The names of the 40 artists whose work will comprise the 55th Carnegie international will be officially released later today. They come from more than a dozen countries and represent a wide variety of styles. One of the first artists chosen by Carnegie International Curator Douglas Fogle was Swiss born sculptor Thomas Hirschhorn. Fogle says Hirschhorn brings to his work many of the sensibilities of the exhibition, which looks to explore the question of what it means to be human today. Like many of the artists in the show, Fogle says Hirschhorn can make something wonderful out of everyday materials.
Another artists using every day objects in new and creative ways is Haegue Yang. She creates art, using items such and mini blinds, air conditioners, theater lights and even scent machines used by department stores. Yang says she will collect much of her material from local sources before she installs in Pittsburgh to make sure she gets the right feel.
The work of American born artists Doug Aitken will grace the façade of the museum. He is creating a new film that explores the “new American landscape” and he says he was inspired by the exhibition subtitle “Life on Mars.”
Matt Monahan is also thinking about “Life on Mars.” While working on the pieces for the show he has been playing the David Bowie tune of the same name. Monahan works in paper, foam and a long list of other materials and he says he has not yet decided on what he will use for the International.
WDUQ’s Mark Nootbaar speaks to many of the artists in the version of the story aired this morning on WDUQ FM.
WDUQ’s Mark Nootbaar will examine a different aspect of the Carnegie International every month through the opening of the show.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
If you thought the 'war' was nuts.... the 'peace' is going to look downright insane
Robin Miller is reporting on SPEEDTV.com that a press conference announcing the end of the open wheel war will take place tomorrow (Friday). So far, so good.
But if you thought this long-awaited announcement would end the insanity.... you would be wrong.
Miller writes: "Unless there’s a last-minute intervention by the gods of reason, the IRL race at Motegi, Japan will run April 19 as scheduled and the 33rd annual Long Beach Grand Prix will take the green flag on April 20.
And both races will count towards the 2008 IRL championship.
That’s correct. The regular IRL teams will be on the oval in Japan with their Dallara-Hondas while the Champ Car teams that are expected to compete full time in the unified series will be running their Panoz-Cosworths for the final time. Drivers will earn equal IRL points in each event...."
Only these guys could come up with that plan. Maybe they can move the Indy 500 up to April 21?
That’s correct. The regular IRL teams will be on the oval in Japan with their Dallara-Hondas while the Champ Car teams that are expected to compete full time in the unified series will be running their Panoz-Cosworths for the final time. Drivers will earn equal IRL points in each event...."
Only these guys could come up with that plan. Maybe they can move the Indy 500 up to April 21?
Royal Distributing-Bourque Polaris Race Report - Bracebridge CSRA
CSRA Race, Bracebridge, ON
BRACEBRIDGE, ON - 16 year old Stephanie Simard continued her strong campaign this season with yet another podium finish in the Pro Women's final on her Polaris IQ. Stephanie took home 2nd place behind WPSA champ Angela Vachino. Angela has proven to be the woman to beat on both sides of the border. Stephanie kept the race close all the way to the finish line for a very strong 2nd place. Simard continues to impress in her debut season in the Pro classes.
15 year old Semi Pro rider David Joanis went out and won all his semi-pro qualifiers in Semi-pro open. Dave dominated in the final and cruised to a win, again putting the sponsors up front. Dave's count on the season is 7 wins in 8 races in Semi pro, with one 2nd place. The Semi Pro Super Stock final was cancelled due to whiteout conditions, to be run later in the season.
Dave rode in the Pro Stock class again this week, riding with the top riders. Dave won a qualifier, followed closely by Royal Pro rider Lee Butler for a one-two finish. In his second qualifier, Dave ran very close with WPSA Pro Riders Iain Hayden and Brett Bender for a podium finish. Dave then ran 3rd in the Pro Stock final on Sunday, opening eyes further around the pits and in the stands that he is a talent here to stay!
#73 Pro Lee Butler, fresh off a win in Lindsay, was solid and near the front in all qualifiers, but due to some tough luck in the competitive Pro Stock final didn't find the podium this week . Lee continues to be solid in the points and looks for more wins this season.
Photos courtesy of Gary at Supernova Photo // Release from Mark Fries (Royal Distributing) // Thanks to our Sponsors: Polaris Racing, Walker Evans Shocks, Stud Boy, FXR Clothing, Kimpex, Ipone Oils, HMK, Oakley, Wiseco, Rox, PowerMadd, Dayco, Fly, Ogio, Camoplast, TekVest, Renton Coil Springs, C&A Skis, and Digatron Gauges
Raceline Radio Network Newsletter
From Erik Tomas, Raceline Radio Network
Our Quebec NASCAR Sprint Cup duo watched this year's 50th anniversary Daytona 500, the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup opener, the same way most of us did. On the sidelines or on TV as Ryan Newman scored Roger Penske's first stock car 500 win.
Nice race! The new car works perfectly. The final 250 miles were superb. Close to 40 lead changes, and with a mere seven cautions, the race was done in three hours!
So close for frequent Raceline Radio/FAN 590 guest Patrick Carpentier. In the second twin 150 mile Daytona 500 qualifier, Patrick told his Gillett-Evernham crew on the radio his # 10 Dodge had developed a vibration. Patrick bravely kept his foot into it, high enough in the running order and fast enough to make the 500 to write another page in Canadian racing history. But with only 5 laps to go, the right front tire explodes, and Patrick's Daytona 500 hopes to kick off the NASCAR portion of his career wind up against the wall!
Earlier in the same race, Formula One, CART champion and Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve had a nastier time of it. Bouncing in and out of the transfer spot to make the 500, Villeneuve's tapped by John Andretti and the #27 Bill Davis Racing Toyota, collects people on his way to the wall, and JV's NASCAR debut winds up in a smoldering, bent and broken Camry.
It got worse afterwards. Bill Davis announced Villeneuve would come out of the car until JV found some money. A sponsor. Benson and Skinner take over the ride on a race-by-race basis.
It's not a good start for Villeneuve. Better but not perfect for Carpentier. But Patrick is the new darling of the NASCAR set. Despite stinging disappointment, he's been competitive while staying out of the way. Carp's always smiling on TV. He's in good spirits with the media and the fans. They like this guy and that's important too. Do nice guys always finish last? Not any more. Let Montoya be the former open wheel villain.
Hopefully, Villeneuve can find some money. Carpentier still has to race his way into the first few with Valvoline, but if his up-beat attitude means anything, he'll shrug off his Daytona cloud, makes some fields, finish a few and maybe even pilfer a top 10.
Carp and JV are just 2 reasons why this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup war is going to be one of the most interesting in years.
Ryan revelation! Newman developed his race craft on dirt tracks, and highly educated, has a degree in mechanical engineering. Connected to his roots? Earlier in the weekend, Newman was running a UMP Late Model at the Dirt-Nationals at Volusia Florida. He then headed to Daytona, put on his asphalt hat and won the biggest stock car race in the game. That's why we LOVE this sport.
Silence is NOT Golden!
Amid rumours of bankruptcy, ChampCar has been silent about what's happening for 2008. You know the story by now. A badly needed merger with the IRL was on, then off, then supposedly on again. Schedule juggling, second-guessing, what's happening with the three Canadian races? Who's in charge of it? We still won't know for sure.
On Raceline and other media, ChampCar officials claim every time rumours leak and we try and probe what's happening, it means set backs for a merger.
But having fans, event managers and the media in the dark is very damaging at this point. Uncertainty kills credibility.
ChampCar needs to tell us if 2008 is a go or not and RIGHT now.
The very latest: Not a whole lot more than we know already. IRL boss Tony George and ChampCar boss Kevin Kalkhoven have been in England attending weddings and family functions. From both sides, the message is reunification talks continue. Quietly and privately.
George: "talks carry on, but it's a delicate and complicated process. "
Kalkhoven: "We know the advantages in a merger with the IRL, but we are more than content to go it alone. Right now, we're going ChampCar racing."
It's believed ChampCar and The IRL have finally reached that illusive agreement in principle to work together. But a long list of critical issues hang in the balance and there is virtually NO time left to get this bricked together for 2008.
I know I have been telling fans to support the three Canadian ChampCar shows until their status changes, but that only lasts so long before it seems like ChampCar doesn't care. Faith only goes so far.
I feel for the people running and promoting these races. It's cruel. They have nothing to tell their customers.
But, for the time being, nothing's changed from my stand point. Until they tell me to stop, The 2008 ChampCar season and the three Canadian dates are green and go. And I will cover them best I can while not really knowing what the heck is going on!
COMING UP: Sunday February 24th, 2008
Ryan Newman, winner of the 50th anniversary Daytona 500… and 17 year old Canadian racing phenom Daniel Morad.
BROADCAST SCHEDULE:
AM 900 CHML Hamilton FLAGSHIP LIVE Sundays 8:06 PM Eastern
The FAN 590 Toronto Mondays 7:06 PM Eastern
The FAN 960 Calgary Sundays 11:06 PM Mountain
CJOB 68 Winnipeg LIVE Sundays 7:06 PM Central
780 KIXX Halifax Saturdays 10:30 AM Atlantic
105.1 THE RIVER Niagara Falls Mondays 9:06 PM Eastern
AM 800 CKLW Windsor LIVE Sundays 8:06 PM Eastern
TEAM 1040 Vancouver Sundays 12 Midnight to 1 AM
TEAM 990 Montreal Mondays 7:06 PM Eastern
TEAM 1260 Edmonton Sundays 11:06 PM Mountain
KHJ Fredericton NB Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
AM 1220 Cornwall Sundays 5:00 PM Eastern
KHJ-One Oromocto NB Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
KHJ-Two New Maryland NB Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
CAT 99.5 FM Truro NS Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
Country 105 FM Peterborough Mondays 10:06 PM Eastern
AM 790 CIGM Sudbury Mondays 7:06 PM Eastern
AM 1070 CHOK Sarnia LIVE Sundays 8:06 PM Eastern
AM 570 News Kitchener Mondays 7:00 PM Eastern
Our Quebec NASCAR Sprint Cup duo watched this year's 50th anniversary Daytona 500, the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup opener, the same way most of us did. On the sidelines or on TV as Ryan Newman scored Roger Penske's first stock car 500 win.
