Former NASCAR, IndyCar owner settles lawsuit, to repay $3 million A former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner will repay nearly $3 million to interests for three different companies that have alleged he defrauded them over five years.
Lowell G. "Bob" Hancher, Sheridan, faces no criminal charges, but an agreement approved this month as a result of a civil lawsuit by investors means he can no longer serve as an officer or director for any publicly traded company.
Anne McKinley, assistant regional director of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said Hancher likely couldn't get a job as a janitor at a penny-stock company in the future. More ...
Detroit First Responders Get Electric Vehicle Safety Training Firefighters in Detroit, where the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is built, are learning how to deal with emergency situations involving electric vehicles. It is the final stop on a nationwide tour where more than 1,600 fire and emergency service leaders have been trained.
Chevrolet and OnStar, in a joint effort with The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), expect 400 Detroit-area first responders to be trained between Wednesday and Friday this week. Earlier tour stops were in Los Angeles; San Francisco; Austin, Tex.; Washington, D.C., and New York City. All are initial launch markets where the Volt is being sold. More ...
Annual Winter Test offering preview of 2011 ALMS season The first North American laps of Ferrari’s new F458 and the debut of Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing highlight the early entries for the annual Sebring Winter Test for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n. The two-day session is set for February 9-10 at Sebring International Raceway.
Klaus Graf and team owner Greg Pickett will split time in the Muscle Milk Lola-Aston Martin. It is the same car that finished third in last year’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida and second at Long Beach. Here's how Sebring played out if you need a refresher...
Ferrari’s newest GT challenger follows on the tremendous success of the F430 GT. Extreme Speed Motorsports will have two F458s at the Winter Test with Risi Competizione running a single 458 alongside an F430. More ...
LVMS to launch major youth initiative for NASCAR Weekend Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be an extremely youth-friendly place during the March 4-6 NASCAR Weekend.
Thanks to a partnership with Smith's Food & Drug Stores, the Smith's Youth Initiative will allow fans 15 years of age and younger to receive a 50-percent discount on all tickets for the March 6 Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event on March 5 and the March 4 Stratosphere NASCAR Pole Day. Discounted tickets are available for weekend-package tickets as well as single-day events.
In addition, race fans 15 years and under will receive free admission to the Neon Garage fan experience when accompanied by an adult. Both kids and accompanying adults must have a race ticket to participate in the Neon Garage promotion. The Neon Garage gives race fans the best access to drivers, Las Vegas-style entertainment and is home to the post-race Victory Lane celebration. The discounts and half-price tickets can represent a savings of more than $300 per person. The promotion will begin Thursday and will run as long as supplies last. More ...
Ford launches Ford Racing TV Ford Racing can be many things to many people. For some, Ford Racing is represented by Carl Edwards taking the checkered flag in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race or John Force dominating on the drag strips of NHRA. For others, Ford Racing is the beauty of the latest turnkey, ready-to-race offering; be it the Mustang Cobra Jet or BOSS 302R. Still others find their fix in the latest supercharger or crate engine offering as they maximize the performance of their Ford car or truck.
Ford Racing isn’t just competition, and it isn’t just performance parts.
With that in mind, Ford announced today the launch of “Ford Racing TV” via You Tube. Represented by a chic retro TV logo, Ford Racing TV is the enthusiasts’ one-stop destination for Ford Racing video offerings. The new site is located at www.youtube.com/fordracingtv. More ...
McMurray signs multiyear contract extension with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Jamie McMurray has signed a multiyear contract with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, McMurray’s agent Rod Moskowitz confirmed Wednesday.
McMurray won three of the biggest races of the season last year in the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Bank of America 500 at Charlotte. He finished 14th in the final Sprint Cup standings but had his best season since leaving team owner Chip Ganassi for Roush Fenway Racing following the 2005 season. More ...
Team Lotus recruits Dell as technology provider Team Lotus, a Formula One team based in the United Kingdom, is working with Dell Inc. to use its technology to build race cars and keep them moving faster.
Dell has become the official technical supplier to the team, providing a data center infrastructure, including a mobile data center and 24-hour support.
The mobile data center collects and processes thousands of megabytes of data from each lap of a race so engineers can analyze it to make adjustments to cars during and after races.
Dell, which is based in Round Rock, also is providing hardware including mobile workstations, advanced servers and laptops.
GRAND-AM Announces 2011 Television Schedules on SPEED GRAND-AM Road Racing announced its 2011 television coverage schedule today, a lineup highlighted by eight live SPEED broadcasts of the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, starting with next weekend's history-rich endurance classic, the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The Rolex 24, set for its 49th running at Daytona International Speedway's legendary 3.56-mile road course, will be showcased with 14 hours of live coverage in two comprehensive seven-hour blocks - 3-10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Jan. 29 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Jan. 30. SPEED, the nation's first and only cable television network dedicated to motorsports, is now available in more than 82 million homes throughout North America. More ...
SCCA Runoffs To Remain At Road America Through 2013 Road America will host the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® through 2013, a two-year extension of the original three-year agreement. The extension assures that the premier event for amateur road racers will remain at the legendary circuit through the event's historic 50th running.
"Feedback from competitors and our members indicated that we should extend our relationship with Road America, but the reality is, assuring that the 50th Runoffs is at a track with an equal amount of history and significance is a natural fit," SCCA President & CEO Jeff Dahnert said. "The 2013 event will be a historic milestone for both the Runoffs and Road America, and we're looking forward to sharing it, and the next three Runoffs, with them."
More than 600 competitors participated in 28 classes at the 2010 Runoffs, which included four days of qualifying and three days of races. In addition, over 500 volunteer workers operate the week-long event, making the Runoffs the center of the road racing world during that period.
"We've seen some of our season's finest, most competitive racing action during the Runoffs," George Bruggenthies, Road America President, said. "The extension through 2013, including the 50th anniversary, is a great compliment to our organization. We will work closely with the SCCA to plan a celebration which befits the incredible spirit and passion behind SCCA club racing."
Steve Wallace to make Sprint Cup debut at Daytona 500 Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) announced today that 23 year-old Steve Wallace will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in February's 53rd annual running of NASCAR's most prestigious event, the Daytona 500. Wallace will pilot the No. 77 Toyota Camry for RWR at Daytona, with backing from longtime sponsor 5-Hour Energy and new partner Aspen Dental.
When Steve Wallace and the 5-Hour Energy Camry take the green flag on February 20th at NASCAR's most historic venue, the well-pedigreed racer will write his own chapter in NASCAR history. His Sprint Cup debut will make the Wallace family the first ever to have produced four Daytona 500 competitors, breaking a longtime tie with the Petty, Allison, Earnhardt and Bodine families. When Wallace starts the 2011 event, a member of his family will have competed in 27 of the last 30 Daytona 500s. More ...
Horner credits Newey with Red Bull success Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has likened design guru Adrian Newey to a "conductor of an orchestra" following the team's success last year.
Newey was once again the brains behind the brawn as his 2010 design, the RB6, helped Red Bull to claim both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship.
Last year's double means he is the only designer in F1 history to have won titles with three different teams following his success with McLaren and Williams.
"Adrian is a unique character," said Horner. More ...
