Stupidity All Around

Do people not see how stupid this is? Glenn Beck wants to have a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, as a means of "restoring honor." As it happens, the day that Beck wishes to have his rally is the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Of course, this can only mean one thing: Glenn Beck is an evil, bigoted, racist jerk.

No, we don't even have to worry about what Beck's message is, he's a white guy trying to speak on the same day (albeit 47 years later) that a civil rights hero spoke. That jerk!

I mean, doesn't Glenn Beck know that we are now in a post-racial society, and that we have been ever since Barack Obama ascended to the White House. I mean, Valerie Jarrett told us that Obama would be 'ready to rule from day one.' Glenn Beck should know better. Race doesn't matter anymore, so this stupid white conservative needs to shut up.

That's stupidity.

Not That Leader: Revisited

"Obama is an eloquent speaker. And that’s what is so confusing. He speaks just well enough to hide his true intentions. He never truly commits to one thing or another. It’s a master stroke in politics, but if the American voter would open their eyes just a little bit, they’d see the truth behind what he’s saying. They’d realize that Obama is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Sure he looks good on TV, but we’re not electing a public speaker, we’re electing a leader.

And frankly, Obama is not that leader." - The Right Wing, October 16, 2008

I wrote that nearly two years ago, as Barack Obama was making his push to be President. As you know, hopefully (unless you've lived under a rock for some time), Mr. Obama succeeded in his quest. Now, eighteen months into his presidency, we can look back.

To revisit the above quote, consider Obama's speaking ability. When he has a teleprompter or a prepared speech, he is one of the best speakers since Kennedy (take your pick, they all seem to get people to like them). However, when Obama is sans teleprompter, his speaking ability trails off to awkward teenager trying to pick up a date.

Still, speaking ability alone does not a president make. Often, presidents are judged on the merit of their tenure in office. So let's examine the Obama high/low point list:

1. Economic Stimulus. Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress passed $787 Billion in stimulus spending. Key to remember in this matter is that a majority of the Democratic congress subscribes to Keynesian Economics. A (very generalized) overview of Keynesian economics states that if you have no money, just keep spending until money magically appears in your account. This is exactly what Congress did. Instead of trying to save our money, or putting our money into the private sector, which is the backbone of our economy, Congress decided that they knew better than us and became a sweeping government takover of health care, the auto industry, and (if reports are true) eventually individual, private 401(k) accounts.

2. Health care reform. If you saw any of the town hall meetings, you'll know that most Americans were against the health care plan. They may have supported health care reform, but not the version that Obama came up with. Then, when a reporter asked Nancy Pelosi what part of the Constitution authorized Congress to pass such reform, her indignant answer was "Are you serious?" Pelosi later topped herself, saying that we had to pass the bill to find out what was in it.

3. The Tea Party. This thing has been the bane of liberalism since April of 2008. I've written a few times about the TeaParty and the mostly negative portrayal it has had in the media. Just peruse back a while on this blog to find those things. Of course, the media will have you believe that the Tea Party is merely the offshoot of a racist nation that despises having a black man in the White House. I give the Tea Party more credit than that.

4. Immigration. Arizona authored a law that enforced the federal law, while almost exactly mirroring the language of the federal law. Then, the federal government sued Arizona. Their case: Arizona was usurping federal authority. Apparently, the federal government does not have to enforce their own laws, but you better not dare to try to enforce those laws, because the Fed will sue you. Nevermind that the majority of Americans side with Arizona in this debate, desiring to stem the tide of illegal immigration, the federal government cannot anger those illegal immigrants, or as they now call them "displaced foreign travelers."

Obviously that's not all. In fact, we've barely scratched the surface. The media is still trying to convince people that a Senator who never one completed a full term in any office is possibly the best president ever. His opponents would have you believe that he is the worst president ever.

I'll say this: I don't think he's the worst, and he's far from the best. I still think he's an inexperienced Socialist looking for a chance to fundamentally transform America into a socialist utopia.

United States Grand Prix: A Guess

Austin, Texas.

Click on the link there and take a look at one of my many guesses as to what a Grand Prix circuit outside Austin, Texas could look like. The group that is bringing Formula 1 back to the United States recently revealed the site of the Grand Prix. Try your hand at designing a circuit there.

Grand Prix-viewing the Magyar Nagydíj 2010

It's been over a year since Felipe Massa was very nearly killed at the Hungaroring. Click on the word there to watch of video of one of the scariest accidents you'll ever see. With hindsight being 20-20 and Massa being alright and actually winning the German Grand Prix, (Okay, so team orders forced him to move aside and give Alonso the victory, but more on that later.) we can actually talk about the most frightening aspect of this video, the on-board telemetry. Just watch after the spring hits Massa's helmet, when he simultaneously applies full brake and full throttle.

So, back to team orders. Ferrari has been poster child of team orders. Many years ago, Ferrari ordered Rubens Barrichello out of the way to allow Michael Schumacher to win. Schumi, out of shame, moved the 2nd-Place Barrichello to the top step of the podium. At Hockenheim this year, Massa was leading the race, but currently trailing in the points well behind Alonso (who was well behind leader Hamilton). Rob Smedley, Massa's race engineer, delivered the worst coded message ever, "Alonso is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that?"

Massa rather blatantly oved out of the way, and then on the podium and in the post-race conference, the Ferrari drivers looked like a couple going through some rather serious marital problems.

Which brings us to Hungary this year. The race, this Sunday, will feature two teams going through some great mechanical days, but seriously dysfunctional family issues. Red Bull, and Ferrari, have some driver issues to sort through.

Current duel championship leader, McLaren, is still out in front after a disappointing German Grand Prix. No one really knows just what McLaren will decide about the blown diffuser, but the Hungaroring is usually good to the Woking-based team.

So let's predict a podium:

1. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes

2. Mark Webber - Red Bull

3. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes

You'll note that the third spot on the podium goes to a driver who has been kind of struggling this season. Rosberg, though, appears poised to break through.

A Way Too Early Football Prediction Post

Alright, know from the outset that this is a completely unnecessary blog post. Training camps for both college and the NFL haven't even started yet. But, that's what makes this fun.

College Football

We'll start with the big six conference rankings.

6b. Big East: The Big East is down yet again. Yes, there are some good teams here, but I really don't see them as much of a threat to the top five.

6a. Mountain West: That's right. Right now I have a non-BCS conference ranked ahead of a BCS conference.

5. ACC: The ACC is scary. I mean, it really isn't a good conference. Beyond Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, UNC, and FSU, there isn't much here.

4. Big Ten: The Big Ten is adding a team next year, bringing their total up to twelve. I told you those guys up north couldn't count.

