Joe Cooksey

The two European automakers, Porsche of Germany and Ferrari of Italy, have a lot of similarities even though the two compete with each other head to head for a niche market of the automotive industry. Both companies have a patriarchal founder, companies honed their skills in racing, are over five decades old, and both have a commitment to the integrity of their styling. If you question whether the two are the dominant force in performance autos just take a street survey and you will find that even a novice who knows nothing about cars knows these names. For the purposes of this comparison we have chosen to feature the iconoclastic 911 Carrera from Porsche and the gorgeous Ferrari F430 because the...

Upcoming Events in the World of NASCARNext week, the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams head west to the golden state of California to race in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Infineon Raceway is one of two road courses on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit that helps add another dimension to an already challenging schedule. NASCAR is the only American series that offers up superspeedway, short track, and road course racing.The grueling 1.99 mile road course of Infineon is a challenge to both drivers and cars alike. The track offers up 12 turns and varrying elevetaion changes. Often times, even the most skilled road-course drivers suffer setbacks due to transmission or other mechanical failures. Expect...

Static Weight: Front Bias and Left Bias The most fundamental way of changing the handling of your car is by redistributing the weight. The weight distribution of a car is determined by literally placing a scale under each wheel. When making weight distribution adjustments, you must consider the weight transitions that the car experiences while you are driving. For example, when you accelerate, weight shifts toward the back of the car onto the rear wheels. When you turn right, weight shifts to the left side of the car. You can feel these weight transfers on your body while you are driving. The most useful weight adjustment for road racing is front bias, or the weight distribution between the front...

Vegas, baby. Vegas! They weren't lying: what happens in Vegas... stays in Vegas!How many times have you heard those catch phrases? Well, we agree - they are both very overstated. But, they really do sum up your Vegas experience. Bottom line: Las Vegas is about checking your husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. at the door and cutting yourself loose from any morals, worries, conscience. This is the place where everyone seems to think that "anything goes" - and it usually does! People actually do enjoy pretending they are somebody else. Even the most conservative woman in your office will let her hair down and give in to that one night stand -- she is in Vegas, after all!With all those poker...

The first NASCAR race of 2006 ran recently at Daytona and I was surprised by the number of new product sponsors...

Upcoming Events in the World of NASCARThe weeks are rolling by and the race for the Chase is nearing its end. NASCAR has to be ecstatic with the standings heading into Watkins Glen next week. Currently, the two biggest names in NASCAR, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr, sit in 8th and 10th place respectively. As you recall, both drivers missed the 2005 inaugural Chase for the Championship.Other drivers in the top 10 include previous champions Matt Kenseth (2nd place), Tony Stewart (who resurged from a multi-week skid and sits in 9th place), and fan favorite Mark Martin (6th). Given this star-studded cast who has everything to lose, next week's AMD at The Glen is building up to be a can't miss race...

As NASCAR racing has grown in popularity, more and more people are wanting to know more about all aspects of the NASCAR Circuit. A lot of people have heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr or Jeff Gordon. But there are a lot of things about NASCAR that many people don't know. So here is a breakdown and some information about the different divisions. The three national divisions of NASCAR are the Nextel Chase for the Cup, the Busch series, and the Truck Craftsman series. Most people who know something about NASCAR know about the Chase. With 26 regular season races and 10 Chase races, the Nextel Cup series is watched by hundreds of thousands of people across America weekly. In it's third year, it continues...

The history of Momo Corse wheels and other car accessories goes back to 1960 when Giampiero Moretti, a student of politics at the University of Pavia, Italy and an amateur racing driver, got a friend to make a very special steering-wheel for his racing car. The wheels were smaller than the one that is normally used, but with a very large handgrip. This gave a much better hold and made the car easier to handle and drive. It took little time for this odd steering wheel to attract the attention of many racing drivers including the English driver John Surtees of Ferrari. He tried it and had it mounted on his single-seat Formula One race car and eventually won the F1 championship that year. A production...

The promotional products industry topped $18 billion in sales in 2006. As one of the larger promotional products distributors in the country, Absorbent, Ink. takes the welfare of our customers very seriously. We strive to work with environmentally conscious suppliers who manufacture and produce the safest products in the industry, and have been very pleased to see our industry take our environmental concerns seriously. A recent article titled Recalls have Parents on Alert, by Kevin Rader of said Mattel recalled a toy jeep that contained lead paint. The jeep was a promotional product marketed from the movie cars. Lead paint has been banned in this country since 1978 but it is still produced in China...

As a father of three small children I was outraged by the recent Mattel toy recall. All of the toys were made by a contract manufacturer in China. Mattel said Wednesday, August 15th, that it was recalling 1.5 million toys globally and the recall would cost them at least $30 million dollars. The toys that were recalled included many Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters, including Dora The Explorer backpacks, which my 2 year old daughter plays with often. Also recalled was the 'Sarge' character Die-Cast car from the Disney Pixar Cars movie. The 'Sarge' car is said to have excess levels of lead surface paint that could harm children. My 5 year old son has this car. My wife and I buy most, if not...

