As the sun set over the desert circuit, and the temperatures became more bearable the riders ventured out on track shortly after the pit-lane opened at 6pm to begin their first evening’s work.

Valentino Rossi was again fastest.  American Nicky Hayden was again over a second per lap slower than his Ducati teammate Casey Stoner and probably should just hang up his helmet because he simply is too heavy to compete with the lightweight riders like Rossi and Stoner.

Official lap times

1. Valentino Rossi 1:55.402
2. Casey Stoner 1:55.717
3. Ben Spies 1:55.954
4. Colin Edwards 1:56.540
5. Randy De Puniet 1:56.588
6. Andrea Dovizioso 1:56.811
7. Jorge Lorenzo 1:56.838
8. Nicky Hayden 1:56.855
9. Mika Kallio 1:56.923
10. Dani Pedrosa 1:57.047
11. Loris Capirossi 1:57.099
12. Marco Melandri 1:57.605
13. Hector Barbera 1:57.822
14. Hiro Aoyama 1:57.888
15. Marco Simoncelli 1:57.891
16. Aleix Espargaro 1:57.898
17. Alvaro Bautista 1:57.960

With the F1 World Championship having begun in 1950, Italy is one of the few nations to have hosted a Grand Prix in every season, with Monza having been the home on all occasions apart from when Imola staged the event in 1980.

The previous Monza contract was set to expire in 2012 although Ecclestone - head of Formula One Management (FOM) - has now extended the agreement by an extra four years.

NASCAR said in the days after that wreck it would do extensive research into identifying the problem and potential solutions.

Although a fault with Red Bull's Renault engine ultimately meant Seb Vettel was unable to win the race, the revelation that Ferrari were significantly heavier at the start of the grand prix prompted renewed belief that Fernando Alonso would have overtaken Vettel even if a loss of power hadn't compromised the German's pace.

The 908 HDi is a new car – or at least a new tub. The crew replaced the monocoque overnight after discovering a small crack in the flooring during a routine maintenance inspection.

The 59-year-old Italian, who recently ruled out returning to formula one despite overturning his lifetime ban for the Singapore race-fixing scandal, was reportedly present for the birth at 8am in Nice.

Falco weighs a healthy 4.1kg, and Briatore's 30-year-old wife Elisabetta Gregoraci, a wonder-bra model, is reportedly also well.

It is Briatore's second child, the first being a 5-year-old girl called Leni whose mother is the supermodel Heidi Klum.  In 2009 Leni was adopted by Klum's husband Seal, the British musician.

FIA president Jean Todt said in Bahrain last weekend that F1 has not heard the last of the so-called crashgate saga.

"We cannot forget a car was purposely crashed at the Singapore GP in 2008, and it cannot be without consequences," said the Frenchman.

Briatore also recently stepped down as chairman of Queens Park Rangers.

Aston Martin LMP1

“From the start-finish straight you head towards the first left-hand corner, which is extremely tricky as it is so bumpy. You gradually slide the car to the right on the way out but the exit is blind, so you don’t see it until the last minute. The best thing is to take as tight a line as possible, as then you avoid the worst of the bumps.

But in spite of the lack of success, Long did have a career. He was gainfully employed. When he wasn’t behind the wheel, he often found work with teams that needed an extra set of hands.

The GT roller coaster is one of two at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and will send two competing roller coaster carriages sprinting along twisting parallel tracks on a race to the finish line.

As the photo suggests, each coaster car is a replica of a Ferrari F430 Spider.

Parthiva Sureshwaren

Sureshwaren began his single seater career in 2001 when he competed in the British F3 National Class. He went on to contest selected races in the Barber Dodge Pro Series in the USA before taking an enforced sabbatical from the sport due to a lack of budget.

