The team, owned by Angelo Ferro, is returning to its roots after recent years in open-wheel competition. In more than 240 formula car starts its heritage includes a championship, 17 victories, 20 poles and a front-row starting position at the 1998 Indianapolis 500 in conjunction with Thomas Knapp Motorsports. Some of its past drivers include Ivan Capelli, Juan Manuel Fangio Jr., Thiago Medeiros, Jimmy Vasser and Greg Ray.

No. 29 Kevin Harvick

Harvick led five times for a total of 21 laps en route to his second consecutive Shootout victory, becoming the fourth driver to earn back-to-back wins in the non-points event’s 32-year history. Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing’s Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet) finished third and 10th, respectively. McMurray led twice for two laps.

“All the hard work during the off season is paying off already,” said Richie Gilmore, chief operating officer of ECR Engines. “It was obviously a great start for Harvick and the Shell-Pennzoil team and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet also had a strong night. The Caterpillar team and the Target team were strong in practice and looked good during the Shootout. Everything we had in the engines for the Shootout is the same things we have in the engines for the Duels and the Daytona 500. We’re really excited about what we brought to Daytona and we’re looking for more good things next week.”

Forecasts ahead of the four-day session at Jerez, in south western Spain, predict rain.

The rain will almost certainly hit early in the week, ahead of the first test day on Wednesday.

Williams spokeswoman Claire Williams said the British team expects "rain for one of the Jerez days".

Other forecasts are calling for a more than 50 per cent chance of rain on all four days of the test.

The news is not good for Red Bull, Force India and Virgin, who are all set to get their 2010 cars up and running at the test this week.

The new Malaysian-backed, Norfolk (UK)-based team announced recently that the single seater will be launched at London's Royal Horticultural Hall this coming Friday.

It was thought that Lotus would run the car for the first time in the hands of Jarno Trulli at Silverstone on the day after the launch, before joining the third group test at Jerez later in February.

But it has now emerged that the car was in fact fired up at the Hingham factory on Saturday, and is scheduled to be shaken down on Tuesday.

A BBC report said the engine fire-up followed "some minor technical delays".

CANTV was on-board as primary sponsor and Celebrity Jazz as associate sponsor for Duno's first effort in today's Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona.

At the ARCA Series open test at Daytona in December, and in her very first time in a stock car, Milka was the fastest stock car rookie on the second day of the three-day test. On the third day of the test the car developed a loss of power which ended her session early.

(L to R) Herck (2nd), Valsecchi (1st), and Ricci (3rd)

Herck was handed the lead at the start when poleman Max Chilton bogged down as the lights went out: Herck was first into the first turn with Alexander Rossi and Ricci held up just enough by Chilton to give the Romanian a clear path to the corner, while behind them Joseph Kral was caught up in the melee between Sergio Perez and Luca Filippi as they all stumbled over each other as they looked for a way through, prompting a safety car period to allow Kral’s broken car to be removed.

The 30-year-old was last year a full time feature of the British broadcaster BBC's Radio 5 Live commentary team.

Despite previously aiming for a return to the grid this season, the former Minardi, BAR and Super Aguri driver will again provide "a driver's perspective to events" on BBC radio in 2010, a press release issued on Friday said.

It was also announced that David Coulthard will continue to be an expert pundit on British television in 2010, despite rumors linking the Scottish veteran with a seat in the German touring car series DTM.

As Grand Marshal, Johnson will deliver the four most famous words in motorsports -- "Gentlemen, start your engines."

"Junior Johnson is an icon in NASCAR racing," Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. "His accomplishments are remarkable and we're proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his 1960 Daytona 500 win by having him preside as Grand Marshal of NASCAR's most storied event."

Williams only technical problem, in fact, came in the shape of a software bug which caused Rubens Barrichello to stop on-track on Monday.

"Our work with Williams was very important to collect data and to get feedback from the drivers," explained Mark Gallagher, CEO of the Cosworth F1 project. "The first results were measured between the new CA2010 engine and the brand-new FW32 chassis."