Nice race! The new car works perfectly. The final 250 miles were superb. Close to 40 lead changes, and with a mere seven cautions, the race was done in three hours!
So close for frequent Raceline Radio/FAN 590 guest Patrick Carpentier. In the second twin 150 mile Daytona 500 qualifier, Patrick told his Gillett-Evernham crew on the radio his # 10 Dodge had developed a vibration. Patrick bravely kept his foot into it, high enough in the running order and fast enough to make the 500 to write another page in Canadian racing history. But with only 5 laps to go, the right front tire explodes, and Patrick's Daytona 500 hopes to kick off the NASCAR portion of his career wind up against the wall!
Earlier in the same race, Formula One, CART champion and Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve had a nastier time of it. Bouncing in and out of the transfer spot to make the 500, Villeneuve's tapped by John Andretti and the #27 Bill Davis Racing Toyota, collects people on his way to the wall, and JV's NASCAR debut winds up in a smoldering, bent and broken Camry.
It got worse afterwards. Bill Davis announced Villeneuve would come out of the car until JV found some money. A sponsor. Benson and Skinner take over the ride on a race-by-race basis.
It's not a good start for Villeneuve. Better but not perfect for Carpentier. But Patrick is the new darling of the NASCAR set. Despite stinging disappointment, he's been competitive while staying out of the way. Carp's always smiling on TV. He's in good spirits with the media and the fans. They like this guy and that's important too. Do nice guys always finish last? Not any more. Let Montoya be the former open wheel villain.
Hopefully, Villeneuve can find some money. Carpentier still has to race his way into the first few with Valvoline, but if his up-beat attitude means anything, he'll shrug off his Daytona cloud, makes some fields, finish a few and maybe even pilfer a top 10.
Carp and JV are just 2 reasons why this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup war is going to be one of the most interesting in years.
Ryan revelation! Newman developed his race craft on dirt tracks, and highly educated, has a degree in mechanical engineering. Connected to his roots? Earlier in the weekend, Newman was running a UMP Late Model at the Dirt-Nationals at Volusia Florida. He then headed to Daytona, put on his asphalt hat and won the biggest stock car race in the game. That's why we LOVE this sport.
Silence is NOT Golden!
Amid rumours of bankruptcy, ChampCar has been silent about what's happening for 2008. You know the story by now. A badly needed merger with the IRL was on, then off, then supposedly on again. Schedule juggling, second-guessing, what's happening with the three Canadian races? Who's in charge of it? We still won't know for sure.
On Raceline and other media, ChampCar officials claim every time rumours leak and we try and probe what's happening, it means set backs for a merger.
But having fans, event managers and the media in the dark is very damaging at this point. Uncertainty kills credibility.
ChampCar needs to tell us if 2008 is a go or not and RIGHT now.
The very latest: Not a whole lot more than we know already. IRL boss Tony George and ChampCar boss Kevin Kalkhoven have been in England attending weddings and family functions. From both sides, the message is reunification talks continue. Quietly and privately.
George: "talks carry on, but it's a delicate and complicated process. "
Kalkhoven: "We know the advantages in a merger with the IRL, but we are more than content to go it alone. Right now, we're going ChampCar racing."
It's believed ChampCar and The IRL have finally reached that illusive agreement in principle to work together. But a long list of critical issues hang in the balance and there is virtually NO time left to get this bricked together for 2008.
I know I have been telling fans to support the three Canadian ChampCar shows until their status changes, but that only lasts so long before it seems like ChampCar doesn't care. Faith only goes so far.
I feel for the people running and promoting these races. It's cruel. They have nothing to tell their customers.
But, for the time being, nothing's changed from my stand point. Until they tell me to stop, The 2008 ChampCar season and the three Canadian dates are green and go. And I will cover them best I can while not really knowing what the heck is going on!
COMING UP: Sunday February 24th, 2008
Ryan Newman, winner of the 50th anniversary Daytona 500… and 17 year old Canadian racing phenom Daniel Morad.
BROADCAST SCHEDULE:
AM 900 CHML Hamilton FLAGSHIP LIVE Sundays 8:06 PM Eastern
The FAN 590 Toronto Mondays 7:06 PM Eastern
The FAN 960 Calgary Sundays 11:06 PM Mountain
CJOB 68 Winnipeg LIVE Sundays 7:06 PM Central
780 KIXX Halifax Saturdays 10:30 AM Atlantic
105.1 THE RIVER Niagara Falls Mondays 9:06 PM Eastern
AM 800 CKLW Windsor LIVE Sundays 8:06 PM Eastern
TEAM 1040 Vancouver Sundays 12 Midnight to 1 AM
TEAM 990 Montreal Mondays 7:06 PM Eastern
TEAM 1260 Edmonton Sundays 11:06 PM Mountain
KHJ Fredericton NB Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
AM 1220 Cornwall Sundays 5:00 PM Eastern
KHJ-One Oromocto NB Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
KHJ-Two New Maryland NB Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
CAT 99.5 FM Truro NS Tuesdays 9:06 PM Atlantic
Country 105 FM Peterborough Mondays 10:06 PM Eastern
AM 790 CIGM Sudbury Mondays 7:06 PM Eastern
AM 1070 CHOK Sarnia LIVE Sundays 8:06 PM Eastern
AM 570 News Kitchener Mondays 7:00 PM Eastern
Frustrating Charlotte Democrats
Pat McCrory has been putting up impressive performances in the Charlotte region in our general election tracking polls. He has 53% against Richard Moore and 59% against Bev Perdue.
I realized that for McCrory to be performing that well in the region, he had to be getting a significant amount of crossover support from Democrats in the area. So I ran the numbers.
Keep in mind this is a very small sample- just 42 of those polled were self identified Democrats in the greater Charlotte region. But the result is still stunning. Moore and Perdue both lead McCrory just 43-40 with 17% undecided among voters of their own party in that area.
A lot of Democratic observers were irritated around the time McCrory was making his announcement at comments from Democratic Charlotte City Council members to the effect that McCrory as Governor would be a good thing for Charlotte. Clearly their attitudes are shared by a good number of their constituents as well.
Loyalty to Charlotte appears to be greater than loyalty to the Democratic party for these voters. If McCrory wins the GOP nomination I would strongly encourage Moore or Perdue to spend some money, even early in the general election contest, telling Democrats particularly in Mecklenburg County just how conservative McCrory is on many issues. Don't let them get solidly committed to him.
Serving as Governor brings a whole different set of issues to the table from being Mayor, and folks who have liked him as the city's chief executive might be less enamored of his views on some key statewide issues.
Keep in mind also that while Perdue and Moore have been on tv in most of the state, they are not in Charlotte. So these numbers among Democrats in the region should shift some when they start running ads in that area.
I realized that for McCrory to be performing that well in the region, he had to be getting a significant amount of crossover support from Democrats in the area. So I ran the numbers.
Keep in mind this is a very small sample- just 42 of those polled were self identified Democrats in the greater Charlotte region. But the result is still stunning. Moore and Perdue both lead McCrory just 43-40 with 17% undecided among voters of their own party in that area.
A lot of Democratic observers were irritated around the time McCrory was making his announcement at comments from Democratic Charlotte City Council members to the effect that McCrory as Governor would be a good thing for Charlotte. Clearly their attitudes are shared by a good number of their constituents as well.
Loyalty to Charlotte appears to be greater than loyalty to the Democratic party for these voters. If McCrory wins the GOP nomination I would strongly encourage Moore or Perdue to spend some money, even early in the general election contest, telling Democrats particularly in Mecklenburg County just how conservative McCrory is on many issues. Don't let them get solidly committed to him.
Serving as Governor brings a whole different set of issues to the table from being Mayor, and folks who have liked him as the city's chief executive might be less enamored of his views on some key statewide issues.
Keep in mind also that while Perdue and Moore have been on tv in most of the state, they are not in Charlotte. So these numbers among Democrats in the region should shift some when they start running ads in that area.
Saudi Students Organize 4th Annual Open House
The Saudi Students House has organized its 4th annual open house about Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Students House comprises students from Saudi Arabia who attend the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duquesne University. The goal of their open house is to open up avenues of communication with Americans who do not know much about Saudi Arabian culture. The event is being held on Friday, Feb. 22nd, in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room at Pitt. It will start at 4:30 and conclude at 9 pm.
Birmingham Bridge Reopening
PennDot press officer Jim Struzzi said the Birmingham Bridge might reopen one lane in each direction as early as late next week. the temporary traffic pattern would be on the southbound lane of the bridge. the bridge has been inspected and no other repairs are needed. PennDot also inspected the Neville island bridge which is of similar design, and found no problems. The total reopening of the bridge might not come for months as the northbound side is retrofitted to prevent a similar occurrence.
Interest high in Mosport's historic Can-Am race
- Brian Blain, '69 Lola 163,
- Ray Boissaneau, McLaren M1B
- Lou Casazza, '67 McKee
- Norm Cowdery, '67 McKee Mk 10
- Mike Dunkel, '68 McLaren M8F
- Jay Esterer, McLaren Mk 6
- John Giordano, Ferrari 512
- Dave Handy, '68 McLaren M6B
- Andy Hauck III, '71 Lola T260 (L&M ex Stewart)
- Dan Lipetz, '69 Lola (ex Revson)
- Tom Malloy, Lola T70
- Robert Ryan, '68 McLaren
- Jim Simpson, '70 McLaren 70M8C
- Tom Simpson, '66 McKee,
- Tom Stephanie, 'Genie Mk 10 (Vinegaroon)
- Johan Woeheide. 'Lola T70 (ex Gurney)
This much interest at this stage is bound to have a snowball effect on those undecided as to whether to attend. ENDURA COATINGS and SASCO SPORTS have both announced packages to further induce competitors to enter. Also, not to be forgotten, LOLA have confirmed that the VARAC Vintage Festival will be part of their World Wide 50th Anniversary celebration which should encourage a great turnout of Lolas. With that much going for it, Mosport's Historic Can-Am race promises to be one of the biggest in recent memory.
While the focus and media attention are on the Can-Am there is much more going on to offer a complete weekend for every taste. The weekend's program also includes a Fiftieth Anniversary of Austin Healey Sprites race, the MG Feature for the Simms Cup, plus races for all classes of Vintage and Historic Cars.
