2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Homecoming
Craven said that Britain had an insatiable appetite for sport and that London 2012 had done a tremendous job in making everyone feel like it was their Games, and spoke of his pride of the mascot, Mandeville, being hand-crafted by a retired steel worker from his home town of Bolton. Craven then thanked all the international sport federations who held qualifying competitions and welcomed a record 164 National Paralympic committees. Craven stated that these were the best prepared athletes ever and welcomed them to London.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Homecoming
To the athletes, Craven stated that they "have some of the finest sporting stages upon which to perform", every step of the way cheered on by the "most passionate sport fans you will ever have seen or heard." Continuing, he said that they would inspire many generations to come and their stories and performances will challenge people to think about themselves and others. Craven then stated that the athletes are all catalysts for change and role models for an inclusive society.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Homecoming
Craven then asked the athletes to "abide by the rules and show the world why you are all proud Paralympians." He added that they were there to continue the story that Guttmann started and stated that they had the "ability to win medals and change the world". Craven wished the athletes the very best of luck and reminded them to have fun. Craven "with honour and great pleasure" asked Queen Elizabeth II to officially open the Games.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Homecoming
Once the Games were declared open, the Paralympic flag was carried into the Stadium by eight members of the Great Britain Under 22 Wheelchair Basketball team: Billy Bridge, Harry Brown, Emmanuel Filson, James MacSorley, Philip Pratt, Richard Sargent, Gregg Warburton and Joseph Williams. This was hoisted into the air as the Anthem was played.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Homecoming
Swimmer Liz Johnson, Wheelchair rugby official Richard Allcroft, and David Hunter of the ParalympicsGB equestrian team took oaths on behalf of all the athletes, judges, and coaches, vowing to compete, judge, and coach according to the rules of their respective sport.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Brave New World
The giant umbrella in the centre of the stadium was lifted, revealing Miranda and Prospero underneath in a Library. The pair were stood on a giant book of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the umbrella became a lampshade. Elin Manahan Thomas then performed Handel's "Eternal Source of Light Divine" during which the lampshade divided into seven sections and six athletes; Robert Barrett (Athletics), Kay Forshaw (Wheelchair Tennis), Tanni Grey-Thompson (Athletics), Tony Griffin (Javelin), Ian Rose (Judo), and Marc Woods (Swimming) rose to the centre of the stadium. This was followed by Miranda reciting the "brave new world" speech from The Tempest.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Navigation
Hawking explaining that there are no boundaries in the universe


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Navigation
Miranda was sent on a voyage by Prospero in a boat created by an upturned umbrella. Whilst she is travelling, the books symbolise seagulls as the weather turns. Miranda was caught in a storm of ideas as words from The Universal Declaration of Human Rights appear on the pixel screen, as Ziya Azazi, a contemporary whirling dervish dancer, becomes the eye of the storm on top of the orrery. Birdy sang "Bird Gerhl" as the sway pole dancers signed the lyrics and David Toole did a contemporary dance. Toole and Miranda flew across the stadium, with Miranda arriving back on the book stage.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Gravity
A Mass of giant apples entered the stadium and circled the book stage, creating a maze. Performers juggled as a giant golden apple flew across the stadium. During the section Miranda learned of Isaac Newton and his work of gravity and of the solar system, as apples floated and orbited the stage, Propero is at a telescope, and three performers created a giant Newton's cradle. Also in this section Miranda led the stadium in the big crunch.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Collision
Prospero at the telescope explained the journey that Miranda had been on. He concluded that Miranda was ready for the next step to change the world. The stadium was transported back to 2012 and became a large replica of the Large Hadron Collider; Stephen Hawking, reappearing, explained that the Collider can change our perceptions of the world just like the Games themselves.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Empowerment
"The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world. We are all different, there is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being, but we share the same human spirit. What is important is that we have the ability to create. This creativity can take many forms, from physical achievement to theoretical physics. However difficult life may seem there is always something you can do, and succeed at.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Empowerment
"The Games provide an opportunity for athletes to excel, to stretch themselves and become outstanding in their field. So let us together celebrate excellence, friendship, and respect. Good luck to you all."


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Empowerment
Hawking putting the Games in the context of the ceremony


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Empowerment
Orbital then performed "Where Is It Going?" as protesters with placards entered to call for equal rights. Ian Dury's "Spasticus Autisticus" was performed by Graeae Theatre Company, whilst Orbital continued to perform behind Hawking. Miranda and Propero protested as a giant version of Marc Quinn's statue Alison Lapper Pregnant arrived in the middle of the stadium. Miranda rose to break the glass as shattered pieces are seen on the pixels.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, Enlightenment
A film showing the journey of the Paralympic torch to the stadium began the section. Hawking put the Paralympic Games into the wider context of society. Royal Marine Commando Joe Townsend, who hoped to compete in Rio (he went on to compete in paratriathlon), followed by zip wiring into the Olympic Stadium from the ArcelorMittal Orbit carrying the Paralympic torch. Fireworks signified his arrival as he handed it to Dave Clark, member of the 2012 blind 5-a-side football team. Clark then ran to the cauldron where he passed it to Margaret Maughan, Britain's first Gold medallist in the Paralympic Games, who lit the petals which rose to form the cauldron.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Proceedings, "I Am What I Am"
Beverley Knight, Lizzie Emeh and deaf performer Caroline Parker appeared on the Moon stage to close the ceremony with a performance of "I Am What I Am". A pyrotechnic display took place as the entire cast flooded the stadium to form the three agitos of the Paralympic logo. The cast and the audience joined in with the signing and signed the lyrics which were learnt pre-show.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
80,000 people watched the Ceremony in the stadium. Audience viewing figures in the United Kingdom showed that an average of 7.6 million, a 40% share, watched the ceremony.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
The opening ceremony was met with positive reviews. Jim White of The Daily Telegraph described the ceremony as "three hours of noisy, colourful, bolshie brouhaha. Plus umbrellas." However, White also felt that it was also "a little jumbled in its rush to communicate its ideas, maybe; occasionally resembling a giant prog rock gig, for sure."


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
White also praised the ceremony's use of "The Tempest" as an overlying theme, believing that Miranda's "O wonder" speech was "beautifully apt" in the context of what fans would expect to see during the Paralympics, and that her flight upwards into a glass ceiling was the most symbolic moment of the entire ceremony—since he believed that Paralympic athletes would also be "smashing ceilings" throughout the Games. Writing in the Independent Jerome Taylor notes that the ceremony was more structured and the music more classical than the Olympic equivalent "but it was still infused with simmering political radicalism and social commentary."


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
Taylor also states that the Ceremony was a celebration of humankind overcoming the impossible. While Charles Perrin in the Daily Express states that after the Olympics the opening ceremony of the Paralympics "won the hearts and minds of the public with a truly memorable show." Perrin adds that "there was a palpable sense of awe and wonder attached to the ceremony, especially when the athletes parade began stadium."


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
Charlotte Higgins of The Guardian also enjoyed the ceremony, noting that despite the lack of "gleeful anarchy" and lower budget in comparison to its Olympic equivalent, noting that the theme of enlightenment representing both "a hoped-for lifting of prejudice against disabled people; and the 18th-century onrush of scientific knowledge and quest for the rights of man", along with its embodiment through the use of Stephen Hawking were "brilliant strokes" by the directors. In conclusion, Higgins remarked that concluding that "the ceremony seemed to suggest, the only barrier to disabled people's fulfilling their potential was one of perception."


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
Fellow Guardian writer Owen Gibson was also positive towards the opening ceremony, stated that the creators had finally "found" dramatic use for the Olympic Park's Orbit sculpture." Overall Gibson found the ceremony to be a 'thought-provoking, expectation-defying, moving and occasionally challenging romp.' Concluding "Just as the title of Boyle's Isles of Wonder spectacular came to sum up the giddy excitement of London's Olympics, so organisers hope that Enlightenment will come to describe the effect of the Paralympics that over the next 10 days will conclude a bounteous sporting summer."


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
Francis Ryan writing for the same paper notes that "it was a seismic beginning for an opening ceremony that seemed smaller than its Olympic counterpart one month ago. It seemed lower key, perhaps, with less fanfare and more poignancy than brash spectacle. But by midnight, wonder was literally flying through the air." Ryan states that the ceremony "was beauty, a thrust of anger, and a spotlight on athletes too often in the shade." Ryan notes that the ceremony was thoughtful and combined emotional and complex ideas with the mystical. Concluding Ryan notes that Miranda smashing the ceiling was fiction but "in a sense in the real world had made a crack." Whilst Richard Williams proclaimed that the nation suffered a petite mort at the end of the Olympics took its opportunity to come back to life.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
Anthony Faiola, writing for The Washington Post noted that "the expensive theatrics and brilliant pyrotechnics Wednesday underscored just how far the event has come," from the Games beginning in 1948. He also notes that the ceremony was far more sober than its Olympic counterpart but could be just as esoteric. Lawrence Downes in The New York Times noted that the ceremony was truly cosmic. Gary Kingston writing in the Vancouver Sun noted that the ceremony was equally infused with "whimsy and wonder." He further stated that there was playful use of the umbrella during the ceremony quintessential of British objects. Kingston also comments that the appearance of Toole and the aerial ballet demonstrated that physical limitations do not limit human potential.


2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, Broadcasting and reception
Channel 4, the official broadcaster of the Paralympics in the United Kingdom, faced criticism throughout the opening ceremony for its coverage; viewers complained about the quality of Jon Snow's commentary; such as bringing up too many facts pertaining to war during the parade of nations. Channel 4 responded to the criticism, saying that they had taken fewer breaks than normal for a primetime programme, and were pleased at Snow was part of the team.


2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay
The 2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay ran from 22 to 29 August 2012, prior to the 2012 Summer Paralympics. The relay began with four flames kindled on the highest peaks of the four nations of the United Kingdom, which were then brought to their respective capital cities for special events honouring the upcoming Games. For the relay proper, the four national flames were united at a ceremony in Stoke Mandeville in preparation for a final 92-mile (148-kilometre) journey to London.


