Mexico's best race track is none other than Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. This track is based in massive Mexico City, Mexico and was created in 1962. It boasts 2.774 miles and 17-turns of asphalt road. It even features a baseball stadium inside of the Peraltada (Turn 14). This track served previously as the home of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Mexico. It's even seen rounds featured with the Rolex Sportscar Series, the former Champ Car World Series, and A1 Grand Prix. Today's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has seen racing from all kinds of series, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Mexico.
Take a look at this course's layout:
^ (from: trackpedia.com)
The track is, for the most part, flat. It is quite bumpy with very little in the way of elevation changes. This track's layout is perfect to me with stock car racing. It is also pretty technical. In fact, this track is almost like a Mexican version of Monza as a high-speed playground. Only that this course doesn't have as many seriously technical corners like at Monza.
I'm going to go by the NASCAR course. The long front stretch is sure to give your engine a workout at high revs. There may be a temporary chicane to help slow the cars down for certain series that race there. The first three corners are a right-left-right complex. It begins with a sharp right followed by a moderately easy Turns 2 and 3. A blast down Recta Trasera leads to a smooth left at Ese del Lago (Turn 4) followed by a sharp right for Turn 5.
Next after that is the second half of the course, which is mostly a workout for your car and muscles. The track goes from a high-speed playground to a technical purgatory among Turns 6 through 13. It all begins at the right hairpin at Turn 6. Turns 7 and 8 are about the same radius in left-right fashion. Turn 9 is a left-hand corner that leads into a little link at Turn 10 followed by a hard left turn at Turn 11. That's preceded by a smooth right-hand corner at Turn 12, and after Turn 13, you move on to the flat oval portion of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The Champ Car configuration features a three-turn complex leading to the final corner, but most other configurations just have the smooth right-hand oval corners at Peraltada en route to the finish line.
Here is a video taking multiple laps around the course and the configuration I've mentioned:
And this is a bonus video, highlights of the 1990 F1 Grand Prix of Mexico:
This track is pretty tough. In no way easy, but not boring either. I was actually pretty surprised when [what is now known as] NASCAR Nationwide Series raced at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. A lot of the "good old boys" say that NASCAR has no business racing in Mexico. But if you're talking about pure challenge, el Autodromo de los Hermanos Rodriguez is a fun road course that really suits stock cars quite well.
In existance since 1970, Road Atlanta is one of the finest road racing courses in the United States. The course can be found about 40 miles north of Atlanta in the city of Braselton, GA, USA. This track has hosted all kinds of racing events ranging from sportscar racing to motorcycle racing and even drifting. In fact, this was the track where Rhys Millen was going sideways in the most exciting Hyundai ever, the Hyundai Genesis. I remember watching that commercial during last year's Super Bowl.
Here is the 2.55 mile road course in question:
^ from: panteraplace.com
Road Atlanta is one of my personal favorite racing tracks in the United States. My favorite part is the Esses, which make for great photo-taking opportunities as the cars weave left and right through the Esses. Facing the long backstretch followed by the two-turn complex afterwards is a great challenge. After Turn 11, it almost looks like you're falling off the face of the Earth going under the bridge.
Your fantastic voyage begins at the action-packed Turn 1. Turn 2 is a little kink followed into Turns 3 and 4. Next is the Esses. Can you go side-to-side properly in preparation for Turn 5? Turns 6 and 7 can both be pretty tricky. After that, prepare to blast down the backstretch at 150 to 170 mph even with two little kinks. But be ready because Turns 10a and 10b can be brutal. After 10b, go up another hill to go under the bridge. Camera angles make it look like you're flying off the face of the Earth. The final corner looks like one you can blast through or just let off the throttle a bit to take it properly. Moderate braking will do in my view.
Here is an old video sample of this wonderful racing facility. Maybe you'll love this track too:
^ video from October 20, 2006
I have SO much respect for this track. I hated that Petit Le Mans 2009 was a rainy mess to where it had to be cut short. You still got to love a great track like this. It's one of the most competitive tracks in the United States.
Whomever said you can't make sporty clothing cute and/or sexy obviously never seen any of the fitness-type clothing some designers have made. This blog entry concerns sporty fashion garments that have some cute and/or sexy appeal to them. All pictures come from Amazon searches. So you can click on each image to read more about each item and even purchase them if you like.