Introduction to Props Betting sides and totals on major sports like baseball, basketball and football are the most common wagers available everywhere. However, many sportsbooks also offer proposition bets (or props short) for gambling on non-team sports like golf, tennis, boxing and auto racing - including NASCAR - due to their growing popularity. The two main ways of wagering on non-team sports are "Betting to Win" an event and "Matchup Betting" which pits an individual against another individual or a group of individuals. Betting to Win Before every major event in non-team sports like golf, tennis and auto racing, futures are set by oddsmakers. These are not fixed and are adjusted by sportsbooks...

When you think of baseball memorabilia and sports collectibles, do you think of baseball cards or do you think of the signed jerseys, the throwback jerseys, jackets, hats, helmets, the pictures, and hero posters? Well, there are many ways to show your support by collecting items of your favorite team or player. People collect for other sports as well, such as baseball, NASCAR, basketball, football, golf. Some items that are found to be fun to collect are die cast models, Bobble Heads, Hero Posters and the newest items are The Fat Heads items. These are life-like, life-sized replicas of sports heroes that can be safely stuck to your wall. With all of the things you can collect, it is no wonder that...

As NASCAR racing has grown in popularity, more and more people are wanting to know more about all aspects of the NASCAR Circuit. A lot of people have heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr or Jeff Gordon. But there are a lot of things about NASCAR that many people don't know. So here is a breakdown and some information about the different divisions. The three national divisions of NASCAR are the Nextel Chase for the Cup, the Busch series, and the Truck Craftsman series. Most people who know something about NASCAR know about the Chase. With 26 regular season races and 10 Chase races, the Nextel Cup series is watched by hundreds of thousands of people across America weekly. In it's third year, it continues...

Warning! Please continue reading only if you consider yourself an Advance Internet Marketer. You must possess a basic knowledge of SEO, Adsense and of course, a driving motivation to succeed! Whenever someone asks me a question pertaining to the definition of Internet Marketing, this is what I tell them- Internet Marketing basically setting up a business/shop (website). The big difference compared to a regular/physical business is that your website doesn't require costly rentals, staff salaries and high overheads like miscellaneous bills. Also, your business is open 24/7, 365 days a year with a very minimal chance of any closure. So what is the key point in Internet Marketing? Well, it won't make...

The BMW M6 is the most sophisticated and powerful BMW 6 Series Coupé ever. Under the lightweight body of this luxurious 2+2 lurks a thoroughbred super sports car boasting a V10, 507bhp power unit, providing 520Nm of torque. A seven-speed sequential manual gearbox and a superior chassis and suspension compliments its engine. The all-new M6 features weight-saving technologies such as a carbon-fiber roof and 19-inch forged aluminum wheels that are almost four pounds lighter than regular cast wheels. With almost 500 horsepower available, BMW claims the M6 will hit 60 mph in under 4.6 seconds, and it will run to 20 5mph without the traditional 155-mph speed limiter. The suspension, though similar to...

As a father of three small children I was outraged by the recent Mattel toy recall. All of the toys were made by a contract manufacturer in China. Mattel said Wednesday, August 15th, that it was recalling 1.5 million toys globally and the recall would cost them at least $30 million dollars. The toys that were recalled included many Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters, including Dora The Explorer backpacks, which my 2 year old daughter plays with often. Also recalled was the 'Sarge' character Die-Cast car from the Disney Pixar Cars movie. The 'Sarge' car is said to have excess levels of lead surface paint that could harm children. My 5 year old son has this car. My wife and I buy most, if not...

Coin Hunting or 'Coin Shooting' as it's often called, is not only very fun to do, but it can easily be very profitable. Finding just one gold piece or any rare coin can easily pay for the cost of the metal detector. When it comes to Coin Hunting or 'Coin Shooting', there are some places that I call 'hot spots', or the best places. Riverbanks - Ponds - Lakes - Swimming Holes: These locations are true treasure hunting top spots. The Riverbank is a huge area that can provide a lifetime of detecting. River banks were used as ferry crossings, and some had covered bridges with toll stations. The local old timers may be able to tell you where the local fishing and old swimming spots were. Remember many of...

Rocking horses still rock. This traditional gift has sustained popularity for hundreds of years literally, despite the light flashing and noise blurting games of today. Historically the rocking horse has sustained the test of time. Consider how often you see pictures of it in old photographs with children. Additionally, well kept horses have become family keepsakes, passed down from generation to generation Consumers must consider a variety of details when purchasing a rocking horse, starting with the child for whom they are buying. The size of the child matters first as far as safety on the horse is concerned. Consider a toy of suitable height and width. Buying a horse too big or too small would...

The Mercury Milan has ranked first in the competitive midsize car segment while the Pontiac Grand Prix ranked first among large cars in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study released Tuesday last week. Segment winners 2007 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, top three models by category Subcompact car Kia Rio and Kia Rio5 Honda Fit Hyundai Accent (total) Compact car Honda Civic Toyota Corolla Hyundai Elantra Sedan Compact sporty car Mazda MX-5 Scion tC Subaru Impreza (total) Compact premium sporty car Porsche Boxter Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Entry premium car Lincoln MKZ Acura TSX Cadillac CTS Midsize premium Mercedes-Benz E-Class (total) Lexus GS series (total...