2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay, Relay, Journey to Stoke Mandeville
The Paralympic torch relay began on 22 August. In a ceremony representing human endeavour, groups of disabled and non-disabled scouts kindled the four Paralympic flames on the highest peaks of each nation of the United Kingdom; Scafell Pike in England, Ben Nevis in Scotland, Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland, and Snowdon in Wales. The four flames were then brought down from each peak in lanterns. On 24 August the flames were used to light ceremonial cauldrons in their respective capital cities (London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff) during "Flame Festival" events. A total of 38 towns and cities also hosted "Flame Celebration" events over the bank holiday weekend, where community representatives collected a part of their nation's flame to bring back for their respective events.


2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay, Relay, Journey to London
On 28 August a ceremony was held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, in honour of Stoke Mandeville's significance to the Paralympic movement, where the four national flames were united in a cauldron at precisely 8:12 pm (20:12) to form a single flame for the relay.


2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay, Relay, Journey to London
The four flames were brought into the stadium by dignitaries, including English Charity Campaigner, TV Presenter And Former model Katie Piper (who began to campaign for burns victims after having acid thrown in her face in 2009 By Starting Her Own Charity The Katie Piper Foundation), former Paralympian Chris Channon, nominated as a Torchbearer for his work on the Pegasus 999 PIN Database, a project designed to make the emergency call system more accessible for disabled and vulnerable people and Scottish amateur boxer Jonjo Look (who had a leg amputated and replaced by a prosthesis following an accident filling a gas canister).


2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay, Relay, Journey to London
The flame travelled a 92-mile (148-kilometre) route to the Olympic Stadium in a 24-hour relay, with 580 torchbearers working in teams of five. It travelled through iconic areas of London such as Abbey Road and London Zoo. Poor weather caused a two-hour delay on the Wednesday before the Games; parts of the route were modified to help ensure it would reach the stadium in time, while a backup flame was taken straight to the stadium as a contingency. However, as the opening ceremony's parade of nations took longer than expected, the flame was able to arrive at Olympic Stadium in time.


2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay, Relay, End of relay
The final three torchbearers represented three generations of Paralympic athletes. The torch entered the Olympic Stadium via a zipline attached to ArcelorMittal Orbit, carried by Joe Townsend, a former Royal Marine with amputated legs. Townsend represented the future as an athlete planning to compete in 2016 Summer Paralympics, a plan that came to fruition when he represented Great Britain in triathlon in Rio. He passed the torch to David Clarke, long-time captain of Britain's Five-a-side football team, representing the present. With his guide, Clarke passed the torch to Margaret Maughan, the winner of Great Britain's first gold medal at the 1960 Summer Paralympics, representing the past.


2012 Summer Paralympics torch relay, The Torches
The Paralympic torch was designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, who had also designed the Summer Olympic torch. It was intended to have a "modern" and "innovative" look, and was constructed with an aluminium alloy skin that is perforated to help with heat dissipation and grip. The torch also had a reflective finish, allowing it to match its surroundings and provide better visibility at night.


2012 Summit League Baseball Tournament
The 2012 Summit League Baseball Tournament took place from May 24–26. The top four regular season finishers of the league's seven teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at Oral Roberts University's J. L. Johnson Stadium. Oral Roberts won their fifteenth consecutive championship, claiming the tournament title every year but one of the sixteen seasons that they have been in the league, and will represent The Summit League in the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2012 Summit League Baseball Tournament, Seeding
The top four finishers from the regular season will be seeded one through four.


2012 Summit League Baseball Tournament, Most Valuable Player
Drew Bowen was named Tournament Most Valuable Player. Bowen played for Oral Roberts and earned the save in the championship game.


2012 Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2012 Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament was the 2012 post-season tournament for The Summit League, an NCAA Division I athletic conference. The tournament took place March 3–6, 2012 at the Sioux Falls Arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. South Dakota State won and received an automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Tournament.


2012 Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament
This was the final Summit League tournament for Southern Utah, which joined the Big Sky Conference for the 2012–13 basketball season. Meanwhile, Oral Roberts joined the Southland Conference in 2012–13 but returned to the Summit in 2014–15.


2012 Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
Out of the league's 10 teams, the top eight in the standings qualified for the conference tournament. Teams were seeded by conference record, with the following tiebreakers used if necessary:


2012 Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
The following criteria were applied to break ties between more than two teams:


2012 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2012 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, KY from May 23 to May 27, 2012. The tournament continued the round robin format from the previous season. Fifth seeded Louisiana–Monroe won their first tournament championship and earned the Sun Belt Conference's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2012 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding and format
The top eight teams (based on conference results) from the conference earn invites to the tournament. Teams were divided into two four-team pods for round-robin play. The teams with the best record in each pod then met in a championship game. If multiple teams shared the best record, head-to-head matchups were used as the first tiebreaker.


2012 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament, All-Tournament Team, Most Outstanding Player
Wil Browning was named Most Outstanding Player. Browning was a pitcher for Louisiana–Monroe.


2012 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2012 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Hot Springs, Arkansas from March 3 to March 6 at the Summit Arena and the Convention Center Court. Eleven Sun Belt teams participated in the tournament with seedings based on their conference record. Louisiana-Monroe did not compete in the 2012 Sun Belt Tournament due to failing to meet the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate requirements. This was Denver's final year in the Sun Belt due to the move to the Western Athletic Conference for the 2012–13 basketball season. The tournament winner received an automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA Tournament.


2012 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
All teams except Louisiana-Monroe qualified for the 2012 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Tournament. The championship game was broadcast on ESPN2.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season
The 2012 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 12th season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference. The season began August 30, 2012 and concluded January 6, 2013 as part of the 2012-13 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Ten teams participated in the competition: Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana–Lafayette, Louisiana–Monroe, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, South Alabama, Troy and  Western Kentucky.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season
South Alabama competed in the Sun Belt for the first time and became the conference's tenth team. Due to NCAA transitional rules, South Alabama was not eligible for a conference championship or postseason play.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Preseason, Award watch lists
The following Sun Belt players were named to preseason award watch lists:


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Preseason, Sun Belt Media Day
The Sun Belt media day was held on 16 July, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Florida International received five first place votes and were selected by the coaches as the favorites to win the conference. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette each received two first place votes, while Western Kentucky received one.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Preseason, Sun Belt Media Day, Preseason All–Conference Team
The head coaches of the competing teams selected their All–Conference Team. The coaches also selected Ryan Aplin of Arkansas State as the preseason offensive player of the year, and Tourek Williams of Florida International as the preseason defensive player of the year.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Coaches
NOTE: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Regular season
The Sun Belt has teams in two different time zones. Times reflect start time in respective time zone of each team (all teams central time except for Florida Atlantic and Florida International which are in eastern time). Conference games start times are that of the home team.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Regular season
Rankings reflect that of the USA Today Coaches poll for that week, until week eight when the BCS poll was used.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Regular season, Week 4
^ULM-Baylor game was most watched Sun Belt game on ESPN in history.


2012 Sun Belt Conference football season, Bowl games
The Sun Belt placed four teams in bowl games with five teams bowl eligible in 2012. This was the highest number of SBC bowl teams in the conference's history. Only Middle Tennessee was not selected for a bowl. Two Sun Belt teams made their first bowl games in school history: Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe.


2012 Sun Bowl
The 2012 Hyundai Sun Bowl, the 79th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game, held on December 31, 2012, at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, as part of the 2012–13 NCAA Bowl season. The game, the 79th edition of the Sun Bowl, was televised in the United States on CBS.


2012 Sun Bowl
The game featured the USC Trojans from the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12) against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Trojans accepted their invitation to the game after attaining a 7–5 regular-season record, while the Yellow Jackets entered the game with a 6–7 record (5–3 ACC), after losing to Florida State in the 2012 ACC Championship Game. Georgia Tech had to request for a postseason waiver that was granted in order to participate as a result of the conference championship game the Yellow Jackets played under extenuating circumstances caused by sanctions on the two teams ahead of them in division standings.


2012 Sun Bowl
Georgia Tech won the game in a 21–7 upset, thanks to a strong performance by the Yellow Jackets' defense. USC, which came into the game averaging more than 30 points per game, was limited to 7 points and 205 total yards. Georgia Tech cornerback Rod Sweeting was named the game's most valuable player.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams
The 2012 Sun Bowl marked the 4th meeting between USC and Georgia Tech, with USC holding a 2-1 advantage coming into the bowl game. The previous meeting was on September 22, 1973, in a 29-18 win for the Trojans.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams, USC
Coming off a two-year postseason ban, the Trojans had high hopes to return to their former glory in 2012, which were undoubtedly heightened by their preseason #1 ranking. USC started the season 6–1 and they appeared likely to at least make it back to the Rose Bowl. However, these plans were quickly dampened by the Trojans losing four of their last five games to finish at 7–5 and a second-place tie in the Pac-12 South Division. In addition, the Trojans lost their star quarterback Matt Barkley to injuries suffered in a game against rivals UCLA, leading to redshirt freshman Max Wittek to start the remaining USC games, including the 2012 Sun Bowl.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams, USC
The Trojans came into the bowl game averaging more than 30-points per game. The USC offense was led by wide receivers Robert Woods and Fred Biletnikoff Award winner Marqise Lee, with the later coming into the game with 2,588 all-purpose yards. USC's offense was prone to turning the ball over, however, coming into the game with 31 turnovers. On defense, USC was led by defensive end Morgan Breslin, who came into the game with 12 sacks. The Trojans' rushing defense was average, however, as USC ranked 59th nationally against the run.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams, USC
This was the Trojans' third Sun Bowl; they had previously appeared in the 1990 game against the Michigan State Spartans and again in the 1998 game against the TCU Horned Frogs, losing both games by scores of 17–16 and 28–19, respectively. The Sun Bowl also marked USC's first bowl game since the 2009 Emerald Bowl.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech started the season poorly, going 2-4 in their first six games. However, the Yellow Jackets won four of their last six games to end the regular season with a 5–3 conference record and a 6-6 record overall, making them bowl-eligible initially. The Yellow Jackets finished in a three-way tie for first-place in the ACC's Coastal Division.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams, Georgia Tech
However, both teams they were tied with (the North Carolina Tar Heels and Miami Hurricanes) were banned from the postseason that year (one by the NCAA and another self-imposed), leaving the Yellow Jackets as the only such team eligible for the 2012 ACC Championship Game. The ACC and the school filed a bowl waiver with the NCAA, which was promptly granted, to assure that the Yellow Jackets would be able to play in a bowl game in case they were to drop to a 6–7 record after a loss in the championship game. They lost to the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 21–15, but still were in solid position for the Sun Bowl's invite.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams, Georgia Tech
Like with USC, Georgia Tech came into the game with an offense that averaged more than 30 points per game. With its triple option offense, Georgia Tech averaged 312.5 rushing yards per game, which was fourth in the FBS. Leading the offense was quarterback Tevin Washington, who led the team with 19 rushing touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets' defensive unit came into the game allowing an average of 30 points per game. Defensive coordinator Al Groh was fired midway through the season after poor defensive performances against Miami Hurricanes, MTSU and Clemson. Due to Georgia Tech's porous defense, the Yellow Jackets came into the game as underdogs.