BMW big on turbo four-bangers BMW has revealed details of a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine earmarked to appear in a wide range of North American models.
This is an indirect replacement for the least powerful version of the German carmaker’s classic 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder gasoline engine.
The new direct-injection unit, code-named N20, is set to debut in the X1 xDrive28i--a reworked range-topping version of BMW’s entry-level off-roader. It makes a public premiere at the Geneva motor show in March but is not set to go on sale as part of the delayed X1 lineup in the U.S. market until early 2012. More ...
Mercedes says all future AMG models to include electric Mercedes-Benz has revealed that future AMG models will use hybrid technology. However they will use the technology as a means to improve fuel consumption and not act as a performance boost.
Future AMG models will gain other fuel saving technologies as well, such as start-stop and energy recuperation devices.
The former CEO of AMG, Volker Mornhin, said back in 2008 that it was experimenting with batteries, ultracapacitors and flywheels. Yet when he said that he was speaking about using the hybrid technology to boost power. Instead the company has decided to focus on using the hybrid technology to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. More ...
'Money spoke' at Virgin for d'Ambrosio – di Grassi (GMM) 2011 will be a year of "transition", a disappointed Lucas di Grassi has admitted on Brazilian radio. After a single season in F1, the 26-year-old has lost his Virgin seat to the Belgian Jerome d'Ambrosio.
"It's a shame that formula one seats have been for sale," he told Sao Paulo's Jovem Pan FM.
"The team said to be numerous times that if the decision was made on purely technical grounds, I would be staying," revealed the Brazilian.
"But money spoke louder," he added, referring to the multi million euro sponsorship being reportedly brought to Virgin by rookie d'Ambrosio.
Said di Grassi: "This year will be a difficult one of transition and restructuring of my career, aimed at returning to F1 as soon as possible."
NASCAR/Chevrolet working hard on its car of the future The 2011 Daytona 500 is less than five weeks away, but 2013 is very much on the minds of designers and managers at Chevrolet. Work already is under way on a complete bodywork and chassis redesign that should be ready two years from now.
For Chevrolet, that means more closely aligning what fans will see on the track to what they manufacture for the street.
"I think what we all learned with the 2011 Nationwide car is that you can balance looks and performance," said Mark Kent, director of racing for General Motors. "The cars are distinctively different. So each of us was able to get more manufacturer identity. And I think what we saw on the track showed that it could be done. More ...
Toby Scheckter (Jody's other son) Launches New Energy Drink Toby Scheckter, the founder of Scheckter's Organic Beverages was raised on Laverstoke Farm, an organic farm owned by his father Jody Scheckter. Involvement in the day to day activities of running this farm gave Toby a deep understanding and appreciation for the process involved in organic produce. Recognizing that there was a significant gap in the energy drinks market for a healthier alternative, Toby spent two years developing the Worlds First 100% Natural, Organic and FairTrade approved organic drink.
Magny-Cours circuit motorway extension ready for official inauguration
Work on the motorway linking Paris to the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit has now been completed.
The Nevers South-Magny-Cours/Moiry section, upon which work began in 2008, opened to users on the 18 January. It will now be officially inaugurated by the premier of the Burgundy region, the head of the Nièvre district and the President of the General Council of Nièvre, as well as local personalities, on Friday 4 February at 11h30.
As part of the event, Magny-Cours has organized a parade from the motorway to the track which will include a Formula 1 car, classic machines from the Nevers ANAVA association and an electric car from the Exagon company.
This news is sure to delight the 400,000 plus visitors who attend the circuit each year. Exit No.38 will take them directly to the heart of the Technopôle and on to the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit.
Mears and Germain team up for at least 20 races Casey Mears will run at least 20 races - and possibly the full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule - for Germain Racing in their #13 Toyota Camry. "We are running Casey in the #13 car for at least 20 races... maybe full season," said team owner Bob Germain via email Tuesday. "(We will run) the first six for sure... then will see where we are in points." Germain Racing fielded its #13 Toyota with GEICO sponsorship for Max Papis/Mears last season, qualifying for a total of 18 races, in addition to five DNQs. There has been no word on sponsorship for the Mears/Germain tandem. Sirius Speedway
Last season Mears said GEICO would be back to sponsor the team in 2011 for 18 races. FoxSports
Texas Motor Speedway to be featured on 'Chase' Texas Motor Speedway will be the backdrop for scenes on Wednesday night's NBC TV show Chase, featuring Cole Hauser, Kelli Giddish and Jesse Metcalfe. The cast and crew of Jerry Bruckheimer filmed chase scenes on the track and in the garages at Texas Motor Speedway in December. Chase is scheduled to air Wednesday, January 19thy at 9:00pm/et. TMS
GP3 Series confirms 2011 calendar The GP3 Series is proud to unveil its 2011 race calendar. Eight rounds have been confirmed for the season, with a ninth race weekend in Monte Carlo still to be confirmed. Once again all of the events will support the Formula One World Championship, and will run alongside big sister series GP2.
The Series will kick off its second season in Istanbul, Turkey on 07-08 May when the Formula One European campaign kick-starts. Our ten teams will then head to Barcelona and Monte Carlo (tbc) for the final two weekends of May. After a three week break GP3 will then return to action at Valencia Street Circuit for round four on 25-26 June. In July, one of the busiest months on the calendar, GP3 heads to Silverstone, then Nurburgring and Budapest back-to-back before the three week summer break. Spa-Francorchamps is the setting for the penultimate round, and once again the season will conclude at historical Autodromo di Monza in Italy on 10-11 September. More ...
Malaysia’s Fairuz returns to F1 as Lotus-Renault reserve driver Former Team Lotus F1 driver Fairuz Fauzy has been named the reserve driver for team Lotus-Renault for the 2011 Formula One season. The main drivers will be Poland’s Robert Kubica and Russia’s Vitaly Petrov.
Eric Boullier, the team principal, announced and introduced Fairuz to the Malaysian media at the Lotus GP facility here yesterday.
Also present at the announcement were Proton Holdings Bhd (PHB) chairman Datuk Seri Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, PHB group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Taher and other PHB board members. More ...
GP3 Series confirms 2011 calendar The GP3 series will feature eight races during its second year as a motorsport category, with the season beginning at Istanbul Park as a part of Formula 1's visit the venue in 2011.
The upcoming campaign will begin in Turkey between May 7-8, with the series enjoying its final round at the historic Monza circuit as part of the F1 weekend in September. Monaco is was left-out of the calendar, with no confirmation of an event on the streets of Monte-Carlo this year.
A total of eight pre-season tests will be held, first at Paul Ricard on 3-4 March, followed by Silverstone on 29-30-31 and finally Barcelona on 12-13-14 April. More ...
Minardi "We need to return to the Friday practice for the rookies"
Gian Carlo Minardi
The engines of the cars are still all green lights turned off and the first of the season is still far away, but despite this there is already a negative note, and somewhat worrying that concerns our country. Unless sensational twists in the next Formula 1 World Championship will be all the tricolor on the shoulders of one pilot Jarno Trulli.