NOTE 1: This blog entry may be edited from time to time to include new content. Thanks to EVERYONE who helped make this blog entry popular!
NOTE 2: This blog entry contains links to Amazon products. You are welcome to click on images and links to learn more about each item or even purchase these items if you so choose. Please see "An Important Amazon Note" in my blog's sidebar to see more information on any Amazon items shown.
LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):
APR 5 2012 - updated post's look; (since MAR 14 2012...) made a few edits to this post. Includes a link to another blog post of mine.
--- What Makes Such Fitness Clothes so Appealing? ---
The key word is comfort. As these are comfortable clothes to wear, their sporty appeal adds some lovely style to the sporty diva. These are comfortable even to those who aren't as active. Fitness wear is designed to be comfortable to wear while also giving your body a workout. Even if you're not a fitness freak or a really sporty girl, there is something flirty about fitness clothing.
Think about wearing active skorts. While they appear as sexy mini skirts, they are still essentially short shorts hiding underneath a mini skirt. The flirty diva will wear such a short skirt to tease onlooking guys. But since there are shorts attached, you can feel very comfortable even sitting down or doing exercise or running. American Apparel makes a very sexy mini skort that has attached shorts underneath. The shorts are fitness-oriented and allows you to work out (or look cute/sexy) while feeling comfortable at the same time. I will feature some American Apparel skorts later in this blog entry.
What about active pants and shorts? Especially those active shorts and pants that graciously express the curves of a girl's booty (like yoga pants), they are also designed to be functional. What makes most of these pants so attractive is how the seam of the pants around the butt fit in accentuating the curves. Active bottoms also make good lounge-type fashion. A girl trying to look sporty cute would probably wear a pair of cropped sweatpants with some flip-flops or some casual fashion sneakers.
I would mostly attribute sporty fashion to companies like Juicy Couture and American Apparel. Juicy Couture is best known for their trendy tracksuits and active pants. American Apparel is best known for their mostly organic dance-inspired fashions. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Eva Longoria are among many other female celebrities whom have worn some chic tracksuits. And of course, when you have famous ladies who wear some chic outfits, you know there are girls out there who want to wear some cute tracksuits. There are also other companies that make chic tracksuits to be both sporty and cute at the same time. One such example is Victoria Secret's PINK collection. The PINK collection offers trendy lounge-type fashion for mostly young teen girls and college girls. However, it is Juicy Couture that really stands out in the realm of sporty cute fashions..
--- Tracksuits and Sweatpants ---
The mere presence of tracksuits and sweatpants make them fashionable for reasons more than just for fitness. Some simply wear these kinds of bottoms for comfort.
Tracksuits.
Many people readily credit Juicy Couture for trying to make activewear chic. Everything from active hoodies and sweatpants have shown that you CAN look hot wearing fitness-appropriate clothing. A decent pair of athletic sneakers will do for these outfits. However, I've seen all kinds of footwear for these tracksuits and sweatpants ranging from flip-flops to even sheepskin boots like these. Another appealing aspect of tracksuits relate to how some of these are very fashionable. I mentioned in my blog entry about graphics across the butt about how most of the Juicy Couture stuff are famous for the "Juicy" label written across the butt. That only adds to the style of these sweatpants.
Another reason why they've become so fashionable is simply because of how comfortable the clothes are to wear. I now see why these tracksuits and sweatpants are worn in cold weather- comfort (and warmth, obviously). A hot way to show off abs would be with a cropped hoodie. There are just so many ways to show some sporty chic with trackpants, sweatpants, hoodies, and more!
I'll leave this section with a fashionable tracksuit from a brand that's tried to make the tracksuit chic (among others):
^ from: ifashionmall.net - a Juicy Couture tracksuit. The expressive graphics on the back of the hoodie and across the butt of the female wearing them adds to their sexy/cute appeal.
^ from: macys.com - cute sweatpants paired with a hoodie. Also, note the metallic flats worn with this outfit rather than some athletic shoes.
^ from: pixazza.com - a cute pair of cropped sweatpants.
The appeal of sweatpants can be cute. I have somewhat become fond of girls wearing cropped sweatpants (like in the second picture). Some who wear fashionable cropped sweatpants usually wear them with casual sneakers or even flip-flop/thong sandals.
