Kentucky has a very unique and special history of horse racing. It dates all the way back to the late eighteenth century when Lexington got its very first race course. From that time in 1789 to 1875 when the Churchill Downs first officially opened, there were races held in different courses throughout the country. Once the Churchill Downs opened, it became the home of the Kentucky Derby and has been most widely known as that. To give a little history on the Churchill Downs is to go back to 1872 when Col. M Lewis Clark created a Louisville Jockey Club to hold racing meets. Clark then went on to visit a number of other racing leaders in Europe and learn from the best. When he returned to America he began the development of a new Kentucky racetrack to house the best horses in the breeding industry. This new track would become known as the Churchill Downs by 1883 when a news article posted an excerpt about the track. The name stuck and was finally incorporated into the Churchill Downs name in 1937. The first time that the track was publicly established was in May of 1874 and it was posted in the edition of the Courier-Journal. The construction of the truck was debated by a few different organizations but it was finally funded and construction was started. Clark rose over $30,000 dollar by selling membership subscriptions. He sold the subscriptions at $100 a pop and leased over 80 acres of land. The whole track, when it was completed, had a clubhouse, porter's lodge, grandstand, and a number of different stables that all were complete for the opening race of the track. Clark designed three different major races, the Clark Handicap, the Kentucky Oaks, and the Kentucky Derby. This mimicked the three main races in England and was thought to bring prestige and class to the US version of it. Ever since the Kentucky Derby, Clark Handicap, and Kentucky Oaks debuted in 1875, they have continued to be held at the Churchill Downs. Over the course of the years some of the best horses and jockeys have raced on the Churchill Downs and it has become one of the most prestigious racing venues in all of horse racing. There have been a lot of different renovations over the years, the biggest and most recent in 2002. The track went through a $121 million renovation. This phase of the renovation would include large new balconies, an updated grandstand with meeting areas and suites. This phase was finished by 2003 and the second phase expanded the Turf Club and added even more boxes, seats and suites. The whole renovation added 404,000 square feet to the stadium and increased seating by over 50,000. The Churchill Downs racetrack continues to be one of the best tracks on the horse racing circuit will continue to showcase some of the best horses in the world. It has had a long history of incredible races, and will continue to add to that history as time goes on.
Auto Racing Headline Animator
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Motorsports is a big market. Street racing is a niche within that market. Drifting is a form of modified street racing, creating an even smaller niche of drivers, enthusiasts and fans. Let's talk about it...
According to Wikipedia.com, usually, drift cars are light to moderate weight rear-wheel- drive coupes and sedans over a large range of power levels. In Japan and worldwide, the most common drift vehicles are the Nissan Silvia/180SX/200SX, Toyota AE86, Mazda RX-7, Mazda RX-8, Infiniti G35 Coupe, Nissan A31 Cefiro, Nissan C33 Laurel, Nissan Skyline (AWD versions are developed into a RWD platform), Nissan 350Z, Toyota Altezza, Toyota Chaser, Toyota Mark II, Toyota MZ20 Soarer, Honda S2000, Toyota Supra (MKIV), Ford Mustang and Mazda Miata/MX-5. US drift competitions usually use the same cars, plus Chrysler LLC's Dodge Charger, and Dodge Viper SRT-10, and General Motors's Chevrolet Corvette, and Pontiac Solstice.
This exciting form of modified street racing has practically taken over. I'm sure drag racing will go on forever but the more and more I hear about racing events, the Drifters are never left out. In present day, Drifting has evolved into a competitive sport where drivers compete in rear wheel drive cars, and occasionally all wheel drive cars, to earn points from judges based on various factors. At the top levels of competition, the D1 Grand Prix from Japan and now with a full series in the US have pioneered the sport.
It's crazy to think that what once was illegal is now sponsored by major league motorsport associations and major corporations.
Drifting competitions are judged based on line, angle, speed, and show factor. Line involves taking the correct line, which is usually announced beforehand by judges. The show factor is based on multiple things, such as the amount of smoke, how close the car is to the wall, and the crowd's reaction. Angle is the angle of a car in a drift, speed is the speed entering a turn, the speed through a turn, and the speed exiting the turn; faster is better.
