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Alonso interview, part 2: He says F1-Indy crossovers boost racing

Fernando Alonso said his racing in this Sunday's Indy 500 spurred great interest in Spain and that other Formula One drivers crossing over would benefit both U.S. racing and Formula One. "I think Formula One needs North America and maybe North America needs more of Formula One than what we currently have," Alonso told Reuters on Tuesday. "I think its a win-win situation," the Spaniard said about the potential impact of more F1 drivers following his example and crossing over between the circuits. Alonso said he understood that interest back home in the Indy 500 had spiked by 800 percent. "For the fans, from what I see now in Spain and Europe, it is amazing the interest in the Indy 500 this year compared to any other year," he said. "Everyone in Spain, they are waiting for May 28 to watch the race. I received many messages from fans in social media saying, 'thanks for showing us this race because I never watched it before and I absolutely love it.'" Alonso also believes U.S. fans will become more intrigued by Formula One as they get to know those drivers. "Hopefully from now on the interest in Formula One in the US will be growing," he said. "We have new owners of Formula One, (U.S.-based) Liberty Media, and I think they have some good plans to build interest here." Alonso decided to skip this week's Monaco Grand Prix, which he has won twice, to try and add the Indy 500 as his second leg to a rare Triple Crown of Motorsport. The Spaniard hopes to emulate Graham Hill, who in 1972 became the first to complete the Formula One championship, Indy and Le Mans 24 Hours collection of titles. "The Triple Crown, I think that's the ultimate goal of any racing driver," said Alonso. "Only one man has achieved that in motor sports and that shows how difficult it is to do that." Alonso said he expects no problem adjusting back to Formula One after his Indy sojourn. "My skills, and my driving techniques are developed in Formula One cars. I think when I get back there it will be an immediate adaptation." With his contract up after this season with the poorly performing McLaren-Honda team, Alonso remained tight-lipped about his future. "After the summer I will consider what are the options out there," he said.Part 1 of this interview: F1 veteran gears up for his rookie run at Indy Reporting by Larry FineRelated Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Drive A McLaren | The List #650

2012 Honda NC700X

Honda Builds The Crossover Of Bikes
Here in the land of Harleys and highways that stretch to infinity, Americans don't care much for sensible motorcycles. Unlike the majority of global bike buyers, North Americans tend to choose escape over utility, performance over practicality - that's simply how it's been done in the land of the free, at least until a funny thing happened on the way to the global recession.
As bank balances thinned and fuel prices crept skyward, sales of puffed up sportbikes and cartoonishly endowed cruisers plummeted. Americans rediscovered that motorcycles could be used for tasks like workaday commutes and trips to the grocery store, not just for riding into a Marlboro Man-approved sunset, fringe in tow. As consumers matured, manufacturers slowly responded with bikes better suited for purposeful priorities.

Honda Civic Type R against CBR1000RR in one-lap track battle

Honda is trying hard to claw back the performance-oriented image it gradually lost over the years, one little bit at a time. One of the biggest steps in that rejuvenation yet to reach the public is the latest Civic Type R, but it isn't available in the US – at least not yet. The turbocharged hot hatch is in the UK, though, and to see what it's got Auto Express has a one-lap race ready against a CBR1000RR Fireblade SP sport bike. To help their lap times, professional racers are piloting both the bike and the car. With 306 horsepower on tap, the Type R is certainly no slouch, but it gets an extra advantage here with a 10-second head start off the line at the Rockingham International Circuit for this battle. Will that be enough to erase the power-to-weight advantage of the sportbike? We're not going to spoil it for you. Watch the video above to see the classic two-wheels-vs-four battle play out, one more time.