NSCS career tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Weatherly for the most NSCS wins by a Virginia native.
-- Fellow Camry drivers and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Matt Kenseth (fourth) and David Ragan (fifth) also earned top-five finishes at Martinsville.
-- In addition to Hamlin, Kenseth (11 laps) also took some turns in the lead during the race.
-- Five Camry drivers are currently in the top-20 in the unofficial NSCS point standings -- Hamlin (eighth), Kenseth (12th), Ragan (13th), Carl Edwards (18th) and Clint Bowyer (19th).
Juan Pablo Montoya, Penske Racing driver in the Indycar series, and a former NASCAR competitor, took the checkered flag Sunday in Indycar's Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Here are some of his thoughts after the win, from the post race press conference, as well as thoughts from his team owner Roger Penske and other competitors.
YOU SAID ONE YEAR AGO YOU HAD TO BE SO PATIENT, BUT NOT TODAY. TAKE US THROUGH YOUR RUN: “Today was a good day to be honest with you. The car was really good on black tires and that was the key. The tires were not falling off and right there at the end I was just running slow to look after them. When I needed to push I could push. Everybody with Verizon and Team Penske did an amazing job – Chevy as well. This aero kit is amazing to drive.”
Newly refreshed for the 2016 model year, the Audi A6 has earned the rating of Top Safety Pick+ when equipped with the available Driver Assistance package and produced after January 2015. Top Safety Pick+ is the highest 2015 rating available from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2016 A6 recently underwent the IIHS Small Overlap Front Crash test and received the highest possible rating of “good”.
“This year’s Top Safety Pick+ award for the Audi A6 reflects the Brand’s longstanding commitment to the development and introduction of innovative technologies,” said Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America. “With outstanding safety features, available driver assistance systems, and a refined design, the 2016 A6 exemplifies the commitment to excellence that Audi stands for.”
The Ram Truck brand has unveiled a one-of-a-kind Texas Ranger concept truck to commemorate and promote the brand’s partnership with the renowned law-enforcement agency and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.
Introduced by Ram Truck Brand President and CEO Bob Hegbloom at the 2015 Dallas Auto Show, the Ram Texas Ranger concept truck brings the legendary spirit of the Rangers to the road.
Five weeks into the NASCAR season, it's becoming clear who the top contenders are at the Cup series level, and it's also clear what teams are in for a tough year.
Here are a few key points for those trying to keep score:
HOT: Chevy
Chevy competitors, particularly Kevin Harvick but also Hendrick drivers Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., have been dominant this year. If a car is leading in 2015 it's probably a Chevy. That bodes well for the bowtie's chances of claiming another championship in 2015.
Put down the tinfoil hats, NASCAR fans.
Conspiracy theories are abundant in the wake of Brad Keselowski's surprise win out in Fontana on Sunday, after the race was dominated by Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick (who nearly won his third straight race) and Kurt Busch (who almost won in just his second race of the season after being suspended for the first three races).
BMW is one of those automotive brands with a certain image, so many folks have preconceived notions about their cars.
For example, many folks think that all BMWs will cost them close to 100 grand -- that’s a false notion. For example, the vehicle I’ll be writing about here, a BMW 2-series model, starts out at $33,900. If you want to get that Bimmer experience and not bankrupt yourself in the process, there are some smaller models that us mere mortals can try to get into more realistically, and this is one of them.
Yes Virginia, there are high-end Hyundai vehicles.
While the Korean automaker is traditionally known for its smaller, more affordable rides, Hyundai also isn’t shying away from its efforts to reach customers at the higher level of the spending scale -- battling behemoths from Asia, Europe and the U.S.A. with their offerings.
In addition to Hyundai’s full-size Equus sedan, an excellent vehicle which I recently tested, they also offer another high-end vehicle in the mid-size range -- the Hyundai Genesis. I recently spent some time in a Genesis and I’m back with a full report on this redesigned-for-2015 luxury model from Hyundai.
Help host one of Michigan’s most gratifying and thrilling events by volunteering at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.
As Detroit’s annual motorsports festival, the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will help start the summer with three days of fun, music, racing and more, May 29-31 at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park street circuit. With an expected crowd of more than 100,000 over the course of the weekend, event organizers are targeting a delegation of approximately 1,100 Detroit Grand Prix Association (DGPA) volunteers to ensure another world-class experience for all of the guests on Belle Isle during race weekend.
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