Peugeot's sales remain strong Peugeot’s strong start to 2010 continues with sales up 22.3% in March and 31.5% year-to-date, in a market up 27.3%.
Peugeot’s fuel efficient and environmentally friendly range of vehicles has been a hit with the UK consumers in March. Strong sales for the fun and innovative city car, the Peugeot 107, and the stylish and practical Peugeot 207 have resulted in Peugeot’s small car sales increasing by 15.4%, year-to-date. More ...
Walker Racing is excited to announce that British driver Dan Clarke will pilot the team’s Firestone Indy Lights #40 entry this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
Dan Clarke was well known for his spirited drives in 2006 and 2007 in the Champ Car World Series. The Brit finished runner-up to Will Power in the rookie of the year standings in 2006 and went on to compete in the series again in 2007. A former BRDC Formula Ford Champion, he will get back to his racing roots when he joins the Walker Racing Indy Lights program this weekend. More ...
Conquest Racing makes two key hires Conquest Racing welcomed two key personnel to the team this past week. Taking up the role of Team Manager is John Brunner, formerly with Forsythe Racing. Brunner was with that organization for more than a decade, overseeing the cars driven by the likes of Rodolfo Lavin, Paul Tracy, Patrick Carpentier, and Alex Tagliani.
Also joining the team this season is veteran Track Engineer Todd Malloy. Malloy recently engineered the cars of Paul Tracy, Justin Wilson, Graham Rahal, Robert Doornbos, and Oriol Servia respectively at Forsythe, RuSPORT and Newman/Haas/Lanigan. This season he will be engineering the car #36 of Bertrand Baguette.
Gainsco Racing tops opening practice at Barber Jon Fogarty waited until the closing minutes of opening practice Thursday to set the fastest lap of the day as GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 competitors prepared for Saturday's Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Fogarty unofficially broke the track record with a lap of 1:20.018 (103.477 mph) on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn circuit, driving the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley. Fogarty and co-driver Alex Gurney won here in 2007 and 2009, going on to capture the Daytona Prototype championship both times. More ...
F2000 Championship testing report from VIR The opening day for the 2010 F2000 season at VIR, featuring five unofficial testing sessions, saw a modest 30 cars spend the day practicing for the double race weekend. Some 35 cars are expected for the official opening to the weekend tomorrow. New drivers, new teams, returning drivers swapping places and more made it an interesting day for the entire paddock.
The newest hardware on the grid is Jesse Yorio’s #5 Piper DF5C/Van Diemen. Thursday morning marked Yorio’s first time ever in the new chassis. More ...
My career as a racing driver started as a childhood dream which has brilliantly come true, I’m living the life I love and wouldn’t want it any other way, but sadly there are many small children that aren’t as lucky as I was.
I’m speaking of course of the children that are stricken with illness, and most importantly, cancer. CLIC Sargent is a leading charity that supports children and young people, as well as their families, through their terrible ordeal by assisting with nurses, social workers, play therapists, holidays and research as well as giving financial support and advice. Cancer is a deadly disease that seems to strike more frequently at the very core of many families these days, so myself and a group of my fellow racing drivers, have decided to turn our competitive skills to running all 26.2 miles of the London Marathon later this month to see if we can’t raise some money to help this worthy cause.
My fleet of foot colleagues will be names that as motorsport followers, you will be very familiar with - Andy Priaulx, Oliver Gavin, Darren Turner, Jonny Kane, Johnny Mowlem, Rob Barff, Guy Smith, Sean Edwards, Peter Dumbreck, Richard Westbrook, Charlie Hollings and Marc Hynes.
I couldn’t be more fortunate in having your support throughout the year as you follow my race by race fortunes, so it would be great to have your continued support through this next milestone in my career too. It’s such an important cause that I don’t have any inhibitions in asking you to click on the following link:
Vision farms out Carpenter to Panther Racing for 500 In preparation for the 2010 Indianapolis 500, Vision Racing and Panther Racing are pleased to announce that the two IndyCar teams have entered into a collaboration for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" with two Panther Racing entries; the No.4 National Guard Honda Dallara driven by Britain's Dan Wheldon and the No.20 machine piloted by American driver Ed Carpenter.
"I am very pleased that we have this opportunity to partner with an excellent organization. This collaboration with Panther Racing will allow two teams that want nothing else but to compete and strive for success in the upcoming Indianapolis 500 the opportunity to do so to the best of their abilities," explains Vision Racing Team Owner, Tony George. "With this partnership between teams and drivers, we will also be able to maximize the potential of both parties and field what I am sure will be a very formidable two-car effort. There are close personal and professional relationships within our two organizations that should allow us to put forth a cohesive effort we will all be proud of and have high expectations for achieving results." More ...
Jérôme d’Ambrosio tops second day at Barcelona Dams racer sets fastest laptime during morning session History taught us the best window to set the fastest laptime at the Spaniard track is during the morning session. In the second day of the last pre-season tests, this theory was again verified with Jérôme d’Ambrosio claiming the top spot ahead of newcomer Christian Vietoris and Pastor Maldonado in the first half of the day. The morning session though was red flagged seven times starting with Jules Bianchi who span at turn 4 nine minutes after the pitlane opened. It was then Adrian Zaugg’s turn to halt the session. Coloni’s Vladimir Arabadzhiev span at turn 7 on the two hour mark followed twenty minutes later by Dani Clos who stopped his Racing Engineering car near turn 5. Rodolfo Gonzalez lost control of his Arden machine at Turn 6 on the one hour mark. Six minutes later, it was Giacomo Ricci who span at Turn 5 and the last red flag was courtesy of Max Chilton who stopped at Turn 4. Amidst all this, d’Ambrosio managed to climb on top of the timesheet in a 1:27.182 closely followed by Vietoris and Maldonado. More ...
Crown Royal Black on the #17 This weekend at Phoenix, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Crown Royal Black Ford. When the dust settles for the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, everything will be covered in Black, at least for Matt Kenseth. The former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion will have Crown Royal Black, the newest addition to the Crown Royal portfolio, serving as primary sponsor of the #17 Ford for at least 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events throughout the 2010 season. Beginning in Phoenix, the #17 Crown Royal Black Ford, which will be named the "Royal Rebel" car to showcase the boldness of the new whisky, will hit the track in an effort to encourage adult fans to enjoy the new product responsibly. As an added bonus, if the Crown Royal Black car finishes in the top-10 during any of the special paint scheme races, the first adult race fan to tweet "Crown Royal Black" and Matt's finishing position to @PR17CrownRoyal will receive a special phone call from Kenseth or a member of the #17 team. Crown Royal / Taylor PR
Simona de Silvestro already making a name for herself Simona de Silvestro, as in the female IndyCar driver whose name isn’t Danica Patrick.
The 21-year-old from Switzerland, an IZOD IndyCar Series rookie this year, drives the No. 78 for HVM Racing but she’s already making a name for herself.
In the season opener at Sao Paulo, Brazil, some slick pit strategy put her in the lead. Despite driving on older tires she managed to hold that lead for four laps on the street course before eventually finishing 16th.
"I was a little bit nervous having Dario (Franchitti) and Ryan (Hunter-Reay) behind me," she said. "I just kind of put my head down and drove away." More ...
F1 marques Mercedes, Renault, to collaborate off track (GMM) They remain competitors at the grand prix circuits, but the carmakers Renault and Daimler (Mercedes) have signed an agreement to cooperate off the track.
Also involving Nissan, the strategic cooperation deal could involve cooperation on Mercedes' A-Class road car, international reporters were told on Wednesday.
The marques will also collaborate on mini cars, engines and vans, mainly within Europe.
Chief executive Carlos Ghosn suggested that Renault will also seek to tie-up with other carmakers. More ...