3. Pac-10: The Pacific coast conference has good teams. Unfortunately, USC, their flagship program, is now under a two-year bowl ban.

2. Big XII: This is the last year for the Big XII. Next year Colorado departs for the Pac 10 (with Utah) and Nebraska is running to the Big Ten.

1. SEC: Until someone knocks them off the top, there is no reason to pick against them.

Conference Winners:

Mountain West: TCU

Big East: UConn

ACC: Virginia Tech

Big Ten: Ohio State

Pac-10: Oregon

Big XII: Texas

SEC: Alabama

BCS Bowl Games:

Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Wisconsin

Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. TCU

Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Boise State

Orange Bowl: Virgina Tech vs. UConn

National Championship: Alabama vs. Ohio State

NFL PREDICTIONS:

AFC Championship Game:

Baltimore vs. Indianapolis

NFC Championship Game:

Atlanta vs. Dallas

Super Bowl:

Atlanta vs. Baltimore

Call us crazy, but a Matt Ryan versus Joe Flacco Super Bowl will be a lot of fun to watch.

Another Review of those F1 Predictions

June 17th:

Driver's Champion: Lewis Hamilton

He'll rebound in a big way, especially when we get to the European part of the calendar.

Constructor's Champion: Ferrari

Those red cars are fast.

Most wins on the season: Fernando Alonso

I'm thinking he'll win five races, while Hamilton will eventually win four.

First Driver to be Replaced: Karun Chandhok, HRT

I'm think that Jose Maria Lopez or Sebastian Bourdais may find their way into the race seat opposite Bruno Senna.

Will Bernie go away at season's end?

No. Unfortunately no.

Who will fill the race slot vacated by the defunct USF1?

Most likely Stefan GP. I can't see Epsilon Eusakdi, or Prodrive moving in.

Alright, so that's what we said in March of this year, after only one race. We're now eight races in and things have certainly changed. So let's view the new and updated predictions for the 7/16 mark of the season...

Driver's Champion: Lewis Hamilton

He'll rebound in a big way, especially when we get to the European part of the calendar. Remember us saying that earlier and back in March. Well, Lewis has taken two of the first three European races. Valencia at the end of the month looks good for McLaren as well.

Constructor's Champion: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

While Ferrari was our original pick, it looks as though those red cars aren't as good as we thought. Yes, Alonso is reaching the podium, but with nowhere near the consistency that Button and Hamilton are reaching it.

Most wins on the season: Lewis Hamilton

Lewis is already halfway to what I predicted he'd win, and we aren't even to the midpoint of the season. I'm starting to think Lewis may take home five or six wins.

First Driver to be Replaced: Karun Chandhok, HRT

I'm think that Jose Maria Lopez or Sebastian Bourdais may find their way into the race seat opposite Bruno Senna. That was our original pick and we're sticking with it. Chandhok, even in one of the new backmarker cars, is consistently running upwards of 4 to 7 seconds of the leader's pace. In F1, he might as well be walking as going that slow.

Will Bernie go away at season's end?

No. Unfortunately no. In fact, I hear he's looking at a vacation home in Austin, Texas.

Who will fill the race slot vacated by the defunct USF1?

Trick question, doesn't look like the FIA is going to let anyone else in.

So, what's right, wrong, and new?

Driver's Champion: Lewis Hamilton

That's right, we're sticking with Lewis for the title. He's not only consistent, but he's showing the aggressiveness that made him champion in 2008, only now he's coupled it with the maturity of a few seasons.

Constructor's Champion: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Also sticking with McLaren for the Constructor's title. Lewis is driving very well, and Jenson just overcame a P14 in qualifying by driving the wheels off at Silverstone and getting to P4 at the end.

Most wins at the end of the season: Lewis Hamilton

Yes, Webber has 3 now and Lewis only has 2. But Lewis drives well at Hockenheim and Spa, two of the next four races.

First Driver to be replaced: Karun Chandhok, HRT

We are partially right on this one. Bruno Senna was replaced by Sakon Yamamoto at Silverstone, but Karun will be replaced for the next few races by Yamamoto. Although, Renault is stirring the rumor mill with stories about Vitaly Petrov.

Will Bernie go away at season's end?

Still no. In fact, that kooky old man is now threatening to pull the Monaco Grand Prix. Yeah, that'll go over well with fans.

There was a question about USF1's spot. We just don't care anymore.

Today is the Future!!!

Well, today is the day that Marty McFly arrives from 1985. He drove the DeLorean up to 88 miles per hour, and with that, he entered the history books.... or did he leave them... no, wait, he wrote them.... I dunno!

No, just kidding. It was actually 2015, and this is just photoshopped. Still fun, though.

European Grand Prix Preview (Qualy Blog)

Formula 1 rolls into Valencia this week. I have the Formula 1 game on the Wii, and this is a very fun track to drive, but watching a race here has the high possibility of being boring. It is a narrow, bendy track, but it does not flow like Montreal does.

Today we'll review the qualifying sessions.

Alright, we'll pick this up with Q1 already finished. Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, and the Renault of Robert Kubica battled for the top of the time sheet in this session. The eliminated drivers from Q1 include:

24 - Bruno Senna (HRT)

23 - Chandhok (HRT)

22 - Glock (Virgin)

21 - Lucas Di Grassi (Virgin)

20 - Kovalainen (Lotus)

19 - Trulli (Lotus)

18 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber)

Q2

In Q2, several cars hit the track as the session began. Fernando Alonso quickly found his way around a Scuderia Toro Rosso car. At the 9:15-remaining mark of Q2, Sebastian Vettel threw in a 1:38:015, the fastest time of qualifying so far.

Kubica, at 8:17, went to P3 for the session. He is currently the focal point of rumors that have Mercedes Grand Prix offering him a 3-year deal starting next season, to replace living legend Michael Schumacher.

With six minutes to go, Jenson Button was fastest through the speed trap, at 312.9 km/h.

Vitaly Petrov, with less than five minutes to go, is still in the top ten. Say what you will, the Russian rookie has been quite impressive this season. As an aside, Petrov lives in Valencia.

17 - Alguesuari (STR)

16 - De La Rosa (Sauber)

15 - Schumacher (Mercedes)

14 - Liuzzi (Force India)

13 - Sutil (Force India)

12 - Rosberg (Mercedes)

11 - Buemi (STR)

The drivers knocked out in Q2 are bracketed by the Scuderia Toro Rosso team. Interestingly, both Merc cars are out, with Schumacher right where he was when we left Montreal, staring up at the Force Indias.

Q3

Ten drivers remain, with Vettel and Webber fastest out of Q2. But now, we have a ten car shootout for pole position. Four cars hit the track almost immediately at the start of Q3.