So you want to find some tracksuits or sweatpants (for women's sizes) on Amazon? These two widgets will help you. I would appreciate your business if you do find something you like in these widgets or in other widgets:
(Women's) Tracksuits on Amazon:
(Women's) Sweatpants on Amazon:
Visit "Sporty Cute!" in my secondary blog to shop for tracksuits (and other activewear items).
--- Yoga Pants ---
^ from: bcostencmn2170.wordpress.com - Yoga pants booty in Lululemon yoga pants. The seam of these yoga pants across the buttocks offers a sexy rear view while also being functional and stylish to wear. :)
^ from: luuux.com, by way of dealbreaker.com - The greatest guilty pleasure of yoga pants is a sexy and fabulous booty. Such foldover pants (like knit gaucho pants) are mostly made of soft and fluid material to add to the comfort and appeal of such bottoms.
To coincide with the bootylicious appeal of gaucho pants, yoga pants were a pair of pants to work out in or just look hot around your friends and peers. Yoga pants are either available as full-length pants or capris. The yoga pants I'm most used to are full-length pants that have bootcut legs to them. The modest bootcut flare adds the illusion of elongated legs. Those who just wear these for fashion (or for fashion and actual active use) usually pair these with anything ranging from casual sneakers to flip-flop/thong sandals. I mentioned earlier in this section that these were some pants offering a cute view of the booty, like gaucho pants. Don't believe me that yoga pants have some sex appeal to them? Take a look at this video:
The above video discusses the bootyli... I mean, sexy appeal to these Lululemon Athletica yoga pants. Some wear these for fitness, some wear them for fashion, and some wear them for both. Even I posted a comment on this video long ago on YouTube:
"'Lululemon? booty.' My goodness. Even if you're not working out, you're going to look pretty (to quote one of my fellow Houston natives) bootylicious. ;) I'm sure they must be comfy, but man... who says you can't look hot wearing fitness clothes?"
-"JohnMarineTube" (in other words... ME! :P)
Regardless, yoga pants can be quite appealing. Visit "Sporty Cute!" in my secondary blog to shop for more yoga pants (and other activewear items).
Want more? Find some yoga pants in my widget below:
Yoga Pants on Amazon:
--- Active Skorts ---
^ from: thisnext.com - a skort from American Apparel. However, you'd think it's just a scandalous and sexy mini skirt at first glance.
American Apparel jersey skort. However, you'd mistake this for a very short and scandalous mini skirt at first glance. Still, just the image of a sexy girl in a mini skirt and wearing high heels will EASILY turn heads.
As I mentioned in my blog entry about skorts, skorts are basically either commonplace for school or for active use. The fact that skorts fall so short makes them such a fashionable option for active femmes. These skorts can be seen in various women's sports ranging from tennis to running to lacrosse to golf. Because of the sexy appeal of some skorts, they have that hot edge to them. But on a functional level, skorts provide a suitable pair of athletics-approprate bottoms sewn into the skirt part allowing for functional usage when playing sports. In essence, these are the skirt alternatives to wearing shorts. These are essentially shorts concealed under a skirt, but are every bit as fashionable and functional as a pair of gym shorts.
The purposes of such skorts range from various applications. There are running skorts, which can be pretty short, to go with looking stylish while running or cycling. Visit "Sporty Cute!" in my secondary blog to shop for active skorts (and other activewear items). If you're looking for running skirts, a very popular site for running skirts is runningskirts.com.
Want more [active] skorts? Find some more in my widget below:
Active Skorts on Amazon
--- Gym Shorts and Running Shorts ---
^ from: thisnext.com - Loop terry running shorts. Don't be surprised if you see these worn with flip-flops or with ballet flats.
^ from: thisnext.com - Fleece running shorts can be sporty, cute, and sexy... all at once. Some just wear these for a good-looking butt. :)
I'm featuring only retro gym shorts to stay consistent of talking about making fitness clothes cute and/or sexy. Either for a good workout or finding bottoms that let you show as much leg as possible, retro gym shorts can be pretty hot. These gym shorts are, then, the closest you can get to acceptably wearing hot pants.
Retro Running Shorts.