Hamilton loves his new McLaren Lewis Hamilton has experienced mixed fortunes in the opening rounds of 2010 - a podium in Bahrain followed by frustration in Australia, where he watched new team mate Jenson Button secure McLaren’s first win of the season. Then came an epic drive in Malaysia, but one that yielded ‘only’ sixth place, thanks to his P20 grid slot. He may not be leading the standings, but one thing’s for sure - the 2008 champion is really enjoying himself, as he explained to his official website…
Q: We've completed three of the four opening flyaway races. You're back in Europe preparing for China, how do you evaluate your opening attack on the 2010 world championship? Lewis Hamilton: I'm very pleased. I think I'm driving as well as I ever have - I love driving this year's car: I said to my engineers in Malaysia that I'd never had a car that felt as solid and as planted as the MP4-25, it feels like a car that you can not only find a perfect balance with, but you can also really push it, and it reacts well to the changes on full-tanks or when it's empty. And that's meant I've really been able to push to the limit, which is how I love to drive.
I don't think I've ever enjoyed driving a Formula One car more than I have with this year's car. Of course, it hasn't been perfect - but then nothing is - but I feel extremely confident for the races ahead. More at Official F1 website
Piquet Jr. makes another career move downward After assuring Álvaro Parente’s presence in the Iberian GT Championship, Aurora Racing Team counts also with the presence of the former F1 pilot, Nelson Piquet Jr., in the Open GT championship’s last race, which will take place in Barcelona on October 29th and 30th.
With Álvaro Parente competing in Superleague Formula by Porto FC and with Nelson Piquet Jr competing in Nascar Truck Series, this was way of assuring the possibility for both pilots to steer a Ferrari 430 GT2 from Aurora Racing Team, extending the already ambitious 2010 sports program.
Apart from being one of the best international double team in Open GT, the main goal is to win the Spanish GT Championship, in which Álvaro Parente will team up with another pilot, also distinguished, that is going to be announced in due time. More ...
Withdrawal of the Dome Racing Team (LM P1) The ASA ACO Le Mans 24 Hours has been officially notified of the withdrawal of the Dome Racing Team, who were aiming to bring the LM P1 Dome S102 prototype back to Le Mans after its 2008 performance had thrilled the crowd.
In compliance with the supplementary regulations of the Le Mans 24 Hours in the case of the withdrawal of a prototype, the Selection Committee has replaced the Dome S102 with the entrant at the top of the list of reserves in the same category (LM P).
Thus, French team Pegasus Racing, has been invited to join the list of entrants selected for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours subject to confirmation of its entry with the ACO.
Pegasus Racing has a new LM P2 car, the Norma, with a Judd engine and the first member of the driver line-up to be announced was Frenchman, Julien Schell.
UPDATED LIST OF LMP RESERVES
RESERVES LM P1/ LM P2
TOKAI UNIV. YGK POWER
COURAGE ORECA YGH (3998T)
Shigekazu WAKISAKA (JPN)* Shogo MITSUYAMA (JPN)
LOLA JUDD (3397A)
Jean de POURTALES (FRA)* Hideki NODA (JPN)
JOSE IBANEZ (FRA)
LOLA JUDD (3397A)
Jos IBANEZ (FRA)* Lionel ROBERT (FRA) Arnaud SANTAMATO (FRA)
This week will see a long-scheduled change of management in the technical department at Hinwil. Willy Rampf (56), the team's Technical Director for the last ten years, will hand over the reins to James Key (38).
Question: Two days ago James Key took over the position of Technical Director. Why did you choose him for the role?
Peter Sauber: "I was impressed by what Force India had achieved in recent times on a tight budget, and James Key played a major role in getting them to where they are today. For me it was also important to appoint a Technical Director with a track record of getting the most out of limited resources. He will benefit from the first-class infrastructure at Hinwil and I'm in no doubt that he can take the team forward." More ...
FIA says adjustable ride-height systems not legal (GMM) Adjusting the ride-height of a formula one car's suspension system during parc ferme is illegal, the FIA has clarified.
The news comes amid continuing suspicion about the dominant Red Bull RB6 single seater, after McLaren accused the energy drinks-owned team of running such a system.
Red Bull, however, has vehemently denied the charge, with boss Christian Horner warning that he will protest any team he suspects is altering its cars' ride-heights after qualifying or before the start of races.
The BBC and Reuters report that a letter has been sent to the teams about the issue by the FIA this week.
It says adjusting ride-height with "any system, device or procedure" contravenes up to two regulations.
It had been rumored that Red Bull had found a way to adjust the ride-height by the permitted drainage of compressed gas, but the FIA letter adds that "any self-leveling damper system is likely" to also break the rules. More ...
IMSA rescinds LMP-C disqualifications from 12 Hours IMSA stewards reinstated two LMP Challenge entries to the official results for the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida – G-Oil’s Green Earth Team Gunnar and Level 5 Motorsports. The decision elevates the ORECA FLM09 of Green Earth Team Gunnar to the runner-up spot in class and Level 5 Motorsports’ second entry to sixth for the opening round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n.
The championship’s sanctioning body requested the review. At issue was a new rule for 2010 that permits drivers in the LMPC class to compete in more than one entry and how officials calculate minimum drive-time for an event – two hours in the case of Sebring. The stewards judged the rule to be ambiguous and open to interpretation; it did not specify if minimum drive-times are recorded in a single entry or multiple cars. The rule was also unclear as to the application of penalties in the case of a driver in multiple cars. As both exclusions were based on the same regulation, the stewards rescinded the penalties for both cars.
Official race results and points standings reflecting this decision will be reissued shortly along with a rule clarification.
Hamlin's rehab on schedule, expects to race Saturday Denny Hamlin's rehabilitation of his left knee, which underwent surgery a week ago to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, remains on schedule and should allow him to compete in Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. "It's painful, as anyone who has had this surgery or any similar surgery can tell you, but I am working hard to get back my full range of motion and get back to where I need to be," Hamlin said in a news release. Dr. Patrick Connor of OrthoCarolina in Charlotte performed the surgery last Wednesday. Dr. Bill Heisel, who assisted in the procedure, told ESPN.com the knee should be "pretty normal" by the time Hamlin got to Phoenix. Heisel added that Hamlin shouldn't be restricted from using his left leg to clutch or brake as long as there was no abnormal swelling. Casey Mears is on standby in case Hamlin has to come out of the car. Hamlin, who is 15th in points after his win at Martinsville before the Easter break, is expected at the very least to start the race in order to collect full points for the finish. ESPN.com
Michael Andretti, accomplished driver and current chairman, president and chief executive officer of Andretti Autosport, will be honored at the fifth Annual Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame induction ceremony on April 15.
Andretti will be recognized alongside 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan. Past recipients of the honor include Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Bobby Rahal and Parnelli Jones.
Andretti's first win took place at the 1986 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also took the checkered flag in the Toyota Grand Prix in 2002, his final victory as a driver. With 42 victories to his name, Andretti is the winningest driver in CART history. He also boasts the title of winningest owner in Indy Racing League history with 34 IZOD IndyCar Series wins.
IRS files lien against Mayfield Jeremy Mayfield's lawsuit against NASCAR isn't his only legal issue, and if NASCAR seems like a giant to go up against, Mayfield has two even bigger entities taking action against him: The Internal Revenue Service and the North Carolina Department of Revenue. The IRS has filed a lien on property owned by Mayfield and his wife, Shana, for unpaid income taxes totaling $231,139 - $214,108 for 2008 and $17,031 for 2006. The North Carolina Department of Revenue filed a delinquent income tax notice with Mayfield for $65,932 - $62,379 for 2008 and $3,553 for 2006. The unpaid taxes were listed at $56,430 with a total of $10,502 in fines and fees. The tax documents were filed in North Carolina Superior Court in Newton, N.C. The IRS lien was filed March 29, while the North Carolina tax notice was filed Feb. 15. Scene Daily
IMS announces new hires Veteran executives Mark Dill and James Newton recently joined the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in senior positions in marketing and public relations.
Dill was named vice president of marketing and public relations while Newton was named director of marketing.
