Keselowski Fast Again; Tops Charts in First Atlanta Practice Session

Keselowski stays in groove (Getty)

There is no cooling off period for Brad Keselowski as he paced the first Atlanta practice session with a lap of 187.722 mph. Fresh off of winning at Bristol and going four straight races of placing within the top-three, Keselowski looks to be formidable again for Sunday night's race.

Denny Hamlin, with a lap speed of 186.679 mph, was second on the charts which should be a good sign for the struggling No. 11 team trying to hold on to the final Chase spot with only two races remaining until the field is set.

Clint Bowyer is in a similar position to Hamlin -- fighting for his season -- where he has to take care of business with a win or finish in the top-five with hopes that Tony Stewart falters. So far, so good for Bowyer as he ran the third fastest lap (185.016).

Martin Truex, Jr. (184.911) was fourth fastest and Mark Martin (184.794) was fifth. Both of these drivers have looked much better of late and could be onto something for the rest of the season. Truex Jr. also led the way with the fastest 10 consecutive lap average.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest was Brian Vickers (184.223), Greg Biffle (184.125), AJ Allmendinger (184.113), Jimmie Johnson (184.107) and Kasey Kahne (184.058).

The teams will return on Saturday for their final practice session that will run from 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM (EDT) and then return later in the day for their 5:10 PM (EDT) scheduled qualifying session. Results from today's practice session will set the qualifying order.

First Practice Speeds

Rosberg expects another step forward at Monza

Nico Rosberg finished sixth after a brilliant start
 in Belgium © Getty Images

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Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes will take another step forward at the Italian Grand Prix following its best result of the season at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend.

Rosberg finished sixth behind team-mate Michael Schumacher in Belgium, securing a haul of 18-points, and is confident the car can be even more competitive at Monza.

"I'm really looking forward to the weekend in Monza," he said. "We learned at the last race in Spa that our car can be competitive at high-speed tracks, and we definitely took a step forward there. I am confident that we can do that again in Italy next weekend. I visited the factory this week and I'm quite happy with how things are working out there."

Schumacher said his fifth place in Belgium had provided a motivational boost for the team.

"The final European race takes place at Monza, a truly historic Formula One circuit, and one where I have always been so warmly welcomed and supported over the years," he said. "We achieved a good team result in Spa last weekend, and I especially enjoyed the overtaking battles and the challenge of making up so many places during the race. This gives us a boost going into the final part of the season, and we will continue pushing hard to get the best possible results."

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn also confirmed that Mercedes would have a Monza-specific low-drag aero package.

"Coming off the back of our best result of the season in Spa, we are looking forward to the weekend and to finishing the European season on a high," he said. "With the emphasis jointly on engine power and aerodynamic efficiency, we have the benefit of our Mercedes-Benz engine and, as always for Monza, we will run a special low-downforce aerodynamic package to minimise drag on the long straights."

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MP calls for answers on BBC/Sky F1 deal

Bernie Ecclestone, the BBC and Sky have struck a deal through to 2018 © Getty Images

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A British MP has written to Bernie Ecclestone and the BBC asking them to give a "clear account" of the events leading up to the decision to share F1 broadcasting rights between the BBC and Sky Sports from 2012.

The Liberal Democrat's spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, Don Foster MP, claims there are contradictions between Ecclestone's version of events and those of Chief Adviser and Business Manager at BBC Sport Neil Land. The deal, which will see just 10 live races broadcast free-to-air on the BBC next year, provoked backlash from UK fans and Foster is concerned that that it does not represent the best interests of license-fee payers.

"I do not believe this result promotes the best interest of license fee payers and F1 fans," he wrote in his letter to Ecclestone. "I believe the best result would have been for the rights to remain with a free to air broadcaster, even if this was not the BBC. In particular I am concerned about the apparently divergent views of FOM and the BBC about the sequence of events."

He added: "Sky ended up with much of the broadcasting rights. In explaining this, you have said that the BBC 'held all the cards'. You are reported as saying that the BBC "got to grips with Sky themselves. I spoke with ITV too, and came up with the same problem as Channel 4 had. We had a contract with the BBC which didn't run out until 2014." You also said, "My hands were tied". By your account, the rights ended up with Sky and the BBC because "[T]he BBC brought Sky to us with the idea of a joint contract […] It was not us who made that decision."

