Posted: 04 Mar 2010 08:08 AM PST

Three weeks into the season and it's time to empty out the ol' notebook ...

So far this season, the most compelling ongoing story is "the pothole" that nearly ate the Daytona 500. Daytona International Speedway reacted quickly and the fix -- using reinforced concrete -- was comprehensive and should be effective.

You can barely see where the patch is, since the final step in the repair was to shade it the same relative color as the surrounding asphalt.

But from the public's standpoint, the "cover-up" appears to be a little bemusing. No one was actually convinced it was necessary to educate race fans and any other curiosity seekers about how big it is -- a little bit longer than two car-lengths and a little more than a car-width wide.

Daytona's annual Bike Week races are ongoing, but even if the two-wheeled rockets went over the patched area, they wouldn't affect it.

A non-spectator Sports Car Club of America event is scheduled in May, but with very few heavy, high-horsepower cars in their class, that event will be inconsequential. Even a scheduled test of the Nationwide Series' "new car," scheduled for later in May, will have minimal impact.

For better or worse, the real test will unfortunately come when practice opens for the Coke Zero 400 with plenty of heavy, relatively high-horsepower, set-to-drag-the-pavement race cars ready to rumble.

Classy guy

Ricky Carmichael may be the "Greatest of All Time" when it comes to the Supercross and motocross world, but he's making a lot of mileage in his NASCAR career with an abundance of class.

Carmichael was scheduled to be on NASCAR's weekly teleconference advancing the Truck Series race at Atlanta. More than 25 minutes went by with the waiting media on hold.

Carmichael eventually did his session but before signing off, apologized for losing the call-in number and scrambling his butt off to get connected. "If you need me, any time, call me or come by the truck," Carmichael said, and there was no mistaking the fact he meant it.

He offered another gem when asked to compare his AMA career and NASCAR.

"Everyone has the talent to be here," Carmichael said -- knowing he could be speaking of either discipline -- bikes or cars. "So sometimes, the only way you can separate yourself from the rest is to commit yourself to out-working them." (Continued)

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"Automotive Industry in Australia" Published - PR Inside

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 08:30 AM PST

2010-03-04 17:29:20 - New Manufacturing market report from IBISWorld: "Automotive Industry in Australia"

This Industry Market Research report from IBISWorld provides a detailed analysis of the Automotive Industry in Australia industry, including key growth trends, statistics, forecasts, the competitive environment including market shares and the key issues facing the industry.

Industry Definition

This industry includes car manufacturers, parts suppliers, car dealers and mechanics. These companies are generally engaged in the design, research, development, manufacture,

selling, and maintenance of motor vehicles and parts. Motor vehicles refer to cars, utes, station wagons, SUVs and people movers that are either sold to the general public or to businesses and the Government. The report does not cover vans, motorcycles, buses or heavy commercial vehicles such as trucks.

Report Contents

The About this Industry chapter provides general information about the scope of the industry such as an industry definition and a list of the main activities of the industry.

The Industry at a Glance chapter provides a brief snapshot of the key indicators of the industry such as industry revenue and forecast growth rate.

The Industry Performance chapter covers the following: Executive Summary, Key External Drivers, Current Performance, Industry Outlook and Industry Life Cycle. The Executive Summary section is a brief summary of the overall chapter. The Key External Drivers section looks at the key factors outside the control of an individual business that determine the industry's performance. The Current Performance section provides analysis for the industry over the past five years with key performance indicators discussed. The Industry Outlook section is a key analysis section of the report and outlines expectations for the key industry indicators over the next five year period, including forecasts. The Industry Life Cycle section provides a discussion of where the industry is at in its life cycle and how that is affecting industry performance.

The Products & Markets chapter covers the following: Supply Chain, Products & Services, Demand Determinants, Major Markets, International Trade and Business Locations. The Supply Chain section lists the key buying and key selling industries associated with this industry. The Products & Services section lists the products and services the industry provides including percentage breakdowns by key segment. The Demand Determinants section provides an analysis of the determinants behind the level of demand for the industry's products. The Major Markets section gives an analysis of the markets for the industry's products and how these markets may have changed over time. The International Trade section provides a discussion of the importance of trade to the industry. The Business Locations section highlights where the industry operates and why.