To try to clarify this situation we decided to reach the beginning of this year Gian Carlo Minardi, who during a long militancy in the racing world and in the World, at the head of his Minardi team, has focused more heavily on young people. The manager Faenza has very clear ideas on the subject and the two cornerstones on which to act are two: return to the Friday practice dedicated to rookies trying to change laws and help businesses that choose to invest in the world of sport. More ...
4 IndyCar teams testing at Sebring Testing for the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series is underway at Sebring Raceway as drivers prepare for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. With just 65 days left before the season opener, teams are working hard on and off the track to get back into top shape. Teams testing include Andretti Autosport, Chip Ganassi Racing, Panther Racing and Newman/Haas Racing.
Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb Joins Turner Motorsport for Rolex 24 Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb, who burst onto the scene as he used BMW power to charge to the front of the pack in his first-ever Daytona Prototype start in the race, will return to the famed Rolex 24 At Daytona this month when he joins Turner Motorsport as the team debuts the new No. 94 BMW M3 to open the 2011 GRAND AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.
Plumb, who scored a Daytona International Speedway race victory in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3 in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition last year, went on to take three wins in the ten-race season as the rookie Rum Bum Racing squad helped to push BMW to the top of the Manufacturer Championship standings. More ...
Wyoming family wins Jensen Motorsport design contest Race fans from Wyoming have won a contest held by Firestone Indy Lights team Jensen MotorSport is to design the livery of its racing cars for 2011.
The husband and wife team of Don Christner and Tonya Kay Christner of Cheyenne, Wyo. submitted the winning design on the last day of the contest. They have been active IndyCar fans for many years and intend to use their pit passes to attend the Indianapolis 500 and Firestone Freedom 100 in May.
"Congratulations to the Christner family on their winning submission, and thank you to everyone who entered the contest," said team owner Eric Jensen. "We appreciate the input, and we will continue throughout this season to have more interactive opportunities for race fans on our Facebook team page." More ...
Kronos Racing announces LeMans effort Kronos Racing has submitted an entry request to the organizers of the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans for a Lola-Aston Martin LMP1 with Vanina Ickx as first designated driver. The Belgian team, which in recent years has collected an impressive string of successes in rallying for Peugeot and Citroën (European Champion in 2003 with Bruno Thiry, WRC Junior title in 2005 with Dani Sordo, WRC Champion in 2006 with Sébastien Loeb and IRC Champion in 2008 with Nicolas Vouilloz and in 2009 with Kris Meeke) goes back to its roots, track racing, with a Le Mans project. In 1999 and 2000, Kronos Racing’s Peugeot 306 GTIs had won another great endurance race, the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Vanina Ickx was part of the effort at that time. More ...
Jack Clarke targets championship victory on F2 return Britain's Jack Clarke has today (18/01) been unveiled as the first driver to be announced for the 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship, and the 22-year-old has already set his sights on winning the title.
2010 proved to be a very promising year for Clarke, as he recorded three podium finishes - including second place in the opening race at Brands Hatch and the final race of the year at Valencia - and four further top ten results.
The Effingham-born racer carried his momentum into F2's winter tests at Portimão and Barcelona, finishing as the fastest driver in six separate sessions and never finishing outside the top three despite the presence of a highly talented field which included Formula 3 Euro Series race winner Antonio Félix Da Costa - who impressed for the Force India F1 team at official Rookie testing in 2010 - Italian Formula 3 Champion César Ramos and 2009 European F3 Open Champion Bruno Mendez. More ...
Drop in NASCAR viewership is puzzling only to the blind Television executives also are preparing their networks' coverage. TV officials aren't stressing over a need for speed, though; they are trying to figure out how to get viewers back watching Sprint Cup races.
Ratings for last season's 10-race season-ending Chase for the Championship were off 23 percent from the previous year. The Chase averaged a 2.7 rating on ESPN/ABC, compared with 3.5 on ABC in 2009 (one rating point equals 1.1 million households).
There is a theory that moving the Chase from ABC to ESPN hurt the ratings. Over-the-air networks like ABC are in 116 million households whereas ESPN reaches nearly 100 million homes. With the nation's economic troubles, some racing fans surely dropped their cable or satellite service. However, an ESPN study released last month showed that such "cord cutting" is minimal. More ...
Ducati commences three-day Jerez test The Ducati MotoGP team began a three-day test with Franco Battaini at Jerez on Monday, as the new GP11 bike was put through its paces at the Spanish circuit. The Italian is in charge of setup work on the machine before handing the bike over to Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden for pre-season testing.
The new Ducati bike was launched at last week’s Wrooom event at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in north-east Italy, with Rossi making his first appearance in Ducati colors. Guarsechi is confident that the work completed in Jerez will help uncover some valuable data about the Desmosedici bike. More ...
Campos, Durango and Lazarus opened 2011 in Valencia
Adrian Campos Jr
2011 is just two weeks old, but the Auto GP engines have been started already. Thanks to a steadily raising interest for the series, interest that led many drivers to ask for a test in the Auto GP car even in deep winter time, three teams gathered in Valencia for a two-day testing session that got underway yesterday. New entry Campos Racing and two teams that were on the maiden year's grid, Durango and Lazarus, opened the season unleashing the scream of the Zytek engine for the first time in 2011. The teams brought on track a really varied group of drivers in terms of both age and experience. 19 years-old Giovanni Venturini was the youngest, driving for Durango together with Giuseppe Cipriani, already with the team in the last event of the 2010 Series in Monza. Campos Racing opted for the European F3 Open champion Marco Barba flanked by Adrian Campos Jr., coming from a good season in the Indy Lights series. At Lazarus, Fabio Onidi rejoined the team after racing with them in the 2010 Auto GP campaign.
After 50 laps for each car, the best time from Marco Barba was 1'23"2, with Campos Jr. very close with 1'23"5. It was Giovanni Venturini who took honors as the quickest driver of Day 1 with Durango: the Italian is coming from two very good seasons, with wins in the F.Renault Eurocup and in the Italian and Swiss series, and in Valencia he confirmed his talent with a 1'23"1 posted in the afternoon. In the morning the same car was driven by Giuseppe Cipriani who continued the learning process he had started in Monza, closing the test with 1'25"2. Being the only unchanged pair from 2010, Onidi and Lazarus where the only ones able to focus on a development program: the Italian outfit tried some different set-up solutions and started an aerodynamic study of the car thanks to sensors placed in key zones of the bodywork. At the end of the day the best time was 1'23"8 that left team and driver very happy considering that they never used new tires. On track work will go on today until 5 PM with only one change: Lazarus will field Fabrizio Crestani, who boasted some very good performances both in Auto GP and GP2 in 2010.
Simona De Silvestro to demo her IndyCar 2010 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro will demonstrate her HVM Racing IndyCar on the streets of downtown Baltimore, site of the new 2011 Baltimore Grand Prix that takes place the weekend of September 4th. Prior to her demo run De Silvestro and HVM racing will announce their new partner and car livery for the upcoming IZOD IndyCar season.
Hankook signs DTM tire supply deal The DTM will switch from Dunlop to Hankook tires starting in 2011. The South Korean-based manufacturer has completed a three-year deal with DTM promoter the ITR.