To give you an idea of how large this track is, we're three minutes into the session and Alonso is only halfway through his first lap (not counting the recon lap).

Four minutes into the session, Lewis Hamilton landed the first 1:37 lap time. Webber immediately went faster.

The McLarens and Red Bulls have dominated the front row all year, and it looks like that will continue. Watching these teams play strategy against each other is really quite awesome. It goes to show you just how much difference there is in .035 seconds.

A lot of the drivers in qualifying are running the Bridgestone super-soft tyres.

10 - Petrov (Renault)

9 - Barrichello (Williams)

8 - Hulkenberg (Williams)

7 - Button (McLaren)

6 - Kubica (Renault)

5 - Massa (Ferrari)

4 - Alonso (Ferrari)

3 - Hamilton (McLaren)

2 - Webber (Red Bull)

1 - Vettel (Red Bull)

Sebastian Vettel returns to pole for the first time in five races. Lewis Hamilton's last lap in Q3 was aborted after a brief slip caused him to lose momentum.

Barrichello and Hulkenberg, both Williams drivers, put in even times, but Hulkenberg was granted position by virtue of putting in his time first.

As the drivers pulled into the pits and the top three qualifiers went to the press room, it was awkward that Webber would not even acknowledge Vettel. Obviously there is still some animosity from the Turkish Grand Prix.

CONTROVERSY BREWING

Red Bull is crying foul, saying that Ferrari circumvented the in-season testing ban by having Fernando Alson turn several laps in the F10 at the Fiorano circuit. Ferrari, though, says the event was a media day, and that no test data was recovered.

PREDICTIONS

Valencia is a circuit that rewards patience, something that Lewis Hamilton doesn't often have. But Lewis also claims to have "unfinished business" at the street circuit.

So, the predicted podium is this:

3. Fernando Alonso

2. Mark Webber

1. Lewis Hamilton

Recapping the F1 Prediction from March

Driver's Champion: Lewis Hamilton

He'll rebound in a big way, especially when we get to the European part of the calendar.

Constructor's Champion: Ferrari

Those red cars are fast.

Most wins on the season: Fernando Alonso

I'm thinking he'll win five races, while Hamilton will eventually win four.

First Driver to be Replaced: Karun Chandhok, HRT

I'm think that Jose Maria Lopez or Sebastian Bourdais may find their way into the race seat opposite Bruno Senna.

Will Bernie go away at season's end?

No. Unfortunately no.

Who will fill the race slot vacated by the defunct USF1?

Most likely Stefan GP. I can't see Epsilon Eusakdi, or Prodrive moving in.

Alright, so that's what we said in March of this year, after only one race. We're now eight races in and things have certainly changed. So let's view the new and updated predictions for the 7/16 mark of the season...

Driver's Champion: Lewis Hamilton

He'll rebound in a big way, especially when we get to the European part of the calendar. Remember us saying that earlier and back in March. Well, Lewis has taken two of the first three European races. Valencia at the end of the month looks good for McLaren as well.

Constructor's Champion: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

While Ferrari was our original pick, it looks as though those red cars aren't as good as we thought. Yes, Alonso is reaching the podium, but with nowhere near the consistency that Button and Hamilton are reaching it.

Most wins on the season: Lewis Hamilton

Lewis is already halfway to what I predicted he'd win, and we aren't even to the midpoint of the season. I'm starting to think Lewis may take home five or six wins.

First Driver to be Replaced: Karun Chandhok, HRT

I'm think that Jose Maria Lopez or Sebastian Bourdais may find their way into the race seat opposite Bruno Senna. That was our original pick and we're sticking with it. Chandhok, even in one of the new backmarker cars, is consistently running upwards of 4 to 7 seconds of the leader's pace. In F1, he might as well be walking as going that slow.

Will Bernie go away at season's end?

No. Unfortunately no. In fact, I hear he's looking at a vacation home in Austin, Texas.

Who will fill the race slot vacated by the defunct USF1?

Trick question, doesn't look like the FIA is going to let anyone else in.

Post 293: College Football Expansion Revisited

We'll probably revist this topic several times over the next few weeks, and if you notice, we are now within a touchdown of 300 posts.

It appears as though Nebraska is going to the Big Ten, which, in a case of horrifyingly bad math, give the Big Ten twelve teams. If they stop there, then it would seem that the seismic shift that was predicted might be stopped.

But, Notre Dame has once again began conversating with the Big Ten, which could potentially render a thirteen team conference. If that happens, then Missouri is back on the table to create a 14-team Big Ten (at which point the conference name has to change).

While all this has been happening, the PAC-10 screamed out "Screw it!" and now looks poised to offer invites to Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado. The university of Texas, arguably the biggest pawn in this crazy chess game, is nearly 800 miles from the nearest current PAC-10 school, and is a whopping 1300 miles from the Pacific coast. There is no way the conference can keep the name PAC, it just doesn't work.

And then, just to keep the soap opera going, Texas A&M is supposedly in hot and heavy talks with the SEC, which is by far the better fit for them than the PAC-10. That would put the Aggies 925 miles away from their farthest in-conference competition.

Stay tuned, kids. This is getting fun.

***Formula 1 Update***

We haven't done this in a while, but it is time for a Formula 1 update.

The fast cars journey to Montreal this week. This will be the first time I've seen them race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The last time they were at this particular track Lewis Hamilton decided that he wanted to be parked where Kimi Raikkonen was parked, so he just pushed him out of the way... er, well, he plowed into him.

Now is different. The Red Bulls, so dominant this year in qualifying, have fallen victim to several reliability issues, and just plain driver stupidity. At Turkey, with Webber leading and Vettel following, the younger driver decided he was tired on P2 and wanted P1. The resulting kerfuffle cost Vettel a race finish and dropped Webber to P3, giving Hamilton a win and Button P2, a McLaren 1-2.

I emailed Tom Bowles at Sports Illustrated with a comment. And darned if he didn't put it up in his new mailbag article.

Post 292: College Football Expansion

There's been a lot of talk lately about the possibility of the biggest conferences in college football expanding. The Big Ten (which already has 11 teams) was the primary suspect to get the ball rolling, so to speak. There are three scenarios being bandied about by the talking heads:

Scenario 1: The Big Ten adds 1 team, making 12. The four possible teams being talked about are Notre Dame, Missouri, Nebraska, or Rutgers. I pitched the idea several years ago that the Big Ten needed to push for another team (Notre Dame) and split into the Hayes and Schembechler Divisions.

Scenario 2: The Big Ten adds three teams, creating two 7-team divisions. Take three of the four teams listed above to create this scenario.