"We're pleased to welcome Mark and James to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway management team," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "Both bring an impressive array of experience, innovation and success in motorsports and other venues to the Speedway, and we're confident that their talent and vision will provide excellent leadership in the vital areas of marketing and public relations."
Dill comes to IMS with a strong blend of experience in marketing and corporate communications. More ...
Dean Stoneman enjoyed a superb maiden run in Formula Two to end fastest after the first two official days of testing at Snetterton on 6-7 April.
Stoneman, 19, posted a benchmark time of 58.535s early in the second morning, and remained fastest for the rest of the day despite the best efforts of Sergey Afanasiev and fellow Briton Jolyon Palmer - both of whom finished within one tenth of Stoneman's time.
Russia's Afanasiev also set his fastest time during the morning running of the second day, and he ended the test just 0.066s shy of Stoneman's time. Palmer was a further 0.033s behind Afanasiev, the Briton having topped the timesheets himself after the opening day of the test.
With every Williams JPH1B F2 car being maintained to an exact equal standard the closeness of the field was once again in full evidence, with the top 14 drivers all covered by less than one second and the entire field separated by just over 2.6 seconds.
Behind the lead trio Denmark's Johan Jokinen set the fourth fastest time ahead of series returnee Armaan Ebrahim, whilst Tom Gladdis rounded out the top six with a best effort little over three tenths of a second off Stoneman.
Seventh to 11th were then separated by less than one tenth, with Mihai Marinescu heading the British duo of Paul Rees and Jack Clarke. Benjamin Bailly rounded out the top ten by the narrowest of margins, the young Belgian's best effort edging out Will Bratt by just 0.001s.
Philipp Eng confirmed his reputation as a genuine title challenger after topping the timesheets on several occasions during a strong opening day, although he could not quite replicate such form on day two. Elsewhere Nicola De Marco, Ricardo Teixeira and Jose Alonso Liste all enjoyed spells within the top ten.
The two day test also featured one wet session at the end of the final day, with Russia's Ivan Samarin finishing fastest in the wet running ahead of Nicola De Marco and Jolyon Palmer.
Dean Stoneman said: "I'm happy with today - I have been concentrating on my own programme, but it is still good to go fastest. We tried out a new tyre just to see where we stood and how they affected the set-up of the car, and it seemed that today's early conditions were better than yesterday. You don't really ever know what to expect until the first qualifying session of the first round, but I'm here to win and I'll certainly be going all out for the championship."
Formula Two Test - Snetterton, United Kingdom 6/7 April - Combined Results:
1. Dean Stoneman, 58.535s 2. Sergey Afanasiev, +0.066s 3. Jolyon Palmer, +0.099s 4. Johan Jokinen, +0.331s 5. Armaan Ebrahim, +0.336s 6. Tom Gladdis, +0.387s 7. Mihai Marinescu, +0.602s 8. Paul Rees, +0.662s 9. Jack Clarke, +0.667s 10. Benjamin Bailly, +0.694s
Maldonado tops GP2 test The GP2 Series paddock gathered this week for the last three-day pre-season test session in Barcelona. And once again, it was Pastor Maldonado who set the pace at the end of the day in a 1:27.457, but rookies did not falter with four of them finishing in the Top 5, ART’s Sam Bird leading Racing Engineering’s Christian Vietoris, Arden’s Charles Pic and Super Nova’s Ericsson. This morning, the track activity was pretty slow for most of the first two hours, with Ocean’s Max Chilton and Vietoris successively topping the timing sheet. In the last sixty minutes of the three- hour session, the German’s best laptime was bettered by Addax’ Giedo van der Garde who would then stay on top until the chequered flag. He was closely followed by Bird while the Brit’s teammate Jules Bianchi moved up to P4 ahead of Pic. The session was red flagged once after Ho-Pin Tung at Dams touched the barriers at Turn 5. At the restart, Maldonado improved to claim the fourth best laptime. Behind the Top 5, Jérôme d’Ambrosio placed his Dams car in sixth place ahead of iSport’s Oliver Turvey, Pic, Trident’s Adrian Zaugg and Josef Kral at Super Nova. After the lunch break, Bianchi took charge and rapidly topped the timing sheet with teammate Bird in tow. Soon enough, it was d’Ambrosio’s turn to shine until Maldonado moved up to P1. With the arrival of light rain, Bird claimed top spot ahead of Bianchi, Kral and Dani Clos. But the raindrops soon vanished and Davide Valsecchi moved up to P4 while Ericsson clocked in the second best laptime. With fifteen minutes left on the clock, Maldonado climbed back to the top of the timesheet ahead of Bird and Vietoris. Pic swooped in fourth with Ericsson in tow. Bianchi was the fifth rookie to follow while Michael Herck climbed to P7 ahead of Valsecchi, Luiz Razia, and Kral.
FIA: Ride height devices illegal The FIA has phrased in a sort of hypothetical language, that any self-leveling damper system used to regulate the ride height of a car between qualifying and the race during a grand prix weekend, is illegal.
The FIA clarified its position in a fax to all teams last Sunday night.
"Any system device or procedure, the purpose and/or effect of which is to change the set-up of the suspension, while the car is under parc ferme conditions will be deemed to contravene art 34.5* of the sporting regulations,"
The move follows heavy rumors of such a system in the current Red Bull car, and team boss Christian Horner insisting that not only did Red Bull not have such a device, but that it would protest any team that does.
The FIA gave the RB6 the all-clear after a thorough inspection during the weekend, but rival teams have still theorized that Red Bull may have found a way to do it without the use of a mechanical system. More ...
Cayman Interseries News & Notes One of the most memorable liveries in sports car prototype racing history will return to high-speed life this season in the Cayman Interseries when debuting driver Lori Cassling unveils a 2010 Porsche Cayman S sporting the exact paint scheme of the famous No. 23 “Pink Pig” Porsche 917/20 that raced at Le Mans in 1971.
Cassling and her spouse Randy Cassling, who currently competes in the No. 18 Cayman S that wears the red, yellow and black colors of the factory Shell Porsche 962s, will become the first husband-and-wife competitors in the Cayman Interseries, but that’s not where the family connection stops. The couple’s daughter Kyle Cassling, who is a student at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, will also be listed as a co-driver with her mother for Cayman Interseries endurance races. The Casslings are from Omaha, Nebraska, where their pair of Cayman Interseries race cars are prepared and maintained by CARS (Classic Auto Restoration Services). More ...
Speedcom signs with HSR Leading motorsports radio technology company SPEEDCOM Communications has been named the Exclusive Official Communications Supplier of Historic Sportscar Racing, Ltd. (HSR) in a in a three-year agreement announced today by officials from both organizations.
“We are very excited to join HSR as an official sponsor partner and the exclusive communications supplier,” said SPEEDCOM Chief Executive Officer Toto Lassally. “We have already enjoyed a close relationship with HSR and all of its competitors over the last few years but our new agreement formally establishes an even greater partnership that will be beneficial for everyone in the HSR paddock.” More ...
GM post $4.3 Bil July-Dec loss Ed Note: We have said many times that racing in NASCAR doesn't sell cars and wonder how long the Big 3 will keep wasting big bucks on NASCAR will no return. It would be better spent on developing new technology.
General Motors Co. posted a $4.3 billion net loss last year, according to a financial report released this morning that offers the first comprehensive look at the company's finances since it emerged from bankruptcy court in July.
The automaker also posted global revenue of $57.5 billion at the end of December.
The bulk of GM's $4 billion in fourth-quarter losses were in North America, where GM lost $3.4 billion.
Chris Liddell, GM's vice chairman and CFO, said GM must return to profitability. He said the fourth quarter loss "gives you some sense of the financial hill we intend to climb."
GM had $36.2 billion in cash on hand at the end of last year. GM revalued its physical assets, valuing them at $19 billion -- an $18 billion reduction over what they worth before GM's bankruptcy filing.
The $4.3 billion net loss included a $2.6 billion pre-tax settlement loss related to the United Auto Workers retiree medical plan and a $1.3 billion foreign currency re-measurement loss, GM said today.