(L to R) Valsecchi (2nd), Turvey (1st) and Bianchi (3rd)

As the sun set on the Yas Marina Circuit and the race started, Turvey took off perfectly passing poleman Charles Pic who was then immediately under the pressure from Valsecchi. The Italian charged the Arden man at the end of the long back straight and claimed second before Lap 2. The Top three were soon joined by Jules Bianchi and Javier Villa.

Turvey leads teammate Valsecchi

Comfortably leading, Turvey pitted on Lap 10, emerging right in front of Valsecchi. The Italian showed no mercy and immediately attacked his teammate on the outside of Turns 11, 12 and 13. The two cars slightly came together, went off the track before rejoining, Valsecchi ahead of Turvey. But the Italian soon after that gave way for the Brit to get back into the lead.

Lucas di Grassi

Having conducted a few initial exploratory laps in the VR-01 yesterday, Timo Glock kicked things up a notch on day two, completing 42 laps of the 1.8km Stowe circuit during the morning.

This afternoon, Timo reluctantly handed over the cockpit to Lucas di Grassi, who took to the track for the very first time as a fully-fledged Formula One racer. He went on to record a total of 36 laps. When asked how it felt to drive the car for the first time, Lucas said: “It feels good. It feels like home! I’m really happy and our first impressions of the car are very positive. It’s amazing what the team has achieved in such a short space of time. I think we have a strong car and a great team to get things started in Jerez. It was important for me to learn as much as possible here so I can start to put some real mileage on the car next week.”

It’s up to Danica how much they’ll cash in.

If popular IZOD IndyCar Series driver Patrick leads many laps, she’ll drive big Tower Terrace ticket price reductions for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 30 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She is driving the No. 7 Go Daddy machine for Andretti Autosport in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

For instance, if Patrick leads 40 laps, fans will receive a $40 reduction from the regular $90 price of a Tower Terrace ticket purchased between Saturday, Feb. 6 through Saturday Feb. 13. If she leads all 80 laps of the race, fans will receive the $90 ticket for $10!

In honor of Patrick's ground-breaking 19-lap run at the front in the closing laps of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2005, the Speedway will offer at least $19 savings on Tower Terrace tickets for the 2010 Indy 500 purchased during the promotion dates. If Patrick doesn't qualify for the ARCA race or leads 19 or fewer laps in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, the ticket price reduction remains $19.

“I’m pleased the Penske Corporation has stepped up to donate more than $1 million worth of trucks, which will be instrumental in mobilizing food and lifesaving supplies in Haiti,” President Clinton said. “Their generous contribution is an example of what the private sector can do to help Haiti rebuild and recover from the massive earthquake, and I’m grateful for their leadership.”

"The catastrophe that has struck Haiti is almost unimaginable," said Roger Penske, Chairman of Penske Corporation. "These trucks will assist in the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti by facilitating the distribution of critical supplies that will help ease the suffering of the Haitian people."

With all eyes on where Patrick would start, Buescher went out and backed up his fast practice lap from yesterday to top the 47-car qualifying field on a windy day in Daytona.

“We definitely have a good car,” Buescher said. “It was top of the board all day yesterday. I’m happy with the car and I think it will race real good.”

Mikey Kile qualified second with Joey Coulter in third.

“The wind was a pretty big factor today,” Coulter said. “It was really going to be a toss up between us three.”

Dakota Armstrong and Bryan Silas rounded out the top five.

Patrick posted a lap of 179.788 mph behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet, arguably the best car in the field.

Tomorrow’s 80-lap race will take the green flag at 4:30 p.m. ET.

“I am really excited to play in front of the NASCAR fans at Texas Motor
Speedway; those guys are always so much fun,” Frampton said. “But can I ride in the pace
car, please?”

Matt Kenseth

The makers of Crown Royal Canadian whisky, a subsidiary of Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO), have been partners with Roush Fenway Racing dating back to 2003. In 2005, Crown Royal entered the sport as sponsor of the No. 97 team, and in 2006 became the sponsor of Jamie McMurray's No. 26 team. “I’m thrilled that Crown Royal chose to expand their sponsorship of our team for the entire 2010 season,” said Kenseth, one of only five drivers in NASCAR history to win the Sprint Cup rookie of the year award, a Sprint Cup Championship and the Daytona 500.