Scenario 3: This scenario would unleash nuclear war on the college football landscape. The Big Ten would add five teams, creating a 16-team superconference. You would see Missouri, Nebraska, Rutgers, Syracuse, and then a mystery team (rumors state Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Pitt, West Virginia, etc.)

Should scenario three come to pass, then watch for the response of the PAC-10 and the SEC. In conversation with several friends and co-workers, it is an understood fact that if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams, then the SEC will respond, and respond BIG. Should the SEC require four more teams, then it become interesting.

The SEC could look west, trying to lure Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and OK State into the fold. They could play for Texas, Texas A&M, and then go east and north, claiming Virginia Tech and possibly Florida State, Miami, or South Florida.

Personally, I think VaTech's defense style is better suited to the SEC than to the ACC.

The PAC-10 is already talking to Colorado, if reports are to be believed. I can see CU going to the PAC-10. I can also see the conference that is home to USC calling up Boise State. That would give them 12 teams, enough for a conference title game.

So, if Scenario 3 happens, this is how we here at the Right Wing think college football will look.

Big Ten (Becomes Big 16) (adds 5 teams)

Hayes Division

Ohio State

Missouri

Nebraska

Michigan State

Minnesota

Iowa

Indiana

Northwestern

Schembechler Division

Michigan

Penn State

Notre Dame

Rutgers

Syracuse

Wisconsin

Purdue

Illinois

The Big Ten starts this apocalyptic domino effect by gutting the Big East, adding Syracuse and Rutgers. The Big XII loses Nebraska and Missouri. Independent Notre Dame realizes that their reasons for staying independent are, at this point in time, archaic at best.

PAC-10 (Becomes PAC-16) (Adds 6 teams)

North Division

Washington

Washington State

Oregon

Oregon State

Boise State

Colorado

Utah

South Division

USC

Cal

Stanford

UCLA

Arizona

Arizona State

Texas Christian

BYU

Our vision of the future for the PAC-10 see TCU, Utah, and BYU joining from the Mountain West, and Boise State joining from the WAC.

Southeastern Conference (Adds 4 teams)

East Division

Georgia

Florida

South Carolina

Tennessee

Kentucky

Vanderbilt

Virginia Tech

Auburn (moves to East)

West Division

Alabama

LSU

Arkansas

Mississippi State

Ole Miss

Texas

Texas A&M

Oklahoma

As you can see, we take three of the four Big XII teams and add them to the SEC West, moving Auburn to the East Division, which adds Virginia Tech.

So we've seen the Big XII and the Big East effectively gutted. The ACC loses a powerhouse in VaTech. So what do these conferences do?

Atlantic Coast Conference (adds five teams, loses VT)

Atlantic Division

Clemson

Boston College

Maryland

Florida State

Wake Forest

NC State

UConn

West Virginia

Coastal Division

Georgia Tech

Miami

North Carolina

Duke

Virginia

Louisville

Cincinnati

South Florida

Note that we foresee the ACC completing the destruction of the Big East. The ACC will strive to not be left out of the superconference discussion.

Big XII (loses 6 teams) (adds 6 teams)

South Division

Oklahoma State

Baylor

Texas Tech

UNLV

Fresno State

Houston

North Division

Kansas

Kansas State

Iowa State

Air Force

Wyoming

Colorado State

The remnants of the Big XII reconstitue the conference by raiding the Mountain West, taking Air Force, Wyoming, UNLV, and Colorado State. They also tackle the WAC, gaining Fresno State. The final spot falls to Houston of Conference USA.

Should this nuclear scenario happen, the conference rankings, as we see them, look like this:

1. SEC

2. Big Ten (Big 16)

3. PAC-16

4. ACC

5. Big XII

How did it come to this?

To set the mood for this entry, please listen to this song while reading:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkT2wW3-1jQ

Now, I look around and wonder how it ever got this bad. I mean, there's thousands upon thousands of gallons of crude oil spilling into the gulf everyday, and the President is off raising money for a senator that will in all likelihood be voted out. He even planned to go back to Chicago instead of figure out, or at least give the appearance of trying to figure out, what to do in light of this crisis.

Then, this arrogant narcissist of a president has the gall to say that he takes full responsibility for the clean up. Sure, after Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal begged for federal permit to dredge up barrier islands to protect the marshes, permit he was denied, now that BP has pushed through the "top kill" method (that may or may not be working), Obama swoops in to claim responsibility. He even plays the sympathy card, saying that his daughter asked him if he had plugged the hole yet. As if Lord Almighty Barack* was going to walk on water to the site of the spill, dive down and plug the hole with his own will.

Nice move, though, Barry. Way to capitalize on the situation.

Meanwhile, the world sits on a razor's edge while Europe screws around economically, threatening to push us all back into the dark ages. I read the other day that one false move in Europe could send the world into an unrecoverable economic spiral. I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of having Europe dictate my future.

Heck, I'm sick and tired of out-of-touch politicians in Washington dictating my future. You want to know why so many incumbents are going to lose in November? Because Obama, Reid, and Pelosi has pushed as hard as they can to turn a right-of-center nation into a Euro-socialist paradise where the private sector offers little in terms of compensation and the government hands out everything.

The government has crammed unpopular bill after despised bill down the throats of the American people, and when we rise up and say that we don't like it, they call us seditious. Well guess what, we freakin' elected you. You answer to us, not the other way around. You don't like, well, no one made you run for office in the first place. You can't take the heat, then get out of our kitchen.

The backlash is coming. So go ahead, keep calling the tea partiers a bunch of racists. Keep calling anyone who disagrees with Obama seditious. Deval Patrick, a few days ago, said that the opposition to Obama was borderline seditious. Woody Allen said that Obama should be made dictator so that he can accomplish "more good" faster. Allen also said that he wished the Republicans would just get out of the way and stop trying to hurt (poor, little, sensitive) Barack**. (I added the poor little sensitive line. I'm tired of people telling me that the Republicans are hurting Barack. ***)

By the way, where in the crap was this "sedition" talk for the eight years of ridicule and anger directed at George W. Bush? Oh, I guess it was okay because he wasn't a caring, beneficent, sort-of-a-god like Obama.

Keep trying to pitch socialism to a capitalist nation. I don't condone violent revolt, but the similarities between what the Obama Administration is currently doing, and what the government of King George III in the late 1700s did astounds me.

Keep oppressing the opposition and see what happens.

Don't tread on me.

*I feel better in knowing that the text spelling out Barack's name on my computer here said the name was misspelled. One of the suggestions for the correct spelling: Barabbas.