Aside from a chance to drive on one of the Sport's great tracks, the social aspect of the weekend promises to be great. The Friday night potluck supper hosted by the ladies of VARAC is always a much anticipated part of the weekend. Low key, lots of food and refreshment, it is a great way to meet fellow competitors and discuss the fast way through corner two. In the VARAC tradition, if one party is good, two are better, so Saturday evening features a banquet with Chicken and Ribs.
More track time than you can imagine, two great parties, great Canadian hospitality and Canadian Beer, what's not to like, . Circle June 20-22 on your calendar now! If you can only make one race next year, this should be it. See you there!
PHOTOS: 1) Lola T70 - Johan Woeheide, Lola T70 2) Handy McLaren - Dave Handy, '68 McLaren M6B
From Bob Harrington
Heparin Investigation Takes an Ugly Turn for Baxter, Industry
There's nothing like a picture of pig intestines being sorted in China to dramatize the fears that outsourcing is jeopardizing the safety of the US drug supply.The picture to the right is just one in a series posted on-line today by the Wall Street Journal, showing the first step in the production process for heparin, one of the mostly widely used hospital pharmaceutical products in the US. (You can see the rest of the pictures here if you have the stomach).
You can expect those photos of the heparin production process to show up again, any time someone wants to question the impact of manufacturing outsourcing in the pharmaceutical industry. Like maybe when House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee chair Rosa DeLauro holds a hearing on drug safety issues (and especially the Trasylol controversy) February 27.
The photos accompany a lengthy discussion of the investigation into an apparent increase in adverse reactions associated with Baxter's heparin product, which has been recalled in the US. The Chicago Tribune also weighs in with a story including some comments from Baxter CEO Robert Parkinson.
Now, bear in mind that no one knows for sure at this point that the Chinese facility has anything to do with the heparin adverse events. Not that that will make too big of a difference in how much damage the story will do to confidence in FDA, the industry and the drug supply.
First came the embarrassing admission by FDA that it never inspected the plant in China that serves as one raw material supplier for the product in question. That prompted a key overseer of FDA--Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak--to call for the resignation of Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach.
But Baxter may face some tough questions of its own--at least based on comments made by top agency enforcement officials during a Food & Drug Law Institute conference February 19-20. According to the Tribune, Parkinson says Baxter wasn't even aware that the plant in question was part of its supply chain, since it was a subcontractor to the firm Baxter relied on for bulk API.
David Elder, director of the agency's Office of Enforcement, pointed out that FDA believes it is the responsibility of the finished dose product manufacturer to assure the quality of its products. He was responding specifically to a question about components of medical devices, not heparin. But he pointedly expanded to his answer to include finished dose pharmaceutical manufacturers being responsible for their suppliers.
Deputy Chief Counsel for Litigation Eric Blumberg also discussed the agency's ability to hold individual corporate executives criminally responsible for allowing adulterated products on the market. The authority--known as the Park doctrine after a Supreme Court ruling upholding the principle--allows FDA to file misdemeanor cases against executives even if there is no evidence of intent or even knowledge of GMP violoations.
The principle, Blumberg reminded FDLI, is that an executive has at least the opportunity to prevent a dangerous product from entering the market, while consumers cannot protect themselves from a contaminated drug once it is in distribution.
If Congress does look more broadly at supply-chain responsibility, things could get really interesting.
Both the Journal and the Tribune quote American Pharmaceutical Products Inc. CEO Patrick Soon-Shiong, asserting the advantages of his company's approach to supply chain management. APP is the big winner (if there is one) in the heparin recall, since its product is now the only one available.
Soon-Shiong has been in the news before. APP was the subject of a front page story in the New York Times in 2002 because of its relationship with the group purchasing organization Premier; that was during a time when Congress was looking into GPO practices following allegations by small device manufacturers that they were being shut out of the market.
Before that, Soon-Shiong played a part in the controversy surrounding generic launches of Bristol-Myers Squibb's paclitaxel (Taxol). APP asserted that a patent it held on a cremaphor free formulation of paclitaxel should block generics of the Bristol product. The issue briefly delayed generic launches and prompted a Federal Trade Commission inquiry. (Bristol ultimately settled a series of antitrust claims regarding its patent defense strategies for several brands; APP was never charged.)
One last thing: APP also has first-hand experience with the challenges of global supply chain management. The company acquired its injectable generic product line from Fujisawa USA in the 1990s. Shortly after the acquisition, APP had to recall injectable gentamicin due to endotoxin contamination. The culprit? A Chinese raw material supplier.
Soon-Shiong should make an interesting witness...
Workshops Will Outline Casino Employment
CCAC and the Northside Leadership Conference are sponsoring a series of 12 free workshops that will help people land jobs with Pittsburgh’s new casino, which is set to open in May of 2009. The workshops will cover the types of jobs that are available, the qualifications needed, the state work credentials required, background checks and the resources needed to help individuals gain employment. There will not be any job applications accepted at the workshops. They are simply informational sessions providing resources to help ensure future employment. The first session is Tuesday, Feb. 26th at the YMCA of Homewood from 6 to 9 pm.
OSCAAR: Tiemersma Motorsports 2008 Preview
Thanks to Crew Chief Mike Sutton for passing these shots along.
Canadian Maxime Pelletier to join F3 Euroseries
MONTREAL, QC - Maxime Pelletier will tackle a new challenge in 2008 as he is about to enter one of the most competitive racing series in the world, the F3 Euroseries with HBR, the team he raced with in Formula BMW USA last year and BMW World Final in Valencia. For the 17-year old driver who hails out of Montreal, Quebec, this opens a new era in his career where he will have to fight with a very competitive grid on race facilities where the DTM series is the feature event. He is in the process of nursing some details about his contract with HBR and will attend the test sessions coming shortly in March at Valencia and Estoril.
"I needed a change after two years in the Formula BMW USA, says the young man. I have the impression I lost my rookie scholar season with an uncompetitive team and moving to HBR after the first event last year finally put me in a quick machine. I wouldn't mind spending a third year in the new America series but I find the F3 more appealing and a tremendous learning curve for me. The F3 Euroseries has a lot of visibility, a high-profile grid and new race tracks for me to learn, except for Valencia."
An impressive calendar:
The F3 Euroseries championship travels to six European countries and 18 of the 20 races are linked with DTM championship events, the last being the Grand Prix de Pau in France. "This is a huge challenge for me, adds Pelletier. I will have to learn new race tracks and race with aggressive drivers who want to reach formula one. With the help of HBR, my rookie season will be very interesting. At this point, we still have to finalize the contract and I want everything to be set when I head for the test days in a few weeks instead of having to end my season for a lack of sponsorship."
Maxime Pelletier completed two seasons in Formula BMW USA with a 4th place overall with HBR motorsports team. Formula 3 Euroseries test days are set for Valencia and Estoril in the coming weeks.
From Michel Poirier-Defoy
"I needed a change after two years in the Formula BMW USA, says the young man. I have the impression I lost my rookie scholar season with an uncompetitive team and moving to HBR after the first event last year finally put me in a quick machine. I wouldn't mind spending a third year in the new America series but I find the F3 more appealing and a tremendous learning curve for me. The F3 Euroseries has a lot of visibility, a high-profile grid and new race tracks for me to learn, except for Valencia."
An impressive calendar:
The F3 Euroseries championship travels to six European countries and 18 of the 20 races are linked with DTM championship events, the last being the Grand Prix de Pau in France. "This is a huge challenge for me, adds Pelletier. I will have to learn new race tracks and race with aggressive drivers who want to reach formula one. With the help of HBR, my rookie season will be very interesting. At this point, we still have to finalize the contract and I want everything to be set when I head for the test days in a few weeks instead of having to end my season for a lack of sponsorship."
Maxime Pelletier completed two seasons in Formula BMW USA with a 4th place overall with HBR motorsports team. Formula 3 Euroseries test days are set for Valencia and Estoril in the coming weeks.
From Michel Poirier-Defoy
Royal Distributing / Factory Recreation: Bracebridge Muskoka Pro Snowcross Report
Iain ran strong in all qualifiers on Saturday and when the time came to race on Sunday, Iain overcame a poor start to fight back to a 2nd place in Pro Stock, on a blustery and cold track. The Pro Open Mod race was postponed due to white out conditions and will be rerun later in the season.
Joey is showing improved progress with his injury and we hope to see him back on track very soon.
Thanks to all of our amazing sponsors: Ski-Doo, FXR clothing, Oakley Eyewear, HMK Boots, Tekvest, Studboy Traction, Dewalt Tools, Kimpex, Ipone
Photo courtesy of Gary at Supernova Photo
From Mark Fries // Royal Distributing
Those pesky 12 year olds
In an article about PPP's most recent poll looking at possible general election matches for President, UNC Professor Leroy Towns leveled the tired old accusation against interactive voice response polling:
That said if Mr. Towns, a former Republican congressional staffer, would like to advise folks in his party to utilize considerably more expensive polling techniques that aren't any more accurate than what we do, this Democratic pollster says make my day. It's just not very fiscally conservative!
Towns said automated dialing is unreliable and generally distrusted in political circles. "A 12-year-old kid could pick up the phone and push the buttons," he said. "It provides interesting tidbits for political junkies, but little else."I guess those 12 year olds must be pretty representative of the population at large this year. Survey USA, which uses IVR, has had the most accurate polling of any company in the country that has done more than ten of the primary races. PPP is 4th out of 9 in that category and Rasmussen, which also uses IVR, is 5th. Live interviewer mainstays Zogby and Mason Dixon lag behind the leading IVR companies.
That said if Mr. Towns, a former Republican congressional staffer, would like to advise folks in his party to utilize considerably more expensive polling techniques that aren't any more accurate than what we do, this Democratic pollster says make my day. It's just not very fiscally conservative!
Brighton Speedway: Winterfest Part 2 report and results
"It's ice racing, and it's February! Enthusiasts who love their machines and support their friends and family who drive them, wouldn't expect any other weather conditions. The more snow, the colder the weather, the happier all of us at the track today were," said Pit Director, Brenda Whitehead.