DTM boss Hans Werner Aufrecht said: "We are very happy with the long-term partnership with premium tire manufacturer Hankook. During the negotiations prior to signing this contract, it already became apparent how motivated those in charge at Hankook are while dealing with the DTM project.
"The performance of the race tires also convinced everyone involved right away. Personally, I am happy that we have found another international corporate group that is willing and able to keep our high pace and our quality standards as an exclusive supplier in the years to come. Hankook has everything it takes for that."
Elliott in the #09 Chevy for 18 races Bill Elliott will drive the #09 Phoenix Racing entry for a limited NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule beginning with the Daytona 500, team owner James Finch confirmed on Monday. "Hopefully, he will run 18 races, maybe more, depending on sponsorship," Finch said. "It's great to have NASCAR's most popular driver ever in our car. We've been friends with him a long time and we're happy to have him in the car." Finch said the team will test this week at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for Speedweeks in February. Nick Harris will serve as Elliott's crew chief. The Chevys will be powered with Hendrick motors. FoxSports
Qualifying for Pocono races switch to Saturday The starting lineup for both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Pocono Raceway in 2011 will be determined on Saturday. "The move to Saturday qualifying, traditionally held on Friday, will allow more race fans to enjoy the competition to determine the pole position and the other starting positions ," stated Raceway President, Brandon Igdalsky. "Our fans will enjoy a full day of racing action as Sprint Cup qualifying joins an already exciting Saturday schedule at Pocono Raceway."
Qualifying for the June 12, Pocono 500, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, will be held on Saturday, June 11. The Pocono 200, ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event, will follow qualifying. More ...
NASCAR 2011: The Game, release delayed Eutechnyx delays new racing sim from February to March 29 for more polish; will debut on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. In late September, Activision confirmed it had entered a multiyear deal with Britain-based development studio Eutechnyx to publish multiple NASCAR video games. The first of the bunch, NASCAR 2011: The Game, was pegged for release in February, but that's no longer the case. The delay of game was announced via the game's official forums recently, and Eutechnyx's community manager explained why pushing the title back was a necessary move for the studio. "The main reason is we simply wanted more time to polish it and hopefully make it the experience you guys are craving," reads the statement. "It's never easy to delay a game as it can cause a lot of disappointment, but we genuinely feel that by doing this you guys will be even happier with the end product." Gamespot
Tony Stewart arrested by Australian police about alleged altercationUPDATE #2 But the Sydney Morning Herald said Stewart didn't escape the incident without some damage - namely, a black eye.
01/16/11 Tony Stewart has walked free after being arrested by local police at the Sydney Raceway last night, but his troubles might not be over just yet. It is understood that Stewart was free to fly back to the US today with fellow US star Donny Schatz, but that further investigations of an alleged assault between Stewart and Sydney Raceway co-owner Brett Morris are on-going. It is believed that Morris, while talked to at the scene of the alleged incident last night, is yet to be formally interviewed. If Morris is interviewed and it is found that Stewart has a case to answer, there is a chance that Stewart may be required to return to Australia for court proceedings. The NSW Police media unit issued the following statement yesterday, which was authorized by area commander, acting Superintendant, Garry Sims.
"Police from Rosehill local area command were alerted to an altercation involving two men at a car racing track at Wentworth St Granville (Sydney Raceway) about 7.30pm last night. A 39 year-old man was arrested at the scene and was taken to Parramatta Police Station after a 46 year-old man was allegedly struck in the face by a racing helmet. The 39 year-old man was released by police without charge, pending further investigation." Sydney Speedway General Manager, David Lander had little to say about the incident, shrugging off the incident as basically a "tiff" between two drivers. "It is a matter for those two guys (Stewart and Morris)," said Lander. "It was a Ruckus in the pits between two drivers. It happens. There is no more that I can say or I am prepared to say." SpeedCafeMore ...
Post-season body fit at Andretti Autosport After the checkered flag of the 2010 season finale, the cars came back to Indy for their post-season work at Andretti Autosport.
SPEED Honors 10th Anniversary of Earnhardt's Death February 18, 2001 … a day in NASCAR history that still evokes pain, tragedy and disbelief unlike any other even a decade later because NASCAR refused to mandate the HANS device, which would have saved their biggest star from death.
In honor of the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt, Sr.’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500, SPEED examines NASCAR’s darkest day in an exclusive, one-hour special titled The Day: Remembering Dale Earnhardt, premiering Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. SPEED reflects on the tragic Sunday from sunrise to sunset, focusing on the day’s events and emotions for everyone involved, as well as how that catastrophic moment forever changed the sport. More ...
Hunter-Reay fishing for a good cause IZOD IndyCar Series driver Ryan Hunter-Reay will use his love of deep sea sport fishing to help support cause near to his heart.
Hunter-Reay, an avid fisherman who grew up in South Florida, will serve as grand marshal of the Florida Fish for Life Sailfish Tournament off the coast of South Florida on Jan. 19-22. The tournament, now in its sixth year, supports people with colon cancer and raises awareness of early screening for the disease, which is the fourth-most common cancer in the United States.
"I've done a lot fishing in South Florida and it's a big part of my life, so this was a fun way to get involved with a cause that is very close and important to me," said Hunter-Reay, who serves as an ambassador for Racing for Cancer, a charitable organization founded in honor of his mother. "I want to do whatever I can, whenever I can, as much as I can for the fight against cancer, whether it's awareness or research." More ...
IndyCar: A reader remembers, and hopes A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, Over the holidays I found myself pondering all that has transpired in American Open Wheeled racing in recent years. Thankfully, the long war over the spilt of IndyCar racing had ended...and yet it seemed that the end of the war was, in fact, the beginning of a new battle and that battle has been to restore IndyCar racing to where it once was. To that end, Randy Bernard has certainly answered the call to battle and finally, strides are being made toward the goal of returning IndyCar racing to the forefront of American motorsports.
I wanted to remind myself of how it used to be...back when Indycars were the preeminent form of American motorsport. There was a day when, in the typical American sports page, "racing" did not automatically mean "Nascar". IndyCar used to be really big and thanks to the Internet, one has to look no further than YouTube to see that there was a time when the stands were full, the grids lined with respected and familiar names, and the machines that we being raced were exciting, varied and well sponsored. The television package that season saw the first seven events of the year on a major network (ABC and CBS) as the first race of that season to be on ESPN was not until Portland which was round eight. More ...
West Racing names two drivers West Racing named Nicky Pastorelli and Dominik Schwager as the first two drivers of its Yokohama Tire Corporation-sponsored Lamborghini on Monday. The two were teammates in last year’s FIA GT1 championship and will campaign West Racing’s first ADVAN® A005 tire-shod Lamborghini in the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n.
As reported earlier, the team hopes to test at Sebring later this month and plans to return for the annual Winter Test from February 9-10. It will make its race debut at the 59th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on March 19. More ...
PBR executive named to head Las Vegas Motor Speedway sales team [Editor's Note: One cannot help think that IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, who came from the PBR to IndyCar, was instrumental in this announcement as he seeks to add Las Vegas to the 2011 IndyCar schedule. This would be Bernard's way of knowing he has got someone that can sell his race series in the office at LVMS.]
