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Garrett Duke

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Well I am writing this post with a heavy heart today as I have spent this afternoon thinking of Trevor Bayne off and on all afternoon...

Trevor Bayne has been diagnosed with MS. He has gone through extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic and has been given the OK to race this weekend at Homestead. I have read on Facebook where Bayne has said that he is currently not showing any symptoms of MS and feels good. Is at the best shape. And that he will continue to race this weekend and next year in the Nationwide Series. (He has raced a limited schedule in the Sprint Cup Series the past few years and I ASSUME he would continue, but don't know.)

Trevor Bayne is only 22 years old...and had won the Daytona 500 (NASCAR's Superbowl!) at the age of twenty.

I just can't imagine what he is going through. My thoughts and prayers are with Trevor and his family as they face this new difficult challenge. Did find it neat that in the article I read had quoted Trevor saying " hewill continue to trust God daily and know His plan for me is best." Takes a pretty big person to face what he is facing and still have such strong trust and faith like that.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well not a whole lot of NASCAR news...but NASCAR has just bought Iowa's Speedway in Newton...Rusty Wallace had built it and had owned it and if I remember right, sold it. K&N series, Nationwide, and Truck Series have all ran there (along with others) and will continue to do so...but not Sprint Cup and it doesn't sound like NASCAR plans on bringing Sprint there. I really don't see them doing it in the near future...NASCAR would have to drop a track or something to make room with it...and the Iowa Speedway would need more roads, more stands, and the such in order to hold the top tier of NASCAR's racing.

Being from Iowa, do have mixed emotions about it. Would be great to have a Sprint Cup race here in IOWA but at the same time, the track is under a mile long and really don't see any need for another short track on the Sprint Cup circuit. Bristol is the shortest track there is on the schedule and it is my favorite...but it has history and other factors to make it as big in popularity as it is. I'd be more for it if the Iowa track was at least a mile long or so. My opinion...of course. Though have heard from a few people who have gone there and heard everything positive about it so it must be a pretty good track. Hopefully one of these days will be able to go to a Nationwide Series race there...

With that said...there is 86 MORE days til the Super Bowl of NASCAR...the Daytona 500!!!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, I don't know how newsworthy this is since it has been rumored for a couple of months now, but Richard Childress has made the "news" official this past week. Childress is a car owner and had owned Dale Earnhardt Sr's car...Sr use to drive for Childress. Austin Dillion, Childress' grandson, will be racing for Richard Childress in the Sprint Cup this season...using the number three. The number three hasn't been used in Sprint Cup since Dale Earnhardt Sr had died in the closing laps of the 2001 Daytona 500... except I do believe Dale Jr drove it once for a promotional deal or some sort of thing...could be wrong.

This seems to be an controversal topic in NASCAR since Dale Sr was so big and all. Personally, I don't really see what the big deal is that another driver is using the number three. It is an iconic number and probably always be associated with Dale Sr...I do get that. But NASCAR isn't like baseball or football where a team will retire a major player's number after he retires to respect all that he has done for their team, for the sport. Where as in baseball, football, hockey, or basketball there could be a lot of players with the same number, just a different team, NASCAR don't use the same number in different team, but ALL the drivers have a different number. You retire the number three for Dale Sr, where do you stop? He is not the only driver who has died too early...so would they retire their number too? Or how about the number 43 for Richard Petty...after all no one else will ever begin to compete with his two hundred wins...

So I do agree with using the number three again, though don't know if I would give it to a kid as Dillion the first year in Cup. That is a big number to live up to and to be associated with. Am grateful that his car will be sponosered by Cheerios and will be yellow and not the black that Dale Sr drove. Smart move there. It will be interesting to see what Austin Dillion can do in a Cup car on a full schedule...as well as Kyle Larson who will be driving for Ganassi. . .

So what y'all think of Dillion driving the number three?

