A total of 570 hardcore racing companies purchased booth space for the three-day trade show, which offers individuals and companies from all facets of the racing industry the chance to interact, share ideas and products, build relationships and attend seminars to improve motorsports business around the world.

J.K. Vernay

Conor Daly enjoyed a stellar season in the Star Mazda Championship ranks - winning both the overall championship and the VISITFLORIDA Cup. The 18-year-old from Noblesville, Ind., tied the Star Mazda record for wins in a season, and set season marks for podiums and pole positions and earned the No. 1 ranking with 10,363 points.

Firestone Indy Lights champion J.K. Vernay was second with 10,340 points after winning five races in 13 starts. Firestone Indy Lights championship runner-up James Hinchcliffe, Star Mazda runner-up  Anders Krohn and Firestone Indy Lights front-runner Charlie Kimball round out the top five.

Buschemeyer, who most recently worked with KV Racing Technology in the IZOD IndyCar Series, is the latest addition to the team's engineering staff, which includes veteran engineer Dave McMillan and has a working relationship with Thomas Knapp.

Ryan Hunter-Reay

IZOD IndyCar Series driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and his family relied upon Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG foundation for support as his late mother Lydia battled cancer.

To show his support for LIVESTRONG as well as the organization that honors his mother - Racing for Cancer - Hunter-Reay joined Racing for Cancer founder Tom Vossman at the Austin LIVESTRONG Challenge on Oct. 23-24 in Austin, Texas.

With four Sprint Cup races remaining in the 2010 season, the crews for Busch, Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray lead the Tissot standings with four wins each. The crews for Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer are tied for second with three wins.

After Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber retired from the recent Korean grand prix, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso drove into a clear points lead.

The situation has sparked speculation that Red Bull must now throw its full weight behind Australian Webber, who has the higher points tally, with young German Vettel to take a reluctant subordinate role.

Jay Janner/American-Statesman

“This is Hockenheim,” Wahl said, pointing toward a loop on the backstretch. “Like in Hockenheim we want to have atmosphere.”

Hockenheim has a section, called the arena, that is almost surrounded by grandstands and where 60,000 fans cheer the action through the tight curves.

Speaking in the wake of a Bernie Ecclestone interview that suggested various circuits would be under threat now that the calendar has been pegged at 20 races with new venues still clamoring for inclusion, Gilberto Kassab said that he was confident that the Autodromo Carlos Pace was safe.

Although flattered by the retirements of three cars ahead, Schumacher nevertheless did a good job to stay out of trouble and put in a much stronger showing than in previous wet races this year.

That means the automaker will have as much cash as debt — achieving that target a year ahead of schedule.

Buyer vehemently denies the allegation and has threatened a defamation lawsuit against the businessman, Christopher Bowers, and Bowers’ attorney now says he is now going to drop any mention of Buyer in the legal action.

Danica Patrick is getting used to being honored by the fans of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“Let me know what to do to get this again next year,” she joked as she accepted the Indy DownForce IZOD IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver Award via a taped video message.

Patrick and Pippa Mann were honored as the Most Popular Driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, respectively, during the INDY DownForce Banquet Oct. 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Champ Cars had to jump RR tracks in San Jose in 2005 and 2006.  It was spectacular to say the least

"This is a big problem and it's going to impact a lot of people," said Wane-Jang Lin, manager of track and structural engineering for the Maryland Transit Administration.

MTA officials balked at a proposal by race staffers to grind down the rails. The two sides have struck a compromise: the tracks can be temporarily covered from Thursday night until Tuesday morning.

That is the claim of his manager Flavio Briatore, who said the championship challenge is now a straight fight between two drivers in his stable: Spaniard Alonso and Red Bull's Mark Webber.

"Alonso will lose the world championship only with a disaster," the Italian told Sky Sport 24.

"For Vettel it's impossible, Hamilton the same. The only two who can win are Alonso and Webber," said Briatore.

"And for Alonso I see the chances at 80 per cent, except if Red Bull changes their strategy.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at NASCAR’s largest track as the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship continues with the Amp Energy Juice 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Sunday, Oct. 31, and ESPN will have a live telecast. NASCAR Countdown airs on ESPN2 at noon ET with the race telecast on ESPN at 1 p.m. The race’s green flag is at 1:19 p.m.

Marty Reid will call the action with analysis by Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch. 

The Spaniard tried to acquire the thirteenth and final team entry for 2011, but the FIA ruled that none of the applicants had the financial resources to justify the go-ahead.