The Competitive Landscape chapter is a discussion of the characteristics of an average operator in the industry and who controls the market for the products of the industry. It includes the following sections: Market Share Concentration, Key Success Factors, Cost Structure Benchmarks, Basis of Competition, Barriers to Entry and Industry Globalization. The Market Share Concentration section discusses the level of concentration of the industry. The Key Success Factors section looks at the key internal factors that contribute to the success of an operator in the industry. The Cost Structure Benchmarks section discusses the average costs faced by operators in the industry. The Basis of Competition section is a discussion of the factors that can give a company in this industry a competitive edge. The Barriers to Entry section looks at the factors preventing new companies from entering the industry. The Industry Globalization section provides an indication to which the industry is affected by global operations and trends.

The Major Companies chapter analyses the companies that have the most substantial influence on the industry. Market Share figures and a discussion of the major companies operations within the industry are given where possible.

The Operating Conditions chapter covers the following: Structural Risk Index, Investment Requirements, Technology & Systems, Industry Volatility, Regulation & Policy, Industry Assistance and Taxation Issues. The Structural Risk Index section provides an indicator of the level of risk faced by operators in the industry. The Investment Requirements section is an analysis of the level of capital investment required to operate in the industry. The Technology & Systems section discusses the key technologies used by the industry. The Industry Volatility section looks at the level of in the industry and the factors behind this volatility. The Regulation & Policy section looks in to the regulatory measures the industry is subject to and the corresponding compliance burden faced by operators in the industry. The Industry Assistance section discusses the level of assistance the industry receives from Government. The Taxation Issues gives a comparison between the level of tax burden on this industry compared to other industries and discusses industry-specific taxation measures placed upon it.

The Key Statistics chapter provides the key indicators for the industry for at least the last three years. The statistics included are industry revenue, industry value added (or gross product), establishments, enterprises, employment, exports, imports, wages, domestic demand and any relevant industry-specific data where appropriate. There is also a Historical Performance section that discusses the key past events that have determined industry performance.

For more information or to purchase this report, go to:
- www.fastmr.com/prod/51434_automotive_industry_in_australia.aspx

About IBISWorld

IBISWorld's Industry Intelligence can assist in making better business decisions about strategies and revenue generation by gaining an instant understanding of an unfamiliar or familiar industry faster & more conveniently than previously possible. IBISWorld is a powerful business tool to learn about existing clients or potential clients' core industries of involvement & how changes to those industries can have an impact on you or your organization. IBISWorld's reports cover over 700 United States industries – everything from Shoes Stores to Gold Ore Mining and all industries in between. In addition to their core Industry Report product, they also publish over 700 US Industry Risk Rating Reports, over 700 Industry Profiles, over 8000 Publicly Traded US Companies as well as hundreds of Economic & Demographic Profiles. View more research from IBISWorld at www.fastmr.com/catalog/publishers.aspx?pubid=1007

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.

For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

TV SportsWatch - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 07:04 AM PST

(AP) — Live, same-day, and delayed national TV sports coverage for week of Monday, March 1 through Sunday, March 7. Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts.

SPEED-NASCAR, Truck Series, practice for Atlanta 200, at Hampton, Ga.

SPEED-NASCAR, Sprint Cup, practice for Kobalt Tools 500, at Hampton, Ga.

SPEED-NASCAR, Truck Series, final practice for Atlanta 200, at Hampton, Ga.

SPEED-NASCAR, Sprint Cup, pole qualifying for Kobalt Tools 500, at Hampton, Ga.

ESPN2-Junior lightweights, Martin Honorio (27-4-1) vs. Wilton Hilario (12-0-1), at Temecula, Calif.

TGC-European PGA Tour, Malaysian Open, second round, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (same-day tape)

TGC-PGA Tour, The Honda Classic, second round, at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

TGC-Champions Tour, Toshiba Classic, first round, at Newport Beach, Calif. (same-day tape)

ESPN2-Kent St. at Akron

SPEED-Daytona Bike Week, at Daytona Beach, Fla. (same-day tape)

ESPN-Detroit at Cleveland

ESPN-New Orleans at San Antonio