Button went to Japan with a 15-point lead on his teammate Barrichello as Sebastian Vettel—very fast but prone to the errors of the young—looked increasingly less of a credible challenger. Twenty-five points behind with thirty to grab in three races, Red Bull’s driver faced an uphill battle.

He began his working weekend by setting pole on Saturday with a time of 1:32.160, 60 milliseconds clear of Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, with McLaren’s incumbent champion Lewis Hamilton a further 175 milliseconds behind.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

The legs you are looking at belong to Timo Glock, Jarno Trulli’s teammate at Toyota, who finished second at the previous race in Singapore. He injured his left calf in a crash during practice and couldn’t drive in the race.

Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Vettel had the advantage of pole position, but could not afford to finish at anything worse than 4th to retain even a sliver of chance for this year’s title. Which would be no mean feat, as Vettel celebrated his 22nd birthday on July 3rd—if he became world champion, he would be by far the youngest champion the sport has ever seen.

Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Because he knows Jay Leno has a great many fast cars which he likes to drive at speed, Vettel performed a ritual transformation into The Chin as he put on his fire-retardant mask.

Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

And the race is on! As you can see in the lower right corner, Lewis Hamilton, driving the KERS-powered McLaren, pulled in dangerously close to Vettel from his position of 3rd on the grid. Vettel can thank Jarno Trulli, seen in his red and white Toyota on the left, for holding Hamilton slightly back. While Hamilton was at one point nosing ahead of Vettel, he was on the outside line, allowing Vettel to turn first into the first corner. This was to be a position he would never relinquish, not even for a single pitstop.

Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Proving how fast he is when he doesn’t have to deal with traffic, Vettel quickly built up an impressive lead as he was chased by Lewis Hamilton and Jarno Trulli.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Hamilton ran in second place for almost half of the race, having overtaking Trulli at the start, but he was never in a position to challenge for the lead.

Then came his first pitstop. McLaren threw down the gauntlet with a scorcher of a tire change and refueling at 6.7 seconds—with Jarno Trulli, running third, due for his own stop in the next lap.

Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Toyota rose to the occasion: they swapped out Trulli’s slicks and refueled him in 6.6 seconds. Combined with the time he gained on Hamilton during his last, fast lap out, this was enough of a margin to allow Trulli to return in front of Hamilton. The Toyota pit crew was absolutely overjoyed. Trulli would manage to hold on to his position to take the 11th podium of his 12-year career.

Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Here’s Jenson Button, driving out of the points after a lackluster qualifying session and a poor start. Pure luck would return him to 8th place, worth a single point: a fight ahead of him between Adrian Sutil of Force India and Heikki Kovalainen of McLaren culminated in a spin, allowing Button to slip by. He finished at 8th, one place behind teammate Rubens Barrichello, who thus gained a point on him. Brawn GP would end the race needing half a point to claim the constructor’s championship.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Poor Mark Webber, already out of the challenge for the world title, had to start from the pitlane after a botched qualification and was already on his second or third pitstop by lap five. Red Bull Racing used the opportunity to recall him to the pits a number of times during the race to test various aerodynamic bits: you’ll remember that in this season, testing is not allowed outside of race weekends.

Red Bull did a splendid job. Running dead last in 17th place with two laps down on the rest of the field, Webber set the race’s fastest lap on lap 50 with a time of 1:32.569.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Just as things were becoming a tad boring, Bernie Ecclestone—sitting in his supervillain mansion on the island of Thule in the Southern Ocean—pressed the ACCIDENT button on his control panel. Toro Rosso’s 19-year-old Jaime Alguersuari promptly disintegrated an advertising board and stuck his car nose first into the tire barrier. The Spanish kid emerged just fine, but as the track was now littered with carbon fiber, it was time to fire up the 6.3-liter V8 in the AMG Benz safety car.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

The race stewards performed with clockwork Japanese precision, but it still took them five laps to clear the track, chilling everyone’s tires. Fun was provided by safety car driver Bernd Mayländer, who let the big Benz rip, sending big gargles of V8 down the trackside microphones.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Nothing remained for the last few laps: Robert Kubica threatened Button for a while but then backed off, allowing him to grab his single point—and Vettel his full ten for the 4th win of his career. He was manic with joy. The photo above was preceded by one hell of a chest bump, captured by the cameraman to the right. If you watch the race on tape, keep an eye out for it!