For those of you not in the know, Barabbas was the prisoner (read: actually guilty) that was pardoned so that Christ could be crucified.

** Heh, there it is again.

***Third time's a charm!

Design Your Own Race Course III: A Course in Every State and US Territory

That's right, we're going to try and design a road course in Every state.

Alabama

Located just three miles west of Fort McClellan. A nearly 3.5 mile, 20-turn monster.

Alaska

Designed along the runways of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. 4.4+ miles, roughly 18 turns. I don't know if we'll see a track this long again.

American Samoa

The airport of American Samoa is actually built on man-made peninsulas going out into the ocean. This is perfect for a race course. The 3.74 mile course looks very simple, but its 11 turns can be deceptively tricky. A good course for overtaking.

Arizona

I'll confess, it's harder than you think to find a place to design a track in Arizona. We found a spot for this 18-turn, 1.5 mile course to the southeast of Tuscon.

Arkansas

So there's this field about 30 miles south of Pine Bluff. Good place for a 1.97 mile, 16 turn road course.

California

The Pacific Coast along northern California was begging for a road course. We deliver. This 3.02 mile, 16-turn course has a Shangai-esque straight that measures nearly three-quarters of a mile.

Colorado

The first "Figure 8" track we've designed. This 2.25 miles, 18 turn track uses an existing bridge. It's located just outside Colorado Springs.

Connecticut

Connecticut is another of those states in which it is difficult to design a track.

Delaware

This track is designed just outside the small town of Farmington. It comes in at 2.54 miles and 19 turns, with one incredibly sharp hair pin.

District of Columbia

The Nation's Capital course is a 2.8 mile, 16-turn street circuit blazing through the National Mall and around the Washington Monument.

Florida

The 2.1 mile, 20+ turn track outside Tallahassee seems a good place. Sure Florida has Homestead, Sebring, and the Streets of St. Pete.

Georgia

There's a field outside Maysville, GA that holds a rather Bahrainesque track. This tracks comes in at 20-turns and 2.01 miles.

Guam

The small island nation of Guam gets a race course right by the sea. This 17-turn, 2.95 mile course slopes down to the ocean. Very picturesque.

Hawaii

A road circuit in Hawaii seems easy, right? Not really. This 1.75 mile track seems better suited for MotoGP than for something like F1 or the BTCC.

Idaho

This 20-turn, 1.5 mile track was designed around Boise State's famous blue turf football field.

Illinois

When I saw the town in Illinois named Oblong, I knew it would be a great place for a track. This 2.53 mile, 16-turn track is reminiscent of the Formula 1 course at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Indiana

You would think that any track designed in the state of Indiana would have to be near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but this track is just outside Gary, Indiana. It's one of the longer tracks in our design archive, coming in at 2.95 miles and roughly 24 turns.

Iowa

Located about three miles west of Pleasantville, Iowa is this 2.2 mile, 13-turn track with almost no elevation change.

Kansas

Near Junction City, Kansas is a course shaped like a #3, which is, appropriately, not 3 miles long, but only 2.89 miles. This course has 13 turns.

Kentucky

The Kentucky course is one of the longest we've designed. It's 3.9 miles and 15 turns with one of the longest, sweepingest curves we've got to offer.

Louisiana

Call us crazy for all these tracks on college campuses, but here's another. This time on the campus of the University of New Orleans. This track is 3.33 miles and 17 turns.

Maine

Near the Presidential retreat of Kennebunkport is this track. It's almost exactly 2 miles in length with 13 turns and a Sepang-style straight-hairpin-straight combo.

Maryland

Just for fun!

Massachusetts

If anyone would appreciate fast cars on a tricky course, it would have to be the kids at MIT, right? The Boston road course runs on the MIT campus and measures 3.597 miles with 10 or 11 turns, depending on how you count the hairpin.

Michigan

A race course on the UP? You bet. This course is 2.58 miles and 18 turns.

Minnesota

A street course in Minneapolis seemed fitting. This time it's 2.18 miles and a rockin' 23 turns.

Mississippi

The Mississippi road course is located just outside Memphis. It checks in at 2.13 miles, 23 turns, and is one of my personal favorites.

Missouri

The 2.43 mile, 17 turn St. Louis Street course goes by the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium.

Montana

Montana is so big that it's hard to find a good place near enough to a population center for a track. This circuit checks in at 3.35 miles and 15 turns.

Nebraska

The Nebraska circuit comes in at 3.5 miles and a mere 8 turns.

Nevada

This course is located just outside Reno, Nevada. It weighs in at 3.27 miles and 10 turns, and is actually farther west than Los Angeles.

New Hampshire

Just north of the White Mountains State Park is this "shark" shaped road that makes a perfect "Nordeschleife" style track. This is 3.5 miles and 17 turns of rambling through the forest.

New Jersey

This circuit is inspired by the Catalunya circuit in Spain. It measures 3.69 miles and has 14 turns. The prominent feature of this track is a straight the measures nearly one mile.

New Mexico

The NM Road Course at Roswell checks in at 3.49 miles and 14 turns.

New York

I really wanted to do the New York circuit on Manhattan Island, but it truly was not feasible. This island, though, works very well, as it would nicely house this 21-turn, 3.27 miles street circuit.

North Carolina

The 3.3 miles, 15 turn North Carolina road course sits near Lowe's Motor Speedway.

North Dakota

Just outside Fargo is the North Dakota road course. Its 3.3 miles and a total of 13 turns.

Northern Marianas Islands

Located on a tiny string of island in the western Pacific Ocean, the best we could do is a 2.05 mile, 20-turn oceanside track that treks through a small bit of forest/jungle.

Ohio

The Ohio Circuit is outside Mt. Gilead, around Straits Lake. It's only 1.82 miles but its 18 turns are tricky.

Oklahoma

The Streets of Oklahoma City come to life on this course, measuring 2.09 miles and 22 turns.

Oregon

At 3.37 miles and 12 turns, the Oregon Course treks through Milwaukie, just northeast of Lake Oswego.

Pennsylvania

The 3.46 miles, 14 turn Pennsylvania road course is located about ten miles northeast of Fredricksburg.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico checks in with a 3.9 mile street circuit.

Rhode Island

The tiny state of Rhode Island gets a course. The 2.12 mile 14-turn track is located just outside Providence, but then again, in Rhode Island, what isn't?

South Carolina

The South Carolina circuit houses 16 turns over 2.7 miles on a small island in Charleston.

South Dakota

The South Dakota speedway is located about ten miles east of Mount Rushmore. It comes in at 1.98 miles and 13 turns.

Tennessee

At 11 turns over 3.52 miles, the Tennessee Circuit rests in the woods north of Chattanooga.