The financial report, which was delayed a week, represents a significant milestone for GM and reveals a new balance sheet for the company with new values attached to assets and liabilities.
The valuation process, called fresh-start accounting, is a first step toward GM selling shares of the company to the public.
"As the results for 2009 show there is still significant work to be done. However, I continue to believe we have a chance of achieving profitability in 2010," Liddell said.
The financial report covers the period from July 10 -- when GM was created as a new company out of bankruptcy court -- through December. GM said comparisons to prior quarterly reports are almost impossible because the old GM that filed bankruptcy, now known as Motors Liquidation Co., is an entirely different company.
Liddell, along with Controller and Chief Accounting Officer Nick Cyprus, are discussing the results during a 10 a.m. conference call with media and analysts.
Liddell said last month GM has a reasonable chance of being profitable in 2010, and might start selling public shares in the company this year.
The annual report provides a detailed financial roadmap of GM's first few months after emerging from bankruptcy in July with the help of about $50 billion in federal aid.
The balance of the $50 billion in federal aid is tied up in equity stakes split among the U.S. and Canadian governments, a union-run trust for retiree health care and creditors.
GM disclosed third-quarter 2009 results in November that showed the company lost $1.15 billion between July 10 and Sept. 30, better-than-expected results that executives said reflected greater operational stability and progress.
But those results did not reflect fresh-start accounting, so GM today also will release updated third-quarter results.
The old GM lost about $88 billion from the end of 2004 through early last year. Detroit News
Petrov: "We need to start finishing" Vitaly Petrov is pleased with Renault's strong start to the 2010 season - which sees the diamond marque placed comfortably in the top five of the Constructors' Championship - although the Russian driver adds that he is now in need of race finishes after suffering retirements in Bahrain, Australia and Malaysia. Already labelled a lightning-quick starter, Petrov has also demonstrated a natural ability to carve through traffic although team-mate Robert Kubica is the only driver to score for the team so far.
"We're improving the car all the time and some new aerodynamic parts are working," Vitaly explained to GPUpdate.net at Barcelona's GP2 test session on Wednesday. "The car has improved a lot but we need more time to understand where we are and to improve more for the next races - at the moment we're still not as quick as we want to be but we're working on that."
Having finished runner-up in GP2 last season, Petrov points out that the entire Formula 1 experience varies greater when compared to the feeder series although race finishes are now the principal target. Everything is different, not just things like the acceleration and braking," he said of the differences between the two series. "It's another world, with people working all the time and pushing very hard. It's possible to improve all parts of the car all the time.
"It's going okay but we're yet to finish a race, so we have to finish a race to understand things properly." When asked if he hopes to be scoring points by the start of the European season, Vitaly remains realistic. "Barcelona would be difficult we can always try," he concluded. GPUpdate.net
"Miller Lite Carb Day is all about excitement and a good time, and that's exactly what ZZ Top delivers with its high-octane music," said Jeff Belskus, president and chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. "We're thrilled to welcome the band to the Speedway for what promises to be a fantastic day for the fans." More ...
Schumacher to be 'silent' GPDA member - spokeswoman
(GMM) Michael Schumacher will be a "silent member" of the F1 drivers' union GPDA, his spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
From his Swiss office on Tuesday, the 41-year-old's day-to-day manager Sabine Kehm confirmed that the seven time world champion had reconsidered his earlier decision not to rejoin the Grand Prix Drivers' Association in 2010.
Kehm said in March that, with the German having played a leading role in his initial career until 2006, Schumacher now wanted F1's new generation to carry the baton.
It was rumored that the Mercedes driver did not get along with the GPDA's chairman Pedro de la Rosa, who quit the association in protest after Schumacher's Monaco 'Rascasse' parking incident four years ago. More ...
Q&A with Williams' Sam Michael The Williams F1 cars qualified in fifth and seventh positions in what was a wet session, although both drivers fell back five spots each for the final race result a day later. The teams Technical Director, Sam Michaels, gives a review of the Malaysian GP where Nico Hulkenberg scored his first F1 point from his 10th place finish.
Please sum up the overall performance of the FW32 at Sepang "The FW32 performed very well in wet conditions, but not strongly enough in the dry. The team made all the right calls during the rain-hit qualifying session."
How difficult was it to judge the conditions? "It was pretty tricky during qualifying, but the golden rule is to keep it simple. Obviously having both engineers and drivers that stay cool under pressure is essential part of approaching the process correctly." More ...
Ferrari downplays claims of engine reliability dramas
(GMM) Ferrari has downplayed suggestions that last weekend's Malaysian grand prix highlighted a major engine reliability problem for the Italian marque.
After both his and Felipe Massa's engines had to be replaced before the race in Bahrain, Fernando Alonso then retired at Sepang last weekend with a smoky blown V8.
Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi's Ferrari-powered Saubers also failed in the Malaysian heat, even though their problems were not related to Alonso's.
Ferrari has now confirmed that the Sauber-spec engines failed due to "a malfunction of the electronic engine management". All electronic control units fitted to F1 cars are supplied by McLaren Electronic Systems (MES). More ...
(GMM) After the opening three races of his return to formula one this year, Nick Fry has moved to defend seven time world champion Michael Schumacher.
The 41-year-old was outpaced by Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in Bahrain, Australia and Malaysia, and Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport points out that the only other driver with a full 3-0 defeat in 2010 is the rookie Russian Vitaly Petrov.
The German daily Bild's latest headline is 'Der Schumi-Absturz' ('the fall of Schumi'), adding that 24-year-old German Rosberg is now Mercedes' "new number 1".
But the Brackley based team's chief executive Fry said Schumacher is working back up to full strength.
"Every race he is learning a little bit more and it is all coming together slowly but surely, which is probably what you would expect," the Briton is quoted as saying by the Press Association.
USF2000 to Join ALMS Weekend at Mazda Raceway The Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda's 2010 schedule features races in the East, the South and the Midwest. Today series officials announced they are making a special effort to reach out to open-wheel racing's rising stars on the West Coast too by staging a special exhibition doubleheader during the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. May 20-23. Although this year's doubleheader will be a non-points event, series officials said they hope the venue can be added to the USF2000 Championship schedule starting in 2011.The event gives drivers who are already competing in this year's USF2000 Championship the opportunity to test during actual race conditions on one of the continent's most popular road courses while vying for a special enhanced prize package posted to help offset their travel costs. More ...
NASCAR puts Leffler on probation NASCAR has placed Jason Leffler, driver of the No. 38 car in the Nationwide Series, on probation for the next three series events for a rule violation he committed during the race at Nashville Superspeedway on April 3. Leffler's probation will run until April 28 of this year. Leffler was found to have violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing -- aggressive driving) of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rule Book.
Leffler was parked for aggressive driving for wrecking James Buescher on Lap 144, a move deemed intentional stemming from an earlier incident in which Buescher got loose and hit Leffler, sending the 38 car into the wall.
NHLR deal not done, Rahal stays with Fisher for LB
Graham Rahal in the Sarah Fisher Dollar General car at St. Pete
Sarah Fisher Racing and Dollar General have added the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach to its 2010 IZOD IndyCar ® Series schedule with driver Graham Rahal after the rumored deal between Rahal and Newman Haas Lanigan Racing failed to get done in time.
"SFR is very thankful to Dollar General and Direct Supply to give us the opportunity to compete on the Streets of Long Beach for the first time," said team owner/driver Sarah Fisher, who will return to her IZOD IndyCar Series car at Kansas Speedway on May 1. "Graham had been very excited about the potential of putting this together from the start of his time with the team. I am proud of where we have been able to go in such a short period of time. Certainly the idea of growing a program past the set budget was a difficult task for everyone involved, but knowing Graham will do a great job on and off the track makes every effort worth it." More ...