2012 Sun Bowl, Teams, Georgia Tech
This was the Yellow Jackets' third Sun Bowl; they had previously won the 1970 game over the Texas Tech Red Raiders by a score of 17–9, and they would later lose the 2011 game to the Utah Utes by a score of 30–27 in overtime. The 2012 Sun Bowl also marked Georgia Tech's 16th consecutive bowl game. Georgia Tech was coming into the game with a seven-game bowl losing streak.


2012 Sun Bowl, Game summary, First half
In the first quarter, USC appeared to have scored first on a 38-yard field goal. However, the play was reviewed and the field goal was overturned after replay showed the kick sailing wide left. The rest of the first quarter remained scoreless. In the second quarter, the Yellow Jackets went up 7-0 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Vad Lee to David Sims. Georgia Tech's defense was then able to force USC to punt. However, on the ensuing drive, quarterback Vad Lee threw an interception to USC's Lamar Dawson.


2012 Sun Bowl, Game summary, First half
USC was unable to take advantage of the interception, however, and quickly gave the ball back to Georgia Tech after Georgia Tech's Rod Sweeting intercepted Max Wittek. Georgia Tech's next possession was also short lived, after USC's Morgan Breslin forced Tech's Vad Lee to fumble. Taking advantage of the fumble, USC tied the game 7-7 on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Max Wittek to Silas Redd. The score remained tied 7-7 going into the half.


2012 Sun Bowl, Game summary, Second half
Georgia Tech's defense forced USC to punt on the Trojans' first possession of the second half. On the ensuing punt return, Georgia Tech's Jamal Golden returned the punt 56 yards to the USC 1-yard line. Two plays later, Georgia Tech took the lead, 14–7, on a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback Tevin Washington. Near the end of the third quarter, USC drove to Georgia Tech's 38-yard line. However, the Trojans were unable to convert a fourth and 4 play, turning the ball on downs.


2012 Sun Bowl, Game summary, Second half
Taking advantage of the turnover on downs, Georgia Tech further extended their lead to 21–7 on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Tevin Washington to Orwin Smith. After being forced to a three-and-out, Trojan punter Kyle Negrete pinned Georgia Tech at the Yellow Jackets' 5-yard line. Georgia Tech drove from their own 5-yard line to USC's 26-yard line. However, the Yellow Jackets gave the ball back to the Trojans after being unable to convert a fourth and 4 play. On the ensuing USC drive, the Trojans drove to the Yellow Jackets' 4-yard line.


2012 Sun Bowl, Game summary, Second half
The Trojans were unable to score, however, after Georgia Tech's Quayshawn Nealy intercepted USC's Max Wittek's pass in the endzone. USC had one more chance to cut into the lead after forcing Georgia Tech to punt with 1:41 left in regulation. Helped by several Tech penalties, USC once again drove deep into Georgia Tech territory, this time to the 14-yard line. The Trojans were still unable to score, however, and Georgia Tech sealed its first bowl victory since 2004 after Max Wittek threw an interception to Georgia Tech's Jamal Golden with 1:04 remaining in regulation.


2012 Sun Bowl, Statistical summary
Georgia Tech's defense dominated the game, as Georgia Tech allowed only 205 yards of total offense and held USC to a season low 7 points. USC quarterback Max Wittek completed only 14 of his 37 passes for 107 yards and threw 3 interceptions. In addition, wide receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods were held to only 41-yards and 33-yards of receiving respectively.


2012 Sun Bowl, Statistical summary
The Yellow Jackets also did not have a lot of passing yards, as Georgia Tech had a combined 75 passing yards from quarterbacks Tevin Washington and Vad Lee.


2012 Sun Bowl, Statistical summary
Georgia Tech's leading rusher was David Sims, who rushed the ball 17 times for 99 yards. Zach Laskey was Georgia Tech's no. 2 rusher, who rushed the ball 6 times for 60 yards. Overall, Georgia Tech rushed the ball for 294 yards. USC's leading rusher was Silas Redd, who rushed for 88 yards on 17 carries. Curtis McNeal was USC's no. 2 rusher, rushing the ball only 5-yards on 3 carries.


2012 Sundance Film Festival
The 2012 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 until January 29, 2012  in Park City, Utah.


2012 Sundance Film Festival
64 short films were selected for the festival from 7,675 submissions, including 27 international shorts from 3,592 submissions.


2012 Sundance Film Festival, Premieres
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) web documentary Bear 71 premiered January 20 in an installation at the festival's New Frontier multimedia program. The NFB  documentary Payback, based on Margaret Atwood's Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, and the documentary A Place at the Table, also premiered at the festival.


2012 Sunderland City Council election
The 2012 Sunderland Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Sunderland City Council in England. It was held on the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections.


2012 Sunderland City Council election, Election results
Following the election, the Labour Party remained in control of the council with its majority increased by eight. Labour took seats from the Conservatives in Washington East, Washington South, St Peter's, St Chad's, Ryhope, Doxford and Barnes. The Liberal Democrats also lost out to Labour in Millfield.


2012 Sunderland City Council election, Election results
The Conservatives held two wards – Fulwell and St Michael's. Independents in Copt Hill and Houghton also held their seats.


2012 Sunderland City Council election, Ward by ward results, Copt Hill ward
†Swing to the Independent candidate from the Conservatives, who had stood last time this seat was contested.


2012 Sunderland City Council election, Ward by ward results, Houghton ward
†Swing to the Independent candidate from the Conservatives, who had stood last time this seat was contested.


2012 Sunderland City Council election, Ward by ward results, Redhill ward
†Swing to Labour from the BNP, who had stood last time this seat was contested.


2012 Sunderland City Council election, Ward by ward results, Sandhill ward
There was a double vacancy in Sandhill ward in 2012, due to the retirement of Labour councillor Jim Scott, and the death of Labour councillor John Gallagher. Two seats were up for election, and each voter could cast two votes.


2012 Sunshine Tour
The 2012 Sunshine Tour is the 13th season of professional golf tournaments since the southern Africa based Sunshine Tour was relaunched in 2000, and the 6th since the tour switched a calendar based season in 2007. The Sunshine Tour represents the highest level of competition for male professional golfers in the region.


2012 Sunshine Tour
The tour is based predominantly in South Africa with other events being held in neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Zambia and Namibia.


2012 Sunshine Tour, Schedule
The table below shows schedule of events for the 2012 Sunshine Tour season. As usual, the tour consists of two distinct parts, commonly referred to as the "Summer Swing" and the "Winter Swing". Tournaments held during the Summer Swing generally have much higher prize funds, attract stronger fields, and until 2012 were the only tournaments on the tour to carry world ranking points, with some events being co-sanctioned with the European Tour.


2012 Sunshine Tour, Schedule
Since the tour switched to a calendar based season, this part of the tour has been split in two, with some events being held at the start of the year, and the remainder in November and December. Beginning in 2012, all events will carry world ranking points, with the "Winter Swing" 72-hole events having a minimum of 6 points and the 54-hole events having a minimum of 4 points, compared with the 14 point minimum for the "Summer Swing" events.


2012 Sunshine Tour, Schedule
Prize funds shown do not count directly towards the Order of Merit. The number in brackets after each winner's name is the number of official money Sunshine Tour events he had won up to and including that tournament. This information is only shown for Sunshine Tour members.


2012 Sunshine Tour, Order of Merit
Charl Schwartzel (3.2 million) and Louis Oosthuizen (1.7 million) did not play the minimum number of tournaments required to be ranked.


2012 Super 8 Twenty20 Cup
The 2012 Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup was the second season of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup. The season began on 25 March 2012 and was held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. 15 matches were played during the tournament. The Sialkot Stallions won the tournament and qualified for the 2012 Champions League Twenty20.


2012 Super 8 Twenty20 Cup, Venue
All the matches were played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.


2012 Super 8 Twenty20 Cup, Fixtures, Knockout stage
Karachi Dolphins won the toss and elected to bat, and the decision seemed to have paid off when they powered past 60 in the Powerplay. Their attack was led by opener Khalid Latif, who carried his bat through the innings to finish with 81 off 59. The main support was provided by Shahzaib Hasan and Asad Shafiq, who scored 30 and 38 respectively. They made 167 for 8 in 20 overs. Raza Hasan's 4 wickets came for 33 runs. Chasing 168, Sialkot Stallions lost Shakeel Ansar early but took control thereafter. Imran Nazir scored a rapid 41 (20 balls), before an unbroken stand of 119 at close to nine an over between Shoaib Malik (62) and Haris Sohail (55) sealed the game in the 19th over.