Kevin Camper has been named senior vice president of sales and marketing for Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Camper comes to LVMS from his post as chief partnership and sales officer for the Professional Bull Riders Association. Prior to his stint at the PBR, Camper served as vice president of sales and marketing for Texas Motor Speedway.
"I am thrilled to add someone of Kevin's caliber to our staff here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway," said LVMS president Chris Powell. "Kevin has tremendous respect in both the NASCAR community and in Las Vegas through his work with the PBR. Kevin adds an extremely strong component to our excellent staff." More ...
$4 gas could tank Big 3 sales Auto executives were upbeat at this year's Detroit auto show, buoyed by a sales recovery that's gaining momentum, rising profits and renewed consumer interest in American cars and trucks.
But a rise in gas prices is casting a shadow across the industry's otherwise sunny outlook.
Prices at the pump have climbed above the $3-a-gallon level that catches drivers' notice, and Detroit's automakers are more exposed to rising gas prices than most of their rivals. More ...
Attendance Up for Second Consecutive Day at 2011 NAIAS The 2011 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) continues to exceed attendance figures for the second consecutive day over the 2010 show. Attendance was up nearly six percent for the first two Public Show days. Most recently, attendance on Sunday, Jan. 16 was more than 99,000, reflecting a nearly three percent increase over 2010. On the first public day, Saturday, Jan. 15, attendance was nearly 87,000, an increase of approximately 3.5 percent.
"We're currently trending to meet our goal of 725,000-750,000 attendees at NAIAS 2011," said Barron Meade, Chairman. "I'd like to express a heartfelt thank you to everyone behind the scenes here at NAIAS who has helped contribute to the show goers' positive experience."
With the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday today, NAIAS officials hope to continue the trend of increased attendance for a third consecutive day.
Vodafone asked for Berlin launch - McLaren (GMM) McLaren has cleared up a burning question about the reason for its launch in the German capital this year.
While most of the sport's media wondered solely about why the MP4-26 is being revealed after the first group test, another intrigue has surrounded the reason for its launch in Berlin.
The British team announced last week that the car will only be seen for the first time on February 4 at the plush Kaisersaal venue, with invited media to be chartered free of charge from London.
Following a period of uncertainty and speculation about the reasons for the Berlin launch, engineering director Paddy Lowe explained: "It's at the request of Vodafone."
London-based telecommunications giant Vodafone is McLaren's title sponsor.
Added Lowe: "They want to launch in Berlin as part of Vodafone Germany operations."
Lowe: Adjustable rear wings will be a hit McLaren engineering director Paddy Lowe is confident the addition of moveable rear wings will improve the Formula One spectacle.
This season teams will see the introduction of moveable rear wings, which, when activated, will give the driver a better straight-line speed over the car in front, making overtaking easier.
However, there are some concerns that the wings could lead to "artificial" racing.
"For sure it will help with overtaking and hopefully it won't be too artificial in that you'll be waiting until the last lap, wanting to be the car behind," said Red Bull Christian Horner.
Lowe, though, is adamant the adjustable rear wings will prove to be a better concept then front wing adjustments. More ...
IndyCar Driven To Make Media Inroads The Izod IndyCar Series is looking to go Hollywood. With open-wheel racing embroiled in a split between competing factions for much of the last decade, the once-No. 1 American racing sport was overshadowed by stock car’s Nascar. But now that open-wheel racing has healed its rift and has stars such as the photogenic Danica Patrick, IndyCar is hoping to sharply raise its media profile.
The Indianapolis-based league opened an office in Santa Monica this month and named movie producer and former Nascar executive Sarah Nettinga to head operations. The league also hired William Morris Endeavor Entertainment to help create original programming.
“My priority is to reignite the fan base,” said Nettinga, who was named senior vice president of media and entertainment. “We have to try to get back the 10 to15 million fans that we lost in the split of the sport.” More ...
Ecclestone's two hot daughters - Petra (L) the younger one, and Tamara (R)
(GMM) With F1 in its off-season, two of the sport's most prominent figures have been busy on the property market.
Bild newspaper in Germany reports that years after moving into his EUR 35 million designer dream home in Switzerland, Michael Schumacher has finally sold his former home near Lake Geneva.
The old residence, sold for 13 million euros, featured a helipad, pool, home theatre and tennis court.
Meanwhile, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has spent an incredible 110 million British pounds (US $176 million) on a London house apiece for his daughters Tamara (26) and Petra (22).
Tamara's mansion is in Kensington Palace Gardens while Petra will now live in the eight-bedroom Sloane House in Chelsea.
"I'm very proud of them. They're good girls. They're not stupid when it comes to money," the 80-year-old told the Sunday Times.
Winning driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Timo Gottschalk
Seven years after his first participation in the Dakar, Nasser Al Attiyah has reached the highest step on the podium. Considered for a long time to be a wild genius on four wheels, the Qatari driver won his first rally-raid in Buenos Aires, the biggest of them all.
“He is very fast”, already said Marc Bartholomé in 2004 to describe the discrete Qatari driver he was asked to copilot for his first Dakar participation.
At the end of the rally raid, Nasser Al Attiyah finished his first go at it ranking 10th in the overall standings and got the 3rd fastest time on the Lake Rose special stage behind the wheel of a “regular” Mitsubishi that did not have what it took to fight with the best of the best. More ...
Commentator Coulthard to keep Red Bull role (GMM) David Coulthard can keep his job as a consultant with Red Bull even though he is the new full-time F1 commentator for British television.
The 39-year-old Scot saw out his grand prix career with the Austrian team until 2009, when he retired and became a BBC pundit.
For 2011, he is moving alongside fellow former driver Martin Brundle into the race commentary box, raising suggestions his contract with Red Bull might be a conflict of interest. More ...
Construction Begins on World's Largest HD Video Board at CMS Construction crews using dump trucks and excavators have begun preparations for the debut of the world's largest HD video board at Charlotte Motor Speedway's 2011 May race events. Crews from Granite Contracting, of Concord, N.C., are using the heavy earth-moving equipment this week for the initial grading on the backstretch near Gate 25 where the gigantic, nearly 16,000-square-foot board will be located.
Designed and created by Panasonic, the approximately 200-foot-wide and 80-foot-tall screen will be centered along the backstretch between Turns 2 and 3, across from the start/finish line. Fans seated throughout the frontstretch from Turn 4 to Turn 1 will have clear viewing angles of instant replays, leaderboard updates and interactive entertainment displayed in 720P high-definition visuals. The screen will be illuminated by more than nine million LED lamps during each NASCAR race event at Charlotte Motor Speedway this spring, including the May 21 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the May 29 Coca-Cola 600. More ...
Petrov: New Renault deal was a 50/50 Vitaly Petrov has followed the advice of his Lotus Renault bosses and relocated to England. Petrov was warned towards the end of last year by team owner Gerard Lopez that if he wanted a new contract he would need to move away from his Valencia base.
Following a rollercoaster rookie season Petrov's future was cause for considerable speculation prior to him finally signing a two-year deal just before Christmas.