When it comes to running shorts, fleece running shorts can be both sporty and cute. Fleece running shorts can be sporty and functional in being a good pair of shorts to wear when running. Then, there's the cute and sexy element to these. In fact, some ladies wear fleece running shorts to make their butt look good. Some ladies wear flip-flop/thong sandals with these fleece running shorts rather than some proper running shoes. Some running shorts come in many fun designs and patterns. Some of the most popular retro running shorts worn are usually from American Apparel. Then too, don't discredit running shorts from proper athletic gear companies like Nike, Adidas, and the like.
The most common look I see girls wear is in wearing running shorts with a sporty T-shirt and some basic flip-flop sandals. I think it's cute seeing hot legs and cute feet with a T-shirt and girly running shorts. Some women wear leggings with these gym shorts on cold days. Are all females who wear running shorts actually run or just got through running? Many do, many don't. It's still a sporty cute way to beat the heat on warm days. Some just like looking sporty (and likely are active and sporty themselves).
Care to find some women's size shorts? Begin your journey on Amazon:
(Women's) Gym Shorts:
(Women's) Running Shorts:
Visit "Sporty Cute!" in my secondary blog to shop for more gym shorts (and other activewear items).
--- Dancing and Cheerleader Influence ---
The simple fact that dancing and cheerleader garments are short and hot makes them attractive. Such dance and cheerleader garments even have attention-grabbing graphics across the butt that can be so appealing. Some wear these for function while others wear them for fashion. However you slice it, they can be a way to work ouy or look good (or look good working out, of course. :D)
IN CASE YOU"RE INTERESTED (updated for March 14, 2012): I blogged about cheerleading and cheerleader fashion. Feel free to visit "Cheerleading" on John's Blog Space to read my blog post about cheerleading.
I have also discussed Ballet before in talking about dancing. You may read this blog post here: "Ballet" - John's Blog Space.
--- Cute Shoes to Look Sporty ---
Now on to sporty cute of a different kind... shoes. The majority of this blog post has been about tops and bottoms that have a sexy edge to them. A lot of these shoes are athletic-inspired, meaning they have that sporty influence, but are not overly sporty to where you can't wear these casually. Take a look at these shoes and sandals below, and you'll get an idea as to footwear that looks cute and also sporty:
^ These Skechers mary jane sport shoes are considered sneakers, but they also make a cute alternative to athletic lace-up sneakers. Maybe I found these to be cute on women and girls because they are mary janes and because they are sporty. If you believe in getting a workout with shoes like these, meet the Shape Ups sister of these shoes:
^ Love them or loathe the Shape Ups shoes, these shoes are the Shape Ups sister of the previous shoes. They are only in black, and they are only in the sizes of 5 B(M) US and 5.5 B(M) US. This sneaker...
...and this one...
...are basically slip-on sneakers and a different alternative to having to constantly lace up your sneakers. In fact, Skechers is perhaps one of the best in trying out different ideas to make awesome shoes. They try to make sporty shoes and sneakers.
^ These are an athletic alternative to the basic flip-flop/thong sandals. Meet the EasyTone sandals from Reebok. The EasyTone lineup of footwear is basically Reebok's answer to Skechers' Shape-Ups and FitFlops. There are two different colors for these sandals. Sizes for these sandals are for sizes ranging from 5 B(M) US to 12 B(M) US. These are flip-flops for the sporty cute girl. Get your own pair if they interest you!
^ Why wear just any plain pair of flip-flops/thong sandals when you can have something sporty and useful? At least, that's what crocs had in mind with these flip-flop/thong sandals. There are five different colors available for these sandals. All but one of them are two-tone color styles. These sandals come in nine different sizes. They range from 4 B(M) US to 12 B(M) US. There are no in-between sizes for these. Check the graphic above for availability of these sandals in any of the five colors offered. On my check, the Black/Black combination are available in all sizes. So please go check these sandals out if they interest you.
These are just a few examples of sporty cute. Here's one more pair of "sporty cute" shoes of honorable mention (from Amazon):
(Honorable Mention)
So for some reason, fitness-type clothing is seen as both hot and functional. Regardless of your reasons, the comfort of these fitness-type garments can be very fun to wear. They can even be appealing on femmes too. Do you sense these sporty and fitness-type clothing can be appealing and fashionable? Comment away if so!
. Another appealing aspect of tracksuits relate to how some of these are very fashionable. I mentioned in 