Chevy has announced it will offer a limited number of Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car replicas for sale through select dealers. Based on a Camaro 2SS model with an RS appearance package the car also gets 20-inch wheels, White Pearl rally stripes, on Inferno Orange front grille, Inferno Orange engine cover, special floor mats, 2010 Indianapolis 500 logos on the doors, front fenders and embroidered on the headrests. Unfortunately, it seems the car will only be offered as an automatic transmission model with the slightly less powerful 400-hp engine.
Pricing for the 2010 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Replica Limited Edition is set at $41,950 (including $850 for shipping). Just 200 of the limited edition vehicles will be offered through 187 of the top-selling Chevy dealerships.
The car marks the fourth time Chevy has offered a replica of a Camaro pace car, with past models being offered in 1969, 1982 and 1993.
The actual pace car will be driven by Robin Roberts of “Good Morning America,” during the this year’s Indianapolis 500, on May 30th.
GALLERY: Chevy Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car
PRESS RELEASE Chevrolet to offer a limited number of 2010 Camaro Indy 500 Pace Car replicas
DETROIT — For the first time since 1993, Chevrolet will build and sell a replica of a Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car.
“We set out to build a collectible vehicle that will appeal to the die-hard Camaro and Indianapolis 500 fan,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President, Chevrolet Marketing. “We believe we’ve done just that with the 2010 Chevy Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Limited Edition.”
This limited edition replica includes all the features found on a top-of-the-line regular production Camaro SS, but adds some additional features unique to the actual pace car to be driven by Robin Roberts, anchor of “Good Morning America,” during the this year’s Indianapolis 500.
Based on a Camaro 2SS model with an RS appearance package, the replica includes the following content:
* 400 hp 6.2L V-8 * Six-speed automatic transmission with remote start * 20-inch polished aluminum wheels * Full body White Pearl decal rally stripes * Inferno Orange heritage front grille * Inferno Orange engine cover * Premium floor mats with accent colors * 2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo decal on both doors and embroidered on driver and passenger headrests * 2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo badges on front fenders
Up to 200 pace car replicas will be made available through 187 of the top-selling Camaro dealers based on 2009 retail sales. The manufacturer suggested retail price of the replica is $41,950 (includes $850 Destination Freight Charge).
The 2010 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Replica Limited Edition marks the fourth time Chevrolet has offered a Camaro pace car replica. Chevrolet also offered replicas of the pace cars in 1969, 1982 and 1993.
List of dealers that will have allocation for the replica.
2010 Camaro Indy Pace Car Replica Dealer List DEALER’S NAME CITY STATE LYNN LAYTON CHEVROLET, INC. DECATUR AL LANDERS MCLARTY CHEVROLET HUNTSVILLE AL GWATNEY CHEVROLET COMPANY JACKSONVILLE AR BALE CHEVROLET COMPANY LITTLE ROCK AR RUSSELL CHEVROLET COMPANY SHERWOOD AR THOROBRED CHEVROLET, INC. CHANDLER AZ SANDS MOTOR COMPANY GLENDALE AZ BROWN & BROWN CHEVROLET, INC. MESA AZ POWER CHEVROLET PEORIA AZ COURTESY CHEVROLET PHOENIX AZ MIDWAY CHEVROLET COMPANY PHOENIX AZ VAN CHEVROLET SCOTTSDALE AZ SANDS CHEVROLET SURPRISE AZ CHAPMAN CHEVROLET, L.L.C. TEMPE AZ ORIELLY CHEVROLET, INC. TUCSON AZ WATSON CHEVROLET, INC. TUCSON AZ THREE‐WAY CHEVROLET CADILLAC BAKERSFIELD CA CONNELL CHEVROLET COSTA MESA CA QUALITY CHEVROLET ESCONDIDO CA ROTOLO CHEVROLET INC. FONTANA CA MICHAEL CHEVROLET FRESNO CA ALLEN GWYNN CHEVROLET GLENDALE CA BOB STALL CHEVROLET LA MESA CA CAMINO REAL CHEVROLET MONTEREY PARK CA RYDELL AUTOMOTIVE GROUP NORTHRIDGE CA MARK CHRISTOPHER AUTO CENTER ONTARIO CA SELMAN CHEVROLET COMPANY ORANGE CA JIMMIE JOHNSON KEARNY MESA CHEVROLET SAN DIEGO CA COURTESY CHEVROLET CENTER SAN DIEGO CA COURTESY CHEVROLET SAN JOSE CA CHASE CHEVROLET CO., INC. STOCKTON CA PARADISE CHEVROLET CADILLAC TEMECULA CA PARADISE CHEVROLET VENTURA CA RANCHO MOTOR CO. VICTORVILLE CA MEDVED CHEVROLET, INC. WHEAT RIDGE CO NUCAR CHEVROLET NEW CASTLE DE DIVER CHEVROLET WILMINGTON DE JON HALL CHEVROLET, INC. DAYTONA BEACH FL MAROONE CHEVROLET OF FORT LAUDERDALE FORT LAUDERDALE FL MAROONE CHEVROLET OF GREENACRES GREENACRES FL MAROONE CHEVROLET OF MIAMI MIAMI FL KENDALL CHEVROLET AT THE DADELAND MALL MIAMI FL MAROONE CHEVROLET OF PEMBROKE PINES PEMBROKE PINES FL PETE MOORE CHEVROLET, INC. PENSACOLA FL STINGRAY CHEVROLET PLANT CITY FL FERMAN CHEVROLET TAMPA FL FERMAN CHEVROLET‐OLDSMOBILE OF TARPON SPRINGS TARPON SPRINGS FL JIM ELLIS CHEVROLET CHAMBLEE GA LEGACY CHEVROLET CADILLAC SAAB OF COLUMBUS COLUMBUS GA RICK HENDRICK CHEVROLET DULUTH GA JOHN THORNTON CHEVROLET LITHIA SPRINGS GA STEVE RAYMAN CHEVROLET SOUTH UNION CITY GA KARL CHEVROLET, INC. ANKENY IA DAVE SMITH MOTORS KELLOGG ID GEORGE WEBER CHEVROLET COMPANY COLUMBIA IL PHILLIPS CHEVROLET INC FRANKFORT IL W. HARE AND SON, INC. NOBLESVILLE IN ANDY MOHR CHEVROLET, INC. PLAINFIELD IN SUPERIOR CHEVROLET SHAWNEE MISSION KS GERRY LANE CHEVROLET BATON ROUGE LA ALL STAR CHEVROLET, INC. BATON ROUGE LA RED RIVER MOTOR COMPANY BOSSIER CITY LA HOOD NORTHLAKE COVINGTON LA SERVICE CHEVROLET, INC. LAFAYETTE LA BILLY NAVARRE CHEVROLET OF LAKE CHARLES LAKE CHARLES LA RYAN CHEVROLET, INC. MONROE LA CHEVYLAND SHREVEPORT LA QUIRK CHEVROLET BRAINTREE MA BOB BELL CHEVROLET OF BEL AIR, INC. BEL AIR MD CRISWELL CHEVROLET, INC. GAITHERSBURG MD J. B. A. CHEVROLET GLEN BURNIE MD SPORT CHEVROLET COMPANY, INC. SILVER SPRING MD KOONS