But Villadelprat told the Noticias de Gipuzkoa that the 13th entry is not the only route into F1.

"We have not thrown in the towel," he confirmed.

The British team on Monday seemed to confirm speculation it is considering replacing the 2009 GP2 champion with the feeder series' new title winner, Pastor Maldonado.

Venezuelan Maldonado, 25, is heavily backed by the state owned petroleum company PDVSA, and Williams co-owner Patrick Head in Korea admitted that economic factors would influence the board's driver decision for 2011.

In a media statement, the Oxfordshire based team announced that Maldonado will test the FW32 in the post-season Abu Dhabi 'young driver' session next month.

Mark Webber threw away his point lead in Korea

The Australian started the inaugural Korean GP 14 points ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso but he crashed out on lap 19 following a driver error.

Alonso went on to take the checkered flag to move onto 231 points in the Drivers' standings. Webber is second on 220 with Lewis Hamilton a further 10 points adrift after a second place in Korea.

Christian Horner

After a catastrophic day in Korea for Red Bull, where both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber retired, the team's boss said both drivers will still be given a clear run to the Abu Dhabi finale.

A smarter strategy might be to fully back Webber, who is 11 points shy of Fernando Alonso's new championship lead, while Vettel is asked to play a supporting role due to his 25 point deficit.

Is Button even fast enough to be in a position to help Hamilton?  Probably not

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said it is a "no brainer" that Jenson Button should now back his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton, whilst announcing that Sebastian Vettel still has a green light to push for the title.

"For us, the strategy is clear," McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.  "We don't really have to say anything to our drivers.

When Vettel's engine blew Red Bull's weekend went from bad to worse

The immediate attention centered on pole sitter and race leader Vettel's Renault engine failure, which Helmut Marko said took the team and its supplier by complete surprise.

"It did," the Austrian said on German television RTL.  "It's our first engine failure this year (but not the first for the team).  The mileage was at about 1600 kilometers, and normally the average (life) is 2000-2100," added Marko.  Something broke in the valve area, so it's the first time.  On Friday we were using an engine with much higher mileage," said the team's motorsport consultant.

He advised German Vettel, 23, not to give up.

"It's not easy, but there are still 50 points to get," said Marko.  "Alonso is on his last engine.  We're not giving up."

Renault apologized for the failure.

The company reported a profit of $29.98 million, or 33 cents per share for the three months ending Sept. 30 compared with $27.4 million or 30 cents for the same period a year ago. The Bloomfield Hills-based retailer was expected to earn 30 cents per share according to the average of nine analyst estimates tracked by Thomson One Analytics.

It started raining just before 10pm on Saturday night, and was heavy at times throughout the night and did not completely stop at any point.

After hearing opinions from both drivers plus senior team representatives, the stewards decided that a reprimand would suffice for the 7-time World Champion.

‘The stewards note that, irrespective of the team (Mercedes)’s opinion that car 9 (Barrichello) was not on a “fast lap”, it is ultimately the driver’s responsibility to be conscious of closing cars via the use of mirrors and blue flags/lights,’ reads an additional note on the bottom of the stewards’ report.

Also, other Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has been cleared of an any penalty following an alleged baulking of Fernando Alonso – which caused the Spaniard to brake sharply - in the morning’s third practice session.

Sutil caught speeding on pit road

The infraction of sporting regulations took place just one minute into Q1, when the Force India was clocked at a speed of 108.9 kilometers per hour (67.6mph).

As a consequence, a fine of 1,800 euros (1,600 pounds) has been imposed by the FIA stewards.

Hundreds, including school children, were turned away on Saturday when organizers refused to honor daily passes that had been issued by the hosting South Jeolla province free of charge.

"I'm very upset because everyone is saying different things," said Lee Pyong-ho, 63, insisting his party would not have made the trip from the neighboring city of Mokpo had it not been for the free tickets.

Lee had been given the tickets through the local community office after they were issued without consultations with the race organizers in the hope of boosting interest in the event.

The revelations came as Ms Bligh toured the Surfers Paradise precinct on the opening day of the GC600. Ms Bligh said the V8 Supercars' three-year building project would have to meet the government's high expectations to keep the funding it had.

It is a far cry from the $12.5 million which used to be invested for the Indy Carnival.  When asked whether she would consider topping up the event during the three-year rebuilding phase Ms Bligh was clear.

"There's no request for that to increase, the three-year arrangement is very clear about what is expected," she said. "We have set the V8 Supercar series a very high hurdle.

