AP PHOTOS: Former US school buses get a second life in Panama
LA CHORRERA, Panama (AP) — They were once bright yellow buses carrying kids to school in suburbs across the United States. Now in Panama – adorned with neon paintings, glowing lights and booming speakers – they are getting a second life.
The Red Devil buses have become a symbol of Panama's capital city, often blowing black clouds of smoke as they roar through its bustling streets. They also act as a reminder of the Central American nations long-running connection to the U.S. Once a year, drivers and hundreds of Panamanians flock to a rural racetrack an hour outside of the capital to watch the buses transform into race cars.
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Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Associated Press
Photos: The 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance auto racing
LE MANS, France (AP) — Every June drivers from different countries compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. Established over a hundred years ago, the endurance race is won by the car covering the greatest distance in 24 hours. The winners of Le Mans will stand on the podium June 15. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Drivers react to NASCAR's use of tire packs to enforce track limits
In Mexico City, NASCAR has placed tire packs around the track at the apex of several corners, even adding another one after the first practice session. While drivers may use as much pavement as they want in some areas, such as the exit of the final corner, NASCAR wants to avoid drivers cutting corners. They've also painted yellow lines through the esses, and crossing that line will result in a stop-and-go penalty at a designated location around the track. But the addition of tire packs is a welcomed one for most drivers, who would rather focus on avoiding those than having to worry about the painted lines on the track. Wallace in favor of tire packs Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota "I think it is good for us," said Bubba Wallace when asked about the tire packs in a Friday press conference. "Us Cup drivers, we push to find the limits of the race cars and the race tracks, and it seems like we are always revamping the race tracks to meet the driver's needs – like, well the track needs to be wider here for us. Slow down, slow down and we can make the corner. Advertisement "We are taking a race track and making it 'Cup cars 2.0' and it doesn't make sense to me, so I was a big fan of the tire packs. It forces you to stay on the track limits and I spent the majority of my time on the sim, staying tidy and staying on the racing surface, and I think hopefully that pays dividends for when we get on track later. But I'm a big fan of the tire packs, keeping us on line and keeping us on the racing surface.' NASCAR is also being cautious about placing tire packs in the faster sections of the track. They infamously put a tire pack at the exit of the original Charlotte Roval chicane, which several drivers (including Wallace) clobbered in ugly practice crashes. So far, the tire packs have caused no issues in Mexico City. Changing the way you approach the corner with tire packs Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was also asked by a different media outlet about track limits, noting how the tire barriers weren't there when they practiced on the sim in preparation for this weekend. Advertisement "I ran laps (on the sim) where I was really aggressive running off the road and kind of taking advantage of different areas that I felt might be worth a little bit of time. But I would say the majority of laps that I ran, you know by choice, was just really staying inside the lines because I had a feeling that might be a little more of a reality," said Elliott. "But, you know, there are some areas that I think you'll take advantage of off the racetrack. I think the tire barriers have, especially through (turns) eight and nine or whatever numbers… I don't know which track map you're looking at, right, the numbers change. But the last two, that's before you get to the stadium section, for clarity, the tire packs, where they're located through that section, I think will significantly change how at least I was approaching that section in the sim. "But ... we have some practice to get some time on the track. I think everyone's going to be super aggressive with taking every advantage that you can take and probably stepping over that line. And if you get caught, you'll get caught, and you'll learn what you can and can't do. So my intention is to go and push the limits as far as I can push them. I'll probably step over them, you know, at different points in time. And I want to know for sure what's going to be called and what wasn't. Allgaier: "Any mistake can be a big mistake here" Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports Chevrolet Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports Chevrolet also asked reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier about the tire packs during his press conference appearance. The JR Motorsports driver said he and Michel Jourdain Jr. have been going over this very topic as he prepares for Saturday's Xfinity race. Advertisement "For us, there are sections with track limits and there are sections without and I think it's going to be interesting because we're in a little bit of a moving target," said Allgaier. "I think track limits can be relaxed or enforced harder based on how aggressive we are, and how much we're trying to make in those sections. The tire packs, or the barriers that they've put in some of the different corners of the racetrack, I think are different than what I expected, until you see it and you feel it and understand it. I mean, even so, (even before making) a lap on track, I'm already