Marquez Extends MotoGP Lead with Win at Aragon MotoGP

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Marquez is still the man to beat in the MotoGP race…

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer extended his points lead on Sunday by winning the Aragon MotoGP, although his victory came only after he played a part in the crash of Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.

Marquez grazed the back of Pedrosa’s bike when he was trying to pass him with 18 laps to go, causing Pedrosa to lose control and slide down the track with sparks flying.

“I touched him a little with the front of my bike, and they tell me I may have broken a cable and that’s why he fell,” said Marquez. “It was very unlucky. That doesn’t usually happen.”

Marquez went on to overtake defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, who had jumped ahead with a great start on his Yamaha.

Marquez finished the race at the 5-kilometer (3.15-miles) MotorLand Aragon circuit in 42 minutes, 3.4 seconds. Lorenzo ended up 1.3 seconds behind.

“We knew before the race that it was going to be tough,” said Lorenzo. “We had a lot of difficulties this weekend. The bike was unstable. But there are no excuses. Marc was faster and he deserved to win.”

Valentino Rossi finished third, more than 12 seconds back on his Yamaha, ending a run of four straight fourth-place finishes.

Marquez’s sixth win of the season gave him one more than Lorenzo and broke his closest challenger’s run of winning the previous two races.

Marquez is aiming to become the first rookie to win the championship since American Kenny Roberts in 1978.

Marquez leads Lorenzo by 39 points with four races left. Pedrosa came in level on points with Lorenzo in second place but now trails Marquez by 59.

Pedrosa, who won here last year, had to be carried off the track by the medical crew. He later said that he was fine except for some pain in his pelvis.

Isaac’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” to be Screened at the AFI Fest

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac will be the closing act at the AFI Fest…

The 33-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor’s latest film, the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, will be the screened during the AFI Fest’s Closing Night Gala on Thursday, November 14.

Isaac’s film, which co-stars Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund and Justin Timberlake, won the Grand Prix when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in May.

The film follows a week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.

Inside Llewyn Davis will also be screened at the New York Film Festival and be the center of a concert benefit later this year.

CBS Films will release the film in theaters starting December 6.

Isaac to Perform Live at Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of “Inside Llewyn Davis”

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac will be singing the blues to promote his latest film…

The 33-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor will be performing at Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis, based on the film which stars Isaac as struggling musician meandering through New York City’s 1960s folk scene.

In addition to Isaac, the benefit concert – which shines a spotlight on the Joel and Ethan Coen-directed film that earned the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival in May – will feature performances by Avett Brothers, Joan Baez, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Marcus Mumford, Conor Oberst, Patti Smith, Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings and Jack White. Additionally, the films other stars Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and Stark Sands are set to perform.

The benefit concert will take place on September 29 at The Town Hall in New York City.

The folk bill is inspired by the Coen brothers film. Joel and Ethan Coen and T Bone Burnett are producing the event, with some of the proceeds benefiting the National Recording Preservation Foundation.

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, August 21.

CBS Films will release Inside Llewyn Davis on December 6.

Márquez Makes History in Winning the Indianapolis Grand Prix

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the power of three for Marc Márquez …

The 20-year-old rookie Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle rider, who’d already broken a record at Indianapolis Grand Prix a day earlier, took the lead on Sunday with a smart inside pass midway through the race, saved his wobbly bike two turns later and then pulled away from the pack for a 3.495-second victory over Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.

In the process, Márquez became only the third rider in MotoGP history, and the first rookie, to win three races in one country in the same season. Marquez’s fourth win of the season also tied Kenny Roberts‘ single-season rookie record, set in 1978, and gave Marquez his fifth straight win on U.S. soil.

“It will be my second country,” he said after dousing himself with the traditional champagne. “We had the perfect weekend.”

For the Spanish star with the increasingly impressive resume, Sunday’s victory was another major milestone.

Marquez has now won three straight races, the longest overall streak by a rookie since Roberts. He joined two-time world champions Jorge Lorenzo, of Spain, and Casey Stoner, of Australia, as the only riders in series history to pull off a three-race season sweep in one nation.

Marquez extended his lead to 21 points over Pedrosa, who is still trying to recover from a broken collarbone he sustained earlier this season.

Marquez came into the race a heavy favorite after posting the fastest times in both practice rounds Friday and Saturday and becoming the first MotoGP rider to break the 1 minute, 38-second barrier with his record pole-winning run Saturday.

“I feel good in the USA, I won the three races here,” he said. “Now we go back to Europe and try to do the same thing.”