According to Wikipedia.com, usually, drift cars are light to moderate weight rear-wheel- drive coupes and sedans over a large range of power levels. In Japan and worldwide, the most common drift vehicles are the Nissan Silvia/180SX/200SX, Toyota AE86, Mazda RX-7, Mazda RX-8, Infiniti G35 Coupe, Nissan A31 Cefiro, Nissan C33 Laurel, Nissan Skyline (AWD versions are developed into a RWD platform), Nissan 350Z, Toyota Altezza, Toyota Chaser, Toyota Mark II, Toyota MZ20 Soarer, Honda S2000, Toyota Supra (MKIV), Ford Mustang and Mazda Miata/MX-5. US drift competitions usually use the same cars, plus Chrysler LLC's Dodge Charger, and Dodge Viper SRT-10, and General Motors's Chevrolet Corvette, and Pontiac Solstice.
This exciting form of modified street racing has practically taken over. I'm sure drag racing will go on forever but the more and more I hear about racing events, the Drifters are never left out. In present day, Drifting has evolved into a competitive sport where drivers compete in rear wheel drive cars, and occasionally all wheel drive cars, to earn points from judges based on various factors. At the top levels of competition, the D1 Grand Prix from Japan and now with a full series in the US have pioneered the sport.
It's crazy to think that what once was illegal is now sponsored by major league motorsport associations and major corporations.
Drifting competitions are judged based on line, angle, speed, and show factor. Line involves taking the correct line, which is usually announced beforehand by judges. The show factor is based on multiple things, such as the amount of smoke, how close the car is to the wall, and the crowd's reaction. Angle is the angle of a car in a drift, speed is the speed entering a turn, the speed through a turn, and the speed exiting the turn; faster is better.
Friday, March 26, 2010
New Device for Motor Vehicles Saves Gas, Money & the Environment
CALABASAS, CA - According to the U.S. Congress's Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), "Older cars generally are much less fuel efficient than new ones, they burn a disproportionate share of gasoline and thus are responsible for a similarly large share of the environmental, economic, and national security effects of gasoline use." Just in time, a new auto device is sweeping the nation that addresses these issues; Fuel Doctor USA's FD-47. Simply plugged into the lighter socket/power port, the FD-47 is saving the environment (and consumers' money) one car at a time. The FD-47significantly changes the rate of fuel consumption of an automobile, saving consumers money with each tank of gas. The FD-47'scutting-edge technology increases fuel economy, which thereby creates less CO2 released into the environment. Fuel Doctor USA has officially joined the ranks of new companies using science and technology to effectively lessen environmental damages. While the technology of Fuel Doctor USA's FD-47 is intricate, the process is quite simple. The FD-47 is a Fuel Efficiency Booster that increases a vehicle's miles per gallon (MPG) through power conditioning of the electrical systems. Conditioned and clean power allows the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU), fuel injection and engine timing equipment to operate more efficiently. When the vehicle's engine runs more efficiently it will require less fuel, produce more power and have reduced exhaust emissions (reduced CO2). As a vehicle matures, the power systems tend to generate and experience more electrical noise or electrical interference. This noise can have many detrimental effects on the vehicles systems and decrease their efficiency. The FD-47 simply plugs into the cigarette/power outlet and the power conditioning qualities of the FD-47 help to reduce and remove this noise and to restore a vehicle's efficiency. While on a business trip in Asia, Mark Soffa, CEO of Fuel Doctor USA, was introduced by a business associate to an item he hailed as "the greatest product in the world...it actually saves gas." Soffa decided to conduct his own preliminary test, and brought the product to a friend who has lab and field testing equipment. Soon after, Soffa received an exciting call from his friend whose tests showed an 18% increase in fuel efficiency. Soffa decided to put the product through rigorous independent testing, which were done in three different continents. To ensure the product complied with regulatory rules, he brought the FD-47 to Southern California's Automotive Research Center, an EPA-certified testing center for CARB (California Air Resource Board). "We firmly believe it is important to provide our customers with complete details about our product as well as our testing procedures, so they may see the effectiveness of the FD-47 first-hand," Soffa states. "The results were excellent on cars, trucks, and SUVs 24-months and older," Soffa states. "The FD-47 can now be considered one of the most important and effective after-market auto accessories available in the marketplace today," he concludes. To the consumer, this translates to more mileage (less money) per tank of gas and less CO2 emissions. The savings average $7 per fill-up, depending on type of car and gas prices. Additionally, the Fuel Doctor's FD-47 can save thousands of pounds of CO2 per driver per year, which means that for roughly every ten FD-47 users, an entire car is taken off the road. Soffa explains, "Our goal at Fuel Doctor USA is to produce user friendly and environmentally safe products for our future." He continues, "Through my promotion and import business, we started to see the demand for green products growing at a rapid pace and wanted to be part of it." In September of 2009, Soffa used his production-trained eye to give the original product a trendier appearance, and the FD-47was launched on the Fuel Doctor USA website as well as with the popular mid-west catalogue, Heartland America. The Heartland America launch was so successful that the company tripled their next order size weeks later! Since October, thousands of FD-47 units have been sold, and Soffa has personally taken a majority of customer calls so he could experience the excitement first-hand. These calls range from technical questions to NASCAR questions, and everything in between. As of February 28th, the FD-47 was launched at the nation's largest electronic retailer, Best Buy. To learn more about Fuel Doctor USA please go online to www.fueldoctorusa.com. ### Media Contact: Megan Palmer AMG PRWorks megan@amgwagency.com 305.856.8004 x304
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day by Saving Gas Money While Going Green
CALABASAS, CA - March 15, 2010 - A famous frog once said "It's not easy being green," well it actually is rather easy - and inexpensive - to be green, Kermit just never met the Fuel Doctor USA. The revolutionary Fuel Doctor USA's FD-47 allows eco-conscious consumers to save gas and money while helping the environment by reducing the pollutants emitted into the air.