But on the day Petrov and team principal Eric Boullier officially unveiled the marque's new black and gold livery for their car for the forthcoming season, after agreeing a sponsorship deal with Lotus, the Russian revealed that he has moved. More ...
Video: IndyCar Centennial Troop Tour Day 1 INDYCAR: Ambassadors Land In Europe.. "We met with wounded warriors during our visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center near Ramstein Air Base in Germany," said Johnny Rutherford. Along with Mario Andretti and others, Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rutherford is participating in the Indy 500 Centennial Tour – a 10-day goodwill trip to Europe and the Middle East with the goal of boosting the morale of more than 10,000 servicemen and women. More ...
SPEED Set for 14 Hours of Live Coverage of Rolex 24 At Daytona The historic Rolex 24 At Daytona kicks off the 2011 sports car racing season with 14 hours of live coverage from Daytona International Speedway starting Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT. This year's broadcast includes a special Rolex 24 preview show slated for Sunday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, which also premieres on FOX family network, F/X, Jan. 22 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. P.T.
Long-time SPEED sports car racing voice Leigh Diffey anchors play-by-play coverage from this year's twice around-the-clock GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 opener. Handling lead color commentary are Dorsey Schroeder and Calvin Fish, while Bob Varsha and David Hobbs are set to host the race. Justin Bell, Brian Till, Chris Neville and Jamie Howe cover all of the pit road action from one of the sport's most revered tests of driving will. More ...
Williams F1 Announces Partnership with PDVSAUPDATE
Visio
It will be interesting to see if the Williams sponsorship is complimentary to, or replacement of, EJ Viso's PDVSA IndyCar support, especially since Joe Saward prints that the Williams deal is $36 million for 5 years. Especially since Versus delivers IndyCar about 250 thousand viewers per race and F1 gets several hundred million TV viewers per race.
01/15/11 Williams F1 is delighted to confirm that the Venezuelan energy company, Petr¢leos de Venezuela S.A (PDVSA) has entered into a long-term partnership with the AT&T Williams team. The agreement was officially announced by the country’s President, Mr. Hugo Chavez, at a demonstration event of the 2010 Williams Cosworth FW32 at the historic El Paseo de los Pr¢ceres in the capital Caracas this afternoon.
PDVSA is Venezuela’s national energy company and the world’s fifth largest oil exporter. Official sources put production at 3.3 million barrels of oil per day, of which around 750,000 are consumed by Venezuelans. The United States is the largest recipient of PDVSA’s petroleum products, importing 1.3 million barrels per day, equivalent to 60% of Venezuela’s total exports and 11% of the States’ daily consumption. The remainder is exported to the rest of South America and Europe. With 211.1 billion barrels, Venezuela has a number two OPEC ranking of proven oil reserves, second only to Saudi Arabia. More ...
Minassian Set For First Rolex 24 Driving for Krohn Racing
Minassian
Krohn Racing participated in the recent "Road Before the Rolex 24" at Daytona International Speedway. In addition to giving lead drivers Tracy W. Krohn and Nic Jonsson the opportunity to prepare the No. 76 Proto-Auto Ford/Lola for the Jan. 29-30 GRAND-AM Rolex Series season opener, it gave French veteran Nicolas Minassian the opportunity to drive at Daytona for the first time.
"I really love it," Minassian said. "It's a very good track for this kind of racing. There is enough space for traffic, for overtaking. I think the banking is something special, something different. I love that. It's a one-of-a-kind sort of track. I enjoy every bit of everything. I'm happy." More ...
Muscle Mile team to run GT3 program in ALMS In addition to competing full-time in the American Le Mans Series this year, Muscle Milk Team CytoSport will be taking on an exciting new challenge as it expands its presence in the motorsports arena with a full-time entry in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama for German driver Mark Bullitt.
The news comes hot on the heels of the team's announcement last week that is was to become an Aston Martin Racing Official LMP1 Team Partner for the 2011 ALMS season. More ...
EMPA Writers Award Renamed In Honor Of Jim Hunter The Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) has renamed its annual award for excellence in motorsports journalism the EMPA/Jim Hunter Memorial Writers Award. Hunter, NASCAR's Vice President, Corporate Communications, and an avid supporter of the EMPA, passed away in 2010. "Jim was a friend of everyone he ever met," said EMPA President Len Sammons. "And he took great interest in EMPA, helping the organization with its activities, attending our annual Convention several times, and always gently steering us in the right direction. We certainly miss him for his guidance, but especially as a friend. That's why we're proud to rename our Writers Award in his honor and memory." More ...
Sight, sound enhancements for the Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee 225 is still a couple of months off, and ultimately the success of the promoters who are bringing the IndyCar Series back to the Milwaukee Mile cannot be judged until after the race actually happens.
Nonetheless, AB Promotions certainly is saying all the right things.
The Indianapolis-based group says the track, which was barely used last year, will have what it describes as "large digital video boards and supplemental sound" for the June 18-19 race weekend. More ...
Backmarker Hornish to run limited schedule with PenskeUPDATE Sam Hornish Jr. will compete in at least 10 NASCAR Nationwide races this season, beginning with the DRIVEFORCOPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway, team owner Roger Penske confirmed by email on Saturday. Chad Walters will serve as Hornish's crew chief. Penske's acknowledgment confirms a report earlier this week by FOXSports.com's Jeff Hammond, who said Hornish would not return to Sprint Cup competition in a Penske car this season. Penske also verified that the #77 car's [owners points, was 30th in 2010] points will be used by Stephen Wallace, who is attempting to make his Cup debut at Daytona. Wallace, 23, currently drives the #66 Toyota for his father at Rusty Wallace Racing in the Nationwide Series. FoxSports
01/14/11 Sam Hornish Jr. will not be in anything Penske-owned in Daytona. He is basically done.
Penske Racing downsized not only Hornish’s NASCAR Sprint Cup organization, but also its Nationwide Series crew.
To take it one step further and know that there’s not really interest in running that third car, somebody might say how do you know they’re not going to come in at the last minute and do this? They cannibalized the No. 77 crew of Hornish and what was left of the 12 Nationwide crew to make up the best for one with Brad Keselowksi’s organization, whatever they were lacking in Nationwide, but also to beef up what is now the No. 2 car for Keselowski for the Cup season. More ...
McNish: Gasoline cars now have a chance at LeMans Audi Le Mans star Allan McNish believes this year's rule changes could make the top gas-powered cars a major threat to Audi and Peugeot's diesel prototypes.
"Looking at the straight-line speed that Aston Martin had last year, they were very fast, anything going more towards them and less toward us is a fear, no question," he said.
"The one area that we've got a slight advantage is that we're out with our car already and testing," said McNish. "Le Mans seems a long way away in June but in reality it's not that far away. Aston is still to get it into the track so it's going to be a bit behind. But you can never discount the potential of that team."
"The Rebellion Racing entry with Toyota power running on gasoline, that's the package we have to wait and see," he said. "I know Toyota's capability to produce engines, it's a good one, but we'll have to wait and see when it actually hits the track."