With newspaper The Telegraph having published a report stating that Companies House in the United Kingdom is threatening to dissolve Force India F1, should its accounts for 2008 not be submitted by Thursday February 25, it is believed that the team has already been handed a deadline extension after it missed the original date of October 31 2009.

"Force India's participation within the F1 championship has not, and will not, be in jeopardy," Indian Mallya said via a statement on Friday afternoon. "It is not unknown for companies to file their annual returns late, the reasons for which are varied." GPUpdate.net

In order to maximize the RB6's factory development time, the Milton Keynes team was absent at Valencia when the winter testing ban lifted this week.

But when the second test kicks off next Wednesday, the new car will hit the Jerez circuit alongside its key 2010 rivals, including Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.

It emerges that Australian Webber, 33, will be at the wheel for the opening two days, before Sebastian Vettel concludes the four-day test.

The practice was a compromise given last year's switch from grooved to slick tires, but some pointed out that white paint would be a better choice for visibility.

"We have used the color green as it shows our support of the FIA's Make Cars Green campaign," said the Japanese supplier's technical manager Tetsuro Kobayashi.

Bridgestone also said a compound 'gap' would be left between its tire allocations in 2010, despite some heavy criticism last year.

After Lotus' Malaysian reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy competed with Mofaz Fortec Racing in 2009, it will become the 'Lotus F1 Racing Junior Team' this year.

Mofaz will also run the same livery as the F1 outfit, according to a World Series by Renault statement.

Meanwhile, Renault F1 test driver Jan Charouz, a Czech and the reigning champion of the Le Mans Series, will race with P1 Motorsport.

The Tech 1 lineup boasts Red Bull's full reserve driver contingent of Daniel Ricciardo alongside Brendon Hartley, while 1992 world champion Nigel Mansell's son Greg will drive for Comtec Racing.

Rain this morning meant the track did not fully dry out until lunchtime and it was after one o'clock before Rossi left the garage on his 2010 YZR-M1. The World Champion, who turns 31 in ten days time, completed 32 laps and set a best time of 2'00.925, only half a second slower than the record pole time for the track, which he set last year. Lorenzo put in a few laps in the late morning but the track was still wet in places and so he, too, waited until after lunch to really get started. The 22-year-old made a big improvement from yesterday and felt much more comfortable on the bike, finishing third fastest in a time of 2'01.680 after 60 laps.

Felipe Massa

After signing a new long-term contract with Ferrari, 28-year-old Alonso said recently the probability is "100 per cent" that he will end his career with the Maranello based team.

But Brazilian Massa, although the same age as his new Spanish teammate, said he cannot make the same pledge.

"I am 28.  How can I promise?" he said in an interview with Italy's Corriere dello Sport.

"Alonso is right when he says that leaving Ferrari to go to a better place is unlikely if not possible," Massa continued.

Team figures including Ross Brawn, Norbert Haug and Rosberg's famous teammate Michael Schumacher this week conceded that the Brackley built car was not the quickest at the opening Valencia test.

But 24-year-old German Rosberg told Bild newspaper: "Next week at the Jerez tests the veil will continue to be lifted and a more detailed picture will emerge.

"We will certainly be at the top," the former Williams driver added.

Bild suggested that Mercedes GP may have sandbagged at Valencia by driving with high loads of fuel.

Timo Glock

In the hands of Timo Glock, the newly launched VR-01 began a two-day shakedown on bitterly cold Silverstone's shorter Stowe circuit.

The team said the German driver completed a "few exploratory laps", and a photo showed the new black and red car fitted with rain tires.

"The program really gets underway tomorrow (Friday) with a full day of on-track evaluation for both Timo and Lucas (di Grassi)," said technical director Nick Wirth.

The four will have their own special rooting section in the form of the "Corvette Corral," with more than 100 Corvettes and their owners sharing a special private Friday and Saturday hospitality area behind Grandstands 24-26.