The first two events of the 2008 season have set the stage for fast paced, high action, grassroots motorsport racing. The long off season is coming to an end as Brighton Speedway drivers are in their garages preparing for Mall Shows and Test and Tune which is scheduled to begin April 26th, 2008. For up to date racing information and more information about Northumberland and Quinte's hottest entertainment ticket from May to October, visit http://www.brightonspeeday.com/.
Photo Taglines:
A familiar face at Brighton Speedway, Robbie Wilson #09 of Belleville, took the checker in the 30 lap Endurance Race on Ice at Brighton Speedway on February 9th. Presenting him with the win is Sponsor Bill Newberry of Bill�s Johns.
The youngest winner of the day was Mitchell Minaker on his 4 wheeler in the ROCK 107 Kids 8-13 divison. He celebrated his win with his sponsor Shawn Lambert.
RESULTS:
BILL'S JOHNS 30 LAP ENDURANCE RACE
1. # 09 ROBBIE WILSON
2. # 20 STEVE LILICO
3. # 19 DEL MACGREGOR
4. # 1 BRANDON GREGORY
5. # 81 LARRY DADSON
6. # 13 RICK SOPAZ
7. # 24 WENDY DADSON
8. # 326 DOUG HALL
9. #31 KYLE SOPAZ
SNOWMOBILE CLASSES
0-500 CC DIVISION SPONSORED BY J.C. FUELS
~ JOSH WHITNEY ~
ANDREW WHITNEY
JASON THEOBALD
501-600 CC DIVISION SPONSORED BY D.L. SERVICES
~ DAVE MCDONALD ~
BERNIE RHEBERGEN
DILLON SALLOWS
601-700 CC DIVISION SPONSORED BY PERCY BOOM RIVER RATS
~ DERRIK VREUGDENHIL ~
SHAWN LAMBERT
KYLE RHEBERGEN
701-800 CC DIVISION SPONSORED BY CENTRETON FARM & SPORT
~ DERRICK VREUGDENHIL ~
SHAWN WAITE
DAVID MCDONALD
YOUTHS 14-17 DIVISION SPONSORED BY LUCAS OIL
~ DYLAN VREUGDENHIL ~
KYLE RHEBERGEN
DILLON SALLOWS
KIDS 8-13 DIVISION SPONSORED BY MAESTRO�S PAINTING CONTRACTORS
~ DYLAN VREUGDENHIL ~
4 WHEELER CLASSES
2 WHEEL DRIVE DIVISION SPONSORED BY CORNERSTONE BUILDERS
~ JOSH JARRELL ~
STEVE LAFORME
RODNEY BEAUDRIE
4 WHEEL DRIVE DIVISION SPONSORED BY DAN�S SUZUKI
~ GARETH BARBER ~
KYLE BUTCHER
4 WHEEL DRIVE NO STUDS DIVISION SPONSORED BY RAPID RAD
~ ANTHONY HAMNER ~
KELLY REID
SHEA ROBSON
2 & 4 WHEEL DRIVE OPEN DIVISION SPONSORED BY DAVE MCDONALD HOMES
~ RODNEY BEAUDRIE ~
JOSH JARRELL
JEFF DOLLEY
KIDS 8-13 DIVISION SPONSORED BY ROCK 107
~ MITCHELL MINAKER ~
HUNTER LANDRY
NOAH WHALEY
From Brighton Speedway
Young voters and the President's race
The Daily Tar Heel had a good story today about how high turnout from young people will be the key if Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton is able to win the state this fall.
Our poll this week showed McCain leading three out of four age groups against either of them. But with the 18-29 demographic Obama leads 59-30 and Clinton leads 55-35.
That's an indication the news from the state Board of Elections about thousands of new registrants this year already is a good sign for Democrats.
It's not going to be good enough to get all the students at UNC-Chapel Hill registered this year. Young retail workers in Cabarrus County and folks working construction in Brunswick County need to sign up and turn out too.
If enough of them do, we could be in for a big surprise this fall.
Our poll this week showed McCain leading three out of four age groups against either of them. But with the 18-29 demographic Obama leads 59-30 and Clinton leads 55-35.
That's an indication the news from the state Board of Elections about thousands of new registrants this year already is a good sign for Democrats.
It's not going to be good enough to get all the students at UNC-Chapel Hill registered this year. Young retail workers in Cabarrus County and folks working construction in Brunswick County need to sign up and turn out too.
If enough of them do, we could be in for a big surprise this fall.
Acceleron Deals ACE-011 and More to Celgene
Privately held Acceleron yesterday announced a broad co-development/co-promotion alliance with Celgene on Phase Ib lead project ACE-011 in bone disease and a further three discovery-stage compounds.The upfront money looks good, given the compound's stage of development: Acceleron will receive $50 million, including a $5 million equity investment. That's close to the total upfront average for Phase II deals in 2007--$58 million, according to Windhover's Strategic Transactions Database. Celgene has also committed to a further $7 million minimum investment in a potential Acceleron IPO.
Development, regulatory and commercial milestones could reach $510 million for the ACE-011 program, and $437 million apiece for the three discovery-stage programs. (Since they're not split out into pre-and post-approval, we won't comment on size.) Acceleron will shepherd the projects through Phase IIa, and then hand them off to Celgene for later-stage development.
ACE-011 is an activin receptor IIa mimic that inhibits activin, a negative regulator of bone mass--you can read more here, and more here in our profile of Acceleron. The company specializes in the regulation of bone and muscle growth to treat a variety of diseases, and has raised nearly $100 million over three venture rounds and a debt placement since 2004.
IPOs are a rarity these days, but just in case, the Celgene deal sets Acceleron up nicely. And the young company still holds some cards: muscle loss, neuromuscular, and metabolic programs remain unpartnered.
image from flickr user bk-robat used under a creative commons license
Investigating the Investigators: Another Headache for Drug Sponsors
This would be a good time for biopharma companies to review their ongoing clinical trials to determine whether any investigators involved in the study are vulnerable to potential disqualification proceedings by the Food & Drug Administration.All signs point to a crackdown coming from the agency, likely to take the form of a spate of proceedings to disqualify individual investigators from participating in clinical trials.
That in turn means a big headache for any drug sponsors that relied on those investigators in pivotal trials of their drugs—any trial those investigators participated in, not just one that prompts a fraud investigation.
What tea leaves are we reading? How about these comments by the Center for Drug Evaluation & Research’s Office of Compliance director Deborah autor, who told the Food & Drug Law Institute’s annual Enforcement & Litigation Conference yesterday that the Division of Scientific Investigations is “becoming more activist. I think that they are really gaining momentum in what they do from an enforcement context.”
The agency is working on “streamlining” the process involved in disqualifying clinical investigators when FDA uncovers fraudulent or violative practices, Autor said. She acknowledged that the process currently is “Byzantine” and slow-moving—a fact that works to the benefit of investigators facing potential disqualification.
“The agency is working to clean up those procedures,” she told the audience, adding the wry observation that “I’m not so sure this is good from your standpoint.”
Autor’s comments verify the observations of two attorneys sharing the dais with her—Douglas Farquhar of Hymen Phelps & McNamara and Philip Katz of Hogan and Hartson—who sense greater urgency and a tougher stance from the agency in cases involving clients potentially facing disqualification.
A crackdown on investigators accused of fraud would hardly be surprising, given the recent round of hearings and Congressional reports focusing on claims that FDA failed to take action quickly enough to respond to allegations of fraud in clinical trials of the antibiotic Ketek.
We won’t rehash all the allegations here. Suffice it to say that there is bipartisan concern that FDA is not sufficiently vigilant in overseeing the conduct of clinical trials. The debate on the Hill focuses on whether FDA needs new enforcement powers (the subject of the most recent Ketek hearing in the House) or simply needs to use its current enforcement authority more aggressively (as recommended in a report by Republican Representative Joe Barton).
Any move by FDA to step up disqualification proceedings against investigators means headaches for industry.
It's not just the individual accused of fraud or that investigator's clinical center that suffers in a disqualification proceeding, Katz pointed out. “What you then quickly get to is: what do we do with the data that this disqualified clinical investigator has been involved with?”
And it “is not just the data in the study that was the subject that led FDA to the disqualification proceeding,” Katz said, “but also other data with which that investigator was affiliated. That becomes suspect as well.”
In some cases, there may be nothing sponsors can do to avoid the taint—except hope that their clinical trial findings are robust enough to support safety and efficacy even if the investigator’s site is excluded from the analysis of the trial.
But sponsors can also prepare by double checking whether their investigators have been cited by the agency in public inspection documents (known as FDA 483 reports) or, even more critically, in warning letters from the agency. Those are warnings signs that an individual may be vulnerable in an enforcement crackdown.
Autor added that the agency is not relying on enforcement alone, but is working to modernize its overall regulatory approach to clinical trial monitoring.
“The regs, as everybody knows, are outdated and don’t really fit the way trials are done today,” she said. “Hopefully, over time you will see that changing so that clinical trials will really be subject to appropriate regulation for how they are conducted today.” The goal will be “putting the onus on sponsors and monitors to ensure quality in clinical trials.”
That may sound like yet another regulatory burden on drug development (and it is), but if the alternative is a series of enforcement actions that knock out individual trial sites from multiple applications at a time, this may be a case where industry has a lot to gain from moving to a new regulatory model.
What tea leaves are we reading? How about these comments by the Center for Drug Evaluation & Research’s Office of Compliance director Deborah autor, who told the Food & Drug Law Institute’s annual Enforcement & Litigation Conference yesterday that the Division of Scientific Investigations is “becoming more activist. I think that they are really gaining momentum in what they do from an enforcement context.”
The agency is working on “streamlining” the process involved in disqualifying clinical investigators when FDA uncovers fraudulent or violative practices, Autor said. She acknowledged that the process currently is “Byzantine” and slow-moving—a fact that works to the benefit of investigators facing potential disqualification.
“The agency is working to clean up those procedures,” she told the audience, adding the wry observation that “I’m not so sure this is good from your standpoint.”
Autor’s comments verify the observations of two attorneys sharing the dais with her—Douglas Farquhar of Hymen Phelps & McNamara and Philip Katz of Hogan and Hartson—who sense greater urgency and a tougher stance from the agency in cases involving clients potentially facing disqualification.
A crackdown on investigators accused of fraud would hardly be surprising, given the recent round of hearings and Congressional reports focusing on claims that FDA failed to take action quickly enough to respond to allegations of fraud in clinical trials of the antibiotic Ketek.
