Be sure to tune into the Speed Channel Sunday, May 2, to root Narain Karthikeyanto victory at the Kansas Speedway. Narain will be driving the No. 60 SafeAuto Chevrolet Silverado. Narain Karthikeyan is returning to make his second series debut in the No. 60 SafeAuto truck. He was first ever Indian-born driver to compete in a NASCAR Series driving the No. 60 truck on March 27 in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville (Virginia, USA) Speedway. Karthikeyan finished in 13th place after starting in the 11th spot. This weekend race will also be aired on networks in India as well.

According to NASCAR.com, the International Speedway Corporation began exploring the idea of building a track in the Midwest in 1996. The construction for the 1.5-mile track began in 1999.

Tickets for the 2001 season went on sale on Aug. 17, 2000, and within a week, nearly 80 percent of the season tickets had been sold! Paving on the track begin in September of that year and construction was completed in the spring of 2001. Jeff Gordon was the first to win two Cup events at the track, starting with the first race on Sept. 29, 2001.

The next NASCAR Truck series race will be on May 14 at the Dover Speedway with SafeAuto’s Stacy Compton behind the wheel of the No. 60 truck. You can view a complete list of the 2010 NASCAR Truck Series schedule on the official NASCAR site, http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2010/data/schedule.html. For more information on SafeAuto, visit WWW.SAFEAUTO.COM.

[Source: NASCAR.com]

Joshua Cribbs is faster than most men. After signing a three-year, $20 million contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, the wide receiver/kick returner/wildcat quarterback is richer than most men too.  So what does a big and fast guy on the field drive when he is off the field? Easy, a 2010 BMW X6. Cribbs spoke exclusively to the Play It Safe Blog about his new car and his driving experience.

Known for its daring design, all wheel drive and twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 which cranks out over 400 horsepower, this beast of a car is the SUV for those drivers who still want the feel of a smaller speedster, which perfectly matches with the 215 pound Cribbs, as he is faster than most guys that are half his size (if you don’t believe me, ask the Kansas City Chiefs, who he torched for two kickoff-return touchdowns on December 20).

“I picked this car because you don’t see many on the road,” Cribbs said. “It’s fast and sleek and I just like the uniqueness of it.” While fast and sleek are two words that easily describe Cribbs, on the field he pictures himself to be more like a different German automaker. “On the field I resemble a Porsche. I’m quick, shifty, and powerful,” said Cribbs.

While the BMW runs roughly $65,000 off the lot, Cribbs has tinted out the SUV, added two LCD screens on the back of the red leather front seats, installed a running board, while he still has plans to make additional changes. Cribbs said, “I’m about to get some black rims on it. That way, when you roll up it turns heads and everyone looks at you.”

Growing up in Washington, D.C., Cribbs drove many cars, and while none were as nice as his current ride, he has fond memories of the cars of years past. “The first car I ever owned was an ‘86 Chevy Nova, then I had a ‘95 Lincoln Continental,” Cribbs said. “The first car I ever drove was a Nissan minivan which was pretty practical, but I felt like I could do better than that. As time grew, I did better. My favorite one was a ‘95 Chevy Caprice. In D.C., we call it a ‘bubble’ because it had big couch seats and it was easy for dating. You had a girl sit next to you and they would slide on turns.”

While the X6 lacks bubble seats, it does boast a great sound system where Cribbs likes to play gospel and jazz music. “Jazz makes me feel smooth”, Cribbs said.  I took a history of jazz class in college and I like (John) Coltrane.”While Cribbs may be smooth on and off the field, he is also fast, something that translates to his driving style. “I’m fast on the road because I’m always late”, Cribbs added. Though he has the ability to go fast at any time, Cribbs still considers himself to be a safe driver, as he always carries auto insurance and pays attention to the road.  Cribbs may be occasionally late, but he has arrived right on time for the Browns, becoming one of the teams most popular players and biggest offensive threats thanks to his ability in the open field as well as the open road.

If you enjoyed this feature, then stay tuned for more Celebrity Rides articles coming soon.

When it comes to what we can do to reduce global warming, how and what we drive are two of our most powerful choices. Transportation is the biggest source of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, more than factories or homes according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

Today is all about conserving energy and taking care of the environment. So why not look into the greenest cars benefiting the environment? Yahoo Autos recently released their list of top 100 cars by green rating according to unhealthy smog, greenhouse emissions of greenhouse gases, consumption of fuel, general pollution from manufacturing the vehicle.

It’s hard to imagine that we create pounds of global warming pollution when we drive, but the exhaust coming out of our car has actual weight. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, two medium-sized sedans emits more than 20,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) a year from an average household. That's 10 tons of pollution adding to the greenhouse effect! SUVs tend to emit more global warming pollution than smaller cars—as much as 40 percent more exhaust.

Green cars truly are the new craze from the reasonably priced, completely electric new Nissan Leaf or the sporty Tesla Roadster. The benefits of a greener car are endless but can include reducing the amount you spend on gas, minimizing harmful emissions in the environment and even the occasional drop in monthly car insurance rates. Cars with better gas mileage provide a triple benefit by protecting the climate, cutting America's oil dependency and saving money at the pump.  As if you need any more reasons to go green, consider the trendiness factor as you can align yourself with all the celebrities who proudly traded in their gas guzzlers for a more earth-friendly mode of photo-ops transportation.

We can’t walk down the street any more without passing by a recycle bin or being encouraged to conserve energy. So in honor of Earth day, do what you can today to be more efficient. Consider the benefits of purchasing a greener car next time you’re in the automobile market. The future of our great planet starts with you. Big and small changes can add up and make a real difference in the fight against global warming.

[Source: Environmental Defense Fund, Yahoo Autos]