Corvette Corral members will enjoy a weekend filled with visits from ALMS drivers, tech talk and swapping stories, touring the free Lifestyle Expo and enjoying Saturday's racing, which also includes the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, IndyCar qualifying and Team Drifting Challenge.

Similar Corvette Corrals are popular at many other racing venues across the United States and Canada.

Carl Edwards

The 75-lap exhibition will be broken into segments of 25 and 50 laps.

From what I've seen so far, there might not be many cars left after the first 25," said Edwards, referring to crashes in practice Thursday. "This race is going to be very interesting. It's going to spread out a little bit. It's going to become a handling race. It doesn't matter where you start unless if somebody misses a gear, we'll be in front of it."

The new Virgin Racing team unveiled its Cosworth-powered, digitally-designed VR-01 race car for the first time on Wednesday before carrying out an initial shakedown of the new car at Silverstone today.

With a tire size of 245/ 55R13, the new front tire when fitted to a rim is 20mm narrower than the 2009 specification and is designed to redress the balance of the cars after grooves were removed from the tires ahead of the 2009 season. Bridgestone will again have four dry tire compounds (Hard, Medium, Soft and Super Soft) to cover the 19 race calendar, with two selected per race weekend. Two of these four compound designations of 2010 dry tire: the Soft and Super Soft; were available for use by the teams in Valencia this week, as well as the current specification intermediate and wet weather tires. Seven teams attended the test, which took place between 1-3 February, with sunny conditions and moderate winds prevailing over the course of the three day test.

"Trust me, we're not finished," said Greg Biffle, who was involved in the wreck.

Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer also were part of the melee, which happened halfway into the first practice for the Budweiser Shootout.

On a still dirty track, GP2 Asia Series’ leader Valsecchi was rapidly on top of the timesheet and was looking to repeat his performance from last round at that same track. Although quickest earlier during Free Practice, Luca Filippi’s hopes to shine again in qualifying were ruined after thirteen minutes following a technical gremlin on his Meritus car.

Alexander Rossi

"During a pitstop, a mechanic adjusted the front wing hole setting on one side to 17 and on the other side to hole 18 which is not allowed - a simple human error," said a statement from the team.

Her official title at Roush & Yates Racing Engines is director of operations, but what she really does is look for waste and inefficiency. Hired five years ago by Ford's primary Nascar-engine builder, Ms. Mauldwin has overseen a complete restructuring of the business, changing everything from inventory control to how the engines are put together.

“Stefan showed great pace last year in his limited program, so when we had the opportunity to sign him for this season we did not hesitate,” said Herta. “As this is our sophomore season in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, we know expectations will be higher for us and I’m confident that Stefan will deliver the results he and the team are expecting.”

Attributes desired by the Indy Racing League in developing its next iconic chassis look include:

·        Safe: The new chassis must adhere to the league's already high safety standards while exploring new technology to improve safety in all aspects of the car.

·        Raceable: The new chassis must continue to produce the exciting racing that has become signature of the IZOD IndyCar Series while not affecting other cars on track (i.e. less sensitive to the turbulence).

·        Cost-effective: The league continues to work to reduce the cost of participation for teams in the IZOD IndyCar Series, which remains an important priority in this economic climate. The new chassis must have a price point that adheres to that goal.

·        American-made: The new chassis must be built in the U.S., preferably at an Indiana-based facility.

·        Less mass/More efficient: A lighter chassis with less mass that produces the same aerodynamic effect in an efficient way.

·        Relevant technology: The league would like the new chassis to be relevant to the future of the consumer auto industry; innovative technology that is born on the racetrack and can translate to consumer cars.

·        Modern Look: More space for sponsor logos, cars easily identifiable.

·        Green: The Indy Racing League prides itself on its role in the greening of racing and wants to maintain its position as a leader in environmentally-friendly initiatives with this chassis.

After Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso easily set the fastest times in Spain on the first three days of the week, Ferrari - which began developing its F10 at the end of last summer - appears to be the early favorite.

