With Virginia back to normal conditions after a weekend of rain and extreme icy conditions that postponed the race, Martinsville roars back with the STP 500 race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
At the end of the first stage, Denny Hamlin takes the stage win from Keselowski, Blaney, Kyle Busch, and Boyer. Then, at the end of Stage 2, meanwhile, Ryan Blaney takes it. In Lap 384, Jamie McMurray got spun out after a close contact by the No. 3 car.
Finally, after 190 winless races, Clint Boyer snapped the streak by winning the STP 500 and he celebrates it with a burnout. What a comeback.
Next race is on Texas Motor Speedway for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 on the 8th of April.
Reports suggest a high-ranking North Korea official appears to be visiting China, adding that it could be the regime's leader Kim Jong Un.
Citing unknown sources, reports told that Kim has made a sudden visit to Beijing, his first overseas trip since taking power in 2011, but added no further details were available.
Japanese media also reported that speculation about a possible visit by the North Korean leader circulated around the Chinese capital on Monday, as a special train similar to the one used during his late father's visit to the nation was spotted in Beijing.
They added that security is was tight around the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, while a North Korean Embassy vehicle was also spotted. South Korea's presidential office said they couldn't verify the reports yet, adding that it's keeping a close eye on reports. The White House also said they couldn't confirm whether Kim's in China.
- The office of the Commission on Higher Education in Quezon City was rattled by a message regarding a bomb threat inside the vicinity. Duty officer Agnes Mendoza allegedly received a call stating that a bomb will explode in 15 minutes.
- Criminal charges have been filed against nine members of the Philippine National Police Academy cadets for allegedly mauling their seniors immediately after last week's graduation rites.
- The latest in American politics:protesters are drawing attention to the killing of an unarmed African American male by police in Sacramento, California. The Golden State is launching a state-funded gun violence research center, since data about guns is hard to come by. And the US is expelling numerous Russian diplomats following a poison attack on a former spy and his daughter in Britain.
- A rare phenomenon has turned the snow in Eastern Europe orange. The orange snow is a result of sandstorms from the Sahara Desert mixing with rain and snow. Ski resorts resembled sandy beaches and witnesses compare the surface to Mars.
- Over 600 guests are expected to witness the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the 19th of May at the St. George's Chapel.
- Yesterday, TOP Media announced the death of 100% lead member, Seo Minwoo, another untimely death is causing grief to KPOP fans. According to his management, the singer was found unconscious inside his home in Gangnam. Paramedics were called and tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Formula 1 collaborates with NETFLIX for an original series due next year.
- The Arizona state has suspended Uber's self-driving test programme following a fatal crash that took place on March 18 in Tempe. This was verified by the letter of Arizona governor Doug Ducey to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
- For the first time, the Mythical Pokemon Mew appears in Pokemon GO via a new research feature where players can take on two kinds of research and each research has a set of challenges. Accomplish them and you will receive greater rewards, including Legendary Pokemon encounters. The new feature will go live this March 30.
The authorities are taking emergency measures to try and protect the population from the ultra-fine dust. Seoul has been dealing with this season's highest levels of fine and ultra fine dust since yesterday with an ultra fine dust advisory in place since Saturday evening.
Aire quality will improve a bit in the afternoon.
The Ministry of Environment said on Sunday it requested metropolitan and regional governments to take procedures in accordance with guidelines to prevent the fine dust level from rising further. The ministry said that it will extend the measures into Monday, citing the poor air quality, and issued a fine dust warning in Seoul and other areas.
Meanwhile, South Korea's trade minister has revealed that Seoul has reached an agreement with the US to amend their free trade deal. After returning from the US on Sunday, South Korea's trade minister Kim Hyun-jong said Seoul and Washington had reached a settlement on revising the bilateral trade pact and steel tariff issues.
Kim explained that uncertainties on the steel tariff issue were effectively eliminated, thereby enabling Korean steel products to continue entering the US market. He also stressed that Seoul was able to defend its red line on agricultural goods, making clear there will be no further opening of the domestic market.
Kim added the results of the negotiations will be announced after Monday's Cabinet meeting.
- 61 solons appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte to continue the peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Based on House Resolution 1803, the solons are asking both the government and the NDFP to ‘complete the comprehensive agreements on social, economic, and political reforms to lay the basis for just and lasting peace’
- The Philippine government stands firm on the total closure of Boracay and DENR chief Roy Cimatu says that the recommendation is still to shut down the popular tourist destination as early as the 26th of April.