We won’t rehash all the allegations here. Suffice it to say that there is bipartisan concern that FDA is not sufficiently vigilant in overseeing the conduct of clinical trials. The debate on the Hill focuses on whether FDA needs new enforcement powers (the subject of the most recent Ketek hearing in the House) or simply needs to use its current enforcement authority more aggressively (as recommended in a report by Republican Representative Joe Barton).
Any move by FDA to step up disqualification proceedings against investigators means headaches for industry.
It's not just the individual accused of fraud or that investigator's clinical center that suffers in a disqualification proceeding, Katz pointed out. “What you then quickly get to is: what do we do with the data that this disqualified clinical investigator has been involved with?”
And it “is not just the data in the study that was the subject that led FDA to the disqualification proceeding,” Katz said, “but also other data with which that investigator was affiliated. That becomes suspect as well.”
In some cases, there may be nothing sponsors can do to avoid the taint—except hope that their clinical trial findings are robust enough to support safety and efficacy even if the investigator’s site is excluded from the analysis of the trial.
But sponsors can also prepare by double checking whether their investigators have been cited by the agency in public inspection documents (known as FDA 483 reports) or, even more critically, in warning letters from the agency. Those are warnings signs that an individual may be vulnerable in an enforcement crackdown.
Autor added that the agency is not relying on enforcement alone, but is working to modernize its overall regulatory approach to clinical trial monitoring.
“The regs, as everybody knows, are outdated and don’t really fit the way trials are done today,” she said. “Hopefully, over time you will see that changing so that clinical trials will really be subject to appropriate regulation for how they are conducted today.” The goal will be “putting the onus on sponsors and monitors to ensure quality in clinical trials.”
That may sound like yet another regulatory burden on drug development (and it is), but if the alternative is a series of enforcement actions that knock out individual trial sites from multiple applications at a time, this may be a case where industry has a lot to gain from moving to a new regulatory model.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
NASCAR releases 13-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 20, 2008) – Coming off a very successful first season, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio is set for more exciting action in 2008. Packed grandstands and final lap heroics were the norm a year ago, while this season a spirited battle for rookie-of-the-year honors along with Andrew Ranger’s title defense will only heighten the excitement.
The 13-race schedule, which kicks off Saturday, May 24 at Cayuga International Speedway, virtually will cover Canada from coast-to-coast. Over the course of the year, the series will visit 11 tracks in five provinces culminating with the crowning of the 2008 champion on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Kawartha Speedway.
Also on the schedule is a return trip to the demanding 1.973-mile road course of Grand Prix Edmonton. Last year over 60,000 fans saw J.R. Fitzpatrick overtake Ranger, who had led the entire race, on the white flag lap for the victory.
The Canadian Tire Series will also run in conjunction with the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Grand-Am Rolex Series, and KONI Challenge in 2008.
TSN, Canada’s leading sports network, once again will provide unparalleled coverage by televising one-hour broadcasts of racing action from each event in High Definition. The broadcast schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
"The inaugural season in 2007 exceeded all expectations and quickly established the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series as the premier stock car racing series in Canada," said George Silbermann, NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Operations. "The 2008 calendar builds on those successes and sets the stage for another exciting coast-to-coast championship."
Other key dates:
The 2008 schedule includes races on nine ovals: Cayuga International Speedway (2), Autodrome St-Eustache, Barrie Speedway (2), SunValley Speedway, Mosport Speedway, Riverside Speedway, and Kawartha Speedway; and four road courses: Mosport International Raceway, Grand Prix Edmonton, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.
Autodrome St-Eustache is new to the Canadian Tire Series schedule in 2008. The track is in its third year as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, NASCAR’s North American short-track racing series.
On June 14-15, the series will run at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario at the facility’s 2.5-mile, 10-turn road course. The race is part of an eventful Father’s Day weekend along with the KONI Challenge Series.
NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES SCHEDULE
In July, the series will make its western swing, with races at SunValley Speedway in Vernon, B.C. and at the Grand Prix Edmonton in Alberta. SunValley Speedway is a 1/2-mile oval and a featured track for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Race fans can circle August 1 and 2 on their calendar. This is the race in conjunction with the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. A season ago, over 130,000 fans made their way to Île Notre Dame over the course of the huge two-day event.
The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, slated for August 15-17, is once again a highlight on the schedule. This year, the Canadian Tire Series event will take place on Sunday afternoon.
The Sept. 20 trip to Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia is a much-anticipated date. The track is a 1/3-mile scale version of the legendary Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
2008 NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site Location
May 24 Cayuga Int’l Speedway Hamilton, ON
May 31 Autodrome St-Eustache St-Eustache, QC
June 15 Mosport Int'l Raceway Bowmanville, ON
June 28 Barrie Speedway Barrie, ON
July 12 SunValley Speedway Vernon, BC
July 19 Grand Prix Edmonton Edmonton, AB
August 2 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Montreal, QC
August 9 Mosport Speedway Bowmanville, ON
August 17 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres Trios-Rivieres, QC
August 30 Cayuga Int’l Speedway Hamilton, ON
September 6 Barrie Speedway Barrie, ON
September 20 Riverside Int’l Speedway Antigonish, NS
September 27 Kawartha Speedway Peterborough, ON
Tentative - Subject to Change
About NASCAR: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), celebrating 60 years in 2008, is the sanctioning body for one of North America's premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S., and is the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in more than 30 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.
NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City, and Toronto.
About Canadian Tire: Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX: CTR.NV, CTR) operates more than 1,100 stores, gas bars and car washes in an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retail, financial services and petroleum. More than 50,000 Canadians work across the Canadian Tire organization from coast-to-coast. Canadian Tire Retail and its Associate Dealers together form one of Canada's best-known and most successful retailers with 473 stores in communities nationwide. Canadian Tire stores offer a unique mix of products and services through the leadership of three specialty stores under one roof - Automotive, Sports and Leisure, and Home Products. Canadian Tire also offers shopping and home delivery through www.canadiantire.ca and by phone order at 1-866-746-7287.
From NASCAR
PPP: Most Accurate Pollster for Wisconsin Democrats
Our friends at Survey USA devote a lot of energy to showing how pollsters stack up against each other through various ways of measuring the error.
PPP had the best poll for the Democratic primary in Wisconsin last night by all eight standard ways of measuring poll accuracy. Check out the analysis here.
PPP has now done polls for the Democratic primary in five states, and we beat all of our competitors in both Wisconsin and South Carolina.
Not bad for a company doing the Presidential race for the first time. We've made mistakes and will surely make more entering onto the national scene but we're learning from them and will hopefully continue to improve.
PPP had the best poll for the Democratic primary in Wisconsin last night by all eight standard ways of measuring poll accuracy. Check out the analysis here.
PPP has now done polls for the Democratic primary in five states, and we beat all of our competitors in both Wisconsin and South Carolina.
Not bad for a company doing the Presidential race for the first time. We've made mistakes and will surely make more entering onto the national scene but we're learning from them and will hopefully continue to improve.
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule released????
I haven't received anything, but a post on Canadian Racing Online sure looks official.
I'll keep checking my e-mail and will post if I receive anything.
I'll keep checking my e-mail and will post if I receive anything.
Bad Karma for Roush?
In January, we had a little chuckle when Roush-Fenway Truck Series drivers Joey Clanton and Colin Braun crashed into each other during testing at Daytona.
So you can imagine the reaction when the pair got into each other again during last Friday's Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona Int'l Speedway.
From truckseries.com: "The track went green again on Lap 24, with Bodine leading Darnell, Mike Bliss, Justin Marks and Joey Clanton. Going into the entrance of Turn 3, there was a three-way battle for third place, with Bliss on the bottom, Clanton in the middle and Terry Cook on top. Bliss and Clanton bumped and went into the outside wall, taking Cook out and Colin Braun behind them. It was the start of a disastrous night for Roush-Fenway Racing, owners of the Braun and Clanton trucks..."
Today, Roush-Fenway announced that Clanton is out of the #09 truck, effective immediately. The release makes no mention of the crashes, but cites Clanton's "business and family obligations."
In Sunday's Daytona 500, Roush driver David Ragan (link to video clip) drifted high into his 'teammate' Matt Kenseth while exiting turn 4, wrecking both cars in the process.
On December 18 of last year, Roush confirmed it had released Canadian Peter Shepherd. I'm starting to think that Petey was let go because he wasn't able to crash into as many other Roush drivers as his contract demanded.
General Election: Governor
Richard Moore 41 Pat McCrory 41
Bev Perdue 41 Pat McCrory 41
Richard Moore 40 Bill Graham 31
Bev Perdue 47 Bill Graham 35
Richard Moore 39 Bob Orr 30
Bev Perdue 46 Bob Orr 33
Richard Moore 40 Fred Smith 30
Bev Perdue 45 Fred Smith 33
Pat McCrory has gone largely unscathed by his Republican opponents in the last month while Bev Perdue and Richard Moore have beaten each other up. The result is McCrory tying the Democratic front runners in the polls after trailing last month.
McCrory particularly benefits from strong support by independent voters. He leads Moore 47-28 and Perdue 48-32 with that group. He also gets stronger cross over support from Democrats than his fellow Republican candidates. While they earn 8-13% of the vote from self identified Democratic voters, McCrory gets 18-20%.
It is a virtual certainty that the Democratic nominee will emerge from the primary somewhat wounded after a bitter contest. It will be interesting to see whether Fred Smith and/or Bill Graham start spending their money soon to attack McCrory in the same way. That could be a significant determiner in who enters the general election contest as the favorite.
The poll also shows that, whether they like her or hate her, voters have a stronger opinion about Bev Perdue than they do about Richard Moore. In a contest between Graham and Moore 29% of voters are undecided while just 18% haven't made up their mind if it's Graham and Perdue. Against Orr that figure is 31% for Moore and 21% for Perdue, and versus Smith the numbers are 30% for Moore and 22% for Perdue. Perdue's closer to 50%, but Moore has more room to climb.
Full results here.
