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Uncle pressdog's Fireside Chat -- Kits, Costs & Penalty Shots Edition

Nothing like a lunch beer to make you feel European. My father's people came to America in the late 19th Century from Germany and my mother's people came to America in 1632 (actual year) from England. That makes me a 13th generation American, but the euro roots run deep. Lunch Beer is common in Europe. DRINK, ye BASTARDS.

It's seriously been crazy around here. I spent three days up in Northwest Iowa at the in-laws. Insert dramatic music here. My wife's ENTIRE family -- all five sisters with family and their mom -- were back for a big old reunion-ish thing. I've been married into this family for 27 years now, so we all understand each other. I like my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law (father-in-law died 15 years ago).

Leilani Münter Wins Genius Award from Elle Magazine

Woman of pressdog® Leilani Münter (right) has been honored as part of 11 women honored with the 2012 Genius Award from Elle magazine.

Münter was honored for her environmental activism, including using racing to bring awareness environmental issues.

Elle said of the award winners "Collectively they've invented a new solar technology and started foundations to fight cancer and bring water to Africa. They're saving dolphins, energy and lives. Meet the new generation of young women who saw a problem, then a way to make it better, and did it."

From a posting on LeilaniMunter.com, Münter said ...

"I'm honored to receive ELLE's Genius Award and be included among such wonderful women doing great things to make the world a better place. Growing up in Minnesota, ELLE was one of my favorite magazines so this was an extra special surprise."

Other winners include scientists, inventors , a social media pioneer and global anti-poverty activists.For the full list of winners, go here. The issue is on newsstands now, with Selena Gomez is featured on two alternate covers.

Shea Holbrook Has Two Podium Finishes in Canada

Shea Holbrook takes a fast lap around Candian Tire Motorsport Park

Woman of pressdog® and TrueCar Racing team member Shea Holbrook got her schwerve on in Canada last weekend, finishing P2 and P3 in races there.

From TrueCar PR ...

Shea Holbrook Has Two Podium Finishes at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 29, 2012 – TrueCar Racing sportscar driver Shea Holbrook had a successful weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with two podium finishes in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car division.

Iowa IndyCar TV Ratings Drop 40%

The Daily Iowegian (Centerville, Iowa) did some journalism recently and reported that the IndyCar race at Iowa drew a 0.18 rating. I used to work at an Iowegian-like newspaper (LeMars [Iowa] Daily Sentinel).

Big ups from the pdog for leading the allegedly big-deal journalists by the nose on this one. BOOM. Shout out to commentor Tom G. for making me aware of the linky dink.

Read it HERE.

Uncle pressdog: Iowa in the Rear View Version

Wow. Homeys. Busier than a one-legged man at an ass-kicking vacation, plus a little vacation in there. The photo above was taken outside Garretson, S.D. Festival of Progress! BAM. Big pdog fans up there in So.Dak!

Hey. Beer :30. Have a beverage. DRINK, ye BASTARDS. Let’s chat amiably about current issues.

Michael Andretti on Team Bonding, Randy Bernard, The New Car and Mazda Road to Indy

If you're looking for a team that's invested in multiple levels of IndyCar it's hard to beat Andretti Autosport.

Consider: a three-car IndyCar team, full Mazda Road to Indy involvement AND promoting events in Milwaukee and Baltimore. That's a trifect no other team can match. So what's with the full deployment? Why has Andretti Autosport risen from the ashes to contend in this year's IndyCar series? Why do they love Iowa Speedway? And what was that thing recently with IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard? I asked Andretti Autosport team principal Michael Andretti all this and more on Friday, June 22 at Iowa Speedway.

NASCAR Nationwide TV Ratings for Road America Up 33%

From ESPN PR (Motto: TV Ratings ARE your business) ..

ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on Saturday, June 23, earned a 1.6 household coverage rating (1.4 U.S. rating), averaging 1,924,648 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company.

The rating grew 33 percent from last year’s race, which earned a 1.2 rating, and continued the ratings growth that the event has seen since the 1.1 for the inaugural race in 2010.

(Note: A "coverage rating" measures the number of households that have ESPN on their cable or satellite service who tune in. The "U.S. rating" measures total number of households that tuned in, regardless of if they have ESPN avaiable to them or not.)

Ashley Freiberg's Developing Relationship with Downforce and Ovals

The counterintuitive nature of downforce on a race car: the faster you go, the more it sticks to the track.

But that’s a dramatic oversimplification. SOMETIMES the faster you go the more your car sticks to the track … to a point … provided you hit your marks … and everything is working right and set exactly so … and you aren’t in another car’s wake … or your tires aren't worn ... usually.

Deluxe Notes Taken During the 2012 IndyCar Race at Iowa

Notes taken at the track and from the NBC Network Broadcast of the Iowa Corn Indy 250, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa, on June 23, 2012.

pressdog® DRINK, ye BASTARDS Beer of the Race is Fat Tire, New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins, CO. Cocktail of the race is a Fuzzy Dog (Fuzzy's Vodka, cranberry and a splash of pineapple. Get your DRINK, ye BASTARDS drinkware here.

Andretti Autosport Boss Says Team Clicking on Chemistry, New Personnel

Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti said Friday some personnel changes and a tight-knit trio of drivers have his IndyCar team firing on all cylinders so far in 2012.

Andretti Autosport driver James Hinchcliffe is second in championship points and Ryan Hunter-Reay won the race last weekend at Milwaukee. So far in Andretti Autosport has been a more consistent threat to the heretofore dominant two teams of Penske Racing and Target Chip Ganassi.