Starliner Woes, An Awesome Back Yard Go-Kart Track Under Threat And A Continent-Size Game Of Tag In This Week's Beyond Cars Roundup

Boeing’s Starliner mission has been an utter cock up for the aerospace company. Shortly after the craft launched to the International Space Station with two astronauts onboard, issues were found with the craft that mean Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will now be stuck in space until 2025. Now, it’s emerged that the harsh realities of reentry mean that Boeing may never truly find out what went wrong with Starliner. - Owen Bellwood Read More

One of the unfortunate realities of existence is that you don’t get to choose your parents. And regardless of how that particular situation shakes out for you, you’re stuck with them for life — or until the court steps in. If one of your parents built you a go-kart track in your backyard, though, you definitely won the parental lottery. Sadly, as The Drive reports, one Maryland dad’s attempt to do something cool for his son has his neighbors upset and demanding the track be removed. - Collin Woodard Read More

Don’t ask “Are we there yet?” because we’ll all be at our desks again on Monday wishing we were out here in this shit. It’s a mantra I have to continue repeating to myself as raindrops the size and weight of heartbreak tears fall all around us. The sandy clay soil of Utah’s backcountry discovery route gains the consistency of used motor oil, and even the most seasoned of motorcyclists among us lose grip on terra solutam, and a little bit of their sanity. With water crossings galore and slippy trails difficult to walk on let alone ride a street motorcycle on, it’s a rough day in the wilderness. But that still beats a day in the office. - Bradley Brownell Read More

A school bus driver in Texas is being accused of intentionally driving slowly with all the windows on the bus rolled up in near-100-degree heat in order to punish the kids on her route last week. The school district is standing by their employee’s actions, but video of the incident does raise some questions. - Erin Marquis Read More

Peanut butter is my happy place. Pretty much every carb-based foodstuff and non-citrus fruit can be improved by a squirt of goober peas nut butter. Everyone knows it’s a loose sweet and creamy treat, and I often enjoy pouring a refreshing glass of Jif Reduced Fat and slurping it into my maw. When I was a youth my favorite after-school snack was a tumbler of peanut butter, honey, banana, and a sprinkle of brown sugar. I could practically bathe in the stuff, it’s just so slick and liquidy. At least, that’s what the Transportation Security Administration would have you believe. - Bradley Brownell Read More

A tire explosion in the maintenance area of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport killed two early Tuesday morning. WSB-TV reports that the tire exploded while workers were attempting to remove it from the plane. The explosion killed both a Delta employee and a contractor. A third person who is also a Delta employee was seriously injured, although their condition is not known at this time. In a statement, Delta said: - Collin Woodard Read More

This has not been the best year for Boeing. Bad news keeps coming out on its planes, and its multi-billion-dollar spaceship has been stuck in limbo, with NASA trying to decide whether it can be used to bring two stranded astronauts back to Earth. Now, after more than 70 days, NASA has made its decision. The astronauts will remain onboard the International Space Station until February when a SpaceX Crew Dragon will pick them up, Futurism reports. That means a trip that was originally only supposed to last eight days will now stretch on for a full eight months. - Collin Woodard Read More

Few vehicle-pedestrian collisions are more catastrophic than a person getting hit by a train. A freight train ran over a 20-year-old man in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Monday night. Surprisingly, the man survived what the Ann Arbor Fire Department called a “once in a career” incident. The typically fatal collision resulted in a severe hand injury and an ambulance ride to the University of Michigan Hospital. - Ryan Erik King Read More

While automakers are happy to switch their lineups to hybrid and electric power to cut global emissions, it’s much harder for airlines to slash their carbon footprints. Electric planes may be in the works and sustainable fuels are being trialed, but three European airlines are testing a new way to cut their fuel use: fake shark skin fitted to their planes. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Three friends playing a giant game of tag across Europe is my idea of a good time. The hosts of “Jet Lag” have done this before, and it always makes great television. From a single starting point the three have their own equidistant destination, and 72 hours to get there. If they don’t make it all the way to their destination in 72 hours, the person closest to their prescribed town wins. There are games and challenges along the way, but they’re getting around the continent in a way that you never could in the U.S. Mostly trains. - Bradley Brownell Read More