(Oh by the way...there is 70 more days til the Daytona 500. At this rate, don't think it will ever get here!!!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well y'all, I got the best NASCAR news ever...well Ok perhaps not the best...well ok perhaps not news at all, but I thought I would let you know all the same...

I have finally gone and done it! I have created my own NASCAR blog!!! Feel free to follow it or not, just thought I would share it with you. Just posted my first blog ever!

NASCAR: A Fan's View

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I know this is non-NASCAR news (sorry, Garrett), but seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher is currently in an induced coma after hitting his head in a skiing accident. Doctors say he'd almost certainly be dead if he wasn't wearing a helmet. At present they are trying to control the swelling in his brain and describe his condition as "critical". More info:

Michael Schumacher, former F1 champion, critical after ski fall

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Thanks, Garrett. I was hoping to have some news by now, but Schumacher's condition is still said to be critical but stable. The most recent reports suggest he wasn't going very fast at the time of the accident, and police are looking at footage from his head camera. A tourist has also come forward claiming to have captured the accident on their smartphone.

Back in 2006, Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was also put into an induced coma following a 288 mph dragster crash. He went on to make a full recovery, so obviously my fingers are crossed for Michael.

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Not a problem. Have been thinking of him and his family since it has happened. Been keeping track of it through several pages on Facebook that I have liked (NASCAR related). Just so sad. Especially it happening during the holidays and so close to his birthday. I really hope he will pull through this.

I do have some NASCAR news to report that I am excited about...so I hope you don't mind that I share it here instead of starting another post.

The past couple of years ago I have been keeping tabs of an up and coming Hendrick driver...Chase Elliot. He has drove one truck series race last year but it was mainly ARCA and other type series that drivers normally go through before coming to NASCAR. Hendrick must own teams or something in those series since he has been driving for Hendrick. I know he won a couple races in the series he was racing in and do believe they said he was the youngest driver to do so. . .so he has been fun to follow. Haven't really seen him race, but have been following him on Facebook and reading on how he has done since he was for Hendrick...as well as another reason (will get to that later..).

Chase Elliot is Bill Elliot's eighteen year old son. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville I believe they called him. Bill is an retired race car driver (though he has ran a few races here and there...do believe he may have a ride for Daytona this year) so perhaps it isn't a surprise that his son his following his footsteps. Or that he is good at it.

Anyway, my awesome news is....(drumroll...)

That Chase Elliot will drive full time for JR Motorsports this upcoming 2014 season and will be sponsored by NAPA! (Michael Waltrip/Matin Truex Jr's sponsor that left after their whole ordeal at Richmond...) Dale Earnhardt Jr owns JR Motorsports with his sister Kelley Earnhardt in the Nationwide Series and now will have Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliot racing for him in 2014.

Personally, I am excited to see what Chase will do in the Nationwide Series...with a good car. (As most know, Dale Jr drives for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Series...) To see how he will do against other Nationwide Series drivers as well as the Sprint Cup drivers that race in the Nationwide Series.

Though I am excited about all this, I am also a big saddened by it. I am saddened by it because it has been said that Chase Elliot will be the driver who will take over the 24 car when Jeff Gordon retires. And as y'all know, I am a HUGE Jeff Gordon fan! I hate the thought of Gordon retiring. Dread that day. Can't stand to think of a day where there will be someone else behind the wheel of the 24 car...just seems so wrong. NASCAR without Jeff Gordon seems all wrong to me.

Though Gordon is 42 years old. The word RETIRE has been floating around with his name for some time now. (Though I find it odd that Tony Stewart is 42 years old...several months older than Gordon and yet no one mentions the word retire when saying Stewart's name. Just sayin'...) And personally, know that sooner or later they will all retire. I just hope that Gordon and the rest of the rest of the Hendrick drivers will last several more years...Gordon himself hasn't really came out when he will retire but has said that he will still be around when he does finally give in and retire. (Did say that he wants to race long enough for his kids to be able to enjoy it and remember it. Ella is six years old and Leo is three years old. So hopefully that means Gordon has several more years behind the wheel of the 24 car!) And I am sure Chase will take a few years in Nationwide Series before being "ready" for the Sprint Cup...

