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Article source: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/usatoday/article/55082678?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cs
INDIANAPOLIS —
Few events in motor sports honor its tradition more than the Indianapolis 500.
The race celebrated its 100th anniversary last May and will run for the 96th time (it wasn’t held during World War II) at the Brickyard next Sunday afternoon.
“What a special place it is,” said team owner Jimmy Vasser, whose best finish here as a driver was fourth. “You never forget how special the place is. And how really, really difficult it is.”
Yet for all of the traditions of the 500 — from Gasoline Alley to the winner slugging cold milk in victory lane to Jim Nabors singing Back Home Again in Indiana — times are changing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For one thing, Nabors won’t attend next week’s race because of a scheduled heart surgery. Nabors will still be part of the festivities, however, this time via video.
The biggest changes this year, however, have come on the track. There is a new car, and there are new engines and new drivers. And for better or worse, Danica Patrick — the most popular IndyCar driver in years — has left for NASCAR.
Dan Wheldon, who won the 500 last year for the second time in his career, will be memorialized in a number of ways. The 33-year-old British driver died in October when he crashed during the IndyCar season finale at Las Vegas. Fort Lauderdale’s Ryan Hunter-Reay has an image of Wheldon’s face painted on his helmet, and drivers have decals honoring Wheldon on their cars.
Wheldon is remembered by his friends not only as a top competitor but also as a big reason the new car is on the track this year. Wheldon did much of the testing in the development for the new Dallara chassis and was a proponent of bringing more competition to the garage. Dallara named the car the DW12 in honor of Wheldon.
“What’s been so much fun this season is you don’t know what’s coming around the corner,” Hunter-Reay said. “Honda just got a new turbo housing and the littlest thing makes a big difference. It’s been fun not knowing what the competition is like each week. The old car was pretty predictable. The talent in this series is stacked. Now with the mix of the different manufacturers and the new car, well, everything is thrown out the window.”
Honda had been the sole powerplant of IndyCars since 2005. This year, Chevrolet and Lotus joined the fray. That has upped the competition factor in the garages. For instance, the Andretti Autosports team struggled to get its drivers to qualify for last year’s race; but this year, powered by the new Chevy V-6, three of them should start next Sunday’s race on the top three rows.
Although some teams have struggled getting the right setups with the new cars, others have prospered. Like Andretti’s bunch, Roger Penske’s powerhouse team appears to have a handle on things as Team Penske drivers have claimed all four IndyCar wins so far this season.
“I like the new cars,” Penske said Saturday. “Obviously, it’s a challenge getting these cars reliable. We’ve been fortunate to have success with the four wins. … To have a competitive engine now is excellent.”
If one hasn’t watched an IndyCar race this year, the new-looking car won’t come as a complete shock, but there are numerous differences from its predecessor.
Article source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/19/2808242/tires-arent-only-things-changing.html
A Goodyear Tire Rubber Co. plant spokesman says the company has exceeded its obligations to modernize the Fayetteville facility but has yet to receive incentives promised by the city three years ago.
Worries that Goodyear could close the plant prompted the General Assembly in 2008 to approve a package worth up to $30 million over 10 years. The company would have to spend at least $200 million in capital investment and maintain at least 2,398 workers.
To sweeten the pot, Cumberland County and Fayetteville offered smaller incentives packages with similar investment and workforce benchmarks. The county’s offer was worth an estimated $7 million, while the city’s was worth a maximum $1 million.
Goodyear says it has fulfilled its end of the deal, spending $230 million to upgrade the Ramsey Street plant since 2007, according to the company and documents by the N.C. Department of Commerce. The plant has about 2,700 workers, a spokesman said.
But while the state and county have begun making payments to Goodyear based on those packages, the company hasn’t qualified for any city payments – and might never qualify, unless the Fayetteville City Council amends the contract.
The reason is the city’s 2009 contract measures growth in the plant’s tax value, not how much Goodyear spends, to determine the level of capital investment. The plant’s taxable value has increased by only $139 million since 2007, according to the county tax office.
The discrepancy between how much Goodyear says it has spent and the $139 million figure is the result of normal equipment depreciation for tax purposes. It’s the same reason why most vehicle tax bills in North Carolina go down each year, not up.