``We want this event to be a success, we are going to continue to invest in it because it is great for the Gold Coast economy, but it is going to have to meet our expectations.  So far it is looking good."

After a dry inaugural race weekend in South Korea so far, forecasts are predicting rain later on Saturday and overnight, with a very high chance of more heavy showers on race-day morning.

And the threat of rain for 1500 local on Sunday - the scheduled race start - is more than 50 per cent, leaving some drivers worried about the effect of a wet track atop the new and already low-grip surface.

"It's going to be tough whatever the weather does," warned McLaren's Jenson Button.

The Pole has been inside the top four in all three practice sessions at the new Yeongam circuit, and topped the time sheet on Saturday morning.

"It is encouraging," the team's French boss Boullier said.  "It gives us hope for a solid weekend, but we have to remain careful."

Freiberg, an 18-year-old driver from Homer Glen, Ill., ran 146 laps, or about 248 miles, at Putnam Park Road Course in Putnamville, Ind. Despite cold and wet track conditions, she only had one spin during the course of the testing day.   

Putnam Park Road Course is a 1.78-mile, 10-turn road course. The facility opened in 1991 and regularly serves as a testing course for many professional race teams.

Currently we are actively recruiting for the following full time positions within the Team:

Assistant Engineer:
We are looking for an engineer to join our Engineering Dept. This is an entry level position. The candidate will hold a minimum of a B.Sc. in Mechanical, Electrical or Aeronautical Engineering. The successful candidate will work alongside our existing engineering staff to support our rig testing programs, vehicle analysis programs and design programs.

If you wish to be considered for this position please send a covering letter and a copy of your resume to assteng3@nhrteam.com

Trainee/Apprentice Mechanics:
We are recruiting people to train as mechanics for our team. Initial training will be given in our workshop with the opportunity to apply for a position as a race team mechanic on satisfactory completion of workshop training. Completion of a recognized form of workshop training at a Community College, or similar, will be an advantage. Preference will be given to local candidates.

If you wish to be considered for this position please send a covering letter and a copy of your resume to mechanic5@nhrteam.com

“You can have your father buy your ride . . . but you can't buy talent,” was one of Stewart's many comments aimed at Paul Menard, who's the son of John Menard, a highly successful U.S. Midwest retailer.

Hotels around the Yeongam track, which is some 350 miles away from South Korean capital Seoul, have been overwhelmed by demand.

And while drivers and team bosses have found normal rooms, many staff and pit crew have been forced into £150-a-night 'love hotels' where they have reported finding unsanitary conditions - and even piles of used condoms beneath the beds.

Luring international drivers from various categories would prove millions cheaper than attracting a separate series which authorities can no longer afford.

Mr. Cochrane will meet with his board next week to begin negotiations to increase the international field.  The move comes after some senior V8 drivers indicated the need for every car to have a foreign driver.

And it's a concept that has Dane licking his lips in anticipation as he looks at the names up and down pitlane.

"It's the best touring car field that's ever been assembled probably anywhere since the '60s and the likes of Jim Clark driving Lotus Cortinas and things," Dane said today.

The actions required to increase Fiat's stake in Chrysler were established when the two companies formed a partnership in 2009. They include launching the tiny Fiat 500 in the United States later this year with a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine and the possibility of a new 85-horsepower two-cylinder engine.

Webber ended Friday's second free practice session on top ahead of championship rivals Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

A driver is allowed to use a maximum of eight engines throughout the course of the 19-race season, a figure Alonso reached a few grands prix ago.

The team have since been eking out the mileage from previously used engines still in service in the hope Alonso can reach the end of the season.

The incident, which occurred during Friday's practice session, required one of the Hispania mechanics to retrieve the offending article from the pit exit.

The team's actions breached articles 23.1(j), 30.7 and 30.9 of the sports regulations. Article 23.1 states that: "It is the responsibility of the competitor to release his car after a pitstop only when it is safe to do so."

Pit entry road

Numerous drivers on Friday warned that the fact the entry to the new Yeongam circuit's pitlane is on the racing line in a fast corner is a safety issue.

"Someone coming into the pits will be slower than the guy behind who is staying on the track," said Sebastian Vettel.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that, after meeting with the drivers late on Friday, race director Charlie Whiting has agreed to a quick fix.

The white line on the pit entry is being removed overnight, meaning drivers coming into the pits can remain on the power through the fast corner and then sweep into the pits at the last moment.

Under the new arrangement, Vodafone will extend its title sponsorship that was first established in 2007 and will additionally extend its category sponsorship from mobile partner to “total communications partner”.