"I highlight this point because it directly contradicts the BBC's own account of what happened. Neil Land, Chief Adviser and Business Manager at BBC Sport, states that:

"Ultimately, it is the responsibility of FOM to decide which broadcasters cover the sport. FOM must decide what is in the best interests of the sport, its employees, manufacturers, sponsors and viewers - when choosing its broadcast partners. On this occasion, FOM decided that a broadcast partnership between the BBC and Sky was in the best interests of the sport.

"I am alarmed that there is such a gulf between your stories. This deal has led to disappointment and anger among F1 fans and now they have to sift through completely contradictory accounts of who decided what. The least fans deserve is a clear explanation of what has happened. I urge you to give it."

Both the Daily Mirror and Autosport are reporting that BBC bosses will have to face questions from a parliamentary select committee in order to address claims they blocked rival free-to-air broadcasters bidding for the rights.

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McLaren duo expect DRS to spice up Monza weekend

Jenson Button in action at Monza last year © Getty Images

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McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton believe the Italian Grand Prix weekend is going to be dominated by the use of the Drag Reduction System (DRS).

The FIA has announced there will be two DRS zones at Monza, allowing drivers within a second of a car in front to maximise their top speed by adjusting their rear wing. For the first time this season there will also be two separate detection points, meaning drivers that are passed in one activation zone can fight back later in the lap in the next zone.

The zones will be situated on the pit straight and on the run from the second Lesmo to the Ascari chicane, and Button reckons they will make for a thrilling race.

"The first zone's going to be interesting because it's always been very tough to challenge for position under braking for Ascari - the track's pretty narrow and it's a fast entry - so I'll be really interested to see how well DRS will work into that corner - we might see some pretty spectacular moves," he said. "I think the more conventional passing opportunity will come from the second DRS zone, getting as close as possible into Parabolica, holding on through the corner - which won't be straightforward - and then deploying DRS down the start/finish straight before, hopefully, passing into turn one. The DRS is going to be a pretty major asset for a following car, and it might shape the race in some really interesting ways."

Use of the DRS will be unregulated in qualifying and Hamilton thinks that could also make for an exciting challenge.

"I think we go into the weekend feeling pretty optimistic. I've never won at Monza and I'd love to get a good result this year. I'm particularly looking forward to qualifying, because I think DRS will make a huge difference to our laptimes, and I really want to get the maximum out of the car in quali - and then look forward to a strong race, of course.

"With unlimited use in quali, and those four long straights, I think qualifying's going to be pretty intense: we'll be 20km/h faster at four key points of the circuit, so our quali times are going to be much faster than in the race. That should be pretty exciting. For the race, you'll also need the downforce, though, because you'll want to be quick enough out of the second Lesmo and Parabolica to be in with a chance of challenging for position down the following straight. I think things are set for another very closely matched race - I'm really looking forward to it."

Key to getting the DRS balance right will be picking the optimum gear ratios and level of downforce to ensure the car is at its quickest with the wing open, but not a sitting duck with the wing closed during the race.

"It's going to be the usual difficult trade-off between drag and downforce to find the ultimate package for the race," Button added. "Last year, Lewis and I opted to follow two different paths - Lewis went for the low-downforce configuration and I went for more grip, at the expense of straight-line speed. That meant that, although I had the lap time, I didn't quite have the opportunity to mount an attack for the lead, because I couldn't get close enough along the straights to have a go into the braking areas."

This year's race will also mark the 40th anniversary of one of the closest and most dramatic race finishes of all time, when Peter Gethin pipped Ronnie Peterson to victory by 0.01s and the top five were split by 0.61s following an epic slipstreaming battle in the final laps. McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh reckons that the DRS at Monza will help to recreate similar scenarios.

"Perhaps it's a bit premature to be discussing the return of the epic 'Monza slipstreamer', but I think the whole team is going to Italy keen to see if DRS will create the sort of exciting and unpredictable grands prix that we either watched or read about when we were younger," he said.