Fuel Doctor USA's FD-47 is the fuel efficiency booster. The FD-47 increases a vehicles miles per gallon (MPG) through power conditioning of the vehicles electrical systems. Conditioned and clean power allows the vehicles electronic control unit (ECU), fuel injection and engine timing equipment to operate more efficiently. When the vehicles engine runs more efficiently it will require less fuel, produce more power and have reduced exhaust emissions (reduced CO2). As a vehicle matures, the power systems tend to generate and experience more electrical noise or electrical interference. This noise can have many detrimental effects on the vehicles systems and decrease their efficiency. The FD-47 simply plugs into the cigarette/power outlet and the power conditioning qualities of the FD-47 help to reduce and remove this noise and to restore your vehicles efficiency.
Fuel Doctor USA's FD-47 was tested by The Automobile Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center. This U.S. EPA and CARB recognized independent test laboratory states, "The majority of the Carbon (99%) coming out of an engine is in the form of CO2. This means that improvements in fuel economy result in reduced CO2 emissions". Other tests were conducted on the FD-47 by superior automotive and engineering authorities including BOSCH (Ledico), TestCar, and Kett Engineering. These testing results found that the FD-47 increases fuel economy (up to 25%), which results in fewer CO2 emissions.
Each year, by using the FD-47, under normal driving conditions consumers will reduce the CO2 pollutants their vehicles emit into the air by thousands of pounds. It's a truly effortless yet rewarding act, "JUST PLUG IN and keep it in" states Fuel Doctor USA CEO, Mark Soffa, "it's really that simple, and maintenance free."
Best Buy, the nation's largest electronic retailer, officially launched Fuel Doctor USA's FD-47 in their stores last month.
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day this year, all year with Fuel Doctor USA and reduce your carbon footprint.
About The Fuel Doctor USA: The Fuel Doctor USA's FD-47 will significantly change the rate of fuel consumption for consumers, saving them money and the environment one car at a time. FD-47's cutting-edge technology increases fuel economy which results in decreased CO2 emissions. Fuel Doctor USA has officially joined the ranks of new companies using science and technology to effectively lessen environmental damage. To learn more about Fuel Doctor USA please go to www.fueldoctorusa.com.
###
Media Contact: Megan Palmer AMG PRWorks 305.856.8004 x304 megan@amgwagency.com
Monday, March 22, 2010
Kart racing is gaining momentum on the professional and amateur circuit. The features of kart racing are similar to other variants of open motor sports except for the size of the vehicle. The kart is a relatively small open vehicle with four wheels. These racing go karts are also known as shifter karts or go carts deemed in accordance with their style and design. For enthusiasts who enjoy the thrill of open motor sport, kart racing can be used as a platform to reach higher ranks of other variants of open motor sport.
From children to adults, racing go karts is fun for all age groups. The carts used in amusement parks or public areas have restricted speed limits whereas the ones used in scaled down circuits are hi speed carts. The karts vary in terms of speed. Some of the superkarts are capable of reaching top speeds of 240 kilometers per hour. Although quite a few individuals indulge in kart racing as a recreational activity, serious enthusiasts take part in go carting events held the world over. Kart racing which originated in the United States has now has now become a popular variant of motor sports in other parts of the globe.