Márquez Makes History at the Indianapolis Grand Prix

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

He may be a newbie, but Marc Márquez is already making sports history in his rookie season…

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle rider dominated the Indianapolis Grand Prix, winning the pole Saturday with a fast lap of 1 minute, 37.958 seconds, easily besting Jorge Lorenzo’s time of 1:38.471 and shredding Dani Pedrosa‘s year-old record of 1:38.813.

In the process, Marquez became the first MotoGP rider to crack the 1:38 mark on Indy’s 2.621-mile, 16-turn road course, outdueling a two-time world champion and the only two-time Indy winner in the process.

“(Sunday) will be a tough race because everybody is struggling quite a lot at the end of the race with the tire,” Marquez said. “I think we have a good base. We are ready for to fight for the win.”

In April, at Texas, Marquez became the youngest winner in series history. In July, at Laguna Seca, Marquez became the youngest rider to win back-to-back races in series history. He’s the first MotoGP rider since 1978 to win more than two races as a rookie, and he came to Indianapolis leading the points chase.

Marquez led both practice sessions Friday, both practice sessions Saturday and took the early lead in qualifying. Then, with three minutes left in the 15-0 minute qualifying session, he finally broke Pedrosa’s record.

Spain wound up taking each of the top three starting spots. Lorenzo, the 2009 Indy winner who competes for Yamaha Factory Racing, finished second. Pedrosa, the defending Indy champ and Marquez’s teammate with Repsol Honda, was third in 1:38.485.

Latest Trailer Released for Isaac’s “Inside Llewyn Davis”

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

CBS Films has released the latest trailer for the critically acclaimed Inside Llewyn Davis, starring Oscar Isaac.

The 33-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor stars as a struggling musician meandering through New York City’s 1960s folk scene in the Joel and Ethan Coen-directed film, which earned the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Isaac’s future co-star in Mojave, and F. Murray Abraham co-star.

CBS Films will release Inside Llewyn Davis on December 6.

Fernández Makes History Again by Winning Skate Canada…

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Fernández López continues skating his way into the history books…

Following his strong performance in the short program, which put him in the lead, the 21-year-old Spanish figure skater upset two-time world champion Patrick Chan in his own country this weekend to win the Skate Canada men’s title.

Fernández, whose silver at Skate Canada last year was the first Grand Prix medal for a Spanish skater, finished with 253.94 points. His score was an impressive 10 points better than Chan, who had won the previous three Skate Canada titles. Nobunari Oda of Japan was third with 238.34 points.

“It was my first gold internationally, so it just feels amazing,” said Fernández, who one-upped his history-making performance one year ago to become the first Spanish skater to win a Grand Prix gold medal. “It’s not about Patrick, it’s about all the skaters. Patrick is still Patrick. He’s a star. Of course he could have skated better. But it’s only one competition, there’s a lot of competitions in this year.”

After falling on his opening triple toe, which was planned as a quad toe, Fernández rallied and hit everything else in his program, including a quad salchow and the second attempt of his quad toe. Generally weaker in the later stages of his free skate, he kept going strong through his free skate, hitting six clean triples to complement the two quads he landed. The judges rewarded him with a 253.94 and the gold.

Coached by Canadians Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson, Fernández’s Charlie Chaplin-themed short program was choreographed by David Wilson.

Chan, second after the short program, could not rival Fernández’s firepower. Though he opened brilliantly with a quad toe-double toe, he put his hand down on his second quad and made mistakes on his triple axel and second triple lutz. Chan maintained his second place standing, comforted by a step-up from his poor start at the Japan Open a few weeks ago.

Fernández Leads the Pack at Skate Canada by a Quad (Toe Loop)

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Fernández López is proving to be a quad star…

The 21-year-old Spanish figure skater stands atop the leader board at Skate Canada International after landing a textbook quad toe loop during his short program.

Fernández – the first Spanish skater to win a Grand Prix medal when he won silver at last year’s Skate Canada International – leads the pack with a score of 85.87.

Canada’s Patrick Chan, last year’s winner and a two-time world champion, scored 82.52 points for his program choreographed by former world champion Jeff Buttle, and set to music by Rachmaninoff. Japan’s Nobunari Oda was third with 82.14.

Coached by Canadians Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson, Fernández’s Zorro-themed short program was choreographed by David Wilson.

Fernández will next perform his Charlie Chaplin-themed free skate on Sunday to see if he can pull off the upset and defeat Chan, who was third after a sloppy short program last year at Skate Canada before roaring back to win the title.

Fernández , who represented Spain at the 2010 Winter Olympics, is also the first Spaniard to medal at a Grand Prix Final when he won bronze in 2011.

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