CHEVROLET, INC. WHITE MARSH MD SUBURBAN CHEVROLET CADILLAC SAAB HUMMER ANN ARBOR MI MORAN CHEVROLET, INC. CLINTON TOWNSHIP MI HANK GRAFF CHEVROLET, INC. DAVISON MI LES STANFORD CHEVROLET CADILLAC INC. DEARBORN MI GORDON CHEVROLET, INC. GARDEN CITY MI AL SERRA CHEVROLET, INC. GRAND BLANC MI BERGER CHEVROLET, INC. GRAND RAPIDS MI WALLY EDGAR CHEVROLET‐BUICK, INC. LAKE ORION MI SHAHEEN CHEVROLET, INC. LANSING MI LIBERTY CHEVROLET, INC. NEW HUDSON MI MARTY FELDMAN CHEVROLET, INC. NOVI MI BILL FOX CHEVROLET, INC. ROCHESTER HILLS MI DICK GENTHE CHEVROLET, INC. SOUTHGATE MI BUFF WHELAN CHEVROLET, INC. STERLING HEIGHTS MI MIKE SAVOIE CHEVROLET, INC. TROY MI JOE LUNGHAMER CHEVROLET, INC. WATERFORD MI RODGERS CHEVROLET, INC. WOODHAVEN MI ELCO CHEVROLET AND CADILLAC, INC. BALLWIN MO WEBER CHEVROLET COMPANY CREVE COEUR MO JOHNNY LONDOFF CHEVROLET, INC. FLORISSANT MO SAPAUGH MOTORS, INC. HERCULANEUM MO CABLE‐DAHMER CHEVROLET, INC. INDEPENDENCE MO JIM TRENARY CHEVROLET, INC. O FALLON MO 2010 Camaro Indy Pace Car Replica Dealer List DEALER’S NAME CITY STATE LOU FUSZ CHEVROLET SAINT PETERS MO RELIABLE CHEVROLET, INC. SPRINGFIELD MO HENDRICK CHEVROLET CARY NC CITY CHEVROLET CHARLOTTE NC STEVE MOORE CHEVROLET CHARLOTTE NC REED‐LALLIER CHEVROLET FAYETTEVILLE NC POWERS‐SWAIN CHEVROLET, INC. FAYETTEVILLE NC MARINE CHEVROLET CADILLAC JACKSONVILLE NC JEFF GORDON CHEVROLET WILMINGTON NC HAWTHORNE CHEVROLET HAWTHORNE NJ PARAMUS AUTO MALL CHEVROLET‐GEO, INC. PARAMUS NJ RELIABLE CHEVROLET, INC. ALBUQUERQUE NM GALLES CHEVROLET COMPANY ALBUQUERQUE NM HENDERSON CHEVROLET CO. HENDERSON NV FINDLAY CHEVROLET LAS VEGAS NV FAIRWAY CHEVROLET LAS VEGAS NV ED BOZARTH NEVADA #1 CHEVROLET LAS VEGAS NV DEPAULA CHEVROLET‐HUMMER, INC. ALBANY NY ATLANTIC CHEVROLET CADILLAC BAY SHORE NY JOE BASIL CHEVROLET, INC. DEPEW NY PAUL CONTE CHEVROLET, INC. FREEPORT NY PADDOCK CHEVROLET, INC. KENMORE NY NESENGER 112 CHEVROLET MEDFORD NY BOB JOHNSON CHEVROLET ROCHESTER NY VOSS CHEVROLET, INC. CENTERVILLE OH COUGHLIN AUTOMOTIVE, LLC PATASKALA OH PAT OBRIEN CHEVROLET WEST WESTLAKE OH JACK MAXTON CHEVROLET, INC. WORTHINGTON OH HUDIBURG CHEVROLET INC MIDWEST CITY OK MARC HEITZ CHEVROLET, INC. NORMAN OK DAVID STANLEY CHEVROLET INC OKLAHOMA CITY OK JIM GLOVER CHEVROLET TULSA OK REEDMAN‐TOLL AUTO WORLD LANGHORNE PA CASTRIOTA CHEVROLET PITTSBURGH PA LOVE CHEVROLET COMPANY WEST COLUMBIA SC WALKER CHEVROLET FRANKLIN TN CHAMPION CHEVROLET‐CADILLAC LLC JOHNSON CITY TN JIM KERAS CHEVROLET‐MEMPHIS MEMPHIS TN RON CARTER AUTOLAND ALVIN TX VANDERGRIFF CHEVROLET ARLINGTON TX HENNA CHEVROLET, L.P. AUSTIN TX CAPITOL CHEVROLET, INC. AUSTIN TX COVERT CHEVROLET, BUICK, PONTIAC, GMC BASTROP TX RON CRAFT CHEVROLET CADILLAC BAYTOWN TX CLASSIC CHEVROLET CADILLAC BEAUMONT TX CAVENDER CHEVROLET BOERNE TX LYNN SMITH CHEVROLET BURLESON TX BUCKALEW CHEVROLET, L.P. CONROE TX CHAMPION CHEVROLET CADILLAC CORPUS CHRISTI TX FRIENDLY CHEVROLET CO. DALLAS TX YOUNG CHEVROLET, INC. DALLAS TX JAMES WOOD CHEVROLET‐OLDSMOBILE DECATUR TX JAMES WOOD CHEVROLET, CADILLAC, OLDSMOBILE DENTON TX MISSION CHEVROLET, LTD. EL PASO TX RUDOLPH CHEVROLET, LLC EL PASO TX MORITZ CHEVROLET, LTD. FORT WORTH TX BRUCE LOWRIE CHEVROLET, INC. FORT WORTH TX STONEBRIAR CHEVROLET FRISCO TX JUPITER CHEVROLET, L.P. GARLAND TX DON HEWLETT CHEVROLET BUICK, INC. GEORGETOWN TX CLASSIC CHEVROLET, LTD. GRAPEVINE TX MUNDAY CHEVROLET HOUSTON TX MAC HAIK CHEVROLET HOUSTON TX CHAMPION CHEVROLET GULF FREEWAY HOUSTON TX NORMAN FREDE CHEVROLET CO. HOUSTON TX DAVIS CHEVROLET HOUSTON TX CHAMPION CHEVROLET HWY. 6 HOUSTON TX ROBBINS CHEVROLET COMPANY HUMBLE TX LONE STAR CHEVROLET JERSEY VILLAGE TX WESTSIDE CHEVROLET, INC. KATY TX FAMILY CHEVROLET LAREDO TX PETERS CHEVROLET, INC. LONGVIEW TX CHARLES CLARK CHEVROLET CO. MC ALLEN TX BERT OGDEN CHEVROLET, INC. MISSION TX J K CHEVROLET NEDERLAND TX BANKSTON CHEVROLET FORT WORTH NORTH RICHLAND HILLS TX ALL AMERICAN CHEVROLET OF ODESSA ODESSA TX MONUMENT CHEVROLET PASADENA TX STRICKLAND CHEVROLET, INC. PEARLAND TX RAY HUFFINES CHEVROLET, INC. PLANO TX RELIABLE CHEVROLET RICHARDSON TX GUNN CHEVROLET, LTD. SAN ANTONIO TX THE ANCIRA‐WINTON CHEVROLET, INC SAN ANTONIO TX VARA CHEVROLET SAN ANTONIO TX CLASSIC CHEVROLET SUGAR LAND TX PARKWAY CHEVROLET, INC. TOMBALL TX PELTIER CHEVROLET, INC. TYLER TX JERRYS CHEVROLET CADILLAC WEATHERFORD TX HERITAGE CHEVROLET, INC. CHESTER VA COLONIAL CHEVROLET NORFOLK VA C & O MOTORS, INC. SAINT ALBANS WV
Jeff Gordon fans will have the chance to see him go the extra mile(s) twice this weekend starting with an extended race event on Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway and ending with an appearance as a celebrity builder on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” on Sunday evening.
Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 600 has been lengthened from 500k to 600k, which equates to 63 more circuits around the one-mile track. The race may be longer, but the drivers will still have to deal with a setting sun during the weekend.
“The biggest issue is dealing with the sun entering turn one during qualifying,” said Gordon, who has one win (2007), three poles, eight top-fives and 16 top-10’s in 22 starts at the Arizona track. More ...
Camping World gets good exposure in Nashville Nashville hosted the Camping World Truck Series at Nashville Superspeedway. The race, which aired on April 2nd at 8:00 PM on SPEED-TV, took place on a 1.333 mile course. According to Front Row Analytics, industry leaders in media evaluation, Camping World received $1,315,999 in media exposure from a total of 112 sequences including an on-screen bug, on-car signage, driving suit logos, and verbal mentions.
Front Row Analytics is the evaluation division of Front Row Marketing Services, an industry leader in commercial rights sales and a subsidiary of the Philadelphia, PA based sport and entertainment firm, Comcast-Spectacor.