Bev Perdue 41 Pat McCrory 41
Richard Moore 40 Bill Graham 31
Bev Perdue 47 Bill Graham 35
Richard Moore 39 Bob Orr 30
Bev Perdue 46 Bob Orr 33
Richard Moore 40 Fred Smith 30
Bev Perdue 45 Fred Smith 33
Pat McCrory has gone largely unscathed by his Republican opponents in the last month while Bev Perdue and Richard Moore have beaten each other up. The result is McCrory tying the Democratic front runners in the polls after trailing last month.
McCrory particularly benefits from strong support by independent voters. He leads Moore 47-28 and Perdue 48-32 with that group. He also gets stronger cross over support from Democrats than his fellow Republican candidates. While they earn 8-13% of the vote from self identified Democratic voters, McCrory gets 18-20%.
It is a virtual certainty that the Democratic nominee will emerge from the primary somewhat wounded after a bitter contest. It will be interesting to see whether Fred Smith and/or Bill Graham start spending their money soon to attack McCrory in the same way. That could be a significant determiner in who enters the general election contest as the favorite.
The poll also shows that, whether they like her or hate her, voters have a stronger opinion about Bev Perdue than they do about Richard Moore. In a contest between Graham and Moore 29% of voters are undecided while just 18% haven't made up their mind if it's Graham and Perdue. Against Orr that figure is 31% for Moore and 21% for Perdue, and versus Smith the numbers are 30% for Moore and 22% for Perdue. Perdue's closer to 50%, but Moore has more room to climb.
Full results here.
Champ Car & IRL: Open Wheel unification appears to be moving forward
News reports continue to hint that the war between the IRL and Champ Car may be coming to an end.
TSN is reporting that a press conference could happen as soon as Thursday: "According to the Indianapolis Star, both sides are still reviewing drafts of a possible agreement which would end the bitter 12-year split between the two racing series.
"We are whittling away at the issues, but they have not been eliminated," said IRL spokesperson Fred Nation.
"We're optimistic these things can be resolved, but.. it's always possible that (someone) will decide they don't want to (unify)."
Initially when unification was first reported, a conflict between Champ Car's Long Beach race date and the IRL's Motegi, Japan event was said to be a stumbling block to a possible agreement. It now appears that hurdle has been overcome and as Nation put it, the emphasis is now on finances.
"That could be anything from cash (exchanged) to what pieces and parts are on a chassis," he tells the Star.
Nation added that preliminary plans have been made for a news conference but that won't happen until Thursday at the earliest as Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven - who is leading the negotiations for his group - is currently out of the United States...."
"We are whittling away at the issues, but they have not been eliminated," said IRL spokesperson Fred Nation.
"We're optimistic these things can be resolved, but.. it's always possible that (someone) will decide they don't want to (unify)."
Initially when unification was first reported, a conflict between Champ Car's Long Beach race date and the IRL's Motegi, Japan event was said to be a stumbling block to a possible agreement. It now appears that hurdle has been overcome and as Nation put it, the emphasis is now on finances.
"That could be anything from cash (exchanged) to what pieces and parts are on a chassis," he tells the Star.
Nation added that preliminary plans have been made for a news conference but that won't happen until Thursday at the earliest as Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven - who is leading the negotiations for his group - is currently out of the United States...."
Auto123.com is reporting news of another defection from Champ Car to the IRL: "Another sign that unification between the IRL and Champ Car could come in the next few days is that Champ CarWorld Series director of operations, Paul 'Ziggy' Harcus, has accepted a new position with Andretti Green Racing as team manager for its IndyCar Series operation. Harcus 'defection' to the IRL follows not long after another key Champ Car official, former race director Tony Cotman, moved in the same direction...."
The LA Times is saying that the deal is close, but not done, and that something could be announced by the end of the week: "Officials of the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car World Series said Tuesday that merger negotiations were in their final stages after years of failed attempts to reunite.An announcement could come by the end of the week, but the officials emphasized that no deal had yet been reached. "We're close, it would be hard to see this not happening," said IRL spokesman Fred Nation in Indianapolis. "But we've been down this road before..."
Finally, the Edmonton Sun has a Canadian Press story saying that the deal could be announced as early as today (Wednesday). "A merger between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League is imminent and could be announced as early as today, various reports out of Indianapolis said yesterday.
IRL boss Tony George has been in negotiation for weeks with the four owners of Champ Car toward uniting the rival open wheel racing series.
David Higdon, Champ Car vice-president of strategic development, said late yesterday there was "no agreement in place at this time," although he expects an announcement to be made soon "one way or the other" on the proposed merger..."
IRL boss Tony George has been in negotiation for weeks with the four owners of Champ Car toward uniting the rival open wheel racing series.
David Higdon, Champ Car vice-president of strategic development, said late yesterday there was "no agreement in place at this time," although he expects an announcement to be made soon "one way or the other" on the proposed merger..."
NOTE: It is widely believed that the fate of the GP of Edmonton is the final barrier to NASCAR announcing the 2008 schedule for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Once the open wheel issue is resolved - one way or another - the NCATS schedule will likely be released soon after. Speaking of Canadian Champ Car events, the future of the Toronto race appears to be in question. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets to the race are met with a screen saying "TICKETS... coming soon." It's my understanding that tickets were previously available on the site.
UPDATE: The Online Leader in Corning, NY discusses the issues regarding the conflict between the Watkins Glen IRL vs. the GP of Toronto weekend.
Vernalis Assets, Anyone?
Get 'em while they're hot. Just don't go near Frova, though. When owner Vernalis received a non-approval letter from FDA last September to extend this triptan’s label into menstrual-associated migraine (MAM), the writing was pretty much on the wall for the UK group.A victim of FDA’s by-now notorious jitters, particularly when it comes to primary-care pills? Perhaps. After all, the agency had acknowledged that long-term safety wasn’t the issue. Even so, it was unlikely even with the additional label that this under-performing, un-distinguished drug would have much chance of success against its better-established, larger competitors—some of whose triptans are being used off-label for menstrual associated migraines anyway.
So Vernalis was arguably at fault too, for relying too heavily on current and future Frova revenues to support its pipeline. Sure, others bought the story: Vernalis found a new US partner for the drug in Endo in 2004, after co-developer Elan pulled out—wisely, as it turns out. (Plus, of course, it’s well known that UK and European investors, when there’s a revenue-generating drug around, are virtually blind to any pipeline assets, however valuable—that’s in part why Vernalis’ shares have fallen 90% since the non-approvable.)
But Vernalis also in 2004 took a $50 million loan from Endo to buy out Elan, offset-able on MAM approval. That debt has since grown to $56 million—the other reason for the share-tank.
This loan—repayable in August 2009—was about to push Vernalis into administration, perhaps as early as the middle of this year. The company narrowly escaped that by today announcing a settlement with Endo and a restructuring—complete with asset-divestment, staff cuts of over 50% (mostly corporate) and closure of Canadian development operations.
So what’s up for grabs? Vernalis’ other marketed drug, Parkinson’s disease treatment Apokyn (to which it acquired US rights in 2005 from Mylan), and its US commercial operations. Be quick, though, because “detailed discussions” are already ongoing.
There will be more. Vernalis’ restructuring is turning it from a commercially-focused organization into one that takes its assets to proof-of-concept (POC) only. Sound familiar? Because it is--Vernalis is now forced to partner its assets since it is selling its downstream operations, but elsewhere, the ‘to POC only’ model is an increasingly popular first choice for newer start-ups. Think Synosia, Flexion or the UK’s Summit PLC, and read this.
So if anyone’s after a clinical stage CNS asset (see the PR for the list of candidates) you know where to go. And there’s no CEO to prevent you buying out the whole group, either—Simon Sturge stepped aside. So whether you want to take over development of the remaining assets (less likely) or, as one analyst suggests, come in, eliminate the cash burn but make good use of offsetting Vernalis’ several hundred million pounds’ worth of tax losses (or part of them, anyway—much more likely), then you also know where to go.
And no, there’s no loan duty: Endo accepted just $7 million (£3.6 million) in cash and Vernalis’ foregoing future US royalties on Frova until sales exceed $85 million (not exactly a huge punishment: they were just $38 million in the first nine months of 2007). The US spec pharma “could have been more hard-nosed” and forced Vernalis into a full payment, says one analyst. But with problems (and a recently-departed CEO) of its own, Endo likely didn’t want to spoil its reputation among potential future partners.
We already knew UK biotech was in a sorry state. 2007 was an annus horribilis according to Piper Jaffrey senior research analyst Sam Fazeli. 2008 may be even more horribilis. With raising money impossible, and IPOs a long-forgotten art, those biotechs that aren’t, like Ardana and Cenes, already up for sale soon could be, since many have less than a year’s cash. The credit crunch, talk of global recession, and high risks across all sectors are compounding the usual complaints: annoying pre-emption rules, insufficient analyst coverage, too few specialist investors, generalists’ attention turned elsewhere.
Vernalis’ sorry story won’t exactly lure those investors back. Its predecessor companies, including Cerebrus, RiboTargets, British Biotech (remember them?) and Ionix collectively raised hundreds of millions in private and public equity over the years. Yet, with Vernalis’ shares now worth 8p each, as the analyst points out, “there’s not much to show for it.”
But Vernalis also in 2004 took a $50 million loan from Endo to buy out Elan, offset-able on MAM approval. That debt has since grown to $56 million—the other reason for the share-tank.
This loan—repayable in August 2009—was about to push Vernalis into administration, perhaps as early as the middle of this year. The company narrowly escaped that by today announcing a settlement with Endo and a restructuring—complete with asset-divestment, staff cuts of over 50% (mostly corporate) and closure of Canadian development operations.
So what’s up for grabs? Vernalis’ other marketed drug, Parkinson’s disease treatment Apokyn (to which it acquired US rights in 2005 from Mylan), and its US commercial operations. Be quick, though, because “detailed discussions” are already ongoing.
There will be more. Vernalis’ restructuring is turning it from a commercially-focused organization into one that takes its assets to proof-of-concept (POC) only. Sound familiar? Because it is--Vernalis is now forced to partner its assets since it is selling its downstream operations, but elsewhere, the ‘to POC only’ model is an increasingly popular first choice for newer start-ups. Think Synosia, Flexion or the UK’s Summit PLC, and read this.
