kgkiradio.com back on line

Some of the fans of kgkiradio.com have probably been wondering why the web site has not been updated lately. I have been on a one year hiatias due to a job change. I can now again keep you updated on all that is racing. Please enjoy the site as many new changes will start in the next month.

Red Bull Driver Sebastian Vettel Wins in Malaysia

SEPANG, Malaysia — Spurred by the disappointment of mechanical failures that cost him victory in the Formula One season’s opening two races, Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel led from start to finish to win Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

After the team’s championship hopes had been written off due to queries over the reliability of its cars, Red Bull answered in the best possible way — Vettel leading a 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Mark Webber.

Vettel led in Bahrain and Australia before his car let him down mid-race but there was no easing up Sunday, the German passing pole-sitter Webber in the run to the first corner at Sepang circuit and leading throughout as forecast rain stayed away.

“A very good result for us, especially for me, after two races where we didn’t finish where we wanted to be,” Vettel said. “Racing cars are built on the limit and sometimes they break.

“We want to fight for the championship.”

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was a distant third, with Renault’s Robert Kubica a comfortable fourth. Force India’s Adrian Sutil took fifth, impressively holding off McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who had stormed up from 20th on the grid to third before he pitted.

Webber gave up the lead when he spun his tires trying to get off the line and had to settle for second after a close battle into the fourth turn on the first lap. He pushed Vettel in the early laps, but that pressure eased when a stuck wheel gun made for a slow pit stop. Read the story »

Amateur superstar Tomac set to turn pro with GEICO Powersports Honda team

HOUSTON (April 4) — The GEICO Powersports Honda team took a well deserved weekend off for Easter before starting the home stretch of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series season on April 10 at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

The Supercross season winding down means the outdoor Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross season is just around the corner. GEICO Powersports Honda will be getting a new team member, Eli Tomac, when the outdoor season starts.

Tomac has been tearing up the amateur ranks, and in fact, blew away the competition in winning his last two amateur races earlier this year.

“I went into Lake Whitney in Texas well-trained,” Tomac said. “Me and my dad (cycling icon John Tomac) prepared really well for it. I kind of had the feeling I was going to win, but you never know. We had taken a lot of time off from November to March, so I really wasn’t sure where I was at.

“I won all my motos there, then went into Oak Hill with a ton of confidence and I made it happen there too.”

Tomac said he can’t wait to join the GEICO Powersports team and face the new challenge of racing as a pro. Read the story »

Substance Abuse Behind Them; Brian Rose, Shane Hmiel Back Racing

Shane Hmiel back racing; Brian Rose back in NASCAR: Former NASCAR driver Shane Hmiel won a USAC Midget race last week at Hickory Motor Speedway. He returned to race again the next night, turning the fastest speed in qualifying and hoping for another $3,000 winner’s payday, only to see rain wash away those hopes. A handful of people milled around the pits and maybe a few hundred people sat in the grandstands as Hmiel and his one crewman worked on his car. It was a long way from pit road at Bristol Motor Speedway, the site of his last Sprint Cup race five years ago. It was a long way from victory lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he won a NASCAR Truck Series race in 2004. Read the story »

Martinsville Race and Rain causes TV Rating Tumble

NASCAR ON FOX was wiped out this weekend when wet weather forced postponement of racing from Martinsville Speedway. The race was made up on Monday afternoon and aired nationally on FOX affiliates. Because the race aired on a weekday afternoon, no national rating will be released until next Thursday. The overnight rating for the race was a 2.1/6. The last FOX race to be rained out and made up on a Monday was last year’s Coca-Cola 600, but that’s not really a fair comparison because the make-up date was the memorial Day holiday, and as a result the make-up earned a 3.3/8 in the metered markets. The better comparison is to the 2008 Auto Club Speedway race, which was made up on a normal Monday and earned an overnight rating of 2.3/7. In 2009 the final Martinsville Ratings were 4.6/10 [with an overnight of 4.1/9*] and 7.4 million viewers. The Martinsville race is excluded from FOX’s season-to-date total, which remains a 5.6/12 (9.3 million viewers). However, last year’s Martinsville race stays in the 2009 average, and because it was a mediocre rating FOX’s year-to-year comparison has improved since last week without actually running a race. FOX’s 5.6/12 for the season is now down -7% compared to last year’s final 6.0/12 for FOX. Last weeks final TV Ratings for Bristol were flat vs. 2010 with a 4.4 rating and a 10 share [was 4.5/10 in 2009].

NASCAR News April 3rd

Denny Hamlin Resting at Home after Knee Surgery

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is home resting following surgery on his left knee.

Patrick Connor repaired the anterior cruciate ligament in Hamlin’s left knee Wednesday morning outside Charlotte. Hamlin tore his ACL playing basketball in January.

He wanted to postpone surgery until after the NASCAR season, but decided to have it repaired this week. The surgery had been postponed from Monday, the same day Hamlin won his first race of the season at Martinsville Speedway.

Hamlin moved up four spots in the standings to 15th and is just 24 points out the top 12 and a spot in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup to determine the champion.

Joe Gibbs Racing says Hamlin will drive as scheduled in the April 10 race at Phoenix, but Casey Mears will be on standby as a relief driver.

“He will start rehab immediately, and now we can concentrate on getting his knee back to full strength, said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR.

“The doctors tell us it will improve with each passing week and that he cannot damage it by driving.”

The Series is off this weekend.

Mark Webber on F1 Pole

SEPANG, Malaysia — Red Bull driver Mark Webber took the pole position for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix after a chaotic rain-swept qualifying session on Saturday, while the McLarens and Ferraris will start near the back after badly misjudging the weather.

Webber’s time of 1 minute 49.327 seconds around the Sepang circuit put him in front of Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg— who will start on the front row of a grand prix for the first time — and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

The third and final part of qualifying was red flagged and suspended for 18 minutes due to the amount of standing water on the track.

When it restarted, Webber profited by being the only one of the top 10 drivers to take a risk and switch to intermediate tires rather than the full wets, and avoided the puddles to take the third pole of his career, and the third straight for Red Bull in the three races so far this season. Read the story »