Full Throttle

Welcome to Full Throttle’s Theater of the Absurd

The IndyCar opener in Sao Paulo was billed as a Brazilian Party with no less than five native Brazilians in the starting field, it wasn’t to be though as Australian Will Power crashed the party.

Yet another world champion has stepped into the mix for this weekend’s sensational 2010 season opener in Bahrain. Active drivers’ title winners Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso posed for photographers in the FIA press conference.

Frustrated by slow stops on pit road and a variety of different tire strategies on the part of his competitors, Harvick passed Denny Hamlin for the lead with 25 laps left in Saturday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and pulled away to beat Hamlin by 1.361 seconds.

A loose tire on pitroad cost Keven Harvick a trip to the back of the field at Fontana but it allowed Jamie McMurray’s crewman Adam Mosser to put on a ballerina act by as he leapt over the hood of the No. 29 RCR machine.

When Richard Petty looked at what Chrysler was offering as race fodder for 1969, and then looked over at the long-nose Ford Torino Talladega, King Richard opted to put Petty Blue and the number 43 on a Ford for the year.

Nelson Piquet driver had initially planned to contest the Free State 500 stock car event on the Phakisa oval prior to his US racing debut but will now head straight to Daytona.

Number six on the list of Daytona’s best stock cars had a four year reign and ushered in both one of today’s biggest, most successful stars and was part of arguably one of NASCAR’s most emotional winner’s circle of all time.

The 1966 NASCAR season was marked by the re-introduction of Chrysler’s legendary Hemi engine and Ford’s departure from the sport. With less competition and more power than ever, Chrysler was a frequent visitor to the winner’s circle early in the season, though Ford’s boycott took a big bite out of attendance.

Richard Petty may have earned his legend driving blue Plymouths in the ’60s, but the car he drove the longest in competition was actually the 1971 to 1974 Dodge Charger.

Qualifying for the Dunlop Dubai 24 Hours of Dubai took place today at Dubai Autodrome and the Imsa Performance Matmut Porsche took pole position in an action packed session.

US F1 will make their official track debut in Alabama in February after being given a special dispensation by the FIA to test on home soil.

North Dakota’s Donny Schatz continued his love affair with Tyrepower Parramatta Raceway tonight winning the 30th Valvoline Australian Grand Prix after a race long duel with Australian champion Garry Brazier.

Danica Patrick made her first laps in an ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards stock car during a rain-shortened test session at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Friday afternoon. Patrick, one of 26 drivers who posted a time during the 35-minute single car run session, was 12th quickest on the charts with a time of 51.095 seconds (176.142 mph) around the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

Milka Duno will join fellow IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick at next week’s ARCA test at Daytona International Speedway.

Danica Patrick ended months of speculation when she announced on Tuesday a deal to race part-time in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. The only woman to win an IndyCar race will suit up for JR Motorsports, a team co-owned by Dale, Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt, as well as Rick Hendrick and Tony Eury, Jr.

It will be teen day on the front row Sunday for the 42nd annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway. 2009 Blizzard Series’ Super Late Model Champion Johanna Long, all of 17 years old, and Ross Kenseth, a 16-year-old are the two fastest drivers for the prestigious race.

I’m not much for banquets, auto racing themed or not, so it shouldn’t come as a great surprise to anyone to learn I’m already bored to tears with stories coming out of Vegas and NASCAR’s year end shindig.

Marcus Ericsson narrowly seals provisional pole position for Tom’s for the 2009 Macau F3 Grand Prix following opening qualifying around the Autódromo da Guia in the Far Eastern enclave of Macau.

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup heads to Phoenix International Raceway this week, for Sunday’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Presented By Pennzoil – the ninth event in the Chase. That will be the capper of a national series tripleheader weekend at the 1-mile track.

Personal property of suspended NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield will go on the auction block Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Among the items up for bid are a ranch home, construction equipment, trucks, miscellaneous tools and racing equipment.