So if anyone’s after a clinical stage CNS asset (see the PR for the list of candidates) you know where to go. And there’s no CEO to prevent you buying out the whole group, either—Simon Sturge stepped aside. So whether you want to take over development of the remaining assets (less likely) or, as one analyst suggests, come in, eliminate the cash burn but make good use of offsetting Vernalis’ several hundred million pounds’ worth of tax losses (or part of them, anyway—much more likely), then you also know where to go.
And no, there’s no loan duty: Endo accepted just $7 million (£3.6 million) in cash and Vernalis’ foregoing future US royalties on Frova until sales exceed $85 million (not exactly a huge punishment: they were just $38 million in the first nine months of 2007). The US spec pharma “could have been more hard-nosed” and forced Vernalis into a full payment, says one analyst. But with problems (and a recently-departed CEO) of its own, Endo likely didn’t want to spoil its reputation among potential future partners.
We already knew UK biotech was in a sorry state. 2007 was an annus horribilis according to Piper Jaffrey senior research analyst Sam Fazeli. 2008 may be even more horribilis. With raising money impossible, and IPOs a long-forgotten art, those biotechs that aren’t, like Ardana and Cenes, already up for sale soon could be, since many have less than a year’s cash. The credit crunch, talk of global recession, and high risks across all sectors are compounding the usual complaints: annoying pre-emption rules, insufficient analyst coverage, too few specialist investors, generalists’ attention turned elsewhere.
Vernalis’ sorry story won’t exactly lure those investors back. Its predecessor companies, including Cerebrus, RiboTargets, British Biotech (remember them?) and Ionix collectively raised hundreds of millions in private and public equity over the years. Yet, with Vernalis’ shares now worth 8p each, as the analyst points out, “there’s not much to show for it.”
The fully-integrated biotech model isn't dead in Europe--it's just happening ex-UK (think Actelion and, perhaps shortly, Basilea). The lesson from Vernalis is that if you're going to go commercial, you need a decent asset, some luck, and to be across the Channel.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
A1GP: Canada Sends Wickens and Morad to Durban
Wickens remains in the race seat in South Africa having collected three podiums in just eight starts in the open-wheel racing, nation versus nation series. Last time out in Australia Wickens steered Canada to its first double-points score in over a year, the 2006 Formula BMW Champion collecting a magnificent third place Sprint finish from 15th on the grid before claiming sixth in the Feature race.
In doing so the 18-year-old helped break Canada into the top-ten of the A1GP Nations Standings for the first time this season – the team now aiming to cement a top-ten finish for the second time in three seasons having finished tenth overall in the inaugural 2005-06 season. With Round 6 in Australia marking Wickens' seventh and eighth straight A1GP starts, he surrendered his rookie status making him ineligible to participate in Friday morning's hour-long 'Rookie-Only' session.
As a result Canada now turns to 2007 Formula BMW USA Champion Daniel Morad to fulfill rookie duties. The Markham, Ontario-born racer will make his debut in the 550bhp A1GP car on the demanding 3.38km temporary street circuit in Durban. Morad is no stranger to street courses having sampled a few in North America over the past two seasons competing in Formula BMW. The promising Canadian lifted rookie honors in the series in 2006 before going on to dominate last season's title battle, Morad winning the championship with a series record of six victories.
"I'm really excited to be making my A1GP debut in South Africa," said Morad. "I'm grateful to A1 Team Canada for this opportunity and I intend to make the most of my time in the car on Friday morning. The team's firmly on a roll at the moment and I hope my input well help maintain their form and aid Robbie's progress when he takes over in the afternoon's practice session. I'm used to the challenge of learning street courses quickly so I can't wait to get going in Durban."
Wickens is equally excited about the thought of tackling A1GP's sole street circuit. "I've always run pretty well on street circuits in both Formula BMW and in Atlantics last season. I'm looking forward to sampling the Durban track for myself. From what I've seen of it already it's a fairly narrow configuration but I'll obviously have a better feel for it after Friday's practice session. It was great to finally score points in both races in Australia; hopefully we can maintain that level of consistency!"
The South African track hasn't been kind to Canada in two previous visits, Sean McIntosh's tenth place Feature finish in 2006 the strongest finish to-date, something Wickens will be keen to best on Sunday.
Sunday's 20-minute Sprint race starts at 11am local time (4am EST) with the 70-minute Feature race starting at 3pm in Durban (8am EST). Live Feature streaming available via – www.a1gp.com / Setanta Sports Canada will broadcast Round 7 from South Africa as a tape-delay starting at 8:30am EST on Monday 25th February – www.setantanorthamerica.com
A1GP Top-Ten Standings - Round 6/10: 1st France (96), 2nd New Zealand (96), 3rd Switzerland (93), 4th South Africa (79), 5th Germany (77), 6th Great Britain (58), 7th Netherlands (55), 8th Ireland (50), 9th Brazil (38), 10th CANADA (37)
Photo Credit: 'Toronto's Robert Wickens pictured racing for A1 Team Canada in Round 6' - Jakob Ebrey Photography
From A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager
Generic Drugs: Still a Growth Market?
Is there enough money in generic drugs?That’s the question generic manufacturers might start asking themselves once IMS Health releases its official market growth numbers for 2007. A glimpse at the preliminary figures suggests there is, but the money may be getting harder to find.
Growth in the generic drug market slowed considerably last year, to 3.8%—the same rate as the overall prescription drug market, according to IMS Health corporate director of market insights Diana Conmy. She gave a preview of the 2007 data at the Health Industry Group Purchasing Organization’s National Pharmacy Forum last week. You can find her analysis of the branded industry in our earlier post.
Conmy found the low-single digit growth rate for generics “surprising” given the segment’s past performance. “I checked this number and checked it twice, because historically, we have seen generics growing over the last couple of years somewhere between 10% and 20%,” she said. “So to come in at the end of the year at 3.8%...is quite dramatic.”
Not surprisingly, the cause behind that slowdown is an increased level of price competition in the generic drugs market, Conmy said: “It has become an extremely competitive place to earn a profit and keep profitable within this segment."
“The generic erosion curves are much steeper. There is more of a willingness by generic manufacturers to enter the market 'at risk.' And there are just more players getting into the very large and meaty primary care markets that are going off patent,” she said. Indeed, one such product, Merck’s osteoporosis drug alendronate (Fosamax), saw competition from three generics (including a Merck-authorized product) last week.
Given that level of competition, is there a point at which the price for a generic is too low? IMS Health's 2007 numbers indicate the generic drug market may have already reached that threshold. The second half of the year was essentially the antithesis of the economic rule of supply and demand, Conmy said: a “tremendous reduction” in the price of generics in the marketplace without a corresponding increase in volume levels.
Instead, growth within the generic market is solely coming from new approvals, and any exclusivity that manufacturers can scrape together. That, in turn, is why generic manufacturers are becoming more aggressive in terms of “at risk” launches--launches like generic clopidogrel (Bristol-Myers Squibb's Plavix). The end result, Conmy said, is that while generic utilization continues to increase, the brands are still holding onto the dollar share.
But there are some bright spots: branded generics (like in the pain and ADHD markets) are still doing quite well: branded generics rose 11.1% last year, according to IMS Health. And there's still room for growth under Medicare Part D: despite the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' interest in increasing generic use under the drug benefit, generic utilization was no higher than in the general population in 2007, Conmy said.
And last year could turn out to be a one-year blip on the growth chart--especially given tough comparisons over the high-flying year of 2006. But for generic manufacturers looking at the 2007 data, it's still not a comfortable place to be. How the generic industry responds will determine who comes out on top in an increasingly competitive market.
One Hill to go before County Council
The One Hill Coalition will be in front of County Council tonight demanding action on two fronts. First is for a public hearing on the community benefits agreement they are trying to reach with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Secondly, they will voice their support for a Bill Robinson bill that would strongly encourage a Community Benefits Analysis to become commonplace when there is new development or other issues that would warrant such an analysis.
Illegal Aliens in Jail
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter was in town to tour the Allegheny County Jail Sentenced Housing Unit. After the tour he held a discussion regarding identifying criminal undocumented immigrants. He said the system is broken because of how hard it is to deport the illegal alien. Specter said part of the problem in deporting the illegal immigrants is their home country does not want to take them back. As a proposed solution to that problem Specter referenced a bill that he supports that would halt visas or government aid to countries that refuse to take their citizens back. He spoke today with some illegal immigrants who are currently held in the Allegheny County Jail. Specter said one of the inmates, an illegal mexican who was there because of a DUI charge, would gladly accept deportation over his sentence. While another inmate who is Syrian in jail on a burgalry charge would rather stay in the country. Specter said the problems encountered in identifying illegal immigrants in jail and having them deported is a part of the larger issue of immigration and hasn't been addressed because there has not been a comprehensive immigration bill.
Daytona 500 on TSN: Second-most-watched auto race in network's history
TSN's live coverage of Sunday's Daytona 500 attracted a national average audience of 554,000 viewers, making it the second most-watched auto race in TSN history. Audience levels peaked at 754,000 viewers from 6:30 p.m.-7 p.m. ET.
This year's audience marks a 23% increase over last year's Daytona 500 audience (450,000 viewers). TSN's most-watched auto race of all time was the 2006 Daytona 500, which averaged 568,000 viewers.
*Source: BBM Nielsen Media Research; excludes pre- and post-race
From: Andrea Goldstein Director of Communications TSN
NASCAR: Patrick Carpentier California Preview
The Sprint Cup Series heads to California Speedway this weekend, where Patrick Carpentier in the No. 10 Charter Dodge Charger seeks to make his fourth career start. The No. 10 will feature the purple and yellow paint scheme of Charter Communications for the Fontana race.
Carpentier will be one of the few drivers in the field that have experience in both stock cars and open wheel at the 2-mile oval. He has raced there in both the Champ Car Series and the IRL.
Additionally he tested there in a Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge earlier this year. The test at California allowed Carpentier to gain the valuable seat time that the Quebec-native craves.
The No. 10 crew has unloaded fast at California Speedway in the past. Carpentier and crew are looking to make this week no exception. The No. 10's average starting spot at Fontana in 2006 was ninth.