changing my approach to a couple of different corners. That's going to be something else that's very interesting to me, is how do we race here? Where are the most effective passing zones?" The tire packs also mean that drivers will have to be extra careful in minimizing mistakes as any off-road excursion could result in significant damage to the car. "Any mistake can be a big mistake here," noted Allgaier. "If you get off and you make a mistake, maybe other than turn one, it has the potential to be a big moment and damage to your car right so without really having the ability to go to a backup car, those are going to be important moments to not have, right." Read Also: Daniel Suarez crashes in Xfinity qualifying disaster, will start last in Mexico Shane van Gisbergen 'hates' racing in the rain, "but I'm good at it" Ryan Truex: 'Crazy few weeks' before his surprise JGR ride in Mexico Daniel Suarez: 'Sky is the limit' when Mexico and US work together To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Stage 3 melee sinks Xfinity victory bids by Zilisch, Gibbs in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY — Through two stages, Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs made strong cases to contend for a cherished victory in Saturday's return of the NASCAR Xfinity Series to Mexico. That strength fizzled when the final stage went green, opening the door for a spirited victory by the host country's stock-car star. Zilisch and Gibbs tangled one last time in the second half of Saturday's The Chilango 150, spoiling their chances at an international win and providing an avenue for Daniel Suárez to score a popular triumph at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The two young drivers combined to lead 33 of the first 40 laps, but carnage at one of the hardest sections of the 2.42-mile circuit involved both front-runners, wrapping up a total of 13 cars in a full-fledged melee. Zilisch, an Xfinity Series rookie for JR Motorsports, rallied from significant damage to place fifth, notching his third consecutive top-five result since returning from injury. Gibbs, a Cup Series regular, settled for 14th for Joe Gibbs Racing in his first Xfinity start of the year. RELATED: | The conflict came in Turn 1, a tight right-hander at the end of the long front straightaway on the 47th of 65 laps, just as Stage 3 set sail. Zilisch's No. 88 Chevrolet entered the corner on the inside of a three-wide battle with Gibbs and Suárez, and the car bounded into the door of Gibbs' No. 19 Toyota after ripping over the curbing. William Sawalich's No. 18 Toyota and others clanged into Zilisch's car as it traveled through the zig-zag second and third turn. Gibbs seemed clear of the fray behind him as Suárez scooted away, but he collided with the No. 1 Chevy of Carson Kvapil. That contact clogged up the exit of Turn 3, where Parker Retzlaff and a host of other drivers piled in. That both drivers were able to continue to the checkered flag was a feat in itself, but the outcomes were far from the win that both hoped would materialize. 'I didn't get a great push down the front straightaway, and Daniel and Ty were able to get alongside me,' said Zilisch, who led the field for the final stage's start. 'Yeah, I just got in a little hot and kind of was bottom three-wide and didn't have a great angle. I think everyone was kind of pinching down on the inside, and yeah, just hit Ty and ended both of our races. So yeah, it's frustrating. I mean, I wish that didn't happen, and if I could have just gotten a better push down the front straight, I think we would have been OK. But yeah, it's tough being bottom three-wide into that first turn. It's so tight with such a big brake zone and you go in a little too hot, it ruins a lot of things.' Gibbs declined comment as he left pit road, but he was more vocal as he radioed back to his No. 19 crew after the incident. 'Did the 88 just bomb it in there or what?' Gibbs asked. When told that his assessment was at least partially correct, Gibbs added: 'The guy did it two times before that, wrecked himself and about 25 other people.' Gibbs led 18 laps — second only to Suárez's 19 — and became the sixth driver to pilot the JGR No. 19 entry this year. The result was less than what crew chief Seth Chavka had hoped for. 'I actually haven't watched the replay yet, so I can't speak on that,' Chavka told 'I mean, it looked like Zilisch got there a little too hot and kind of jacked everybody up. But I mean, like I said, until I see a replay, it's kind of hard for me to say anything about it. We're neck-and-neck with Zilisch. I think we were going to have something for him in Stage 3. I mean, it's all about just managing the gap on the short run. I think we were definitely the best car in the long run. So I mean, I had high hopes that we're gonna come out here; show up here with Ty Gibbs, we expect to win. So a little bummed we couldn't get it done.' The multicar tangle was the final clash in a series of tense exchanges between the two drivers. On Lap 2, Gibbs shoved Zilisch wide through the Turns 1 through 3 area, costing him three spots, and the two also raced closely together into Turn 1 after leaving pit road alongside each other on Lap 38 before the stage break. Zilisch said that the contact was less a byproduct of the tight section of corners, but more attributable to Gibbs. 'It's just Ty,' Zilisch said. 'I mean, he was racing me really hard the whole time, and I was easy to him on the first lap. I kind of let him have it in the first few corners and let him get the lead, and then I was a little bit faster than him. So yeah, when I cleared him down into (Turn) 1, I kind of went in a little bit deep and washed out. … He just got into me and shipped me. So, yeah, I don't think it was just the nature of the corners. I think that was pretty intentional.