Photo Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

One of these days, racing drivers will have to abandon Dan Gurney’s great invention if they don’t want to end up cross-posted to our sister site of smut, Fleshbot.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Come to think of it again: too late. Call the San Fernando Valley—or better yet, Budapest!

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

The saddest man on the entire island of Honshu! In a repeat of last weekend’s performance, Toyota inched ever closed to its first win in Formula One. But similarly to Timo Glock’s second, Jarno Trulli could not claim victory. He was full of praise for his team and his injured teammate, a stark contrast with the ever aloof Lewis Hamilton, who blamed nothing but his car for his third place.

Sebastian Vettel is now 16 points down on Jenson Button with two races to go and a maximum of twenty points to gain. Two years ago, Kimi Räikkönen was down 17 points as Formula One went to its penultimate race in Shanghai—but two flawless victories and Lewis Hamilton’s rookie shakes made him world champion by one point over Hamilton and teammate Fernando Alonso.

Let’s see if Vettel can do the same. He’s got his work cut out for him: the next race will be on Barrichello’s home turf in Brazil on October 18th.

Photo Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Apparently on Leno's planet it is. But take a look at the video below — the Barrymore interview begins at the end of the second commercial break — about 24:00 minutes into the show. The actual drive on the Candyland-sized and -styled race track occurs after the third commercial break — or at about 26 minutes into the show.

All we know is we really like hearing Drew Barrymore say she likes feeling anything in her face. Also, we find it sad Barrymore doesn't have a license. Very sad.

But seriously, this is such a joke — it's nothing like "star in a reasonably-priced car — and that's why this'll never work. It's like a pandering version of it. Which, frankly, is sort of like Leno's humor.

The Focus is similar to the test mules currently doing development duty in the upcoming battery electric vehicle (BEV) Focus program but this example was specially built for the Jay Leno Show out of a Euro-spec model. The powertrain is standard with the other BEV Foci, a 23 kWhr li-ion battery (7 kWhr more than the Volt), supplying a 141 HP electric motor that delivers a whopping 236 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. The car's been outfitted with a full roll-cage, five-point racing harness routed through Recaro buckets and the suspension's been tuned with Focus RS springs and dampers for the autocross-like course outside of the show's studio.

The car will be driven for the first time in a segment called "Green Car Challenge" during this evening's Jay Leno Show by Drew Barrymore, which seems like a fairly odd inaugural choice. But hey, it's gotta be someone.

Jay's going door-to-door in person to make sure potential viewers' chores are done and the kids are asleep in bed before his show airs.

Later, Jay puts the adults to sleep remotely from Burbank with an insomnia-defeating talk-show broadcast. Get it? Get it?

Ford's hybrid and battery electric vehicle program team worked together with Ford Racing to develop the special BEV for the show. It took three weeks to build the car and another couple of weeks to properly tune the suspension so it could be driven fast on a racetrack. The development work was done at Ford's Michigan Proving Grounds in Romeo, Mich.

The Focus BEV built for the show has a split battery pack, with one battery in the cargo area and one underneath the car in the space normally occupied by a fuel tank. Because this Focus is built for racetrack competition, it is equipped with a roll bar and five-point harness for the driver — just like the Chevy used on the Top Gear track for the original star in a reasonably-priced car!

Jay's in England to visit the Goodwood Festival of Speed and flirt with Elle MacPherson, but it looks like he also managed to swing past the production studio of a television show with many, many more viewers than his own. At least now we know Leno's not The Stig, they never would have packed all that chin into that full-face Simpson helmet anyways. [via Jay's Garage]