So I guess...if anyone is to take over Gordon's ride...I would happy with Chase Elliot. Just hope it will be a few years...am not ready to see Gordon go. Then again, I don't think I ever will be. He was the first driver I liked...and will always be my favorite!

Will be keeping track of Chase in the Nationwide Series and hope him the best of luck...

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Not a problem. Have been thinking of him and his family since it has happened. Been keeping track of it through several pages on Facebook that I have liked (NASCAR related). Just so sad. Especially it happening during the holidays and so close to his birthday. I really hope he will pull through this.

I do have some NASCAR news to report that I am excited about...so I hope you don't mind that I share it here instead of starting another post.

The past couple of years ago I have been keeping tabs of an up and coming Hendrick driver...Chase Elliot. He has drove one truck series race last year but it was mainly ARCA and other type series that drivers normally go through before coming to NASCAR. Hendrick must own teams or something in those series since he has been driving for Hendrick. I know he won a couple races in the series he was racing in and do believe they said he was the youngest driver to do so. . .so he has been fun to follow. Haven't really seen him race, but have been following him on Facebook and reading on how he has done since he was for Hendrick...as well as another reason (will get to that later..).

Chase Elliot is Bill Elliot's eighteen year old son. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville I believe they called him. Bill is an retired race car driver (though he has ran a few races here and there...do believe he may have a ride for Daytona this year) so perhaps it isn't a surprise that his son his following his footsteps. Or that he is good at it.

Anyway, my awesome news is....(drumroll...)

That Chase Elliot will drive full time for JR Motorsports this upcoming 2014 season and will be sponsored by NAPA! (Michael Waltrip/Matin Truex Jr's sponsor that left after their whole ordeal at Richmond...) Dale Earnhardt Jr owns JR Motorsports with his sister Kelley Earnhardt in the Nationwide Series and now will have Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliot racing for him in 2014.

Personally, I am excited to see what Chase will do in the Nationwide Series...with a good car. (As most know, Dale Jr drives for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Series...) To see how he will do against other Nationwide Series drivers as well as the Sprint Cup drivers that race in the Nationwide Series.

Though I am excited about all this, I am also a big saddened by it. I am saddened by it because it has been said that Chase Elliot will be the driver who will take over the 24 car when Jeff Gordon retires. And as y'all know, I am a HUGE Jeff Gordon fan! I hate the thought of Gordon retiring. Dread that day. Can't stand to think of a day where there will be someone else behind the wheel of the 24 car...just seems so wrong. NASCAR without Jeff Gordon seems all wrong to me.

Though Gordon is 42 years old. The word RETIRE has been floating around with his name for some time now. (Though I find it odd that Tony Stewart is 42 years old...several months older than Gordon and yet no one mentions the word retire when saying Stewart's name. Just sayin'...) And personally, know that sooner or later they will all retire. I just hope that Gordon and the rest of the rest of the Hendrick drivers will last several more years...Gordon himself hasn't really came out when he will retire but has said that he will still be around when he does finally give in and retire. (Did say that he wants to race long enough for his kids to be able to enjoy it and remember it. Ella is six years old and Leo is three years old. So hopefully that means Gordon has several more years behind the wheel of the 24 car!) And I am sure Chase will take a few years in Nationwide Series before being "ready" for the Sprint Cup...

So I guess...if anyone is to take over Gordon's ride...I would happy with Chase Elliot. Just hope it will be a few years...am not ready to see Gordon go. Then again, I don't think I ever will be. He was the first driver I liked...and will always be my favorite!

Will be keeping track of Chase in the Nationwide Series and hope him the best of luck...