"We know very well that the tests' lap times, especially this year, have to be handled with care," Domenicali said. "Using an Italian expression from football, we're still in 'August football' - we can't forget where we were, in terms of performance, at the last Grand Prix of last year.

"There is still a lot of work to do to close the gap and there are still many problems we have to solve; also, we don't know the petrol loads the other cars had on-board, so it's impossible to get a clear idea of the relative strengths on the track. Maybe someone wants to play hide and seek and some still have to present their cars."

Domenicali added that Ferrari is happy with the reliability of its car and explained that both Massa and Alonso are pleased with its performance. "They were both very happy with how things went," Stefano continued. "They are both extremely motivated and have a great desire to drive - it would have been frustrating if we hadn't started on the right track here.

"There are no miracles in Formula 1: if you want to be fast, you have to work hard for months and months and then you'll meet your competitors, who have as much capacity and are as motivated as you. We can't take anything for granted and we shouldn't delude ourselves by indications which could be completely misleading." GPUpdate.net

The hearing is being aired live online on CNN at the following link http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream4&hpt=T2. Since this is a streaming video bank, you may need to located the hearing from the menu on the right of the screen

We will keep you posted on the progress of this merger, and what it means for the IRL.

Stoops is a long-standing USAC Board Member and former car owner whose achievements include the 1987 and 1988 USAC National Sprint Car Owner championships. He fills the seat vacated by Capels, who ends an eight-year tenure as Chairman. Capels served as USAC’s President from 1998-2002. Stoops is President of Stoops Freightliner, one of North America’s largest dealers with locations throughout Indiana and Ohio.

Additionally, the Board nominated Charlie Mancuso, President of Feld Motorsports, to the USAC Board of Directors. Mancuso oversees one of the world’s leading television producer& promoter of motorsports, including Monster Jam Series, AMA Supercross Series, AMA Arenacross Series, Freestyle Motocross, Nuclear Cowboyz and Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series sanctioned by IHRA.

Mr. Mancuso joins many prominent members which comprise the current USAC Board of Directors including Tony George, Brett Frood, EVP of Stewart-Haas Racing, Curt Brighton, CEO of Hulman & Company, Sterling Pratz, CEO of Autonet Mobile, Peter Morse, Partner at Barnes & Thornburg, and Ricky Johnson, seven time AMA Motorcyle Champion.

Increased engine power, aerodynamic gains and new tire compounds are just some of the improvements made to the Williams JPH1B, which is expected to be up to three seconds per lap faster than its predecessor. Detailed analysis on all of the upgrades will be featured on the official Formula Two website shortly.

The multiple champion of MotoGP recently tested a Ferrari for the sixth time, reinvigorating persistent speculation he might switch codes as soon as in 2011.

"If there was the possibility in 2011 and he wanted to do it and had the possibility for testing and adapting to F1, then why not?" Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said at the recent launch of the Maranello based team's new car.

But even though his current Yamaha contract is set to expire, Rossi attempted to ease the rumors when he spoke to reporters on Thursday at Malaysia's Sepang circuit, where MotoGP testing began this week.

Patron Highcroft Acura

Highcroft Racing's David Brabham - the winner of last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot - was in attendance at the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) press conference this morning in France.

The Danbury, CT-based team will take its 2010 American Le Mans Series entry, the Honda Performance Development factory-backed ARX-01c chassis to contest the LMP2 class at Le Mans on June 12-13.

V. Rossi  Fiat Yamaha  2:01.411
C. Stoner  Marlboro Ducati  2:01.902
C. Edwards  Yamaha Tech3  2:01.932
L. Capirossi  Rizla Suzuki  2:02.102
J. Lorenzo  Fiat Yamaha  2:02.165
A. Dovizioso  Repsol Honda Team  2:02.630
N. Hayden  Marlboro Ducati  2:02.792
D. Pedrosa  Repsol Honda Team 2:02.866
M. Kallio  Pramac Ducati  2:02.987
H. Barbera  Aspar MotoGP 2:03.030
A. Espargaro  Pramac Ducati  2:03.133
B. Spies  Yamaha Tech3  2:03.142
R. De Puniet  LRC Honda  2:03.456
A. Bautista  Rizla Suzuki  2.03.558
M. Simoncelli  San Carlo Honda  2:03.563
M. Melandri  San Carlo Honda  2:03.609
H. Aoyama  Interwetten Honda  2:03.651

The 37-year-old is a veteran of 231 grands prix since 1996, but he will be Ferrari's reserve driver this season.

However, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series said on Monday that Fisichella will contest "the whole season" of the endurance sports car calendar in 2010.

A full entry list will be published within days, but it emerges that he will drive a Ferrari F430 with AF Corse in the LMGT2 category.

Two Le Mans Series races clash with F1 rounds in 2010: May 9's 1000km of Spa (Spanish GP), and the 1000km of Silverstone (Italian GP) in September.

"We are delighted to have sailed through the sign-off of the VR-01's structural integrity, in accordance with the FIA's crash-testing requirements," Technical Director Wirth commented.

"We're all set for our initial shakedown before heading out to Jerez to begin three weeks of testing. Everyone is looking forward to finally seeing the VR-01 on-track."

GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Edward Whitacre Jr. has complained that GM spends more than other automakers and said reducing that expense was among his top priorities. In December, the month Whitacre assumed CEO duties following Fritz Henderson's forced resignation, GM outspent the next closest competitor, Ford Motor Co., by almost $1,000. 

Like Michael Schumacher before him, Nick is another former Mercedes Junior who returns to his motorsport roots. After winning the 1997 German Formula 3 Championship, as a junior driver supported by Mercedes, Nick tested a McLaren Mercedes Formula One car for the first time. 

Nick was the McLaren Mercedes test driver for the 1998 and 1999 seasons, during which time he had two successful years in Formula 3000, as runner-up in 1998 and winning the Formula 3000 Championship, held alongside the Formula One races, in 1999. 

• Mercedes figures admit W01 down on pace
• Button frustrated, Alonso cautious after test
• New Renault not far off Ferrari's pace - Kubica
• De la Rosa rules out wins, podiums for Sauber
• Schumacher to remain team 'number 1' - Horner
• Thyroid surgery for Mercedes' Haug
• McLaren engineer Slade resurfaces at Renault

Mercedes figures admit W01 down on pace
(GMM)  Key figures of the Mercedes GP team have admitted they have work to do to bring the new W01 car up to speed.

"I think we are behind somewhat," Michael Schumacher told Germany's Bild newspaper, after achieving the third best time on the final day of the opening test of the pre-season.

But a list of combined best lap times from the Ricardo Tormo circuit showed that the German, albeit quicker than his teammate Nico Rosberg, was just the seventh fastest driver in Spain.

"I do not assume that we are equal to the fastest ones or ready to win the first race, but that is not important.  What is important is to be able to achieve good points from the beginning and then to develop well," added the 41-year-old German.

Mercedes' Norbert Haug said: "Our speed could be better, but everything is in the right direction.

"There are still more than four weeks until the first race and our car is going to change greatly," said the German.

Team boss Ross Brawn, pointing to handling imbalances, admitted to the BBC that the W01 is "a little bit off on pace".

The W01 also had several cracked exhausts replaced at Valencia, and on Wednesday Schumacher's test ended with an hydraulic leak.

"We are not as quick as Ferrari and Lewis (Hamilton) looked quick so it looks like we've got a bit of work to do," Brawn added.

Schumacher acknowledged that the new Ferrari seems "very strong".

Hailing from Vyborg, Petrov was eventually last year's closest challenger to GP2 Champion Nico Hülkenberg, who also made his Formula 1 testing debut on Wednesday, with Williams.

"I really enjoyed my first day in the car and everything went well," Petrov reported. "The car is very impressive compared with a GP2 car and I enjoyed experiencing the power and braking performance.

"After about 30 laps I was starting to feel comfortable and understanding the limits of the car. It was also my first chance to work with my engineers and so far everything is going really well, so I'm happy with the day."