“The Camping World Truck Series possesses the same qualities that make NASCAR, Sprint Cup, and the Nationwide Series so great for sponsorship. Sponsors can take advantage of putting their name on a car, driver’s suit or even becoming the presenting sponsor of a race. Camping World utilized many of these different avenues in their sponsorship and racked up well over one million dollars of media value in the Nashville race. Overall, this was a great move by the folks at Camping World,” said VP of Project Management, Eric Smallwood.
Kyle Busch took first place in the race and Camping World also drove away as a winner at this year’s Camping World Truck Series race after receiving over $1.3 million in media exposure.
Poltical "sponsors" on stock cars? Texas Governor sponsoring Labonte at TMS: Gentlemen, start your ... political campaigns? Texas Gov. Rick Perry's re-election campaign said Tuesday that he's sponsoring Bobby Labonte's car for the April 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the Texas Motor Speedway. Perry and Labonte were on hand Tuesday as the car was unveiled. It has the words "Governor Perry" painted on the hood, the campaign's Web address emblazoned on the doors and the message "Perry Governor 2010" on its back. Perry says Labonte's driving reminds him of Texas' strong economy. He is running against Democrat Bill White in November's election.(AP)
19-year-old Jolyon Palmer topped the opening F2 test of 2010, as the young Briton headed both Philipp Eng and Johan Jokinen at Snetterton today (Tuesday).
Palmer set the ultimate pace in the final hour of the day as Eng finally relinquished top spot, which he had held for much of the running. The Austrian tried to respond and became the only driver to dip under the one minute barrier in both the morning and afternoon, but he fell short of Palmer's effort by just 0.155s.
Danish driver Johan Jokinen completed his rise through the top ten by taking third late on, whilst Dean Stoneman's morning lap time of 59.951s remained good enough for fourth overall at the finish. Will Bratt - who recently contested the GP2 Asia Series - was a consistent top six runner throughout the day and ended up fifth fastest ahead of Kelvin Snoeks. Dutchman Snoeks improved as the day progressed and eventually set his quickest time on his 99th and final lap. More ...
Larry Pearson – 12 Days, 6 Surgeries There have been numerous calls for Bristol Motor Speedway to end its experiment with old-timer “legends” racing since the track’s March 20 event resulted in a savage late-race accident.
Larry Pearson, the driver seriously injured in that wreck, isn’t one of the naysayers.
“I don’t want this to deter Bristol from doing that race again for the guys,” Pearson said Tuesday from a hospital room at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. “Nobody can predict what’s going to happen. Nobody knew this would happen. It was a lot of fun for all of us to get to race.” More ...
Domenicali talks about Ferrari reliability issues Stefano Domenicali has emphasised that the Ferrari team's reliability issues must be rectified as soon as possible in order for the outfit to confidently continue its title attack this season. The Maranello squad's Malaysian Grand Prix was compromised by both gearbox and engine woes for erstwhile championship leader Fernando Alonso.With Alonso having previously won in Bahrain and finished fourth in Australia, the Spaniard is now tied in points with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, whose own 2010 results tally reads exactly the same in terms of finishing positions so far. More ...
Kimi Räikkönen notched up his first points finish in the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the season's third round of the year in Jordan on Saturday. After a shaky start to the campaign which featured a 30th position and a failure to finish, the 2007 Formula 1 Champion is pleased with the accomplishment. Having competed in several smaller rally events last year, former Sauber, McLaren and Ferrari driver Räikkönen switched to the WRC for 2010 and is competing in a Citroën C4 for the Red Bull Junior squad; after hitting a snow bank in Sweden and rolling out of the action in Mexico, Kimi finished eighth in Jordan.
"From the beginning my goal was to get to the end of the rally and I'm really pleased that we've been able to do that, even though the conditions were difficult," the Finn said of the gravel event. "As the stages went on, I learned more and more and my confidence has grown bigger as well.
"We came to Jordan with very little experience of the car on gravel and now we've practically doubled it. I'm getting to know the car better now but the important thing is that I've really enjoyed these three days. We're making progress, which is why we are here, and hopefully this will continue on the next round in Turkey." GPUpdate.net
Mercedes GP Team Principal Ross Brawn has said that its cars' wheel nuts are never overlooked on the run-up to the starts of races although a lost nut was the reason With one German out of the race on Lap 10, Brawn was later delighted to see Nico Rosberg celebrate the team's first podium of the season although the Sepang result did contain a hint of mystery for the Brackley-based squad.
That was an excellent drive from Nico and a first-class performance to secure his third career podium and the first podium for the Mercedes GP team," said Brawn. More ...
Pacific F2000 Series Rounds 3 & 4 The Sierra Tire Pacific F2000 Championship Presented by Hankook moves to Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond for rounds 3 and 4 as part of VARA’s High Desert Challenge this coming weekend, April 10/11.
The entry is once again headed by Dave Freitas Racing and PR1 Motorsports with each team boasting four entries. Heading DFR in his fifteenth season is Ira Fierberg in the #27 Barry I Goldstein, CPA/Sparco Van Diemen. Ira is heads to Willow Springs coming off his first podium finish and his vastly improved performance sees him as a serious challenger for not only the Expert Class (drivers 35-50) Championship but the top step of the podium. Alongside Fierberg is Peter Hastrup in the #5 Western Building Materials/Nuttall, Brown & Cloutts Van Diemen. Hastrup is the defending Masters (drivers 51 and over) Champion and continues his long association with DFR. Peter West is behind the wheel of the #99 Terminal Velocity Processing Van Diemen as he pursues the Masters Class title in his second season back with DFR after a stint as the series Chief Steward. The fourth entry is the #7 Refrigeration Control Co., Hytech Exhaust, Church Automotive Testing Van Diemen of Scotsman Peter Thomas. Thomas committed to a full season this year is benefitting from the support of DFR and competes in the Expert Class.
PR1 Motorsports comes into the weekend with Series point leader Scott Rarick back for his second season with PR1 and coming off of a third and second place finish in rounds 1 and 2 respectively. Driving the #34 Van Diemen Rarick is looking to continue his strong performance this weekend. Joining Rarick is last year’s Rookie of the Year and surprise winner in round 1 David Cheng in the #26 Speedware Motorsports/Zerlag Communications Van Diemen. David of Sammamish, Washington took advantage of the wet conditions to take the lead from the outset in round 1 and ran a close second when mechanical problems sidelined the leader and was never headed as he took his first series victory. Teenager Miles Maroney after an impressive first outing in the series at Fontana, he ran as high as fourth in the rain on Saturday, has announced that he will compete the full season and challenge for rookie of the year honors drives a third PR1 Motorsports entry, the #22 Maroney Company Van Diemen. The fourth PR1 entry is the #77 JF Excavating Van Diemen of Conner Ford. Both Maroney and Ford will benefit from the expert tutelage of PR1 Motorsports and Bobby Oergel.
Bob Negron a former Star Mazda competitor enters the weekend second in points and leading the Masters Class. Bob driving the #9 FengshuiMeBaby.com Van Diemen had an excellent second place finish in challenging conditions in round 1 and backed it up with a fourth place finish in round 2 and is a strong contender for Masters Honors and looks to move up one step on the podium by challenging for race wins. Bill Kincaid in his #46 Van Diemen who is fourth in the championship with a couple of fifth place finishes in the opening rounds makes his first appearance at Willow Springs since his fifteenth place finish in 2007 and is sure to improve on that.
Rounding out the entry is series promoter Les Phillips, sixth in points, is his #89 Swiss Implants Mygale one of only two in the field. The other Mygale is being piloted by Michael Murphy who finished ninth in round 2 after being unable to start in round 1.
Notably absent from the entry is two-time and defending series champion Robert Podlesni in the #84 terminal Velocity Processing/Alpinestars/DFR Van Diemen.
Cool weather with temperatures in the sixties and only 10% chance of rain is predicted for the weekend. The challenge as always at Willow Springs with its three long fast right hand turns is preserving the tires and because of this an additional two tires are available to the competitors for the weekend. Lacking a prior Willow Springs victor in the field, the weekend promises to be exciting and to provide one if not two first time winners at this track.