Zytek to run hybrid prototype full season Zytek's latest ZPH hybrid technology is to be raced this year by a team new to the Le Mans Series. Bologna, based Rangoni Motorsport will contest a Zytek 09SH in all the rounds of the LMS and, subject to entry, the Le Mans 24-hours in June. During the course of the season, the car will be converted to use Zytek's groundbreaking hybrid technology, the first time this will have been raced in Europe. The car will also be powered by the latest generation Zytek 3.4-litre ZG348 LMP1 V8 engine.
In the USA during 2009, a Zytek 09S became the first hybrid-engined prototype ever to win a podium place at a race for Le Mans-style cars. However, this was achieved with road car component based technology and subsequent changes to the regulations have now enabled Zytek to create a pure racing hybrid system which will be used in the Rangoni Zytek 09SH. More ...
Alonso wins both races on ice at Ferrari winter gathering
Petrov
The curtain has come down on the twenty first edition of “Wrooom,” the fantastic Philip Morris International event which brought together Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the Ducati Marlboro team and the specialist Formula 1 and Moto GP media on the beautiful slopes of Madonna di Campiglio. The final act saw Fernando Alonso do the double in the traditional race on the frozen lake, which also featured the drivers and riders from the two teams and was kicked off by Luca Badoer saying his final farewell after his long career as the Scuderia’s test driver. He drove an F60 fitted with special studded tires and the Wrooom logo on the engine cover. The first race in go-karts saw the Spanish driver beat team-mate Felipe Massa and the American Ducati Marlboro rider, Nicky Hayden. Behind them came the Maranello team’s new test driver, Jules Bianchi, Valentino Rossi and the Ferrari men, Marc Gene and Giancarlo Fisichella. The finishing order was used to set the grid for the second race in Fiat 500s, when Alonso comfortably managed to keep the lead, even when the Safety Car came out with five laps to go, ahead of Hayden and Rossi.
In the closing press meeting this evening comes the celebrations for the ski race held this morning, which saw victory go to Giancarlo Fisichella.
The Need for Speed-Schubert team from Oschersleben, Germany has won the sixth running of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai, the first international endurance race of the year for GTs, touring cars and 24H specials. After 24 hours of racing at the 5.390 kilometers long Dubai Autodrome, Claudia Hürtgen drove the car across the finish line. The team had with Hürtgen, Augusto Farfus, Edward Sandstorm and Tommy Milner racked up a total of 594 laps with the BMW Z4 GT3. This success makes BMW the most successful car brand in history of the Dunlop 24H of Dubai with a total of three race wins following earlier successes in 2006 and 2007. Second place in this year’s race was taken by the Italian AF Corse team with Eppe Perazzini, Michal Broniszewski, Lorenzo Case and Marco Cioci driving the Ferrari F430 GT2. The Black Falcon team with Thomas Jäger, Kenneth Heyer, Jan Seyffarth and Sean Paul Breslin ended up third with their Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. More ...
Support swarms for a return of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix If the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix should return in 2012, much of the credit should go to Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the American Le Mans Series.
Atherton has been banging on doors for the relaunch of the race since its demise following the 2008 event, when the Motor City and Michigan economy spluttered to a halt and the Indy Racing League left for other parts with its IndyCar Series.
Atherton spent the past few days at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center visiting with car manufacturers and suppliers from Detroit and around the world, talking racing, technology and Belle Isle. More ...
Mid-air refueling brings back memories for Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti in the pilot's seat
By Mario Andretti, Special for USA TODAY
Mario Andretti, the only driver to win the Daytona 500 (1967), the Indianapolis 500 (1969) and the Formula One World Driving Championship (1978), is on a 10-day goodwill trip visiting U.S. service members in Europe and the Middle East with an IndyCar contingent that also includes Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser Jr., Sarah Fisher, Davey Hamilton and Larry Foyt. Andretti will share his observations about the tour in an online diary for USA TODAY:
I had the opportunity along with other members of the tour to lie on my stomach next to the mid-air refueling boom operator at the tail end of a KC-135 Stratotanker, which is our primary mode of transportation on this trip, over the Atlantic. That was very interesting and made me remember that I was on the other side of the boom.
After a hard race in Cleveland in 1985, ESPN used to have the question of the week for somebody and it was my turn. The question was what might have been your alternate career if you weren't a race driver and I said fighter pilot. The following Monday I get a call from the Pentagon and it was the TAC commanding general. He says, 'I was watching your race in Cleveland and caught your interview. You mean what you said?' and I said 'Yes, sir, general.' He then said 'I would love to show you what you've missed. Anywhere in the world you find yourself near an Air Force Base let me know and I'll arrange it.' More ...
24H Dubai after 9 hours Nine hours into the Dunlop 24H of Dubai, the number 76-Need for Speed-Schubert BMW Z4 with Augusto Farfus, Edward Sandström, Tommy Milner and Claudia Hürtgen is leading with an advantage of one lap over the number 1-Gianluca de Lorenzi Racing Porsche of Gianluca de Lorenzi, Stefano Borghi, Dario Paletto and Martin Ragginger. Third place was held for the best part of the ninth hour by the number 7-Black Falcon Mercedes SLS AMG with Thomas Jäger, Kenneth Heyer, Jan Seyffarth and Sean Paul Breslin, but an out-of-sequence pit stop put that car back into sixth place, favouring the Saudi Falcons-Porsche (Binladen/Al Faisal/Faulkner/Vergers), the Fach Auto Team-Porsche (Lusser/Dolenc/Arnold/Gruber/Bruder) and the AF Corse Ferrari (Perazini/Bronisewski/Case/Cioci), who are in third to fifth place after nine hours. More ...
No Indy 500 for Johnson Forget all that happy talk about Jimmie Johnson driving in May's 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500. He says "no." I sat with the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion for over 20 minutes late Wednesday afternoon in a Casino Arizona club lounge -- he was in Scottsdale to help bang-the-drums for Phoenix International Raceway's new Feb. 27 Subway Fresh Fit 500 date.
The link to my Arizona Republic story is at the bottom here, but I didn't have room for this nugget. During our conversation, Johnson said he originally thought Indy Cars would be his career path. I took advantage of him opening that door to ask if he'll drive in the I500. All of Johnson's quotes that follow are word-for-word, as transcribed by me from my recorder. More ...
AT&T Williams Fires Up Venezuela The AT&T Williams team took Venezuela by storm today as local hero, Pastor Maldonado, fired up the country in a demonstration run of the 2010 Williams Cosworth FW32 as a prelude to his debut in Formula One.
Following November’s announcement confirming Pastor’s appointment as an AT&T Williams race driver for the 2011 season, Venezuela invited the team to visit the country to carry out the event. This afternoon’s run was staged in Caracas against one of the capital’s most historic backdrops, Paseo de los Pr¢ceres, and in the presence of President Chavez. Pastor completed a number of laps of the improvised track, concluding the spectacle with a series of doughnuts to the delights of the crowds. Organizers estimated 20,000 people witnessed today’s landmark event, the first time a Venezuelan has driven a Formula One car in front of his crowd. More ...
Red Bull not behaving like champions - Montezemolo (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo has hit back at Red Bull by suggesting the Austrian team doesn't know "how to behave" as F1's new champions.
After Ferrari poached Red Bull's strategy chief Neil Martin and made offers to other staff members, Helmut Marko accused the famous Italian team of trying to buy its rival's "spirit".