ALL NEW JAGUAR XJ – IN SUMMARY
The all new Jaguar XJ brings a daring new spirit to automotive luxury.
•
Sleek, sporting and sophisticated, it offers a seductive mix of striking
design, breathtaking performance, refined luxury and sophisticated
engineering.
Building on the success of the new XK and XF models, the introduction of
•
the all new XJ is a landmark for the revitalized Jaguar brand. Clearly
positioned as the company's ultimate four-door flagship, it extends the
appeal of the legendary XJ line to a new generation of customers.
Jaguars are renowned for their elegant, sporting lines and the all new XJ,
•
with its fluid, contemporary style, is the boldest interpretation yet of Design
Director Ian Callum's vision for Jaguar in the 21st century.
A panoramic glass roof is an integral part of the all new XJ's design,
•
enabling the car to have a lower, more streamlined roofline, while
dramatically enhancing the feeling of light and space inside.
Standard and long wheelbase models are available from launch. The long
•
wheelbase offers an even more sumptuous and refined environment for
rear-seat passengers with an additional 5 inches of legroom. The XJ's
largest-in-class trunk features power opening and closing for convenient
access to the 18.4 cu. ft. storage space (without alloy space saver spare
wheel).
The all new XJ cabin blends elegant, contemporary design with the
•
comfort, luxury and unmistakable sporting style of a Jaguar. Chrome and
piano black detailing provides an eye-catching contrast to the beautifully-
crafted leather and veneer surfaces.
To complement the all new cabin design is a level of choice in colors,
•
veneers and leathers not seen before in a Jaguar. The four models – XJ,
XJL, Supercharged and Supersport – blend together the different elements to allow the customer to tailor the car to suit their personal
tastes. The ultimate expression of this is the Supersport model, available
by custom order only, with specification including a leather roof-lining,
semi-aniline leather seats and veneers with laser inlays.
Advanced new technologies have allowed Jaguar's interior designers to
create an environment more akin to a state-of-the-art living space than a
simple car cabin. Stunning, 12.3-inch high-definition Virtual Instruments
complement the 8-inch Touch-screen, which displays vehicle functions.
Premium surround sound options include the top-of-the-range 1200-watt
Bowers & Wilkins system which is comparable in audio quality to the
world's best in-home entertainment. Advanced infotainment features also
include hard drive-based audio and navigation systems, and
comprehensive connectivity for portable audio and video devices via the
powerful Media Hub.
The all new XJ's beauty is much more than skin-deep: it is constructed
using Jaguar's aerospace-inspired aluminum body technology, which
makes the XJ lighter than its rivals by at least 300lbs. These technologies
– now developed into an even more impressive new generation of the XJ
– provides benefits to performance, handling and fuel economy, while
delivering increased strength, refinement and safety.
Proven Jaguar dynamic technologies are taken to new levels in the all
new XJ. Features such as air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics
(continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control and quick-ratio
power steering deliver the blend of responsive, dynamic handling and
refined, supple ride expected from a Jaguar.
The all new XJ benefits from the most advanced powertrains ever in a
Jaguar, combining high performance with fuel efficient technologies such
as direct injection. In the U.S. market, customers will have a choice of
three engines based on model, all coupled to a shift-by-wire, six-speed
automatic transmission controlled by the JaguarDrive Selector™ or
steering wheel-mounted paddles:

5.0-liter 385hp AJ-V8 Gen III naturally aspirated direct-injection V8 -
0-60mph in 5.4 secs (0-100kph in 5.7 secs), in the XJ and XJL
models
o 5.0-liter 470hp AJ-V8 Gen III supercharged direct-injection V8 - 0-
60mph in 4.9 secs (0-100kph in 5.2 secs), in the XJ Supercharged
and XJL Supercharged models
o 5.0-liter 510hp AJ-V8 Gen III supercharged direct-injection V8 - 0-
60mph in 4.7 secs (0-100kph in 4.9 secs), in the XJ Supersport
and XJL Supersport models
Jaguar has built upon its leading quality performance using the latest
‘virtual' product development technologies. This approach features an
obsessive attention to detail, with almost 40,000 quality-specific
assessments during the development stage.
The all new XJ brings new standards of sustainability to the luxury vehicle
segment. The lightweight aluminum structure – with 50 percent recycled
material – underpinned by a lifecycle approach to vehicle design and
manufacture, enables the all new XJ to minimize its carbon footprint. This
alone creates a potential savings of three tons of CO2 per vehicle,
compared to a bodyshell made from new aluminum.
The Jaguar brand has been acknowledged with a joint first ranking in a
vehicle dependability study in 2009. Jaguar's obsessive attention to quality
and service has also resulted in #1 rankings in sales satisfaction and
customer service.
The all new XJ offers extremely attractive cost of ownership with
impressive fuel economy across the range, high predicted residual values
and 15,000-mile service intervals.
In the U.S., the all new XJ can be ordered now. Delivery of first customer
cars will begin in early 2010.

Ian Callum, Jay Leno, Mike O'Driscoll

We'll let louiebaby (on Jay's left) tell you how it happened.

Please find the attached pic of Jay. We feel a bit guilty actually since he's such a legend. I'm on Jay's left, my friend is called Thom, on Jay's right.