“The success we have enjoyed since our two companies’ partnership began in 2007 has been prodigious,” said Ron Dennis, executive chairman of the McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive.

“Of the 68 grands prix staged during our partnership, our drivers have scored 21 wins and 55 podium finishes. Going forward, I’m confident Vodafone McLaren Mercedes will build and improve on our already impressive track record.”

Before sponsoring McLaren, Vodafone had endorsed rivals Ferrari from 2002 to 2006 in a deal worth £23 million a year.

Dixon and the other 17 international stars competing as co-drivers in this weekend's Gold Coast 600 event got to grips with the 2.96km street circuit for the first time on Friday.

And the results were humbling for some of the most decorated drivers in the world as wheel lockups, missed chicanes and some heavy hits abounded.

Premier Media Group begins broadcasting on ' Speed' on November 1, offering 24-hours-a-day coverage of all forms of racing.

''Whether it's on four wheels or two, on land or water or in the air - if it goes fast,'' said chief executive David Malone.

Set on the renowned Surfers Paradise street circuit, this weekend’s race promises to deliver fantastic action as Helio Castroneves, local favorites Ryan Briscoe and Will Power, Alex Tagliani, Scott Dixon and Champion Dario Franchitti travel down under.

“When you have 18 guys, I'm sure they'll all want to be the best - I do too,” Penske’s Castroneves told Speedcafe.com.au.

“For me, I'm looking out more for the IndyCar drivers; there's six of us in total here and that's what I'm looking at - trying to at least be better than those guys!

“…they should have a trophy for the best of the IndyCar drivers!”

Usually, the governing body inspects a new track 90 days before the inaugural race date, giving either a thumbs-up or down.

But in the case of Korea, with construction badly delayed, Charlie Whiting kept postponing the final inspection until mere days before this week's event.

"Is that going to happen again?  No," said Nick Craw, FIA senate president.

Main Straight

Although grounded for most of the opening session on Friday with mechanics working at the rear of his car, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton still managed to top the timing sheet.

The fastest Red Bull was Sebastian Vettel's, half a second behind and fourth, with the now extremely-efficient F-duct on Renault propelling Robert Kubica to the second best time.

Mark Webber

Fernando Alonso was among the early pacesetters, as was Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

In the end the F1 points leader, Webber, who has seen his lead reduced the last three races by Fernando Alonso, ended the session fastest followed by the Ferrari of Alonso.

With three races to go, the Australian driver has a comfortable 14 point lead, and a complicated formula devised by a doctor of physics at the UK's Reading University has tipped Webber to still be in front at the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, a Spanish newspaper this week used another probability formula to calculate the percentage changes of the five world championship protagonists

Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper echoed the widespread paddock view that Renault engines will power Tony Fernandes' cars in 2011, which will surely be driven once again by Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli.

But the naming dispute is a major worry for the team, with Group Lotus challenging its legal right to use the separate Team Lotus title, having withdrawn the official license for the current Lotus Racing moniker.

"I cannot say anything about staying with Lotus except that it will probably happen," Italian driver Trulli is quoted as saying.

The Volkswagen group, perhaps with the Porsche or Audi brands, has flagged entering the sport in 2013 along with a radical new engine formula.

But the German marque has made it abundantly clear that it needs the FIA to impose the so-called 'world engine' concept; a basic engine formula that can be applied across various premier motor sport categories.

"The main thing now is that we become world champions," said Helmut Marko, who was accused earlier this year of wanting Vettel to beat Australian Webber to the top spot.

But with Webber 14 points clear, and Vettel level-pegging with Ferrari's chasing Fernando Alonso, the Austrian-owned team must give the 34-year-old an unimpeded run to the checkered flag.

For the future, however, Red Bull's ambitions are well known.

"I repeat: we are building the team around Sebastian," team boss Christian Horner is quoted by Auto Bild.

But the circuit was as slippery as most paddock observers have ever seen, with drivers' tires white with dust in the pitlane, and reporters coughing amid the haze.

Eyebrows were also raised when at least two snakes were photographed slithering across the layout on Thursday, and Sebastian Vettel expressed concern after finding a huge rusty nail as the walked the circuit.

Scientists have long known that the dead zone — this year it covered 7,000 square miles — is created largely by nitrate washed downstream from fertilized fields as far north as Minnesota. A study in the Journal of Environmental Quality by scientists from Cornell University and the University of Illinois has now conclusively identified the largest source of that nitrate: tiled farm fields.