2012 Super 8 Twenty20 Cup, Fixtures, Knockout stage
For the final, 20,000-odd people thronged the Rawalpindi stadium, with its newly renovated stands. There were a further 15,000 fans outside the stadium, doing their best to catch glimpses of the action.


2012 Super Copa Telcel
The 2012 Super Copa Telcel was the second season of this championship, part of the Mexican branch of SEAT León Supercopa. Reigning champion Ricardo Pérez de Lara won the series for a second time. Trofeo Ibiza was a supported event running SEAT Ibiza Cupra Turbo 1.4L.


2012 Super Copa Telcel, Drivers
In this year is expect to increase to 20 cars respect the 16 of the 2011 season. Rubén Rovelo, Marco Santibáñez, Gabriel Iemma, César Tiberio Jiménez and Alfonso Celis have confirmed their participation.


2012 Super Coppa Sammarinese
The 2012 Super Coppa Sammarinese was the first Super Coppa Sammarinese football match. It was contested by Tre Penne, the winner of the 2011–12 Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio, and La Fiorita the winner of the 2011–12 Coppa Titano. The match was held on 3 October 2012 at the Campo di Fiorentino.


2012 Super Fours
The 2012 Super Fours was the 9th cricket Super Fours season. It took place in May and saw 4 teams compete in 50 over and Twenty20 matches. There was no overall winner in the 50 over tournament, whilst Rubies won the Twenty20 tournament, their second title in the format.


2012 Super Fours, Competition format
In the one day tournament, each team played two games, with no overall winner declared.


2012 Super Fours, Competition format
The Twenty20 competition consisted of two semi-finals, with the winners progressing to a Final and the losers playing in a third place play-off.


2012 Super GT International Series Malaysia
The 2012 Super GT International Series Malaysia was the third round of the 2012 Super GT season. It took place on June 10, 2012.


2012 Super GT Series
The 2012 Autobacs Super GT Series was the twentieth season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship including the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) era and the eighth season as the Super GT series. It also marked the thirtieth season of a JAF-sanctioned sports car racing championship dating back to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. It was a series for Grand Touring cars divided into 2 classes: GT500 and GT300. The season began on April 1 and ended on November 18, 2012 after 8 regular races and a final special race.


2012 Super GT Series
Since this season, GT300 adapted full GT3 rule of SRO Motorsports Group which were also be used in FIA GT1 World Championship. And Group GT1 and LM GTE cars are no longer able to race in GT300.


2012 Super League Grand Final
The 2012 Super League Grand Final was the 15th official Grand Final and conclusive and championship-deciding match of the Super League XVII season. The match was held on Saturday 6 October 2012, at Old Trafford, Manchester, and was contested by English clubs Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves. The 2012 Grand Final was a repeat of the 2012 Challenge Cup Final, in which Warrington beat Leeds 35-18 at Wembley Stadium, although it was Leeds who would win the Super League Grand Final, winning 26-18.


2012 Super League Grand Final
The progress of the two teams competing in the match were decided by results in the Super League XVII play-offs.


2012 Super League Grand Final, Background, Route to the Final, Leeds Rhinos
As in 2011, Leeds Rhinos finished the regular season in 5th place, meaning the team started their play-off campaign in the elimination play-off, where they met West Yorkshire rivals Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, playing in their first play-off campaign at Headingley Carnegie Stadium. Leeds won the game 42-20 with Ben Jones-Bishop scoring a hat-trick and Danny McGuire becoming the all-time leading try-scorer in the Super League history.


2012 Super League Grand Final, Background, Route to the Final, Leeds Rhinos
In the Preliminary Semi Final, Leeds would meet the lowest-placed loser from the Qualification play-off games, Catalans Dragons in the south of France, who they would beat 27-20, thanks to five goals from Kevin Sinfield and a drop goal from McGuire. That result booked Leeds' place in the Qualifying Semi-Final and the club call. Wigan Warriors were the team that were given the decision and chose Leeds. The match at the DW Stadium was won 13-12 by Leeds, despite Wigan scoring more tries (two to Leeds' one). Leeds reached the Grand Final, thanks to the boot of Kevin Sinfield, who kicked four goals, including the conversion to Kallum Watkins' try, and a first-half drop goal.


2012 Super League Grand Final, Background, Route to the Final, Warrington Wolves
Warrington's 2012 play-off campaign did not get off to a good start, as they lost 28-6 to St. Helens, despite having home advantage in the Qualifying play-off game following their 2nd place league finish. Tommy Makinson was Saints's most influential player in the game, scoring 16 points from two tries and kicking four goals.


2012 Super League Grand Final, Background, Route to the Final, Warrington Wolves
The defeat meant Warrington would have to compete in the Preliminary Semi-Final round but would once again play at home at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, this time against Hull FC. Warrington would race into a 24-point lead before winning the 24-12 to reach the Preliminary Semi Final. Following Wigan's club call decision, Warrington were re-united against St Helens, this time at Langtree Park. The reverse of the fixture also meant a reverse of luck for Warrington, who would gain revenge for the defeat earlier in the play-offs by winning 36-18 to reach their ever Grand Final. It also sees coach Tony Smith become the first coach to reach the Super Grand Final with two different clubs, the other club being Warrington's opponent, Leeds Rhinos.


2012 Super League season results
This is a list of the 2012 Super League season results. Super League is the top-flight rugby league competition in the United Kingdom and France. The 2012 season started on 4 February and ends on 6 October with the 2012 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford. The Magic Weekend was scheduled over the weekend of 26 and 27 May and was played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester for the first time, having previously been played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.


2012 Super League season results
The 2012 Super League season consists of two stages. The regular season was played over 27 round-robin fixtures, in which each of the fourteen teams involved in the competition played each other once at home and once away, as well as their Magic Weekend fixtures played over the fifteenth round of the season. In Super League XVII, a win was worth two points in the table, a draw worth one point apiece, and a loss yielded no points.


2012 Super League season results
The league leaders at the end of the regular season, Wigan Warriors, received the League Leaders' Shield, but the Championship will be decided through the second stage of the season—the play-offs. The top eight teams in the table contest to play in the 2012 Super League Grand Final, the winners of which will be crowned Super League XVII Champions.


2012 Super League season results, Play-offs
The 2012 Super League play-offs take place during September and October 2012 and consists of the top eight teams of the regular season.


2012 Super League season results, Play-offs, Format
Super League has used a play-off system since Super League III in 1998. When introduced, 5 teams qualified for the play-offs, which was subsequently expanded to 6 teams in 2002. The 2012 season will follow the same format that has been used since the 2009 season, which consists of an 8-team play-off.


2012 Super League season results, Play-offs, Format
The winning team from week one with the highest league placing will be allowed to select their opponents for week three in the Club Call. Except for the Club-Call, the current play-off format follows the play-off system of the Australian Football League.


2012 Super League season results, Notes
A. Match originally postponed due to frozen pitchB. Game rescheduled to 18 June 2012 due to Leeds Rhinos' involvement in the 2012 World Club ChallengeC.  Replaced by Robert Hicks during first half due to injuryD.  Match switch as part of London Broncos's On The Road campaignE.  All matches played at Etihad Stadium as part of Magic WeekendF.  Galpharm Stadium renamed John Smith's Stadium as of 1 August 2012 G.  Game switched to Leigh Sports Village due to fixture clash with co-tenants Sale Sharks


2012 Super Rugby Final
The 2012 Super Rugby final was played between the South African Sharks and the New Zealand Chiefs Super Rugby teams on 4 August 2012. It was the 17th final in the Southern Hemisphere's premier transnational club rugby competition's history and the second under the newly expanded 15-team format. The Chiefs had qualified second highest during the regular season, while the Sharks qualified as the sixth, and lowest, team. The Chiefs went straight to the semi-final, where they beat fellow New Zealand team the Crusaders. The Sharks travelled to Brisbane and beat the Queensland Reds in the qualifying final and then the Stormers back in South Africa in the semi-final. As the Chiefs had qualified higher than the Sharks the final was played at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton.


2012 Super Rugby Final
In part due to the level of travel the Sharks had to make during the finals series (travelling from South Africa to Australia, back to South Africa and then on to New Zealand in just three weeks) they entered the grand final as the underdogs. They started the stronger, however, and scored first points through a penalty. The Chiefs struck back, scoring a converted try and two penalties to lead 13–3 at half-time. They extended the lead in the second half, outscoring the Sharks with three more converted tries and a penalty to just the one penalty for the visitors. The Chiefs won the game with a final score of 37–6. It was the Chiefs' first victory in the competition from their second final. For the Sharks, it was their fourth final defeat.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Road to the final
The 2012 Super Rugby competition involved fifteen teams, five each from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 2012 marked the 17th season of the competition, and the second in the expanded 15 team format (12 teams competed between 1996 and 2005, before increasing to 14 between 2006 and 2010). The competition began on 24 February with the regular season consisting of 120 matches over twenty one weeks. Each team played teams from their own country twice (home and a way) and four teams from each of the other two countries once (two at home and two away). The top six teams after the regular season would advance to the finals. Unlike previous years, there was a three-week break between Week 15 and Week 19 to allow the three countries to play international rugby against Northern Hemisphere teams.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Road to the final
The Stormers finished top of the South African conference and topped the overall standings, with just two losses (to the Crusaders and Sharks). The Chiefs won the New Zealand conference and finished second overall, losing four games in total (including the last two of the regular season to drop below the Stormers). As the two top finishers both teams advanced straight into home semi-finals. The Reds beat the Waratahs in their final game of the regular season to finished top of the Australian conference after the Brumbies lost to the Blues earlier in the round. Despite finishing on the lowest points overall of the six finalists they qualified third as the top Australian team. The Crusaders, Bulls and Sharks filled the remaining three places as the next top finishers during the regular season.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Road to the final
The Crusaders hosted the Bulls in Christchurch in the first qualifying final, while the Sharks traveled to Brisbane to play the Reds. The Crusaders eased passed the Bulls in the first qualifier, with All Black five eight Dan Carter scoring 23 points in their 28-13 victory. In Brisbane the Sharks upset the Reds in the second qualifier, leading 20-3 after 30 minutes and out defending the opposition to win with a final score of 30-17. The two semi-finals were local derbies, with the Sharks playing the Stormers in Cape Town and the Crusaders playing the Chiefs in Hamilton. Both games were much closer than the qualifiers. The Chiefs held out the Crusaders to win 20-17, while the Sharks had to withstand a late surge from the Stormers to win 26-19.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Build-up
The Sharks entered the final as underdogs. Ladbrokes gave 2/1 odds to the Sharks compared to 4/9 for the Chiefs, while the TAB paid $3.10 for a Sharks win compared to $1.13 for a Chiefs win. The Sharks had to travel from South Africa to Australia, back to South Africa and then on to New Zealand during the final series. Former Springbok and current Brumbies coach Jake White believed this would make the task much harder for the Sharks.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Build-up
Prior to the final the two teams played each other fifteen times, with the Chiefs winning 8 of the encounters to the Sharks 7. During the regular season they met in Week 9 and the Chiefs won 18-12 in Durban. The Chiefs have only made the final once before, in 2009 when the Bulls beat them 61-17 in Pretoria (a record margin in Super Rugby finals). The Sharks had previously made three Super Rugby finals, losing all three to the Blues in 1996, the Brumbies in 2001 and the Bulls in 2007. The title has only been won by the visiting team four times (Crusaders in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and the Bulls in 2007) and only one of those occasions has been when traveling to a foreign country (when the Crusaders beat the Brumbies in Canberra in 2000).