"I see people who won world championships who don't quite know how to behave as champions," Ferrari president Montezemolo told reporters after arriving in the Italian Dolomites for the team's media event.
"It's part of the game, but maybe when they have won 10 percent of what we have won, then we'll respond," he added, insisting that Red Bull is not yet "in the habit of winning". More ...
Canada's James Hinchcliffe will return for a second two-day test outing with Newman/Haas Racing next week, once again at Sebring.
“I'm naturally pleased to be invited back for a second test with Newman/Haas Racing,” said the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights Series runner-up. “December's test was a productive one for both parties and obviously I was happy to get some seat time in an IndyCar.
“I've had time since then to download all that went on, process the information and now I'm really eager to get back behind the wheel and build on that first experience. I'm working flat-out to realize my ambition of racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series and this is a continuation of those efforts!”
Clive Chapman is adamant there will be no split loyalties when it comes to the Lotus name on the Formula One grid this season.
Confusion has reigned since early last month when Group Lotus, the manufacturer operating under the umbrella of Malaysian state-owned car giant Proton, announced a seven-year title sponsorship agreement with Renault.
Then there is Team Lotus, the marque that last season were known as Lotus Racing, who previously had the support of Proton. More ...
Andretti Autosport dominates USF2000 Winterfest Zach Veach, driver of the #7 Team Zakosi Data Backup car for Andretti Autosport, clinched the first-ever USF2000 Cooper Tires Winterfest championship title after winning two races and securing two additional podium finishes during the series, as well as three pole awards.
Veach's teammate and newcomer Spencer Pigot took a second place finish in the championship with two race wins and two podium finishes during the Winterfest. Pigot, MAZDASPEED motorsports development driver and driver of the #8 Team Andretti Autosport car, also earned two pole positions throughout the series.
This championship win marks Andretti Autosport's second USF2000 championship title in the span of one year. Andretti Autosport driver Sage Karam won the 2010 USF2000 driver championship title and, along with Veach, helped the team capture the team title. Karam has now advanced to the Star Mazda Championship series with Andretti Autosport as a part of INDYCAR's 'Mazda Road to Indy' development program. More ...
New Chief Mechanic for Jensen MotorSport Jensen MotorSport is pleased to announce that Mike Le Gallic has re-joined the team as Chief Mechanic on our Firestone Indy Lights program.
Le Gallic (30) was Chief Mechanic for Jensen MotorSport during the 2005-2007 seasons working with drivers including Tim Bridgman and Frankie Muniz in ChampCar Atlantic.
A native of Montreal Canada, Le Gallic most recently was with Richard Petty Motorsports working as a mechanic on the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars of A.J. Allmendinger and Kasey Kahne. More ...
Petrov: I didn’t learn anything from Kubica (PVM) Vitaly Petrov was not mentored at all by team mate Robert Kubica in 2010 and the Russian does not expect things to change in the future. The Russian was speaking on stage at the Autosport show during the unveiling of the Team Lotus black and gold livery, “If you are a team mate with Robert, you can’t learn anything from him because he’s always a closed person.”
But added, “So you just can check his data, how he is working and what he says to his engineer, that’s it. Apparently I did not learn so much from him, but I learned from the data the way of his driving and how he talked with his engineer.” More ...
Mercedes GP to launch car on 1 February The Mercedes GP team will launch its 2011 challenger on Tuesday February 1, when pre-season testing gets underway at Valencia. The MGP W02 will be revealed by drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, who will take the covers off their new car in front of media in the pit-lane.
Mercedes is among a group of six teams to announce the date of its car launch ahead of the first test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, and will be hoping for a significant step-forward in car performance this year. The outfit failed to match Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari last season, finishing fourth in the Championship with 214 points.
The team has not confirmed who will be taking to the wheel of its new car first, with both of its German drivers present on the opening day of the test, which takes place between February 1-3.
S. Korea Formula 1 organizer sacked The chief organizer of South Korea's first Formula One Grand Prix race last year was dismissed at a Friday board meeting on the grounds of lax management, a report said.
In an emergency meeting, shareholders of Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) voted to fire chief executive Chung Young-Cho and two other senior executives, the Yonhap news agency said.
Park Won-Hwa, former South Korean ambassador to Switzerland, has been named Chung's replacement, it said. More ...
Honda and Wirth Research in new LMP1 and LMP2 sportscar programs California based Honda Performance Development, (HPD), and Wirth Research are stepping up HPD’s globally successful sportscar program in 2011 with a highly revised version of the internationally victorious HPD ARX-01c LMP2 prototype plus, more significantly, a striking new LMP1 contender designed to compete in the premier class at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Both newcomers take full advantage of Wirth Research’s groundbreaking ‘Development in the Digital Domain’ techniques. The application of innovative and environmentally friendly Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) produces quicker, more cost effective solutions to complex design scenarios than traditional wind-tunnel and physical testing techniques. More ...
Labonte's comments on decision to reduce the size of the restrictor plate at DIS JTG Daugherty Racing driver Bobby Labonte recently commented on NASCAR’s decision to reduce the size of the restrictor plate for the upcoming three-day test session at Daytona International Speedway. Since Labonte tested on the newly paved surface last month during a Goodyear tire test, his No. 47 Toyota Camry team has opted not to test this month.
“When we tested during the Goodyear tire test at Daytona, I could see the speeds of two cars that got together being high,” said Bobby Labonte. “When you get to actually racing, things always go a little faster. I think making the restrictor plate smaller is a deal where NASCAR was foreseeing that speeds would be really high. More ...
Video: The Indianapolis 500 when drivers were drivers This film is dedicated to the drivers that have won the Indy 500 and the drivers that lost their lives trying to win first in the greatest Spectacle. Most of the film were Pre-Indy Racing League/Champ Car split vintage from the1950's 60's, 70's & 80's and early 90's. More ...
IndyCar introduces the 'Milka' rule, so she's off to ARCAUPDATE Team owner Dale Coyne, who had Duno and her sponsorship in his program last year, asked Barnhart to allow her to compete on ovals this season; Barnhart said he is leaning toward approving that. However, it might not matter, Coyne said Thursday.
"It looks like she's doing ARCA," he said of the Venezuelan driver's stock car test this week at Daytona International Speedway.
Duno couldn't be reached for comment. She is signed to drive next month's ARCA season opener for Sheltra Motorsports. Coyne supports the 105 percent rule but said IndyCar ought not cast stones. He said for the first time in the nearly 30 years he has been associated with the sport, all but one team is taking money from drivers.
"Team Penske is the only place where you can't buy a ride," Coyne said. "Everyone else is or they would." Indy StarMore ...
Trinity Capital group taking over at NASCAR Plaza tower Charlotte-based Trinity Capital has teamed with a Philadelphia real estate investment firm to buy the NASCAR Plaza office tower, which had fallen into foreclosure after a loan default by its previous owner. Trinity and partner Rubenstein Partners have purchased the 19-story, 390,000-square-foot building at South Caldwell and East Stonewall streets. Charlotte Business Journal
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Jack Clarke targets championship victory on F2 return 
24H Dubai after 9 hours 