- PAGASA monitors a tropical depression located 1,740 km East of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, according to latest reports. The Tropical Depression is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on March 26 or 27 under the name Caloy and has not yet affected any part of the country.
- The Department of Interior and Local Government has mobilized LGUs in order to ensure the safety of the public during Holy Week. DILG Officer-In-Charge Eduardo Año gave a directive for local officials to order their peace and order councils to prepare for the influx of people participating in various religious activities.
- As America's fight for net neutrality rages on, some cities are taking net neutrality at their own hands as mayors in multiple cities -- including New York, Portland, and Austin -- have signed the Cities Open Internet Pledge requiring all internet providers with whom the do business to follow strong Net Neutrality principles.
- The Dalai Lama cuts his air travel due to age and exhaustion. His health issues are not serious, officials said, noting that the spiritual icon has been traveling within India, where he lives in exile from China-controlled Tibet. The prolific speaker supports self-rule.
- Volkswagen has launched the third-generation Touareg SUV at an event in China, promising performance, technology, and safety for all.
2019 Volkswagen Touareg
- Uber has confirmed its sale for their ASEAN division to Grab, according to reports. This marks Uber’s operational exit from yet another major market, like what happened in China and Russia.
- There's a stage play adaptation of The Seven Deadly Sins action adventure manga series happening in August.
- NASCAR postpones the STP 500 race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia to Monday, local time, after the state became enveloped with snowy conditions
The fifth episode of this season's Top Gear is all about making a sports tractor, a hardcore muscle car not allowed for European roads, and a very powerful Ferrari.
Top Gear S25E05
The highlight of this episode is where Matt LeBlanc and Chris Harris trying to make agriculture more fast and fun by turning an ordinary tractor into something they christened it as the "Track-tor". The Track-tor was so awesome, it managed to beat the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Tractor with the speed of 87.271mph.
Rory Reid, meanwhile, returns once again to America to sample the most hardcore muscle car that is so hardcore, it's banned for European roads. It's the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and to demonstrate it, Sabine Schmitz coaches him to drive it round Willow Springs while aiming for the target time.
Also, LeBlanc samples the most powerful V12 Ferrari ever made, the all-new 812 Superfast, and he even takes it for a spin round Imola.
Award-winning actress Vicky McClure is this week's SIARFC and she set a lap time of 1:45.3 round the track.
It's lights out and away with the brand new Formula One season where change is already here as demonstrated by their new logo and the racing machines that now come with the highly controversial halo cockpit that is proven to be quite an obstruction to their view, not to mention the removal of grid girls in favor of little kids savoring the F1 action, but despite the halo cockpit ruining the drivers' safe zone, that distraction wouldn't stop our driving aces from bracing the brave new season they're heading on.
Albert Park, Melbourne, is quite jam packed for the whole weekend because of the recent Supercars race occurred and as the dust settled from the Supercars action, it didn't take long before the new F1 cars blitzing into action like scud missiles and as the action progresses, the obstruction's becoming to show its mettle just as how Max Verstappen demonstrates when he got spun out the corner and how the HAAS F1 team faced a bitter end with a DNF.
In the end, Ferrari took the opening salvo in Melbourne with Sebastien Vettel winning the race and Kimi Raikkonen placed 3rd. Last year's world champion, Mercedes-AMG's Lewis Hamilton placed 2nd.
To the amazement, McLaren, reeling from their disastrous season last year, is coming back with Fernando Alonso placing 5th. "Now, we can fight..." Alonso said.
The next race of this new F1 season will be on Bahrain on the 8th of April.
Before Melbourne's Albert Park kickstart the all-new season of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship took over with the Coates Hire Supercars Melbourne 400, a four-race event where spectators can build their excitement by watching Australia's best Supercar drivers go all out before the new F1 season begins.
Friday's race sees a victory for Shell V-Power Racing's Scott McLaughlin while Saturday's double race event, despite the rainy weather, witness Jamie Whincup and Scott Pye taste the Victory Lane, and in the final day of the Melbourne race before paving way for the F1 2018 season, Erebus' very own David Reynolds won the race while Whincup secured the first-ever Larry Perkins trophy for having the highest overall points throughout the weekend.
The Supercars Championship will be heading to Tasmania for the TyrePower Tasmania SuperSprint from the 6th to the 8th of April, 2018.