Well I just wrote a blog about Chase! Here is the address if you want to check it out. :D Feel free to tell me what ya think. ;)

My Blog

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For all of you Jeff Gordon fans I just want to point out that Mark Martin will be 55 in two days (on Jan 9th). So if Mark can still be racing at 13 years older than Jeff I see no reason why Jeff shouldn't keep going.

As an edit Cale Yarborough didn't retire until 49 and Richard Petty retired at 55.

Keep hope alive.

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If he gets into the Sprint Cup Series, won't it be confusing wondering whether Chase will make The Chase? ;)

LOL Hoss. I guess that would be pretty interesting and I am sure the announcers and the media will have a hay day with it as well. So far he is off to a good start. Thursday and Friday the Sprint Cup had their practice/testing at Daytona. Thursday it was rained out...really hope that is NOT the trend this season. URGH. Friday went as planned. Sadly I didn't get to watch it. :(

Though today was the Nationwide Series and I read that with help from his dad, Bill Elliot, Chase Elliot came in as the fastest driver. Not too bad for a first test in NASCAR... :D

Thanks Liz for the words of encouragement for this Jeff Gordon fan! They have been talking about Jeff Gordon and retirement for the past few years now. Don't know if it is because he has kids now or what, but they need to stop talking about that dread r word with him! LOL. I am hoping he has several good years in him...

Oooo talking about NASCAR. Did hear some news the other day that does have me a bit sad. Dale Earnhardt Jr's crew chief Steve Letarte has came forth to say that this will be his last year. He will be stepping down and will help be an announcer when ABC will start showing the races. Happy for him, but sad to see him leave as Jr's crew chief. He is a good guy. He use to be Gordon's crew chief before they switched garages/ crews / cars with Gordon, Jr, and Kahne (Well it was Mark Martin at that time...).

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Thanks, Garrett. I was hoping to have some news by now, but Schumacher's condition is still said to be critical but stable. The most recent reports suggest he wasn't going very fast at the time of the accident, and police are looking at footage from his head camera. A tourist has also come forward claiming to have captured the accident on their smartphone.

Back in 2006, Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was also put into an induced coma following a 288 mph dragster crash. He went on to make a full recovery, so obviously my fingers are crossed for Michael.

Well I read on Facebook yesterday that Schumacker may spend the rest of his life in a coma. :( Doctors say they won't wake him up unless they see a lot of improvement or something like that. Just incredibly sad. Thoughts and prayers for Michael and his family.

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Thanks for the update, Garrett. I was checking the news every day at the start, but have to admit that I haven't looked since the beginning of the week. The latest article I found warned that even if he does come out of his coma, he'll probably never be the same again.

Michael Schumacher: Brain specialist warns seven-time world champion 'will not be Michael Schumacher' if he survives head injury

I was hoping that we've have better news by now, but these things take time. If his condition changes, I'll be sure to post an update.

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More F1 news, but this has a NASCAR connection. Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner, Gene Haas, has expressed an interest in entering a team in F1. The FIA (motorsport's world governing body) has requested all potential new teams complete a full application by February 10th, and will make a decision on candidates by February 28th. The 2015 season (the most likely time for the new team to start) might include the inaugural New Jersey Grand Prix which has been postponed for the past two years.

Formula 1: Nascar boss Gene Haas declares interest in new team

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How come I am starting to feel like I am outnumbered here? :roll: Can't see how any other form of racing could possibly even measure up to NASCAR and yet you seem to find ways to hijack my NASCAR threads and pollute them with your F1 racing. :-o LOL. I did see something about Gene Haas and F1 but didn't read much into it. Wishing him the best of luck if he does go that route...perhaps then you will turn into a Tony Stewart fan? LOL. Though, Hoss, you'd be better off going with Stenhouse Jr...he doesn't seem to create as much drama as Stewart tends to do with his temper. ;)

(Hope y'all don't mind if I steal my thread back and turn back to NASCAR...;))

Well talking about drama...NASCAR seems to know how to create it. Or at least to draw reaction from everyone. With just over a month left of this horrible off season, NASCAR is now talking about changing the Chase...again...this season. Right now it is not official and is something they are discussing...or as I read on a Yahoo! article, NASCAR seems to like to throw ideas out and see the reaction. So maybe that is all that it is (and personally hope that it doesn't go any farther than that!)