The tires and wheels of the racing go karts are smaller than the ones on a normal car. Most drivers prefer alloy and magnesium rims on the wheels of karts. The tires used, are in accordance with the track condition of various competitions held around the world.
Slick tires that consist of no tread patterns are used for competitions held where weather conditions are dry. Wets are tires, which consist of treads, and grooves that give a better grip on a slippery surface. These are preferred in racing go karts competitions where wet weather prevails.
There are several associations such as IKF, (International Kart Federation) MSA, (Motor Sports Association) WKA, (World Karting Association) and several other go kart associations and leagues that organize competitions for kart racers. The racing go karts come in various two stroke and four stroke engines. In recent times, the 125cc TAG and KF1 engines are extensively used the world over.
From children to adults, racing go karts is fun for all age groups. The carts used in amusement parks or public areas have restricted speed limits whereas the ones used in scaled down circuits are hi speed carts. The karts vary in terms of speed. Some of the superkarts are capable of reaching top speeds of 240 kilometers per hour. Although quite a few individuals indulge in kart racing as a recreational activity, serious enthusiasts take part in go carting events held the world over. Kart racing which originated in the United States has now has now become a popular variant of motor sports in other parts of the globe.
The tires and wheels of the racing go karts are smaller than the ones on a normal car. Most drivers prefer alloy and magnesium rims on the wheels of karts. The tires used, are in accordance with the track condition of various competitions held around the world.
Slick tires that consist of no tread patterns are used for competitions held where weather conditions are dry. Wets are tires, which consist of treads, and grooves that give a better grip on a slippery surface. These are preferred in racing go karts competitions where wet weather prevails.
There are several associations such as IKF, (International Kart Federation) MSA, (Motor Sports Association) WKA, (World Karting Association) and several other go kart associations and leagues that organize competitions for kart racers. The racing go karts come in various two stroke and four stroke engines. In recent times, the 125cc TAG and KF1 engines are extensively used the world over.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Buddy Baker had a legendary career in NASCAR and is honored and respected by all who know the sport. Buddy retired in nineteen ninety four at age 52 after thirty six years at the wheel in a career that began in 1959. Buddy can be proud of his career statistics. Baker had nineteen career first places in a total of 699 starts . Add to this 43 runner-up finishes and 58 third-place finishes. His good friend Richard Petty was very sure that with any luck Buddy would have won 50 races. Baker's career winnings exceeded $ three,500,000 in an era when the purses were small by today's standards. Baker ended his career at age 52 and then said "there comes a point when you simply got to say 'Hey it's been fun'".
Buddy Baker, son of the legendary Buck Baker didn't have a single win in stock- automobile until his ninth season. It was at Charlotte in 1967 that he had his first win in a Dodge prepaired by Ray Fox. there was a point after eight seasons where Baker questioned if he would ever have a win. He would race more than 200 times before winning his first race.
nineteen victories may not seem like much to some yet if you consider where those victories occurred then the exploit is quite impressive; four at Charlotte, four at Talladega, two each at Daytona, Darlington and Atlanta and wins at Michigan, Texas and Ontario.
Baker's favorite season was 1980. He won the Daytona 500 driving an impressive Olds prepared by Waddell Wilson that year. That black and gray impressive Olds was driven so fast by Baker that it came to be known as the "Grey Ghost" because it seemed to blend into the asphalt. Baker had averaged nearly 178 mph in winning that 500 and that is still the record today for this great event. That year, with the help of Waddell Wilson and the owner Harry Rainer he finished in the top ten ten times in only nineteen races.
As for his most memorable race, Baker would probable choose his win of the Winston 500 again in 1980 were he made up a 19 second shortfall to Dale Earnhardt whom he passed with just two laps to go. He earned the esteem of all other drivers at that Winston 500. They were all amazed at his skills at drafting behind leading cars passing them all to gain a victory that had seemed elusive. Baker was modest in victory. He was certain that Dale Earnhardt could have beaten him if he had a little more experience at the time. Years later Baker estimated that in his eyes Earnhardt was the best that ever was behind the wheel.
Baker was badly hurt at the Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 in 1989. He suffered a serious blow to the head that caused a huge clot which was removed in surgery. Somehow he never fully recovered his driving skills after that. Baker recovered from this accident and started 17 more races, retiring after a final crash in Atlanta during a qualifying lap. He had realized that he no longer had the stuff of champions.
Baker still maintains ties to the sport as a consultant to Penske South Racing.
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