Texas

The Texas Circuit combines the best of road courses with the best of NASCAR. It measures a whopping 4.36 miles with 12 turns.

Utah

16 turns in only 1.875 miles seems a tight fit, but the Utah course should be fun.

Vermont

The 2.83 mile, 14 turn Vermont Circuit has to be one of my personal favorites.

Virginia

Located about five miles southwest of Smithfield is the Virginia road course. It runs about 2.7 miles and 19 turns.

Virgin Islands

This course is very similar to Monaco. At 18 turns and 3.15 miles, the Virgin Islands course runs through the forest, through town, along the ocean, and up a hill.

Washington

Located very close to the Pacific Coast is this circuit in the beautiful state of Washington. This track checks in at 2.27 miles and 17 turns with a decent amount of elevation change.

West Virginia

Another road course on a college campus, this time West Virginia University, and once again going by the football stadium. This tracks weighs in at 1.75 miles and 17 turns.

Wisconsin

Green Bay was the only logical place for this track. It's rather long, roughly 2.9 miles and less than 10 turns.

Wyoming

The simplest track we've designed is the Wyoming Road Course. It is nearly an oval, with only 12 turns, none measuring more than 90-degrees. Overall length on this track is 2.48 miles.

2010 NFL Draft Day(s)

This year the NFL Draft is spread out over 3 days, starting tonight with Round 1. Rounds 2 and 3 take place tomorrow night, and the last four rounds take place Saturday.

I will probably watch all of it.

I love the draft. It's like Christmas for me. I usually try to provide you with at least a mock draft of the first ten picks. And so here we go:

1. St. Louis – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

Picking Bradford makes a certain amount of sense for the beleaguered Rams. The team has really lacked a franchise-type quarterback since Kurt Warner was shown the door. Honestly, the Rams can’t go wrong here in the top three. The next two players picked will be franchise guys for their respective teams, assuming all plays out and no one becomes a Ryan Leaf style draft bust.

Alternate Picks: DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Gerald McCoy

2. Detroit – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

So the Big XII goes 1-2 in this draft. Suh is a beast, and with a little more polish he’ll be one of the better defensive players for many years. Again, Detroit can’t go wrong here. Picking Suh, or even taking McCoy will give them franchise players on both sides of the ball.

Alternate Picks: QB Sam Bradford, DT Gerald McCoy

3. Tampa Bay – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

McCoy will be the first underclassman taken in 2010. Like Suh, he’s a beast. Many actually pick him as a stronger player at the moment than Suh, although the Nebraska DT will likely have a better career (according to those in the know).

Alternate Picks: DT Ndamukong Suh

4. Washington – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

Alright, so the Big XII has pushed out the first 4 picks of this draft. In all honesty, I don’t want to say that Washington will take Okung. Nothing against the man, but I actually see the ‘Skins trading out of this pick and moving down to take Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen at a more reasonable spot in the first round. Of course, this move doesn’t come with certainty, as you’ll see in the latter half of the top 10.

Alternate Picks: Trade down for QB Jimmy Clausen

5. Kansas City – Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

Bulaga’s draft status has fallen a bit lately, but I still think the Chiefs make the reach to provide some protection for QB Matt Cassell.

Alternate Picks: S Eric Berry

6. Seattle – C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

Spiller has, lately, been drawing comparisons to Chris Johnson, the electrifying RB of the Tennessee Titans. The best RB in the ACC will go in the top 10, I’m pretty sure. Seattle has been in need of a RB since Shaun Alexander fell from grace. This looks to be a pretty solid first draft for Pete Carroll.

Alternate Picks: QB Jimmy Clausen, S Eric Berry

7. Cleveland – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

The best Safety in the draft looks to go top 10, and Cleveland could really use some defensive help. Of course, don’t put it past Cleveland to jump up to Number 4 and grab Clausen if the price is right. The Browns need a QB as well.

Alternate Picks: Trade up for QB Jimmy Clausen

8. Oakland – Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

Oakland really, really, really, wants to put the embarrassment that is JaMarcus Russell as far behind them as possible. What better way to do that than to grab one of the better QBs in this fairly deep QB draft. Of course, Al Davis is 865 years old and a wee bit senile. I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes Tim Tebow or Dez Bryant here instead.

Alternate Picks: WR Dez Bryant

9. Buffalo – Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Buffalo has several needs, and Haden fills one of them. He’s the best CB in what is truly a weak CB draft. Look for someone to pull the trigger on this guy early.

Alternate Picks: WR Dez Bryant, ILB Rolando McClain

10. Jacksonville – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

This is a Washington style pick. I really think that Jacksonville trades out of this spot and moves down so that they can grab Florida QB Tim Tebow. Tebow seems a logical pick for the Jags.

Alternate Picks: QB Tim Tebow, QB Jimmy Clausen

And for the hometown folks:

19. Atlanta – Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan

The Falcons have to address several issues on the defensive side of the ball. Graham is just the continuation. Signing CB Dunta Robinson was the start.

Alternate Picks: LB Sean Weatherspoon, C Maurkice Pouncey

Design Your Own Race Course II

The Grand Prix Course of Georgia

Here's a course I designed recently.

Random Points, Part Whatever It Is At This Point

http://www.newmoney.gov/newmoney/Splashpage.aspx

Go ahead. Click the link. You know you want to.

That link takes you to a site sponsored by the US Treasury, unveiling the new $100 bill, debuting in February 2011. Judging by the quality of the video, I'd say it cost more than one of these new $100s to create. It makes me wonder, in an economy as bad as ours, how we can create a video to unveil new money. Just say that we have a new bill coming out and let's move forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eib2di9bq4

Now click this link. This is hilarious to me. An NBC reporter happen upon a black man at a Tea Party rally. Now lately the game has been to cast all Tea Parties and Tea Party members as racists. In fact, the word "racist" has been so overused lately that I don't put much stock in those who use it anymore. Anyway, this reporter asks the man about if he ever felt uncomfortable at the Tea Party rallies. God bless this man for his answer.

Maaaaa

Well, I guess sometimes you do things you just aren't proud of.

The Tea Party: Mislabel, Misunderstand, Misinform

Tax Day 2010 is upon us, and the Tea Party movement is in full swing. This particular aspect of American politics is something that I have loved studying over the last year. Watching the Tea Party and how it is portrayed in the media, I am reminded of a quote by Gandhi:

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win."

You see, when the Tea Party movement began to spring up last year, they were largely ignored by the media. With the exception of Anderson Cooper cracking juvenile 'teabagging' jokes, and Keith Olbermann blithely condoning that the tea partiers were merely backwards redneck racists who could not deal with a black man in the White House, the media kept the Tea Party on the back burner, preferring to report on whatever celebrity TMZ had seen naked in Los Angeles.