2012 Super Rugby Final, Build-up
The Sharks team broke up the flight to New Zealand by spending most of the week in Sydney before heading to Hamilton. Sharks centre Tim Whitehead was not available after he broke his hand in the semi-final, although previously injured utility backs Patrick Lambie and Paul Jordaan have both just recovered and played in the final. The Chiefs squad was the same that beat the Crusaders after in doubt captain Craig Clark recovered in time from a leg injury.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Build-up
Rugby journalist Spiro Zavos predicted that a key match-up would be between the two international centres, Sonny Bill Williams from the Chiefs and JP Pietersen from the Sharks. Steve Walsh, the referee of the Sharks vs Stormers game, was named to officiate the final. Walsh, a former New Zealand referee before joining the Australian conference in 2010, was controlling his second Super Rugby Final after refereeing the Bulls vs Sharks game in 2007. His assistants were Craig Joubert, the referee of the Chiefs vs Crusaders semi-final, and Keith Brown, with Garratt Williamson the video referee.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Build-up
The 25,100 tickets for the final sold out three days before the game. Season members and sponsors purchased 8000 while the public bought the remaining tickets two hours after they went on sale. Big screens were erected for fans in Hamilton at Garden Place and on Hood Street.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Match, Summary
The Chiefs won the game 37–6, scoring four tries to none, to claim their first Super Rugby title. The Sharks dominated the match early, scoring first points when Frederic Michalak kicked a penalty after six minutes. The Chiefs worked their way back into the game, scoring the first try in the 19th minute. Andrew Horrell claimed an Aaron Cruden chip kick and after a Sonny Bill Williams break the ball was moved wide for Tim Nanai-Williams to score in the corner. Cruden converted the try and then kicked two more penalties after Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis infringed to have the Chiefs leading 13–3 at half time.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Match, Summary
The Chiefs scored their second try early in the second half. After Michalak's clearing kick got charged down in goal number eight Kane Thompson drove over from the resulting five-metre scrum. The conversion from Cruden made the score 20–3 in favour of the Chiefs. Michalak kicked a second penalty with 30 minutes remaining to bring the Sharks within fourteen points, before Lelia Masaga claimed a mis-directed Sharks pass, resulting from a big Williams tackle, and outran the defence to score the Chiefs third try. The conversion gave the Chiefs a 27–6 lead going into the final quarter of the game. Cruden kicked one more penalty before Williams scored the fourth and final try in the last few minutes to give the Chiefs a convincing victory.


2012 Super Rugby Final, Match, Details
Touch judges: Craig Joubert Keith BrownTelevision match official: Garratt Williamson


2012 Super Rugby season
The 2012 Super Rugby season was the second season of the current 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition, which involves teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. For sponsorship reasons, this competition is known as FxPro Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby in New Zealand and Vodacom Super Rugby in South Africa. Including its past incarnations as Super 12 and Super 14, this was the 17th season for the Southern Hemisphere's premier transnational club competition.


2012 Super Rugby season
The conference games took place every weekend from 24 February until 14 July (with a three-week break between rounds 15 and 16 for international matches), followed by the finals series, culminating in the grand final on 4 August. While its three main broadcasting partners are Fox Sports (Australia), Sky Sport (New Zealand) and SuperSport (South Africa), Super Rugby can be viewed in many countries throughout the world.


2012 Super Rugby season
The Chiefs, based in Hamilton, New Zealand, claimed their first-ever title in the competition's history, defeating the Durban-based Sharks 37–6 in the final held on 4 August at the Chiefs' home of Waikato Stadium.


2012 Super Rugby season, Competition format
Covering 24 weeks, the schedule featured a total of 125 matches. The 15 teams are grouped by geography, labelled the Australian Conference, New Zealand Conference and the South African Conference. The regular season consists of two types of matches:


2012 Super Rugby season, Competition format
The top team of each conference, plus the next top three teams in table points regardless of conference (wild card teams), advance to the finals. The top two conference winners, based on table points, receive first-round byes. In the first round of the finals, the third conference winner is the No. 3 seed and hosts the wild card team with the worst record, and the best wild card team hosts the second-best wild card team. In the semi-finals, the No. 2 conference winner hosts the higher surviving seed from the first round, and the No. 1 conference winner hosts the other first-round winner. The final is hosted by the top remaining seed.


2012 Super Rugby season, Referees
The following refereeing panel was appointed by SANZAR for the 2012 Super Rugby season:


2012 Superbike World Championship
The 2012 Superbike World Championship was the twenty-fifth season of the Superbike World Championship. It began on 26 February at Phillip Island and ended on 7 October in Magny-Cours after 14 rounds.


2012 Superbike World Championship
The season saw the number of complete motorcycles in use limited to one per rider; this meant that the rules allowing bike changes during a race (flag-to-flag) were cancelled.


2012 Superbike World Championship
Aprilia rider Max Biaggi clinched his second SBK championship, pipping Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes by just half a point. Marco Melandri won more races than both Biaggi and Sykes this season but failing to score points in 5 of the last 6 races cost him the title.


2012 Superbike World Championship, Race calendar and results
The provisional race schedule was publicly announced by the FIM on 24 September 2011 with thirteen confirmed rounds and two other rounds pending confirmation. Russia appeared for the first time in the calendar with a round at the brand-new Moscow Raceway. The calendar was updated in October 2011 with the confirmation of the Imola round, for a total fourteen rounds. All races with the exception of Miller Motorsports Park – races held on Memorial Day Monday – were held on Sundays.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
The 2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was an Australian touring car motor race for V8 Supercars, the twenty-first race of the 2012 International V8 Supercars Championship. It was held on Sunday, 7 October 2012 at the Mount Panorama Circuit on the outskirts of Bathurst, New South Wales, in Australia.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
The Ford Performance Racing duo of Will Davison and John McIntyre started the race from pole position. Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell won the race, ahead of David Reynolds and Dean Canto in second place, and Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff completing the podium. Whincup and Dumbrell's race time of six hours, sixteen minutes and one-point-three seconds was the second-fastest race time in the history of the event.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Background
The 2012 race was the sixteenth running of the Australian 1000 race, which was first held after the organisational split between the Australian Racing Drivers Club and V8 Supercars Australia that saw the Bathurst race run twice in 1997 and 1998, with one race open to V8 Supercar entries, and the other open to Super Touring cars. The schism was repaired in time for the 1999 race, with the race being open exclusively to V8 Supercars.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Background
The 2012 race will also be the 56th race for which the lineage can be traced back to the 1960 Armstrong 500 – held at Phillip Island – and the 53rd to be held at Mount Panorama; the two separate races of 1997 and 1998 are recognised as four individual runnings of the event.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Background
Race organisers plan to use this race to celebrate the 50th year since the race first moved from Phillip Island to Mount Panorama in 1963, though it was not until 1973 that the race was run over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi); from 1963 to 1972, the race was run over 500 miles (800 km).