Since the start of the new decade, Audi presented the world their equivalent to Mercedes' CLS, known as the A7 Sportback. Of course, this is Audi's foray to the almost non-existent four-door coupe genre and by the looks of it, it's not half bad to look at but judging by its rear view, it's like a bad case of "finish or not finished, pass your papers" as well as the way it behaves while driving. It's like getting suffocated by two fat ladies squeezing you like a sandwich in a subway. Knowing this, Audi made a second-generation of their eccentric offering and I'm here to have a probe on it.
2018 Audi A7 Sportback
2018 Audi A7 Sportback
Here is the new A7 in question and at first glance, you can think of it as an Audi A8 with a rear of the Tesla Model X and it's better looking than the previous A7, which is good because they used the prologue-inspired design language first introduced at the Audi A8 and while most luxury cars had forgone the Russian doll effect, the new A7 almost looks like it but because the rear view is different than today's A8, it's easy to distinguish between the two cars.
2018 Audi A7 Sportback
The interior has a different story as well because it looks like it came from the latest A8, meaning there's a hint of Russian doll effect on it, and because most of the stuff at the dashboard are touch panel rather than buttons, speedo boys are running scared over this kind of layout because in today's high-tech cars, their sat-navs and radios are now irreplaceable. Sorry, speedo boys, you can't replace their fancy gizmos with that kind of layout. Although the dashboard can easily intimidate speedo boys because of its high-tech stuff, there's so much to toy around with it such as smartphone connectivity that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the available Bang & Olufsen
Advanced Sound System, wi-fi hotspot, and much more. Of course, being a luxury car, the rear seats really matters and despite the roofline, the "out of a limo" feeling remains and you can really tell when you hit their sweet spot. Also, the boot space isn't bad for fastback standards which is good for trips to the country club on weekends.
2018 Audi A7 Sportback
Like I said before, the previous A7 has a driving feeling of two fat ladies squeezing you like a sandwich in a subway but in the new model, it's starting to feel more dramatic and somewhat enjoyable to drive courtesy of its new chassis and new body which is more rigid and lighter than the previous model and by the feel of it, it feels like you're not getting sandwiched by two fat ladies. Instead, you'd be sandwiched by two good-looking men and while the dynamics are improved by a pinch, it still has a hint of mildness when you handle it. Being all-wheel drive, you can't escape its grip of this thing but for an all-rounder, it's not half bad.
By launch, the new A7 is powered by a choice of two 3.0L engines, in petrol and diesel guise but because Germany is starting to dispel diesel-powered cars due to recent developments of you-know-what, let's only focus on the 3.0L TFSi engine for the time being. Armed with the 7-speed S tronic and the new mild-hybrid system with a 48-volt primary electrical system and a belt alternator starter generating up to 12 kilowatts of recuperation power, it produces 340PS of power output, 500Nm of torque, a 0-100kph time of 5.3 seconds, electronically limited top speed of 250kph, and an NEFZ-verified combined fuel consumption of 6.9l/100km, which is irrelevant right now as the world's slowly adapting to the new and more WTLC standards to make it more relevant but in the meantime, the fuel consumption figures will be nothing more to you for the time being.
Like the new Audi A8 we saw last year, the new A7 comes with a wide array of high-tech driver assistance features that can be either surprising or annoyed at the same time such as adaptive cruise assist, the new crossing assist, and Audi pre sense safety systems, with 39 driver assistance systems either standard or optional and with all of the driver assistance systems standard, the new A7 is armed with 24 sensors. This car is all eyes on the road and while it promises to be a more relaxing drive for everyone, its autonomy can be downright scary, even for speedo boys.
The new A7 is priced at 66,300 Euros (around $82,000/Php 4,300,000) plus additional costs which sounds like a lot but it's less pricey than the Mercedes CLS, making this luxury hatchback a bargain of the year. So, what's good about the new A7? Well, the exterior looks nicer than before, the interior looks more high-tech, and it's surprisingly comfortable. What's not is the handling that is not as exciting as I thought it would be and the driver aids that can scare the speedo boys out. While there is no excitement in store for this one, the new A7 still works well as a luxury saloon with that "out on a limo" feeling for the occupants and Audi really knows what they're doing right now.