• No 'will' to reform F1 says FIA figures
• Sauber to drop 'BMW' name this season
• Massa 'not an enemy' after Bahrain pass - Alonso
• Mercedes denies it didn't want to supply Red Bull
• Vettel to practice with Bahrain engine in Melbourne
• Rosberg expects one Mercedes on Melbourne podium

No 'will' to reform F1 says FIA figures
(GMM)  Formula one lacks the "will" to make sweeping changes to address the problem of the sport's flagging spectacle, according to two prominent figures of the governing body FIA.

When expectations about the 2010 season were sky high, the Bahrain season opener last weekend was highly criticized after a mainly processional race.

But Peter Wright, a veteran engineer and long-time FIA technical consultant, predicted that the problem is not yet severe enough to motivate substantial reform.

"It's like climate change, it's got to be bad before it can get better," he is quoted as saying in an AP report.

"It's got to get bad enough for people to actually have the real will to do things that they wouldn't normally do," added Wright, whose experience dates back to roles with BRM and Lotus.

Another technical consultant Tony Purnell, who left the FIA earlier this year, is more critical of a formula that is not designed to stage good racing.

"The root cause is that the cars are not good racing cars, the formula is badly designed," said the former Jaguar boss, who was central to Max Mosley's failed attempt to cap budgets.

"The will to please the public really isn't there," he added.

"The sad thing is that there are solutions but no one is really brave enough or forceful enough or probably convinced enough that they will do anything about it.

"When they look at the politics of change they all just groan and say 'well, I don't want to fight that battle'," said Purnell.

Carlos Gracia, the Spanish motor racing federation chief and FIA vice president for sport, insists F1 should wait three more races before assessing the success or failure of the 2010 rules.

"It's clear that Fernando's overtaking of Massa (in Bahrain) was spectacular and he was planning an attack (on Vettel) in the closing laps," he told the Diario AS newspaper.

Just ask Andy Wallace.

As he prepares to drive Genoa Racing's bright red LMPC car, No. 36, with Tom Sutherland and J.R. Hildebrand in Saturday's 58th edition of the marquee event for both the American Le Mans Series and Sebring International Raceway, Wallace remembered the circumstances surrounding one of his two overall victories in the most popular endurance sports car race in North America.

1992 Gurney Eagle Toyota IMSA car

As an example of the power of reality television, look at "The Ultimate Fighter" series on SPIKE TV. Through the reality show, fans have become linked to the stars of the UFC and even go so far as to purchase the pay-per-view broadcasts to see how each of the UFC characters do in their bouts. People know the characters in the UFC because of the reality show! Another good example of promotion through the media is the spike in race broadcast ratings and overall coverage when there is drama revolving around the characters in the series. Who can forget the Paul Tracy Vs. Tagliani & Bourdais fights of 2006! An Indy Car reality show can produce the same drama.

It would seem obvious then that Indy Car, which suffers from a lack of exposure of their drivers, should do whatever they can to create a link between their unknown drivers & team owners and the fans. A reality television show which highlights the lives, backgrounds and feelings of the interesting drivers and team owners, creates connections with fans and gives a compelling reason for fans to tune into the Indy Car broadcasts!

If you agree and want to request this type of programming, the Indy Car marketing department can be reached at this email, downforce@indycar.com

Martinsville had been targeted for the transition, and NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton confirmed Wednesday that spoilers have been shipped to Sprint Cup teams and will be used for the first time at the Virginia short track.

“It is hard to believe that this will be my 200th race and that I will be doing it in the No. 7 Impala,” said Wimmer.  “Back when I started my racing career, I was just thankful to get my first Nationwide Series in Memphis.  As a driver you’ve got to have confidence that you can succeed at this level, but to that point all the stars have to be aligned, too. Everything’s really got to fall into place for you to have a career in this sport.  I’ve been very fortunate to be here. It’s been a lot of fun and the six wins along the way were amazing.”