We wore the t shirts to humiliate my brother, (the photographer,) for his birthday, which worked a treat. The guy stood infront of Jay was interviewing him with a small video camera, but I don't know whether he got us in his shot.

That still doesn't explain why Jay is wearing Justin Hart's race suit, but since he doesn't take himself too seriously, we're sure Jay would see the humor. In fact, since these two probably giggle everytime someone says "Goodwood," they might be perfect interviewees for Jaywalking.

When you look at vintage photography of motor racing, you may be led to believe that back when racing wasn’t a global media spectacle, the stars constantly hobnobbed with their fans. This is probably not true. But what certainly is true is that modern motorsports events guard their principal actors behind security systems the Secret Service would approve of. At a Formula One race, or at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, you can barely see the pits, let alone the drivers, who speed by behind Armco and barbed wire at 200+ MPH in full-faced helmets.

The Festival of Speed is supposed to be different. For one thing, there are an incredible number of famous people present from all walks of motoring. Racing drivers past and present, rich petrolheads, carmakers: they are all there. Add to that the remarkable access you have to the cars themselves: Porsche 917’s and Silver Arrows race full throttle behind a 1950s-style hay barrier and you can walk up to multimillion-dollar racing cars, pat them on their Gurney flaps and no one will chide you.

Let’s see the few notables who have walked or driven in front of my camera.

Jay Leno

Weird news: Leno is no shorter and no taller than on screen. I ran into him at 10:02 AM as he was giving an interview to a TV crew in front of Goodwood House. He was very nice, posing with kids and giving them autographs. Later in the day, he drove a Harrods-liveried McLaren F1 GTR up the hill.

Emanuele Pirro

The great Italian Le Mans winner—his five titles at Le Sarthe are equalled or topped by only four men—was in the Audi area, driving an R15 back to the pits.

Sir Stirling Moss

Britain’s “all-around hero”–as the official program called the 80-year-old racing driver—was very active all day, not only for an octagenarian but for anyone out in the wind and the sun all day. He drove his 1955 Mercedes-Benz W196 and also the outgoing special edition of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, pictured here, which bears his name. I didn’t actually see him out of his many cars, but he came on the screens dotting the are several times during the day.

Sir Jackie Stewart

The hilarious Scot had many of his brilliant blue Matras and Tyrrells on display and on the track. He also spoke on a panel with Alan Jones about modern Formula One, which you’ll be able to read about shortly. He is seen here around noon, signing autographs.

Alan Jones

The Australian is the man who gave Sir Frank Williams the first of his seven Drivers’ Championships in 1980 with the ground effects FW07. He was on a panel with Sir Jackie and proceeded to sign autographs.

Al Unser

The four-time Indy 500 winner was one of many American racing heroes on the scene, seen here driving up the hill in the 1978 Lola T500 car which gave him his third win at the Brickyard.

David Piper

You may not know this pipe-smoking Englishman but he is one of the coolest privateers in the sports car community. He has driven his privately entered Ferrari 250 GTO’s and Porsche 917’s over decades, all painted in Piper’s trademark cornfield green. He was a stunt driver for the movie Le Mans and crashed badly during filming, losing one of his legs. This, of course, has not stopped him driving his 917.

Damon Hill

In spite of his F1 world title a 13-year-old memory now, Hill still has an incredible cult in Britain. Out of nowhere, he walked past me by the Formula One area, followed by a rooster tail of fans screaming DAMOOOOON at the tops of their lungs. Hill escaped into a VIP area and proceeded to sign a few more autographs before he escaped inside, followed by frustrated cries of more DAMOOOOOOOOON. He is seen here at the moment of escape.

Well, he couldn't just leave the Falcon sitting on the sidelines, no sense leaving it to rust as he'd already stayed true to it for 23 years. So Eric "Hoon-Hulk" Bana put together a documentary to provide the inside story of his dragon-like affection for the car, his mates and how he got it back together. For color commentary, Bana brought in the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, Jay Leno and yes, Dr. Phil. Why Dr. Phil? Well, when you've got a dragon in your pants for your car — even a monster of a beast like Bana's red XB, we're pretty sure Dr. Phil would have a problem with it. Silly, puny Dr. Phil, doesn't he know anything about cars? Bana smash!