For the second time this year, wrestling superstar John Cena served as the presenter of the 2018 Nick Kids Choice Awards and he opened the awards ceremony by honoring the youth involved in the recent “March For Our Lives” protests, showing the world how young people are capable of in times of change. Anyway, from star-studded performances, viewer-picked dares, and slime in store for the guests, nothing’s more messier than this.
So, in case you miss all the fun, here are the list of this year's winners:
Every motoring enthusiast in the world strongly believe that the best motorsport series in the world is always Formula 1 because to their mind, those who are racing in this prestigious racing series are the ones to be feared by the others because they are the masters of the track as they said and behind the ever-evolving machines, they had a story to tell...
However, the Formula 1 isn't the only open-wheeled racing series that gathers a lot of attention because there are other racing series that trying to copy the F1's recipe to success but they couldn't.
There was the INDYCAR which is strongly labelled as a mixture of F1 and NASCAR because it's purely an American motorsport but unlike NASCAR, the INDYCAR drivers are world-class and they come from all kinds of motorsports, including F1, and they come with two kinds of machines; one for oval racing and other for track racing.
And then, there's the FIA Formula E Championship, which is pretty much like Formula 1 but only electric. While the series is still young, it showcases the future of motorsport through this zero-emission racing series and while some say it was boring than Formula 1, there are some interesting moments in store for it as well as the world-class drivers who got involved in all kinds of races.
These three open-wheeler races, when you pit themselves together, it makes up the ideal recipe for the clash of the motorsport titans where fame and power is more rewarding than the speed these machines deliver.
The F1 car this game offered is the R.S. 17, which is powered by a revamped 90-degree RE17 hybrid V6 engine producing over 900bhp of power while its turbocharger uses pre-chamber ignition, whereby a small amount of fuel is ignited before the main engine chamber in order to acheive more uniform combustion. It is mated to an 8-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox and larger brakes courtesy by Brembo. Weighing at just 722kgs, it has the power-to-weight ratio of 1300bhp per ton.
The INDYCAR I'm driving here is the #2 Chevy-powered one driven by Josef Newgarden, who enjoyed his debut season for the Team Penske Verizon IndyCar Series program as he scored four wins and named the 15th INDYCAR champion at the end of the 2017 season.
And finally, the Formula E car I'm driving belongs to the TECHEETAH Formula E Team, a Chinese-based racing team under the ownership of SECA - China Media Capital.
For the inexperienced few, driving a Formula 1 car is one of the most unforgiving experiences ever made and only those who had prior experience in the field of motorsports can wield the power of it. This is the equivalent of earning a Masters degree at a fancy university and if you can manage to become one with the F1 car, you are a force to be reckoned with. It tends to understeer at slow speeds, it's tricky to change gears at high speeds, and it can be downright complicated when the brakes are locked but with enough practice, you'll be leaving a major impression to it.
The INDYCAR, meanwhile, is like driving two motorsport series in one and like I said once, their machines are divided into two; one for oval racing and the other for track racing. The INDYCARS offered in FM7 are tuned for oval action, meaning they are really fast on the straights but cornering them can be downright challenging or can you? Yes, it is possible to corner it but unlike a Formula One car, handling an INDYCAR is like getting through a corner with a normal exotic.
The Formula E car is the slowest of the three but thanks to their electric powertrain, their peak torque results to a no-wheelspin start every time when you launch it from the starting line and while the dynamics are downright mild for a racing car, it's less punishing to drive, although a little less exciting than the other two.
Having my dibs on these three, it's time to settle which of the three open-wheeled motorsport series is the best and since I'm at the Top Gear Track, this will be the biggest shootout ever experienced in my whole life. However, before my excitement builds, it started to rain.
Bummer, it's raining at the Top Gear Track but despite the rainy weather, this will serve as the ultimate test of finding out which of these three is the best. Let's roll the tape.
Guess the motoring world is right. Formula 1 is always be the king of motorsports. Nothing else comes close.
I had to admit that while the series keeps on evolving and now we're making do to the point where today's cars are becoming a pain in the butt to drive for drivers because of such obstruction to their views, the spirit of the world's most prestigious motorsport series still remains and even though we're living in a point where petrol runs dry and paving way for renewable sources, we will never forget the good times and the bad times Formula 1 possesses and we are glad that we are always become part with it, no matter what happens.
The drivers, the tracks, the rivalry, the crashes, no other motorsport comes close than this and that is why Formula 1 will always be at the top of the motorsport hierarchy. That is the bottom line.
