Helio Castroneves has a sore neck. His shoulder blades burn, his back aches, his hips tight.
That energetic smile? Back and bigger than ever.
After months of mental anguish from a grueling tax evasion trial, Castroneves is thrilled to be back to racing—even if it does smart a little.
“I’m a little tired, but it’s a very good feeling of tired,†Castroneves said Tuesday from his office in Coral Gables, Fla. “It was physical. For the first time in a long time it was physical, not just mental. It’s the best feeling in the world.â€
Castroneves was acquitted of tax evasion charges on Friday, ending a six-month ordeal that left him mentally exhausted…Â DetailsÂ
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears were penalized Tuesday for intentionally bumping cars after the race at Phoenix International Raceway.
NASCAR put both drivers on probation for the next six races, but neither was fined or lost any points. It was an about-face from Saturday night, when officials said they would not punish the drivers for their post-race skirmish.
“We had a weekly competition meeting, we had a good discussion about it, and we decided to put the drivers on probation so the situation did not escalate,†said NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston.
Contact between the two caused Earnhardt to crash with 11 laps to go …Â Details
Lewis Hamilton has vowed to continue to work hard to make his long-time mentor Ron Dennis proud.
Dennis confirmed last week he was standing down as chairman of the McLaren Group and as CEO of McLaren Racing, ending 28 years in charge of the Woking-based team.
After severing his ties with Formula One, the 61-year-old is to take up the chairmanship of McLaren Automotive with the aim of building a new sports car from 2011.
Hamilton said: “Ron is an incredible man and we all owe him more than we could ever repay him for building this great team,” remarked Hamilton.
“Both my family and I are going to do our best to …Â Details
Two-time ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Champion Joe Byrd vaulted himself right back into the chase for the 2009 crown with a dominant double-moto sweep and overall win at round three of the season, the Bluegrass National, at Ballance MX in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The veteran Joe Byrd Quad Riding School Honda-backed rider from Tennessee topped Monster Energy Kawasaki’s rejuvenated Chad Wienen and Defending AMA ATV MX Champion Dustin Wimmer on the podium…Â Details