[Jay Leno's Garage]

[Jay Leno's Garage]

10. The National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Nothing says America like the Corvette, and no place better preserves the spirit and history of the classic American sports car than the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky, near the production site of the Corvette. Get a look at historic Corvette models, learn about the production history and get your own Corvette specially detailed (if you have one). It's like Mecca, but less crowded. [Corvette Museum]

9. Auburn - Cord - Duesenberg Museum (Auburn, Indiana)
Believe it or not, there was once an automotive operation in the U.S that wasn't based in Detroit. The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana preserves the unique story of these three companies, all important in their day. The museum also remembers the seven other brands of cars produced in Auburn. The Gallery of Classics shows off cars from the "classics era" that competed to be the cream of the cream. [ACD Museum]

8. Jay Leno's Garage (Secret Location, California)
When Jay Leno does something interesting or noble with cars, like rescuing a Duesenberg, the resulting cars end up in the Big Dog Garage, which houses cars powered by turbines, steam and the engine out of a Patton tank. Though not exactly on the map, we totally think it would be worth it to just show up and beg to be let inside (you could also break a window, but then you might damage a car). We hear the Popular Mechanics boys know where it is, go ask them. [Jay Leno's Garage]

7. The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (Dearborn, Michigan)
What would an American automotive pilgrimage be without a trip to the greater Detroit area and The Henry Ford Museum? Though not everything is car-themed, there's an amazing collection of automotive history, including Rosa Parks' bus, the Lincoln in which JFK was assassinated and the relatively untragic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. If you leave "The" out of the museum's name, they cart you off to the turn-of-the-century jail outside in Greenfield Village, a place of make-believe designed to capture the spirit of the American Industrial Revolution. Also, they have really good pies. [The Henry Ford]

6. Indianapolis Motor Speedway & Museum (Indianapolis, Indiana)
The self-proclaimed "Racing Capital Of The World," the Brickyard has a lot to offer in the way of a journey for racing fans. In addition to the famous track, the accompanying museum includes historic footage, a large trophy collection and timing equipment from the older days. Of course, there's always a collection of dozens of rare vehicles, including the Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250LM and the more American 57' SSI Corvette. If you know who to tip, you may even get a chance to head down into the basement because that's where the real magic is stored. Non-disclosure agreements prevent us from saying anything more. [Indy Motor Speedway]

5. The ArtCar Museum (Houston, Texas)
For those more inclined toward customization and personalization, the ArtCar Museum (a.k.a. The Garage Mahal) contains a large collection of outstanding testaments to our rolling culture. There's also a rotation of cars, sculptures, photos and paintings that chronicle the evolving art of cars. [ArtCar Museum]

4. Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles, California)
Covering over 300,000 square feet and four floors, the history of the automobile is lovingly detailed at the relatively new Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Current exhibits include "The Art of Cars," "Nascar: 60 Years" and the totally meta "From Autocamp to Airstreams: The Early Road to Vactionland." It's like the Library of Alexandria of cars... but without the tragic destruction. Petersen Museum

3. Historic Route 66 (Chicago to Los Angeles)
Though no longer marked as an actual highway, there are plenty of resources to help you make the trip from the Second City to the City of Angels along Route 66, the Mother Road. Whether you do the entire journey or a small historic portion of the road, like Holbrook to Topock, there's plenty to see along the way. If you make it through the Texas panhandle, we recommend the leaning water tower in Groom, Texas, which was built to attract tourists making the journey. [Historic 66]

2. Carhenge (Alliance, Nebraska)
A detailed recreation of Stonehenge made from 38 spray-painted classic American automobiles, Carhenge is an undeniably weird and awesome destination for those with a car-spiritual nature. The stewards of the site have worked with artists to place other car-based sculptures, such as a take on Vivald's "Four Seasons" made with Fords. [Carhenge]

1. Deals Gap (Blount County, Tennessee)
Considered by many to be the best driving in the country, the portion of U.S. Highway 129 in rural Tennessee is a must-visit for those with superior automobiles (or not) and a thirst for spirited transportation. The Tail of the Dragon, in particular, is said to contain more than 300 curves in less than 11 miles. Lacking any serious development, it's mostly uninterrupted driving... with the exception of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Be safe, be quick but be wary of the flashing lights. [This is what it looks like In An Audi TT]

These are the 10 we could come up with, but feel free to add American automotive pilgrimages of your own.

Frankly though, we're not too surprised. After Jay Leno officially took himself out of the equation, we were skeptical about the potential success of the proposed show. Besides, doesn't NBC realize that Top Gear fans the world over just download magically summon the British episodes on our computers?
[NBC, Dark Horizons via autoblog]