Russ Bond Motorsport Report: Alonso Again!

Renault's Fernando Alonso has won his second Grand Prix in a row. After winning

Have a good look at this photo and guess who is about to get a penalty. (Photo: Ferrari)

in Singapore, using luck more than anything, Alonso used speed and the brutal mistakes from the championship contenders to take the win at the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji last weekend.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who was on the pole, saw his race start to come undone as soon as the red lights went out. He was mauled on the way to the first turn and made a pathetic attempt to hold his position. He pushed out Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the first turn – something he would be penalized for later on. It got worse for Hamilton when Ferrari's Felipe Massa, the other championship contender, clobbered him in an attempt to thwart and overtaking maneuver – something Massa got penalized for later on.

Just so you know, in F1 these days you can get penalized for pushing someone to the outside of the track – no contact is necessary any more. Oh, and it's purely biased. Why did Hamilton get penalized for his first turn move?

Fernando Alonso won his second race in a row in the surprisingly competitive Renault. (Photo: Renault F1)

He was taken down over the pit lane when he attempted to pass another driver, but that driver didn't get a penalty for that... how is it any different? Ahhh, the wonderful eyes of F1.

Anyhow, there is a championship to be won. If Ferrari wins, Massa should share the trophy with the FIA – they did just as much to let him win as he did... it seems only fair.

With Alonso winning, and Massa taking a brilliant seventh, and Hamilton out of the points, Massa is just five behind the Brit with two races to go. Alonso, also on the strength of his win, can now delay his decision on where to drive next year, as clearly Renault wants him back, Honda will pay big bucks, and Ferrari is still in the mix if you factor in Raikkonen's sub par performances as of late.

Next up is China, get ready for more penalties, more suspense, and yes, more idiotic moves from what are supposed to be the best drivers on the planet.

Montreal Gone for 2009
While we all follow the antics of the 2008 World Championship in Formula 1,

I like to go to the F1 race in Montreal as much as anyone else, but just who is to blame for the latest mess is anybody's guess. (Photo: Renault F1)

the organizers of the Canadian Grand Prix were in shock when they got a call from the Montreal media asking for quotes on the Canadian Grand Prix not being on the 2009 schedule.

That this came as a shock to the organizers is kind of a surprise in itself, as the word I hear is that they failed to make a payment on time. Bernie Ecclestone is not one to be messed with, and he promptly left the race off the schedule.

Now all Montreal is up in arms, the city looking at loosing 100 million in tourist dollars that weekend, and even the Mayor is on the bandwagon. The bottom line on this is, a) pay the money you owe – forget the fact that they probably doubled the sanctioning fee for 2009... this is F1 after all, and b) pave that bloody track.

After the mess last year at F1, for sure they won't come back when drivers called it more of a motocross track than an F1 track.

Of course, it's not all bad news. The open date if F1 doesn't come back would be a great opportunity to try to get a Sprint Cup

If Montreal does go away on the F1 schedule, I'm quite happy to watch Mr. Fellows kick some Nascar butt at Montreal. (Photo: Jim Leggett, www.painkillerz.ca)

race there... you know those races, 43 cars, lots of action, fan friendly drivers and huge crowds.

I know that won't happen, but having a Cup race in Montreal would actually be a better idea than F1 in the first place. We can only watch 20 cars in a parade, with the race stewards dreaming up new rules every weekend for so long.

Burton Claims Charlotte
Jeff Burton, one of the better Cup drivers out there, took a win at Charlotte in the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson's fast start to the Chase for the Sprint Cup, have left most on their back foot, but Burton hasn't been willing to concede the trophy to the two-time defending champion.

Burton held off Kasey Kahne for the win, and points leader Johnson was back in sixth after having a dominant car early on. Two of the top chasers had problems: Carl Edwards had a mysterious electrical problem that cost him 18 laps, and Dale Earnhardt Jr blew a tire that put him in the wall just one lap before a scheduled stop.

It seems that Johnson is already the master at running the chase, taking points where he can, and giving some up if the risk it too big. He, and crew chief Chad Knaus are on the same

Jeff Burton celebrates winning the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The win moved Burton into second place in the standings, 69 points behind Jimmie Johnson. (Photo: Rusty Jarrett, Getty Images for NASCAR)

page when it comes to the chase, and even though we are only halfway through, it would be hard for anyone to catch Johnson.

The biggest hurdle for Johnson will probably be this weekend at Martinsville. Like Talladega, Martinsville is a crap shoot when it comes to luck, and really Johnson doesn't have a huge cushion, but even a 39th place finish would cost him the chase.