Rossi vs. Stoner Epic Reinforces Laguna Seca Mystique

Among racing fanatics, Laguna Seca is probably one of the most popular tracks to date. This sentiment is felt even stronger by racing drivers.

The fame of the track can be rooted on one of the most demanding corners in racing: the "corkscrew".

Even the most courageous drivers can still have shivers tackling this turn. You approach it flat out going uphill. You don't see the turn immediately and anyone with less than iron guts could easily brake early (just ask Jeremy Clarkson when he took the NSX for a spin). But for those brave enough to hold their nerves and brake where they should, they are greeted with a steep plunge down the left-right chicane before going full-throttle.

Many racers agree that the corkscrew is the ultimate "rush". And now they have to repeat the pattern 30 more times.

That was what Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner did during the 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. And they weren't just going through the corkscrew. They were taking it in the absolute limit setting consistently blistering lap times in the high 01:21 s mark. Exchanging leads and making daring passess (including Rossi's overtaking maneuver in the corkscrew it self that caused his prototype Yamaha to wobble more than he would have liked), the race was truly epic: one that fans would no doubt remember.

Stoner was the clear favorite to win the race since his Ducati seemed untouchable during practice and qualifying. But out of the blue, Rossi, riding the Yamaha, was challenging the status quo. The Italian took the lead as early as lap one to everyone's surprise.

Stoner, the reigning MotoGP world champion naturally fought back. But before he had a chance to pull away, Rossi, 7 times champion (5 for the premier class, 1 for 250cc, and 1 for 125cc), would find a way passed Stoner again.

Displaying great defensive driving, Rossi would disrupt Stoner's rhythm time and time again. Stoner would record slightly faster lap times, but he just couldn't find a way through. The two were literally driving nose-to-tail with only a-tenth of a second seperating the two riders. It was a true nail-biter of a show.

If ever there was one disappointment, it was a rare mistake from Stoner that caused him to run wide to the gravel trap and fall with nine laps to go. Stoner however was able to keep his bike running. He picked his 325 pound Ducati up by himself and started going. Talk about the amount adrenaline pumping in his body for him to bring his bike upright after a fall.

The pace of Rossi and Stoner opened an insurmountable gap between them and third placed rider Vermeulen. As a result, Stoner was still able to drive back still in second place. Unfortunately for him, Rossi was already 16 seconds ahead of him. With eight laps remaining, the victory of Rossi was sealed and a climactic last lap duel wasn't to be.

But even then, the race between the two champions throughout most of the race was still too good to be true. And it was a race that happened in the ever famous Laguna Seca.

GM Set to Deliver More Bad News

GM CEO Ric Wagoner is set to announce more details on the company's second phase of its on-going restructuring plan. The plan basically inolves cost-cutting measures in an attempt to bring back minvestors' confidence due to lackluster sales.

'Cost-cutting' measures include the ever-so-familiar job-cuts that have become increasingly popular these days thanks to the dramatic oil price hikes. Because the developments of the company's next-generation full sized SUVs and pickup trucks have been frozen, white collar workers as well as the engineers specifically assigned for these projects are said to be the ones going to be affected the most.

It is the company's goal to adjust its product lineup to be more competitive when it comes to fuel efficiency: a trademark for a lot of the Asian car manufacturers.

In addition, the company is also said to specify its cash conservation strategy that will likely include te elimination of dividend payments. According to analysts, the GM is preparing to raise its capital to carry it over until 2010 when the company is going to benefit from huge savings due to the contract it signed with UAW last year: one of the few bright spots in an otherwise trying moment in the automotive industry.

Stock Prices Drop for GM, Ford

With gas prices punishingly steep and with more and more people drawn towards more economical cars, GM and Ford Motor Co. continue to take major hits as their stock prices tumble.

GM shares closed at $9.98: the lowest value in more than 50 years. On the other hand, Ford Motor Co. shares closed at $4.39.

It is a dark time for the auto industry in general and the recent economic recession of the country has been a major factor. Right now, people's minds are focused more on necessities as well as finding all means possible to economize.

Light trucks and SUVs do not fit the economical category. The problem facing GM and Ford is that large vehicles have always been a staple in their production line-up. In the case of Ford, the F-150 Pickup truck has been its best selling vehicle for so many decades now. The sudden drop in demand for these types of vehicles is detrimental indeed.

According to a Merril Lynch analyst, bankruptcy isn't an impossibility even for the largest auto maker especially if the U.S. auto market continues its slumping trend.

Formula 1 and the Field of Medicine

It is hard to think about Motor Sport and associate with the field of medicine. After all, motor sport is a risky business to begin with where the risk of injuries are always present: opposite to the main goals of medicine. In addition, the massive amount of fumes emmitted by racing cars are considered unhealthy by most environmentalists.

But for two members of the Great Ormond Street Hospital staff, Formula 1 could very well be the link to improve hospital procedures and improve safety.

According to a study conducted byProfessor Marc de Leval, the hospital 'handover' procedure, wherein a seriously ill patient is handed over from intensive care to surgery, is a point wherein patients are in the most vulnerable position. In the study, it is usually during the handover that determines whether an operation will turn out to be successful or not.

The obvious concern for Marc de Leval is how to improve hospital handover procedures.