Plant spokesman Richard Evans said the investments and upgrades are largely complete. He confirmed that Goodyear recently has requested to have the city contract changed to reflect what the company has actually spent, not the growth in tax value.
“Goodyear appreciates the city’s support and looks forward to continuing discussions about the possibility of changing this language, so that we can qualify for the incentives based on the investment that has been made in the Fayetteville plant,” Evans said in an email.
The issue came up at last week’s City Council budget workshop. Interim City Manager Kristoff Bauer said Goodyear would like the contract language changed so it could access some or all the $1 million the city offered.
The council has made no decision on the request.
“I’d like to keep them happy, because it’s about 3,000 jobs out there,” Councilman Bill Crisp said.
Mayor Tony Chavonne told a reporter he didn’t have an opinion yet on the matter.
The contract now says the city would pay Goodyear $100,000 annually for 10 years if it invests at least $200 million by the end of this year and maintains a workforce of at least 2,000. The contract says the city can cease annual payments if the number of employees drops below 2,000.
The county grants back to Goodyear half of the new property taxes that are the result of rising tax values and new plant investment. The city couldn’t have the same agreement, because the tire plant is outside the city limits.
The county has paid $1.8 million to Goodyear so far, while the state has paid $8.5 million.
Evans said the modernization has allowed the plant to switch from a traditional, two-stage tire-making process to a single one in which tires are made all in one spot. The upgrades helped the company shift its focus a few years ago from making private-label tires to Goodyear brands.
The plant – one of the area’s largest and best-paying employers – makes about 35,000 premium tires each day.
The Fayetteville plant enjoyed a protected status against closure when the company reached a labor union agreement in 2009. A similarly sized Goodyear factory in Union City, Tenn., didn’t get that status and was shuttered last year.
State officials pushed for the $30 million incentives for Goodyear, and the same amount for a Bridgestone Firestone plant in Wilson, to help save valuable manufacturing jobs under the Job Maintenance and Capital Development Act.
Average 2010 wages at the Goodyear location in Cumberland County were $65,000 a year, according to state records.
Darryl Jackson, president of Local 959 of the United Steelworkers of America, said he doesn’t think the plant would close over the issue of city incentives.
“I do believe the city ought to revisit the issue,” he said, “because Goodyear has invested more money than what they were obligated to invest in the state.”
Doug Peters, president of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce, said Goodyear is important to the local economy. It employs people who live and shop in Fayetteville, and it helps support smaller businesses. Overall, the plant is credited for sustaining more than 4,700 area jobs with a combined annual payroll of more than $300 million, Peters said.
“The community needs to be attentive and responsive to the impact that Goodyear makes in the community,” he said.
Article source: http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012/05/20/1176454?sac=fo.business
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WAYLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM)-An Allegan County man is facing charges for causing a deadly crash then leaving the scene.
Deputies say the 57-year-old man from Martin hit a motorcycle on 129th Avenue in Wayland Township then drove off. The male and female riders were seriously injured; the woman later died at the hospital.
When a trooper tried to pull the suspect over on 10th Street, the driver drove off, despite having just three tires. The suspect finally pulled into a driveway in Martin. Authorities say as he resisted arrest, his vehicle caught fire.
The driver was taken to jail. He will be charged with operating while intoxicated causing death, leaving the scene of a crash, fleeing and eluding police and resisting and obstructing police.
Article source: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/212667/2/Deadly-crash-pursuit-on-three-tires
Armand Saccomanno’s commute starts in North Windham every day around 6:10 a.m.
He packs his gear bags with schoolwork, but instead of jumping into his car, he clicks his bike shoes onto the pedals of his trusty 1982 steel-framed Panasonic road bike – the “old jalopy” he calls it – and starts off on a 14-mile trek to E.O. Smith High School, where he teaches social studies.
Saccomanno, 40, has been biking to work for 11 years, rain or shine, in all seasons. On Friday, it was National Bike to Work Day, so he had some company. Saccomanno and another E.O. Smith social studies teacher, Shawn Santasiere, started a Bike to School week five years ago. Earlier last week, participation was dampened a bit by the rain, but 40 student cyclists checked in at the breakfast table set up in the parking lot next to the school early Friday morning. There were 137 who biked to school through the week.
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E. O. Smith High School, 1235 Storrs Rd, Storrs, CT 06268, USA
“How was the ride?” Santasiere asked some students who pulled up to the curb and perused the cereal, bagels and other offerings.
Cold, they said.
It was a little chilly, but quickly warmed up. Santasiere, who bikes five miles to work most days from his home in Storrs, got there early to set up. The food was provided by a grant from the E.O. Smith Foundation. The kids sat on the curb and ate and talked. One, Jesse Lusa, had biked an impressive 20 miles from Willington. Another, Carolyn Brown, traveled seven miles, but it was via hilly Mansfield City Road. A couple other faculty members, including science teacher Julia Sherman and social worker Chuck Leavens, also made the morning trek by bike.
Saccomanno arrived a little later. He rides a circuitous route, taking the back roads through Chaplin, up some nice hills and finishes with a semi-torturous climb up Gurleyville Road in Storrs.
That wakes him up.
“I’m very alert in the morning,” he said.
Formerly a dedicated runner, Saccomanno finished five marathons, including one in a not-so-shabby 2-hour, 47-minute personal best. But nagging injuries began to bother him and he started searching for another form of exercise. One day in 1997, his Achilles’ tendon aching, he went into the cellar, found his bike, cleaned the chain, pumped up the tires, went for a ride and thought, “This is fun.” That fall, he ran his last marathon and became a full-time cyclist. By 2001, he was biking to school every day.
“I did a study on how much I save in terms of carbon emissions — it’s about four tons a year of carbon dioxide emissions, greenhouse gas emissions,” said Saccomanno, who bikes about 9,000 miles a year, including 6,000 commuting.
He also saves about $6,000 annually by not commuting to work with a car. In fact, he and his wife, who have two young children, have had only one car for the past three years.
“When we had two [cars], I realized at one point that it had been six weeks or something that I had put gas in the tank,” he said.
Over the winter, he hitched a ride with a colleague only three times when it was too treacherous to ride. Even during the snowy winter of 2010, he missed only seven days on the bike.
Santasiere used to ride 13 ½ miles from Columbia between one to three days a week on his mountain bike but when he moved to Storrs, he began to commute by bicycle every day.
Unlike Saccomanno, he is still more of a runner than a cyclist.
“I still don’t consider myself a cyclist,” he said. “I just consider myself somebody who rides to work. [Saccomanno]‘s the real deal. He’s a warrior.”
The best part about the week, the teachers said, is that from now until the end of the school year, some of the students will continue riding their bikes to school. Maybe they will have to get up a little earlier, pack their backpacks lighter or not get a chance to sleep on the bus, but they will arrive at school alert, awake, ready to go.
“Riding a bike is fun,” Saccomanno said. “I know that’s a matter of opinion, but it really is — just the way you feel when you get here. By the time 7 in the morning rolls around, I’ve already accomplished something. And the way I’ve accomplished this is by also getting to work — I’ve managed to combine it.
“When you’re riding a bike, you feel very liberated. I don’t feel like I’m relying on some oil company to get oil from the Middle East so I can drive to work. I feel like I’m being more self-sufficient.”
Article source: http://www.courant.com/sports/other/hc-riley-national-bike-to-work-column-0520-20120520,0,1168918.column
Police are searching for the person or persons responsible for stealing several cars.
The cars were stolen at a Knott County used car lot, but ended up in Letcher County at a scrap yard.
Kentucky State Police say several tires and rims were also stolen.
The owner of the car lot has been in jail for a while, but police say family members noticed that one of the vehicles was missing.
“Someone apparently had taken a car from the lot, but actually once they got there and got to looking around, I think they actually figured out that there was more than one car taken from that lot,” said Trooper Tony Watts with Kentucky State Police.
The owner of the scrap yard did not want to comment.
Police say there are warrants out for the arrest of the people involved, but so far they have not caught them.
Article source: http://www.wkyt.com/wymt/home/headlines/Police_searching_for_car_theifs_152094195.html
Madcatz are the king of 3rd party gaming hardware. Their products range from mice to capture cards and flight sticks. We were lucky enough to get our grips on their latest official Xbox 360 steering wheel, with wireless technology and force feedback it looks to be one of the best wheels around. However, is it really as good as it looks and is it worth the $249.99 price tag?
Upon removing it from it’s huge box, the first thing I notice is that it’s solid. It’s very well built, it’s sturdy and has a decent weight to it. This is partially helped by it’s metal construction, now, that doesn’t mean the whole thing is metal but the middle section of the wheel is, as well as the flappy paddle gear shifters.
There’s a bit of assembly and you will need a screwdriver to attach the mounting sections. You have two mounting options, you can either attach it to a desk or have it on your lap. I don’t think I’ve ever had a gaming console by a desk so the lap option is a God-send in my case. If you want to rest it on your lap then you can screw two panels onto the bottom of the wheel unit, these help make the whole unit a bit wider and they also match the curve of your leg to help stop it from slipping. If you’re planning on attaching it to a desk then the wheel comes with a clamp that will lock the unit in place on your desk. Attaching it to your desk is the more stable method but it works perfectly well on your lap. The main downside to having it on your lap is that there’s extra pressure on your legs when using the pedals.
On the unit itself you have all the standard controls although the triggers are mapped to the pedals and the bumper buttons are mapped to the flappy paddles. On the back there’s a power port, ethernet port for connecting the pedals and a port for your Xbox Live headset. There’s also a sync button to connect the wheel to the console. There’s also two holes – one either side of the wheel – these are for the gear shifter, which means you can pick which side you want to place it. The pedals have a non-slip material on the top and bottom to stop them moving around and to stop your feet from slipping off.
On the box itself it says the wheel ‘Works great with Forza Motorsport 4,’ unfortunately I don’t have a copy of FM4 to hand so was unable to try that out. The box also says it works with Race Driver: GRID, Need for Speed: Shift, Project Gotham Racing 4, Blur and Split/Second – I also didn’t have any of these titles either. The only racing games I had available to use were Forza Motorsport 2, F1 2011 and DiRT 3.
The first up was Forza 2, I was happy to learn that despite the age of the game, the wheel was recognised instantly with no set-up required. Getting into a race and the wheel responds well, although it feels like you’re constantly fighting against the wheel. The force feedback causes the wheel to move left and right depending on what’s happening on screen and it can sometimes be a bit of a struggle to get the wheel back in the direction you want it to go. However, this is only a slight niggle, on the whole it controls well and feel responsive and definitely adds to the driving experience.
Next up was DiRT 3, this was a completely different experience to Forza 2 but that’s mainly down to the nature of the game. Play DiRT 3 and the wheel will really come to life, again no set-up was needed, just connect it up and away you go. As you fly over the bumpy, uneven terrain the wheel will move all over the place, you really have to fight against it to get round the track. It’s the closest you’ll get to a true rally experience in your living room.
However, out of the three games I tried, F1 2011 was by far the best. That might be because it’s the newest or because of the nature of the game but it controls and handles brilliantly. The steering seemed so much smoother and the pedals felt more responsive. It really adds to the F1 experience and if you’re an F1 nut then you should definitely be looking at getting a wheel.
I also tried two other games that do revolve around racing/driving but aren’t built for racing wheels, Driver: San Francisco and MX vs. ATV Alive. The wheel works with both but as they aren’t designed to use wheels the steering is very unresponsive and there’s a lot of under-steer, which basically means it’s unplayable. This may be a completely pointless comment but I thought it was worth noting how it reacts to games that aren’t designed for it.
You can’t really go wrong with the MadCatz Wireless Force Feedback Wheel, it’s well built, it handles well and it’s responsive. If you’re a racing nut and you’re looking for a decent wheel with no wires and force feedback then look no further. The steering can feel heavy at times but a lot of that depends on the game – the main downside of the wheel is that it needs to be plugged into the mains and the power cord isn’t very long. It’s quite a lot of money but it adds a great deal to the driving experience.
Rating: 
Andy
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Article source: http://mkgaming.com/xbox360/reviews/review-madcatz-wireless-force-feedback-wheel/
Karnataka High Court Judge Justice Govindarajulu was killed in a road accident near Odulapalli in Talupula mandal, 87 km from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday afternoon.
Three members of his family and the car driver were injured. Eye witnesses say the car skidded off the road when the driver tried to avoid a person crossing the road. While Govindarajulu’s wife Rajyalakshmi and son Akhil were seriously injured. His other son Abhishek and driver Vijay Kumar escaped with minor injuries. Rajyalakshmi is battling for her life at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Institute (RIMS) in Kadapa, according to the police.
Justice Govindarajulu, his wife and his two sons were administered first aid in a private clinic at Pulivendula and were later rushed to RIMS in an ambulance. But the judge who was profusely bleeding through his nose and suffered massive concussion to his head, succumbed to his injuries at RIMS Hospital.
The family left Bangalore in the early hours of Saturday morning to a relative’s house in Proddatur, Kadapa, to attend the death anniversary of one of their close relatives. Two tyres of the car burst when the driver took a steep turn to save the pedestrian who came onto the road suddenly. The driver lost control of the vehicle and the car turned turtle after a spin in the air.
The body of Justice Govindarajulu is expected to be brought to his house at Jayanagar IV Block in the City on Sunday morning. His wife and son Akhil are being shifted to a private hospital in the City. Justice Govindarajulu was from Bellary.
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Article source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/250676/hc-judge-killed-ap-road.html
WAYLAND TOWNSHIP — Police say a 57-year-old driver allegedly hit a motorcycle late Friday south of Wayland, then left the scene and fled from police on three wheels.
A man and woman on the bike were seriously injured and the woman died in the hours after the late Friday crash on 129th Avenue.
After the vehicle driver left the scene, a trooper found the vehicle going south on 10th Street and gave pursuit.
The driver failed to stop and a chase began, police said. The driver eventually pulled into a driveway in the Martin area and, after resisting arrest, the man was placed in custody.
Meanwhile, the damaged wheel well of the vehicle started a fire. The trooper tried to extinguish the blaze, but could not and the vehicle eventually was fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters were called to put out the fire.
The 57-year-old driver was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated causing death and leaving the scene of a crash. Police also plan to seek charges of fleeing and eluding and resisting and obstructing.
E-mail John Tunison: jtunison@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/johntunison
Article source: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/05/driver_flees_on_three_tires_af.html
The 2012 Lakes to Pines Triathlon is June 16 in Park Rapids.
The fifth annual triathlon, sponsored by the Park Rapids Swim Boosters, includes a 500-yard swim in the Park Rapids Area High School pool, a 14.7-mile bicycle ride and 5K run.
Participants can compete as an individual or on a two- or three-person team.
So far, there are 32 individual and 6 relay teams registered for adults and 1 youth registered for the kids triathlon, according to event organizer Angie Graham. Registration is still open.
“We have had 70+ participants in years past,” Graham said. “We have switched the date this year to try to get more enjoyable weather.”
The triathlon is a fundraiser for the Park Rapids Swimming program which helps pay for one assistant coach each during the girls and boys swim season, training equipment and updating equipment such as the score board, computer system, timing system touch pads and starting blocks.
The money is also used to purchase equipment for swim club throughout the year for boys and girls from first through 12th grade.
The event is made possible through local sponsors and volunteers who help during the triathlon.
The bike route is a double loop course. The first loop leaves the transition area in the high school parking lot near the pool heading southwest through the Community Center parking lot and then left onto Helten Avenue to Highway 34. Turn right onto Highway 34 west to 129th Avenue then right onto 129th Avenue. At Highway 71, turn right and head south to Main Avenue and take another right onto Monico Lane. Continue on Monico Lane to Helten for the second loop.
Upon finishing the bike ride, take a left at the Community Center parking lot from Helten, which will lead to the transition area for the start of the run.
The 5K route leaves the transition area in the high school parking lot near the pool heading west. Cross Helten Avenue (watch for bikers) and run along the trail behind Century Elementary School to the Monico Lane exit. Turn left onto Monico Lane heading west and then take a right on Western Avenue to the turnaround. Turn left onto Helten Avenue (watch for bikers) and take another left onto the practice football fields across to the high school track and the finish line.
The day of the race, registration opens at 7 a.m. with the race starting at 9 a.m.
A kids triathlon is also part of the event. Ages 9 and under swim 50 yards, bike .48 miles and run .3 miles. Ages 10-12 swim100 yards, bike 1.1 miles and run .3 miles.
The kids races will start at about 11:30 a.m. after the adult triathlon is completed. Awards will be handed out at about noon.
For more information or to register for the event go to www.lakestopines.com.
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Article source: http://www.parkrapidsenterprise.com/event/article/id/32717/