What they are talking about is extending the Chase field from twelve drivers to sixteen drivers...making it so that all you have to do is win a race and they are pretty much in the Chase. And then after that have an elimination format where they eliminate a number of drivers after a couple of races until there is only four drivers going for the championship at the last race in Homestead.

If they go through with it, I will report it with more detail...right now I don't have the time.

But if you ask me, which no one has, but here is my OPINION anyways...all this is going to do is create more drama as we had at Richmond last season. More races where teams will try to manipulate the points to help them or their team into the Chase or to stay in the Chase. And trust me, I get it, that they want to capitalize on WINNING...which is great. But what happens to the drivers who wins a race or two and have consistant top ten races through the season or during the Chase? They get eliminating just because another driver has an extra win and isn't as consistant?

Personally, I wish they would just get rid of the Chase. Have the drivers go after the points as they use to. I understand they want to have the play off format, have the world series type event...but this is NASCAR, not baseball or football. To me, there is something wrong when a driver can have a top five average during the regular season, be ahead by four hundred points, and finish the season second due to the other driver having one more win and due to the Chase wiping the points away.

As I said all this is what they are talking about doing and NOTHING is official as of yet and whenever anything comes official, I will let y'all know. In the meantime....

What do you think?

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(Hope y'all don't mind if I steal my thread back and turn back to NASCAR...;))

Well, I guess your season starts a month earlier that ours, so we'll probably have to talk about NASCAR for a while ;).

The Chase always feels very artificial to me, but so do caution flags for stray burger wrappers. Maybe they should try giving a bigger points bonus for winning races as they do in another prominent motorsport (I won't say which one as it will annoy Garrett, but it's named after the sixth letter of the alphabet and the first positive integer :)).

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F1 Hijack Alert :).

Pre-season Formula 1 testing started in Jerez today, with many of the teams showing off their new cars. This year the cars are powered by brand new V6 turbo engines, and there have been many changes to other aspects of the body designs too. The car below is the new Mercedes W05.

MercedesW05_1.jpg

Some of the other teams, like the McLaren below, have gone with an "anteater" nose to keep within the rules.

McLarenMP4-29.jpg

More importantly, with Michael Schumacher still in an induced coma following his skiing accident, two of his former teams have been showing their support. The last team he drove for, Mercedes, revealed their new car with the hashtag "#KeepFightingMichael" on the side.

MercedesW05_2.jpg

Ferrari, the team for whom he won five of his seven world championships, posed for a team photo with a pit board reading "#ForzaMichael!".

ForzaMichael.jpg

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The noses are not to my liking. :( Though I've heard the FIA are making steps (get it?) to avoid these noses for next season.

Very good that Mercedes AMG and Scuderia Ferrari pay tribute to Michael though I think it has become a lost cause, it's been too long.

About the engines, in some video's it sounds way cool! Though in others it sounds like a vacuum cleaner... I think the Vacuum cleaner sound is from when they are not running at full speed so I have good hope for this.

As you might have noticed I have changed my avatar into one containing a Caterham picture, so its not surprising I have been looking for good pictures of the Caterham CT05 avoiding the nose. Caterham nose ain't the worst in my opinion but still...

Found this one which makes the CT05 look like a 90s car. Very nice.

12192734104_8cf9da82f0_o.jpgThe silver rims and the removed yellow really make it look better, no overdone colour schemes. Though i wonder, Rricsson took 11 million with him and no sponsors of him on the car? He paid everything from his own pocket or something?

Sorry Garrett for posting more F1 here but i just had to comment on Hoss his post.