In driving the No. 7 Chevy Impala the eyes of the racing world will be on Wimmer this weekend.  Originally JR Motorsports was only going to enter the No. 7 Chevy Impala in thirteen races but then decided to expand that.  P1 Groupe, Wimmer’s management company confirmed Wimmer will drive the car this weekend at Bristol and then two weeks later in Nashville.  For Wimmer, this upcoming series at Bristol will be a homecoming of sorts as he will again be racing under the JRM banner.

“I haven’t raced in the Nationwide Series yet this season, so it’s great to be back with a familiar team,” said Wimmer.  “I raced with JR Motorsports in a select number of races last year, but this will be my first time working with Tony [Eury] Jr. He’s had a lot of success, so I’m really looking forward to working with him. The JRM equipment is some of the best you can find.  As a driver it’s great to know you have that kind of infrastructure and support. I’m looking forward to the next two races with these guys.”

The Scotts Turf Builder 300 the green flag at 2:30 Saturday, March 20th.  The race is the first in the NASCAR Nationwide Series after a two week break.  Wimmer has raced at Bristol before and has some vivid memories of the raceway.

“Bristol is thrilling and frustrating,” said Wimmer.  “Anytime you can race on a half-mile track with 30 degrees of banking and run laps in the 15 second range, you’re going to have fun.  But when you put 42 other drivers out there with you, that’s when things get frustrating and complicated.  Track position and self control become critical to your success.”

Scott Wimmer originally hails from Wausau, Wisconsin.  He carved his mark on the short tracks in the Midwest throughout the 1990’s and became recognized as the dominant force in racing throughout the Midwest.  Wimmer captured the eye of top NASCAR owners after he entered the American Speed Association (ASA) and claimed victories in the first two races he competed in.  Wimmer tallied up two top five and eight top 10 finishes in his rookie year of the Busch Series that put him 11th in the championship standings.  In the 2007 season, Wimmer (along with teammate Jeff Burton) won the NASCAR Busch Series season owner points championship for Richard Childress Racing. The duo finished 3rd in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings in 2008, while Wimmer posted his 6th career NASCAR win.  In 2009, Wimmer ran races for Curtis Key Sr. and Key Motorsports as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr., and JR Motorsports.  He resides in North Carolina with his wife, Jody and son, Hayden.

Villeneuve makes a pass on the Penske power-duo

Not to mention, this was the first CART race JV won on his way to the following Indy 500 win, CART championship the same year and move to F1 with the F1 championship in 97 (three years after his win at RA)……...

CART was at a global level of performance.  Mansell to CART, JV to F1….etc.  Drivers, global engine and chassis manufacturers, sponsors (signage, tents!), TV, radio even.

Hayhoe, a developer of up-scale country club and retirement communities, had a life-long interest in motorsports.  He attended his first Indy car race in 1951.  In 1967, at the age of 32, Hayhoe entered his first car in the Indianapolis 500 and made the field, finishing sixth, in his second attempt in 1968.  Over the years his drivers included Roger McCluskey, Art Pollard, Ronnie Duman, Bruce Walkup and Jimmy Vasser.  His development company is based in Indian Wells, California.

Hayhoe, 74, is survived by his wife Kathryn and two children, son, John Hayhoe and daughter Jill Roy.

Michael Schumacher

According to Germany's Bild Zeitung, the seven time world champion is now one of the only drivers in the paddock without membership of the safety-oriented Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Schumacher, 41, is earning a reported EUR21 million in 2010, so the 2000 euros membership fee plus 500 euros per point cannot be the reason.

Mark Webber in Bahrain

The Australian, already in the southern city ahead of his ninth home race, told local media: "I was talking to my mechanics last night and they have got a brand new car for me.

"I have got a new chassis for this event, it's even lighter, making sure we make even more progress to go towards the front," 33-year-old Webber said.

Heikki Kovalainen

In an interview with Bloomberg, the Malaysian entrepreneur said Kovalainen, the new team's Finnish driver, proposes that "lapped cars should not be blue flagged, which may allow time for trailing cars to catch up to the leaders".