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Background
The Holden Racing Team drivers Garth Tander and Nick Percat were the defending race winners.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Entries
All twenty-eight cars which contest the regular V8 Supercar season took part in the race, plus one "wildcard" entry—a car that is only entered in the endurance races—prepared by Minda Motorsport and operated by Kelly Racing. Each car was driven by its regular driver, who contests the full International V8 Supercar Championship, and a guest driver, who only took part in the Bathurst race and its prologue, the Sandown 500.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Entries
These guest drivers were recruited from a variety of racing categories, including the Dunlop Development Series (such as Nick Percat, partnering Garth Tander), the V8 Ute Racing Series (such as Chris Pither, partnering David Wall), and the New Zealand-based V8 SuperTourer Series (such as John McIntyre, partnering Will Davison), among others. Each driver was required to complete at least 54 laps of the race, with the teams given the freedom to allocate those laps as they see fit.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Entries
The only exception to this applied specifically to the Kelly Racing—Minda Motorsport "wildcard" entry. This car was driven by Cameron Waters and Jesse Dixon, both of whom won the opportunity to drive as part of the Shannons Supercar Showdown, a reality television programme created by Kelly Racing. Waters, who won the 2011 competition, was a late entry to the grid; the car was originally scheduled to be driven by Dixon, the 2012 winner, and Australian television personality Grant Denyer. However, Denyer was forced to withdraw two weeks before the race due to injury, and Waters was drafted in to replace him. Together, Waters (18) and Dixon (19) formed the youngest driver line-up to enter the race in its fifty-year history.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Free practice
The first free practice session took place on the Thursday morning before the race, taking the form of a fifty-minute timed session open to all drivers, though most teams elected to run only their primary drivers. The session passed without incident, and Michael Caruso – driving for Garry Rogers Motorsport – finished the session fastest, one-tenth of a second ahead of championship leader Jamie Whincup and the Ford Falcon of Shane van Gisbergen. Cameron Waters, driving the Kelly Racing—Minda Motorsport wildcard entry, finished in twenty-ninth and last place, five and a half seconds behind Caruso, and two and a half seconds behind the sister Kelly Racing car of Karl Reindler and Daniel Gaunt in twenty-eighth place.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Free practice
The second forty-five-minute free practice session early on Thursday afternoon was limited to co-drivers. Britek Motorsport's Chris Pither became the first driver to crash when he locked up one of his front wheels at the end of Mountain Straight, understeering into the tyre wall on the outside of Griffins' Bend. Although the damage was minor, the session was suspended for thirteen minutes to allow the circuit to be cleared, and the car was retired to the garage for the remainder of the session.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Free practice
Warren Luff – partner to Craig Lowndes in the #888 Triple Eight Race Engineering Commodore – finished fastest, ahead of Andrew Jones and Steven Richards. In his first appearance in a V8 Supercar, Jesse Dixon finished twenty-ninth, the Kelly Racing—Minda Motorsport setting a fastest lap that was five seconds slower than Luff's time. Stone Brothers Racing driver Lee Holdsworth also took part in the session, despite being a primary driver rather than a co-driver, testing Ford's "Car of the Future" prototype to gather data on tyre performance for tyre supplier Dunlop. Holdsworth also drove the car in two of the Dunlop V8 Supercar Series support race practice sessions.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Free practice
The first day of running ended with a fifty-minute session late on Thursday afternoon. Like the first session, it ran without incident, though drivers were cautioned when kangaroos were spotted on Conrod Straight. Jamie Whincup ended the session on top, half a second faster than Will Davison. Whincup's final flying lap was nearly a second faster than Davison, who subsequently narrowed the margin with his own final lap. After Pither's accident sidelined the Britek Motorsports car for most of the second session, the car was repaired and its regular driver, David Wall was able to complete the session, finishing twenty-third overall.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Free practice
Practice resumed on Friday morning, with a second session open only to co-drivers. The session was incident-free, and at the end of fifty minutes, Scott McLaughlin – partnering Tekno Autosports' Jonathon Webb – was fastest, a tenth of a second quicker than Jamie Whincup's partner, Paul Dumbrell. Once again, Jesse Dixon finished the session last in the Kelly Racing—Minda Motorsport wildcard entry, but improved his best time from the second practice session by two seconds, but was shown the bad sportsmanship flag for abusing the limits of the circuit while going through The Esses.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Free practice
The Triple Eight Race Engineering pair of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes topped the final free practice session before qualifying, with Whincup half a second faster than his teammate. The session was suspended twice due to incidents; the first came when Tony D'Alberto made contact with the wall at McPhillamy Park, damaging his front tyre and elected to stop on the circuit rather than risk further damage to the car ahead of qualifying. The second interruption came shortly after D'Alberto's car was cleared from the circuit when Tim Slade got caught in the gravel trap on the outside of Murray's Corner.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Free practice
Mark Winterbottom set the fastest time in the final practice session, held on Saturday morning. Garth Tander was second-fastest, three tenths of a second behind Winterbottom, while Winterbottom's teammate, Will Davison was third-fastest. Dick Johnson Racing's James Moffat finished the session in twenty-ninth, some thirty-six seconds off Winterbottom's time after his car broke a tailshaft that ripped an oil line free from underneath the car, causing enough damage to sideline the #17 entry for the remainder of the session.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
The forty-minute qualifying session was held on Friday afternoon. It decided positions eleven through to twenty-nine on the grid, with the top ten drivers advancing to the Top 10 Shootout, to be held on the Saturday afternoon.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
During the Friday session, drivers were free to complete as much running as necessary to set a competitive lap time, but with the knowledge that their tyre allocation for the weekend was limited and that they would have to qualify on tyres that they would later use the race, the drivers had to balance their desire to set a fast time against the need to preserve as many tyres as possible for Sunday's race.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
The session was red-flagged and suspended almost as soon as the circuit was open, when Holden Racing Team driver Garth Tander locked one of his tyres up at the end of Mountain Straight and understeered into the barrier on the outside of Griffins' Bend, in an incident similar to the one Chris Pither experienced in free practice. Tander was able to extricate himself from wall with largely cosmetic damage, and he limped back around the circuit to the pits while safety crews cleared away the fluids spilled by his Commodore in the accident.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
Tander's team were able to patch up the damage with sheets of tape, and while he was later heard on the radio complaining of his inability to stop the car and seen spinning at Hell Corner, he would ultimately set a lap time that would prove fast enough for a place in the Top 10 Shootout.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
Michael Caruso set the early pace in the session, but he was unable to maintain it for long and was soon supplanted by the Ford Performance Racing cars driven by Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison. The lead would change several times throughout the session, but it was not until Jamie Whincup set his first competitive lap time that the leader board began to stabilise, and from that point on, it became a fight between Whincup and the Fords that Craig Lowndes briefly entered into, but soon turned his attention to securing a place in the Top 10 Shootout.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
Elsewhere, several other drivers encountered troubles; James Moffat very nearly spun coming out of the Skyline, and was forced to apply opposite lock to his steering wheel to avoid the walls. He was later seen spearing off the road at the Chase, having misjudged his braking point and running through the grass on the outside of the left-hander. Jason Bright had a similar off-track excursion, but like Moffat, he was able to avoid the walls.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
As the session began to wind down to a close, drivers started producing lap times that were increasingly competitive. Jonathon Webb, Bright, Rick Kelly and James Courtney had all looked to secure places in the Top 10 Shootout, but were all pushed out in the dying minutes. After forty minutes, Whincup had set the fastest time, ahead of Fabian Coulthard, who had produced a late flying lap to secure second. Mark Winterbottom edged out teammate Davison for third place, ahead of Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, and Tim Slade.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
Despite his early accident, Tander recovered to eighth, having run as high as third before the final push for lap times. Steve Owen and David Reynolds both qualified in the top ten, though Reynolds was forced to wait anxiously as several other drivers – including Lee Holdsworth and Webb – still had enough time to record one final flying lap, though neither were able to surpass his time.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
Webb ultimately missed the cut-off by seven hundredths of a second, leaving him eleventh alongside Bright, with Kelly and Courtney filling out the seventh row of the grid behind them. Holdsworth's final lap left him fifteenth, alongside early pace-setter Caruso.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
Teammates Moffat and Steven Johnson took sixteenth and seventeenth, alongside Todd Kelly in the second Jack Daniels' Racing car, in what would be his final appearance in a Holden, having injured his shoulder in a training accident that would force him to miss the final four races of the 2012 season, while his team would switch to fielding Nissan Altimas in 2013.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Qualifying
Michael Patrizi qualified twentieth alongside Kelly, while Dean Fiore and David Wall out-qualified 2011 pole-sitter Greg Murphy in his second race back from a recurring back injury. Tony D'Alberto qualified twenty-fourth in the slowest of the Ford Falcons, ahead of Russell Ingall in twenty-fifth and Jack Perkins in twenty-sixth, Perkins having qualified the Garry Rogers-prepared Fujitsu Commodore in the place of regular driver Alexandre Prémat. Taz Douglas and Karl Reindler completed the last full row of the grid, leaving Cameron Waters and Jesse Dixon in twenty-ninth and last place, two-point-seven seconds adrift of Whincup's time.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Top 10 Shootout
The Top 10 Shootout took place at 16:30 local time on Saturday afternoon. Each of the ten fastest drivers in Friday qualifying were given one lap to set record a final qualifying time running in reverse order – so that the tenth-placed driver from Friday would go first, followed by the ninth-placed driver, all the way down to the fastest driver on Friday, who would be the last driver out – which would then decide the starting order to the top ten places on the grid.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Top 10 Shootout
David Reynolds was the first driver to take to the circuit. Conditions were considerably cooler and visibility lower than during the previous day's qualifying session, and Reynolds' lap time was half a second slower than his previous qualifying time. Steve Owen was the next driver out, setting a time that was over a second slower than Reynolds' and confirming that the conditions meant that lap times during the Shootout would not be as fast as the previous day's qualifying times had suggested. Several mistakes around the lap, particularly coming out of the Cutting, would also cost Owen dearly, and he would finish tenth overall.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Top 10 Shootout
Garth Tander was the first driver to better Reynolds' time, improving upon his time by four-tenths of a second. He was followed by Tim Slade, making his first appearance in the Bathurst Shootout. Slade, too, was fastest than Reynolds, but was unable to surpass Tander's time. Tander's place on provisional pole did not last long, as Shane van Gisbergen took to the circuit fifth and established a new benchmark of 2:08.1791, which would prove difficult to beat. A poor first sector from Craig Lowndes left the three-time Bathurst winner struggling to record a competitive time, and with Van Gisbergen having been the fastest through the final sector, Lowndes ultimately had to settle for ninth.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Top 10 Shootout
Will Davison was the next to record a lap time, and while he had the advantage over Van Gisbergen in the first sector, he lost time in the second across the top of the mountain. Davison made a mistake whilst exiting the Chase, but held on by a tenth of a second to take provisional pole away from Van Gisbergen. By his own admission, small errors throughout the lap meant that Davison's hold on provisional pole was tenuous with three more drivers to come. His teammate, Mark Winterbottom was next, and while they were evenly-matched through the first sector, Winterbottom lost time whilst traversing The Esses and was slower than Van Gisbergen.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Top 10 Shootout
Reports of rain on the initial climb up the mountain began to come in as Fabian Coulthard took to the circuit, and in-car shots clearly showed drizzle as he climbed Mountain Straight. Coulthard's lap was cautious, and while there was not enough water on the circuit to greatly affect his time, he would finish even further adrift of Davison in fifth place.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Top 10 Shootout
The rain continued as the final runner, Jamie Whincup, started his flying lap, and the reigning champion was unfazed by the worsening weather as he passed through the first sector nine hundredths of a second faster than Will Davison. The second sector split, coming out of Forrest's Elbow, was even closer with Whincup in front by just two ten-thousandths of a second. But despite Davison's messy exit coming out of the Chase, Whincup lost time in the final sector, missing out on pole position by half a second. Thus, Davison claimed his first pole position at the Mount Panorama Circuit, with Whincup second. Van Gisbergen and Winterbottom filled out the second row of the grid, ahead of Coulthard and Tander, Slade and Reynolds, and the struggling Lowndes in ninth place alongside Owen.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Post-qualifying
Race stewards handed Tekno Autosports' Michael Patrizi and Jonny Reid a five-place grid penalty for blocking Jason Bright during the Friday qualifying session, which Bright claimed prevented him from securing a place in the Top 10 Shootout. Patrizi, who had qualified in twentieth place on merit, would start the race from twenty-fifth place instead.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Post-qualifying, Final starting grid
The following table represents the final starting grid for the race on Sunday:


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Paul Dumbrell, starting from second on the grid, made the best start, but pole-sitter Will Davison was able to stay with him through Hell Corner and up Mountain Straight, seizing the lead by driving around the outside of Dumbrell through Griffins' Bend. Dumbrell was soon passed by Shane van Gisbergen, who immediately started applying pressure to Davison. Meanwhile, Mark Winterbottom made a poor start and slipped down the order, fighting with Tim Slade and David Reynolds over seventh place. Steve Owen also went backwards at the start, having overshot his grid position when the grid was formed, and being overwhelmed by the fast-starting cars around him as the field headed up Mountain Straight.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Tyre management quickly became a big issue, when Craig Lowndes was forced to pit after just eleven laps with a tyre failure. Winterbottom was also forced to make an early stop with a similar problem, and both plummeted back down the order. The effect was somewhat negated by the first safety car intervention when Jonny Reid, driving the #91 Tekno Autosports entry, ground to a halt on the narrow climb out of the Cutting. Davison, Dumbrell and Garth Tander all elected to pit immediately, while Van Gisbergen stayed out on the circuit to take the lead of the race.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Davison changed places with co-driver John McIntyre and quickly rejoined, but Dumbrell's stop was compromised when his team was forced to change the driver's-side window, and by the time Jamie Whincup pulled out of the pits, he had lost a place to Nick Percat, the Holden Racing Team having capitalised on the slow stop to get the Tander—Percat Commodore out ahead of Whincup.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Most of the field would pit under the safety car, and once racing resumed, McIntyre led from Lowndes and Luke Youlden and Dean Canto in Van Gisbergen's and Reynolds' cars respectively; Canto quickly reeled Youlden in and passed him as they emerged from Forrest's Elbow and the circuit opened up onto Conrod Srraight.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Whincup's lead did not last long, as he returned to the pits with a delaminated tyre and fell to twenty-first; McIntyre reported a similar problem and pitted, but the Ford Performance Racing pit crew could find nothing wrong with the tyre and he rejoined in twenty-second as Lowndes inherited the lead. Percat triggered a second safety car when he crashed coming down through The Esses on the approach to Forrest's Elbow, and although he was able to return to the pits under his own power, he had left a trail of debris on the racing line, necessitating the safety car.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
His Holden Racing Team crew would ultimately be able to repair the car and send it back out, but twenty laps off the lead. Meanwhile, the field pitted again, but Whincup and McIntyre remained out and resumed the race in first and second. By this point, only Whincup, Lowndes and Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport driver Taz Douglas were the only regular drivers out on the circuit, and Whincup took full advantage of a field of co-drivers to build up a thirteen-second lead.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Whincup's strategy began to work against him when the race saw the third safety car in the space of fifty laps. Having just stopped for a brake pad change, Steve Owen found himself at the end of Mountain Straight with no brake pressure and spun at speed into the barriers on the outside of Griffins' Bend. Owen was uninjured, but the car was critically damaged, and would not return to the race. The field bunched up again, and Whincup handed control of his car back to Dumbrell as the rest of the field swapped for their regular drivers.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Craig Lowndes was held up in the pit lane waiting for Whincup to complete his stop and fell from fourth to twelfth as a result, while John McIntyre spun at Hell Corner and was forced to perform a three-point turn to escape the run-off, dropping from second to twentieth. More problems ensued when he made his scheduled stop and left the car in gear once it was raised onto its jacks; as the spinning wheels were dangerous for the pit crew, the team was handed a penalty by race stewards. Back on the circuit, Dumbrell took advantage of the slower, non-pitting cars of Craig Baird – driving for Lee Holdsworth – and Andrew Thompson, sharing with Slade, to hold off Reynolds, Jason Bright, Michael Caruso, James Courtney and Van Gisbergen.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
The race began to settle down, with drivers aiming for targeted lap times and attempting to avoid kerbs as much as possible to preserve the life of their tyres; the kerb on the outside of Griffins' Bend and on the inside of the left-hander at the Chase were earmarked as the ones to avoid where and when possible. Dumbrell maintained a steady lead over Reynolds, while Caruso, Courtney and Mark Winterbottom rounded up and passed Bright. Greg Murphy and Tony D'Alberto had also fought their way up into the top ten, having started twentieth and twenty-third respectively, while Van Gisbergen was shuffled back down the order when one of his tyres failed after just eight laps.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
A further safety car was needed on lap 91, when David Besnard spun the #14 Brad Jones Racing Commodore at Skyline. He narrowly avoided hitting the wall, but beached himself in the gravel trap and needed assistance to be extracted, triggering the safety car. This brought about another wave of pit stops, and with it, the first major strategy deviations.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Triple Eight had been running their cars in twenty-three lap windows, the maximum they felt was viable on the tyres; by comparison, Rod Nash Racing was running longer stints, so that when the race resumed, Whincup and Dumbrell only had enough fuel to reach lap 108, whereas Reynolds and Canto could make it to lap 119 before needing another stop. The advantage of this came into effect with the fifth deployment of the safety car when Andrew Jones burst a tyre on the second Brad Jones Racing Commodore and went off at Murray's Corner.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Needing less fuel than those around him, Reynolds was able to make a shorter stop and leapfrog from sixth to second place. Lowndes, on the other hand, suffered when he tried to perform the same feat, as he was once again forced to wait for his team to finish servicing Whincup before he could make his stop. Upon exiting his pit bay, Lowndes nearly made contact with David Wall and Alexandre Prémat, though he escaped without penalty for an unsafe release.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Brad Jones Racing's difficult day continued after the restart. Besnard had returned the #14 car to the pit, where the team changed the steering rack and manage to get the car back out onto the circuit, but Besnard went off again several laps later at the same place as where Jones had spun, calling for the sixth safety car of the race. When racing resumed, the order settled down into a rhythm once more, with Whincup leading Reynolds, Courtney, Caruso and Winterbottom.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Davison, in the second factory-supported Ford, was constantly in trouble, pitting with tyres problems one lap and then being forced to make an unscheduled stop on the next. Van Gisbergen also found more trouble when Stone Brothers Racing miscalculated his teammate's lap count by one lap, leaving them with no option but to bring Van Gisbergen in and put Luke Youlden back in the car so that Youlden could complete the minimum fifty-four laps. D'Alberto's charge through the field from twenty-third ended abruptly when he encountered mechanical trouble and was recalled to the pits where he spent a lap sitting in his pit bay while the team tried to diagnose his problem; he was later retired.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Davison's day went from bad to worse; contact with teammate Youlden in the middle of the race had damaged his car, and the watts' linkage finally gave way forty laps later. Davison reported a roll bar snapping at the top of Conrod Straight, severing a brake line so that he found he had no brakes as he entered the Chase. He spun across the infield of the circuit, narrowly missing Fabian Coulthard – the #14 Commodore having been removed from the gravel trap again – and hitting the wall on the outside of the Chase.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Davison was able to limp back to the pits and have the damage repaired, but he was taken completely out of contention by the incident. At the front of the pack, Whincup, Reynolds and Caruso pitted on lap 134, while Courtney tried to undercut them by pitting on lap 135, but lost third place to Caruso. Lowndes also pitting on lap 135 so as to avoid being double-stacked in the pit bay again.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
This marked the final pit stop of the race, thus allowing the front runners to make it to the finish without stopping again, but several pit crews warned their drivers that they would need to conserve fuel. Courtney, however, had an extra lap worth of fuel on-board compared to the other three drivers, which meant he had no such need to economise and took full advantage of it, passing Reynolds with twenty laps to go.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Courtney's resurgence was short-lived; no sooner had he passed Reynolds than he was reporting problems with his tyres, and while he defended as best he could, Reynolds took the position back and set his sights on Whincup. Courtney was also rounded up by Michael Caruso and Lowndes, who had followed the same strategy as Courtney, but had managed his tyres properly. Lowndes was also able to pass Caruso for third, but Whincup and Reynolds were too far ahead for him to catch them, and Lowndes had to settle for third.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
Meanwhile, Reynolds and Whincup were matching each other blow-for-blow. Where Whincup was becoming increasingly lean on fuel, Reynolds had the luxury of running his Falcon on the highest fuel setting, forcing Whincup to drive defensively. It soon became obvious that Reynolds was strongest down Conrod Straight, but was lacking traction at Hell Corner and The Dipper, and Whincup drove accordingly; aggressively through The Dipper to build up a lead down Conrod Straight, and then as defensively as he could through Murray's Corner and Hell Corner to build up a lead onto Mountain Straight.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Report, Race
With each passing lap, Whincup was instructed by his pit wall to be increasingly conservative, while Reynolds was encouraged by his engineers to attack at every opportunity. In the end, Whincup picked his battles through The Dipper and Hell Corner to hold on for victory by just three tenths of a second, with Reynolds second and Lowndes third. James Courtney recovered late in the race to catch Caruso again, while Jonathon Webb and Scott McLaughlin were sixth ahead of Slade, Holdsworth, Russell Ingall and James Moffat completing the top ten. After struggling with tyre problems throughout the race, Mark Winterbottom was eleventh, while Will Davison's race ended in disaster, finishing twenty-fourth, eighteen laps down. The lone wildcard entry driven by Cameron Waters and Jesse Dixon was classified twentieth of twenty-five finishers, three laps behind the leaders.