Office Depot launches green promotion in NASCAR Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), the Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR® and co-primary sponsor of Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice team, announced today that it is launching an innovative partnership with EarthEra®, a program created by NextEra™ Energy Resources, North America’s largest producer of wind and solar power.
To launch the partnership’s first program, “Greener Shipping”, Office Depot will balance the carbon footprint of the Subway Fresh Fit 600 race on Saturday, April 10, at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Through its purchase of EarthEra products, Office Depot is helping the race “grow greener” by balancing the carbon footprint of not just the cars on the track, but fan travel, race team travel and track operations during the race. Due to the innovative structure of the EarthEra program, 100 percent of the revenue from Office Depot’s purchase will be used to create new renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar, in the United States – thus helping the country transition to a greener and cleaner energy future.
Special Green-Themed Race Car Launches ‘Greener Shipping’
The No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy Impala driven by two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ champion Tony Stewart will feature a special green-themed paint scheme during the Subway Fresh Fit 600 at PIR (Saturday, April 10, 7 p.m. EST, FOX). The paint scheme will include the Office Depot and EarthEra logos on the car’s rear TV panel with a “Greener Shipping” message. The new Office Depot Greener Shipping Program encourages eligible Office Depot customers to “grow greener” by changing how they buy office supplies. When eligible customers eliminate small orders, increase average order size and help reduce delivery frequency, Office Depot will provide rebates on certain green products and purchase EarthEra products on the customer’s behalf.
“Our philosophy at Office Depot is that every step that individuals, businesses or sporting events take to ‘grow greener’ is a step in a positive direction,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Director of Environmental Strategy for Office Depot. “By involving our NASCAR sponsorship, we specifically wanted to move the dialogue on going greener away from its typical niche, to a much wider audience. In addition, like many global corporations with leading environmental programs, we also have a large segment of customers who are NASCAR fans. As part of our extensive effort to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we are proud to work with the NASCAR community to help continue its efforts to grow greener.”
Tony Stewart, who is currently eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ point standings, said he was excited to lend his support to the partnership between Office Depot and EarthEra.
“I love spending time outdoors, especially when I’m at home, and taking care of the environment is important to me,” said Stewart, who lives near his hometown of Columbus, Indiana, and functions in the dual role of driver and team owner at Stewart-Haas Racing. “As a business owner myself, I’m always trying to find better and more efficient ways of doing things to cut down on waste, and I’m proud to help get the word out about the partnership between Office Depot and EarthEra.”
NASCAR and its partners share a commitment to preserving the environment. The sport has launched many programs to help it operate in an environmentally responsible way. A comprehensive green strategy for NASCAR and its stakeholders is focused on reducing the sport's carbon footprint and waste production while promoting conservation and sustainability messages to fans.
“We are proud to partner with Office Depot to reduce the carbon footprint of the race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway,” said Nate Hanson, Vice President Power Marketing, NextEra Energy Resources. “We applaud Office Depot for continuing to take a leadership role in educating race fans, promoting greener office product solutions for its customers and for recognizing the benefits of EarthEra, a clean energy future.”
McLaren F-Duct may be dangerous Red Bull's chief technical officer Adrian Newey has raised concerns about McLaren's F-duct system, saying any sudden movement from the driver might prove dangerous.
McLaren introduced the system, which requires the driver to deflect air flow in order to stall the rear wing, reduce drag and therefore increase straightline speed, at the start of the season.
With the FIA ruling it legal, Sauber have since run their own version during practice sessions - although their F-duct is reportedly operated by the drivers' elbow blocking the air flow rather than the knee, as is the case with McLaren's system.
Other teams such as Ferrari have already stated that they are working on introducing a similar system as soon as possible, but Newey fears it may not be safe.
"McLaren's F-duct is intelligent and opens new ways. However I'm worried about the safety aspect," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"The system works by stalling the rear wing and getting rid of the load. To force a driver to make a sudden movement to change normal load conditions has to do with safety."
Advantage Despite Newey's concerns, Red Bull are working to implement their own system having witnessed the advantage it handed McLaren down the long straights at Sepang during last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix.
However, he added that the design direction they have taken with the RB6 leaves Red Bull unsure whether they would benefit from an F-duct of their own.
"Many cars, including ours, have been re-designed around the double diffuser. The rhythm of development is high and the speed at which you bring new things remains fundamental," said Newey, whose cars scored a one-two finish in Malaysia.
"We are looking at the F-duct. We have understood how it works, but to get it to work properly is another thing. We don't know when we can take it to the track.
"The difficult thing is that McLaren has designed the chassis around that system, but the rules prevent you from modifying the chassis. Every new thing has to be included in the current structure." SkySports
It's business as usual for Long Beach GP No matter how lousy the economy or job market, some events seem to be recession-proof - the Super Bowl being a prime example. Even as the Dow sunk and debt soared in recent years, attendance and advertising revenue during the big game far outpaced industry standards.
And while Long Beach may never host an event of such magnitude, the city does boast its own seemingly recession-proof annual bonanza: the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Through 36 years of boom and bust, thousands upon thousands of dedicated race fans have streamed into the city each April to cheer, commiserate and spend.
Since its inception in 1975, the race's prominence and impact on area hotels, merchants and restaurants has grown consistently, and this year is expected to be no different. More ...
Obama to buy first 100 Chevy Volts The first customer for the Chevrolet Volt also happens to be its largest investor -- the Obama administration. The White House said today that the government will "purchase the first 100 plug-in electric vehicles to roll off American assembly lines" before the end of the year.
The Volt, which GM describes as an extended range electric vehicle, is the only model that fits that description. GM began building its first production Volts at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant today.
President Barack Obama has set a target of putting one million plug-in hybrids on U.S roads by 2015. In announcing a new plan for offshore drilling today, Obama also said the government would double its purchases of hybrid vehicles to 5,000. More ...
Kepler Motors, founded by World Speed Record Holder Russ Wicks, unveiled its groundbreaking MOTION supercar at this year's Dubai International Motor Show. Infusing state-of-the-art automotive engineering and applied science materials with the latest advanced technologies, the MOTION redefines the paradigms of the supercar with unprecedented performance, style, exclusivity, safety and efficiency.
The MOTION sets a new standard with all-wheel drive Dual Powertrain Technology (DPT) which provides a combined 800 hp. Power comes from a 550 hp, modified Ford EcoBoost twin-turbo 3.5 liter V6 driving the rear wheels acting independently of a 250 hp electric motor driving the front wheels. This unique AWD system launches the MOTION to 60 mph under 2.5 seconds with a top speed over 200 mph. More ...
Barrichello slams Brazilian media after 'crap' comment
Sauber sorry for departing Rampf after Sepang 'debacle'
Button flies 30 hours for McLaren simulator tests
F1 teams had input into India's GP circuit
Coulthard urges F1 to hold fire on rule changes
Barrichello slams Brazilian media after 'crap' comment (GMM) Rubens Barrichello has slammed his critics who claim he angrily described the Williams and Virgin cars as "porcarias".
In his native Portuguese, the mild obscenity translates roughly as "piece of junk" or even "crap", after the 37-year-old finished the Malaysian GP a lap down, while his rookie countryman Lucas di Grassi was lapped three times in the Virgin.
"After the race I joked during a press conference with di Grassi that we needed to greatly improve our 'porcarias' to catch up with the new championship leader and our friend Massinha," Barrichello clarified.
"It was totally (in) fun and everyone who was there felt it in exactly the same way. But some others said I had spoken badly of my team.
"While people in his country (India) look on the bright side and applaud Karun Chandhok for finishing 15th, some Brazilians insist on looking at things the other way," he added. More ...
Copyright 1999-2013 | AutoRacing1 is an
independent internet online publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed
by IndyCar, NASCAR, FIA, Sprint, or any other series sponsor.
This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without