That is where Dr. Goldman and Professor Elliot, practicing doctors in Great Ormond Street Hospital, come in. Both of them are Formula 1 fans who observed the incredible efficiency displayed by the pit crew during a pit stop. It was that type of efficiency that could drastically improve hospital handover procedure. A radical idea was created: why not have Formula 1 teams lend their expertise and streamline the hospital's handover procedure?

Currently, the hospital has worked with McLaren and Ferrari. And by the looks of things, results seem promising.

Formula 1 may be a risky business. But in the end, the sport has become significant to the medical field in the strangest of ways.

Driving Habits

Fuel is very expensive these days and more and more people are looking to buy more economical cars. This trend has caused quite a ruckus in the auto industry. All of a sudden, trucks and SUVs were no longer in demand. Car manufacturers like GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC have suffered the most since a huge chunk of their profits had always come from larger vehicles. As a result, giant auto makers are forced to restructure their production to accomodate the ever increasing demand for smaller cars. But in doing so, profitability is also sacrificed. Analysts recently announced that GM could burn as much as $13 billion worth in cash by 2011.

The sudden change of demand is proof that fuel economy is very important to most motorists these days. The better the efficiency of the car, the more appealing it becomes.

However, a car's fuel efficiency is not written in stone. Fuel consumption may go up and down depending on a driver's driving habits.

An extreme example that shows how a person's driving style affected a car's fuel consumption was highlighted in the first episode of the 11th season of Top Gear. In that episode, they were able to make the 46MPG average Toyota Prius consume around 17MPG. Of course, in that episode, they were flooring the Prius all the wayaround their track for 10 laps.

No one can floor any car in public roads in that manner to have that kind of effect in fuel consumption. However, it still proves how driving style can affect a car's fuel efficiency. If you waste even as little as say half a mile per gallon, in 20 miles, you waste 10 gallons worth of fuel. That is the equivalent of wasting roughly around $41.

Therefore, it is important to always think about your driving style and assess whether or not you are maximizing the fuel effiency of your car.

As a general rule of thumb, always try, as much as possible, to keep your revs below 3000 rpm. Around the city or inside the village, it is even possible to make the car run below 2500 rpm. It is good not to accelerate too quickly. Simply let the car speed up smoothly with a gentle application on the gas pedal. If you are driving a manual, you can also try to shift gears a little earlier than you normally would.

During tough economic times, a controlled drive is a must.

Ferrari Back on Top: Scores Another 1-2 Finish in France

After two lackluster races in Monaco and Canada, Scuderia Ferrari was back in its dominant form in France. Felipe Massa led the team's third 1-2 finish of the season with no other car on the grid able to challenge the two scarlet cars. With the victory, Felipe Massa now leads the drivers standings with 48 points ahead of Robert Kubica's 46 points and Kimi Raikkonen's 43 points. Lewis Hamilton, plagued by penalties during the race, was once again scoreless and dropos to fourth place in the standings with 38 points.

Felipe Massa has become he first Brazilian driver since Ayrton Senna to lead the championship standings.

However, the race wasn't all smooth sailing for Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen's F2008 suffered from exhaust problems. The regning champion was running strong from pole and built a lead of more than six seconds in 38 laps. But after the mechanical problem, Raikkonen's pace dropped significantly and he had no choice but to let Massa through. With 30 more laps to go, it was uncertain whether Raikkonen would have the pace to keep his second place, or worse, be forced to retire for the day.

Raikkonen stayed on track. He was nearly 20 seconds down to his teammate. However, he still managed to finish almost 20 seconds ahead of the nearest rival. By the time Raikkonen parked his car, his F2008 looked as if it was shot by a cannon with a gaping whole at the car's body work. It could be said that Raikkonen was fortunate to come away with 8 points.

The drive of the day however should be Jarno Trulli's performance to bring Toyota back to the podium. A week after former Toyota Team Boss Ove Anderson was killed in a classic rally incident, Trulli drove an inspired drive fending off the much quicker cars of Heikki Kovalainen's McLaren and Robert Kubica's BMW Sauber. The three would finish nose to tail with Trulli leading the trio. After Trulli got out of his car, he pointed towards his black armband indicating that he was dedicating his podium performance to Ove Anderson.

Corvette ZR1 priced at $105,000

Despite the demand shift for more fuel efficient cars, General Motors still managed to announce the sticker price of its upcoming gas-guzzling sports car: The all new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to be available at $105,000 (base model). The sticker price already covers the gas guzzler tax as well as the shipping costs.

There will only be two extra options available: $2000 for chromed wheels and/or a $10,000 interior package that includes side airbags, leather sport seats, a navigation system and Bose audio. The full optioned ZR1 will be priced at around $117,000.

The Corvette comes equipped with a 632hp 6.2L LS9 V8 engine capable of going from 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, 0-100 mph in an impressive 7 seconds and has a top speed of 205 mph: officially making it the fastest Corvette ever.

Although all that speed comes with a price. The Corvette has an EPA rating of 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. And that rating only comes from the most economical drive. Get a little bit gas heavy every now and then, and you could be burning fuel below 10 mpg.

Considering the present state of the country, is there really anyone interested in buying the ZR1?

The answer is 'most definitely'. The Corvette is one of the most fabled cars in the country and it has a considerable following. Recession or no recession, the Corvette always has a place in the hearts of its targeted niche of car buyers.

GM expects to produce 2,000 units a year starting this summer.