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, 50th year celebrations
Teams competing in the race chose to commemorate the fiftieth year of the event, with several commissioning special liveries inspired by historic race-winning cars:


2012 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, 50th year celebrations
Several other teams also raced with special liveries, but these were not inspired by historic designs. These entries included:


2012 Superclásico de las Américas
The 2012 Superclásico de las Américas – Copa Doctor Nicolás Leoz was the second edition of the Superclásico de las Américas. Brazil won 4–3 on penalties after a 3–3 draw on aggregate and conquered their second title.


2012 Superclásico de las Américas
The first leg was played at Estádio Serra Dourada, Goiânia, which Brazil won, 2–1. The second leg was originally scheduled to be played on October 3, 2012, at the Estadio Centenario in Resistencia, Chaco, but was postponed due to a power failure in the stadium. Both the CBF and AFA agreed on a new date for the match, and it was decided to be held on November 21, 2012 at La Bombonera, Buenos Aires.


2012 Superclásico de las Américas, Matches, Second leg
Assistant referees:Francisco Mondria (Chile) Carlos Astroza (Chile) Fourth official:Néstor Pitana (Argentina)


2012 Supercopa Argentina
The 2012 Supercopa Argentina Final was the 1st edition of the Supercopa, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Argentine Primera División and Copa Argentina competitions.


2012 Supercopa de España
The 2012 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match-up that took place on 23 and 29 August 2012 between the champions of 2011–12 La Liga, Real Madrid, and the winner of the 2011–12 Copa del Rey, Barcelona. Barcelona and Real Madrid drew 4–4 on aggregate, with Real Madrid winning on away goals for their ninth Supercopa de España title. This was the first occasion the trophy was won on the away goals rule.


2012 Supercopa de España de Baloncesto
The Supercopa de España de Baloncesto 2012 was the 9th edition of this tournament. It is also called Supercopa Endesa for sponsorship reasons.


2012 Supercopa de España de Baloncesto
It was played in the Pabellón Príncipe Felipe in Zaragoza. Real Madrid was the champion after defeating FC Barcelona Regal, the defending champion.


2012 Supercopa de España de Baloncesto, Semifinals
The draw of semifinals was made on 6 September 2012.


2012 Supercoppa Italiana
The 2012 TIM Supercoppa Italiana Final was the 25th edition of the Supercoppa, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Serie A and Coppa Italia competitions. It was the third instance in four years that the match took place in China, where it has an increasing fanbase in Italian football


2012 Supercoppa Italiana
Juventus qualified to take part by winning the 2011–12 Serie A title, while Napoli qualified by winning the 2012 Coppa Italia Final.


2012 Supercupa României
The 2012 Supercupa României was the 14th edition of Romania's season opener cup competition. The game was contested between Liga I title holders, CFR Cluj, and Romanian Cup winners, Dinamo București. For the first time in history, the Supercup was played at Arena Națională, the newly stadium built in Bucharest.


2012 Supercupa României
Dinamo won the game after penalties. After regular time the game ended 1–1 after goals of Diogo Valente, who opened the score for Cluj, and George Țucudean, who equalised in the second half. CFR had their captain Cadú sent off in the 65th minute. In extra time, Țucudean scored again, but CFR answered only one minute later with a goal by Pantelis Kapetanos. At the penalty shootout, two players from CFR missed, only one player from Dinamo failed to score, thus the white-and-reds won the trophy for the second time in history.


2012 Superettan
The 2012 Superettan, part of the 2012 Swedish football season, was the 12th season of Sweden's second-tier football league in its current format. The 2012 fixtures were released on 9 December 2011. The season began on 6 April 2012 and ended on 3 November 2012.


2012 Superettan, Teams
A total of 16 teams contested the league, 12 returning from the 2011 season, two relegated from Allsvenskan and two promoted from Division 1. The top two teams qualified directly for promotion to Allsvenskan, the third had to play a play-off against the fourteenth from Allsvenskan to decide who will play in Allsvenskan 2013. The bottom two teams qualified directly for relegation to Division 1, the thirteenth and the fourteenth had to play a play-off against the numbers two from Division 1 Södra and Division 1 Norra to decide who will play in Superettan 2013.


2012 Superettan, Teams
2011-champions Åtvidabergs FF and runner-up GIF Sundsvall were promoted to the Allsvenskan at the end of the 2011 season. They were replaced by Halmstads BK and Trelleborgs FF. Västerås SK and Qviding FIF were relegated at the end of the 2011 season after finishing in the bottom two places of the table. They were replaced by Division 1 Norra champions Umeå FC and Division 1 Södra champions Varbergs BoIS.


2012 Superettan, Teams, Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Superettan, Positions by round
Note: Some matches were played out of phase with the corresponding round, positions were corrected in hindsight.


2012 Superliga Colombiana
The 2012 Superliga Colombiana was the first edition of the Superliga Colombiana. Atlético Nacional was the winner of the tournament.


2012 Supersport World Championship
The 2012 Supersport World Championship was the fourteenth season of the Supersport World Championship—the sixteenth taking into account the two held under the name of Supersport World Series. It began on 26 February at Phillip Island and ended on 7 October in Magny-Cours after 13 rounds.


2012 Supersport World Championship
Kenan Sofuoğlu won his third championship after having returned from Moto2.


2012 Supersport World Championship, Race calendar and results
The provisional race schedule was publicly announced by the FIM on 24 September 2011 with thirteen confirmed rounds and two other rounds pending confirmation. Russia appeared for the first time in the calendar with a round at the brand-new Moscow Raceway. The calendar was updated in October 2011 with the confirmation of the Imola round, for a total of thirteen rounds, supporting the Superbike World Championship at every meeting except Miller Motorsports Park.


2012 Superstars Series
The 2012 Superstars Series season was the ninth year of the Superstars Series, an Italian-based touring car racing series, featuring the ninth edition of the Campionato Italiano Superstars (Italian Superstars Championship) and the sixth year of the International Superstars Series. The season began at Monza on April 1 and finished at Pergusa on October 28, after eighth round. A ninth round was planned at Sentul but it was cancelled.


2012 Superstars Series
All eight rounds counted towards the International title, with five rounds counting towards the Italian title. Both championship were won by Johan Kristoffersson driving for Audi.


2012 Superstars Series Donington round
The 2012 Superstars Series Donington round was the third round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 20 May at Donington Park.


2012 Superstars Series Hungaroring round
The 2012 Superstars Series Hungaroring round was the fifth round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 1 July at the Hungaroring.


2012 Superstars Series Hungaroring round
Vitantonio Liuzzi won the first race, starting from pole position, driving a Mercedes C63 AMG, and Christian Klien gained the second one, driving a Maserati Quattroporte.


2012 Superstars Series Imola round
The 2012 Superstars Series Imola round was the second round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 22 April at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.


2012 Superstars Series Monza round
The 2012 Superstars Series Monza round was the first round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 1 April at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.


2012 Superstars Series Monza round
Massimo Pigoli won the first race, starting from pole position, driving a Jaguar XFR, and Vitantonio Liuzzi gained the second one, driving a Mercedes C63 AMG.


2012 Superstars Series Mugello round
The 2012 Superstars Series Mugello round was the fourth round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 3 June at the Mugello Circuit.


2012 Superstars Series Mugello round
Andrea Larini won the first race, starting from sixth position, driving a Mercedes C63 AMG, and Francesco Sini gained the second one, driving a Chevrolet Lumina CR8.


2012 Superstars Series Pergusa round
The 2012 Superstars Series Pergusa round was the eighth and final round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 28 October at the Autodromo di Pergusa.


2012 Superstars Series Pergusa round
Raffaele Giammaria won both races, driving a Mercedes C63 AMG.


2012 Superstars Series Spa-Francorchamps round
The 2012 Superstars Series Spa-Francorchamps round was the sixth round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 15 July at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.


2012 Superstars Series Vallelunga round
The 2012 Superstars Series Vallelunga round was the seventh round of the 2012 Superstars Series season. It took place on 7 October at the ACI Vallelunga Circuit.


2012 Supertaça Compal
The 2012 Season of the Supertaça Compal, (3rd edition), took place in Benguela and Luanda, Angola from February 14 to 19, 2012 and was contested by six teams from Angola, Portugal and Mozambique split into two groups, each group playing in a round robin system, the first of each group playing for the title, the second for third place and the third for fifth place. Petro Atlético from Angola was the winner.


2012 Supertaça Compal Squads
This article displays the rosters for the participating teams at the 2012 Supertaça Compal.


2012 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
The 2012 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira was the 34th edition of the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, the annual Portuguese football season-opening match contested by the winners of the previous season's top league and cup competitions (or cup runner-up in case the league- and cup-winning club is the same). The match was contested between the 2011–12 Primeira Liga winners, Porto and the 2011–12 Taça de Portugal winners, Académica.


2012 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
The final took place at Estádio Municipal de Aveiro in Aveiro on the 11 August 2012. Porto were making their twenty-eighth Supertaça appearance in which it was their seventh consecutive final since 2006 having won eighteen and lost ten. Académica were appearing in their first Supertaça.