DRIVE PATRICK CARPENTIER QUOTES:
LOOKING FORWARD TO FONTANA: "It might have felt like the end of the world after not making the 500 last week. I now feel it's the beginning of something that's going to be great. We have a strong team, both at the track and at the shop. We just have to keep digging deeper and move on to the next race. We gave it our all, we learned, and most of all, we can hold our heads high with the results we had this week. We're wiping the slate clean for California. This weekend the focus is on Fontana, it's a whole new race."
ON GOING TO A TRACK WHERE HE HAS SOME EXPERIENCE: "I have raced at Fontana before, in Champ Car and the IRL. Unfortunately there isn't very much from those experiences I can use because the cars differ so drastically. It's a much different feeling getting around there in Champ Car at 235 mph than in a stock car at 180 mph."
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STOCK CARS AND OPEN WHEEL: "In open wheel there is so much more downforce on the car. The cars are light and the tires are very wide. They're built for speed. In these stock cars you need to have a lot more car control. It takes a little more finesse to muscle them around the track. The cars weigh more and they're always slipping and sliding around. When you're out there running with 42 other cars that are slipping and sliding equally, it makes things much more challenging. It's pretty crazy to watch all the cars around you sliding through and off the corners."
From: Heath White // Gillett Evernham Motorsports
Carpentier will be one of the few drivers in the field that have experience in both stock cars and open wheel at the 2-mile oval. He has raced there in both the Champ Car Series and the IRL.
Additionally he tested there in a Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge earlier this year. The test at California allowed Carpentier to gain the valuable seat time that the Quebec-native craves.
The No. 10 crew has unloaded fast at California Speedway in the past. Carpentier and crew are looking to make this week no exception. The No. 10's average starting spot at Fontana in 2006 was ninth.
DRIVE PATRICK CARPENTIER QUOTES:
LOOKING FORWARD TO FONTANA: "It might have felt like the end of the world after not making the 500 last week. I now feel it's the beginning of something that's going to be great. We have a strong team, both at the track and at the shop. We just have to keep digging deeper and move on to the next race. We gave it our all, we learned, and most of all, we can hold our heads high with the results we had this week. We're wiping the slate clean for California. This weekend the focus is on Fontana, it's a whole new race."
ON GOING TO A TRACK WHERE HE HAS SOME EXPERIENCE: "I have raced at Fontana before, in Champ Car and the IRL. Unfortunately there isn't very much from those experiences I can use because the cars differ so drastically. It's a much different feeling getting around there in Champ Car at 235 mph than in a stock car at 180 mph."
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STOCK CARS AND OPEN WHEEL: "In open wheel there is so much more downforce on the car. The cars are light and the tires are very wide. They're built for speed. In these stock cars you need to have a lot more car control. It takes a little more finesse to muscle them around the track. The cars weigh more and they're always slipping and sliding around. When you're out there running with 42 other cars that are slipping and sliding equally, it makes things much more challenging. It's pretty crazy to watch all the cars around you sliding through and off the corners."
From: Heath White // Gillett Evernham Motorsports
General Election Poll: Senate
Dole Approval:
Approve 43
Disapprove 32
Not sure 25
Elizabeth Dole 50
Kay Hagan 33
Elizabeth Dole 50
Jim Neal 29
Elizabeth Dole's approval rating continues to languish in the low 40s but it's not moving much support into the columns of either of her two main Democratic opponents.
Hagan and Neal both have a lot of work to do still within their own party. Hagan has the support of 54% of Democrats right now, Neal the support of just 51%. Either of them would need to do well with independents to knock off Dole and there's a lot of room for improvement there as well- Hagan trails 46-27 with that group while Neal is behind 46-23.
They're also both polling below 50% with the key Democratic constituency of African American voters.
Dole's approval rating is surprisingly low but Hagan and Neal have a long way to go to convince voters they're a better alternative.
Full results here.
Approve 43
Disapprove 32
Not sure 25
Elizabeth Dole 50
Kay Hagan 33
Elizabeth Dole 50
Jim Neal 29
Elizabeth Dole's approval rating continues to languish in the low 40s but it's not moving much support into the columns of either of her two main Democratic opponents.
Hagan and Neal both have a lot of work to do still within their own party. Hagan has the support of 54% of Democrats right now, Neal the support of just 51%. Either of them would need to do well with independents to knock off Dole and there's a lot of room for improvement there as well- Hagan trails 46-27 with that group while Neal is behind 46-23.
They're also both polling below 50% with the key Democratic constituency of African American voters.
Dole's approval rating is surprisingly low but Hagan and Neal have a long way to go to convince voters they're a better alternative.
Full results here.
General Election Poll: President
John McCain 48
Hillary Clinton 43
John McCain 47
Barack Obama 42
Mike Huckabee 48
Hillary Clinton 44
Barack Obama 46
Mike Huckabee 45
These poll results are good news for Democrats on several levels. First, they represent significant improvement from a similar poll last month, especially for Barack Obama.
Last month Obama trailed McCain by 14 points. Now that's down to five. Huckabee led Obama by eight last month and now trails by one. That represents a nine point gain for Obama on both fronts.
Second, although they probably wouldn't say it publicly, most Democrats in the state would be pretty happy to only lose the Presidential race by five points. Double digit losses have become the rule rather than the exception of late. If the Democratic nominee loses by only a small margin Republican hopes to regain the legislature or the Governor's mansion are likely to be pretty futile, and it greatly increases Democratic hopes of winning back offices like the 8th District Congressional seat and the Labor, Agriculture, and Auditor positions.
Certainly Democrats in the state will do what they can to turn North Carolina to the blue column in the Presidential race. But I bet they could live with these results too.
Clinton and Obama both lead McCain by large margins among young people but trail with the rest of the age groups. A large turnout from new, young voters would likely be the key if the Democratic nominee is going to win the state.
Full results here.
Hillary Clinton 43
John McCain 47
Barack Obama 42
Mike Huckabee 48
Hillary Clinton 44
Barack Obama 46
Mike Huckabee 45
These poll results are good news for Democrats on several levels. First, they represent significant improvement from a similar poll last month, especially for Barack Obama.
Last month Obama trailed McCain by 14 points. Now that's down to five. Huckabee led Obama by eight last month and now trails by one. That represents a nine point gain for Obama on both fronts.
Second, although they probably wouldn't say it publicly, most Democrats in the state would be pretty happy to only lose the Presidential race by five points. Double digit losses have become the rule rather than the exception of late. If the Democratic nominee loses by only a small margin Republican hopes to regain the legislature or the Governor's mansion are likely to be pretty futile, and it greatly increases Democratic hopes of winning back offices like the 8th District Congressional seat and the Labor, Agriculture, and Auditor positions.
Certainly Democrats in the state will do what they can to turn North Carolina to the blue column in the Presidential race. But I bet they could live with these results too.
Clinton and Obama both lead McCain by large margins among young people but trail with the rest of the age groups. A large turnout from new, young voters would likely be the key if the Democratic nominee is going to win the state.
Full results here.
RICK @ the RACES... Rick Young at the Ice Races (Feb. 16-17, 2008)
This week, one year ago, I was down in Florida on a racing tour, where I bagged five new tracks in the space of three days. (Orlando Speedworld, Volusia, Daytona, New Smyrna, and East Bay.)
Although it was tempting to do it again this year, it was financial 'no go', so for me it's been 'business as usual' visiting the ice racing tracks of Canada. After a slow start to the ice racing season, because of warmer than normal temperatures, this weekend I had the chance to add two new local tracks to my TRACKCHASING totals.
For about three years, I've been trying to add Kahnawake (Quebec) to my list and this Saturday (16 Feb), I eventually succeeded. To make things more challenging, I had to attend a mandatory safety meeting at work in the morning, before I could set off to the track, located on the Kahnawake Mowhawk reservation between Montreal and Chateauguay.
As things worked out, I arrived at the perfect time (12:15 pm ) just as the racing was about to start. The races were organized by the CMRC, the same body that were behind similar events I've attended in the past at Ste Sulpice and Laviltree. The track was a road course configuration and featured motorcycles, ATV's and 4 cylinder compact cars.
This was TRACK # 168 on my TRACKCHASING totals
On Sunday (17 Feb) I visited the small town of Clarence Creek (Ontario), just a 30 minute drive from my home in Maxville for an annual event I only recently found out about.
Amazingly, ice racing has taken place every year at the nearby Clarence Creek Winter Carnival and I've known nothing about it! Once I'd confirmed the details, I wanted to be there. I also passed the details on to my TRACKCHASING friends and as a result I was joined at the track by seven of the worlds top TRACKCHASERS.
The World�s # 1, Randy Lewis and his wife Carol from San Clemente, California, Guy Smith, Will White, Mike Knappenberger and Paul Weisel who are all from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania and PJ Hollerbrand of Rochester, New York.
The track was a frozen snow covered oval located at the rear of the town�s hockey arena and on arrival I found a pits full of 'enduro' style cars. The program started with races for the ladies, then moved on to the guys. Each race had about eight cars, which was just enough to provide some action. The second race had to be red flagged after one lady 'rolled it'.
This was TRACK # 169 on my TRACKCHASING totals
After watching about an hour of the action, I was back behind the wheel of my car, and on my way to the next race on my agenda. I was heading for my couch, back home in Maxville to watch the Daytona 500 on TV.
Although, Dirt is my preferred diet of racing, I must admit that since visiting Daytona last year I've been paying a little more attention to the NASCAR scene. After seeing this years coverage on TV, I have to say how impressed I've been with the 'COT' (the 'Car of Tomorrow' which is now the 'Car of Today'). First impressions seam to indicate it's going to provide a lot closer racing, with packs of cars circulating side by side, just how I remember it on TV in the distant past.
America's biggest race had plenty of action with a conclusion that could not have been predicted. It was a great finish for Ryan Newman # 12 who blasted past Tony Stewart # 20 on the last lap with the help of his drafting and pushing Penske Team mate Kurt Busch # 2.
RACES ATTENDED IN 2008
1 JAN 19 ARENA ESSEX (Thurrock UK)
2 JAN 27 LAC MORIN, Notre Dame De Mont Carmel (Que)
3 JAN 27 ST EULALIE (Que)
4 FEB 16 KAHNAWAKE (Que)
5 FEB 17 CLARENCE CREEK (Ont)
TRACKCHASER... The official website of the TRACKCHASERS. My current track list totals can be seen here. Go to www.trackchaser.net and click on Rick Young.
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