Rafael nasr

Listen to this article Nasr, who won the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2018 and ’21 in Action Express-run Cadillacs, raced for Sauber in F1 in 2015 and ’16 – with a best result of fifth on his grand prix debut in Australia. The 30-year-old Brazilian signed for Porsche’s factory sportscar team at the end of 2021 , winning the GTD Pro class at the Rolex 24 with Pfaff Motorsports' 911 GT3R last year, and has been testing its new 963 challenger “since it was born”. He has racked up thousands of kilometers since its rollout at Weissach, at tracks across both America and Europe. “The addition of the hybrid system reminds me of my F1 days, there’s a lot going on there on the steering wheel for us drivers to see and do,” Nasr told Motorsport.com. “I can’t wait to see the cars racing together. They are wider and longer [than before] – they look badass to me! “It’s a unique feeling to be involved from Day 1 and seeing the 963 being born even before it had hit the … [Read more...] about Nasr: “Badass” Porsche 963 GTP reminds me of F1 hybrid days

Listen to this article GTP Due to poor weather and only two of the new GTP cars taking to the track in Saturday’s two-hour evening session, the class was granted an extra 15mins’ prep before qualifying. Sebastien Bourdais and Alex Lynn were installed in the #01 and #02 Chip Ganassi Racing -run Cadillac V-LMDh entries, Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr took charge of the Team Penske-run Porsche 963s, Philipp Eng was wheeling one of the BMW M Hybrid V8s run by Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Pipo Derani was driving the Action Express Racing Cadillac, Ricky Taylor pedaled the Acura ARX-06 of Wayne Taylor Racing , while the similar car of Meyer Shank Racing was driven by Tom Blomqvist . The #25 BMW missed the session because the car was still in the IMSA tech line. Tandy was the first to get into the 95sec range, with a 1min35.530sec, then lowered the mark to 1:35.349sec, then 1:35.228. Then Blomqvist and Nasr set identical times to each other to draw within 0.08sec, … [Read more...] about Rolex 24: Blomqvist’s Acura beats Nasr’s Porsche to Daytona pole

The 2022-23 season isn't exactly going as planned for the Houston Rockets . Stephen Silas's squad approached the year viewed by many as a scrappy unit worth watching, one who could at best challenge for a play-in spot while at the very least earning a spot as a League Pass darling. The latter scenario hasn't even come to fruition thus far. The Rockets enter Friday night with an NBA-worst 10–31 record . They rank last in offensive rating. No team sports a lower assist percentage, and curiously, the NBA's second-youngest teams sits No. 28 in transition scoring. The Rockets aren't just a rebuilding team. They're sadly one of the league's uglier watches on a given night. Let's not be too dour with a half season remaining on the 2022-23 schedule. The Rockets do show flashes of promise amid the extended stretches of poor play, and there are multiple individual pieces with All-Star potential. Growing that talent into a cohesive group is now the challenge. So how should we … [Read more...] about Houston Rockets report card: Grading Stephen Silas’s squad at midseason

International free agency has brought a handful of key contributors to the Houston Astros over the years, a trend the franchise hopes to continue with its latest group of additions. The Astros announced Sunday that they have reached contract agreements with six position players and three pitchers. Eight of these individuals are from the Dominican Republic, with the other—infielder Sandro Pereira—hailing from Venezuela. Houston assistant general manager Charles Cook said the following in a press release: "We are excited to welcome a new group of international players into our organization as the 2023 signing period begins. Our International Scouting department does a tremendous job leading a cross-departmental effort to identify, evaluate, and acquire amateur talent across the globe. "Today's signings mark the culmination of that process with significant contributions coming not only from our International Scouting staff, but also from our Player Development, Performance … [Read more...] about Houston Astros announce international free agency additions

