Iraqi head seeks arms

WHEN Lyle Lovett went to Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein last Sunday -- it's the church his family has attended forever -- several members congratulated him on headlining the upcoming RodeoHouston. "I could tell from the greetings that, finally, because I'm playing the rodeo, I'm doing OK. This (music career) might work out," he says with a grin. The 43-year-old singer-songwriter, who has won several Grammy Awards and acted in movies (he's a favorite of director Robert Altman 's), is thrilled about performing at the rodeo for the first time, on Feb. 19. But if music is Lovett's passion, motorcycles rank a close second. When Lovett was 7, his family vacationed in Galveston. His father rented a small Honda sport bike, and they took a ride on the beach. "It was exhilarating. I had never felt anything like it," he recalls. "And I felt comfortable and safe, because I had my arms around my dad." Ever since that day on the beach, Lovett has held intense feelings about … [Read more...] about Lyle Lovett found peace on the seat of a Harley

What kind of a Formula 1 team is Williams Racing? Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free For the last two-and-a-half years, Williams Grand Prix Engineering, formerly owned by its founder family, has been in a state of transition. Its new owners, American investment firm Dorilton, have invested considerable time, effort and funds to rebuild neo-Williams in their own image. Through swanky promotional films with Hollywood actors or hosting public exhibitions during grand prix weekends to bring the team to the fans, Williams has sought to write a new narrative for itself while still proudly embracing its illustrious heritage. But while the team appears to have clarity over how it wishes to present itself, it has struggled to find its footing on the race track in that same time. Rooted to the rear of the grid, sucked into the black hole that tends to hold down any team that falls to the back of the field, Williams would have been disappointed with their 2022 … [Read more...] about Is this the year Williams break free from the back of the grid? · RaceFans

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 11 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union is taking another big step toward cutting its energy ties with Russia. The 27-nation bloc is banning Russian refined oil products like diesel fuel and joining the U.S. and other allies in imposing a price cap on sales to non-Western countries. Europe's ban takes effect Sunday following its embargo on coal and most oil from Russia. The move is meant to further slash reliance on Russian energy and payments into the Kremlin's war chest as the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine nears. The newest energy sanctions have risks: Diesel prices have already jumped since the war started on Feb. 24, and there's uncertainty about how the EU embargo and price cap by the Group of Seven major democracies will affect the market for a fuel crucial to the global economy. Most things people buy or eat … [Read more...] about How will EU ban and West’s price cap on Russian diesel work?

Mattel is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Matchbox brand by introducing a line of limited-edition die-cast vehicles that pay tribute to its heritage of producing highly detailed toy vehicles. The celebratory line will feature special platinum details and be available in seven different assortments, showcasing iconic vehicles from around the world over the past seven decades. The limited-edition toy vehicles will be available throughout the year and are the first of several celebrations that the brand has planned for 2023. "We are so excited to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Matchbox and the trusted legacy this brand has imprinted on kids and collectors all over the world," said Roberto Stanichi, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Vehicles at Mattel. "We look forward to continuing to redefine the die-cast category as we move towards a more sustainable future." In line with this, a portion of the 70th-anniversary collection is made from recycled zinc. It's also … [Read more...] about Matchbox Marks 70th Year With Toy Vehicles Made From Recycled Zinc

Jost Capito has praised new Williams team principal James Vowles and said he has given his congratulations, after taking over his role at the team. Capito confirmed that “exhaustion” played a part in his decision to take a sudden step away from Williams and Formula 1 at the end of 2022, with former Mercedes strategy director Vowles being approached to take on the role he vacated. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff did not stand in his way, allowing Vowles to head to Grove and take on his first team principal role in Formula 1 with Williams. But for Capito, he feels Vowles is a fine choice to pick up where he left off with the team, with the challenge ahead of pulling themselves off the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship in 2023. “Yes, I’ve already worked closely with James, also with Mercedes and their drivers,” Capito told Auto Bild in Germany. “He’s incredibly competent, I like him a lot and he’s also a great person. I congratulated him accordingly, of course.” … [Read more...] about Jost Capito delivers his verdict on his Williams replacement James Vowles

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said that Formula 1 can be like the NFL with the amount of people who are changing teams. As all 10 teams go to battle on the track, there is an army of personnel at each team making that possible, and these days, the people have an even more important role to play. With a budget cap now active in Formula 1, it means that the talent level within the team’s personnel, rather than the size of their budget, is key. It is no surprise then that the teams are constantly battling to bring the best people onboard, and Hamilton says this leads to changing faces on a regular basis. Recently Red Bull brought in a chunk of staff from Mercedes for Red Bull Powertrains, while Aston Martin’s recruitment drive has seen them snatch several people from Red Bull, including their former head of aero Dan Fallows, who is now Aston Martin technical director. “In my team there are 2000 people,” Hamilton said in a UBS/Mercedes interview. “It is actually over 2000 … [Read more...] about Lewis Hamilton likens in-team ‘silly season’ to NFL player trading

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 DALLAS (AP) — Texas high school quarterbacks guru Todd Dodge got what he wanted when Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia won their conference championship games. “I really like Joe Burrow,” Dodge said with a chuckle in reference to Cincinnati's star quarterback, “but I'm not going to root for Joe Burrow over Patrick Mahomes, that Texas quarterback.” The Mahomes-Hurts matchup is the first showdown between a pair of Texas high school signal QBs and the latest milestone for a football-crazy state once known much more for Earl Campbell and Eric Dickerson than whoever was handing off to those future Pro Football Hall of Fame running backs. Dodge, a recently retired high school coach who won seven state championships, played a big role in the start of the transformation around 1980. He was the quarterback for what he considered the father of … [Read more...] about Mahomes-Hurts matchup rep Texas prep QBs on Super Bowl stage

Max Verstappen has said Red Bull “never really talk about” their budget cap penalty and how it may impact their season, instead wanting to focus on developing the best car possible for 2023. Red Bull head into the year off the back of being found guilty of a ‘minor overspend breach’ of the 2021 budget cap, for which the team was fined $7million, though the effects of the penalty may not be felt until this year, as part of their punishment contains a 10% reduction in CFD [computational fluid dynamics] resources for the season, which directly impacts their time in the wind tunnel. In theory, this will mean there is less scope for Red Bull to develop the RB19 as the season progresses – with the team being forced to pick and choose when they want to use their allocated wind tunnel runs even more carefully as a result of the penalty. Along with being allowed the fewest wind tunnel runs of any team as reigning Constructors’ champions, this further penalty will give extra time to their … [Read more...] about Max Verstappen denies budget cap penalty ‘hanging over’ Red Bull development

On the back of Ferrari’s strongest Friday – and Red Bull’s weakest – for many months in Hungary, cynical observers questioned just how Ferrari would manage to end up being beaten to pole position on Saturday. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free As it turned out, those expectations were well founded. But it was not Max Verstappen who denied Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc pole position at the Hungaroring and nor was it Sergio Perez. It was not even the man with the most poles in the history of Formula 1 – Lewis Hamilton. Instead, Ferrari were stunned by George Russell , who delivered a fantastic final lap to deny Sainz and take a shock maiden pole position of his career, despite not setting a single fastest sector in the process. For Mercedes, it was a stunning turnaround from their poor Friday – and no one was more stunned than the team themselves. “It’s a total unknown,” Russell admitted. “We’ve turned the car upside down since yesterday.” … [Read more...] about Is Mercedes’ mystery “big step forward” enough for Russell to beat Ferrari? · RaceFans