Then, as it became apparent that the Tea Party was not going to go quietly into the night, the media began launching attacks en masse. Olbermann once again brought out the racist element. In fact, MSNBC is more to blame for the racist label being applied to the Tea Party than any other entity. Cooper cracked another teabagging joke, and Olbermann stated that the Tea Partiers were mostly illiterate rednecks who think that the Civil War is still going on.

These snide remarks continued all the way to April of this year, when the true Tax Day Tea Party rallies were entering full swing. Websites began popping up begging people to crash the Tea Parties with poorly spelled and often racist signs, and even scream racial slurs to make the Tea Parties look bad.

Think back to Gandhi's quote. The Tea Party movement has been ignored, ridiculed, and now openly resisted. The only logical step remaining is for the Tea Party to win. In fact, I can very seriously see a landslide of conservative voting that will make the Republican Revolution of 1994 look like a mild primary season.

The Tea Party, you see, is not a racist movement. They are angry, yes. Angry about the inane amount of taxes that we're all paying. Angry about out of control government spending. Angry about a near unilateral disarmament during what is still a dangerous time. Angry about our congress selling our children's future to China one dollar at a time.

They are not angry about the color of Barack Obama's skin. They don't care about his race, they car about his seemingly socialist political philosophy. They care about the fact that our President, the leader of the free world, is so busy bowing to foreign leaders and apologizing to European nations that he's neglected the common man.

They care about the fact that he's reneged on almost every campaign promise. That he went against the will of the populace to pass health care, and then brazenly challenged his political opponents to try and repeal it. That he's pushing to further decrease our nuclear armament; an armament that some say has protected the world for the last sixty years.

So I say, Go Tea Parties! The current administration is claiming that debating its policies is tantamount to racism. But to borrow a quote from Hillary Clinton, "We have a right to debate, with this, or any administration." We have a right, according to our own founding documents, to petition congress for a redress of grievances. I personally would like to see congress own up to the fallacies they've perpetrated on the American people.

Go Tea Parties!

How To Fix NASCAR, Part II

So the last "let's fix NASCAR" article was rather long, but it didn't mean that we were at all finished. In fact, we've got five more tracks that NASCAR can try out for road course racing.

Let's begin.

Milwaukee:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3618864

The Milwaukee Mile is a slightly revered oval circuit, but it does have a decent infield road course. The overall road course length comes in at 1.7839 miles, and roughly 12 turns. The drivers start at the start-finish line and drive through turns 1 and 2, the length of the backstretch, through turn three, which then turns back on itself, not too sharply. There is a sweeping right hander giving way to the first of two interior straights. There is a bit of a hairpin that gives way to the other interior straight. There is an "esses" section that is not as pronounced as the other "esses" we've explored so far. From there the drivers face a quick right hander and a hairpin bringing them back to the oval at the exit of turn 4.

Indianapolis:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3611478

The 2.605 miles, 13 turn road course at Indianapolis has been driven by Formula 1, which gives it some decent cred, even though it suffered the debacle of 2005. That said, it is still a decent course that would only further enhance the image of NASCAR. The track info can be found here.

Rockingham, NC

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3618912

Rockingham was once a staple of the NASCAR season. Then, through various factors like commercialism, the North Carolina oval saw its races taken away. Things went so far as to have new owners take over the track, with the promise that, as long as they own the facility, NASCAR can never run there. That said, the 10-turn, 1.4505 mile road course offers a definite change of pace. The track uses a vast majority of the oval, entering the road course portion at the entrance to turn 3. A protracted hairpin a la turn 8 at Istanbul Park leads to a short straight and a protracted right hand hairpin that very nearly resembles a mirror image of the first hairpin. Another straight leads to a sweeping left hander that deposits the drivers back on the oval in the middle of turns three and four.

Road America:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3618015

The 4.037-mile, 14 turn Road America course outside Elkhart, Wisconsin is a beautiful track. The .75 mile straight would provide some nice overtaking opportunities going into turn 1. A 90-plus degree turn 2 leads to another straight. Turns 3 and 4 are roughly 90-degrees, leading to a triangular right hander. Beyond this is a 90-degree left going into a sweeping right hander once again reminiscent of turn 8 at Istanbul Park. (As an aside, Istanbul Park is probably the best design from Hermann Tilke, the man who has been accused of slowly killing F1.) Back to Wisconsin. After this sweeping righty is a quick left-right chicane that takes the drivers into the woods. A sharp right hand turn leads to another triangular left hand turn, which promptly turns back to the right and back onto the long stretch.

Miller Motorsports Park:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3617991

The Miller Motorsports Park complex outside Tooele, Utah has several configurations that would work for the boys of NASCAR:

The Long Course

The East Course

The West Course

The Outer Course (linked above)

For our intents and purposes, I think the Outer Course is a better circuit for NASCAR. At 3.0373 miles and 14 turns, the boys of NASCAR would thoroughly enjoy the twists and turns just south of the Great Salt Lake. The outer course lap record is 1:31.050 seconds, set by Timo Bernhard in a Le Mans prototype. The NASCAR boys would obviously be slower. Still, the Right Wing thinks this would be a great place for NASCAR.

So that's that. We've discussed thirteen "new" tracks for NASCAR to use in an effort to win more fans. Road course racing, as evidenced by the appeal of Formula 1, American Le Mans, The British Touring Car Championship, and the Deutsche Tourenweg Masters, proves to have a great following. Even in the realm of video games, from the realistic (Forza III, Formula 1 2009), to the outlandish (Mario Kart Wii), road courses are fantastic.

NASCAR could do worse than to deny these courses, there is no doubt. But if NASCAR would, by some chance, choose to venture onto these road courses, it would be a definite plus for the sport.

How to Fix NASCAR...

If you're anything like me, you'd like to see some changes in NASCAR. The stock car, and I use that two-word term loosely, racing circuit only runs on two road courses. That's 2 out of 36 races, or 1/18th of the season spent off of ovals. So I started thinking about a way to change this thing and make it a little more enjoyable for people like me who enjoy road course racing.

Many of the tracks that NASCAR journeys to have two races scheduled per season, and these ovals often have road courses built into them to service motorcycle and sport car races. So I used gmap-pedometer, the site linked here, to start building my own NASCAR road courses.

I figure that any track visited twice by NASCAR during a season should run the "oval" track one race, and then the "road course" on the other race. Of course, some of the rules would have to change in order for this to work.