The Houston Rockets aren't exactly the darlings of the NBA at the moment as they limp to Wednesday night's game vs. Charlotte riding an 11-game losing streak. And on Tuesday, one former Houston player levied some some serious criticism at the current state of the franchise. Current Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall didn't hold back when discussing his time in Houston when appearing on the Run Your Race podcast . Wall, a five-time All-Star, arrived in Houston in early December of 2020, and he said Tuesday he joined the Rockets assuming the franchise was ready to make another playoff run with Wall flanking James Harden. Such plans didn't exactly come to fruition. Harden skipped Rockets' training camp as he demanded a trade, and he was off the roster less than two month's later. "I'm going there thinking James is gonna be there, but he already wants out," Wall said. "When I landed, I'm like, 'What's up? I'm about to land.' He's like, 'Well I’m on my way to Atlanta to go to Lil … [Read more...] about John Wall blasts Rockets’ team culture, levies tanking allegation

The Houston Rockets further entrenched themselves as the NBA's worst team Wednesday night in a 122-117 loss to Charlotte, marking the team's 12th straight defeat and their 17th over the last 18 games. After back-to-back seasons with a top-three pick, general manager Rafael Stone and Co. project to have another top pick in June's draft, armed with another swing at a franchise-changing talent. Though as we've been reminded time and again across the last three seasons, in a rebuild, nothing is guaranteed. Stone has what appears to be an easy decision on his hands if the lottery gods reward Houston at May's draft lottery. Land the top pick, and Victor Wembanyama will be the next player to have his face adorning the Toyota Tundra garage. Land the second pick, and it's almost guaranteed point guard and G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson comes to Houston. Things get a bit trickier from there. The Rockets have at-best a 14 percent chance of landing Wembanyama in May's lottery, and … [Read more...] about Which college basketball talents should Rockets’ fans keep their eyes on?

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason had a simple message for his team before Monday's 119-114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Eason and the Rockets entered the contest losers of thirteen straight , with the losing streak taking an increasing toll on the spirit of the NBA's second-youngest team. Following a Saturday night loss in Minnesota that featured just 10 points from second-year standout Jalen Green and numerous instances of poor effort, a late-January matchup seemed to take on heightened importance. The rookie out of LSU urged his teammates to bring increased energy out of the gate. "I just told the team before the game, 'be desperate,' and I think that’s what we did tonight," Eason said. "Everybody played desperate. Everybody played their tails off." It was more than Eason's words that fueled the Rockets as they leapt out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter. Eason stuffed the stat sheet in the opening frame, tallying seven points, four rebounds, two … [Read more...] about Houston Rockets’ Tari Eason showcases veteran traits in growing role

In early January, as the Houston Rockets looked to snap what would become a 13-game losing streak , a sleepy morning shootaround saw a jolt in intensity as assistant coach John Lucas barked out orders during a 3-on-3 drill. Lucas implored Houston's backup bigs to bring more energy as screeners, though largely, his ire was directed at young guards Josh Christopher and TyTy Washington. Lazy entry passes drew Lucas' patented hoarse yell, and breaks between possessions were few and far between. For a pair of players often absent from the Rockets' in-game rotation, these practice reps take on increased importance. "They're not always on the floor, so that's a situation where we can get them in competitive situations," Lucas told Chron.com. "With limited time, we're still working to get them ready for when they're called [upon]." The Rockets are engaging in a bit of a delicate dance as they trudge through Year 3 of their rebuild. General manager Rafael Stone took the prudent … [Read more...] about How young Houston Rockets guards are navigating uncertain playing time

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration quietly ousted its former top official in Mexico last year over improper contact with lawyers for narcotraffickers, an embarrassing end to a brief tenure marked by deteriorating cooperation between the countries and a record flow of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl across the border. Nicholas Palmeri’s socializing and vacationing with Miami drug lawyers, detailed in confidential records viewed by The Associated Press, brought his ultimate downfall following just a 14-month stint as DEA’s powerful regional director supervising dozens of agents across Mexico, Central America and Canada. But separate internal probes raised other red flags, including complaints of lax handling of the coronavirus pandemic that resulted in two sickened agents having to be airlifted out of the country. And another disclosed this past week … [Read more...] about DEA Mexico chief quietly ousted over ties to drug lawyers