Ask any famous person that achieved greatness what they did that was different - they would tell you they made their goals realistic and took action. The rest is history. Napoleon Hill stated "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." He used a positive mental attitude and the use of small, realistic steps to achieve greatness. He went from a poor beginning in a log cabin to one of the best selling authors and an advisor to congressmen, presidents and so on. W. Clement Stone took $100 and with this same use of creating realistic steps and taking action he built one of the largest multi million dollar insurance companies in America. They may not have the current publicity or...

Richard Lee Petty was born on July 2, 1937 in Level Cross, North Carolina. His father, Lee Petty, was one of the pioneers of NASCAR racing, and the founder of Petty Enterprises, which became NASCAR's most successful racing team. Lee Petty was an early star of NASCAR, winning three Grand National Championships (later known as the Winston Cup) as well as seven Most Popular Driver Awards. Richard's racing career began on July 12, 1958, in Columbia, South Carolina. He finished in sixth place in his debut race, and went on to take nine top-ten finishes in the 1959 season, earning the Rookie of the Year award. But, his career really took off in 1964 when he won his first Daytona 500. This was the...

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) will be completing 60 years this December, when the first meeting was organized all those years ago by Bill France Sr., to discuss problems faced by stock car racing. From that first humble meeting, NASCAR has become one of the most popular spectator sports in the world. No one present in that meeting could ever have dreamed that NASCAR would turn out to become what it is today! The Stock Car Evolution The first race under the aegis of NASCAR was held on February 15, 1948 at Daytona Beach. This was the post WWII era. Obviously, there was a shortage of new cars. Most people were driving pre-war models, which were in a rattletrap condition...

There are many body parts and accessories to choose from for enhancing the look of your car. For the most part, side skirts and rear bumpers on a street car are visual upgrades and will not affect handling. At high speeds, the front bumper will affect handling. Read my accompanying article on aerodynamics "Optimizing the Aerodynamic Balance of your Car" for advice on setting up a car to be aerodynamically balanced. If you do not plan to race your car, then a body kit is a purely visual upgrade. But for racing, I recommend installing a lightweight front bumper (preferably one that has been aerodynamically tested). Body kits are usually made from fiberglass, ABS plastic, polyurethane, or carbon fiber...

Every year, Nascar gets bigger and bigger and more popular among fans. Sales of Nascar merchandise keeps climbing and the overall popularity that was once limited to specific populations around the country has begun to extend to just about everywhere. Obviously, this is great news for Nascar drivers and for Nascar racing in general. Some people love the speed of the cars, the skill of the drivers, and of course, the famous Nascar crashes. Even though the crashes usually end in flames and some wicked wrecks, the Nascar drivers are usually unharmed, or at the most not fatally harmed. Safety in the Nascar industry remains one of the most important factors in this racing community. But, Nascar is one of...

The NASCAR hall of fame exists so that we the public can see these great drivers and their cars at the peak of their performance. When you visit this hall of fame you will get to see the many cars, teams and racing drivers and the NASCAR girls who have all contributed towards car racing is being a popular sport even though there are many risks to be found. When the game of racing has passed for certain NASCAR girls there are various people who will continue to remember them long after their time has passed. This is because the NASCAR hall of fame is designed so that it remains as a tribute to those who gladly gave their best to show what men can do when they are pushed to their limits. Of course the...

Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. recently announced that he will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), the company founded by his father, to drive for Hendrick Motorsports starting in 2008. It is expected that his primary sponsor, Budweiser, will tag on him to his next team, although Budweiser still has a contract with DEI. Earnhardt, Jr. will take Kyle Busch's spot in Hendrick Motorsports. Busch, meanwhile, will leave the organization at the end of the 2007 NEXTEL Cup season. Earnhardt, Jr.'s decision, like a dependable Gibson exhaust, elicited positive feedback from the NASCAR community. "Today's announcement of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s move to Hendrick Motorsports is indeed an important announcement for this...

NASCAR history is filled with influential people. A few influential individuals, including William France, Sr., have been responsible for creating the sport and taking it to where it is today. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded by France on February 21st, 1948. France, together with other drivers, designed a points system that would become the foundation of NASCAR racing. As early as 1948, the schedule consisted of 52 modified races that were run on dirt tracks. The first National Championship was won by Red Byron. The Beginnings Named its first commissioner, Erwin "Cannonball" Baker had a big impact on the history of NASCAR. An accomplished racer who set dozens...

During the Puyallup Fair this September 22nd to the 24th, there would be one attraction that car lovers would surely go to. This is the Back the Track weekend event and it has got the Great Western Sports, or the GWS, as one of its sponsors. If you did not know, GWS is a subsidiary of the great International Speedway Corporation. GWS would be working with the Western Washington Fair Association for this event. During the Back the Track weekend, goers and guests would be able to feast their eyes on show cars that have been rounding other auto shows. These cars would be those that come from the national racing series. Included is the #9 Dodge Dealers and UAW Dodge Charger driven by Kasey Kahne and...