"At the very least, going to Monza is always a very evocative and historic occasion - perhaps more than any other circuit, you can really feel the sport's past here, and it's become the perfect venue to bid farewell to the European season before we head to the final flyaways. I think it's very important that Formula One keeps hold of these 'classics' - which also includes circuits such as Spa, Silverstone and Monaco - while also investing in new venues for the future.

"Despite its age, Monza certainly never gets any easier: selecting gear ratios to cope with the demands of DRS through both qualifying and the race will be tricky. At Spa, the DRS ban through Eau Rouge meant that maximum velocity at the top of the hill was pretty much the same through qualifying and the race. For Monza, there are no limitations, so it will be very different, and getting it right will require a lot of thought and experimentation.

"It's rewarding to know that, even after 61 grands prix at Monza, the circuit is as much of a challenge as ever - that's a great testament to the enduring appeal of the place, and the restlessly competitive nature of Formula One."

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Atlanta Advocare 500 Preview

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

The Miller Lite crew have done a lot of celebrating lately (Getty)

Brad Keselowski’s rise through the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in the sport. It was only six weeks ago that Keselowski was sitting 23rd in points with slim hopes of making the Chase for the Championship and now heading into this weeks race in Atlanta, he’s 11th and considered one the favorites to win it all.

His last four races have seen him win twice with a runner-up and third-place finish in the other two. We’ve seen likes of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon roll out similar stretches, but those were years where they dominated the entire season. In Keselowski’s case, he had only two top-five finishes in the first 20 races of the season; now he’s got six, including three wins, tied for second best in the series.

This has been a year full or parity where 14 different drivers have won a race which makes his achievement even more astounding. He’s peaking at the right time and as he continues to dominate on every type of track, his odds to win the championship keep getting lower and lower.

The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book opened Keselowski at odds of 300-to-1 to win the title before the season started. Before last week, while he was on a great three-race run, he was 25-to-1. Following Saturday’s night’s Bristol win, he’s now 15-to-1, the same odds as his teammate Kurt Busch who currently sits in the eighth position.

Where has Kurt Busch been during the No. 2 team's rise?

The shift in power within the Penske organization seems to coincide with each other beginning with the Brickyard 400 five races ago. Heading into the race, Kurt Busch was third in points with Keselowski 23rd. Four of Busch’s last five starts have seen him finish 17th or worse while plummeting to eighth while Keselowski has gone on his run like he’s made a deal with the devil.

Busch’s struggles and Keselowski’s rise could be a matter of car owner Roger Penske having enough with Busch’s antics within the organization. Busch was supposed to be the No. 1 on the team and the equipment through the first half between each reflected it, but it’s obvious something changed for each because it wasn’t like Keselowski just learned how to drive better. He’s always wheeled a good car to great results in every series he’s been in.

Let’s also not forget that Keselowski has done all this in the last four races with a broken ankle, which is part of what has endeared him to so many fans in such a short amount of time. NASCAR fans love tough drivers and driving like he has with a broken limb is about as tough as it gets.

Brad Crash-a-lot-ski? How about Denny Ham-n-egger?

Keselowski had to fight his way to where he’s at with all kinds if resistance from drivers like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin trying to intimidate him on and off the track. Last season Hamlin was publicly calling him Brad Crash-a-lot-ski, but now it’s not so funny anymore for Hamlin as he’s become the one who struggles every week with the wall and is danger of not making the Chase.

This will be the first and only race of the season in Atlanta, the first time since the track opened in 1960 that they won’t host two races. In the past, Atlanta Motor Speedway officials had always attributed their declining fall attendance to losing the battle for customer dollars to SEC football which makes it ironic that they would host their one date on the opening week of college football.

Not only do they have to battle all the teams for attention this week, but the Georgia Bulldogs play their biggest game of the season in the Georgiadome against Boise State on Saturday night. Perhaps if there is any money left over from the Bulldog fan's day of partying, the Atlanta race might get some spillover attendance on Sunday night.

While we haven’t seen a race in Atlanta this year, we have seen a few between the sisters tracks of Las Vegas, Charlotte and Texas which can be used as a great reference point to handicap this weeks race. The Roush drivers would be a good starting point beginning with three-time Atlanta winner Carl Edwards, who won at Las Vegas, and Matt Kenseth, who won at Texas. Edwards will be using his fifth-place Kansas chassis while Kenseth will be going with a brand new car.

Kevin Harvick won at Charlotte just ahead of Roush driver David Ragan, but it was Kenseth who led the most laps and had the best car that night. If Ragan can duplicate his fine performance from Charlotte and capture a win, it would give him two wins and bump Hamlin out of the Chase with one race to go. Kenseth should to be the driver to focus on this week with three-time Atlanta winner Jimmie Johnson being there as well.

We shouldn't foget about Harvick, though. He hasn't won a race since Charlotte in May, his third of the season, but iot should be noted for good measure that he will be using that same Charlotte car this week. I've been waiting for him to regain some momentum and Atlanta might be the place.

Hard to believe only one win for JJ, and at 'Dega of all places

Johnson will be using a car that finished third at Fontana, eighth at Texas, ninth at Dover and most recently fourth-place at Pocono. This is his time of the year where it's all business for Johnson. Although he doesn't have a win with this car, it's pretty plain to see that he will likely be in the top-five contending.

If Penske has actually shifted powers within his organization, Keselowski should also be considered because Kurt Busch has won two of the last four Atlanta races. Keselowski will be using his Michigan car that finish 25th. His last four races have also been with cars that didn't have great first impressions, so it matters little.

It's hard to leave out last years winner in any betting equation when handicapping a race, but it's a lot easier to when they are running as mediocre as Tony Stewart is is right now. The positives Stewart has going for him this week lie with his career record at Atlanta the car he's bringing this week.

Stewart is a three-time winner in Atlanta and has the best average finish (9.1) among all drivers there in the last 20 races. He's also bringing the same car that he dominated Las Vegas with but settled for runner-up. If there is anything that can bring back the Stewart we have come to respect, it could be Atlanta.

We should also mention Paul Menard as a possible candidate to do well just because he's using his winning Brickyard 400 chassis this week.

Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #17 Matt Kenseth (12/1)
2) # 48 Jimmie Johnson (8/1)
3) #18 Kyle Busch (8/1)
4) #99 Carl Edwards (8/1)
5) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)

Driver Chassis Selections for Atlanta Advocare 500

Note: Not all teams list their chassis in PR releases

Kyle Busch is using his runner-up Pocono car this week

1. Kyle Busch: 11.2 average finish in six starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Coming off third top 10 in 13 starts; Winner of the 2008 spring race; Fifth-best average finish (11.2) in the six races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 318) that he finished second with at Pocono Raceway last month.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Three-time winner; Coming off 10th top five in 19 starts; Third-best average finish (8.5) in the last 10 races; Best driver rating in the last 12 races; 12.4 average finish in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 650) that he last drove to a fourth-place finish at Pocono Raceway in June.

3. Matt Kenseth: Leads all drivers with a 7.3 average finish in the last 10 races; Best average finish (8.2) in the six races with the COT; Second-best average finish (7.6) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 787) in the AdvoCare 500.

4. Carl Edwards: Three-time winner; Finished second in this event last year; Nine top 10s in 13 starts; Third-best driver rating in the last 12 races; Leads all drivers with a 6.0 average finish in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 768) that he last finished 14th with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Harvick is using winning Coca-Cola 600 chassis this week

5. Kevin Harvick: 33rd-place finish in this event last year snapped streak of three consecutive top 10s; 20.5 average finish in 20 starts; Led 66 laps and finished second in this event on 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 353) that he won with at Charlotte Motor Speedway with in May.

6. Jeff Gordon: Tied with Mark Martin for most top fives (14) and top 10s (23) among active full-time drivers; Second-best average finish (8.4) in the last 10 races; Third-best average finish (9.2) in the six races with the COT Fourth-best driver rating in the last 12 races.

7. Ryan Newman: 14.0 average finish and two top 10s in four starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Scored fourth top 10s in previous 14 starts with Penske Racing.

8. Kurt Busch: First in laps led (385) and Fourth in average finish (10.5) in the six races with the COT; Third-best average finish (8.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 750) that he finished fourth with in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 13.2 average finish in six starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Scored one win and nine top 10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Fifth-best average finish (12.4) in the last 10 races; Fifth-best driver rating in the last 12 races; Seventh-best average finish (11.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.

Stewart dominated Las Vegas in the car he'll use this week

10. Tony Stewart: Defending race winner; Win was third in 24 starts; 8.3 average finish in four starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Fourth-best average finish (9.0) in the last 10 races; races; Second-best average finish (8.7) in the six races with the COT; Second-best driver rating in the last 12 races; Fifth-best average finish (10.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 591) that he finished second at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with and 17th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

11. Brad Keselowski: 30.5 average finish in two starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 25th; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 755) that he finished 25th with at Michigan International Speedway in June.

12. Clint Bowyer: Finished seventh in this event last year for fifth top 10 in 10 starts; Four laps led in last five starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 368) that he last finished eighth with at Michigan International Speedway last month.

13. Denny Hamlin: Won the pole and led 74 laps in this event last year up until engine failure; Has combined to lead 129 laps in last three events; 18.4 average finish in 11 starts; Fourth-best average finish (9.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.

14. AJ Allmendinger: Sixth-place finish in the 2010 spring race is only top 10 in six starts; 15.2 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 752) that he last finished 22nd with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

15. Kasey Kahne: Last of two wins came in this event in 2009; Has combined to lead 220 laps in last three events; 17.1 average finish in 14 starts; Second in laps led (221) in the six races with the COT.

16. Greg Biffle: 36th-place finish in this event last year raised finishing average to 16.3 in 16 starts; Last of nine top 10s came in the 2010 spring race in eighth.

17. Martin Truex Jr: 19.5 average finish in two starts with Michael Waltrip Racing; Two top 10s came in previous 10 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc./Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

18. Joey Logano: Has yet to finish inside the top 20 in four starts; 28.5 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 319) that he won the pole and finished 26th with at Pocono Raceway in August.

19. Mark Martin: Won the pole in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports in the 2009 spring race; Best finish, and only top 20 with HMS, came in this event in 2009 in fifth; Two wins came with Roush Racing in 1991 and 1994; Tied with Jeff Gordon for most top fives (14) and top 10s (23) among active full-time drivers.

20. Paul Menard: Last of two top 10s came in the 2010 spring race in fifth; 22.0 average finish in nine starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 364) that he won the Brickyard 400 with last month.

- compiled by Jeff Wackerlin, MotorRacingNetwork.com

Webber not giving up on 2011 title dream

Mark Webber insists "this year isn't over yet" © Getty Images

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Mark Webber insists "anything can still happen" before the end of 2011 season, but admits he is looking forward to starting the 2012 season afresh and taking the fight to Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

He is currently Vettel's closest challenger for this year's title but 92 points separate the pair with just seven races remaining. Webber signed a year's contract extension with Red Bull over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend and while he is looking forward to starting from zero in 2012, he has not given up on 2011.

"I'm still driving well," he said in his BBC column. "I had a bit of a slow start to this year because it took me a little while to get on top of the new tyres. I'm looking forward to taking on Seb - and everyone else - again next year.

"But this year isn't over yet. There are still seven races to go, starting with Monza next weekend, and anything can still happen."

Webber also referred to Red Bull's 1-2 at Spa-Francorchamps as one of the team's best performances ever, after it overcame tyre blistering problems to finish ahead of the rest of the field. During qualifying the cars' high camber settings caused the Pirelli tyres to blister and there were serious concerns before the start of the race as to whether the compound would hold up. In the end Red Bull made some alterations to tyre pressures before the start and then pitted both cars in the first five laps to take on fresh rubber. Webber said he and the team had not been expecting such a good result in such trying circumstances.

"Although we could have reduced the camber, it was not absolutely clear that would fix it," he added. "We push the cars to the limit and this was just something that happened. Because of all the tyre problems, we went into the race thinking about damage limitation rather than victory. But we made all the right decisions as a team and it turned out we got the ultimate result. We were very surprised by that."

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