Currently in F1, blue flags are waved when a lapped car needs to allow higher-placed cars to pass.

After a relatively quiet race in which he was beaten both Ferrari and Mercedes cars as well as Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton, Button admitted his disappointment as he became the fourth consecutive title holder not to win the first race of his title-defending campaign.

"I didn't think, going into qualifying, that Lewis would be fourth on the grid and I would be eighth," Jenson admitted to the British press. "I thought it would be very close - but Lewis did a better job and he was quicker.

"I wasn't pleased with the car that I had in qualifying and there are areas in which I really need to improve so that it suits my style of driving, but my confidence has not been dented."

Jenson is also confident that McLaren's MP4-25 will handle better next time out. "In Melbourne there are slow corners but it's not these really, really slow, second-gear twisty sections," he continued. "I think the car will work better there - it's much quicker than it suggested in qualifying." GPUpdate.net

Christian Horner

With the majority of drivers having elected to stop just once at Sakhir in order to switch to Bridgestone's other type of tire compound - a must under technical regulations since 2007 - Horner is worried that races could become duller due to the current rules, which ban in-race refueling and therefore encourage a lesser amount of stops.

"What I fear is that we will end up with many 1-stop races," Christian explained to the official F1 website. "I was pushing very hard for two stops because, with how the cars are and how the fuel regulations are, we will see a lot of races like this." GPUpdate.net

With it having become obvious shortly before the start of the campaign that US F1 would not make the grid, Felipe McGough - Manger of L¢pez - eventually managed to break his driver's contract and had hoped to secure a test and reserve role at Hispania, although this eventually proved fruitless.

"I find it hard to say that we did it wrong," L¢pez is quoted as saying in the Argentinean media. "I think we put too much trust in what the people were telling us.

"As soon as I arrived in Charlotte in February, I realized that everything they (US F1) were saying was not true. What happened to us was unthinkable. In 60 years of Formula 1, it had never happened, a team which is signed up not making it. They hid things from us." GPUpdate.net

Sebring gate is lined up days before the race.

Sebring International Raceway staff welcomed the record number of guests as they rushed to their favorite camping and viewing spots around the famous 3.7-mile road course.

12 Hours of Sebring

Users on americanlemans.com will find everything they want to know about the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n – news, race results and points, photos, video, Series 101 features, Green Racing information and everything they need to bring the experience of being at a Series event directly to their screen. Quite simply, it’s the digital headquarters for the American Le Mans Series.

Former FIA president Max Mosley introduced the rotation policy, which saw some of the most popular and famous rallies, such as the Monte Carlo rally, disappear from the calendar every other year.

It’s not magic, and it’s not far away either.

General Motors R&D and several universities are working on a system that would use data gathered from an array of vehicle sensors and cameras and project images generated by compact ultra violet lasers directly onto the entire surface of the windshield. 

Speeds were actually higher for some cars before the sanctioning body told teams to cut down the spoilers, which will replace the current rear wing in the Sprint Cup Series. NASCAR also issued smaller restrictor plates to limit horsepower at the 2.66-mile track, the series' biggest.

Honda said in a statement that over time, brake pedals can feel "soft" and must be pressed closer to the floor to stop the vehicles. Left unrepaired, the problem could cause loss of braking power and possibly a crash, Honda spokesman Chris Martin said.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved a $1.2-million tax credit over five years. The City of Royal Oak has also approved a $29,000 property tax break as an incentive to Saab.

The last members of the team came back from Bahrain last night and now the men and women are concentrated on the preparations for this season’s second Grand Prix, which will be held on Sunday, 28 March in Melbourne, Australia.

After the processional Bahrain grand prix, there has been widespread criticism of the current rulebook and calls for immediate changes.

The F1 chief executive has himself proposed that external engineers in future pen the regulations, and is also pushing his bizarre proposal for circuit 'short cuts'.

And he told the Telegraph: "Some might wonder why the teams have options on tires at all.