Growth biggest issue facing NASCAR (Yahoo! Sports)

Readers sound off on the issues facing NASCAR, the Hendrick crew chief swap and if Kevin Harvick was the best driver in 2010.

Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

Study: Auto bailout saved over 1 million jobs

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

The Center for Automotive Research has released a new study detailing the impact of the auto bailout of 2009. According to The Detroit Bureau, the group found that the government's involvement in the automotive industry saved 1.14 million jobs and $96.5 billion in personal income in 2009. The study also says that in 2010, around 314,400 jobs were saved by the bailout and that, in total, the loans to General Motors and Chrysler allowed $28.6 billion in social security and income taxes to be paid back to the federal government.

If these figures are accurate, they mean that, despite the fact that the two carmakers have only repaid $13.4 billion of the $80 billion that was loaned out, the government only needs to receive another $38 billion to cross a theoretical break-even point. That would be a pretty rosy picture compared to the doom and gloom that opponents to the bailout predicted before the treasury opened its doors. The full study is available at the Car Group web site.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

Study: Auto bailout saved over 1 million jobs originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines

Towler Honored at NASCAR Sprint Cup Finale

Richard Towler, inaugural winner of the NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship, hoists the champion?s trophy for NASCAR?s first global championship, while iRacing.com?s Steve Myers and NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt, Jr. present the winner?s check for $10,000.� NASCAR managing director Blake Davidson looks on.� The presentation to NASCAR?s first virtual racing champion took place at the [...]

Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte

Officially Official: 2012 Audi A6 grows up, borrows a page from A8

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Audi, Diesel, Luxury

2012 Audi A6 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Set to make its debut early next year, the 2012 Audi A6 is a totally revamped version of the automaker's mid-size luxury sedan. Styled to match the 2011 Audi A8, the new A6 (which, as we pointed out when it leaked a day early, looks a lot like the old A6) hides plenty of lightweight aluminum and high-tech steel components under its revised exterior. Inside, the A6 benefits from a wrap-around cockpit that envelops both the driver and front passenger with leather and wood, while luxury amenities - ranging from heated and ventilated seats to optional massage functionality - are all available for the taking.

The available powertrains - a choice between two gasoline engines and three diesel mills worldwide - have improved fuel economy by 19 percent, and a hybrid version will be introduced down the road. The most economical unit, a 2.0-liter TDI, is expected to achieve about 48 miles per gallon, while the hybrid will come in closer to 38 mpg. You don't have to be totally frugal on the fuel to have some fun though, thanks to a carryover 300-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter TFSI powerplant that achieves 27 miles per gallon and runs to a limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.

The other gasoline engine is a 2.8-liter naturally aspirated unit that produces 204 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque which may or may not be available in the States (don't hold you breath). For oil burner fans, two 3.0-liter diesel choices exist: a 204 hp/295 lb-ft example and a top-of-the-line 245 hp/368 lb-ft mill. The more powerful unit is rated at nearly 40 mpg yet runs from 0-60 in just 6.1 seconds.

The 2012 A6 Hybrid, the second hybrid behind the launch of the Q5, will make its debut sometime after the new A6 hits the market. Power will come from a 2.0 TFSI engine paired with an electric motor that sits between the engine and the eight-speed transmission. The A6 Hybrid will be able to run on electric power alone at speeds of up to 62 mph.

Transmission options on the 2012 A6 are as varied as the available motors they pair with. A six-speed manual will join a CVT and seven-speed S-tronic automatic before the aforementioned eight-speeder arrives in the hybrid.

A mega press release chock full of A6 information is waiting for you just after the jump, and a massive photo gallery lies down below. Keep in mind these figures represent the German version of the A6, but give us a good idea of what to expect when it makes its way to the U.S.

Gallery: 2012 Audi A6

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 Audi A6 grows up, borrows a page from A8

Officially Official: 2012 Audi A6 grows up, borrows a page from A8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton

Today?s Headlines

Bike-Share, Bike-Share, Bike-Share (Post,�CBS 2,�Observer,�NY1,�AMNY)
Sadik-Khan Says Bike Safety Infrastructure Will Expand With Bike-Sharing (Transpo Nation)
Movement to Keep Chris Ward at Port Authority Grows, But Iris Weinshall On Short List (Crain’s�1,�2)
Ticket Cyclists to Raise Revenue, Says Goldsmith (Transpo Nation)
Van Bramer and Crowley to DOT: With Bumps or�Cameras, Stop Maspeth Speeding (News)
Marcia Kramer Takes Victory Lap Down [...]

Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

Report: Hundreds of old nuclear warheads being secretly trucked across US freeways

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Military

It seems that the nation's stockpile of W76 nuclear warheads is due for a tune up. According to The Kitsap Sun, the Navy is moving 1,600 and 1,800 of the warheads from their home at the Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base in Washington State to the Texas panhandle for updating. The 100-kiloton are between 23 and 32 years old, and as such, require updates to their aiming, firing and fusing systems. In order to get those updates, the warheads will have to travel by road in special, unmarked tractor trailers. For obvious reasons, the Navy isn't into sharing the travel itinerary for the warheads, but according to The Kitsap Sun, specially-trained federal agents are tasked with transporting the weapons.

The trucks are forbidden from driving in foul weather, and a host of secure shelters along the way will house the big rigs should the skies turn cloudy. Likewise, the drivers aren't allowed to go for more than 32 hours without sleeping in a real bed, despite the fact that the tractor cabs are sleepers. In addition, the trailers themselves are protected in the event of an accident.

Still, the knowledge that large numbers of nuclear weapons are coursing through the country's interstate system should give us all pause before cutting off that tractor trailer in traffic.

[Source: The Kitsap Sun]

Report: Hundreds of old nuclear warheads being secretly trucked across US freeways originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson

R3 Motorsports looking to 2011 Nationwide Series season with optimism and opportunities

R3 MotorsportsCHINA GROVE, N.C. (November 24, 2010) ? R3 Motorsports has their sights set on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season with optimism, sponsorship opportunities and driver options. Concluding the 2010 season with a top-20 finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway, R3 Motorsports solidified their place in the top-30 Owner?s Points. Heading into 2011 ranked 27th, that...more»

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman