THE LINE

November 14, 2012

(Brian Czobat, Courtesy of Autostock, USA, 2012 and Ford Racing)
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing 3M Ford) makes a pit stop on his way to a 7th place finish in the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday. Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Budweiser Chevrolet) won the race followed by Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx Ground Toyota) and Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing M&Ms Toyota). But the big news was the contretemps between Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports DuPont Chevrolet) and Clint Boyer (No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing 5-Hour Energy Toyota). We're not going to add anything here about it because it has been overly dissected already, and the fines will be doled out this week. The bigger news was that Sprint Cup contender Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet) ended up in 32nd-place after a cut tire sent him hard into the wall, leaving Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Penske Racing Miller Lite Dodge), who finished sixth, with a 20-point lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup going into the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Keselowski needs to finish 15th or better next Sunday to win the Sprint Cup, no matter what Johnson does. Go here for a weekend re-cap from NASCAR.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Jeff Gordon was fined $100,000, docked 25 points and placed on probation until December 31 for his on-track actions at Phoenix. Rick Hendrick was also docked 25 car owner points and crew chief Alan Gustafson was placed on probation through the end of the year. Clint Bowyer's crew chief Brian Pattie was fined $25,000 and placed on probation through the end of the year. - PMD

 IndyCar. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The news that Formula One's management is considering creating an American version of GP2 or GP3 in order to create popularity of the sport in the United States is a giant bowl of Not Good for IndyCar. According to an ESPN report, company documents show that it has the working title of the 'Americas Series' and, if given the green light, will feature races in Brazil, Canada and the United States. The aim is to stimulate the development of grass roots motorsports in these countries and generate publicity for F1 so that it eventually attracts more local drivers. The bottom line? This is a blatant attempt by F1 to undercut IndyCar and the Indy Lights series. IndyCar has only just recently asked for bids on the next-gen Indy Light cars, so they're not even close to figuring out what's next for that series. And both the GP2 and GP3 series are vastly more interesting than Indy Lights will ever be. This development could upend open-wheel racing in this country, and apparently there's not much IndyCar can do to stop it from happening. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Watch this fabulous video about Road America, in 1958. - PMD

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Autoextremist readers have enjoyed John Thawley's brilliant photographic work for years, so we're pleased once again to be able to bring you his "Best Of" the past ALMS season, in racing shots, and in "faces at the races" shots. I feel it's a privilege to display John's work, as he brings a level of intensity and creativity to his craft that is extraordinary. John and I crossed paths years ago when we were immersed in different lives, and it has been a distinct pleasure to see him thriving in an entirely different arena. Please enjoy the "Best of ALMS 2012" by John Thawley. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out Michelin's racing website - "Michelin Alley" - and get in on all of the behind-the-scenes buzz. Go here. - PMD 

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 6:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

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