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Y'all hijacking my thread again...I'm gonna have to call in ol' Rosco and report ya. He may just have to throw you under the jail for this! :D

Well the 2014 NASCAR season has yet to start (there is a lucky number 24 days left til Daytona...though I wish it was only one!) and NASCAR has gone through and made some DRASTIC changes for qualifying and the Chase. Changes that has left this die hard NASCAR fan very unhappy....though I guess I will have to give it a chance.

First off a week or so ago they came out saying that they will change the way that they qualify for each race. I guess they will do it different for the length of the track and I wish I had more info on that right now. But they are going to seperate them into segments. The first one they all will qualify together and then have a break before the top twelve will qualify together. At least that is at some of the tracks.

Here is the link to the new change in qualifying...Changes in qualifying

And drastic change number two was reveiled today...though it was talked about a week or so ago. I have to admit, I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now....

They are now changing the Chase format. Instead of twelve drivers going into the Chase, there will be sixteen drivers. (Pretty much makes it where you win, you're in.) And then every three races in the Chase, they will eliminate drivers until there is only four drivers competing for the win at Homestead.

New Chase format

Have to admit...I don't like this at all. I get that they want to empasis on winning. Winning is important, but what happens to the driver who is consistant throughout the entire season? Or what happens to the driver who wins the most but has engine problems at Homestead? Also what is to say that someone outside of the Chase won't wreck a Chase driver? And perhaps NASCAR should be reminded of what happened at Richmond last season with Michael Waltrip and Clint Bowyer...this elimination theory will only promote more of that. They keep saying that this is what the fans want...but the majority of the fans reactions that I have read on Facebook has been negative towards all this. I am not a fan of the Chase...personally, I'd rather them ditch the Chase all together and go back to the old format of racing. Going for points. Being consitant throughout the whole season. Perhaps I am a bit biased here, but in '07 Gordon had an average of fifth place and was four hundred points ahead of everyone before the Chase...he entered teh Chase second due to JJ having an extra win and the points wiped away. Gordon finished the season second behind JJ due to that win. Even if it wasn't Gordon, I find it totally wrong that he could have such a strong season and yet finish second due to this Chase.

I will be a NASCAR fan no matter what. But this has me shaking my head and upset. Perhaps I am wrong, but with the qualifying changes and the Chase, all they seem to be asking for is chaos and wrecking each other out to get the best qualifying spot. To stay in the Chase.

Well I gave my two cents worth on it all...what you think?

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First off a week or so ago they came out saying that they will change the way that they qualify for each race. I guess they will do it different for the length of the track and I wish I had more info on that right now. But they are going to seperate them into segments. The first one they all will qualify together and then have a break before the top twelve will qualify together. At least that is at some of the tracks.

Here is the link to the new change in qualifying...Changes in qualifying

According to that link:

At tracks measuring 1.25 miles in length or larger, qualifying for the Coors Light Pole Award will consist of three rounds:

• The first qualifying elimination round will be 25 minutes in duration and includes all cars/trucks. The 24 cars/trucks that post the fastest single lap from the first qualifying round will advance to the second round.

• The remaining cars/trucks will be sorted based on their times posted in the first round of qualifying in descending order.

• The second qualifying elimination round will be 10 minutes in duration and the 12 cars/trucks that post the fastest single lap time will advance to the third and final round. The fastest remaining cars/trucks earn positions 13th through 24th based on their times posted in qualifying in descending order.

• The third and final qualifying round will be five minutes in duration and the fastest single lap time will determine positions 1st through 12th in descending order.

• There will be a five-minute break between each qualifying round.

I know I'll get into trouble for pointing this out, but that sounds very like the current qualifying process in Formula 1. Give it a try, Garrett. Most of the time it makes for an exciting hour.

There are rule changes in F1 as well. They've decided to award double points for the last race of the season, despite opposition from fans, teams and drivers. Then yesterday, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said he wanted to extend this to the last three races of the season, before they've even tried it out for one! More info here.

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