Rule Changes:

1. Every car must qualify. Right now there are several factors that guarantee cars a spot in a race. Basically, as it is now, only 10 "outsiders" have a chance of making a NASCAR race. By forcing all cars to qualify, you ensure the most competitive field, at least in theory.

2. For road courses, only 33 cars qualify, not 43. This is because some tracks, in order to access the road course, require a short-cutting of the pit lane. And since every car is qualifying, you still maintain the competitive field with the possible Cinderella story.

3. Bring grooved tyres, because it might rain. Formula 1 runs in the rain. Football plays in the rain. I'm pretty sure that NASCAR would rather be equated with Football and the pinnacle motorsport series rather than baseball, which takes a break if it gets cloudy.

4. Points restructuring. Only the top 10 get points, and you only get points for where you finish. No more points for leading the most laps. No points for leading at the halfway. No one cares who is leading on lap 399 of a 400 lap race, they care about the leader on lap 400.

5. Standing starts on the road courses. Most of these start-finish lines are on the wider portions of the track, so staggering the cars three-wide would provide excellent standing starts.

So those are the rules. Let's examine the tracks.

New "Road Course" Tracks

Atlanta:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3609241

Following the link will take you to a special Right Wing designed 2.4-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway road course. The start-finish line remains the same, and obviously some parts of the oval are still used. The big change starts at the end of the pitlane. Drivers make a sweeping left-hander into a short straight. This straight leads to a kind of hairpin onto another straight. At the end of this straight is a right-left-right "Esses" that remind me of the Turn 1-2-3 complex at Catalunya. Beyond this complex is a tight left-hairpin that puts the cars back on the oval. The only other change is at the entrance to turn three of the oval, where there is a quick chicane.

Texas:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3576714

The Texas Motor Speedway is another prime candidate for a 2.08-mile road course. Again, start-finish line stays the same. In fact, the drivers run the oval all the way to the back stretch. Here, coming out of turn 2 there is a left-hand hairpin that rather quickly turns back to the right. After running through an elongated left-right chicane, the drivers encounter the inner straight, which leads to a right hand turn of more than 90-degrees. Perfect for overtaking. Beyond this sharp turn is a gradual right-hander leading to a another left-hand-hairpin. The next gradual turn leads into yet another left-hairpin, which almost immediately turns into a right-hand-hairpin. A long left hand turn later and the drivers are back on the oval, heading back to start-finish.

Pocono:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3608393

The triangular Pocono racetrack is a fun, fast place for NASCAR. Our road course idea will slow the cars down considerably, but will require greater skill to navigate. Our plan for Pocono changes the track layout from what amounts to 3 turns, into a 19-turn behemoth measuring 3.1 miles. Coming off the start-finish, the drivers attack a nasty 90-degree-plus left hander, that "esses" through turns 2, 3, and 4. Turn 5 is a sharp, shallow hairpin leading to turn 6. Turn 7 is a quick lefty bringing the drivers to a sharp turn 8, taking them back into the depths of the infield. Turns 9 through 11 can be taken fairly quickly, but turn 12 is a left-hand-hairpin that will probably catch some drivers out. Shuttling through turn 13 leads the drivers back to the oval, but this is short-lived. Turns 15 through 19 go left-right-left-right-left, bringing the cars back to the start-finish line.

Fontana, CA:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3608307

The track at Fontana can produce some fast oval races, but our road course adds a new level of skill. The 17-turn, 3.1945 mile track uses a vast portion of the original oval. Turn 1 is a sharp left hander, almost bus-stop chicane like in appearance. This near-chicane gives way to a sweeping left hand turn going to the first near-hairpin. After doubling back, the drivers double back once more, going through turns 4 and 5, and finding themselves on a straight. Not too much speed, though, as a chicane does await at turn 6 and 7. After this chicane there is a very shallow right hander leading to an "esses" area, leading to the 90-degree turn 10. Turn 11 is another 90-degree right-hander, leading to a hairpin turn 12, similar to turn 12 at Pocono. After a sweeping right-hander the cars encounter a wide hairpin turn putting them back on the oval. There is a quick chicane a la Atlanta before once more reaching the start-finish.

Charlotte:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3608537

Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte is a good track as an oval, but I think out 2.24-mile road course could be even better. Actually, this track is really hard to "road course." It also uses much of the old oval The new road course does not take over until nearly halfway down the back straight, where there is a tight left-hand-hairpin that leads to a pseudo-chicane. After this turn complex there is a sweeping right-hander that leads to another right-left complex. After a short straight there is a left-hander that almost doubles back. There is a quick "ess" complex leading to another hairpin. There is a final left-hand-tight-hairpin that puts the drivers back on the oval and leading to the start-finish.

Miami:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3608593

The 2.1913-mile, 12-turn road course at Miami is probably the most "unique" of all the road courses discussed here. It uses none of the original turns in the oval, utilizing on the front and back straights. From the start-finish line the drivers approach a shallow left hander, that keeps going through a triangular turn 2 and into a doubling-back turn 3. From here, the drivers go through a slow right-hander leading to the first of two interior straights. Turn 5 is a 90-plus degree turn leading to a sweeping turn 6 onto the second interior straight. At the end of this straight is a hairpin turn 7, into another sweeping turn 8, leading to the back straight. Before the entrance to the oval's Turn 3, the drivers break left into a very fast section with a shallow angle turn 10. There is a quick right-left, turns 11 and 12, leading back to the start-finish.

Phoenix:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3608674

The track at Phoenix is a gruelingly hot 11-turns jammed into a 1.506-mile road course. From the start-finish, the drivers take a shallow turn into turn 1, which quickly sweeps into turn 2, turn 3, and turn 4, and pronounced "esses" section leading to a very short straight. Turn 5 is a quick, shallow left-hander leading to a C-curve turn 6 and 7. After a fast turn 8 the cars encounter the hairpin that returns them to the original oval. A quick blast through turns 10 and 11 (turns 3 and 4 on the original oval) leads back to the start-finish.

Daytona:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3608649

The last track on our tour is Daytona. The famous track already has a road course that is used for the 24-hours of Daytona endurance race, but our design modifies that road course into a 3.0029-mile, 14 turn affair. From the start-finish line, the drivers enter turn 1, which is a sweeping left-hander. Turn 2 is an S-curve leading to the hairpin turn 3. Turn 4 is a quick right hander leading to a C-curve comprised of turns 5 and 6. Turns 7 and 8 are a very pronounced, abbreviated S-curve, leading to the back straight. About three-quarters of the way to turn 3 there is a double-chicane leading back to the last part of the oval. The cars will use the original turn 4 leading to the tri-oval and the start-finish.

That concludes our tour of the new "road courses." If you have any ideas for changing NASCAR, we'd love to hear them.