"It's going to be messy if it's raining," said former Formula 1 world champion, Jacques Villeneuve.

Villeneuve and the other 17 internationals survived a wet practice session at Willowbank yesterday as they had their first and only taste of the cars before the race. For many, like Sebastien Bourdais, the only driver to win the Gold Coast Indy more than once, it was their first time in a V8 Supercar. The four-time Champ Car champion said he was nervous before taking to the track.

"When you don't know what you're doing and you have no idea what the car should feel like and you don't know what the limits are and it's wet, it's very easy to lose it," he said. "It's not the best conditions to learn the car but it seems like it's going to be pretty close to what we get in Surfers."

Next year, the Italian marque is replacing departing Bridgestone as F1's official supplier, so tester de la Rosa was back at the wheel of the 2009 Toyota this week in his native Barcelona.

The Spaniard has an unique perspective on the characteristics of the developing Pirelli, given his job earlier this year racing the Bridgestone-shod Sauber.

Pirelli said after the two-day Barcelona test that it is now "close to defining the rubber that will be taken to Abu Dhabi" for the teams to test for the first time after the season finale in November.

"I've been very impressed because I have to say that the tires were at an even higher level than I imagined," said de la Rosa.

"These Pirelli tires have their own quite different characteristics to the current supplier that the drivers will appreciate next year and I'm confident that they will form a very competitive package," he added.

The next test will take place at Paul Ricard early next month.

As the 1986 world championship fight came to a head in Adelaide, the four title protagonists – Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet – posed on the pitwall with Bernie Ecclestone for a media photograph.

Two and a half decades later, there are still five drivers in the running for the 2010 crown, so the ever-present F1 chief executive was back on the pitwall for the same sort of photograph.

This time, the scene of the photo – featuring Ecclestone and drivers Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel – was the brand new Yeongam barrier.

"It was good to do the photo with all the guys," championship leader Webber said afterwards, "going back all those years with some of our heroes obviously in those (1986) photos."

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are staying put as drivers, but a significant shake-up in other areas is expected, following the Brackley-based team's difficult transition from the title-winning Brawn outfit.

When asked about the prospect of changes for 2011 on Thursday, Rosberg acknowledged the need for action.

"I wanted to be winning races and currently we are far away from that," said the German.

Asked what the personnel changes could be, including whether Jock Clear will still be his race engineer in 2011, he answered: "Exactly what the changes will be, I cannot say.

"A lot will come from Ross Brawn.  There are procedures he has analyzed in order to get more from people in certain areas," added Rosberg.

Although both highly regarded, Nick Heidfeld and Nico Hulkenberg are both struggling to stay as race drivers for next season.

At Sauber, Heidfeld's seat for 2011 has already been taken for 2011 by the Telmex-backed rookie Sergio Perez, while it is believed Williams is close to securing the Venezuelan dollars brought by new GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado.

Toyota is recalling another 1.53 million Lexus, Avalon and other models, mostly in the U.S. and Japan, for brake fluid and fuel pump problems, the latest in a string of quality problems for the world's No. 1 automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will call back for repairs about 740,000 cars in the U.S. and 599,000 in Japan. The remainder are in Europe and other markets around the world.

Over the past year, Toyota has recalled more than 10 million cars and trucks worldwide for a variety of problems, from faulty gas pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerators, to braking problems in its Prius hybrid. In August, Toyota called back 1.33 million Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks in the U.S. and Canada because their engines may stall.

All its permanent staff, including team manager and engineer Hans Muhlbauer, have been laid off and the Ginetta-Zytek put up for sale.

No comment was forthcoming from either Nigel Mansell or Beechdean boss Andrew Howard, who were 50-50 partners. Racer.com

The political sense is obvious. Corn ethanol is made in the USA. Growing your own fuel is like thumbing your nose at Saudi Arabia.

NASCAR had the political angle down pat on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway when NASCAR chairman Brian France announced the switch. There was even a video presentation during the announcement that featured amber waves of grain and plenty of American flags.

The recall covers about 19,000 2010 vehicles — including Chrysler Sebring, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Avenger and Dodge Journey. It also covers 7,300 2011 Dodge Ram light-duty pickup trucks.

Separately, Volvo Cars said it is recalling nearly 10,000 vehicles over concerns that some airbags may not deploy as intended.

The recall covers 9,746 2010-11 S80 and XC70, 2011 XC60 and 2010 V70.

Volvo said there appeared to be "an intermittent fault in the driver's airbag clock spring wiring connector for the supplemental restraint system."